Rudeness Embodied

Movember Asian Poses

based on the classic set from Vivi over on AsianPoses.com

Shanghai Dreams (Qing Hong 青红)

This has to be the best Chinese film I’ve seen for a while.

An intimate portrait of the displaced, Qing Hong takes place in a world where dreams are unlikely to be realised.

Whether it is her father’s wish to leave the mountainous town of nowhere, or Qing Hong’s wish just to be left alone, none of these dreams will ever come true.

Shanghai is nothing more than a dream.

I wonder what will happen to my own dreams of Shanghai.

Will they be tossed out of the window, like a pair of red stilettos?

The President’s Last Bang

The President’s Last Bang 그때 그사람들 - 2005 - Im Sang-Soo

Korean films are always heavy on sexual content.

So, naturally, seeing a film called “*** *** bang”, I thought it was going to be about sex.

And there were some girls brought into the “Blue House” to entertain the President and his friends.

But The President’s Last Bang is very much a political film, depicting the 1979 assassination of Park Chung-Hee.

The film is quite clear on its viewpoint. As far as it is concerned President Park was a drunken womaniser, whose sycophantic Head of Security (read “drinking buddy”) didn’t even have a gun on him, at the time of the assassination.

But it’s also quite harsh on the plotters, who seem to have no plan beyond the murder.

The film is ok,

but perhaps what is most interesting is the story that surrounds the film.

Whatever Park Chung-Hee was as a president, he still exudes power.

The film was forced to be edited, and the production company have been ordered to pay $100,000 to the family of President Park.

If I ever made a film about Park Chung-Hee I’d make sure he looked like the victim… maybe I could even get his family to fund it.

I’d call it “nice chap gets assassinated”, and I’d get Keanu Reaves to play him, with Vicki Michelle playing the young korean girl snuggling up to him at the time of his murder.

Thirst - 박쥐 - Chan Wook Park

I’ve been watching Korean films for a while now (I guess I got hooked with Kim Ki Duk’s Samaritan Girl)

but Thirst was my first Korean experience inside a cinema.

Sex, violence, comedy, and tragedy.

A mixture of “frickin’ awesome!” and “what the f**k?”

Being a vampire may be cool,

but having random hallucinations of your murdered husband appearing in bed with you is a bit annoying.

Bittersweet Life - Kim Ji Woon

Having seen 3 of Kim Ji Woon’s movies (be sure to check out The Good The Bad The Weird) I kind of knew what to expect…

But Bittersweet Life still delivers.

We see violence, we see killing, and when it all ends up in a bloodbath, it doesn’t feel like a compromise.

I think I’ve forgotten how to write about films… and part of my tooth fell off today

Kind of fitting given the content of this film.

Perhaps I should feel lucky I wasn’t buried alive.

Buying from a shop, is it stupid?

Every year I get gift vouchers for Waterstones, or HMV.

But I never spend them, because buying online always beats the high street.

however, is that really sustainable?

If everyone bought online, then there wouldn’t be any shops.

I can only imagine that manufacturers would then set up “style stores”, existing to sell the brand, and the products, rather than directly expecting you to part with the cash.

But, with such a high cost to setup and maintain such places, you’d end up with the major brands dominating.

(this is already the case somewhat, but for different reasons, such as the “promotion fees” charged by book stores, and various other conflicts of interest)

But anyway,

my point is this;

• I feel guilty walking into Jessops and trying their stuff
• But I feel stupid paying £50 extra just to sustain the high street
• Which? should set up “advice stores”, and charge £25 to help you choose the right product!

I recently bought a camera from Jessops for £6 more than Amazon. I felt good about myself. But then I found the same camera on Pixmania, used, but as good as new. Took it back, and ended up saving £70! Sorry for killing you Mr Highstreet.