December 5, 2020

Top Ten Movies of 2020 (Sort of)

This past year, my Korean moviewatching was decidedly not highbrow so plenty of pulpy flicks have made the cut this December. Scanning the picks, I do see some themes tellingly repeating: Revenge, Underdogs, and Prison. Do these three concerns have anything to do with my being cooped up in an apartment and not knowing what to do with the fluctuating anxiety caused by the Coronavirus? Probably. Would I have picked different movies had I been living in a COVID-free world? Um, duh. But these films provided relief. And likewise should be honored.

1. The Shower: It's rarely a bad idea to build a movie around first love. The same could be said about first death. Here, you get both!

2. The Witch: Part 1 - The Subversion: The diabolical military program employing twisted genetic engineering backfired but the resultant movie, helmed by Kim Da-mi, is a bona fide hit.

3. #Alive: Perfect for these pandemic times, this film features two housebound lovebirds who must navigate a zombified neighborhood whenever they step outside. Wear a mask!

4. Miss Baek: With her scarred legs, knotted hair, and butchered pinky, this flick's young charge should qualify for seasonal check-ins from the Make-a-Wish foundation.

5. Psychokinesis: The beleagured superhero movie gets a lift when a negligent dad drinks magical spring water shortly after his ex-wife dies.

6. Revenger: After watching this martial arts B-movie, you may ask yourself: Who the hell is Bruce Khan and where has he been all my life?

7. The Prison: This madcap men-behind-bars melee is a deliriously delightful Rube Goldberg machine of crime, cruelty, and power-tripping.

8. The Outlaws: If you want to watch Ma Dong-seok kick butt as a cop for two hours, have I got a blockbuster for you.

9. Ashfall: It seems only right to include a disaster movie in a top ten list for 2020.

10. The Drug King: Proof that Song Kang-ho can carry a messy movie if you supply a great '70s soundtrack and period perfect '70s garb.

Honorable Mentions: The Classified File, The Client, Failan, The Lost Choices, Piagol, and Yeong-ja's Heydays.

December 3, 2020

Bluebeard: Who's Killing Who?

I do appreciate a good opening and Lee Soo-youn's Bluebeard starts off strong. Its protagonist is a doctor (Cho Jin-woong) who's quickly established as uncoordinated (head-bumps and pratfalls), unattached (a box of forwarded mail) and unapologetically into mysteries (stacks of books abound). So when his butcher-landlord's dad babbles some creepy comments about body disposal while under anesthesia, this guy is all ears! ("The head is still in the fridge..." Oh really?)

In short, his new job as a temporary colonoscopist has put him in an ideal place to help solve an ongoing serial killer case. Maybe he too wants to write a bestseller. That would explain why, when the cops show up at the clinic, he doesn't share any insights or suspicions about that recently discoverd torso. He's caught between wanting to play Sam Spade and being too afraid to get involved.

Did I mention he's been having vividly bloody nightmares? Or that his primary nurse (Lee Chung-ah) may have a crush on him? Or that his son encourages him to play the lottery? Or that a strange man (Song Young-chang) is stalking him? How about a plot that is all but thrown out the window with a half hour left? My, my, my. Welcome to Gangnam!