Rainbow Eyes - Despite the fact that it’s very similar to the oddity, Bungee Jumping of Their Own, this has been the most fun I’ve had out of a Korean flick in some time. Kim Kang-woo is steadily becoming something of a guarantee where my interest is concerned. Visually arresting piece of work with a twist that will probably have some eyes rolling but I was just happy I didn’t see it coming. 

M. Yeah it had me bamboozled for the most part, which turns out to be sort of amusing since fundamentally it’s just another melodrama albeit a perplexing one. There’s no denying Lee’s must be getting high off his own editorial magic and this is surely a good thing - really haven’t seen much of anything like it before. Good show. 

Fate. Yeah I told myself not to bother. Calling Fate a complete shambles feels like I’m letting it off light. The star power pull does absolutely nothing, the histrionics are unbearable and the score is sappy as fuck. Stay well clear of it.

I, too, saw Rainbow Eyes recently.  I’d been on the hunt for a good police thriller/mystery and this one was a lot of fun.  I kind of wanted to yell at the main character like Guitar Wolf a couple of times.

Saw also Beautiful, written and produced by Kim Ki-duk and directed by Juhn Jaihong.  It’s really oldskool Kim Ki-duk, a la The Isle, Coast Guard, Address Unknown.  A very physically attractive single woman is constantly harrassed by men.  Everyone constantly reminds her of how beautiful and wonderful she is.  She is rather taken aback by this and would prefer if someone would look pass this.  She experiences a terrible trauma and the film takes off.  This is a fairly intense movie.

Finally, watched Lukas Moodysson’s A Hole in my Heart.  Jeez, this film is sad.  Also, from what I’ve read online, quite the polarizing film as well.  I thought it was extremely well-made and creative.  Not one that I see myself revisiting often, but I quite admire it.  Late.

Watched Masato Harada’s The Suicide Song on dvd from Tokyo Shock.  Harada previously directed the mid-tier ghost film, Inugami, and Bounce Ko Gals.  Like Bounce Ko Gals, Harada is willing to tackle Japanese youth culture in this one, wherein there’s a special song and when sung, it will drive the singer to suicide.  A group of high school girls and the crew from a tabloid magazine attempt to unravel the mystery.  This one was a lot of fun.  There is genuine mystery and intrigue and character-building.  More an expose of youth culture, than a retread of recent J-horror.

Zombie Self-Defense Force , dir. Naoyuki Tomomatsu, who previously directed the similar Stacy.  After an extended prologue, where George Romero is cited as a genius, myriad characters are shown around the Japanese countryside as a UFO flies over.  Zombies enter and the plot kicks in.  Although Romero is name-checked, the chief influence on this one is Peter Jackson--this one is more like Bad Taste or BrainDead.  Unfortunately, there is really nothing new in this one.  It would have been very much at home back on the video shelves in the late-80s, early-90s.  There is a couple fun bits and characters, but overall, fairly mediocre. Late.