Blog Archives

Looking for Bruce Lee (2002)

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Posted on February 24, 2005 by Mark Morrison

I expected some kind of slick commercial comedy starring Korean punkrock band Crying Nut in a wacky search for a killer with a Bruce Lee fetish.

What I got instead was a freewheeling video experiment starring Korean punkrock band Crying Nut in a wacky search for a killer with a Bruce Lee fetish, mixed in with random snippets of other stories (such as the jilted sepia bride with beautiful legs), concert footage, people of all nations talking about living in … (read more)

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One Fine Spring Day (2000)

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Posted on February 24, 2005 by Deni

Some of the most satisfying love stories involve people just that little bit too odd to be able to find romance either easy or lasting and One Fine Spring Day goes about establishing this premise with a bittersweet grace that makes it at times almost breathtakingly beautiful to watch.

Lee Sang-wu, played with sensitivity by pop star/model Yu Ji-tae, is a composed, introspective, somewhat artless young man living with his father, aunt and slightly senile grandmother. Working as a recording … (read more)

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Ghost in Love (1998)

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Posted on February 24, 2005 by Alison

This rather sweet Korean flick shows the effect of the Korean government’s decision to stimulate their film industry by pouring money into it (and setting quotas, and whatever else). It’s polished, entertaining, intriguing, has some nice CGI effects, and is generally a professional piece of work.

The story is simple: a “suicide squad” of ghosts (because suicides can’t go to heaven) recruits new members into a sort of post-existential pyramid scheme of retribution. We follow the main character, a girl … (read more)

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Chihwaseon (2002)

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Posted on February 24, 2005 by Alison

Chihwaseon is major-league arthouse painted up like a travelogue. The story of a famous painter, set against the backdrop of political upheaval in Korea that also echoes turbulence worldwide, sometimes slides into the background because of the breathtaking scenery.

For a truly heavyweight arthouse flick, it’s surprisingly watchable. Its credibility was demonstrated when it won the Prix De La Mise En Scene at Cannes, although it lacks the dreary quality of many arthouse films. A fair amount of arthouse often … (read more)

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