Day 30 - In the Heat of the Night (US)

"Mr. Colbert, a wealthy man from Chicago who was planning to build a factory in Sparta, Mississippi, is found murdered. White police Chief Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger) comes under pressure to quickly find his killer. African-American northerner Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier), passing through town, is picked up at the train station between trains with a substantial amount of cash in his wallet. Gillespie, prejudiced against blacks, jumps to the conclusion that he has his culprit but is embarrassed to learn that Tibbs is an experienced Philadelphia homicide detective who is simply passing through town after visiting his mother. After the racist treatment that he receives, Tibbs wants nothing more than to leave as quickly as possible, but his own chief, after questioning whether Tibbs himself is prejudiced, has him stay and help. Leslie Colbert (Lee Grant), the victim's widow, already frustrated by the ineptitude of the local police, is impressed by Tibbs's expertise when he clears another wrongly accused suspect whom Gillespie has arrested on circumstantial evidence. She threatens to stop construction on the much needed factory unless Tibbs leads the investigation. Unwilling to accept help, but under orders from the town's mayor, Gillespie talks a reluctant Tibbs into working on the case."

A wonderful film from 1967 both Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger are really good actors. They keep this film interesting and compel the viewer to like the too. There is great character development especially with Rod Steiger's character. The film depicts a time in which most people try to ignore it but they can never hide from history. This film also features one of the most popular lines in movie history "They call me Mister Tibbs!" a powerful line delivered by Sidney Poitier

2.9/5


Cast

Sidney Poitier as Virgil Tibbs (also starred in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner)

Rod Steiger as Chief Bill Gillespie (also starred in The Hurricane, American Gothic)

Day 29 - Metropolis complete verison (Germany)

"In the future, wealthy industrialists rule the vast city of Metropolis from high-rise tower complexes, while a lower class of underground-dwelling workers toil constantly to operate the machines that provide its power. The Master of Metropolis is the ruthless Joh Fredersen (Alfred Abel), whose son Freder (Gustav Fröhlich) idles away his time in a pleasure garden with the other children of the rich. Freder is interrupted by the arrival of a young woman named Maria (Brigitte Helm), who has brought a group of workers' children to see the privileged lifestyle led by the rich. Maria and the children are quickly ushered away, but Freder is fascinated by Maria and descends to the workers' city in an attempt to find her."

It is an 2 and a half hour black and white German film. It inspired the creation R2D2 from Star Wars and is considered one of the best films made.
I don't agree it have has really nice parts but some of the actors moves were too hectic and all over the place when they didn't need to be. The "man machine" in the film was really nicely designed and I enjoy several pieces of architecture that they created for the film. Also the mad scientists was really nice but could have been better. Several characters were introduced but they continue with most of them. They could have more depth to the story, you would think that a 2 and a half movie will actually have more depth.

2.3/5

Day 28 - The Secret Reunion (South Korea)

Sorry it's late, I fell asleep

"Ji-won is one of numerous North Korean undercover spies living in South Korea as ordinary citizens, until he's called to fulfill his mission: the assassination of Kim Jong-il's second cousin who wrote a book that the North Korean government deems as a great betrayal to the Fatherland. However, one of his fellow spies, Tae-soon, betrays his orders by switching his allegiance to South Korea, and Ji-won mistakenly becomes the target for both countries.
Lee Han-gyoo is a dedicated agent of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) who tries to foil the hit. Despite having insider information, he doesn't notify his agency superiors, and only involves his team in the mission. Unable to prevent the assassination, and with the loss of his fellow agents in a gun fight, he becomes the sole scapegoat for the agency and gets discharged.
Six years later, Lee is now a private investigator and bounty hunter who locates runaway mail order brides, while Ji-won works in construction. Due to a coincidence, Lee gets saved from a mob by Ji-won; they both recognize each other instantly but keep it to themselves. With an ulterior motive for their previous unfinished business, Han-gyoo talks Ji-won into working for him and sharing living quarters - as Ji-won accepts Han-gyoo's offer in order to spy on him, thinking that Han-gyoo is still an agent. While confronting Tae-soon for betraying their home country, Ji-won learns his true reasons behind it. He also learns that Lee was actually fired from NIS for not reporting the information to his superiors that could've prevented the loss of both civilian and agent lives. As a result, he must make ends meet as a private investigator in returning runaway foreign brides to their husbands and shutting down a ring of corrupt businessmen that are ripping them off. During that time, a former associate of Han-gyoo reaches out for his help."- wiki


A nice spy thriller from South Korea, though I have a problem with Ji-Won. I don't think they gave him any real depth until the end of the film. They should have better character development with him but he barely seemed to change since the first time we meet him.
The angles and shots were good as was the lighting. With this thriller there is a touch of stupidity which gives a little humor to the movie despite it's dark turns. This is a spy thriller that may leave you thinking.

2.9/5

Day 27 - Kikujiro (Japan)

"As summer vacation begins, a boy named Masao (正男) sets out on a journey to find his mother, accompanied by an ex-yakuza, a bad mannered and downtrodden man named Kikujirō (菊次郎, played by Kitano). After Kikujiro gambles away all the money, the duo gets a ride from other travellers across the country. Along the way they meet a small but colourful cast of characters."

Truly a bizarre yet cute film from a director known for his violent movies, Beat Takeshi. This film was scored by the legendry anime composer Joe Hisaishi which added a good child like quality when there needed to be some. I overall enjoyed this film, the characters may have been outsiders in society but they were entertaining to say the least.
Beat really did a good job acting wise and directing the child actor in the film. Anyone in film knows that children and animals are the hardest things to direct. So I respect Kitano for co-staring in a film with a child actor.
Though it is bizarre and not really marketable to western audiences. It still is a great movie for those that like foreign films and good road trip films.

3/5

Cast

Beat Takeshi aka Kitano Takeshi as Kikujiro/Mister (also starred in Outrage, Brother, Dolls)

Day 26 - Nineteen (South Korea)

"After graduating from high school Min-seo (Seung-Ri) fails to get into college. He spends the next year cramming for his entrance exam once again. Jeong-hun (T.O.P) is a university student fresh out of high school school.
Late one evening, a high school girl dies. Earlier that evening, Min-seo filmed the girl in an internet cafe without her knowing. Min-seo, Jeong-hun, and another girl named Eun-yeong (Heo Lee-Jae) - who went to the same high school as the dead girl - all become murder suspects in the death of that girl. All three of these young suspects are 19 years old. They don't know each other, but quickly become fugitives from the law. To clear their names they work to uncover the truth behind the girl's death ... "

Very nice film, it's cute. It doesn't have the best acting in the world and the direction wasn't that good either. The camera angles were horrible and I feel like it was rushed so certain characters didn't have enough depth. It was a simple movie made for TV but I mean take pride in your work. I didn't like T.O.P's acting or rapping.
Besides that the film has a great meaning and I enjoyed it for the most part


1/5

Day 25 - Captain Phillips (US)

"Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) takes command of the MV Maersk Alabama, an unarmed container ship from Port of Salalah in Oman, with orders to sail through the Gulf of Aden to Mombasa, round the Horn of Africa. Wary of pirate activity off the coast of Somalia, the captain orders strict security precautions on the vessel and carries out practice drills."


Not bad, really. Tom Hanks proves that he is a serious actor, I don't see why he was snubbed at the golden globe's. Also I would like to say that Barkhda Andi also did a great job acting in his debut film. He deserved the golden globe's best support actor nomination. The other Somali actors did really good as well but nothing else is really noteworthy.

Though there have been attacks on the films historical accuracy. I like how the film is made but the direction sucked. The camera angles are all over the place like you would suspect the director of the director of The Borne Supremacy. It didn't really evoke emotion like it should have been. In that factor it's not that good of a film.

2.4/5

Cast

Tom Hanks as Richard Phillips (Also starred in Big, The Money Pit)

Barkhda Andi as Abduwali Muse

Day 24 - Twilight Gangsters (South Korea)

"For eight years three grandmothers saved their money for a VIP tour packages to Hawaii. The grandmothers have all had difficult experiences and used their dream vacation as a beacon of hope in their lives. Jung-Ja (Na Moon-Hee) was once imprisoned and suffered the ordeal of giving up her son for adoption. Young-Hee (Kim Soo-Mi) has finally broken free from her cheating husband & heartbreak. Shin-Ja (Kim Hye-Ok) is a widow with a son that steals her money. Yet the three grandmothers have finally saved enough money for the dream vacation."- AW

A nice film that shows off a different set of characters than normal, the elders of society. It is very nice but it feels like it was missing something. Now don't get me wrong these three women are very good actresses and are quite entertaining. I was sort of helping for an American ending but I know better so don't expect a true happy ending despite the fact that the film feels is a comedy that does show serious moments as well.

2.5/3

Cast


Na Moon-Hee as Jung-Ja (Also starred in Crying Fist, Mission Possible: Granny K, and the drama Padam Padam)

Kim Soo-Mi as Young-Hee (Also starred in Born To Sing, Marrying the Mafia Series)

Kim Hye-Ok as Shin-Ja (Also starred in My Dear Enemy, My Tutor Friend, Green Chair)

Day 23 - Masquerade (South Korea)

"King Gwanghae (Lee Byung-Hun) has been the King for the past 8 years. He now suspects that someone within the royal court is attempting to poison him. In response, King Gwanghae orders his councilor Heo Gyun (Ryoo Seung-Ryong) to find someone that looks like him to sit in his throne. Heo Gyun then comes across a clown named Ha-Sun (Lee Byung-Hun), who performs lewd shows in front of drunken noblemen. Ha-Sun indeed strongly resembles King Gwanghae and is even able to imitate the way King Gwanghae speaks. Heo Gyun takes Ha-Sun to the royal palace without giving any explanations. At night, Ha-Sun takes the King's seat, while the King slips away to his mistress's home. "-AW

A truly remarkable film that doesn't seem much in the beginning but becomes something great. The acting is there and the delivery of line was excellent. Truly it is tied with A Moment to Remember as my favorite Korean film. It really makes the history behind the film actually interesting to learn. The characters grow so much through the film that characters you might have disliked, are now likeable. You truly start to care about Ha-Sun as do most of the other characters.
I have seen Lee Byung-Hun in American films and his acting isn't on par to his role in this film. I'm big fan of Han Hyo-Joo (She is so beautiful!)

3.5/5

Cast

Lee Byung-Hun as King Gwanghae & Lee Byung-Hun (Also starred in Red 2, Hero)

Han Hyo Joo as the queen (Also starred in Love 911)

Day 22 - Marathon (South Korea)

"20-years-old Cho-Won is a young man with autism. He lives with his highly protective mother Kyung-Sook and younger brother who sometimes resents the attention his older brother receives from his mother. Through special schooling and taking part in physical activities, Cho-Won has adjusted relatively well into society. Cho-Won also seems to have a knack for running."

What a truly inspiring film! Cho Seung Woo did an amazing job as Cho-Won, all in all the acting was spot on especially with the mother.
This film will make you smile, feel sad, laugh, etc. Cho-Won's pursuit of life is truly remarkable, this film is a good film to watch if you know of someone with autism or what to know slightly more about it (though this film is more about desires). Even though its considered a sports film, it doesn't bore you like other films but keeps you focused on the character and his struggle.
You try to guess what he is feeling, what he is trying to convey, though he does bizarre things you sometimes have to wear a mask as to make fun of the character.

3/5

Cast

Cho Seung Woo as Cho-Won (Also starred in The Sword with no name)

 

Kim Mi-Sook as Kyung Sook (Also starred in the dramas Empire of Gold, City Hunter, Queen Insoo)

Day 21 - The Land Stand (US)

"The leader of a drug cartel busts out of a courthouse and speeds to the Mexican border, where the only thing in his path is a sheriff and his inexperienced staff. "



Arnold is back in the American debut of director Kim Jee-Woon in what is a mediocre movie. The action scenes were good but could use some improvement. Dialogue was horrible at some parts, as well as some of the characters deliveries of their lines. Arnold actually had some of the best acting of the film, he has learned something while he was governor.
Though the emotion wasn't there a lot or was present too much. I mean this is the director of I Saw The Devil a movie that is very emotional and makes you think while being filled with action. Why can't we see a better film then?
I was slightly disappointed since I have seen some of Kim Jee-Woon's Korean films and they were much better than this. I admit the directorial films from foreign directors will always have harsh judgment like John Woo's American movies are nothing like his Chinese films.

I would suggest this to Arnold fans and people that like this sort of film. Though Kim Jee-Woon fan's will be disappointed but I am glad that Danniel Henney was in the film, he's a nice actor.


2.4/5


Cast

Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ray Owens (also starred in kindergarten Cop and The Terminator)

Johnny Knoxville as Lewis Dinkum (also starred in The Ringer)

Forest Whitaker as Agent John Bannister (also starred in The Butler)

Day 20 - Cracked Eggs and Noodles (South Korea)

"Dae-Gyu is a working man, living a stress free dating life until one day a young boy claiming to be his son pays him an unexpected visit. After much wavering and struggle to make his son go away, Dae-Gyu makes a compromise to go on a road trip after which he would return the boy to his mother."

A truly creative father and son story! It is comical and not really serious in the beginning but towards the end it gets quite emotional. It's not the best movie out there but its a nice one.

The ending is where the magic happens in this movie, it is the best part of the film. It's very emotional and you'll wish there is more to the story. Despite the length of the film you will think it was a short film since not a lot actually happens. The child was slightly annoying until the last half of the film and even the father grows up a little bit. It reminded me of the ending for Clannad: After Story but will less impact and even less emotional. All in all it's a good film if you like tearjerker endings. A lot of things in the film were un-necessary and even in some parts quite confusing. This is nowhere near my favorite South Korean film.

2/5


Cast


Im Chang-Jung as Dae-Gyu (also starred in Love Debtors)

Lee In-Sung as Seo In-Kwon (also starred in City of Damnation)

Day 19 - Crying Fist (South Korea)

"Tae Sik, a troubled middle aged man and Sang Hwan, a troubled youth will meet in the ring with their respective mission. To change their life. " imdb

A decent boxing film from a place you'll least expect a movie about boxing. Other critics say this is the film that made Ryoo Seung-Bum stand out as an actor. Truthfully his scenes slightly bored me, I felt like he was overacting in some parts.
This film takes a different storytelling technique but completely telling each boxers side before the fight so you don't really know who to root for. I have to say the film lacks to deliver a true solid punch, I probably will never see this film again. After saying that I feel like a lot of characters were un-necessary since they were not written into the storyline all that well.

Fact: I am a fan of Choi Min-Sik, he is one of my favorite actors.

2/5


Cast

Ryoo Seung-Bum as Sang Hwan (also starred in Arahan)

Choi Min-Sik (also starred in I Saw The Devil)

Also watched Marathon (Korean film)- it was such a wonderful film 3/5 stars

Day 18 - Breathless (South Korean)

"Sang-hoon is a foul-mouthed and violent gangster working for an illegal money-lending organisation run by his long-time friend, Man-shik. He is first seen attacking protestors who are disrupting the work of a construction company with the other members of the organization.
Sang-hoon has a nephew, Hyung-in, whom he adores. His sister cares about him also, even inviting him to dinner. Sang-hoon is on less friendly terms and avoids her. It is revealed that when he was a kid, his abusive father once had a quarrel with his mother and stabbed his sister by accident. His mother was then hit by a car. It is implied that his father has remarried."

Not bad for a directorial debut from Yang Ik-june, I know it is hard to act and direct at the same time a lot of people can do it but not a lot of them can make them successful.

This film is filled with profanity, brutal violence, broken relationships, death, etc. Truly the film has potential but fails to do anything too well. The cinematography was horrible during the action scenes which left me feeling quite annoyed. Though the camera also moved around a lot during normal scenes which did not help at all.
The characters are all messed up to put it nicely. Sang-Hoon is so messed up after witnessing his mother and sister's (he later learns he has a half sister) death by his father. Sang-Hoon beats his father regularly, cusses at everyone, and is generally not a nice person to be around. Though it is a façade which is well planned by the Yang.

The ending is dull and really predictable I was slightly sad to see it happened.

2/5

Cast

Yang Ik-June as Sang-Hoon (also starred in arahan, no regrets)

 

 

Kim Kkobbi as Yeon-Hee (also starred in The king of pigs, the city of violence)

Day 17 - Ip Man:The Final Fight (Chinese)

"In 1949, Ip Man, who has been suffering from chronic gastric problems, travels alone to Hong Kong to seek new means of livelihood. He starts by teaching Wing Chun on the rooftop of a building which houses a hotel staff's general association. He meets and accepts many new students, including Tang Shing, Leung Sheung, Lee King and Chan Sei-mui. During that period of time, Ip Man's wife, Cheung Wing-sing, also comes to Hong Kong to join her husband, but returns to Foshan shortly after because life in Hong Kong is hard. The couple never saw each other again."

Before I start I would like to say that I'm a fan of Anthony Wong.

This film shows a more realistic side of Ip Man's later life in Hong Kong. It is a good thing that Anthony Wong was chosen to play the older Ip Man since it needed a more serious actor but the film lacked the energy the first two films had. I was excited by the actions scenes in Ip Man and Ip Man 2 but these films fall short in compassion. Donnie Yen is a professional martial artist while Anthony Wong is not, though Anthony Wong brought a more serious and dramatic energy than Donnie did. But the director really messed up as he was onto something with the first two films and then sizzled out on the final film.
 Don't take me wrong it is a good film still, I just wished it had the same impact (in the fighting scenes) as the first two. I would suggest any martial arts fan to watch this film, you will learn a lot more about martial arts and Ip Man.

Funny note: Anthony Wong was offered the role while he was drunk, he said "yes" then regretted it in the morning until he read the script.

3/5

Cast

Anthony Wong as Ip Man (also starred in The Secret, The Four, A Beautiful Life)

Eric Tsang as Ng Chung (also starred in Kung Fu Dunk, Mob Sister)

 

 

 

 

Gillian Chung (also starred in Nightmare, House of Fury, Just one Look)

 

 



Day 16 - The Butler (US)

"As Cecil Gaines serves eight presidents during his tenure as a butler at the White House, the civil rights movement, Vietnam, and other major events affect this man's life, family, and American society. "

What a nice film to make, it was truly an interesting story based on real life events. Though the film was too "Hollywood" in the way that they made a lot of historical inaccuracies. Though the direction of the film could also have been much better. I don't respect Lee Daniels as a director much his film style is questionable. Casting was weirdly done since they had Robin Williams play Dwight Eisenhower, which is a little questionable but slightly funny to see.
Forest Whitaker did an amazing job in this film, it might be my favorite film I have seen him in. Even his co-star Oprah did an impressive job.


3/5

Cast

Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines (also starred in Phone Booth, The Last King of Scotland)

Oprah Winfrey (also starred in The Color Purple)

Day 15 - Romantic Debtors (South Korea)

"Detective Bang Keuk-Hyun falls into debt after a loan he guaranteed for a friend becomes delinquent. Kim Mu-Ryeong works as a customer relations representative for a credit company. Her job is to go after debtors day and night. Detective Bang Keuk-Hyun is her next assignment. The few times that Det. Bang Keuk-Hyun answers Mu-Ryeong's persistent calls he berates her with profanity. The two then meet at the police station without knowing each other's identity at first ..."

A very cute but sometime annoying comedy film. This is more "realistic" romantic comedy film with a lot of cuss words. The characters for develops but there should have been more to this story as some characters were introduced but they didn't really help the story.


2.5/5


Cast

Im Chang-Jung as Det. Bang Keuk-Hyun (also starred in Sex is Zero and Sex is Zero 2)

Uhm Ji-Won as Kim Mu-Ryeong (also starred in Traces of Love, Like You Know it all)

Day 14 - Love Exposure (Japan)

"The story follows Yū Honda, a young teenage Catholic attempting to live his life in a faithful and orderly manner. His father, Tetsu, has become a devout Catholic priest following the death of Yū's mother, and operates his own church. Yū's father asks Yū to confess his sins, but Yū believes he is a good person, who has little to confess. At first he makes up sins, but his father sees right through him, and Yū sets out to commit real sins. Because of this, he falls in with a questionable crowd."

A very interesting film, it has to be since it is 3 minutes shy from being four hours long. The character development was very good and the story seem to bend together nicely. This is not a film for children there are a ton of panty shots and bloody scenes that have an almost comedic feel about them.
I really like Takahiro Nishijima's acting in this, his character is so unique he kept me interested in how the character will evolve.


3.1/5

Cast

Takahiro Nishijima as Yu Honda

Hikari Mitsuhima as Yoko Ozawa

Day 13 - Fly, Daddy, Fly

"Jang Ga-Pil is an ordinary middle-aged father, who works as a salaryman. One day, he returns home to learn that he his teenage daughter was assaulted by a group of guys at a karaoke bar. The group of thugs is led by box star Kang Tae-Wook, whose father is a powerful congressman. Jang Ga-Pil has little hope of gaining justice due to his modest background. He then concocts a plan to stab the young box star on his way to school. "--AW

A really nice film with great actors, it had a slightly sad tone when he learns about what happened to his daughter but eventually he gets the courage to take revenge with his own hands. It was a get set up though I wish there was more and a little more depth as I believe some of the music was ill chosen. My hat goes off to Lee Moon-Sik for his wonderful performance that really sold this film for me.

3.2/5


Cast

Lee Moon-Sik as Jang Ga-Pil (also starred in Public Enemy, Break Out, The Big Swindle)

Lee Joon-Gi as Go Seung Suk (also starred in Virgin Snow and the dramas Two Weeks, Arang and The Magistrate)

Day 12 - Kidnapping Granny K (South Korea)

Three down on their luck men decide to kidnap a local celebrity by the name of Granny K. Due to the fact that her family is unwilling to pay a small ransom, she decides to help the kidnappers by pulling off the greatest kidnapping.

I really had a great time watching this film. I tend to like South Korean comedies when they are not over done but this one isn't. Kidnapping Granny K was a hilarious ride, from the part when Granny K starts to help the kidnappers to the end of the film.
I would suggest this to anyone that likes comedy films that have a good tone to them and don't turn dark at any part.
All the actors did great especially Na Moon-hee her portrayal of Granny K was stellar she had me smiling and laughing from the get go!


3.1/5


Cast

Na Moon Hee as Kim Soon Boon/Granny K (Also starred in the dramas Padam Padam, Five Fingers)

Kang Sung-Jin as Do-Bum (Also starred in Shotgun Love, Silmido, Break Out)

Yu Hae-Jin as Guen-Young (also starred in Moss, Public Enemy, Small Town Rivals)

Yu Geon as Jong-Man (also starred in Project Makeover, My Mighty Princess)

 

 

 

 

Park Sang-Myeon as Ahn Jae-Do (also starred in My Wife Is A Gangster, Mr. Perfect, Miracle in Cell no.7)

 



Also watched My Tutor Friend 2    2/5 stars