Richard Underground

Back again!!

2007-08-26T09:41:00.000-07:00

hmm its been more than a year since i last posted something here, hehe its because i have been busy with work and i forgot my password here heheheh (stupid i know).. well lets get things going, im not going to post movie reviews now cause its kinda late and it takes lots of time to organize the photos of the movie, and this is just a test post, like warming up hehehe..

one of my student friend made a blog so i said "why not start making blogs again".. she already went back to Japan thats why i am missing her so much hehe.. she is really cute, sweet and funny..

Hard Gay!! Whooo!!

2006-07-24T00:11:00.000-07:00

Razor Ramon HG (occasionally Laser Ramon HG) is the performing name of Masaki Sumitani, a Japanese comedian and tarento (“talent”). His act gained national attention and popularity when featured on the "Bakushō Mondai no Bakuten!" (Daibakuten) Saturday variety show on TBS Television in Japan, in 2005.

Razor Ramon HG first debuted in 1997, however, as a wrestler under the same name. He had met fellow comic and wrestler Izubuchi Makoto and started a comedy duo based on it. Their stunts got tons of praise however their comedy did not. So in 2001, Razor Ramon HG went on to join Yoshimoto Kogyo, one of Japan's biggest comedy troupes. When talking with fellow troupe member Kobayashi Kendo, the idea came up that he should play a militant homosexual. As Kobayashi put it "he made a perfect hardcore gay". Razor Ramon went with the idea and decided that "Livin La Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin would be his theme song.

This militant homosexual persona has become very popular in Japan. Lots of schoolgirls love him and Razor Ramon often appears on the show Bakuten, a variety show on TBS. Aside from the La Vida Loca theme song Razor Ramon is most famous for his hip gyrations and shouting "Whoooo!" or "Haado Gei" (Hard Gay or seen cleverly as The Art of Hard Gay". On the show Razor Ramon had his own little segment where he went around Tokyo trying to help people. This sort of personality on Bakuten (which is shown during "family hour") has a mixed reaction though. A lot of people like him and some people absolutely hate him.

This can clearly be seen as Razor Ramon was recently given the award for "Most Topical Figure" in Japan. However its clearly seen most parents aren't thrilled with his acts when they protested about his hip gyrations. However Razor Ramon simply ripped up their complaints claiming he gave "dreams to children". Despite all of this, even his persona, the man behind the persona is actually well mannered and quiet. When not portraying Razor Ramon Hard Gay he simply lives at his apartment in Nishinari-ku, Osaka. He also seems well aware that while people love his persona now and it pays his bills, his persona will not last forever and he will move on to other acts.

In the meantime, Razor Ramon has a very small music career (mostly tied to his persona) and continues to work in Yoshimoto Kogyo. He also continues to make apparences in his Village People like get up and even wrestles still. Recently he has started to work with his friend Izubuchi Makoto again and even has him going by the name "Razor Ramon RG" now.

A Millionaire's First Love

2006-07-23T23:31:00.001-07:00

From Kim Tae Kyun, the director of Volcano High comes an amusing fish-out-of-water romance starring Hyun Bin from My Lovely Sam Soon and Lee Yeon Hee.

Jae Kyung is a spoilt rich kid and a bit of a slacker. He is in his senior year at high school, but rarely bothers showing up to class. It's not that he has no desire for success, it's just that he knows he doesn't have to study hard in order to get it. On his nineteenth birthday he will become a millionaire, thanks to his late grandfather's inheritance. But, the day before the big pay out, Jae Kyung's family lawyer discovers a hidden clause in the contract. Jae Kyung can only inherit his fortune if he graduates from Boram High School. Where? Exactly!

Boram is in a remote part of the Korean countryside, miles from Jae Kyung's cushy little existence. The pampered city boy has no choice but to up-sticks and move to this small rural community - where his credit card isn't accepted anywhere and he can't even drive his sports car! But, amongst all the country bumpkins and backward yokels, Jae Kyung meets Eun Hwan (Lee Yeon Hee) in whom he sees something different, something special, something which might possibly inspire him to change his selfish, arrogant ways and become a better person.

If you've ever been in love, this movie will tug at your heart! One of the saddest movie I've ever seen. It is like "A Walk to Remember". It was too cliche and predictable. I mean Rich dude moves out into the country, falls inlove with a regular girl, he hides it with his arrogance, He finds out her secret, goes "I'm sorry I love you" on ya. What I really liked about the movie was the female actress. She was hot! Super hot! Hehehehe!!

If you guys like romantic movies I would suggest that you watch this movie. This movie is worth every penny, but if you don't like sad endings i suggest that you rent or just borrow it from a friend hehehe..

Tears

2006-02-21T01:27:00.000-08:00

After spending five months in Garibong-dong, a district in Seoul, Director Lim Sang-Soo's Tears was a movie based on his recollection of those five months. Han, a young runaway, and Chang, an over-the-top teen, are close friends. Chang is a foulmouthed, womanizer while Han is a quiet and humble virgin. As they venture into the streets of Garibong-dong and jump from apartment to apartment, they encounter a young hooker, Lan, and Seri, a paint-sniffing young woman who finds comfort in the hands of Han. And this forms the unlikely group of teenagers facing the hardships of street life.

What more can I say? What else is there to say after that? I mean come on! Hookers, drugs, runaways-sounds like another KIDS ripoff. Heh. Well, here's the thing. The movie was shot totally in Digital Video format and it looks as if the movie itself was a documentary on young teenagers and their lives in these unforgiving streets. Tears is a gritty and shocking tale of the spirit of untamed youth and the wildness that ensues.

Taking cues from his experience in a homeless-ridden district in Seoul, Lim Sang-Soo set out to display the graphic nature of his work. While filming on DV mainly to conserve cost, the movie actually benefits from the look and feel. The characters and their relationships come to life as each scene grows more and more distinct in flavor. From the beginning, we have Han and Chang at a little get together in a café with friends . . . and hookers! At that moment, I knew I was watching one of those documentary-type films. And when Chang begins to use the hookers as punching bags and sexual objects, hell, that just solidified my case.

I commend the director for his rawness in Tears. He takes us into a world where confusion and despair are of the ordinary and pain is just the icing on the cake. There are scenes where we see women being punched in the face and slammed on the ground. Other scenes where we see how desperate they are to leave their world behind by inhaling paint fumes because they probably can't afford a decent form of illegal drug to abuse. It's shocking, yet melancholic the way these teens are depicted on screen. The sex scenes, yes the sex scenes, are even worse. The horrible past experiences of one of the girls creep up on her as she can't perform in bed even if she's in the mood. And the other girl comes to terms with her escort service occupation as she's confronted by her own father. This is just some of the many truths that'll be unveiled to the viewers as they watch the movie.

What moves this movie in the forward direction is of course its unknown cast. Believable is an understatement as we see these teens trudge down the mean streets. Chang is a bleached blonde young man with a taste for sexual intercourse and beer. His life is all about living off his sexual partners' apartment and cash. Han, the runaway, is probably the staple point of the film. He's ordinary in many ways and seems to be the conflict in the story. Here is a young man with the rest of his life ahead of him, yet he wants to escape that and follow a crowd that may or may not be alive the next day. Lan is a prostitute with a thing for braids. She loves Chang and is solely committed to making him happy even though she knows of his cheating ways. Her life will never reach further than her one room apartment. And lastly, the most troubled of the group is Seri, an attractive young lady who rides like the wind on her motorcycle. She finds the open arms of Han and sees that he is everything she needs to move on in her life. But she must first forget about being raped by a family member while she was younger because it's troubling her sexual performance with Han. And she must persevere and defeat her paint-sniffing ways before actually moving on. These four characters make up the stereotypical teens from the street. And it remains the stronghold of this film.

As much as the characters were believable enough, the ending is left to be desired. The director builds up this growing relationship among the four and then suddenly jerks it into another direction. It left a very foul taste in my mouth and it wasn't the Twix cookie bars I was eating. Tears take us through a candid look at sex, drugs, and . . . sniffing. If it's a documentary-type movie that's gritty and raw you're looking for or if you're looking for some topless nude shots, then Tears is your choice. Other than that, no real justifiable reason to watch or get it.

Kirei : The Terror of Beauty

2006-02-14T01:33:00.000-08:00

Yoko Noguchi is a beautiful and successful plastic surgeon with a very peculiar patient- a psychologically unbalanced woman named Yoshie. Yoshie begs Yoko to perform surgery on her when all other doctors refuse. Yoshie behaves like a very obvious loony, but she is loaded with money (although does not appear to be rich) which she lavishly pours on Yoko. Yoko ultimately accepts the challenge, but after the operation realizes that it was only the beginning: after having her face corrected, Yoshio wants her belly and later her virginal vagina operated as well… Yoko succumbs to these demands as well, but making Yoshie beautiful is only the preparation for a very ugly ending…

If you are tired of J-horror being equated with ghostly female black-haired apparitions, THE TERROR OF BEAUTY offers a reminder of another popular staple of Japanese horror - the equivalent of hard R splatter in which the accent is put on body horror with strong surgical overtones, filled with moralizing about human mortality and hypocrisy. As this sub-genre is usually very low budget (unlike its more respectable, ghostly cousins), another element commonly found in it is plenty of sex and nudity.

Who would be better to provide this kind of entertainment than Katsuya Matsumura, whose fame lies mostly in the wonderfully, unbearably sicko/sleazy ALL NIGHT LONG series (five parts so far, but only the first three are available in the English speaking world). Beneath the veneer of crude direct to video exploitation the ALL NIGHT LONG flicks actually provided a genuine, original and surprisingly intelligent satire on modern Japan, especially the world of otakus, outcasts and youth gangs indulging in all kinds of depravity. THE TERROR OF BEAUTY would seem to provide an excellent opportunity for another inspired mixture of satire and sleaze, ideas and gore, sex and death, social concerns and opportunistic exploitation. Unfortunately, the end result is below the expectations that this author and these themes would seem to inspire.

THE TERROR OF BEAUTY suffers from a lame script which is too simple-minded and straightforward to provide enough food for either brain or… well, whatever organ the gore hounds have. By deciding to mystify Yoshie’s origin, including the incredible amounts of money at her disposal, the scriptwriters deprive the film of any real drama. The two main characters are sketched in broad strokes: a beautiful but greedy plastic surgeon and an ugly AND creepy disturbed woman. That is all you learn about them. Yoko’s boyfriend is not even a cipher- it seems that his sole function in the flick is for Yoko to have someone to talk to and thus speak up her thoughts to the audience.

Of course, coming to a film like this, character development may not be your first demand- but Matsumura, surprisingly, disappoints even in what he’s usually doing best. The nudity quota is relatively low (for his standards), the surgical tools are barely touched, the explicit operations are present in a couple of uninspired seconds and the gore scenes are limited to splashes of unconvincingly colored violet/red liquid. To be honest, there are a few queasy moments involving liposuction and at the very end, when the frail beauty, recently operated, starts unstitching. The common viewer has enough of unpleasantness to cover his/her eyes from, but more experienced splatter-fans, anxiously expecting to see what kind of aces Matsumura may have up his sleeves could be a bit disappointed.

THE TERROR OF BEAUTY is obviously a quickie whose no-budget makes the ALL NIGHT LONG series look like SCREAM. It’s limited to three different rooms and as many ‘characters’, so there’s not much production value to speak of; the camera is barely functional, but most of the scenes are over-lit and lacking in any kind of beauty. The score is sweet, quiet and barely noticeable while the make up effects are decent, though obviously cheap, and not nearly as prominent as you might expect from a film with a ‘surgical’ plot like this. All in all, this flick is watchable since it’s not too boring (but it’s not too exciting either!), so some viewers –you know who you are!- may want to rent it, but note that it is not a highly rewatchable film which would require a constant place in your collection.

Il Mare

2005-08-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

"Il Mare" is the name of a seafront house where two lovers reside in at two different times. Sung-hyun in 1997 receives a strange letter one day, reminding him to be careful of the snowstorm in 1998. But it is posted in the year 1999. Time travels backward again when Eun-joo sends him a letter of request, asking him to look for her lost cassette recorder at the train station where Sung-hyun finally gets a glimpse of her.

Beautifully written and painstakingly charming, Il Mare is a romance movie that breathes life into a genre that has too many similar plots. I don't want to come off as a cold-hearted moron who thinks romantic movies are too cliched, please don't think of me as that? Simply put it this way, Il Mare is the kind of movie that leaves you utterly breathless. When you're done watching it, you just sit there and ponder on things you never knew you would think about. After the "fade to black," I lied there on my bed just watching the ending credits because I didn't want it to end. I'm sure all of you have felt this way either after watching My Sassy Girl or Fly Me To Polaris. I know these two movies are considered to be far and away instant classics in Asian Cinema, but Il Mare also has that sense of prestige that made the other two movies so lovable. And after watching this movie, I guarantee with all my heart and soul, you'll love this movie as much as I did.

The most noteworthy reason why this film is so magnificent is the subtleness in the plot. The whole story revolves around a very surreal seafront house that seems hidden and aloof from the crowded world. In all ways is this splendid little house a magical dream come true. There's a long, winding boardwalk to the front door and an exit that leads to the ocean. I can't say enough about how unbelievably pure and perfect this house becomes throughout the movie. When the time comes to actually "meet" our couple, you're already caught in the folds of bliss that has engulfed your imagination. And to think, the house itself is just a mere backdrop, or backbone if you will, to the couples' substantial relationship. When I say "relationship," I get a feeling of irony. The couple never really meet up in the movie, instead, they are entangled in a love letter type scheme that dips its wet feet into the world of sci-fi. The couple are writing letters to each other while living in the same world in two different times. Sung-hyun (Lee Jung Jae) is an aspiring architect who moves into his new home only to find a "welcome" letter from the previous owner. Eun-joo, played by the beautiful Jun Ji-hyun of My Sassy Girl, is the previous owner of Il Mare. She receives a letter from Sung-hyun that simply turns both their worlds upside down. It appears Eun-joo lives in the year 1999 and Sung-hyun in the year 1997.

As farfetched as the plot may seem, director Lee Hyun-seung never seems to disappoint. At first I felt this was going to be too difficult to understand because of the whole "wrinkle in time" idea. However, the story does not dwell upon that too long. The film doesn't want you to go to great depths to understand the time barrier between the couple. What it does want you to come to terms with, however, is the idea that these two people are destined lovers that may or may not ever meet each other because of fate's weird obstacle course. And when you understand that, then you'll see how melancholic this cinematic exposure is. We see two people, two years apart from meeting one another, trying desperately to connect in other ways than writing. There are scenes where they seem to go on a date, but in reality, they are there alone only keeping the other in mind and spirit. I commend the beautiful arrangement, almost bouquet-like, of the director during these sequences. Viewers will begin to understand the true test of love and how it will conquer all. It was one of the most tantalizing experiences my eyes will ever know. It was almost as beautiful as Jingle Ma's superior work in Fly Me To Polaris. It was pure visual splendor and it will undoubtedly touch your heart in more ways than one.

I don't have to say anything about the performances of the two actors. But here's something that will sum it all up-Simply Amazing. The imaginative nature, the subtleness of the story, and the surreal love story between the characters is more than enough to make most of you buy this movie. Take into consideration the magical aura the film is manifested on and you got yourself a movie worth watching. In the past few months, thanks to Mr. Kwang and Korean writers, I've become a true-blue Korean movie lover. With entertaining movies like Il Mare, My Sassy Girl, and Guns and Talks under their belt, I hope we viewers are treated more to these soul-touching eye-candies. Believe me, Il Mare is another instant classic you'll want to experience at least once in your lifetime. And you'll probably say the same thing about the universal language of "love."

Battle Royale

2005-08-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

Some time in the new millennium Japan falls into economical decay, mass unemployment reigns in the country. With no clear future available, the student no longer respect school, violence increases due to riots and many students drop out of school. With the chaotic situation the government enacts the Battle Royale act, which consists of selected one of the poorest performing classes and sending off to an island where they must fight for survival and only one student can leave alive. The students have 3 days to complete the game or everyone dies due to explosive devices on their necks, they are given random weapons and the only rules to follow is avoid the danger zone and don't cause any trouble or the army will kill them. Mistrust, fear and hate run rampant and chaos spread among the students and they soon give in to the fight for survival.

The story starts off on an immoral edge, simple to follow and keeps surprises to a minimum and most importantly gives you time to better understand the characters. Overall this is a very entertaining experience and very interesting to follow, there is only a slight detail slight hole in the story near the end but we wont mention any spoilers. The movie is taken from a manga, it is most probably that the producer cut out certain things from the movie version but in general the story holds together very well and there aren't any real slow moments.

The fact that the cast that is about to kill each other are all teenagers is a shocking factor. The ways the kids kill each other can be pretty brutal from a knife to an uzi or a crossbow, all for the fight of survival. This is the real reason for the controversy around the movie is that fact that kids killing kids, in North America with all the school shootings this is an especially touchy subject. If this movie was the fight of survival between adults instead, we don't think it would have generated as movie hype. There are about 30 students thrown onto the island but the story focuses mostly 5 or 6 students and we follow their fight for survival from start to finish. The acting is great and their emotions are really visible, the context is easily understandable, what if you were stuck there and you have to kill classmates and friends alike for your own survival. As for Kitano he still remains the king, each of his appearances on screen are striking and memorable.

It is true that violence has an important place in BR but to say that the violence is shocking and hard to watch is totally false. There is nothing new or extreme when it comes to violence in BR, what is shocking about the violence is who is doing it and to who. Having innocent students forced into a situation where they must kill each other is the troubling part of the movie. Fans of violence should enjoy this movie if you don't expect splattering guts every 5 minutes else you might be really disappointed.

Violence might have a strong place in this movie but there is one thing to know it is far from being senseless violence as most people have said. Not everyone may perceive this movie in this fashion but we find there are several strong messages in the movie, certain reflections of society or human nature, this is a movie with a point to it. This movie makes brutal and dark references of the incomprehensible moments of everyday life such as fear, shyness, deception, love, jealousy, humiliation and helplessness. In this extreme situation the characters have a way out from these trivial matters and make the better of themselves and maybe become or say what they really always wanted to or to come face to face with an enemy they must fight or be killed.

In conclusion Battle Royale has far more to offer than a orgy of blood and senseless violence as some would say. Some may not like this movie while others will completely adore it but one thing is certain this is a movie that will not be forgotten. If you like Japanese cinema which is not scared of showing true violence with the emotions that go along with it, then you will probably enjoy this one. If you are looking for a movie with shocking action you can give BR a chance, you might be pleasantly surprised and for sure entertained. Oh! and just for Kitano`s fans, this movie is worth it.

My Sassy Girl

2005-07-31T20:08:00.000-07:00

Gyeon-woo is a single Korean college student, still not very sure of what he wants to become in the future. One night, on his way back home, he meets an extremely beautiful girl, but who is also completely drunk. Because the girl talked to Gyeon-woo before falling unconscious, the people surrounding them begin to think that the girl is Gyeon-woo`s girlfriend. Having no other choice than helping the girl, he decides to leave her in a motel, since he doesn't know were she lives. The next morning Gyeon-woo gets a call from this mysterious girl who is very angry about him and wants to know everything that happened the past night. She tells him to meet her right now at the exit of the metro. Gyeon-woo thinking about this, decides to go see the girl. From that night, Gyeon-woo and the girl will become good friends, in a strange sense. As the relation progresses, Gyeon-woo begins to discover how crazy the girls really is, with all her wacky behaviors, angry attitude and always wanting him to please her the way she wants, even if it mean that Gyeon-woo will pass for a complete idiot in public places or gets beaten by the girl. But even if Gyeon-woo suffer, physically and mentally, he really thinks that this beautiful girl will have some sorrow in her and he really wants to help her to get better. But at what price?

Why do I hate teen movies so much? Because of their uninteresting crappy love story and their unbelievable typical characters (you know that the supposed ugly girl is a perfect super babe when she takes off her glasses). Also because I can't support all the clichés and stereotypes that these kinds of movies like to exploit so much. It's just not funny to me anymore. Of course, because in most cases, cinematography wise, these movies mean absolutely nothing, for me they have almost no artistic values, I just found them a complete waste of time.

But why do I love "My Sassy girl" so much? Because of that unpredictable and enjoyable love story and that the two characters in the movie were awesome and touching, especially that memorable and beautiful Korean girl. Also, that the humor was always right on time, not trying stupid sex jokes or stupid humor, unlike other movie of its genre right now and that visually the movie was surprisingly very well done.

Okay, I know what you are thinking right now, "He said love story, this is a freaking chick flick then!" No not at all…well okay, this movie has a lot of material to please more to a female audience but trust me, just once. I really don't like these kind of movies and drama makes me sleepy, but I was really touched by this sweet romantic story. The story looks simple and yes it is, but there are a lot of things going on during the movie that you will probably miss some of the subtle details the first time you watch it. These details are not essential to the comprehension of the story but it makes a second viewing even more fun. The first part of the story concentrates more on the development of the characters, it really gave us the time to know them and begin to feel attach to the two main characters. Feeling sorry for Gyeon-woo when he gets beaten or humiliated by the girl, but also that a guy can't stay indifferent by that sweet little face that girl can make when she wants to be taken care of. The story is really only about the two main characters and I can't tell you anymore about it because it will spoil the development of their relationship

Here is a romantic comedy for the ages. It's unique in its own way, yet still comfortably familiar as the characters gain our feelings. The unique style of the film cannot be accurately described in words. One must see the expressions on the characters's faces and hear their delivery to truly appreciate it. All one needs to know is that this film has personality, and its brand of comedy and romance will leave a lasting impression.

My Sassy Girl had me laughing and talking to the screen due to its outrageous comedy, it had my epathy for the main characters and their relationship, and it left me with that certain sense of romanticism. It's one of those romances where I come out and for a whole day I am truly a hopeless romantic. Besides the colorful personalities of the leads, the other major aspect of this film that stuck with me was the final message in the film. I refrain to say it here for the chance that it will ruin the ending for those who haven't seen it, but the finale of the film brings everything together and reiterates a certain romantic concept that I think, deep down, we all hope is true.

This film begs no detailed analysis. Truly memorable characters in a unique relationship - that is what this film is about. When you watch it, it will all just come to you - exactly what makes the film what it is. Just sit back and the film will entertain you along the way and finally leave you with lasting memories and feelings that will keep you reflecting on the film for a long time.

Fighter in the Wind

2005-07-28T19:03:00.000-07:00

Masutatsu Oyama (Choi Baedal) took on all challengers, resulting in fights with 270 different people. The vast majority of these were defeated with one punch! A fight never lasted more than three minutes, and most rarely lasted more than a few seconds. His fighting principle was simple — if he got through to you, that was it.If he hit you, you broke. If you blocked a rib punch, your arm was broken or dislocated. If you didn't block, your rib was broken. He became known as the Godhand, a living manifestation of the Japanese warriors' maxim ichi geki, hissatsu (one strike, certain death). To him, this was the true aim of technique in karate. The fancy footwork and intricate techniques were secondary (though he was also known for the power of his head kicks).

The story of Choi Baedal (Masutatsu Oyama) is told in FIGHTER IN THE WIND, as a young man from Korea who stows away on a steamer to Japan to become an aviator. During World War II and the years of occupation in postwar Japan, Choi faces many hardships as a Korean in a foreign land. Following the war, Choi's martial arts teacher is killed by local yakuza, which resolves him to take the path to mastering karate. Choi leaves civilization and goes off to train in the mountains. After completing his training, he leaves the mountains to challenge all dojos to become the supreme martial artist in Japan.In FIGHTER IN THE WIND, Choi's life-history details have been glossed over in favor of a popcorn movie, full of romance, action, and melodrama. The story of Choi Baedal is told using the Hong Kong action movie template: A young man is humiliated by his enemies; his teacher is killed, forcing the young Choi to make a life-altering decision to train to be one of the greatest fighters to ever live, using Miyamoto Musashi's (Japan's legendary swordsman) philosohy as his guide. He completes his grueling training to avenge the death of his teacher. FIGHTER IN THE WIND is an excellent blend of Hong Kong type action with the overly soapy melodramatic Korean filmmaking style. The combination proves to be potent entertainment.The film takes dramatic license in telling the karate master's tale. Dong-kun Yang does a very fine job in portraying Choi Baedal. And Masaya Kato turns in a nice performance as Choi's life-long enemy, from the war years up to the point where Choi must face Kato to determine who is the best in Japan. While FIGHTER IN THE WIND is not history by the books, it is full of sentimentality that makes the story bigger than life, and perfectly fitting for a man who must physically battle other men, while fighting oppression and racial discrimination.While the movie isn't a true biography, per se, it does capture Choi's spirit and reenacts his achievements in martial arts with filmmaking aplomb. The direction by Yun-ho Yang is up to the task of tempering the sentiment with hard-hitting karate action. Some people may not like the staccato like editing or changing camera speeds or the use of slow motion, but they effectively keep the movie breezing along at a nice clip. The fights are not long and drawn out but fitting the description of Choi, as noted in the preface above. The film contains some excellent martial arts choreography and cinematography, reminiscent of work by Sammo Hung and Masaki Kobayashi.The film's main conceit is the use of reporters and a pair of comic radio announcers to act as a Greek chorus, providing insight and updates to Choi's progress as he takes on one master after another. Director Yang does a superb job in pulling everything together. This popcorn movie doesn't let facts get in the way of good storytelling. Ok-hyun Shin's cinematography also stands out. FIGHTER IN THE WIND is one of the best martial arts movies to come out in a while, at least since Ong Bak, but with better acting and plotting overall. FIGHTER IN THE WIND is dramatic without getting too sappy; sentimental without being too corny; and it has some terrific choreography that matches the melodrama needed to tell the story of a man who challenges the world and wins. FIGHTER IN THE WIND is grand filmmaking and entertainment without shame! You'll laugh and cry and be dumbstruck by some awesome martial arts.

Jeet Kune Do

2005-07-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do is the term used to describe Bruce Lee’s method of teaching, training and fighting as it existed during his lifetime! Bruce Lee’s Chinese name is Lee Jun Fan, therefore Jun Fan Gung Fu is the term used to describe Bruce Lee’s method of martial art when he first arrived in the United States. This is what is commonly referred to as the Seattle period, as he was living and teaching in Seattle, Washington at the time.
From there he later moved to Oakland, California, where he was content to continue teaching Jun Fan Gung Fu until an altercation with another Chinese martial artist forced him to re-examine his methods! He won the fight, but he was unusually winded after it was over, and he felt that it had taken him much too long to bring the opponent down! He felt that this was partially due to a lack of conditioning on his part, and also his insistence upon adhering to his extremely effective but still somewhat classical method, Jun Fan Gung Fu! He started looking into various methods of physical conditioning and also other practical combat methods.
He found that there were many theories and movements from fencing that could also apply to the empty hand. He also looked into boxing for footwork, hand techniques, body mechanics and evasive skills. In an early letter to one of his assistant instructors, he described a method he was developing involving Wing Chun Gung Fu, fencing and boxing, also stating that “this will be it”!
This “it” that he referred to became known as Jeet Kune Do, which is Chinese for “Way of The Intercepting Fist”. His new method of fighting was based on three essential elements: (1) simplicity, (2) directness and (3) non-classical attitude in training and fighting. Jeet Kune Do reached the height of it’s development during the L. A. Chinatown period, where Bruce Lee’s last kwoon was located!

In this article, I will discuss some of the most important principles of combat from Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do. First I would like to talk about economy of structure. All techniques used in Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do involve taking the most direct route to the target with no wasted motion or energy. There is no chambering or retraction of the arm before the delivery of a punch, and no chambering of the leg before the delivery of a kick. Some might ask where the power comes from. It comes from the whole body!
A prime example of this would be Bruce Lee’s famous “one inch punch” which he so often demonstrated to those who doubted the potential of a short range strike! He would start with his fist a mere inch away from a focus glove held against his demonstration partner’s chest. With a sudden jolt of power like a surge of electricity went through his body, he would punch into the glove and send his partner flying back several feet. Often the person would fall down and even roll a few times from the impact! This is a prime example of using the entire body to generate striking force, not just the arm!
With the application of proper body mechanics, it is not necessary to draw back the arm before delivery of a strike. This negates the necessity of chambering the fist before delivering a punch. Without the chamber, or any preparatory retraction of the hand, it is much harder for an opponent to see a strike coming! Bruce Lee once said that you should be able to strike from wherever the tool (he referred to the hands and feet as the “tools of the trade”) may happen to be without repositioning. This goes a long way toward assuring that you land the strike successfully!
The same principles apply to the delivery of a kick. In Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do, there is no chambering of the leg before the delivery of a kick. The idea is for the foot to go straight from where it is to the target without any preparatory repositioning. This makes it much harder to see coming and much harder to block, parry or intercept! Where does the power come from? Proper use of the waist, hips and correct footwork for the range of execution. Due to this directness, Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do kicks are extremely fast and deceptive!

A Good Lawyer's Wife

2005-07-28T03:53:00.000-07:00

A good wife, a cheating husband, a very sexy family drama… Hojung (Moon Sori) is a former dancer now settled down to taking care of her precocious 7 year old adopted son Sooin and her eccentric alcoholic father-in-law and a secretive mother-in-law. Her husband Youngjak (Hwang Jungmin), however, is hardly home, too busy with his law pratice, drinking, and seeing his young mistress, Yeon, a former model. Hojung stays youthful and fit by practicing dance at the local school and bicycling while running her errands. She mostly accepts Youngjak's infidelity but she is getting more and more sexually frustrated to the point that she can't find her G-Spot. When a teenage boy living next door becomes infatuated with Hojung, she is at first curious but then drawn to his attention. Youngjak is not in love with the sexually-free Yeon but when she becomes pregnant, his guilt drives him to spend more time with her. Then circumstances unfold force Hojung and Youngjak to actions and lead to decisions surprising and unexpected. The father-in-law's liver fails and he enters the hospital with a month to live. Youngjak is out of town with Yeon and on their way back there is an accident. Hojung's liaisons with the teenage boy are found out by the boy's father, and another tragedy occurs. The family is never the same… I highly recommend this movie because its really cool!

Sex is Zero

2005-07-28T03:42:00.000-07:00

Eun Sik is 28 years old and has recently started school at the university. He is a member of the Cha Ryu group and practices with them daily, through painful endurance training. He meets the much younger and gorgeous Eun Hyo, for whom he holds a completely one-sided attraction. Eun Sik's amazingly unlucky, and a host of embarrassing situations happen to him. Through all of this, him and his insanely horny group of friends help make one of the most memorable sex comedies, complete with both hilarious and somewhat dramatic moments.

It's really hard not to laugh at "Sex is Zero". One of the main things this movie has going for it is the fact that it throws everything you can expect in a sex comedy at you at a fast pace, which of course includes: Boobs, masturbation, eating stuff you shouldn't, getting caught masturbating, oral sex and masturbating with friends. While a few jokes in the film are hit or miss, the majority of the running time is immensely enjoyable.
The strength of this movie lies in it's characters, but that's also one of it's weaknesses. What this means is that, while Eun Sik and his friends are hilarious and likable, it's hard to get any feeling from some of the women, especially the lead girl, Eun Hyo. Throughout the film, it becomes increasingly hard to care about her, as she seemed virtually heartless through many moments. It could be said that this was the kind of character she was trying to portray, but it doesn't come off like that. To be fair, she cleans her act up near the end of the film, forced as it may seem.
It's hard not to feel bad for Eun Sik, but he's so damn stupid sometimes you want to kill him. While the emotions and jokes he conveys are funny and believable, his would-be significant other never seems to reciprocate anything but loathing. Not to spoil anything, but the films finale is disappointing. Let's just say it manages to end things the way every teen film does, dramatic interlude notwithstanding.
Yun Je Gyun doesn't really direct this film with any special flair worth mentioning. At times it comes off as cold, as if it was just a job that needed to be done quickly and efficiently. While it is efficiently produced, and looks great, there doesn't seem to be as much heart as there is in a film like My Sassy Girl, which manages to be funny and compassionate in regards to its characters and the viewer. While it's not fair to compare the two, as they are completely different films at the opposite end of the spectrum, it's just a matter of the feeling you get from the direction, as Korean films have seemed to be a very warm lot.
The choice of music in the film is very 80s, like a throwback to sex comedies before it. It's just too bad they chose the eardrum tearing out "We got the beat" as the opening song and as one to include on the menu.

Overall the film mixes fairly well, with the proper doses of gorgeous Korean girls taking it off for you, scrawny effeminate guys shrieking and your daily overdose of internet porn masturbation. It's just that the film falls flat in a few areas and has a hard time getting the kid across the street to help pick it up. The dramatic section is a bit odd, and the finale is a tad cliched, but watch this once or twice with a few friends and you'll laugh your ass off.