THE OLD WOMAN WITH THE KNIFE (2025) - Official Trailer

 Here is the trailer for the South Korean action thriller, The Old Woman With The Knife (also known as Pa-gwa) (2025). Here is the synopsis:

 Aging assassin Hornclaw has seen it all, but she never expected to mentor a reckless rookie like Bullfight. As their unlikely bond deepens, cracks form in the underworld they navigate together. When Hornclaw discovers someone wants her dead, she’s thrust into a deadly game of deception. With enemies closing in and trust in short supply, survival means staying sharp—both blade and mind.

 The Old Woman With The Knife is based on the book (with the same name) written by Gu Byeong-mo. It was directed by Min Kyu-dong, and stars Lee Hye-young, Kim Sung-cheol, Yeon Woo-jin, and Kim Mu-yeol. 

This movie looks very interesting to me! Really can't wait to see this one! The Old Woman With The Knife comes out in movie theaters in the United States on May 16, 2025!

 

ALIENOID 2: Return to the Future (2024) - Movie Trailer

 Here is the trailer for Alienoid 2: Return To The Future! This is a sequel to Alienoid (2022), in which certain people in the distant past are looking for a sword that can 'control' time, and certain people from modern times are looking for an alien! Here is the synopsis:

Ean (KIM Tae-ri) has a critical mission to return to the future to save everyone. However, she becomes trapped in the distant past while trying to prevent the escape of alien prisoners who are locked up in the bodies of humans. Meanwhile, Muruk (RYU Jun-yeol), who helps Ean escape various predicaments, is unnerved when he begins sensing the presence of a strange being in his body. Traveling through the centuries, they are trying to prevent the end of the world...

Alienoid 2: Return To The Future released already in South Korea on January 10, 2024. It is releasing in America in theaters on January 26, 2024. I've got to watch these movies!

 

A Company Man (2012) - A Review

 

A Company Man is an excellent action movie!

A Company Man is an action movie released in South Korea in 2012 and stars So Ji-sub, Lee Mi-yeon, Kwak Do-won, Jeon Guk-hwan, Kim Dong-jun, Han Bo-bae, and Lee Geung-young. The movie was written and directed by Lim Sang-Yoon, with Jae-Min Shin as action coordinator.

Ji Hyeong-do, played by So Ji-sub. He is an expert assassin not to be messed with!

In A Company Man, So Ji-sub plays Ji Hyeong-do, an expert assassin rising up the ranks at his company. His superior, Kwon Jong-tae (played by Kwak Do-won) treats Hyeong-do rather rudely, so Hyeong-do usually answers him with, "I'm sorry, sir". Their top boss, Chairman Jeon, (played by Jeon Guk-hwan) has very high hopes and expectations for Hyeong-do. It seems Hyeong-do is enjoying his life; his boss likes him and most everyone at the company respect him. It turns out, he is thinking of quitting. He asks a former colleague, Ban Ji-hoon (played by Lee Geung-young) what he should do. Ji-hoon say whether Hyeong-do quits or stays at his job, he will always be a company man...

One day, Hyeong-do is on an assignment with a young temp, Ra Hoon (played by Kim Dong-jun), who tells him about his plans for the money he is making working these types of jobs. After Ra Hoon successfully eliminates his targets, Hyeong-do takes him out. Before Hyeong-do eliminates him,though, Ra Hoon asks a favor of him. Hyeong-do obliges and goes to Ra Hoon's house to give his mother all the money he was saving up. Hyeong-do becomes smitten with Yu Mi-yeon (played by Lee Mi-yeon), and can't stop thinking about her...

Hyeong-do's crush on Mi-yeon causes him to become careless on an assignment. Hyeong-do and Mi-yeon begin to have a romantic relationship, and Hyeong-do finally seems to be happy. Later on, Hyeong-do does not do what is asked of him by the company, and the police are suspicious of him since he was seen with Ra Hoon before he committed the murders; and this causes Hyeong-do to become the next target of the company he works for. Things go terribly wrong, and Hyeong-do becomes determined to take the whole company down.

Ji Hyeong-do and Yu Mi-yeon get along really well.

A Company Man is a dark thriller that examines South Korean work culture through the life of a hitman. You see Hyeong-do struggle with being so good and dependable as an employee that his boss loves him, his co-workers respect him, and he is rising up the ranks. The problem is that he wants to leave the job, and after finding love with Mi-yeon, wants to start a new life with her. This is all very interesting, and you hope he is able to live his life the way he wants to as you are watching it. There is a lot more to the plot and story that I'm leaving out, as I do not want to spoil the whole movie, but let's just say, things get complicated. So Ji-sub plays Ji Hyeong-do in an understated manner, so when he finally smiles... or snaps, it means something. Really great performance from him. Lee Mi-yeon plays Yu Mi-yeon as a humble, yet almost angelic woman who's had a somewhat tough life. You can see why Hyeong-do falls for her. Also a great performance from Lee Mi-yeon. Kwak Do-won as Hyeong-do's direct superior is excellent as an absolute jerk who you hope gets his butt kicked at the end of the movie. I hated that guy!

The action in A Company Man is hard-hitting and explosive.

The action in A Company Man is really good. There is a lot of gunplay in this one, and it is really wild. Let's just say, a certain area gets wrecked with all the bullets flying around. There are two or three fight scenes, and they are good as well. So Ji-sub handles himself well in the fight scenes, and is totally believable as being a highly skilled hitman. The fight scenes are not Hong Kong style, I would say they are more Korean style (duh). The camera work and editing are a bit similar to the shaky cam fights of stuff like the Bourne Identity movies, but not as terrible as those. You can see things more clearly in A Company Man, but things do get confusing sometimes. Still, the action is great in this, and worth waiting for.

As you can expect, I highly recommend watching A Company Man. This is a very good action movie! It may not re-invent the action movie genre, but it does the action very well. The actors put in great performances, especially So Ji-sub and  Lee Mi-yeon. I thought the ending was very well done, and it may make you emotional. Watch A Company Man and wallow in the darkness (and I mean that in a good way).

Reviewed by David Williams

Slate (2021) - A Review

A really good martial arts fantasy.

 Slate is a fantasy/action/swordplay movie released in South Korea in 2021, and stars Ahn Ji Hye, Lee Min Ji, Jong Ho, Jo Sun Ki, Jung Jin Woo, Lee Se Ho, and Park Tae San. Slate was directed by Bareun Jo.

Cha Yeon Hee, played by Ahn Ji Hye, just wants to be a heroine.

 In Slate, Ahn Ji Hye plays Cha Yeon Hee, a woman who has wanted to be a heroine since being orphaned as a child. To do this, she has studied martial arts, stunt work, and acting to become an actress in the Korean film industry. She gets called in for an audition for the lead role in an action movie, but she finds out it's not exactly the role she wants. Despite being told that she will never be cast as a heroine, she takes the job anyway. Yeon Hee arrives at the set with her friend early, and as they explore, the friend finds a wooden slate (or clapper/clapboard). As the friend claps the slate, Yeon Hee wishes she was a heroine...

 Next thing Yeon Hee knows, it's evening and she's on a random street. A gang, led by Dong Ja Roo (played by Jong Ho), are demanding money from some townspeople. Seeing the prop sword Yeon Hee is carrying, Kim Ji Na (played by Lee Min Ji) assumes she is the Soul Slayer, the only person who can help her town fight against Taepyeongso (leader of the villainous Dragon Clan). Ghoster, a missing Youtuber (played by Jung Jin Woo), informs Yeon Hee that they are in a parallel world where things are not exactly the same (Korea is in warring states period, there's no internet/wi-fi, and people openly carry swords). After fighting off thugs with her prop sword, Yeon Hee realizes why she is there: to be a heroine! Yeon Hee is up to the challenge, but Taepyeongso is dying and his two top men, Priest (played by Lee Se Ho) and Mr. Phillip (played by Park Tae San) are vying for control. Also, the real Soul Slayer (played by Jo Sun Ki) arrives to deal with Taepyeongso, but is baffled when the townspeople pay him no mind. Everything comes to a head, with betrayals, unlikely allies, and sword fights aplenty.

The Priest, and Mr. Phillip behind him, are not good people.

 Slate is a nice action fantasy movie. The characters and situations are believable (even though this is a fantasy with mystical elements), and even the action is realistic (for the most part). There is some comedy in this, both of the subtle and laugh out loud variety. Jong Ho as Dong Ja Roo provides the comic relief; he is fiercely passionate, emotional, and loyal. Jo Sun Ki as the real Soul Slayer is also funny in his somewhat arrogant, yet humbled role. Even though Cha Yeon Hee is ready and capable of being a heroine, she is not perfect. In fact, she comes out of some fights gravely injured. She is determined to do the right thing and stop the injustice and protect the people at all costs. Ahn Ji Hye does a great job playing Cha Yeon Hee. You can tell she is a strong person in real life. Lee Min Ji, as Kim Ji Na, plays a strong town leader that is beloved by the people. She is great in this. Another thing I liked about this movie was that there was no romance or love interests. Yeon Hee was focused on upholding justice throughout.

Slate has some nice sword fighting scenes. Ahn Ji Hye does awesome in her scenes.

 The action in Slate is all sword-based. There is some nice choreography on display, and Ahn Ji Hye shows that she has some serious skills as a sword fighter. She even throws in some nice kicks as well. Though there is a lot of sword fighting, it doesn't get too over the top with the blood and gore. I would say it is pretty realistic with its depiction of blood loss in this movie. The most graphic scene is a surprise death, and even then the movie doesn't dwell on it.The action is fast and razor sharp, but the choreography is more on the realistic side. There's nothing wrong with that, as the fights are exciting.

 So, should you watch Slate? I would say it's not a must see movie, but if you like action movies, sword fighting, comedy, cool and interesting characters, movies with a nice visual style, and a rocking soundtrack, give it a chance. The plot is easy to follow and understand, the action is good, and the actors all give believable performances. The film references Alice In Wonderland throughout, but there is a bit of The Wizard Of Oz in it as well. I watched it two times for this review, and I actually liked it even better the second time. Check it out, it's pretty good!

 

 

 SALUTE!!!

 

 

 

Reviewed by David Williams

The Man From Nowhere (2010) - A Review

A cool, yet brutal, action movie.

 The Man From Nowhere is a thriller/action movie released in South Korea in 2010 and stars Won Bin, Kim Sae-ron, Kim Hee-won, Kim Sung-oh, Thanayong Wongtrakul, Kim Hyo-seo, and Song Young-chang. It was written and directed by Lee Jeong-beom, with action by Park Jung-ryul.

Won Bin as the dark and brooding Cha Tae-sik.

 In The Man From Nowhere, Won Bin plays Cha Tae-sik, a quiet, brooding man who runs a pawn shop. His only friend (though he is not really friendly) is a little girl named So-mi (played by Kim Sae-ron). She is a bit of an outcast, with no friends and an... unfit mother. Though Tae-sik seems very aloof towards So-Mi, he shows that he genuinely cares about her.

Kim Sae-ron as So-mi. She is really good in this!

 One day, two thugs show up in Tae-sik's apartment. They aggressively demand an item he has in his pawn shop. He gives them what they want, but he makes the thugs pay for threatening him. Unfortunately, So-mi and her mother are kidnapped, and the only way they will be released is by Tae-sik making a drug delivery to a crime boss (played by Song Young-chang). Tae-sik makes the delivery, but everything goes wrong; he gets arrested and he learns So-mi's life may be in serious danger. He escapes the police station and starts a brutal quest to rescue So-mi...

Thanayong Wongtrakul as Ramrowan; a ruthless assassin who is determined to kill Cha Tae-sik.

The Man From Nowhere is an excellent movie. Of course, with my vague synopsis, it doesn't sound that interesting, but trust me, the plot is gripping. The movie is dark, riveting, and violent. Just when you think the villains couldn't be any more evil, they sink to a new low. Throughout the movie, we find out why Cha Tae-sik is the way he is, and it makes sense why he is so driven to save So-mi. Won Bin as Tae-sik is amazing. Though Tae-sik is a man of few words, through Won Bin's performance, you can feel and understand what he's going through and what's driving him. Kim Sae-ron as So-mi is also great. For such a young person, her performance is phenomenal. So-mi is nice, caring, and funny all while hiding the pain of dealing with a 'troubled' mother and having no friends. Not going to lie, some of her scenes are heartbreaking and may bring you to tears (I almost cried, but I successfully held it in).

 This movie is full of violence and tragedy. It is a revenge movie, basically, and there is nothing wrong with that! I've read that it is similar to Man On Fire (2004) and John Wick (2014). With regard to Man On Fire, there are some similarities (the plot of a man rescuing a little girl, using brutal violence to find her), but The Man From Nowhere is its own movie (I still haven't seen John Wick, so I cannot compare the two). To think, I saw this movie on sale for a very long time at the store years ago, but I never bought it. I did not know what I was missing!

The action is brutal and bloody.

The Man From Nowhere has some brutal action scenes. Truthfully, there are not that many action or fight scenes, but when the action scenes do occur, they hit hard. Cha Tae-sik uses guns and (his opponent's) knives, but his main weapon is a small blade that he expertly uses. The way the fights are filmed and edited is similar to Batman Begins (2005) or The Bourne (2004-2016) movies (though not that bad); the fights are shot up close, and you don't really see any of the strikes connect. There is no shaky cam, thankfully, but it seems like some interesting moves are being performed, but you can't see their effect. The final fight is filmed and edited a little better; you can see more of what the fighters are doing and the effect it has on them. Despite all of this, the action is still brutal and exciting to watch.

 I highly recommend watching The Man From Nowhere. The plot is thrilling, the characters are interesting, and the action is brutal. This movie is very emotional, as well. You may cry during certain scenes. The Man From Nowhere is just a cool movie. Won Bin and Kim Sae-ron kill it in this film. It is also one of the best movies I've watched this year. Check it out!

 

 

 

 

Reviewed by David Williams

I Saw The Devil (2010) - A Review

 

An extremely violent masterpiece.

I Saw The Devil is an action/thriller movie released in South Korea in 2010, starring Lee Byung-hun, Choi Min-sik, Jeon Gook-hwan, Kim Yoon-seo, Chun Ho-jin, and Choi Myung-soo. I Saw The Devil was directed by Kim Jee-woon.

A man obsessed with revenge.

In I Saw The Devil, Lee Byung-hun plays Kim Soo-hyun, a highly skilled agent in the National Intelligence Service. When his fiancee, Jang Joo-yun (played by Oh San-ha) gets a flat tire on a dark road one night, a seemingly helpful school bus driver offers to help her. Unfortunately, Joo-yun is brutally attacked, and then murdered. Soo-hyun vows to find her killer, and make him suffer as much as his fiancee suffered. With the help of his fiancee's father (played by Jeon Gook-hwan) and a co-worker, Soo-hyun exacts brutal revenge on the suspects until he finds the true killer, Jang Kyung-chul (played by Choi Min-sik). Soo-hyun brutally attacks Kyung-chul, but lets him live! Soo-hyun hunts Kyung-chul down and delivers massive amounts of pain every time he finds him. Unfortunately, Soo-hyun will regret letting him live, as things tragically get way out of control!

Evil personified.

I had heard of how great I Saw The Devil was for years, but it isn't until recently that I was able to watch this movie. It definitely lived up to the hype! This movie was incredible. I was not expecting how dark and violent this movie was. Lee Byung-hun and especially Choi Min-sik give great performances. Lee is cold and calculating in his method of revenge, and you feel he is beginning to lose himself in his quest of making Kyung-chul suffer. Choi is absolutely incredible as the demented serial killer, who doesn't have any sort of respect for anyone. Kyung-chul is pure evil, and you enjoy all the pain and suffering he endures throughout the movie.

The cinematography is dark and moody, the soundtrack is great, and the plot (which is basically a revenge story) is good, too. This movie gets really extreme with the violence (and there are some very uncomfortable sexual scenes/assaults) so be prepared for that. The two main characters go to extreme lengths to hurt each other, and it makes you wonder whether revenge is worth it. All together, I Saw The Devil is a dark, modern masterpiece.

I Saw The Devil is bloody, brutal, and violent.

The action in I Saw The Devil is bloody and brutal. There are some gruesome kills in this, as well as some brutal torture scenes. The showdown between Kim Soo-hyun and Jang Kyung-chul is as exciting as it is ferocious. Each encounter between them gets more savage and ruthless. This is a movie where the action scenes may make you feel uncomfortable...

As you can imagine, I highly recommend watching I Saw The Devil. This movie is excellent. I will say, this movie may be too much for some, as women are treated horribly in it, and the violence throughout is extreme. As dark as I Saw The Devil is, there is some humor in it (as dark as the rest of the movie is). This movie will make you think, long after it ends. You will be in awe of Choi Min-sik's performance as one of the most evil characters in movie history. I Saw The Devil is one of the best movies I've seen this year, quite frankly.

Reviewed by David Williams

Hansel and Gretel (2007) - A Quick Review

 

I heard Hansel and Gretel was really good. Let's just say it lived up to the hype!

Hansel and Gretel is a fantasy horror movie released in South Korea in 2007. It stars Chun Jung-myung, Shim Eun-kyung, Eun Won-jae, Jin Ji-hee, Park Hee-soon, Lydia Park, Jang Young-nam, and Kim Kyung-ik. Hansel and Gretel was directed and co-written by Yim Pil-sung.

Lee Eun-soo is not prepared for the family he meets...

In Hansel and Gretel, Chun Jung-myung plays Lee Eun-soo, a young man who is dealing with a lot concerning his girlfriend and his family. He argues on the phone with his girlfriend while driving, causing him to not pay attention to the road. At the last minute he swerves to avoid running over something laying in the road, causing him to crash his car. He safely gets out of the car, but is in a daze. A young girl named Kim Young-hee (played by Shim Eun-kyung) finds Eun-soo and brings him to her house. There, he meets Young-hee's older brother Kim Man-bok (played by Eun Won-jae) and their little sister Kim Jung-soon (played by Jin Ji-hee), and their parents (Kim Kyung-ik plays the father, Jang Young-nam plays the mother). He sleeps over night to recover from the car crash...

When Eun-soo wakes up, the family treat him to a huge breakfast of candy and cupcakes. Weird. He insists that he needs to call his girlfriend and family, but the family says their telephone line is not working. Double weird. Eun-soo decides to leave the house to look for his way back to town. The family warns him he might get lost in the forest (where the house is located). He leaves, and what do you know, he gets lost and comes back to the house. Eun-soo needs to leave, but the children (who now call him 'Uncle') are insistent that he stays. Man-bok starts showing threatening behavior towards Eun-soo and his parents...

The perfect, beautiful family... or so it seems.

Eventually the parents ditch the house, leaving Eun-soo in charge of the children. Eun-soo is baffled by the situation. He goes exploring around the house and the surrounding forest. He finds some very unsettling things that begin to explain what is going on. Things get weirder when two new guests come to the house, a deacon (played by Park Hee-soon) and his wife (played by Lydia Park). A snow storm occurs, trapping the new guests as well. The deacon doesn't mind, as he feels he was sent to the house by a 'higher power' to 'help' the children... Will Eun-soo escape the house, and will the deacon cleanse the house of 'evil'?

Hansel and Gretel is an amazing movie. There, I said it; upfront, too. This movie is weird, unsettling, and tragic. It is shot beautifully, and all of the actors and actresses portray their characters excellently. Until the reveal happens, you are always wondering what is going on with the children, their house, and the forest surrounding the area. Much like the classic fairy tales (not the Disney versions, I'm talking about the original stories), there is an underlying darkness to everything. As said before, the actors are great in this. Chun Jung-myung plays Lee Eun-soo as a sort of aloof young man who just wants to get home to see his family. He shows that he does care for the children, but he is also wary of them. Shim Eun-kyung plays Kim Young-hee as the most trustworthy of the kids (at least to Eun-soo), and she keeps Man-bok from getting too angry. Great performance from her in this. Eun Won-jae as Kim Man-bok is very angry and probably the most untrustworthy of the kids. That kid is scary, and his anger causes him to do... things (when you find out why he is the way he is, along with the other children... let's just say feelings will change). Finally, Park Hee-soon as the deacon is... unsettling. His attitude is totally different from his wife's and Eun-soo. To say more would be spoiling the movie, but the director cast perfect guy for this role.

Do not get Man-bok angry, or else...

I highly recommend Hansel and Gretel. It's not just a good horror movie, it's a good movie, period. This movie went places I wasn't expecting, and that made it all the more entertaining. This is one of the best movies I watched this year so far (not meaning to over-hype it, though). South Korea knows what it's doing when it comes to making movies, don't they? Hansel and Gretel is one fairy tale you won't forget any time soon! Check it out, if you can!

Reviewed by David Williams

The Labyrinth (2021) - A Quick Review

 

The Labyrinth is a horror movie based on a video game.

The Labyrinth is a fantasy horror movie released in South Korea in 2021. It stars Chani, Park Yoo Na, Lee Hye Ran, Kim Woo Rin, Jang Gwang, and Lee Seung Il, among many others. Song Woon directed The Labyrinth, which his based on the video game White Day: A Labyrinth Named School. .

Chani stars as Hee Min. Typical guy trying to get with a girl instead of fighting supernatural beings! (I'm kidding)

In The Labyrinth, Chani plays Hee Min, a taekwondo expert who just transferred to a new school. Arriving at the school, a girl catches his eye: So Young (played by Park Yoo Na). He becomes obsessed with her...while also noticing strange supernatural things around the school. He ignores them, but what he doesn't know is that he is the heir to a great exorcist. At the same time this is happening, a shaman is making plans that involve the school and certain students in it. Can Hee Min embrace his destiny and stop the shaman's plan, and will So Young reveal the secret she's hiding that has to do with everything going on at the school?

Park Yoo Na as So Young. She has a secret...

The Labyrinth, even though a movie based on a video game and aimed at teens, actually has a pretty serious aspect to the story, and it is treated with respect. There is tragedy in this, but it also won't leave you feeling down or depressed. The hero's story is a bit cliched, but even he has emotional stuff he has to deal with. The actors all play their parts well; and you will feel empathy for certain characters, and straight up hate for others (I can't stand the bullies). Chani does a good job playing the hero who only cares about the girl (and not realizing the power he has within himself). He is a total good guy, for sure! The special effects are really good in some scenes, and look more like a video game in others. This doesn't take away from the feel of the movie, though. A majority of the movie is dark, foreboding, and creepy (nice things to be in a horror movie). The movie is pretty entertaining throughout.

The Labyrinth does get pretty spooky!

So, should you watch The Labyrinth? Once again, it's not the best horror movie you'll ever see, and it's a movie geared towards the teenage audience (so no graphic violence, sex, or nudity). If you're hardcore into horror, I would skip it (but hey, you may like it anyway). If you like Korean drama TV shows, movies that have video game-like plots, or just a fun scary movie, check it out. I really enjoyed this one, maybe you will too. Hopefully my vague review steers you in the right direction.

Reviewed by David Williams

Ghost Mansion (2021) - A Review

 

Ghost Mansion is a decent Korean horror movie.

Ghost Mansion (also known as Grotesque Mansion and The Night Shift) is a South Korean horror movie released in 2021. It stars Sung Joon, Kim Hong-Fa, Kim Bo-Ra, Lee Chang-Hoon, Sojin, Seo Hyun-Woo, Kang You-Seok, Lee Suk-Hyeong, and Won Hyun-Joon. Ghost Mansion was written and directed by Jo Ba-Reun.

Sung Joon as Ji-Woo. He gets in over his head in this one!

In Ghost Mansion, Sung Joon plays Ji-Woo, a webtoon artist looking for inspiration for his horror comic. He goes to a creepy apartment complex where he meets Kwon Ri-In (played by Kim Hong-Fa), the person in charge (seemingly) of the place. Ji-Woo wants to hear some stories about the apartment, as it has a reputation for having paranormal incidents and missing tenants. Each story told is a chapter in the movie, and there are five chapters: The Writer, The Pharmacist, The Seller, The Student, and The Caretaker. Determined to make his comic a success, Ji-Woo delves deeper and deeper into the lore of the apartment complex...

Kim Hong-Fa plays a very...peculiar character.

Ghost Mansion is a horror anthology movie where every chapter is connected. Every chapter leads to the final chapter, which explains why the apartment complex is 'haunted'. The movie is moody and atmospheric, and there is a certain sense of dread throughout. This is especially apparent when Ji-Woo is at the apartment complex itself; the complex is dark, shadowy, and dank while his apartment is brightly lit and cozy. I will say, there are a lot of jump scares in this. Trying not to spoil the movie here, but there are many types of...paranormal entities in this movie. Some are spooky, some are weird, and some are gross. Whatever type of ghost creeps you out, it's in here.

One of the more intriguing chapters...

Each chapter features a flawed protagonist. Besides Ji-Woo and his girlfriend, every character is not a good person. Considering the history of the apartment complex, why these particular tenants are affected by the paranormal activity makes sense. The actors all do a good job, with The Writer (played by Lee Chang-Hoon) being a stand out. I hated his character at first, but I realized he was just a very impatient and frustrated person. Lee played that character a little too well! Sung Joon as Ji-Woo is a very sympathetic character; you want him to succeed with his webtoon, but you kind of want him to stay away from that apartment...

So, should you watch Ghost Mansion? I would say...it depends. If you are a hardcore horror movie fan who has seen almost everything, I would skip this one. If you want an introduction to Korean (or Asian) horror, this is a good one to start with. It's not gory, it's not graphic, there's no sex or nudity; it's all about the atmosphere and the ghosts. I liked this movie enough. It's not the best horror movie ever, but it's pretty entertaining. I will say, you have to pay attention because there are clues and characters that tie everything together at the end. Check it out and give it a chance!

Reviewed by David Williams

PROJECT WOLF HUNTING (2022) Official Movie Trailer

 Check out the trailer for Project Wolf Hunting, a Korean action movie starring Seo In-guk, Jang Dong-yoon, Sung Dong-il, and Jung So-min. Kim Hong-sun is the director. Here is the synopsis:

During transport from the Philippines to South Korea, a group of dangerous criminals unites to stage a coordinated escape attempt. As the jailbreak escalates into a bloody, all-out riot, the fugitives and their allies from the outside exact a brutal terror campaign against the special agents onboard the ship.

Project Wolf Hunting looks pretty cool! I hope to see this one soon! It comes out September 21, 2022 in South Korea and on October 7, 2022 in America (and internationally?).

 

A Taxi Driver (2017) - A Review

 

This movie is excellent!

A Taxi Driver is a South Korean historical drama movie released in 2017, starring Song Kang-ho, Thomas Kretschmann, Yoo Hae-jin, Ryu Jun-yeol, and Choi Gwi-hwa. Jang Hoon directed A Taxi Driver, which is based on a true story.

Song Kang-ho as Kim Man-seob. What a performance!

Song Kang-ho plays Kim Man-seob, a humble taxi driver who lives in Seoul, South Korea in 1980. He is the single father of a young daughter, whom he loves very much. Kim is in debt to his landlord, which is not helped by taxi customers not being able to pay him their fares. One day, Kim overhears another taxi driver talking about being hired by a foreign client to go into Gwangju for the day and come back to Seoul before curfew. The amount the client is paying is the exact amount Kim needs to pay off his debt. Naturally, Kim sneaks off to pick up the client.

From left: Peter, Gu Jae-sik, and Kim.

The foreign client is Jürgen Hinzpeter, called Peter throughout the movie (played by Thomas Kretschmann), a West German journalist who has come into South Korea claiming to be a missionary. Unbeknownst to Kim, Peter is there to film the civil unrest happening in Gwangju. Things are icy between the two as they sneak into Gwangju and travel the eerily empty roads until they meet up with student protestors on the way. One of them, Gu Jae-sik (played by Ryu Jun-yeol), speaks fluent English (Kim can only speak basic English), so Peter asks him to be his interpreter.

Kim, at first, does not believe the military is attacking and killing innocent protestors, since he was in the military in his younger years, and he believes the military would never do that. It doesn't help that there is nothing but propaganda on the TV and radio blaming all of the violence on the protesters and gangs. As Kim, Peter, and Jae-sik go further into the city, they witness firsthand all of the violence and killing. Peter promises to bring the footage he captures out of South Korea and show the world what is really happening. Kim promises to help Peter with getting out of Gwangju and to the airport. Things go wrong, of course, and Kim just wants to go back to his daughter. Will Kim abandon Peter to go back to his daughter, and will he even be able to get back?

In the middle of the civil unrest.

A Taxi Driver takes place during the Gwangju Uprising in South Korea in 1980. This was an important moment in South Korea's history, and this movie focuses on two of the (many) people who helped make a difference during this time. We see the political turmoil through the eyes of Kim Man-seob, a humble taxi driver  and former Korean soldier who only cares about his daughter. We see him, as a former soldier, at first believe the propaganda on the news that the protestors and gangs are causing the violence; and be in disbelief that the police and military would be killing the protestors without provocation. As he goes through the city, helps random people, and meets protestors, eventually getting into life or death situations himself; Kim begins to side with the protestors. The change is gradual, but Kim is a good man throughout.

Song Kang-ho's portrayal of Kim Man-seob is so good. His acting is not over the top, it's more subtle and realistic. You want him to succeed and to stay safe throughout the movie. He also has some humorous scenes, and he is quite good at soccer (football). Yoo Hae-jin, who plays a Gwangju taxi driver is also very good. The character he plays is such a good person as well. Ryu Jun-yeol as Gu Jae-sik also has a great performance in a pivotal role in the film. Just great performances all around in this movie. The cinematography is good, and the movie is never boring. It moves along at a nice pace as well.

In conclusion, A Taxi Driver is an excellent movie that I think should be seen by as many people as possible. It is a historical drama, with some action (or more like violence), and some real emotion. It may even make you cry! The story becomes more tragic when you find out what happened to Kim and Peter in real life. Watch the movie first, then look up the real life story. A Taxi Driver is must see.

The real life Peter and Kim.

Reviewed by David Williams

Hunt 헌트 (2022) - Movie Trailer

 Here is the trailer for Hunt, Lee Jung-jae's directorial debut. Here is the synopsis:

Taking place in the 1980s, Park Pyeong-Ho (played by Lee Jung-Jae) and Kim Jung-Do (played by Jung Woo-Sung) are agents for the National Security Agency. They are both elite at their jobs and have a rivalry with each other. The two men chase after a North Korean spy director, known as Dong Lim, sent to South Korea who has begun to leak top secret intelligence. They soon uncover a hidden truth...

 You could say Hunt is a bit of a passion project for Lee Jung-jae, as he directs, stars, contributed to the script, and co-produced the movie! The film was shown at Cannes and received a seven minute standing ovation after it was finished! So yeah, I need to see this movie! Hunt comes out August 10, 2022 in South Korea.

 

Contorted 뒤틀린 집 (2022) - Movie Trailer

 Here is the trailer for Contorted, also known as The Contorted House, a South Korean horror movie starring Seo Young Hee, Kim Min Jae, and Kim Mo Bin. The movie was written and directed by Kang Dong Hun. Here is the synopsis:

A family moves to a quiet and isolated place, but suffers from nightmares on their very first day in the new home. The wife is anxious about a strange sound she hears in the warehouse, but her husband ignores her concern. Meanwhile, the family’s nightmares are getting worse, to the point that they can hardly tell the difference between dream and reality. 

Contorted comes out July 13, 2022 in South Korea. I hope this gets an international release because this movie looks very intriguing. I need to see this!

 

Emergency Declaration 비상선언 (2022) - Movie Trailer

 Check out the trailer for Emergency Declaration, starring Lee Byung-hun, Kim Nam-gil, Jeon Do-yeon, and Song Kang-ho. It was directed by Han Jae-rim and is based on a true story. Here is the synopsis:

The movie’s plot centers around a commercial airplane that faces a never-before-experienced crisis situation while in flight — an onboard virus outbreak — which forces the pilot to pursue unconventional emergency measures.

I personally can't wait to see this movie! Emergency Declaration may hit a little too close to home, considering what's going on in the world today. Still, this movie looks like it could be amazing! Emergency Declaration comes out globally in August!

 

Alienoid 외계+인 1부 (2022) - Movie Trailer

 Here is the trailer for Alienoid, a South Korean sci-fi action movie starring Ryoo Joon-Yeol, Kim Tae-Ri, and Kim Woo-Bin. This movie was written and directed by  Choi Dong-Hoon. Here is a synopsis:

During the Goryeo dynasty, Taoists try to take a legendary divine sword. In the present day, aliens appear on Earth. A time door soon appears between the late Goryeo dynasty period and the present day. Due to this, a chaotic situations occur.

I don't know about you, but I think this looks awesome! I cannot wait to watch this one! Alienoid comes out July 20, 2022 in South Korea. Hopefully it gets an international release!

 

Office (2015) - A Review

 

Office is not the movie I was expecting!

Office (also known as Opiseu) is a mystery/thriller/horror movie released in South Korea in 2015 and stars  Go Ah-sung, Park Sung-woong, Bae Seong-woo, Ryu Hyun-kyung, Lee Chae-eun, Park Jeong-min, Kim Eui-sung, and Son Soo-hyun. The movie was directed by Hong Won-Chan.

Go Ah-sung as Lee Mi-rae. Great performance from her!

In Office, Go Ah-sung plays Lee Mi-Rae, a young intern who works at an office for a large company. Mi-Rae is very introverted and a bit meek. She is a focused, diligent worker who just hopes to eventually get hired full-time by the company. Her co-workers treat her very badly, not inviting her to company events, talking behind her back, and ridiculing her work ethic. The only person who treated her with kindness and respect was Kim Byeong-Gook (played by Bae Sung-woo), the section chief of her office.

Unfortunately, as we find out at the beginning of the movie, Mr. Kim brutally murdered his family and has gone missing. The police are searching for him and trying to get background information on him from his co-workers. Detective Jong-Hoon (played by Park Sung-woong) is in charge of the case, and he can tell everyone at the office is hiding something from him...

Bae Seong-woo as Mr. Kim. What, if anything, made him snap?

 The police find out Mr. Kim returned to the office right after the murder, but that he never left. Detective Jong-Hoon focuses on the office, and even shows kindness towards Mi-rae. Unfortunately for Mi-rae, the stress at her job is building up, her co-workers are being even more harsh towards her, and her raging jerk of a boss has hired a new, beautiful intern. Will Detective Jong-Hoon find Mr. Kim, and can Mi-rae survive her toxic workplace environment?

Office is a movie where there are several things going on with the story. On the surface, it is a mystery/thriller/horror movie, where you wonder if the killer will get caught before he kills again. Then there is the underlying story of working in an office (or any other job) and dealing with the politics and trying to get ahead. It is kind of a story about life itself. There is another element, but saying what it is would spoil the movie, so just know that this element is what people who dislike the movie don't understand about it. I think the way the movie handles all these elements is pretty clever.

Lee Mi-rae is treated as an outsider by her co-workers.

The actors do a great job in portraying their characters. Go Ah-sung is incredibly sympathetic as Lee Mi-rae. You see her struggle to be accepted at her job and how her co-workers are so hard on her; you just want to see her succeed. You really hope she doesn't succumb to the toxic workplace environment... Bae Seong-woo plays Mr. Kim as a nice, kind, and sympathetic man until he murders his family. After that, he is completely creepy! There are some good scares involving his character! Kim Eui-sung plays Director Kim Sang-Gyu, Lee Mi-rae's boss. He is such a raging jerk, you can't help but hate him (though this character isn't as much of a bastard as the one he plays in Train To Busan). Lee Mi-rae's co-workers, especially Hong Ji-Sun (played by Ryu Hyun-kyung) are such jerks to her, you can't stand them. I've worked with people like them, so I'm a bit biased towards Lee Mi-rae for the most part.

In conclusion, Office is a pretty good thriller. I say give it a chance. The acting is great, the story is layered, and there are some pretty shocking twists and turns. Everything that happens to certain characters is explained in the movie, you just have to make a certain leap in logic to understand it. Go Ah-sung is so good in this; you should watch this movie for her performance alone. This is the kind of movie that'll have you thinking about it long after you've watched it.

Reviewed by David Williams

Limit (2022) 리미트 - Movie Trailer

 Here is the trailer for Limit (also known as The Limit) a Korean action thriller directed by Lee Seung-Joon, and starring Lee Jung-Hyun, Moon Jeong-Hee, Jin Seo-Yeon, and Jeon Guk-Hyang. Here is the synopsis:

A horrific serial child kidnapping case takes place. Police Officer So-Eun takes part in the investigation and acts as stand-in for a kidnapped child's mother. So-Eun receives a shocking phone call...

Meanwhile, Hye-Jin is a mysterious person who knows a hidden secret behind the child kidnapping cases. (taken from asianwiki.com)

Limit comes out later this year in South Korea. I think this looks very interesting, and I can't wait to watch it!

 

Fighter In The Wind (2004) - A Review

 

An underrated martial arts masterpiece.

Fighter In The Wind is a South Korean martial arts biopic/drama starring Yang Dong-geun, Jung Tae-woo, Aya Hirayama, Masaya Kato, and Jung Doo-hong. It was directed by Yang Yun-ho, with Jung Doo-hong in charge of fight choreography and stunts.

Fighter In The Wind is based on the real life martial artist Masutatsu Ōyama (known as Mas Oyama) and the manga that was written based on his life, Karate Baka Ichidai. Mas Oyama is the legendary martial arts master who founded Kyokushin karate, with many students, including Sonny Chiba and Etsuko Shihomi, who trained under him. The Street Fighter video game character of Ryu and the Art Of Fighting video game character of Mr. Karate are based on him. Mas Oyama was famous for being able to chop the horns off of bulls with his bare hands, among many other things.

Yang Dong-geun as Choi Bae-dal. Yang is amazing in this!

In Fighter In The Wind, Yang Dong-geun plays Choi Bae-dal, a young Korean man who wants to enlist in the Japanese air force to become a fighter pilot during World War II. On the way to sneaking into Japan he meets Chun-bae (played by Jung Tae-woo), a fellow Korean and con man. A few years later, Choi Bae-dal stands up to his commander, Kato (played by Masaya Kato), who has been abusing the Korean soldiers on his squad. Kato tells Bae-dal if he can defeat him with his 'inferior' martial arts style, he will release the Korean soldiers. Kato easily defeats Bae-dal, but the American air force attack the Japanese military base, which allows Bae-dal and the other Korean soldiers to escape.

Humiliated by the defeat, and never getting the chance to become a fighter pilot, Bae-dal ends up helping Chun-bae run a pachinko stall in a Japanese market. The Yakuza come looking for their protection money from Chun-bae, but Bae-dal stands up to them. The Yakuza end up humiliating Bae-dal as well, giving him an insulting nickname. Bum-soo (played by Jung Doo-hong) saves Bae-dal using some incredible martial arts! Bum-soo is a fellow Korean from Bae-dal's past. Bum-soo invites Bae-dal and Chun-bae to seek refuge at the circus, where many Koreans are working and saving up money to build something for their children. It is here that Bae-dal asks Bum-soo to teach him his style of martial arts. Bum-soo teaches him, and gives him a book by Miyamoto Musashi (the legendary Japanese swordsman, martial artist, writer, and artist), The Book Of Five Rings, which Bae-dal reads voraciously.

Choi Bae-dal goes through some harsh training to become the best fighter in Japan.

During this time, Bae-dal has become a rickshaw runner, and also saves Japanese women from being raped by American soldiers. He ends up saving a woman named Yoko (played by Aya Hirayama), who ends up becoming intrigued in him. Bae-dal also becomes awkwardly interested in Yoko...

Of course, the Yakuza kill someone important to Bae-dal, and when the Korean troop fight the Yakuza in revenge, Bae-dal is knocked out. After this, Bae-dal goes to the mountains to train in his martial art, and to train his body to take immense amounts of pain. He comes back to the city and challenges every top martial artist in Japan. Bae-dal, now known as Mas Oyama, becomes a media sensation. The Japanese Karate Association, in particular Kato (Bae-dal's former commander), is angry that a foreigner is beating the best Japanese martial artists. The Association send an assassin after Bae-dal, who is forced to defend himself. After this fight, Bae-dal vows to never fight again, and goes to the assassin's family to redeem himself. Eventually, Bae-dal returns to the city and finds out Kato has challenged him to a duel...

I remember first hearing about this movie on an Asian cinema message board I used to belong to in the early 2000s. A lot of people would say Fighter In The Wind was one of the best current (at the time) martial arts movies out there. For whatever reason, I didn't really look this movie up back then. I thought it was a remake of a 70s martial arts movie. I still did try to buy it back then, but it was always out of print or not available in my region. Close to twenty years later, I've finally watched it. It was worth the wait! This movie is so good. Even though it does follow the classic martial arts movie template, it goes a bit deeper into Bae-dal's motivations. He explains quite clearly why he needs to win. We see in his fights how he achieves his wins. Even though Bae-dal is a prodigious martial arts warrior, he is a human being as well. You feel for him, and root him on as he rises up from nothing to becoming a hero.

The fight scenes are powerful and hard-hitting.

The fight scenes in Fighter In The Wind are quick and hard-hitting. They show off the beauty and the power of traditional martial arts. The fight scenes are filmed really close up, so sometimes you literally don't get the full picture of what's going on. It is similar to Tsui Hark's The Blade or Wong Kar-wai's Ashes Of Time in that respect, but not to the extreme of those movies. There are some awesome kicks and throws Bae-dal does in his fights, for sure. The fight scenes show Bae-dal's mentality about martial arts and winning. Though the fight scenes are good, the best part of the movie is the story.

I highly recommend Fighter In The Wind. It is a very interesting and engaging martial arts biopic of a legendary martial artist. The story beats may seem familiar (it is very similar to Ip Man and Huo Yuanjia, also known as Jet Li's Fearless), but it is so well done and stands on its own. The acting is excellent, the fight scenes are exciting, and the movie is pretty inspiring. Check this movie out, it's amazing!

Reviewed by David Williams