Hey Khitch... - Page 2

Normally I'd agree but I don't know what roughly 80% of Korean actresses/starlets actually looked like before they cut themselves up.

Plastic surgery runs rampant in that industry to a degree that'll put Hollywood to shame. The real sad part is that most of them looked just fine without it. A little off the chin here, a slight bridge on the nose there, etc.

Yun Jin Kim (Shiri) actually graduated from that NY school of arts from Fame. She's got a new flick out in Korea called Deep Loves (about marrital infidelity) where she looks just absolutely smoking. Don't know if that's her real face.

Sung Hee Lee - Good boob job. Not an actress.

Never heard of Natasha Yi.

Korean Valley girls, you say? Guilty! No matter what story they tell you

Kidding aside, I'd say a majority of the Korean sisters I'd met over the years have had some sort of work done. Except for my wife, who's a natural beauty.

Dunno what the final verdict is but that trailer was pretty hot.

If there is one thing that I gathered about you from reading your posts on the boards, CT, is that you have no shortage of genuine enthusiasm.

Great to hear that you're finding Lost Memories (so far) to be as fun as I did. Did you get this from Music Plaza or did you order it online? Lead actor Jang Dong Gun (Masayuki) is also excellent in Friend, if you're so compelled to seek his other works.

Funny thing, I saw him and Shin Hyun Jun (Guns & Talks, Bichunmoo) standing behind us in line at LAX for our flight to Korea. It turns out they were in town for the premiere of The Truth About Charlie (co-starring Korean actor Joon Hoon Park). Living in LA has its perks, it's true.

Not gonna make the Fulltime Killer screening, as I've seen it enough times on DVD, and I'm not too excited about hearing what Joey O'Brien has to say. But please do share your thoughts should you go.

glad you dug 2009, CT. i actually enjoyed it more the second time. that opening shames most US action flicks for pure destruction.

oh and Khitch, pro-scan definitely makes a difference, especially on a RPTV (that's what i have too). it won't help on a lot of the HK discs that are non-anamorphic (they seem to be more concerned with sound, as DTS tracks are far more common with Asian discs), but your PAL DVDs will look a lot better

and the UK Hong Kong Legends DVDs are worth every penny. the Game of Death set rocks, and there's no other way to get the unedited version of Drive

Thanks, Dave. It appears I may have to upgrade to a Malata after all to take advantage of the pro-scan features then. Maybe after my next paycheck clears or until my region-free Dingtian breaks down, whichever comes first.

CT, I was actually lucky enough to catch this in Seoul way back in February. Most of the audience were either scratching their heads or groaning when they introduced that time travel twist so late in the pic but I found it refreshing and elevated this type of genre flick to a whole new, almost gonzo level.

Ultimately, the movie failed to find a big enough audience within its native country due to the premise (a future where Korea has been completely colonized by Japan due to the failed assassination of a key political figure at the start of the pic) turning off a lot of nationalists and older citizens who still harbor anti-Japanese sentiments.

They failed to see that ultimately it's a very nationalistic and patriotic flick, about a man fighting to preserve his heritage and country, even if the cost means the sacrifice of everything he once held dear (friends, career, his own sense of personal identity).

Love this movie lots.

- The opening seige at the Museum holding the Inoue Exhibition and the raid by the JBI forces.

- The underground battle between the Fureisenjin rebels and JBI forces.

- The dual explanation of altered history to both lead actors by their respective superiors

- The intercutting of the raid and the Japanese Matsuri (festival)

- Bamboo forest confrontation

- Saigo's death scene (very reminiscent of Shiri's final bulletshot. Shiri interestingly was a huge hit in Japan and possibly influenced actor Toru Nakamura to take this part)

Too many other good moments to mention.

Mostly Japanese except for Masayuki's conversation with his dad's friend in his apartment and all dialogue between Masayuki and the Korean rebels.

The hate between Korea, Japan, and China is too deeply rooted in WW2 and the periods of Japanese military occupation of Korea, China, and parts of Russia. I think you'd hate them too if they had systematically slaughtered your ancestors and for the longest period of time, deny any wrongdoing or responsiblity.

The anti-Korean and Chinese feelings on Japan's part is more a Japanese superiority complex, and is explained in more detail in Go, an excellent Japanese teen angst drama about a Zainichi (2nd Gen Korean living in Japan) teen struggling to find his identity in a xenophobic society.

Mandarin, not Manchurian.

Common mistake, as I've heard someone ask for a Mandarin Candidate on VHS once. No shit.

So, you going to that screening of Fulltime Killer at the Egyptian tonight? Tell me how it turned out.

I bought Tokyo Raiders not long ago, I bought it from a music store and couldn't believe my luck(HK Movies aren't sold in retail stores where I live so i picked it up while I could). Just my luck it has Ekin Cheng in it, which is never a good incentive but it also has Tony Leung Chiu Wai.
The story is very confusing, the less said about Ekin(He plays an eight time Wushu champ, Jet Li better watch himself) the better. The fight scenes are well choreographed and Tony holds his own, even Ekin, I have to say, managed to look good and the film was very nice to look at, courtesy of Jingle Ma but in the end, unless you're a Tony Leung or Ekin Cheng fan it's not worth purchasing, maybe worth a rental but I wouldn't advise buying it online.

TR also has Toru Nakamura (Saigo from Lost Memories) in it for all of 10 minutes, I think.

Very light, disposable entertainment I thought, with an Ekin performance that is less painful than most due to Kelly Chen also providing some additional snooze factor.

Tony Leung Chiu Wai gets to cut loose from his stuffy WKW roles and it's kinda refreshing to see him ride a scooter, do kung fu, & just generally act goofy.

Nowhere near a must see, but if you can get it cheap I wouldn't advise you NOT to pick it up.

As much as of the Tony fan that I am, I can NOT stand TR.

If you can find it for cheap, it is worth it for one scene only.

Which scene, Tony?

And the Columbia Tristar DVD at BB should do the trick, but I wouldn't pay $14.99 for it. Wait for Black Friday.

Glad you enjoyed it CT. How was the crowd turnout? Were others in the audience as receptive as you and your friend were?

I thought the movie was entertaining, but I admit I was a little disappointed as it had all the potential to be a classic HK hitman film but kinda fell short, in the story and action department. Still better than most action exercises though.

Shit, that's quite a turnout. Spectacular, even. Never been to the Egyptian in all my years in LA. Maybe I should plan a trip soon. I just hope I can quarrantine myself from the usual militant arthouse crowds. They'd be a colorfully wacky bunch if they weren't so fricking annoying.

As per contractual agreement:

"Full Time Killer is good, but it's director Johnnie To did a great film called The Mission with Lam Suet and Simon Yam that is about 1000000000000 times better. It's one of my favorite films of all time."

Whew. Got that out.

Yup, now that film would've got my ass to leave the house and brave the scary crowds.

Good Lord, what I wouldn't give for a remastered Anamorphic DVD of that classic.

Unintentional humor, no doubt. But then again, maybe that was the intention. You can never tell with these Johnnie To comedies.

No, it is the ultimate Mercs hired on a job who become buddies movie. There is comedy, but it is the perfect action film.

CT, I'll tell you all the parts that I cracked up at during FTK, most of it unintentional (I think) :

- Takashi Sorimachi pronouncing "Fulltime Killer" in English (Why?).

- Andy's English ("This is shit money!", etc.)

- Lam Suet's English (used to much better, intentional comic effect in To's Needing You)

- Identical flashback to Tok and his brother's seizures during the Olympics (just the way it was handled). Maybe it's the recurring theme where Andy always has to suffer from some sort of life-threatening disease or ailment in almost all his movies.

- That cheesy love ballad when O reminisces about his murdered housekeeper. Which pops up again inside the Indian target's car, momentarily distracting O.

- Simon Yam jumping and firing during the raid on O's apartment (Yeah you look cool, Simon!).

- Post-traumatic Simon acting his heart out. "So... Tok killed O?", "Without an ending... I'm writing a book without an ending...". Beer bottle to the head. Simon looking not the least bit bothered by this.

I dunno, maybe I was a bit disappointed after To's more stellar The Mission, Running Out of Time, and A Hero Never Dies. I still enjoy the movie lots, just not as much as his other, more worthwhile (imo) works.

Cherrie Ying, I think this was her debut.

I'd take Kelly Lin (the lead actress) over most of her HK contemporaries though. Cute face, not too annoying, and there just aren't enough mainstream HK starlets out there who can fill their bikinis.

and will henceforth be shattered by a superfluous US remake.

Simon Yam can do no wrong.

well, maybe that whole Tomb Raider 2 thing.

It goes without saying that I truly love the man, Dave. His involvement in TR2 is what catapulted its status from Will See to Must See and Own for me.

I watched TR over the weekend again. I think the lack of a truly tasty villain is what hurt part 1 the most. Simon should take care of that problem, no question.

but not necessarily a good one...

The HK produced Swordsman trilogy?

I liked Swordsman II the best, for the Jet factor.

Part 3, aka The East Is Red, which has Yu Rong Guang (Iron Monkey) and Joey Wong (Chinese Ghost Story series) in it, is ultimately too bloated and disjointed, although it has its moments as well.

Haven't seen Part 1 which stars Sam Hui (Aces Go Places) but have heard positive things about it.

Still haven't been able to sit thru the entirety of Legend of Zu.

Afraid not. One of the many that came in below radar.

I did notice the bump in the Hero thread. I just hope you're not setting yourself up for disappointment, CT, given the (seemingly) extremely high expectations you've placed on it wink