Hwayugi / A Korean Odyssey (20 Episodes)

((summary taken from Viki))

When a human woman can give great powers to any demon who devours her, how can she stay safe? 

Jin Sun Mi (Oh Yeon Seo) is a successful real estate CEO who has the ability to exorcise demons from bad-luck properties. But to the demons living on Earth, she is known as Sam Jang, who carries the irresistible scent of a lotus flower and can give great powers to anyone who eats her. 

When Sun Mi was a young girl, Son Oh Gong (Lee Seung Gi), a trouble-making deity, tricked her into releasing him from a castle where he was imprisoned and made a contract with her to always appear and protect her whenever she called out his name. But he tricked her again by removing her memory of his name. In modern times, Son Oh Gong freeloads off of Woo Hwi (Cha Seung Won), another deity known as Woo Ma Wang who works as the CEO of an entertainment company and enjoys more fame and adoration than some of the celebrities in his company. 

Son Oh Gong is intent on finding Sam Jang so that he can eat her and become the most powerful god. His friend, top idol star P.K (Lee Hong Ki), wants just a nibble for himself. When Song Oh Gong realizes that Sam Jang is Sun Mi, he at first protects her from attacks from other demons to save her for himself. But with the help of Woo Ma Wang, will Sun Mi find a way to force Son Oh Gong to serve as her protector?

This is based (loosely) on the famous Chinese novel, Journey to the West.

Watch Online: Netflix 

The Wailing (2016)

((summary taken from Asia Torrents))

A stranger arrives in a little village and soon after a mysterious sickness starts spreading. A policeman is drawn into the incident and is forced to solve the mystery in order to save his daughter.

Download: N/A 

End Of Animal (2011)

((summary taken from Aistaz Asian Movies))

On a cold winter day, Sun-Yeong (Lee Min-Ji) rides a taxi and heads to her hometown to give birth. Her mother still lives there. A strange man in a baseball cap (Park Hae-Il) then hops into the taxi and starts speaking gibberish. The man is also rude, borrowing money and a lighter from Sun-Yeong. The odd man pretends to know everything about Sun-Yeong and the taxi driver. He then starts a countdown and when he reaches zero the world seems to stop.

Watch or Download: Dramacrazy , Avistaz Asian Torrents

Death Bell 2: Bloody Camp

((summary taken from Asia Torrents))

  Death Bell 2: Bloody Camp / Gosa 2

Se-hee is haunted by her step sister Tae-yeon who used to be a promising swimmer but suddenly killed herself in a swimming pool 2 years ago. During the summer vacation, she joins the study camp at school for upcoming college entrance exam with other 30 elite students. On the first night, when Se-hee finds a riddling passage scribbled in the desk, she soon sees a dead girl’s body hung upside down. Then the TV monitors are on and the students watch another friend crushed by his bike in the corridor. Since then, the succession of cruel killings occurs whenever they fail to answer the given questions in time. Meanwhile, the hidden truth behind Tae-yeon’s suicide is slowly revealed and terrified students struggle to undo the puzzle before they become the next victim.

Download: Asia Torrents , Jdramas at Livejournal

Suicide Club/ Sucide Circle

Warning: This is NOT your typical horror film. Suicide Club is disturbing, thought-provoking, and not for the casual movie-goer or thrill-seeker: If you go into this expecting to be frightened or constantly jumping out of your seat, you're bound to be disappointed. And confused. Both of which are terrible combinations.

This review is basically an attempt to clear up some misconceptions, confusion, and general questions viewers may have experienced after watching this film. I don't claim to be an expert--FAR FROM IT--but since this is one of my favorite Japanese horror films, I wanted to at least attempt to explain what it is about this movie that I find so engaging. I really think its one of those movies that deserves (and probably needs) a second look. Without it, many people have a tendency to process what's only on the surface, and miss what the director is truly trying to say--about Japan, technology, suicide, and society in general.

So from here on out, spoilers will be unavoidable.

Download: MyAsianCinema , SilentRegrets , AM-Addiction
Watch Online: Aznv.TV , DramaCrazy

Save The Green Planet!

((summary taken from azntv))
지구를지켜라! /Jigureul Jikyeora!


Byung-Gu is an ordinary young man living in Korea. He believes that all of the earth's social ills are the evil doings of aliens who are intent on destroying the world. That's why he knows that unless he can meet the prince from Andromeda before the total lunar eclipse, planet earth will be in grave danger.
In order to meet the prince, he must find an extraterrestrial living on earth.

So Byung-Gu kidnaps the most logical suspect, KANG Man-Shik, the president and CEO of Yoojae Chemical Company. Thus starts the battle between Byung-Gu, who's trying to uncover a secret alien plot to destroy the earth and CEO Kang Man-Shik, who thinks Byung-Gu's nuts and is trying desperately to escape. Will Byung-Gu save the green planet? Or will the aliens or the detectives hot on his trail, triumph first?

This was the directorial debut of Jang Jun-Hwan, who also wrote the film. It was nominated for eight awards and won seven of them (wikipedia).

Cast: Shin Ha-Kyun, Baek Yun-shik, Hwang Jeong-min, Lee Jae-yong
Directed by: Jang Jun-Hwan

Death Bell

((summary taken from azntv))
고死 : 피의 중간고사 / Gosa

A chi-chi private high school, which actively encourages cutthroat competition among the student body by, for instance, publicly displaying their exam score rankings, selects twenty elite members and organizes a boot camp of sorts, to prepare for an international student exchange event.

To their chagrin, the students, including rebellious heroine Ina (the singer Nam Gyu-ri), her timid best buddette Myong-hyo (Son Yeo-eun) and her wannabe-boyfriend Hyun (the sit-com idol Kim Beom), and the teachers, uptight English teacher So-young (Yoon Jeong-hee, TV's Happy Woman) and popular Korean instructor Chang-wook (Lee Beom-soo, City of Violence) find themselves stuck inside the school. Somebody is kidnapping students one by one, in the order of their midterm score ranks, and killing them. The gruesome ways in which they die are broadcast via the school AV system: the only way to prevent the hideous murders is to find correct solutions to the culprit's "exam questions" in time.

Cast: Lee Beom-Su, Yun Jeong-Hee, Nam Gyu-Ri, Kim Beom
Director: Director Chang

Hansel and Gretel

((summary taken from jdramas at livejournal))

헨젤과 그레텔

A children's beloved fairy tale takes a bizarre and frightening twist in Hansel and Gretel, a blood-spatting fantasy horror from award-winning director Lim Pil Seong. In the classic folk tale, the two young protagonists happily find their way back home after pushing the evil witch into the burning furnace. But beneath its happy telling lies the disturbing truth that traces roots back to one of history's darkest times when poverty forced many parents to abandon their kids...

While on his way to reunite with his long-lost mother, Eun Soo runs into an accident and loses consciousness. Waking up in the middle of a dark forest, he meets a red-cloaked girl who guides him to her eerie-looking house where he meets her strange family. Though it's quite obvious that there are no contacts with the outside world, the house is somehow always filled with toys, sweets, and other unimaginable goodies. Eun Soo soon learns there is no way out of the forest and a few days later, he notices that the children are bringing in more grown-ups from the woods..
Cast: Chun Jung Myung, Eun Won-Jae, Sim Eun-Kyeong, Jim Ji-Hee
Directed by: Lim Pil-Seong

Alone

((summary taken from AsianMediaWiki))

Pim is a young Thai woman living in Korea with her husband Wee. At her birthday a friend reads her fortune with a deck of cards and informs her that there is happy news! Something she has lost will soon return to her! But some lost things are better off staying lost. You see, Pim moved to Korea partially to escape the guilt of being the surviving half of a pair of conjoined twins. Her sister Ploy died after separation, a separation that Pim insisted on largely because she was in love with Wee and the guilt of choosing her husband over her sister and her sister’s resulting death has plagued her ever since. Much as she would prefer to avoid it, however, Pim soon has no choice but to return to her childhood home when her mother is felled by a stroke and – sure enough – it isn’t long before the spirit of her dead sister begins to angrily intrude upon her life.

The Cut / Cadaver

((summary taken from asianmediawiki.com))

 In a cold dark shaded anatomy classn room, 6 student prosectors are taking part in anatomy class Sun-hwa, Ki-bum, Joong-suk, Eun-joo, Ji-young and Kyung-min are smart medical college freshmen in the same anatomy class. Sun-hwa smart and confident; Ki-bum born to be a team leader full of confidence, Joong-suk son a hospital owner; Kyung-min too weak to be a doctor; Ji-young sexy and haughty but poor at study, Eun-joo studious nerd. They are competing with each other to be the best surgeon, but are strongly tied with fellowship as a team. In the first class, they try to suppress their fear and approach the cadaver that is waiting for them…. The first meeting with a deadly beautiful cadaver, and their nightmare begins. The cadaver is assigned to them, right after the first class. They suffer from ghosts and hallucinations. After several accidents and death of some team members, they start to realize something horrible is coming for them. They do their best to survive and find one clue: these accidents all have something to do with the female cadaver.

Muoi: The Legend of A Portrait

((summary taken from AsianMediaWiki))

 Yoon-hee, a novelist, desperately seeks for a new story and that’s when she hears from Seo-yeon, her friend in Vietnam, a very tempting story about a legend of Muoi’s portrait. A long time grudge makes Yoon-hee hesitate to go to Vietnam to meet Seo-yeon. However, fascinated by sources of the portrait Seo-yeon incessantly sends her, Yoon-hee heads for Vietnam to unveil a century-long legend of the portrait. Yoon-hee is stunned by Seo-yeon’s dazzling look never seen before but is readily welcomed by her friend. As Yoon-hee unveils the mystery of Muoi, Vietnam, seemingly an exotic place, turns into a setting of a living nightmare, and the secret of Muoi in buried as if never to be revealed.

Whispering Corridors

Ahh, the movie that started it all. Normally, I probably would have been blown away by the unique and awesome-ness of this movie... but seeing as how I watched this entire series backwards, I was less impressed with this one as I was with most of the sequels it spawned.

The power of this particular horror movie, however, is the fact that it eventually ends up making sense. So often, in these type of movies, the ending is ambiguous or confusing, or just plain stupid. Here it is neither. The twist is actually pretty creative, and hard to figure out... especially since the director tries a lot of different things in order to make sure it comes off as a surprise. And there are enough moments (though there could always be more) that had me jumping in my seat. The girls at this school (as opposed to, say, Memento Mori) are actually interesting and broad enough to keep the viewers interest. None of them come off as carbon copies of the others, and seem very... normal. Typical high schoolers you could find in just about any school.

And again, we are shown very evil, almost sadistic teachers, which almost seems to be a theme in this particular series. If this is the way Korean schools were/are run, then something definitely needs to be done... no wonder so many dead-students come back as ghosts... heck, I'd be pissed too!

And yet... I still wasn't overly impressed with it. I had very high expectations going in which may have ruined it for me... and some of the effects were cheesy and overly-common by today's horror-movie standards. But if you normally get scared easily, and go into this one not expecting much, then you may actually end up liking it a lot. It's a decent horror movie (and not just because of the ghost-killings) so I can see why it inspired many others of this genre... but in the end, it's semi-forgettable, and has trouble measuring up to its sequels. At least in my opinion... which, again, doesn't say much.

My Rating:

Whispering Corridors 2: Memento Mori

I have to say… honestly, this was my least favorite out of all the movies in this series. It was a decent watch, but as far as terror/horror/chills went, it was extremely low. For once, it seems they were more interested in developing/explaining the story, than making a movie that’s scary—and frankly, the story wasn’t even that interesting. It was confusing and hard to follow (like all of these usually are, lol) and the motivation for the girl haunting the school was really lame.

I honestly don’t have much to say about this movie: it wasn’t scary, the story was boring, and there were many unlikable characters—(what kind of teachers do they have at this school, anyway?!)—and there’s only one death throughout the whole thing! And despite an interesting premise (I LOVE the idea of the haunted diary) they didn’t use it to its full potential. They focused on the story behind the diary rather than letting the diary unleash horror and mayhem on the students at this school. And one student has it throughout the entire movie, obsessing over it… I wish it would have been passed around, and affected everyone. SOOO disappointing!!!

To give it credit, it does try to tackle an interesting topic that I’m not used to seeing in Korean film—homosexual relationships between female students at an all-girls school. And they portrayed it in an interesting (if not overly disturbing way). But because of this obsessed focus, there was no real, genuine horror… and that’s supposed to be this movie’s staple! This movie would have worked as an independent drama or even a romance... but as a horror movie, I'm sad to say, it just didn't succeed.

I just didn’t find this scary in the least. The third movie in this series was WAY better.

(Though, on another note: it was fun seeing the lead actress from Hello, My Teacher and Let’s Go to School Sang-Doo as a teenager. Plus, I found it funny how her character was known for having a HUGE/unnatural crush on her teacher… which, interestingly enough, is basically how Hello, My Teacher starts, lol. Also, (imo) she looks way better with long hair!)

My Rating:

The Host

I’m not normally a fan of “monster” movies… they usually lack originality, believability, and likable, sympathetic characters. Plus, the monsters almost always look fake and ridiculous.

The Host, however, made me rethink the monster genre completely! The entire film was so well done I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Maybe because the movie revolves around the rescue of a child… so you really want the heroes to succeed. All the characters were interesting and had depth: I loved how they all seemed so distant at the beginning of the movie, only to become unbelievably close in the face of the crisis. It was really inspirational…and sad. One of the most heart-breaking scenes in the whole movie is the beginning, when they all come together to mourn Heon Sae who they think has died. When they lose it and start rolling around on the floor, fighting and throwing blame… it manages to be funny and extremely sad, all at the same time… it’s such a great, powerful scene.

And considering the plot, everything was actually very believable—if a mutant monster was ever created through dangerous toxic waste, I can imagine it behaving/looking a lot like the creature in this movie. I was surprised how realistic it looked, and how creepy it could be—I definitely wouldn’t want to go up against that thing!! The human reaction too, was very strong—the initial curiosity, which quickly turns to disbelief, fear, and panic—it was perfect. I loved how the crowd was originally throwing it food, and treating it like it was harmless… if a situation like this ever happened, I’d bet money people would be acting exactly this way!

It was all very believable… right up to the way everyone who came in contact with it was quarantined and isolated. Even the American government stepped in, and managed to screw things up.

I just loved the main family. Every single one of them was likeable, and the way they banned together in order to save their youngest was inspirational and beautiful. We can only hope our own families would go to such lengths during a tragedy, and do so fearlessly and bravely. I cried so much for them… I almost wanted to dislike them, so that it wouldn’t be so painful to watch. Truthfully, this was like a really well thought-out, acted, and directed revenge-and-rescue drama. The only difference is that the foe they’re facing is a freaky, killer monster… and their own government.

I really can’t stop gushing about this movie. It quickly became a favorite of mine, and is one that I wouldn’t mind watching again and again. Perhaps it’s because my expectations were so low to start with… but whatever the reason, this is a terrific film.

I really think this is a movie that almost anyone would enjoy. So trust me and watch it, okay! I promise that in the end, it’s more than just a “monster” movie. ;)

My Rating:

Bloody Beach

haha. Wow. hehe, I loved this.

Truthfully, there is absolutely nothing new in this movie: it's extremely typical as far as teen-slasher films go. So don't expect to watch a life-altering Korean version that sets out to revolutionize the psycho-killer movie franchise.

Like all films of its kind, it has all the necessary ingredients--sex, violent deaths, an isolated setting, and the ever popular "oh, no! The killer's among us!"--just think I Know What You Did Last Summer or the Scream movies, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect.

So, no. Bloody Beach is not anything new, or dare I say, creative.

Again, the only reason I loved it as much as I did was because of the Jae Hee fan in me. If you're not a huge, obsessed fan-girl, then you're better off skipping this movie altogether--unless you happen to be a horror-movie junkie--in which case, knock yourself out! Just be aware: this entire movie screams American influence, so you really won't see anything new.

Everyone else, don't bother. ;)

This is actually the first Korean teen-slasher film I've ever seen... and I doubt I'll go out of my way to watch more (unless they're starring Jae Hee). Of course, going into this, I had absolutely no expectations-- I thought Jae Hee would be killed within the first 15 minutes! The fact that he wasn't is what kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time--just waiting to see how he'd die. And even though I guessed the ending half-way thru (I was so satisfied with the end, lol) it didn't bother me at all!

Overall: sure, there's nothing new here... but it still manages to be pretty entertaining. And any Jae Hee fan out there will be more than satisfied. ^_^

And I know I've said it once, but I feel the need to say it again: Holy crap, he's hot.

(Unfortunately, this really will be the final Jae Hee entry for awhile... the only other movie he's made that I haven't seen yet still hasn't been released in Korea. But the minute it is, and the subtitles are up, you can rest assured, I'll be there!)

My Rating:

The Evil Twin

I am beyond thrilled: I actually found one of Jae Hee’s newest movies on Bittorrent, so I got to watch him again after all!! And

it was a horror movie!! ^_^

First off, this is a movie comprised of Asian-horror clichés—it has everything: the freaky long-haired ghost; same creepy music and sound effects; a vengeful ghost; the unbreakable bond between a mother and her daughter; predictable twists. It reminded me a lot of the failed-horror movie, Cinderella.

However, where Cinderella failed, The Evil Twin succeeded.

I actually liked this movie! ^_^

For one thing, I think this may be the first time I ever saw a horror movie that ended happily. There are so many movies in the horror genre where I’ll think: “They should have done this” or I’ll end up rolling my eyes at the absurdity of the plot. In this movie, that rarely ever happened! I’ll admit: it was pretty obvious what the “twist” at the end was going to be… but even knowing how it was going to end, I wasn’t disappointed. It ended just the way I thought it should… without leaving any unexplained plot points in its wake. Evil Twin focused more on the story and used the ghost and the horror elements to reinforce the plot, not for just the sake of appearing creepy without substance.

There were a few parts where I jumped… but I can’t honestly say this movie was all that scary. I liked it more for the plot and how it combined the two elements. If you’re looking for a movie that will just make you scream from start to finish, then you’d be better off watching something else. But if you’re looking for an intelligent horror film that isn’t afraid to use the usual conventions, but in a fun and interesting way, then I really think you’ll enjoy this one. Plus, Park Shin Hye is always a terrific actress, so you can watch it without fear of terrible over-acting and hilarious over-the-top screams.

Oh, and did I mention Jae Hee is in it? ^_^

My Rating:

The Twins Effect

((summary taken from AsianMediaWiki))

Ace vampire slayer Reeve (Ekin Cheng) tracks his arch-enemy, the Duke Dekotes to Hong Kong. The Duke is hunting for Kazaf (Edison Chen), the fifth prince of the vampire nation. With Kazaf's blood and the ancient vampire bible, the Duke will bring a new age of darkness. On arrival, Reeve learns that he has a new partner, a feisty but inexperienced young beauty named Gypsy (Gillian Chung). Matters are further complicated when Reeve's innocent younger sister, Helen (Charlene Choi), develops a romantic relationship with Kazaf. With all the odds against them, our heroes get some unexpected help in the form of high-kicking paramedic Jackie Fong (Jackie Chan). In a high impact final reel, Reeve, Gypsy and Helen join forces to fight the Duke and his minions¡K Horror, comedy and high impact martial arts action collide in 'The Twins Effect'.

Strange Circus

Beautiful. Disturbing. Haunting. Disgusting.

I am at a loss—again, this director has blown me away. First, I must warn you: this film is not for everyone. The plot alone is enough to turn most people away: there is sex, incest, gore, disturbing images and more. Yet, those who manage to stay till the end will find it’s a thought-provoking, thrilling, horrifying movie. If you’re looking for some kind of film to weigh it against, Old Boy is the first thing that comes to mind.

The acting in this was, to put it simply, brilliant. This is the type of movie where the actors are forced to go through the entire spectrum when it comes to portraying a character: Iseei Ishida was amazing as Yuji. I can just imagine how nervous the writer must have been while penning this—they would’ve needed someone spectacular to bring to life such a complex character—same goes for Masumi Miyazaki. Somehow every actor in this film pulled it off. I wonder if any of them won any awards for this, or if it was too shocking to garner that kind of attention. How the girl playing young Mitsuko pulled it off… I’ll never know. I hope it didn’t scar her! I’d never let my kid play that kind of role, no matter who the director was!

The story was beyond grotesque, and has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing till the end. It’s a hodgepodge of genres, and I’m having trouble narrowing it down when it fits into so many: mystery, thriller, horror, psychological, with some eroticism thrown in. And for those who like a good revenge-film, look no further. You can’t get any better than this, lol.

One other thing though: the concept of reality in this movie is extremely blurred. It's hard to distinguish what's real and what's not… and to be honest, I don’t think we’re supposed to know. I think that's one of the uses for the circus--the show the internal minds of the characters, through a warped and twisted glass. The use of the circus really was genius; as was the use of guillotines.

When you get down to it, most people would consider this movie sick and twisted. Brilliant, yes… but it’s also hard to watch. I don’t think I could bring myself to watch it again. It’s hard to deny though, that this is a work of art.

Also, I’m starting to suspect that Sono Sion is incapable of making a bad movie. But now, I need me some romantic fluff. Looks like I’ll be leaning towards a nice Korean romantic comedy next. I’ve earned a break from the nasty, disturbing, thought-provoking films. I need something that will allow my mind and stomach to rest. ;)

My Rating:

Noriko's Dinner Table

Club Suicide is one of my favorite movies, so when I heard there was a sequel/prequel, I knew I had to see it!

Without trying to compare it too much to it's predecessor, I should first point out that it's not really necessary to see the first movie in order to understand this one. The major event that serves as the catalyst the first time around, is still present in this one...

First off, the story may seem pretty straight-forward on the surface, but it quickly becomes apparent that there's a lot more going on underneath. It's not just a story about a country girl who yearns for change, and longs to move to Tokyo--it's about family, isolation, lack of communication, and the growing generation gap between the Japanese youth and the adults.

In fact, there's actually a lot more going on than just that... but those were the first things that came to mind. So please, if you do watch this, be aware that this is the type of movie that requires a little bit of thought and effort. Of course, that's one of the reasons I've become such a fan of these films in the first place. ^_^

The directing, as always, is superb. The way he sets up these shots are brilliant, and part of the reason I'm always drawn to his movies. I'm definitely going to hunt down some more films he's written or directed in the near future. And of course, the casting was top-notch. Everyone fit into their roles wonderfully, and I was never once pulled out of the movie, or distracted by over-acting.

The movie's strongest point for me though, will always be its story. I love something that looks straightforward on the surface, but is actually a lot deeper than originally supposed. It's impossible to walk away from this movie without questioning most of what you've watched. Don't expect a film that hands the audience everything they need to know in order to understand what's going on... it's up to the individual and what they choose to take away from it. For me, the ending did not disappoint.

My only real criticism is that the story dragged a lot in the middle... but still, I couldn't help but feel that everything that happens, happens for a reason, and that every one of those scenes was necessary for the story.

I can't, however, say I liked it as much as Suicide Club: I think I prefer it when the range is broader, and not focused so entirely on one family in particular.

Here is my own personal take on the ending, in case anyone is curious/confused. Please keep in mind though that this is pure conjecture on my part... which means, most of it is probably wrong, lol. But hey, guessing is half the fun!
SPOILERS

The way I see it, the end was Noriko finally "connecting with herself"; moving on from all the roles she's constantly been playing. When she says goodbye to her adolescence, it's not like she's saying "Look! I've grown up, I'm an adult now." In essence, she's saying goodbye to all the loose terminology that goes along WITH it--knowing that it no longer holds any REAL meaning. Once you're connected, you find yourself, you become your own person--transcendence. Finding happiness by looking within; not depending on others for that happiness.

From what I understand, Ueno54/Kumiko has alreadyreached this point. She 'connected with herself' long ago, and is simply trying to help others reach that same point. Her smile at the end, I believe, is because she realizes that both Tetsuzo and Noriko have finally reached that point: Tetsuzo has put aside his selfishness, and has finally become a true father. Even though it took two years of searching, he finally got his new beginning. When he wakes up, I truly believe he'll be able to smile and accept Yuka's decision to leave--perhaps even understand it, which he was never able to do before.Noriko... I believe Kumiko already realized how close she was. Once she saw her honestly expressing herself to her father (something she could never do back in their hometown) she knew that she would be alright, and not get caught up in the old role she used to play. In essence, she watched her "student" graduate. Yuka, however, still has yet to make that connection. I think the fact that she leaves is because she understands she still has some searching to do. She realizes her happiness is too tightly ingrained in her family and her past--she is looking for happiness through them--when she should be looking for it within herself. In short: she has finally put Yuka to rest, and is ready to be reborn.

END OF SPOILERS

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this movie and wasn't disappointed at all. For anyone who is looking for a movie to watch that makes you think, then Noriko's Dinner Table definitely won't disappoint!

My Rating:

Whispering Corridors 3: Wishing Stairs

This movie was awesome! It had a fantastic story/plot, lots of interesting characters, and tons of creepy, scream-worthy moments! The acting was terrific--the girl who played the over-weight student in particular, was amazing. That must have been such a fun role to play! It really made me wonder what else she's acted in.

The two main girls, of course, were great as well. I was surprised to realize I recognized Jin-sung's actress from Goong (where she also played a ballerina!). haha, I hated her in that too! Maybe some day she'll play a character I don't quickly grow to despise. ^_^

One thing I really liked about this movie though, was the way friendships were portrayed--not just between two friends, but through groups as well. Bullying becomes almost psychological with girls, and here it was used very effectively. And the way they depicted the misfit was very realistic: the quiet, strange girl who yearns to fit in, secretly idolizing those she wishes to befriend but doesn't have the courage to approach--it made the characters very pitiful, and their motivations very human.

Honestly, I really felt for So-hee's character. Everything that happened to her was so unfair, and she didn't deserve any of it. So I really didn't blame her for her actions... even if they were a little extreme. (okay VERY extreme, but I don't care). Heck, several times, I even cheered for her! Err, I'm not crazy or anything. Don't worry. I just like seeing people get what's coming to them--which is always acceptable in a movie. ;)

Another thing I really liked about this horror film, was the fact that many of the death scenes were unpredictable. Usually, it's really easy for me to guess how someone is going to die... but here, I was fooled almost every time. Maybe I just got lucky, and wasn't at the 'top of my game', but I love when a movie exceeds my expectations, and does the unexpected. I was surprised from beginning to end. ^_^

And yes, I was jumping and screaming like crazy. I got more than a few weird looks from my boyfriend while I was watching it, lol.

Plus, the whole idea seemed very original to me. I'm not sure if this is a common legend in Korea, or Asia... but I'd never heard of anything like that before! Of course, even if I had, I wouldn't be stupid enough to go through with it!

Overall, a terrific horror movie. The director definitely knew what he was doing! The only thing that's stopping me from giving it all 5 stars, is the fact that this is a horror movie, and I don't feel like I've seen enough good ones to accurately gauge what would deem it a 5. Once I see a few more good ones, maybe the rating will go up a bit.

(It did: it went from a 4 to a 4.5).

My Rating: