this is a very intelligent film. while darkly disturbing it is also an extremely sensitive portrayal of the feminine psyche - loving, needing to be loved and quite strong. it's outstanding! the best film i've seen of its type, period...
Chinese Hitchcock
"Koma" is a surprisingly suspenseful film. While there is enough gore to certainly warrant horror flick categorization, director Chi-Leung Law delivers a very old school Hitchcock suspense tale. Close-ups on objects like a foot dragging across the floor leaving a bloodstained trail heighten the suspense and move the story. Angelica Lee as Fung Chi-Ching, a girl who needs a new kidney and has inhibitions that keep her from fully embracing her boyfriend, does a good job and hits many levels from hysteria to jealousy to drunken delirium. Andy Hui who plays her boyfriend, Dr. Tsui Wai-man, hits a number of levels also from the guy in love to the man whose hormones outpace his common sense. As researcher Suen Ling, Karena Lam projects a person who has had a difficult upbringing and as frequently as not walks on the shady side of the street. The twists of plot that trace a kidney thief who black-markets organs for $60,000 a pop never leaves you quite settled until the final frame. Subtitled with Chinese dialog the often sparsely verbal picture translates well to an international audience. "Koma" turns out to be a pleasant, often intelligent, surprise. Enjoy!
Classy Thriller
Once again, Asian cinema shows Hollywood how a truly great thriller is made. Koma plays on the well-known kidney thief legend, but it turns into a white knuckle psychological thriller. Wealthy but ill socialite Chi Ching (Angelica Lee) witnesses the horrifying aftermath of a kidney theft while attending a friend's wedding. Now determined to prove that the quiet yet eerie Suen Ling (Kar Yan Lam) is the culprit, Ching finds herself pulled into tense game of cat-and-mouse. Koma benefits from stunning production, spot-on acting, and great writing. If you love Asian cinema, especially horror and thriller genres, then Koma is definitely a must-have.
Two young sisters recovering from an unnamed trauma must face a mysterious past in this excellent South Korean shocker. A worldwide hit upon its release and based on an old Korean fairy tale; two sisters (wonderfully played by Su-jeong Lim and Geun-yeong Mun) come to live with their cold and distant father and turn-on-a-dime stepmother in a house where nothing is as it seems. A wonderfully haunting score, starkly beautiful imagery, and a labyrinthine plot that twists and turns at every dark corner all set the stage for a riveting and often terrifying guessing game of a movie. Equal parts drama, mystery, and ghost story, A Tale of Two Sisters is a richly complex and challenging cinematic treat that may very well demand repeat viewings. --Matt WoldMore Info about this DVD Director(s): Ji-woon Kim DVD Release Date: Released the 29 March 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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The first of a series, "Whispering Corridors" is a ghost tale set in a private school, focusing mainly on a former student returning to the school as a teacher and on a pair of friends who are sort of borderline outcasts among the student population. It's a hard movie to give a description on because it's quite cryptic (not a bad thing) with much becoming clear only in the latter portions of the film, but I'll try and give my take on it without delving into much beyond the halfway point. Even in the final shots a lot is still left to the individual's interpretation.
First of all, the school in the movie is Not a nice place, as becomes subtly apparant early on and more overt as the film progresses. It's one of those places that seem to be universal on the planet where too... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Kang-Hie Choi DVD Release Date: Released the 22 February 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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In the realm of revenge thrillers, you'd be hard pressed to find more ultra-violent vengeance and psycho thrills than in the creepy story of Oldboy. This Korean import made a pop splash at the Cannes Film Festival and during its limited theatrical run thanks to the imprimatur of Quentin Tarantino, who raved about it and its visionary director, Chan-wook Park, to anyone who would listen. It's easy to see why QT fell in love with the grindhouse attitude, fast-paced action, violent imagery, and icy-black humor, but it's a disservice to think of Oldboy as another Tarantino homage or knockoff. The darkly existential undercurrent in the themes that Oldboy traces over its life-long narrative arc is much more complex and deeply disturbing than anything of its kind. The... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Min-sik Choi - Ji-tae Yu - Hye-jeong Kang Director(s): Chan-wook Park DVD Release Date: Released the 23 August 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Memento Mori is an inventive horror story with a delicate touch as it deals with Min-Ah who finds a somewhat disturbing diary in her school for girls. The diary is written by two students in the school, Hyo-Shin and Shi-Eun, who both are seniors. On the very same day that Min-Ah comes across the diary Hyo-Shin commits suicide for some unknown reason. The death of Hyo-Shin leads to multiple rumors among the girls in the school, which induces mass hysteria and depression among the school girls. However, Min-Ah discovers something much more mysterious as she continues to read the diary that seems to enchant her. Passionately Min-Ah begins seeking the truth behind Hyo-Shin's demise, and the road to the truth seems to be a very dangerous path. Memento Mori is a film that displays the joy... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Min-Sun Kim DVD Release Date: Released the 12 April 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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The storyline was rather bland and maybe it's just me, but the whole concept of people being scared when their phone is ringing has been highly played out. There was one part that made me jump, but other than that, there isn't anything too scary and/or gory. The child actress in this movie, was not very convincing. Everytime she was "going crazy", I couldn't help but laugh at the poor acting.
The DVD title screen for this movie is my favorite part. I kept thinking my own cell phone was interfering with the DVD player. haha. Anyhow, I wouldn't recommend this movie, unless you have nothing better to do. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Byeong-Ki Ahn DVD Release Date: Released the 25 January 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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