Hong Xa-bin as struggling teen Yeon-gyu, in the South Korean gritty drama HOPELESS. Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment
I’ve praised many Korean crime and action exports recently. HOPELESS will not be one of them, perhaps due to high expectations following the others. This one is aptly titled, providing a depressing tale set among the bottom of the urban economic ladder, and the limited options available to the youth and adults stuck in the slums.
The protagonist is Yeon-gyu (Hong Xa-bin), a teen who just wants to keep his distance from an abusive stepfather and finish his education without hassles. He’s a good guy who would do well in most other circumstances. But in this neighborhood, his efforts to help others turn out to be futile, or worse, including losing his menial part-time job . Local thugs add to his woes, driving him into the crime realm for physical and financial survival. He starts by stealing motorcycles, then reluctantly works his way into more violent duties. His guilt over what he’s ordered to do, keeps us on his side more than if he’d turned into a Scarface.
There is some gritty, realistic-scale action but this one’s mostly a dour drama of people trapped in the mire of their environment. Sets and lighting are excellent for establishing the fatalistic gloom and doom of its inhabitants. The acting and direction are competent but the script leaves much to be desired. Some decisions and actions make little sense.
Since Kim Chang-hoon was both writer and director, he batted one-for-two on this outing, which may not be so bad for someone doing either for the first time. The bits of backstories tossed in are subpar for establishing identifiable personae. The final scene feels like a studio-imposed outcome that rings false after all that preceded it. Approaching this as a sociological character drama, rather than a crime action flick, should maximize what you take away from the experience. And remembering that there’s a rookie at the helm may suitably lower expectation.
HOPELESS, in Korean with English subtitles, streams on Well Go USA Entertainment starting June 25.
A scene from the Korean thriller DR. CHEON AND THE LOST TALISMAN. Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment
The subtitled Korean export, DR. CHEON AND LOST TALLISMAN, is an action fantasy that’s long on special effects and short on character development. Dr. Cheon (Gang Dong-Won) is descended from a line of shamans, but uses his roots and secular education (hence the doctor, though not the medical kind) to provide fake exorcisms. For a fee, of course. His sidekick in the grift, Beom-choen (Huh Joon-ho), handles the tech simulations of supernatural activity to convince the suckers they’re actually getting the benefits of an occult remedy. Things change radically when a young woman, Yoo-gyeong, (Esom), hires them for their first real demonic possession – her kid sister. Some things happen that aren’t part of their act, opening new possibilities for their vocation.
Gradually we learn bits and pieces of their backstories, while the staged ritual they expected turns out to be a movie-long death struggle against the demon what kilt Cheon’s grandfather and brother, and his almost endless supply of minions. The huckster is suddenly forced to live up to his heritage. It’s mostly played for drama, with occasional bits of comic relief – mostly from the sidekick, who was pretty clueless about their rituals during the scamming phase, and truly out to sea when things get real.
The cast competently plays the standard roles assigned to them. The story plays out predictably, with more suspense in how they get to the finish line than whether they will. As is often the case with mystical fantasies, it’s never quite consistent or clear as to the extent of anyone’s powers. Even so, the action sequences are greatly enhanced with F/X lights shapes and sounds. Kudos to the CGI crew for jazzing it up for our visual and audio senses. If you don’t try too hard to understand what occurs, you can just enjoy the spectacle of it and the attractiveness of the two leads.
DR. CHEON AND THE LOST TALISMAN, in Korean with English subtitles, debuts on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD on Tuesday, Feb. 27.
Shin-Hyun Joon stars as Inan, in the South Korean action film NIGHT OF THE ASSASSIN. Courtesy of WellGoUSA
South Korea has been exporting a lot of high-octane action flicks in the past several years. They tend to emphasize hard-hitting stunts and gritty, dynamic fight choreography, largely eschewing the enhancements (or detriments) of CGI and fanciful wire work. That’s been consistently true for both period pieces and contemporary crime fare. This title, NIGHTOF THE ASSASSIN, led me to expect another dose of slam-bang action. The reality turned out to be more contemplative for much of its running time, before wowing viewers with the inevitable climactic battles in grand style.
In this pre-gun era costume drama, Shin-Hyun Joon stars as Inan who is a rural region’s top assassin – all business, efficient, no ideology or emotions. The film opens with his collapsing after another swift success, and learning that he has a life-threatening heart defect which can only possibly be treated with an extremely rare herb. His cardiac condition leaves him so fragile that he not only must quit his career, but even avoid vigorous sex. He wanders to a remote village, trying to hide his identity and live a peaceful life. He takes a menial restaurant job working for a widow (Lee Jung-Min) and the orphaned lad she’d adopted. Unfortunately, a large vicious gang brazenly rules the area, enabled by police and local officials who give them free rein to reign due to bribery and/or fear.
As must be the case in such movies, though Inan tries to remain anonymous, circumstances force him to respond to an imminent threat with his old skills. But it comes at a cost, since his heart keeps letting him down in key moments. The early going is slower, with more levity than expected, before the rest of the plot kicks it up several notches, with a slew of baddies presenting various types of menace for an exciting buildup to the epic final act. The fights are skillfully designed and performed in a package that’s more athletic than gory.
Inan’s flat affect serves well for establishing the persona of an emotional outsider with an evolving, underlying noble concern for the oppressed villagers around him. He’s got a code honor that means everything, including finishing whatever he promises to start. At any cost. The rest of the cast competently fill standard character slots on both sides of the law and economy. Writer/director Jeong- Deok Kwak only teases the action to come for quite a while before cranking out a bunch of genre-satisfying sequences, mostly wielding swords and knives skillfully. Not the start-to-finish thrill ride of many others, but a solid example of the first-rate camera and stunt talents finding steady employment in Korea.
NIGHT OF THE ASSASSIN (aka THE ASSASSIN), in Korean with English subtitles, is available streaming starting Friday, July 21, on Hi-YAH! and will be available on digital, DVD and Blu-ray starting on Aug. 8.
(L-R) Teo Yoo as Hae Sung and Greta Lee as Nora, in PAST LIVES. Photo Credit: Jon Pack. Courtesy of A24
In South Korea, two close childhood friends, a boy and a girl, both nearly 12, are separated when the girl’s family moves to the United States. Twelve years later, they reconnect, although he’s still in South Korea and she’s in New York, in Celine Song’s impressive drama PAST LIVES.
PAST LIVES is a romance of sorts but not like you imagine. What it is, however, is a moving drama with a brilliant script, brilliantly acted and filmed, and masterfully directed by Celine Song, who also wrote the script. Spanning decades and half the globe, PAST LIVES explores how once-close people both reconnect and diverge over time and distance.
One could describe PAST LIVES as an intelligent person’s romance. Making a romantic drama where the audience truly is on the edge of their seat is no mean feat, yet PAST LIVES does just that. In part it is because it avoids some of the tropes of romance but where some familiar elements are unavoidable, it breaks the rules by having the characters talk about them and dissect them, giving the feel of both realism, conveying the characters’ intelligence, and adding a sly humor.
As bright children and close friends in South Korea, she is the ambitious one, the girl who always gets the top grade, with her friend a close second, but who cries when that doesn’t happen. He is patient and supportive with the crying girl, as she calls herself, and he is comfortable in her shadow in second place.
She confesses to her sister that she has a crush on her friend.
He is distressed when she tells him the family is emigrating. She says it is because they want to give her, their gifted daughter, more opportunities to succeed. It is a bit more complicated than that, but at that time, South Korea is in economic doldrums.
Before the family leaves, the girls pick “American names” for themselves and she picks Nora. So Nora has a good last memory of her crush, the mothers arrange for Nora and Hae Sung to have a “date” in a playground, with the moms nearby.
Each pursue their education and career goals, Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) as an engineer in South Korea and Nora (Greta Lee) as a playwright in New York. After 12 years, Hae Sung finds Nora online, and we realize that he shared her childhood crush.
PAST LIVES delivers a moving, bittersweet but refreshingly real drama that plays out over time, as the two both connect and don’t, while the time passes and cultural experiences diverge.
This is writer/director Celine Song’s debt feature film but you would never guess that, as she has long experience in theater. The story was inspired by a moment of personal experience, as she sat in a bar with her husband and her Korean childhood sweetheart, translating between them and realizing they would never have met but for her.
As Nora, Greta Lee impresses constantly, with her ability to portray Nora at various points in her life and to convey complex, nuanced emotions with startling clarity. Handsome Teo Yoo’s character is less expressive and open than Lee’s Nora, and the character’s opaqueness adds a layer of tension throughout the drama. While the film has a romantic thread, it also has a sustained tension. As these two progress in their lives and reconnect periodically, the drama also explores the immigrant experience over time, something rarely done.
It is hard to overstate how finely crafted, emotionally effective and dramatically efficient this drama is. On top of the script’s moving story and beautifully built structure, it is visually impressive, with spare use of striking shots at just the right moment. One of those comes late in the film, as the childhood friends talk with the Statue of Liberty in the background and another in the film’s final shot, one that goes back to the childhood.
PAST LIVES is an impressive drama, that combines a fresh and real take on romance with different tale of immigration, further elevated by excellent performances, strong and spare story-telling and skillful direction from Celine Song.
So, getting tired of the frigid ole’ February (of course you sufferin’ folks in the southern states might have to dig out a windbreaker or sweater). Here in the Midwest, it’s still more than a bit nippy, with some occasional falling flakes. What better time for a multiplex getaway to…Pyeongchang, South Korea. And while we’re at it, how about a quick jump in the “Wayback” machine and get there (almost two years ago to the day) just in time for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games? But this is not a sports documentary, but rather a two-person romantic “dramedy” with the games as a backdrop. Now, filmmakers have done this for years, shooting a story “on the fly” using a big gathering (and saving on the cost of extras, no doubt). A few flicks from the past come to mind. Elvis Presley romanced and sang his way through 1962 Seattle for IT HAPPENED AT THE WORLD FAIR. As for sports, the Super Bowl (oops, the “Big Game”) was part of the climax of BLACK SUNDAY, and a dozen or so years ago the World Series figured into the finale of FEVER PITCH (just don’t bring that up when you travel to St. Louis). This new film is about two very different people who meet in Korea who somehow share OLYMPIC DREAMS.
One half of this mismatched couple is a competing athlete (and is played by real Olympian). Anxious, awkward Penelope (Alexi Pappas) is part of the US team, there to compete in the big cross-country skiing event. Arriving around the same time is the other “half’, Ezra (Nick Kroll), who is a volunteer dentist (hmm, guess that makes sense). He’s ecstatic to be there for the games ( a long time Olympic “geek”), despite the fact that his fiance back in the states just told him that they need to “take a break”. A day before her event, Penelope shares a cafeteria table with him. Though he tries to make small talk, she’s too full of anxiety. But when she’s knocked out of competition, she has lots of free time on her hands (that closing ceremony is almost a week away), Penelope finds Ezra’s temporary dental office in order to get an unnecessary “check-up”. The two hit it off and decide to “escape” the Olympic Village and explore the town that night. They eat, dance, and drink the night away. Friendship is quickly forming. Could this somehow blossom into a romance or will their bond fade as they head back to the states?
This project marks another step forward in showcasing the versatility of gifted comic performer (and real Broadway star) Kroll. While he continues to be a gifted vocal supporting player in recent animated features like SING and THE ADDAMS FAMILY (I’m still hoping for a spin-off showcasing his inspired work as Uncle Fester), Kroll “branched out” a couple of years ago with terrific supporting turns in the dramas OPERATION FINALE and LOVING (a truly underrated gem). Now, he’s “swinging for the fences” with what is really the romantic/dramatic lead as the genial everyman dentist. He throws himself into the role conveying his wide-eyed wonder of being part of this world-wide event, especially as he makes a new friend. Unfortunately, the storyline (doubtful if there’s a true “script”) lets him down as Ezra must do things that seem out of character to add ‘conflict’. And his mania over a brief exchange with his “on break” fiance seems forced. Fortunately, he does work well with Pappas who brings a different “take’ on the usual “larger than life” Olympians. In her first moments in Korea, she behaves like a lost little urchin at the ‘county fair’, barely able to express her feelings to anyone. Though lacking the experience of her co-star, she is able to keep pace in the loose banter. Ah but that storyline does her no favors either, as Penelope becomes far too needy and is often humiliated (do we need to see her PDAs spurned twice). Perhaps to add some gravitas she is given a couple of other athletes to “bounce off” (we don’t meet any of Ezra’s dental pals). Morgan Schild is like a sympathetic ‘sorority sister’ back at the dorm-like village. And Gus Kenworthy plays another acquaintance who becomes her “wingman”, but despite his efforts, morphs into a “rom-com” cliche’.
Director Jeremy Teicher really strives the capture the grand scale of the winter games, making great use of the surprising access he was given to the event and the surrounding city. Pappas and Kroll stroll about the facilities (the cafeteria and rec areas are most impressive) and the venues (walking up the ski-jump ramp at one point), then frolic in the local nightlife, recalling Scarlett and Bill exploring Tokyo in LOST IN TRANSLATION. But that’s where the comparison to that classic ends. Like the former flick, there is an age difference between the two, though not as vast (very few”skeevy” vibes), but the “sparks” just aren’t there. Ezra’s often a bit too “nerdy’ while Penelope comes off as too “clingy” and needy. Maybe this could have been worked out in a traditional screenplay. However the flick has the feel of an extended improvisational exercise, perhaps to give it an intimate pseudo-documentary feel. Since Pappas, Kroll, and Teicher share “writing” credits it seems to be in the mode of the HBO show “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, in which the actors “riff” while basing the scenes on a sparse “outline” that includes some plot “guides” and bits of info. That may be the reason for the frequent bits of Ezra “interviewing” his patients (real athletes reacting to his character quirks). It’s thuddingly apparent for the big confrontation between the two leads as they make bizarre put-downs (“un-brave” and “selfish” are pretty harsh) in order to force some drama into this often frothy travelogue. Fans of “The Games” will be enthralled by the inner workings and minutia, but for those looking for a compelling character study OLYMPIC DREAMS may have you dozing off during its 85-minute “ice routine”.
1.5 Out of 4
OLYMPIC DREAMS opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre
By nature of its title this film may conjure up comparisons to other nautical flicks, but your preconceived notions about its theme or plot will be quickly up-ended while viewing SEA FOG. Is it a disaster film like THE PERFECT STORM? Not really. Is it a horror/fantasy thriller like John Carpenter original THE FOG? No, but you might suspect this from the film’s producer and co-screenwriter Joon-ho Bong, the acclaimed filmmaker of THE HOST and SNOWPIERCER. Well, there’s no futurist vehicles or mutated monsters here. There are, however, lots of human monsters. Oh, and it comes from South Korea, set in 1998. The movie begins with a riveting credits sequence, showing a near-fatal accident that will be familiar to fans of TV’s “Deadliest Catch”. This is all business as usual to the men that work on the creaking, rusted-out fishing boat, the Junjin. Moments later Captain Kang (Yun-seok Kim) is steering the vessel towards the dock. not much of a haul this trip as he checks in with the boat’s owner. And the news gets worse. He may soon sell the Junjin. While his staff enjoys a brief shore leave, the desperate captain agrees to a quick cash job, one that could land him and his men in prison. When the crew gets back on board, Kang explains that they won’t be bringing back fish, they’ll be transporting people, illegal immigrant workers from China. Facing few options, the men reluctantly agree. Hours later, in the dead of night, the Junjin pulls up alongside another ship, and the “cargo” is transferred. Two of the illegals are women (“bad luck” at sea) causing havoc with the lusty sailors. Luckily the youngest lady is taken in and protected by the youngest shipmate who hides her in the engine room. The next day, a surprise inspection by corrupt authorities instigates a tragedy. Soon the young lovers are in hiding, as the crew turns on each other, and the captain descends into madness. And then the fog rolls in…
Bong has left the direction in the most capable hands of Sung-bo Shim who expertly balances the beauty and danger of work on board an ocean vessel. The Junjin almost become a character itself with her creaking floorboards and clanking, smoking engines. Shim takes the time to develop the sweet love story between the young couple who are quite the contrast with the crude, cruel sailors. But when the “incident’ occurs, the film goes into thriller (and a touch of horror) mode as the men frantically go into action. Action that leads to furious fights and scrambling for safety. The enveloping fog ratchets the tension up several notches. SEA FOG is no pleasure cruise, but rather a nightmarish journey into brutality and insanity.
SEA FOG screens at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac on Wednesday, November 11 at 9:10 PM and on Thursday, November 12 at 2:20 PM as part of the 24th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival. Purchase tickets here and here.
One of the great features over at the Internet Movie Database is the Bottom 100. Based on ratings viewers of the site give to various films, the worst of the worst films get put on this list. Some of them are on and off in a matter of days. Others stick around for the long haul, showing just how much suckage they truly emit.
It’s time to look at these movies and determine where they stand. Do they deserve to be on the Bottom 100 list? Are they not as bad as everyone says? Will they be off the list any time soon?
Here’s the breakdown for this week’s film:
Title: ‘A*P*E’
Release Date: USA, October 1976
Ranking on Bottom 100 (as of 7/1/2009): # 12 (based on 962 votes)
Why It’s Here: In a world of cheap knock-offs, this is one of the best… or, worst, depending on how you look at it. This South Korean/USA co-production was written and directed by Paul Leder (‘I Dismember Mama’) is a thing of legend… just, not the kind of legend that gets well-paid repeat business as a filmmaker. After watching this, one truly has to ask themselves… was this film intentionally made so crappy, or were the filmmakers actually under the delusion they were making a reputable motion picture? Then again, I can understand how making a movie centered on a guy in a gorilla suit could be cause for delusions of grandeur.
‘A*P*E’ was also marketed as ‘King Kong’ in 1976, which is amazing they got away with, seeing as the Hollywood remake starring Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange also released that year. On the other hand, they’ve added in additional genre-bending scenes appropriate to the film’s initially intended audience, such as including a martial arts fight scene. This is done for no apparent reason, except that someone said “hey, wouldn’t it be cool if King Kong interrupts a martial arts fight.” Hey, if the Americans could barely take down King Kong with a squadron of lead-spitting biplanes, surely a group of 8-10 South Korean civilians with spears and flaming arrows can stop him, right?
The filmmakers involved were attempting to thicken their bankroll by making their own King Kong film and ride the financial wave of producer Dino de Laurentis’ remake that same year. Unfortunately for them, the Hollywood remake was a bust on it’s own, making this one even less likely to succeed. Here’s a bit of subtle movie trivia for you… about 30 minutes in ‘A*P*E’ the Hollywood blonde movie star Marylin Baker (Joanna Kerns) is filming a *rape scene. She’s the Faye Wray, Jessica Lange character in this version. Anyway, the director shooting the rape scene is named Dino and is played as a cameo by director Paul Leder. Coincidence, I think not.
Lowest of the Low Moments: Once again, there are endless low moments in ‘A*P*E’ but the low moments are the best parts. From the very beginning of the movie, we’re thrown into one. The giant ape is being transported on a cargo ship under sedation, or so the two slacker guards believe, that is until it rips up through the deck eliciting the response of “Oh, shit” from from one the guards who is such an astonishing actor that this line is delivered completely devoid of any emotion whatsoever. This is immediately followed by the entire ship exploding at mid-sea, just for good measure. And, so begins the epic tale of South Korea’s King Kong.
If you think the movie loses it’s “charm” after this, think again. As King Kong swims back to shore, he’s attacked by a shark… except, this has got to be one helluva big shark. It’s size is relatively accurate next to a normal-sized gorilla, but this is King Kong. When the “size” issue is actually addressed appropriately it results in a slew of poorly rendered forced perspective shots. During an attempt to capture Kong, reinforcements are sent in consisting mostly of paratroopers dropping over Kong’s position. Sorry, last I check a swarm of gnats was annoying, but far from fatal. You see, I found out that ‘A*P*E’ deserves a much larger cult following through my viewing as the entire film is one ridiculous effed-up POS scene after another. For the life of me, I cannot understand how the MST3K guys never did an episode for this film! It’s pure gold!
Side Note: *The fake movie being filmed by Dino the director within ‘A*P*E’ is an odd element to this story. It fits, what with the Marylin (Monroe) character filling the role of the blonde dame that King Kong falls in love with, but both scenes being shot of her before she is captured by King Kong (or, rescued in Kong’s mind) are rape scenes. What’s up with that? Rape had nothing to do with the original movie nor any of the remakes. I suppose you could make the comparison of rape to that of the tribal sacrificing of a virgin on Skull Island, but that’s stretching it a bit, isn’t it?
Will it Ever Get Off the List: No way in Hell will this film ever fall off of the IMDB Bottom 100 List! As much deplorable fun as it is, there’s still no mistaking this for a truly crappy piece of cinematic junk. ‘A*P*E’ is one of those movie that will forever be so bad that it’s good. In fact, if the film does ever get re-released or more widely seen somehow, it may even move up into the Top 10 of the Bottom 100, based solely on a rapid increase of votes. How about this for a project… anyone reading this that is interested in seeing the movie for themselves, and who is savvy enough to have an IMDB account in which they can vote, watch the movie and place your vote and let’s see which way it goes… up or down. (You’ll probably want to place your bets on it hitting the Top 10.)
Here’s the first nine minutes of this hidden gem, in case you can’t find the whole thing. However, here’s a hint… the other nine of a total of 10 parts are available on YouTube as well. The film is also available through Netflix. Good Times!
And, to close out this week’s Humpday Horribleness, here’s one of my favorite scenes from ‘A*P*E’ just for your own amusement and amazement…
If you enjoyed this column, leave us some feedback in the comments section below.
‘Volcano High’ (2001) [originally titled ‘WaSanGo’] is a South Korean action-comedy written and directed by Tae-gyun Kim. The story follows Kim Kyung-soo (Hyuk Jang), an outcast student who is continually expelled from his high schools for violence. The problem is, Kim is a magnet for bullies and when he’s attracted, his “special” abilities come out and he has little control over his own power.
Deemed as a threat and a menace, Kim is enrolled in the last remaining high school that will take him. Volcano High is notorious for it’s violence. Kim vows never to use his powers again, but he’ll find it a difficult promise to keep, surrounded by students who all possess a special talent for the martial arts. The students belong to various clubs specific to their devoted forms of martial arts. One bully will do anything to retain his rank of the most powerful fighter in the school.
Mr. Ma is the leader of the group of five teachers charged with disciplining the students at Volcano High. They also protect a secret manuscript that is said to hold great powers for he who possesses it’s secrets. Song Hak-rim is truly the most powerful fighter in the school, but he was framed and is imprisoned for trying to steal the secret manuscript. After Kim discovers him, Song helps Kim to discover the true extent of his powers and the ability to control them. Now Kim must become the hero and save the day for the entire school, threatened by Mr. Ma’s “tough love” approach towards controlling the students. Continue reading Movie Melting Pot… ‘Volcano High’ (South Korea, 2001)
