Korean Zombie Attack

 

 (wallpapercave.com)

TRAIN TO BUSAN-2016-A workaholic father (Gong Yoo) having relationship problems with his young daughter (Soo-an Kim) are trapped on a moving train when an outbreak causes people to turn into violent bloodthirsty zombies! It's an insane roller Coaster ride as passengers fight for survival. There's suspense, gore, action and a heart wrenching conclusion in this South Korean production directed by Yeon Sang Ho.

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Thirsty Work

THIRST-2009-A priest in Korea volunteers for an experiment on a cure for an incurable virus. He seems to die but actually out of 500 patients he's the only who survives and he becomes a kind of Savior and people seek him out to heal their sick.. Unfortunately there is a bad side effect. He's turned into a vampire and has to drink blood or die of the disease. Later he visits a family and has sex with the adopted daughter (who's treated more like a slave). In a GANJA & HESS move he infects her and they go out "drinking" together. 

THIRST features a lot of violence, blood and blood drinking but also has lots of talk, drawn out scenes and arty direction. With finger and toe sucking and mah-joggh playing. Some might laud it's over 2 running time but I found it hard going.

Korea

HOWLING-2012-After a drug addict is burned to death by a bomb planted in his belt, a male detective (Kang-ho Song from THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD) and his female partner (Na-yeong Lee) investigate. Naturally he's a jaded chauvinist. When he finds out it's a homicide he wants to solve it all by himself and get all the credit. Later a man is attacked and killed by a wolf (the first victim had a wolf bite on his leg). Both victims seem to have ties to drugs, prostitution and porn. When he gets in trouble for withholding info the two learn to work together...sort of. After several screw-ups (most of the other detectives are assholes) the investigation leads to illegal dog fighting, a hybrid wolf-dog and a former police K-9 dog trainer seeking revenge.

There's an exciting but ultimately sad finale in this Korean production directed by Ha Yoo (A DIRTY CARNIVAL).

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K-Horror

FEBRUARY 29-2006-This Korean horror tale begins with a young woman Ji-yeon relating a story to a reporter in an insane asylum where she is confined. It starts when she receives a bloody toll card from an unseen driver of a black car during a blackout. There is a murder and it seems there is someone going around impersonating her. It all has to do with a curse and a ghost that comes back every four years to kill. Two cops try to help her after her friend is murdered but wind up dead. It has a strange ending but really isn't better than any other Asian horror film in recent years. Directed by Jong-hun Jung.

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More K-Horror

Wow! I've been busy doing "things" in the real world. But I have watched a lot of movies so here I go again!




DARK FOREST (OF DEATH)-2006-More horror craziness from South Korean. A mother tells her daughter about passing on a curse and then deliberately causes a car accident that kills the mother. A few years later the daughter and some friends go camping in the woods and encounter some evil spirits that kill most of campers and reanimates them to kill who's left alive.

Obviously inspired by THE EVIL DEAD this was the last installment of a series called "4 Horror Tales". It's very gory and drawn out. The finale where the last two survivors are terrorized seems to go on forever!
The director Jeong-min Kim uses split screen, freeze frames, fast cuts and some shots through a camcorder but basically it's still just the "campers getting killed by an unknown killer" premise done to death (no pun intended) by the end of the 1980's!

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Don't Look At Me When You See The Title!

OLDBOY-2003-A man is mysteriously held captive in a room for 15 years. When he’s finally released he tries to find out why. This violent and sometimes annoying film uses a lot of craziness to explain it’s final resolution. I didn’t like it but some folks seem to. The Virginia Tech killer is said to have posted photos of himself online that resemble scenes from this movie.

South Korean director Chan-wook Park also made SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE which I liked better.

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3 Quickies. It's a Busy Weekend!

CINDERELLA-2006-This is not based on the famous fairy tale that features evil step sisters. This is a Korean made sort of horror film about a girl named Hyunsu who’s mother is a plastic surgeon. She does cosmetic surgery on some of her friends who eventually wind up dead. It has some good effects but overall the plot is con,-fusing and the ending is a disappointment.



A DIRTY CARNIVAL-2006-This is an very well made Scorese’ influenced South Korean gangster film. Byung-doo is a low level mobster who seems more like a doormat than a thug but after murdering a lawyer for a his boss he slowly and viciously gains more power and becomes more ruthless. His childhood friend who is now a filmmaker uses Byung’s knowledge to make his own gangster film and this causes problems. There’s several violent fights but it was a little too long for me.



THE TALL T-1957-Randolph Scott is a loner cowboy who runs up against outlaw Richard Boone and his two goons (Skip Homeier & Henry Silva) when hitching a stage coach ride with some newlyweds (Maureen O’Sullivan & John Hubbard). This is the second of seven “adult” westerns Scott made with director Budd Boetticher from 1956-1960. It’s psychological, violent and very cool! Arthur Hunnicutt is a doomed stage driver. Burt Kennedy wrote the script based on a story by Elmore Leonard.

Thanks for reading! Happy 4th of July!

No Spiders!

SPIDER FOREST-1981-This is a highly unusual Korean horror film. It seems influenced by David Lynch. A man tries to come to terms with his life after his wife is killed in a plane crash. This leads him to Spider Forest and a horrible murder committed there. Unlike Hollywood horror films today SF leaves a lot of "clues" for the viewer to figure out. Pretty cool but slow going at times. Warning! No giant spiders eat anyone in this film directed by II-gon Song.

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Sunday Morning Quickies

 ICHI THE KILLER-2001-Amazing and violent thriller from Takashi Miike. Two Yakuza groups fight over one of their missing bosses and the 100 million yen that disappeared with him. In the middle is Ichi, a seemingly idiotic hired killer with razor boots who literally slices people in half. He is tortured by the memories of bullies and the gang rape of his friend. But all isn’t what it seems to be. Some awesome graphic SFX highlight this unique feature but a brutal rape scene is hard to watch.



TRUE GAME OF DEATH-1981-Now this movie is bad but it’s also hysterical. Bruce Le portrays Bruce Lee who is poisoned by his wife but for some reason doesn’t die and comes back in disguise. Later he has to rescue her from gangsters. It’s all because the bad guys don’t want him doing a movie. It’s in bad taste I guess but it is funny! Le (a terrible fighter) made lots of movies with the name “Bruce” in them and directed some too. He may have been a stunt coordinator on MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 3 (there were 3 of them?) but he his last movie was in 1992.



CHRONICLE OF THE RAVEN-2004-Argentinean horror movie, shot in English about a young woman (Gina Phillips from JEEPERS CREEPERS) who returns to her family’s estate after the death of her sister (?). The whole family is under a curse instigated by her grandmother (Faye Dunaway chewing the scenery outrageously). It’s pretty routine and guessable but it would have been easier to take if the Phillips' character was more likable. Also known as JENNIFER'S SHADOW.






SAMARIA (SAMARITAN GIRL)-2004-Korean made tale of two girls who dabble in amateur prostitution after school. Yeo-jin sets things up and collects the money while her friend Jae-yeong takes care of the sexual end. When Jae-yeong dies jumping from a window to escape the police Yeo-jin take her place. When her police detective father finds out things take a violent turn. The film has many nice touches and great acting but it was a little too slow for me.

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