My picks for entertainment ~ suggested movies, TV shows, music, and books ~ so you can enjoy some quality ME time! (ATTN Korean drama addicts! This blog has lots of K-drama love.)
Netflix suggested Unjust (2010) as a gem and I agree. The IMDb Rating: 6.6 out of 10 stars. But my rating for this movie is 9 out of 10 stars. This movie painted a very realistic picture of unjust acts that corrupt civil servants commit in their official line of duty. It was a chilling eye-opener.
The Unjust is an Intense Crime Drama!
The
viewer is immediately drawn into the storyline when it starts with
televised news reports about a serial killer on the loose, killing
young children and mutilating their bodies. The public is
justifiably outraged and wants to know why the police have not yet
captured this menace to society. Choi Cheol-Gi
is assigned to head up the task force and bring this brutal
murderer to justice. But instead of finding the real killer, he
picks a guy who has served time in prison for sexual assault against
a child and presents him to the public as the culprit. WHY? The
public will be relieved, the case will be closed, he will be painted
as a HERO, and will finally get that promotion.
Not
so fast!Prosecutor Joo-Yang eats and plays
golf with a wealthy corrupt businessman. When that businessman is
arrested for crimes, the prosecutor bends the law to get the charges
dropped. He is not exactly a saint. But when he finds out that Choi
Cheol-Gi did not catch the real killer, he makes it his mission to
expose him. There's bd blood between the two of them.
The
truth is these guys abuse their positions of public trust in order to
advance their careers. They're both corrupt and unjust. But one of
them is … The Unjust.
Which one?
Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904–1991), aka Dr. Seuss, understood how children need to be carefully taught about the world and motivated to be the best that they can be. Are you are raising or influencing the minds of young children? Below is a friend link to my article published via Medium.com. These 5 Seuss quotes are very helpful.
I've been a loyal viewer of American TV sitcoms since the late 50s, I watched Father Knows Best and My Three Sons and Leave It To Beaver. Fast forward to my adulthood and I watched Family Ties and The Cosby Show. Having had all of this exposure to "wholesome family entertainment", I can state unequivocally that ‘A Different World’ presented a different world to the US audience.
Before Bill Cosby’s “fall from grace”, he had a propular TV show and I was a faithful viewer. Lisa Bonet played the part of Denise Huxtable, one of his daughters. Her character was so popular they created a brand new TV show about her days in college. She attended Hillman College, an HBCU.
(HBCU = historically black colleges and universities. At one time during the period of segregation in the USA, blacks attended so-called “separate but equal” educational institutions. But these days anybody who wants to can attend no matter their background. Hey! They are really good schools! Our US vice-president Kamala Harris attended an HBCU.)
The show was started with Lisa Bonet in the spotlight, i.e. the main character. However, the character “Whitley” played by Jasmine Guy almost instantly took the spotlight. Viewers really liked her. I think it was “her accent”. LOL. If you ever saw the show you would understand that joke about Whitley’s accent. Lisa Bonet left the show after the first season.
In June 2021, the cast got together to discuss “the good old days” and the article was published in Vanity Fair. “A Different World” ran from September 24, 1987 to July 9, 1993. I was not a regular viewer. It was light comedy but often tackled serious topics. To borrow a quote from the article: “Fans remember the show as much for its cultural relevance as they do for its laugh-out-loud comedy and talented cast.” That’s true. I distinctly remember one episode where they addressed the link between sexual promiscuity and AIDS. It was definitely relevant to the times and it presented a world that was different from any of the other popular TV sitcoms during that same time period. The real plus or takeaway from the program is that it, in real life, the show actually encouraged a lot of young people of color to attend colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher learning.
Lisa Bonet left the entertainment industry and replaced it with motherhood. That’s not a bad tradeoff. She was first married to Lenny Kravitz; and now she is the wife of Jason Momoa.
Jasmine Guy had a productive acting career in film and on stage, and also tried her hand at music. She also worked behind the scenes producing and directing but has not taken on any significant projects in the entertainment industry recently.
"Deliver Us From Evil" proves that people who live a life of crime can never retire. In-nam performed his last contract killing and then retired; or at least, he wanted to retire. However, a guy named Ray needs help. His sister was kidnapped by a dangerous human trafficking ring and he wants In-nam to help rescue her. In-nam agrees to help Ray, and they go to Thailand.
The two main characters have great onscreen chemistry, and the action sequences are well-choreographed. This film was shot in three (3) locations: South Korea, Japan, and Thailand. "Deliver Us From Evil" was praised because it had awesome action-packed scenes, complicated plot twists, impressive cinematography, and outstanding performances by the actors.
“Hunt” is set in the 1980s, a time when South Korea was experiencing political turmoil and social unrest; and was under the military dictatorship of Chun Doo-hwan. Two (2) rival agents of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA), Park Pyong-ho and Kim Jung-do, must capture a North Korean spy known as Donglim. This spy has leaked classified information and plans to assassinate the South Korean president.
Lee Jung-Jae plays Park Pyung-Ho.
The personalities of Park and Kim clash and they have different methods of approaching an investigation. But they set those differences aside because they need to unite to fight the North Korean agents, and the corrupt officials within the KCIA. During the hunt they discover that Donglim is not a single person, but a code name for a network of double spies within the KCIA and other government organizations.
To their amazement, they learn that Donglim's ultimate goal is to expose corruption in South Korea, overthrow the dictatorship, and reunite North and South Korea. Which should they choose? Their country or their conscience? Hunt is based on real historical events and characters, and the film won several awards. As well as playing one of the main characters, the film was also directed by Lee Jung-jae. Where to Watch
RATINGS:
IMDb: 6.7 out of 10 stars; MyDramaList: 7.7 out of 10 stars
“Chief of Staff”, Season 1, introduces Jang Tae-joon, an ambitious political aide with a troubled past, but a charismatic personality. The dark cutthroat world of Korean politics is an intricate web of power and corruption. Nevertheless, Tae-joon rises through the ranks to become the Chief of Staff. Even though he faces constant moral dilemmas and ethical challenges, he is determined in the pursuit of justice and bringing about meaningful change. His personal relationships may or may not be sacrificed.
Lee Jung-Jae plays Jang Tae-joon.
Season 2 carries on with the political intrigue and power struggles. Tae-joon faces new adversaries, discovers secrets, and forms unexpected alliances. There are new characters and relationships evolve. Conspiracies play out that threaten not only their careers but their lives. The scriptwriters for this K-drama series skillfully weave together personal and political storylines. This intense political drama is very thought-provoking.Where to Watch
RATINGS:
IMDb: 7.8 out of 10 stars
MyDramaList: 8 out of 10 stars
Netflix K-Content. “Chief of Staff | Official Trailer | Netflix [ENG SUB].” YouTube Video. YouTube, June 21, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl8YMGaQRKI. VIEW TRAILER/TEASER.
"Operation Chromite," a South Korean war epic drama about the historical events surrounding the Battle of Incheon during the Korean War. A South Korean Navy Lieutenant must lead a small troop and carry out the covert "X-ray" operation, which must be successful to carry out "Incheon Landing Operation" also known as Operation Chromite.
Lee Jung-Jae plays a South Korean Navy Lieutenant.
General Douglas MacArthur commanded the operation which took place from September 15 to September 19, 1950. The Korean lieutenant infiltrated the North Korean forces and gathered crucial intelligence. The recreation of these events was accurate according to the historical records. “
Operation Chromite” effectively captures the tension and stakes of the military operation. The portrayal of the characters was very intimate and realistic. Viewers could not help but admire their courage, sacrifice, and their indomitable spirit amid the chaos and danger of war. This film is a respectful tribute to the soldiers who played a key role in shaping the course and outcome of the Korean War.
"Assassination" is set in 1933 during the Japanese occupation of Korea, and involves a group of resistance fighters on a daring mission to assassinate a high-ranking Japanese officer and a Korean collaborator who supports the Japanese forces.
Lee Jung-Jae plays Yeom Seok Jin.
This film is a realistic recreation of the tumultuous atmosphere of 1930s Korea. Characters not only strive to carry out a dangerous and difficult mission but must also be on constant alert for “the enemy within”, i.e. being betrayed by their comrades. The storyline is engaging because of the historical authenticity, suspenseful and clever plot twists, intense action sequences, and the compelling characters who comprise the mission team.
Priyanka Chopra as a boxer? Get real! No way! Those were my initial thoughts. By the time the movie was over, I was eating my words. PC worked it! She was super awesome playing the role of a real-life female boxer, Mary Kom.
Loyal fans of Priyanka Chopra-Jonas will appreciate this enthusiastic Bollywood movie review of the film about a real-life Indian female boxer called Mary Kom.
Lee Ja-Sung is an undercover cop for the National Police Agency, and he's right in the middle of it. Having spent years infiltrating the crime organization he has become the right-hand man of the #2 lieutenant. Ja-Sung has to balance himself between playing his role as “one of them” in
the treacherous crime world and performing his duties as a law enforcement officer, without blurring the lines between right and wrong.
This is an excellent Korean crime drama that has intricate storytelling and character-driven narratives. Lee Jung-Jae won the CJ CGV Star Award at the 2013 (33rd) Korean Association of Film Critics Awards.
“The Face Reader” (2013) is an award-winning film. It is set during the Joseon Dynasty in the year 1455. Nae-gyeong can “read faces”, i.e. he uses the age-old art of physiognomy to discern a person’s character and fate by studying their facial features. Nae-gyeong prefers to avoid the palace intrigue and the demands of the royal court. However, there is a royal power struggle going on.
Lee Jung-Jae plays Grand Prince Suyang.
The current king Munjong wants him to identify the potential traitors who threaten his reign. He is summoned to read the face of Grand Prince Suyang, who is vying for the throne. If only, he could not read faces because Nae-gyeong believes the prince is going to plot treason to take the throne. The visually stunning cinematography, along with the costumes and set designs recreate the grandeur of the Joseon Dynasty. The stellar cast convincingly portrays real historical figures and their performances are memorable.
TheMovieChanneI. “The Face Reader — Trailer.” YouTube Video. YouTube, September 28, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9YoyvBAMWI. VIEW TRAILER/TEASER.
Lee Jung-Jae is a South Korean actor who has played a wide range of characters ~ good guys and bad guys. Regardless of the overall rating given by viewers, his performances in the movies and TV series that I have watched should be rated 5 out of 5 stars.
Lee Jung-Jae catapulted to international stardom for his role in Netflix’s survival Korean drama series “Squid Game”. But Lee Jung-Jae must surely be on several lists of South Korean Best Actors ~ the best, the most famous, award-winning, etc. His filmography is impressive and dates back to 1993 (before K-dramas were cool).
One more PLUS! In September 2022, Lee Jung-Jae joined the Star Wars Universe. He was cast as the male lead in the Star Wars series “The Acolyte”, set to be released on Disney+ in 2024.
Perfect
Marriage Revenge Could Easily Be Turned Into a Korean Soap Opera That
Could Go On and On and On and …
Perfect Marriage Revenge is a 2023 VIKI Original Korean Drama Series with 16 episodes. The scriptwriters should consider stretching it out to 160 episodes. Loaded with hostile family drama where the relatives dream up ways to plot evil against each other, and then spend their waking hours making their dreams a harsh reality. You pity the children born into their homes because they are raised to carry on with the family traditions of performing acts of malice. Without a doubt, Perfect Marriage Revenge could be the best Kdrama soap opera ever!
“Perfect
Marriage Revenge” is a romance/drama that tells the story of Han
Yi-Joo, a young girl who was adopted into a rich family but
never accepted as a part of the family. Meanwhile, her little sister
is showered with love and spoiled rotten. Yi-Joo is constantly
reminded by her “mother” who adopted her that she is “fake”
and her little sister is “real”. Meaning that she should be
thankful she was adopted and never try to receive all the wealth and
property that should go directly to her little sister. Growing up in
that home was hellish for Han Yi-Joo! Someone even tried to poison
her, but they failed.
Han
Yi-Joo was a gifted artist. No doubt she could use her God-given
talent and create her own wealth. Instead, her mother convinced her
to “copy” the originals of famous artists. Her mother told her
the copied paintings would be donated to orphanages as a charitable
donation. However, she sold them as “originals” to make money.
One day her mother's fraud was exposed. She told Yi-Joo to submit a
false confession and go to jail. Yi-Joo was so upset she jumped in
her car and drove off. Sadly she got into a car accident and almost
died. While hanging between life and death, she prayed for a second
chance. If she could only relive her life she would not make the
same ignorant and foolish mistakes.
Her
prayer was answered. Instead of waking up in a hospital bed,
she woke up in her own bed. When she checked the time she realized
that she had gone back one year in the past. She had been given a
second chance and now had the opportunity to change her past. But she
only had one year to accomplish this. She
overheard her little sister say that she wanted to get married to Seo
Do-Kook, a man who was one of the heirs to Taeja Group, a Korean
conglomerate. Han Yi-Joo made up her mind that getting Seo Do-Kook to
marry her would be the perfect marriage revenge.
MAIN
CHARACTERS:
Han
Yi-Joo (played by Jung Yoo-Min)
Seo
Do-Kook (played by Sung Hoon)
This
Viki Original Korean drama series is based on the webcomic
“Wanbyeokhan Gyeolhonui Jungseok”. But in my opinion, it was the
best soap opera ever!
The Matchmakers is a
2023 Viki Original Korean drama series, with 16 episodes. It is
categorized as historical, romance, crime, and mystery, with light
moments of comedy.
The two main characters are a widow, disguised as
a matchmaker, and a widower who is a prince working as a matchmaker according to a royal decree.
♦ The
Widow and the Not So Merry Widower
Jung Soon-deok
is a widow who becomes a matchmaker by personal choice. She is a
widow, the daughter-in-law of a powerful political party leader. But
she truly believes she is the “goddess of
matchmaking”, i.e. Ssangyeonsulsa. It is not the kind of lowly
work that a noble woman should do, so Jung Soon-deok keeps her
true identity a secret by using the name “Yeo Joo Daek”. She
didn't learn until later that the name she had taken as a disguise,
was the name of a woman who was wanted for murder.
Shim Jung-woo
is a Confucian scholar who scored the highest on the civil service
exams. The king would been pleased if he could put this young man's
intellect and skills to good use. But the leader of a corrupt
political party, arranged for him to be married to the princess. On
the day of the wedding, the princess dropped dead. He became a
widower before he could even consummate the marriage. So now he's a
prince who can not participate in political affairs or serve in any
way other than being a prince, a member of the royal family.
♦ The
King Makes a Promise
The king is furious
and frustrated because he wants his son, the crown prince to marry
and have an heir. But corrupt officials keep finding ways to prevent
the marriage. He tells Shim Jung-woo to can come up with a way to
thwart the efforts of the politicians so that the crown prince can
marry. If he is successful, the king will have his marriage to the
princess annulled.
Shim Jung-woo tells
the king, to get a matchmaker to arrange marriages for the daughters
of his close friend, who had passed away. But the plan was not so
simple. Even if the politicians were not resorting to their
treacherous tricks, the daughters themselves are all refusing to get
married.
♦ The
Widower and the Widow Become a Team
Shim Jung-woo needs
to work with an experienced matchmaker since he knows nothing about
the process. He meets Jung Soon-deok aka “Yeo Joo Daek” who
agrees to assist him as long as he cooperates with her and follows
her directions. He agrees, so now they are The Matchmakers.
The process of
matchmaking is complex, but it gets even more complicated when they
begin to uncover murders connected to political power schemes to
overthrow the king and the crown prince.
On top of all this,
the matchmakers ~ Shim Jung-woo and Jung Soon-deok ~ fall in love
with each other. Theirs is a “match” that would break all of the
rules.
Main
Characters:
Widower
Shim Jung-woo (played by Ro Woon, )
Widow
Jung Soon-deok (played by Cho Yi-hyun)
This
is a Viki Original series and Viki
viewers rate this series 9.4 out of 10 stars.
I agree.There
was the main plot of forbidden love between a widow and a widower; a
relationship that went against Joseon rules, customs, and traditions.
Then
there were various subplots:
Corrupt nobles,
their wives, and the king's concubine, plotting against the king and
the crown prince;
True crime stories
published as erotica novels;
Old maidens (virgin
women in their 20s) who need to get married ~ hence the need for matchmakers; and
a
slingshot!
The
intricate plot-weaving kept me eagerly looking forward to the next
episode.
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