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.)
UNLOCKED IS A KOREAN FILM STREAMING ON NETFLIX, RELEASED IN 2023. A YOUNG WOMAN LOSES HER SMARTPHONE. A SERIAL KILLER FINDS IT AND TURNS HER LIFE INTO A LIVING HELL!
SOMETIMES SMART PEOPLE ARE NOT VERY SMART
Lee Na-Mi (played by Chun Woo-hee, “Love, Lies“) is a female hustler. She’s intelligent, talented, hard-working, has excellent marketing skills, and holds down more than one job. When she’s not working beside her dad in his cafe, she is doing other jobs related to marketing products via social media technology. Like most young people her age, she uses her smartphone FOR EVERYTHING!! Work and play. Her device has loads of photos with friends and family, as well as lots of revealing.text messages. Very revealing. It’s surprising how innocent innocuous casual conversations via text messages reveal a lot about an individual.
Lee Na-Mi is smart but she did something not so smart. She got stupid drunk and in her drunken stupor lost her smartphone. A serial killer found it.
Not much needs to be said about this American singer; one of the female song singers from my generation who left a mark on my musical psyche. Her voice is timeless. The songs that she sang were timeless. The group that she was the lead singer for, they are also timeless. Who am I talking about? I’m talking about Stevie Nicks, lead singer for Fleetwood Mac. She’s one of a kind. Timeless!
This
article was published by a fellow writer on Read.Cash. He combined 2
topics, but I am only interested in his picks for James Bond. 5 James Bond Contenders and 5 Femme Fatales
My choice ~ one choice ~ for the next James Bond is completely different from the 5 choices of my fellow writer! Although I am certain that even though this guy has the "perfect look", nobody would ever even consider him because he's a Turkish actor.
Nevertheless, I
feel very strongly about this. Only because the first James Bond ~
Sean Connery ~ was introduced during my generation, in the 60s. IanFleming published the first James Bond novel in 1953 and died 10
years later in 1964, having published a total of 16 Bond books; and
all of his books were adapted to film. I feel like we owe it to Ian
Fleming, the creator of Secret Agent 007, to honor his Bond
tradition.
Some of his ways of investigating crimes can be considered “unorthodox” or “different from the herd”. But the only reason some of his co-workers want to label him as “bad' is because of the things they do when carrying out their official duties are really really bad.
Prosecutor Jin Jeong carries a wooden sword with words engraved on it that say “Anti-justice can not beat justice.” He zealously wields that sword figuratively and literally. Sometimes he gets into confrontations with criminals and has to defend himself. But he truly believes those words that his father taught him and tries to live by them.
Jin Jeong knew that some prosecutors had ways to erase dirty deeds, he simply developed ways to work around them so that justice could be served. How does that make him a bad prosecutor?
Doh Kyung-soo is the male lead in this series and as a loyal fan, I was not disappointed. The storyline for Bad Prosecutor has room to grow and it would be great if there was a Season 2. But as of June 2023, there is no news in this regard. If you have not watched this K-drama, I recommend adding it to your watch list.
The Witch's Diner is a K-Drama series, based on a novel of the same name; 8 episodes, released in 2021, and started streaming on Viki in March 2023.
Be careful what you wish for.
Jeong Jin (played by Nam Ji-Hyun, “100 Days My Prince) was approached by a witch who told her she could make one wish. She wished for REVENGE! Her wish came true but she was filled with regret. From that time forward she tried her best to dissuade others from making their “one wish”. Or at the very least they should think long and hard before making it. Because once they made their wish, it could not be reversed. No matter how hard she tried, she could not convince others NOT to make a wish.
How are the wishes granted?
There is a restaurant called The Witch's Diner. The sign outside says wishes will be granted. Guaranteed! When the customer makes a wish, the witch prepares a dish for them to eat. They must eat everything and their one wish will come true.
This series is categorized as dark fantasy. But I thought it was a delightful fantasy. My main complaint about this K-drama series? I don't know where to find the recipes. Those dishes the witch prepared looked delicious! Personally, I would love to taste the Mind Comforting Tomato Soup.
I have watched the movie “Enter the Dragon” many times. The movie came out in 1973. The first time I saw it was memorable. I went with my big sister to the movies. To watch it. That fight scene with the mirrors is burned in my memory.
In 2015, I stumbled upon this cool art. I never knew there was a comic book! Isn't the Internet a wonderful thing?
If you are a loyal Bruce Lee fan then I have no doubt that you love this picture! Below is a description of what it is.
"The
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu was an American black-and-white martial arts
comics magazine published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling
of Marvel Comics. A total of 33 issues were published from 1974 to
1977, plus one special edition. Additionally, a color Marvel comic
titled simply Deadly Hands of Kung Fu was published as a 2014
miniseries.” (SOURCE: Wikipedia)
Fans of Monica Belluci will likely agree that this was her best film ever! It's the most touching love story about true genuine everlasting love and about how hateful people can be really cruel to an innocent woman who has done them no wrong.
My tribute to the iconic and legendary Tony Bennett. From Frank Sinatra and Sean Martin to Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga? Yes! Speaking of the man who left his heart in San Francisco but made his way into the hearts of generations of Americans beginning in 1949. Now that's hip! \
In Memory Of: Anthony Dominick Benedetto aka Tony Bennett (August 3, 1926 - July 21, 2023)
People who know him would describe him as a genuinely warm, humble, and kind-hearted human being. He was not just an entertainer but a civil rights activist who lent his celebrity status to support the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
The late Frank Sinatra or Old Blue Eyes as we liked to call him is considered an American Master, a standard, for all other American entertainers to measure up to. But one of his contemporaries is equally worthy of praise: Tony Bennett, a crooner like no other.
Anthony Dominick Benedetto (1926 - ) is
an American singer; also an actor, artist, and activist.
He is a humble yet
great Italian-American, born in Astoria, Queens, New York who marched
with Martin Luther King Jr. and has been a tireless fighter for equal
rights. Sinatra and Bennett had mutual respect and admiration for one
another. Sinatra once said: “For my money, Tony Bennett is the
best singer in the business. He excites me when I watch him. He moves
me.” Bennett complimented Sinatra by founding a high school in his
hometown that offers diplomas in fine art, dance, vocal and
instrumental music, drama, and film. Whereas he could have named the
school after himself, instead the institution is named Frank
Sinatra School of Arts.
Bennett began singing at an early but
his signature song, "I Left My Heart In San Francisco", was
released in 1962. He has won numerous awards and sold millions of
records and still continues to perform. Several young artists such
as Lady Gaga, and the late Amy Winehouse, were honored to be chosen
to collaborate with him on his “Duets”
album. You can find several YouTube music videos, but for my listening pleasure, I start with this one wonderful collaboration between Bennett and the late Amy Winehouse.*
"Small Island" is a two-part drama adapted for television, included in the BBC Masterpiece Classic Collection, based on a novel by the same title written by Andrea Levy.
*
“Small Island” is a BBC Masterpiece Theater presentation. The name of the main character is Hortense, an idealistic “proper” young Jamaican woman who dreams of living in England and she will fulfill her dream! It may take a little bit of conniving but … she will make it happen!
The setting is the 1940s; during and after the World War II - Jamaica and London.
* Naomie Harris plays Hortense. She is something else!!
If the name Naomie Harris sounds familiar, it should. She starred in the James Bond movie, “Skyfall”. At the end of the movie, she is finally formally introduced to Mr. Bond as “Miss Moneypenny”.
David Oyelowo. That name sound familiar? It should. He was “Danny” in the popular BBC spook TV show, “MI-5”. Also chosen for the role of “Dr. Martin Luther King”, in the Oscar-nominated film “Selma” about the Civil Rights Movement in America.
“Small Island” is a love story and you will love all of the characters; the ones in the starring roles and the supporting roles. They are very realistic and you will feel like you're a part of their lives.
Authentic costumes, great scenery, believable dialogue, stellar performances, and quality entertainment!
My one word to describe this masterpiece? Delightful!
Most memorable line? “Gilbert! I'm perishin' in this bed!” :)
An excellent review and comparison of two war movies both named "Midway". One released in 1976 with a powerful cast of stars including Charlton Heston and his contemporaries, released in 1976. Per the reviewer: "a messy mix of history and melodrama that aimed for historical accuracy but muddled it". Ouch! The remake released in 2019. The cast? Not nearly as impressive. Per the reviewer: "Casual viewers will probably enjoy it; it is, after all, a film about one of the most famous U.S. victories of World War II; ... History buffs, though, will find more that is foul than fair in Midway." Uh-huh. I'm thinking that's not a compliment. According to the movie reviewer Alex Diaz-Granados, it doesn't matter who the actors were, both films were disappointing. Quite frankly, I am very sorry to read this kind of review of a war movie. US military/war movies are for the express purpose of stoking one's patriotic fervor. It makes no sense to make a war movie that sucks! (O.o) There are veterans still alive who survived World War II. If they watch such movies, what must they think? Eh! It is what it is. It's a movie! If you want historical facts on record, you should probably watch a documentary. I suppose if you just want to be entertained you should add either film to your Watch List. But it's unlikely that you'll feel like jumping up and singing the Battle Hymn of the Republic when you get to The End.
Thought the Clutter is an entertainment blog that published a List of 28 Warren Beatty Movies, Ranked Best to Worst. I have never been a huge fan of Warren Beatty. There is no denying he was tall, dark, and handsome. But frankly, I really admired his sister; the enormously talented actress Shirley MacLane. However, giving credit where credit is due:
"Warren Beatty is an American actor and filmmaker who is the second person to be nominated for 'Academy Awards' for acting in, directing, writing, and producing the same film – which he achieved twice for the fantasy-comedy film 'Heaven Can Wait' (1978) and for the historical epic 'Reds' (1981). Of his total 14 'Oscar' nominations, he won the award for 'Best Director' for 'Reds' (1981)."
That quote/fact was lifted from the TTC article list mentioned above. Kudos to Mr. Beatty for his achievements. Even so ... his movies never made it to my 'Oh I'm dying to watch or re-watch this list!" However, if I were going to pick a classic film starring Warren Beatty, it would have to be “Splendor in the Grass” (1961). Yes, the fact that Natalie Wood was the leading lady had a lot to do with it.
Do you like the study of the Renaissance period? If you do, you are not the only one. I’m with you! Not only is that period in history very interesting, but the meaning of the word also gives you a license to apply it to so many other things. Renaissance means “rebirth”. From there it’s a short walk to the road of “rediscovery”. Well, my logic dictates that if you were reborn then you also have to rediscover. Agree?
OK. At this point, my logic may come across a tad bit illogical. But not much.
It’s nice to rediscover jewels from your youth. Although this group is not a rediscovery for me. They’re brand new! Although they’ve been around since 1969 (i.e. my youth), I never heard of them. However, I do like their style. The group is called Renaissance, and they experiment between rock, folk, and classical music forms. According to Wikipedia, the appropriate genre with regard to how to classify their music style is “progressive rock”.
How would I describe their sound? Are you familiar with the Irish singer Enya? The vocals for this group have that charming soothing Celtic kind of tone in their voices just like this fabulous lady. The instrumentalists sound like classically trained musicians who could have played to entertain the kings and queens of the Middle Ages; so it’s no surprise that they were invited to perform at Carnegie Hall (Manhattan, New York USA) and Royal Albert Hall (South Kensington, London, England).
To date, they have released 89 albums. Listed below are just a few.
The
Secret Romantic Guesthouse (2023) is a Viki
Original series, based on the web novel of the same name by Kim
Jung Hwa. Close to 6000 Viki viewers have given it an overall rating
of 9.6 out of 10 stars. I agree.
There
are three
flower scholars who become guests at Ihwawon Inn, an establishment run by a young noble lady named Yoon Dan-oh (played
by Shin Ye-eun).
The first flower scholar is Jung Yu-ha (played by Jung Gun-joo). He is already paying for a room before the other two guests arrive. The ghost rumor does not bother him. He has chosen to live at the inn because it is comfortable and convenient, and he hopes to one day win the heart of Yoon Dan-oh and marry her.
The second flower scholar is Kang San (played by Go Yoon-hwan better known as Ryeoun). He came to town in order to take the civil service exam for martial arts and hopefully become a member of the king's royal guard. He is looking for a place to stay and Yoon
Dan-oh persuades (or rather she “tricks”) him into staying at the inn.
The third flower scholar is Kim Shi-yeol (played by Kang Hoon). He has no money but he did try to help a damsel in distress. Yoon Dan-oh is being harassed by a nobleman, along with his friends, who are trying to compel her to get married. He arrives at her in, slightly bruised and battered. He tells her she should repay the debt by allowing him to stay at Ihwawon Inn.
Two
of the scholars have a secret identity and are on a secret mission.
One of the scholars has a secret identity that even he does not know
about, but he is also on a secret mission. One of the three scholars
is the crown prince whose life was saved by Yoon Dan-oh thirteen (13)
years ago. Which one?
Beware of a wolf in sheep's clothing. Narco-Saints is a Netflix series released September 2022, and based on the true story based on the true story of a drug lord named Jo Bong-haeing. This criminal creep is definitely not the hero of the story. The hero is an honest businessman from South Korea who traveled to Suriname to set up an honest exporting business with his dear friend.
Kang In-gu (played by Ha Jung-woo) is the business andPastor Jeon Yo-hwan (played by Hwang Jung-min). is the wolf in sheep's clothing; a drug lord pretending to be a servant of the Lord.
Kamg In-gu'ss friend is brutally murdered and he gets falsely accused and thrown into prison for drug smuggling. While in prison he is visited by someone from the National Intelligence Service and is recruited to participate in a secret operation. The goal of the operation is to capture the drug lord who deceived him and murdered his friend. Uh oh! The wolf has grabbed a tiger by the tail. HE'S GOING DOWN!!
Business Proposal is a Netflix Series released in 2022.
What is the best way to avoid going on blind dates? There are two different answers to that question.
1) Get your friend to show up for the date in your place and have her put on an act that will make the blind date run away and never look back!
-OR-
2) Propose marriage to your blind date. For real?? No! Of course, it is not a real marriage proposal. But it is a real business proposal.
Shin Ha-ri (played by Kim Se-jeong) works as part of Go Food's Food Development Team One.
She not only comes up with great recipes but creative ideas of how to turn the company's food products into best sellers. Her parents run a restaurant that sells great fried chicken. Her family, which also includes a younger brother, is not rich but they live comfortably and are happy. Her BFF (best friend forever) is Jin Young-seo.
Jin Young-seo hates the idea of arranged marriages and wants to marry for love. The problem is she keeps getting set up to go on blind dates to meet her “future husband”. But it's not really a “problem” because she has found the perfect way to get out of going on these dates. She sends her BFF instead.
Kang Tae-moo (played by Ahn Hyo-seop) is the president of Go Food.
He did not work his way up the corporate ladder. His grandfather put him in charge. But nobody can accuse him of not doing his job. He runs the business operations successfully, not just in South Korea, but in foreign markets as well.
Kang Tae-moo's grandfather wants him to marry so that hopefully he will see his grandchild before he departs this life. But Tae-moo has “issues” and does his best to avoid marriage. Kang Tae-moo's grandfather orders him to go on blind dates until he finds the woman who will become his mate for life. OR ELSE!!
Shin Ha-ri shows up pretending to be Young-seo, not realizing that the blind date is HER BOSS! Shin Ha-ri does everything she can to discourage him and make him dislike her, not realizing that Tae-moo didn't want to be on the date either.
Tae-moo thinks her behavior is strange but he is distracted by his own thoughts. He's thinking of how to avoid the remaining blind dates his grandfather set up for him. He comes up with the perfect way to get out of going on these dates. He proposes marriage to Shin Ha-ri.
WHAT???!!!!
No worries. It's not a marriage proposal. It's a business proposal.
Shin Ha-ri signs a contract pretending to be his future wife. She goes FROM pretending for her best friend TO pretending for her best friend's blind date. That way Kang Tae-moo's grandfather can stop pestering him and he can keep being married to his work.
Why do the best-laid plans always seem to backfire?
On this list my favorite actress is Number 10. Kim Yoo Jung.
She has been acting since she was a child and I like to call her the “Korean Shirley Temple” because her acting skills, even from when she was a little girl was impressive. No surprise she has grown up in the business and they still offer her parts. I have seen her in many series and movies and even when she played a support role or a small part, I still liked her. She comes across as being a beautiful person, both inside and out. Just to name a few of the roles that I remember her from:
* Tamra Island
* Dong Yi
* Iljimae
* Love in the Moonlight
* Moon Embracing the Sun
Most recently, she starred in A Viki Original Series, “Lovers of the Red Sky”. (I published a review on Read.Cash. )
Joseon
Attorney: A Morality (2023) is a historical Korean drama series that stars
Woo Do-Hwan. Fans of this popular South Korean actor are very
pleased with his performance in this webtoon adaptation as the Joseon
attorney Kang Han-Soo.
For
Money, Justice, or Revenge?
Kang
Han-Soo (played by Woo
Do-Hwan) was supposed to be dead. His father
was falsely accused and executed. The false accusers then went to
his home and killed his mother by hanging her, making it appear as a
suicide. The people behind the brutal murder of his parents believed
that he had died when his family home was burned down. But he survived,
grew up, and studied to become a lawyer. He has a childhood friend
who helps him with various court cases.
Initially, he creates the
impression that he is only practicing law for the money. But his plan also includes getting revenge for the unjust deaths of his parents. However,
when he takes different cases to defend commoners and slaves who have
been wronged by greedy corrupt noblemen and wins, the people praise
him for his noble efforts.
Kpopmap.com
supplied an excellent summary of this K-drama series: “Originally
by Sim Gun and Writer Jeong, "Joseon Lawyer" is a hugely
popular historical webtoon about a manipulative lawyer who
orchestrates lawsuits and takes advantage of the victims but
accidentally gets hailed as a savior of the people, which leads him
to reflect upon himself and grow as a true server of justice.”
Although Mission Kashmir was released more than 20 years ago, it's still a good movie. If you have not watched it you should add it to your watch list.
This is a quick movie review/recommendation of an Indian film starring some of Bollywood’s finest: Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta, and others. The name of this film is "Mission Kashmir". My alternate title for this movie is “Crayons and a Pink House”.
When Divyansh Pandey picked this topic to write about, he probably did not realize it but he picked a part of the world to write about that is of interest to me. His description of this wonderland is both charming and sad. In one instance, he calls Kashmir the “Switzerland of India” but in the title of his post, he calls this place “The Bleeding Heaven”. Extracted some profound and thought-provoking statements from the short article written by Mr. Pandey:
“Kids are picked up from school by militants and brainwashed to fight against India. For them, Its like ‘Born in Heaven brought up in hell’.”
(NOTE: The site where the article was published was shut down and I have been unable to find an online copy of the content republished elsewhere on the web.)
My interest in Kashmir developed after watching a film that was released in 2000 called “Mission Kashmir”. It was very sobering and there were two sentences or phrases that played over and over in my mind long after the movie had ended.
Movie Quote 1: “Were you dreaming of a pink house?”
Movie Quote 2: “… placing carbines instead of crayons in the hands of innocent children …”
Please bear in mind that my nationality is American, so my perspectives are that of an outsider. For me, the fragile thread of humanity extends all around the world and can so easily be snapped at any point. Kashmir, in my humble opinion, is one of those points.
A great movie! If you have not seen it, you should add it to your watch list.
♦
References:
Pandey, D. (2015, June 15). Kashmir: The bleeding Heaven – Bubblews. Retrieved from: bubblews.com/posts/kashmir-the-bleeding-heaven (Article unpublished.)
Shaikh, Mohammed Uzair. (2016, July 17). Tale of Kashmir: Who is entitled to the ‘bleeding heaven’ –India or Pakistan? – India. Retrieved from http://www.india.com/news/india/tale-of-kashmir-who-is-entitled-to-the-bleeding-heaven-india-or-pakistan-1337197/
JUNG_E
is a Korean sci-fi movie, released in 2023, and currently streaming
on Netflix. It is set in the post-apocalyptic world in the 22nd
century (the year is 2194) and an institute is working on a special
project to create the ultimate soldier who will always win!
The
real soldier, Captain Yun Jung-yi, was injured during a battle and
ended up in a coma. Her “consciousness” has been kept alive and
a team of scientific researchers have been trying to recreate her by
copying her brain data and putting it into android bodies.
The
research team is led by Yun Seo-hyun, the daughter of Captain Yun
Jung-yi. Yun
Seo-hyun found out that Kronoid, the institute she worked for, had
changed the mission of her project. Instead of creating the perfect
soldier for combat, her mother's consciousness was going to be placed
into androids who would perform “other tasks”, such as serving
as a porn toy to fulfill a person's sexual fantasies.
Yun Seo-hyun
is horrified at the thought of her mother being demeaned and comes up
with a daring plan to rescue her.
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