What's a lanyard?
In all my 22 years of life, i have never ever heard of this word. How i never heard of this word still remains a mystery since its like everywhere and everybody seems to use it.
Well ladies and gentlemen, if you also, for some mysterious reason have never seen this word (i'm still convinced it's a very unpopular word ^-^), a lanyard is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanyard
Saturday, August 22, 2009
The nosey alligator!
Dear blog,
Several months ago, I made a bet and...
What resulted was an utter feeling of devastation when I finally found out that childhood cartoons...can't be used as a yardstick to measure our general knowledge.
Suffice to say, it was like that pivotal moment in our life as a child where u go "There's no Santa Claus?"....
And a pivotal moment in my life where I went "Alligators have short snouts?!" and continued with "Damnit, I lost 5 bucks!"
Several months ago, I made a bet and...
What resulted was an utter feeling of devastation when I finally found out that childhood cartoons...can't be used as a yardstick to measure our general knowledge.
Suffice to say, it was like that pivotal moment in our life as a child where u go "There's no Santa Claus?"....
And a pivotal moment in my life where I went "Alligators have short snouts?!" and continued with "Damnit, I lost 5 bucks!"
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008)
The Good, the Bad, the Weird (좋은 놈, 나쁜 놈, 이상한 놈, Jongheun Nom, Nabbeun Nom, Isanghan Nom) is a 2008 South Korean western film by Kim Ji-woon, it stars Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, and Jung Woo-sung. It premiered on May 24, 2008 at the Cannes Film Festival.
Inspired by Segio Leone's 1966 spaghetti-western "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly", set in Manchuria in 1930s, the story deals with three Korean men and their entanglement with the Japanese army, Chinese and Russian bandits, accompanied with many exciting action scenes.
Chang-yi (played by Lee Byung-heon), a dandy hit man is hired to retrieve a certain map in the hands of a Japanese banker. Meanwhile, bounty hunter Do-won (played by Jeong Woo-sung) is sent by the Korean independence army for the same mission. To their frustration, however, the map is snatched by the train robber Tae-gu (played by Song Kang-ho), who is convinced that it leads to the fabled treasures of the fallen Qing dynasty.
Kim Ji-woon, who has an impressive track record of having successfully tackled a wide range of genres, from sports comedy ("The Foul King") to horror ("Tale of Two Sisters") and European-style film noir ("Bittersweet Life"), now turns his sight on the western.
From the opening credit sequence to busy shootouts in the rain-drenched marketplace Kim and his technical staff (cinematographer Lee Mo-gae, production designer Jo Hwa-seong, and composer Dal Pa-ran) are fully in control of the film's aesthetic and technical elements. This piece of work is truly an impressive work of art not because the screenplay but the non-CG element of its action sequences. The amount of care and detail that was put into each of the action sequences and set is worthy of admiration. All of the action sequences from the train robbery, to the ghost town, to the showdown at the end were all shot fast paced in almost real-time without the usual slow-motion shots often characteristic of most action films.
Inspired by Segio Leone's 1966 spaghetti-western "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly", set in Manchuria in 1930s, the story deals with three Korean men and their entanglement with the Japanese army, Chinese and Russian bandits, accompanied with many exciting action scenes.
Chang-yi (played by Lee Byung-heon), a dandy hit man is hired to retrieve a certain map in the hands of a Japanese banker. Meanwhile, bounty hunter Do-won (played by Jeong Woo-sung) is sent by the Korean independence army for the same mission. To their frustration, however, the map is snatched by the train robber Tae-gu (played by Song Kang-ho), who is convinced that it leads to the fabled treasures of the fallen Qing dynasty.
Kim Ji-woon, who has an impressive track record of having successfully tackled a wide range of genres, from sports comedy ("The Foul King") to horror ("Tale of Two Sisters") and European-style film noir ("Bittersweet Life"), now turns his sight on the western.
From the opening credit sequence to busy shootouts in the rain-drenched marketplace Kim and his technical staff (cinematographer Lee Mo-gae, production designer Jo Hwa-seong, and composer Dal Pa-ran) are fully in control of the film's aesthetic and technical elements. This piece of work is truly an impressive work of art not because the screenplay but the non-CG element of its action sequences. The amount of care and detail that was put into each of the action sequences and set is worthy of admiration. All of the action sequences from the train robbery, to the ghost town, to the showdown at the end were all shot fast paced in almost real-time without the usual slow-motion shots often characteristic of most action films.
A Bittersweet Life (2005)
A Bittersweet Life (달콤한인생, Dalkomhan insaeng) is a 2005 South Korean film by Kim Ji-woon. Highly cultural and ruthlessly violent, it illustrates the ethical codes in the Korean mob and how they clash with personal morality.
A Bittersweet Life is a super stylistic, ultra-violent action film that has more bang to it than all the Hollywood films that have been released so far this year. Director Kim Ji-woon superbly twists and tweaks the gangster genre and to create something pleasantly surprising. The film has been critically labelled as “action noir” in Korea and there are plenty of reasons why. Much of the action occurs beautifully in the dark shadows of Seoul. The danger is always waiting in the contrast between light and shadow created by the city itself. This is a world where no one can be truly trusted.
Lee Byung-hun brings sheer excitement in his performance as Sun Woo. He is an angel dressed in vengeance. At the beginning of the film, he is stone cold and heartless. But once his fury is unleashed he loses it, transforming into a guy who has no problem taking people out while still maintains his vulnerability. He wants to know the motivation of his torment. Lee Byung-hun conveys a dangerous mix of charm and intelligence.
Kim Ji-woon’s creativity in fight scenes is a mix of realism and pur cinema. When someone gets shot, they don’t get hit in a place that kills them instantly. It takes several shots to actually hit in critical point. The guns are uncontrollable. The characters are unpredictable. The pain is visually felt. The violence is cruelly innovative. The stylistically photographed images become another characters of the film. It is fascinating that this mixture of grittiness and elegance creates such a poetry images. Everything is carefully designed with details. From Le Dolce Vita restaurant to the girl’s home, the care spent on small details of space and time.
A Bittersweet Life is a super stylistic, ultra-violent action film that has more bang to it than all the Hollywood films that have been released so far this year. Director Kim Ji-woon superbly twists and tweaks the gangster genre and to create something pleasantly surprising. The film has been critically labelled as “action noir” in Korea and there are plenty of reasons why. Much of the action occurs beautifully in the dark shadows of Seoul. The danger is always waiting in the contrast between light and shadow created by the city itself. This is a world where no one can be truly trusted.
Lee Byung-hun brings sheer excitement in his performance as Sun Woo. He is an angel dressed in vengeance. At the beginning of the film, he is stone cold and heartless. But once his fury is unleashed he loses it, transforming into a guy who has no problem taking people out while still maintains his vulnerability. He wants to know the motivation of his torment. Lee Byung-hun conveys a dangerous mix of charm and intelligence.
Kim Ji-woon’s creativity in fight scenes is a mix of realism and pur cinema. When someone gets shot, they don’t get hit in a place that kills them instantly. It takes several shots to actually hit in critical point. The guns are uncontrollable. The characters are unpredictable. The pain is visually felt. The violence is cruelly innovative. The stylistically photographed images become another characters of the film. It is fascinating that this mixture of grittiness and elegance creates such a poetry images. Everything is carefully designed with details. From Le Dolce Vita restaurant to the girl’s home, the care spent on small details of space and time.
A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
A Tale of Two Sisters (장화, 홍련, Janghwa, Hongryeon literally 'Rose Flower, Red Lotus') is a 2003 South Korean psychological horror film by Kim Ji-woon. It is both the highest-grossing Korean horror film and the first to be screened in American theatres.
Based on the Korean folk tale Jangha and Hongryun, Kim Ji-woon’s brilliant gothic horror story "A Tale of Two Sisters " revolves around two sisters, Soo-mi (played by Lim Su-jeong), and Soo-yeon (played by Mun Geon-yeong), who are part of a dysfunctional family that live together in a creepy Victorian-style mansion. Feeling alienated from the world, they cling to each other for survival with the older one, Soo-mi, obsessively protecting the younger against danger.
While we may recognize staples such as haunted houses with apparitional sightings, doors that open and close on their own, a cruel and overbearing stepmother, and other events of high strangeness, “A Tale of Two Sisters” superbly explores deeper psychological meanings including the inability to let go of inner demons and the misplaced desire for revenge. There is a timeline but it is left for the viewer to unravel and the story cannot be summarized, only suggested and the film keeps us wondering whether what is happening on screen is objective or subjective.
Shot in gorgeous low-light cinematography, “A Tale of Two Sisters” has a unique elegance and other worldly beauty that transcends all the horrors. It is haunting in more than one sense of the word and its images may stare back at you when you least expect or want them to.
Based on the Korean folk tale Jangha and Hongryun, Kim Ji-woon’s brilliant gothic horror story "A Tale of Two Sisters " revolves around two sisters, Soo-mi (played by Lim Su-jeong), and Soo-yeon (played by Mun Geon-yeong), who are part of a dysfunctional family that live together in a creepy Victorian-style mansion. Feeling alienated from the world, they cling to each other for survival with the older one, Soo-mi, obsessively protecting the younger against danger.
While we may recognize staples such as haunted houses with apparitional sightings, doors that open and close on their own, a cruel and overbearing stepmother, and other events of high strangeness, “A Tale of Two Sisters” superbly explores deeper psychological meanings including the inability to let go of inner demons and the misplaced desire for revenge. There is a timeline but it is left for the viewer to unravel and the story cannot be summarized, only suggested and the film keeps us wondering whether what is happening on screen is objective or subjective.
Shot in gorgeous low-light cinematography, “A Tale of Two Sisters” has a unique elegance and other worldly beauty that transcends all the horrors. It is haunting in more than one sense of the word and its images may stare back at you when you least expect or want them to.
The Foul King (2000)
The Foul King (반칙왕, Banchikwang) is a 2000 South Korean comedy film written and directed by Kim Ji-woon. It was Kim's second feature-length film after The Quiet Family. Like the director's debut film, The Foul King also stars Song Kang-ho, this time as an incompetent bank clerk who takes up a career in professional wrestling, adopting the moniker "The Foul King" in the ring.
Shy banker Im Dae-Ho (played by Song Kang-Ho) perfectly embodies the average adult suffering from pre mid-life crisis. His boss is a maniacal control freak who uses the "law of the jungle" to deal with employees. The survival of the fittest, the others are welcome to crumble at the hands of his devastating headlock. Dae-Ho's performance rating is the lowest in the company, and he's constantly late to work. His personal life is not much different: Dae-Ho is in his late twenties and without a partner. Dae-Ho doesn't want to grow up, as he still has the naiveté and spontaneity of his teenage years. But he's also suffering the pressure of his job's highly competitive nature - and by extension the pressure of modern society.
The Foul King is a simple black comedy with plenty of laughs and silly situations. But, at the heart of the film lies an intelligent recreation of everyday real life problems. The maturity and realism used by director Kim Ji-woon in depicting Dae-Ho's hurdles is impressive. The film's ending seems to imply that it doesn't take itself too seriously. However, the film still conveys a serious statement with honesty and without its usual cliches, that determination is what will make you achieve your goals.
Kim Ji-Woon has proven himself as arguably the finest black comedy director in Korea. He intelligently mixes slapstick comedy with excellent character development, and he creates an enchanting pace that lets his films flow smoothly. The Foul King is unpredictably funny, possesses realistic themes, and features interesting and affecting characters.
Shy banker Im Dae-Ho (played by Song Kang-Ho) perfectly embodies the average adult suffering from pre mid-life crisis. His boss is a maniacal control freak who uses the "law of the jungle" to deal with employees. The survival of the fittest, the others are welcome to crumble at the hands of his devastating headlock. Dae-Ho's performance rating is the lowest in the company, and he's constantly late to work. His personal life is not much different: Dae-Ho is in his late twenties and without a partner. Dae-Ho doesn't want to grow up, as he still has the naiveté and spontaneity of his teenage years. But he's also suffering the pressure of his job's highly competitive nature - and by extension the pressure of modern society.
The Foul King is a simple black comedy with plenty of laughs and silly situations. But, at the heart of the film lies an intelligent recreation of everyday real life problems. The maturity and realism used by director Kim Ji-woon in depicting Dae-Ho's hurdles is impressive. The film's ending seems to imply that it doesn't take itself too seriously. However, the film still conveys a serious statement with honesty and without its usual cliches, that determination is what will make you achieve your goals.
Kim Ji-Woon has proven himself as arguably the finest black comedy director in Korea. He intelligently mixes slapstick comedy with excellent character development, and he creates an enchanting pace that lets his films flow smoothly. The Foul King is unpredictably funny, possesses realistic themes, and features interesting and affecting characters.
The Quiet Family (1998)
The Quiet Family (조용한 가족, Joyonghan Gajok) is a 1998 South Korean horror-comedy film. It was director Kim Ji-woon's feature film debut. The story centers around a family who owns a hunting lodge in a remote area, whose customers always happen to end up dying. Among the film's main cast are pre-stardom Choi Min-sik and Song Kang-ho.
Kim presents an inspirational story about how tragedy can strengthen the bonds between the members of a very dysfunctional family, bringing them closer together in a rare display of domestic unity. The list of family-building deeds represented in this South Korean dark comedy includes murder, dumping the corpses into shallow graves, and invariably staying quiet about it.
The family in question are the Kangs, who have moved from Seoul to operate the Misty Lodge, a secluded mountain lodge. The family is dominated by no-nonsense father Tae-gu (played by Park In-hwan), with loyal wife (played by Na Mun-hee) always at his side. The younger members of the family include sex-obsessed son Yeong-min (played by Song Kang-ho), clueless daughter Mi-su (played by Lee Yeon-sung), and sullen daughter Mi-na (played by Go Ho-kyung). Finally, rounding out the Kang clan is Tae-gu's younger brother (played by Choi Min-sik).
"The Quiet Family" finds an easy middle between the two extremes of its story. On the one hand, with its unconventional camerawork and bouncy Western pop soundtrack, the energetic production underscores the individual quirks of each family member, as well as the increasingly absurd situations they find themselves in. However, at the very same time, director Kim pushes the horror aspects of the script, shocking the audience with some of the film's more gruesome moments.
Kim also adds an additional layer of subtlety to "The Quiet Family" by hinting that the events depicted may be apocryphal, being the product of an overactive imagination. Clues are provided in that the story is told from the perspective of Mi-na, a 17-year old full of cynicism and teenage angst.
Straddling the fine line between humour and horror, "The Quiet Family" has developed quite a following locally and on the international festival circuit, including being remade by cult Japanese director Takashi Miike as "The Happiness of the Katakuri's".
Kim presents an inspirational story about how tragedy can strengthen the bonds between the members of a very dysfunctional family, bringing them closer together in a rare display of domestic unity. The list of family-building deeds represented in this South Korean dark comedy includes murder, dumping the corpses into shallow graves, and invariably staying quiet about it.
The family in question are the Kangs, who have moved from Seoul to operate the Misty Lodge, a secluded mountain lodge. The family is dominated by no-nonsense father Tae-gu (played by Park In-hwan), with loyal wife (played by Na Mun-hee) always at his side. The younger members of the family include sex-obsessed son Yeong-min (played by Song Kang-ho), clueless daughter Mi-su (played by Lee Yeon-sung), and sullen daughter Mi-na (played by Go Ho-kyung). Finally, rounding out the Kang clan is Tae-gu's younger brother (played by Choi Min-sik).
"The Quiet Family" finds an easy middle between the two extremes of its story. On the one hand, with its unconventional camerawork and bouncy Western pop soundtrack, the energetic production underscores the individual quirks of each family member, as well as the increasingly absurd situations they find themselves in. However, at the very same time, director Kim pushes the horror aspects of the script, shocking the audience with some of the film's more gruesome moments.
Kim also adds an additional layer of subtlety to "The Quiet Family" by hinting that the events depicted may be apocryphal, being the product of an overactive imagination. Clues are provided in that the story is told from the perspective of Mi-na, a 17-year old full of cynicism and teenage angst.
Straddling the fine line between humour and horror, "The Quiet Family" has developed quite a following locally and on the international festival circuit, including being remade by cult Japanese director Takashi Miike as "The Happiness of the Katakuri's".
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