I personally found this movie creepy and enjoyable. The script could have been tweaked a bit better, but overall - the atmosphere was creepy enough. For sure - Grotesque Mansion was by far the more scarier, well-made movie. But in comparison with Wall To Wall, I enjoyed this more because it was actual horror and not some political statement or action for the sake of action.
Two sisters live in an apartment, one goes missing all of a sudden and the other comes back to investigate. This is another theme of unsual, unknown noises coming from other apartments. Apartment living can be that extreme sometimes, but I don't know how crazy someone can get over them. The theme is integrated well as a horror film, bringing in the supernatural or paranormal element to it. Murders or deaths happen. You have the mysterious basement.
Not much was explained - background story of the entity, ghost of what that was, where the noise is coming from. Sometimes - a good movie doesn't need to explain anything, leave it up to your imagination. As long as it is done right. The ending where her sister appeared to be a ghost - that was a twist. We were led to believe that she was still alive.
09/25/2025: Ghost or Grotesque Train ***1/2
What a creepy movie, I loved it. The jump scares were there, as well as visuals (although I could've been fine with less of it). Just eerie music, camera work and a good story. "Ghost Train" tells the story of a haunted underground station called Gwanglim Station, where it is discovered that it was built over a church worshipper's cult. As a result, strange happenings and deaths occur for the unfortunate ones.
We find out that the person telling the story is one of the victims or missing person in ghost form (the station manager throughout the movie), but perhaps a disguise by the leader himself or a member. My favorite stories: the homeless person who finds a strange, red coin for beverage vending machine. Opening the can and pointing to a person would make that person disappear, with only clothes and other stuff remaining. He keeps going until he is well-fed or clothed, but comes full circle when he finds out that the first victim of this is actually himself. Other noteworthy stories - "nice nose" creeper with acid, and the final story when the station manager tries to find his missing employee.
07/25/2025: Troll Factory ***
Interesting film. Not only is the main journalist "trolled" or conned, the film itself seems to be a one, big troll. Or a commentary on internet trolls or manipulators. You know - hundreds or thousands of dummy accounts (essentially, having hundreds or thousands of fake identities mostly bought) created to sway public image or opinion on a person or entity.
Troll Factory refers to hacks who do this to either post malicious comments or discussion threads on a public forum - usually to the
detriment of their target. For me - it's a very simple idea, but probably you'd need the software and hardware to carry this out.
I don't have any doubt that this exists even today on Youtube or other platforms. So, if your view count or sub count "all of a sudden" sees a huge spike, you should probably suspect. Hahahah.
07/20/2025: Wall to Wall (84 Square Meters) **1/2
It started off well, but ended disappointingly. There was no resolution for the 'noise', and succumbed to that "find the hidden meaning" type of film. I felt this film should have had twists, twists and more twists (although not necessary, I just approached it that way). I was hoping that the main guy (Noh Woo-Sung) might have ended up being responsible somehow, or some supernatural causes. Still - the ending leaves it up to the viewer for interpretation.
Instead - there was sort of a social commentary or agenda about coverups or political corruption. Despite this, it was an enjoyable watching the actor become increasingly unhinged and crazy as he gets blamed each step of the way haha.
Noisy buildings, people - it is a relatable issue for us all in unfortunate living situations. Some of us are lucky however to avoid being in that. This relatable issue was what drew me to watching this film.
07/11/2025: The Karate Kid: Legends ***
The legacy lives on. This is a worthy entry in "The Karate Kid" saga, and would follow right after Jackie Chan's entry (although some might want to call that one "The Kung-Fu Kid" instead). The saga permanently ended with Part III for me (just as Star Wars permanently ended with Episode VI). Introducing the connection between Han and Miyagi through a flashback from Part II - I guess I can live with that film as canon. So now, there are only 5 in the saga with the addition of "Legends".
The film flowed well (albeit a bit too quick). Also noteworthy - the nostalgia in connecting the original trilogy (flashback of Part II) with this, kick-ass fight sequences (I heard they really took punches or got hit), the humor (especially the banter between Han and Larusso during training), and Ben Wang just kicking ass as the new Karate Kid. How about that cameo at the end - I hear Johnny is planning to open a "Miyagi-Dough" pizzeria soon haha.
The film had issues - the second half felt more like a video game (with split screens), and the pacing was too quick. I wish they fleshed out more character scenes (more bullying, more fighting, more family dynamics, and more background story of Victor's Pizzeria Ben befriends - you don't become emotionally attached at all (Ben befriending Victor and his daugther, that was damn quick haha).
We're living in the digital age of short attention spans, and just short attention spans - the young'uns wanting action, CGI action, and less story. That's just reality. In that sense, I guess I can figure out why this was like this. Or they didn't have the budget to do more on-location shoots. All in all, the postives outweigh the negatives so I add this to my favorites.
06/08/2025: The Match ***1/2
Autobiographical / true story films are a dime a dozen, and K-Films definitely do them right. "The Match" is about a Pro "Go" Champion who's been unbeatable or been at the top for years in the '80's.
Until he takes on a child prodigy to teach, and the student eventually matures to become the top, unbeatable player as a young adolescent - overthrowing the teacher. Their styles clash, but in the end - it was the student's "own" strategy or way of playing that won him championships. The film centers around Cho Hoon-Hyun, the reigning champ, until Lee Chang-Ho becomes his humble student and reaches the top.
The two players are real-life players, still actively playing today so I hear. The game of "Go", is a complete mystery to me. It appears more intricate than Chess itself. It sure as hell takes helluva long time as well.
I felt the film flowed well, and captured highlights and key moments fluidly / stylishly. K-Films are becoming must-watches these days.
Lee Byung Hun does a fine job as Cho. While I don't know the actual players themselves, I could tell that his potrayal was oozing authenticity with a side of dramatic effect.
05/31/2025: Happy 40th / 50th Anniversaries!
Last year and this year marks some anniversaries for quite a few well-known, classic films. If I were to save a playlist with classic films celebrating milestone anniversaries:
1. Jaws 50th
2. The Shawshank Redemption 30th
3. Back To The Future 40th
4. The Goonies 40th
5. The Breakfast Club 40th
05/11/2025: The Accidental Getaway Driver ****
A Masterpiece in a tense drama or character-study that felt real and surreal. If you're looking for mindless or senseless action, a lot of shouting / over-acting, you're in the wrong place. Sometimes, popcorn movies are fine. But high-quality films like this are a rarity, or hidden gems. Kudos to Dustin Nguyen, the director Sing Lee and the cast. Especially the central character of the elderly Cabbie played by an elderly actor. How do you act scared when you're that old. You can do the usual crying, weeping, pleading, etc. But the film captures the Cabbie's emotions enough just by filming the Cabbie's flabbergasted facial expressions. His gaze said enough.
Kidnapping movies are usually violent and involve some hero rescuing the kidnapped. Or the kidnapped escaping. A tiresome formula. Here - Tay (played by Dustin Nguyen), one of the escaped prisoners / kidnappers forge a "father / son" bond with the elderly Cabbie. The "ring leader" of the trio is ruthless in a quiet way. You can tell he was planning to kill the cabbie eventially. Also incompetent, only hiding it by insinuating, "Do I have to fucken do everything myself!". There isn't a lot of dialogue, but just enough.
Perhaps Tay was always a good person - a victim of circumstance, and was just unfortunate in life. He just made poor choices. Same with Eddie Ly, but a bit incompetent. The full-on villain seems to be the ring leader, Aden. All in all, we can probably sympathize with some of the escaped prisoners - they are just as fallible as any human, feeling scared and uncertain.
This movie was your atypical escaped prisoner / kidnapping movie. Based on real events, obviously the dramatic or fictional elements made all the more compelling. This was noir-ish character study.
03/11/2025: Last Breath ***
Re-creating the eerie, dark atmosphere at the bottom of the sea definitely sent chills down my spine, and the ambiance felt claustrophobic as if you were with them in the submersible and underwater. The film did a great job in that regard. What's even more shocking or stunning, is that this was based on an actual true story. A deep-sea diver is trapped on the ocean floor after an accident when his cord snaps. He runs out of oxygen in the suit, and remains unconscious for 40 mintues before being eventually rescued. And survives!
They show actual footage of the characters, to verify the authenticity. Working on the ocean floor is no joke - it's like outer space. It isn't flashy or glamorous as you see in cheezy films. They're both dark and silent. Workers have to sit through decompression for a long time (due to the intense pressure on the sea floor), which can drive anyone with claustrophobia crazy. While this kind of survival might sound as if an angel worked miracles for the diver, it is certainly more plausible than if the person had water in his lungs or was down there for an extended period without a suit or if the suit cracked.
Next films to watch: "The Accidental Getaway Driver" and "Love Hurts" (due to rental rates, I probably could only afford one at this point). I'm happy for Simu - he is busy with a lot of projects. Shang-Chi 2 might never happen, but at least Simu Liu's career has taken off. That's more important for me, than being in a cartoonish movie that nobody might remember 10+ years from now (Only Shang-Chi is memorable). Being in dramas, thrillers and other shows / films is most important.
3/05/2025: A Must-See - The Accidental Getaway Driver
The film industry in general is just bland. If I never watch another film ever, I would gladly watch this one in a heartbeat or as the final film. But fortunately, there are films worth watching (at least ones that always go under-the-radar or are hidden gems). "The Accidental Getaway Driver" is such a hidden gem. From what I've seen, it is a gritty drama / thriller as well as character studies. I haven't heard from Dustin Nguyen in awhile, but was pleasantly surprised that his film was getting a theatrical release.
1/20/2025: Mikey and Data Re-united
We might never get a Goonies sequel, but a mini-Goonies reunion in a new movie. Ke Huy Quan stars in "Love Hurts", and we have a cameo by Sean Astin. There's a new behind-the-scenes of this film, which shows them together. Watch in next month!
There's a scene with Ke touting a villainous moustache - I might have thought he played a villain as a second character in the film. It probably was just a disguise.
1/15/2025:
This trailer for "Back Home" has that scary creepy vibe. From Far East Films (since there is nothing else going on, other than the ones I mentioned in my previous blogs):
11/24/2024: Didi ****
What a film, one of the best yet. A down-to-earth, coming-of-age adolescent story a lot of us can relate to. Especially if you're Asian growing up with a lot of pent-up uncertainties and resentment. We all know too well of making stuff up just to "fit in", pretending you're a different ethnicity and whatnot. Izaac Wang did an excellent job of keeping it real, and not over-doing it or over-acting (which is typical in the industry). Underneath Chris "Didi" Wang's supposedly calm or quiet demeanor, there was a pent-up angst, nervousness and uncertainty all-in-one.
Sean Wang did an outstanding job of directing with authenticity as well as taking his time in being meticulous and real, transporting us back as if we were back in 2008. I was 32 back then, and I vaguely remember the flip phones, myspace and AOL haha. Aside from having a flip phone just to "look cool", I never used any of the social media back then.
The mother-son relationship is the underlying theme in this one, as Sean Wang mentioned to the effect of writing this film in thinking about his mother. I don't know the actress who played the mother, but it was a heart-felt performance that might get her nominated. I think Sean Wang and the film itself should be recognized. But in this damned industry, if they already filled their bullshit diversity quota, then most likely it'll get overlooked. But we already know how much fetish they have for the women.
I personally found this movie creepy and enjoyable. The script could have been tweaked a bit better, but overall - the atmosphere was creepy enough. For sure - Grotesque Mansion was by far the more scarier, well-made movie. But in comparison with Wall To Wall, I enjoyed this more because it was actual horror and not some political statement or action for the sake of action. 
What a creepy movie, I loved it. The jump scares were there, as well as visuals (although I could've been fine with less of it). Just eerie music, camera work and a good story. "Ghost Train" tells the story of a haunted underground station called Gwanglim Station, where it is discovered that it was built over a church worshipper's cult. As a result, strange happenings and deaths occur for the unfortunate ones. 
Interesting film. Not only is the main journalist "trolled" or conned, the film itself seems to be a one, big troll. Or a commentary on internet trolls or manipulators. You know - hundreds or thousands of dummy accounts (essentially, having hundreds or thousands of fake identities mostly bought) created to sway public image or opinion on a person or entity. 
It started off well, but ended disappointingly. There was no resolution for the 'noise', and succumbed to that "find the hidden meaning" type of film. I felt this film should have had twists, twists and more twists (although not necessary, I just approached it that way). I was hoping that the main guy (Noh Woo-Sung) might have ended up being responsible somehow, or some supernatural causes. Still - the ending leaves it up to the viewer for interpretation.
The legacy lives on. This is a worthy entry in "The Karate Kid" saga, and would follow right after Jackie Chan's entry (although some might want to call that one "The Kung-Fu Kid" instead). The saga permanently ended with Part III for me (just as Star Wars permanently ended with Episode VI). Introducing the connection between Han and Miyagi through a flashback from Part II - I guess I can live with that film as canon. So now, there are only 5 in the saga with the addition of "Legends". 
Autobiographical / true story films are a dime a dozen, and K-Films definitely do them right. "The Match" is about a Pro "Go" Champion who's been unbeatable or been at the top for years in the '80's.
Until he takes on a child prodigy to teach, and the student eventually matures to become the top, unbeatable player as a young adolescent - overthrowing the teacher. Their styles clash, but in the end - it was the student's "own" strategy or way of playing that won him championships. The film centers around Cho Hoon-Hyun, the reigning champ, until Lee Chang-Ho becomes his humble student and reaches the top.
A Masterpiece in a tense drama or character-study that felt real and surreal. If you're looking for mindless or senseless action, a lot of shouting / over-acting, you're in the wrong place. Sometimes, popcorn movies are fine. But high-quality films like this are a rarity, or hidden gems. Kudos to Dustin Nguyen, the director Sing Lee and the cast. Especially the central character of the elderly Cabbie played by an elderly actor. How do you act scared when you're that old. You can do the usual crying, weeping, pleading, etc. But the film captures the Cabbie's emotions enough just by filming the Cabbie's flabbergasted facial expressions. His gaze said enough. 
Re-creating the eerie, dark atmosphere at the bottom of the sea definitely sent chills down my spine, and the ambiance felt claustrophobic as if you were with them in the submersible and underwater. The film did a great job in that regard. What's even more shocking or stunning, is that this was based on an actual true story. A deep-sea diver is trapped on the ocean floor after an accident when his cord snaps. He runs out of oxygen in the suit, and remains unconscious for 40 mintues before being eventually rescued. And survives! 
What a film, one of the best yet. A down-to-earth, coming-of-age adolescent story a lot of us can relate to. Especially if you're Asian growing up with a lot of pent-up uncertainties and resentment. We all know too well of making stuff up just to "fit in", pretending you're a different ethnicity and whatnot. Izaac Wang did an excellent job of keeping it real, and not over-doing it or over-acting (which is typical in the industry). Underneath Chris "Didi" Wang's supposedly calm or quiet demeanor, there was a pent-up angst, nervousness and uncertainty all-in-one.