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.)
“Search Out” is a 2020 Korean movie, categorized as Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological, Thriller, and Police Procedural; and streaming on KOCOWA+.
SUMMARY: Two friends unite with a hacker to find the person responsible for encouraging people to commit suicide. That person is a murderer. It could be more than one.
♦ That's Too Many Suicides. Aren't the Police Suspicious?
In “Search Out”, Joon-Hyeok has been diligently searching for a job with no success. Meanwhile, he created a profile for himself on social media and named himself “WishGiver”. Basically, if he can, he will grant your wish. One guy had an easy wish. 'Can you help me move my stuff?' He just needed some help moving out of his apartment. If only everyone's wishes were that easy.
Sung-Min is Joon-Hyeok's close friend. He is also jobless. Unlike Joon-Hyeok, who is open to job opportunities, Sung-Min just wants one particular job: to become a policeman. But he never passes the civil service exam. He even went to a shaman, and the shaman told him to give up because he'll never pass. That did not discourage him. This is a dream he won't give up. ...
“Rommel.” Hitler smiled a ghastly smile that was almost one of triumph.
“So, the Desert Fox wishes to play games.”
“I’m almost certain of it.”
“The people’s hero,” Hitler said. “We must handle him carefully, wouldn’t you say?”
“Or outfox him, my Fuhrer,” Himmler said softly.
“Outfox him. Outfox the Desert Fox.” Hitler smiled delightfully.“Yes, I like that, Reichsfuhrer. I like that very much indeed.”
♦ The dialogue above is extracted from “Night of the Fox”, a novel by Jack Higgins.
Almost everybody knows Harry Patterson, better known as Jack Higgins. He is an international bestselling suspense thriller author who is among the world’s most popular writers. He is remembered by many for his novel, “The Eagle Has Landed” (1975), but his book “Night of the Fox” (1986) is equally impressive. Though his books are works of fiction, the writer’s efforts to research the historical events on which the plots are based were painstakingly real. For example, part of his research involved actually meeting with and reviewing the diaries of a woman who was trapped in Jersey during World War II.
“Night of the Fox”, was also made into a movie (1990), which starred two of my favorite actors, George Peppard (as American officer, Col. Harry Martineau) and Michael York (as high-ranking German officer, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the “Desert Fox”).
The book “The Eagle Has Flown” is a sequel to “The Eagle Has Landed”. Fans of novels by Higgins consider it worthy as a classic thriller; however, it was not adapted to film.
Nevertheless, if you are compiling a private library of WWII suspense thrillers, this 3-in-1 would be a great addition!
Image credits: Photos found at Wikipedia. General Field Marshall Erwin Rommel in December 1943; and Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1977-119-08, Erwin Rommel with Adolf Hitler. Book cover at Amazon.
“There Will Be Blood” (2007) is a movie starring Daniel Day-Lewis. He won an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.
If you are a fan, then you will love the actor, but you will hate the character he played. Oh my! What a horrible, awful, awful man!! You never want to meet someone like that in real life! If you know someone like that, then surely you must go in the opposite direction every time it looks like you're going cross paths. If I were keeping a list of movies I hate, this film would be at the top of the list. I HATED THIS MOVIE!!!
If you are a loyal fan of Daniel Day-Lewis (Sir Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis) then you have probably seen this movie. It’s not a recent film. It was released 10+ years ago. The movie is “There Will Be Blood”.
I don’t care for all of the movies where Daniel Day-Lewis is the star, even if he is a “Sir”. But I do know that he always gives 200% whenever he gives a performance.
This film won 2 Oscars. One award was for Best Achievement in Cinematography: Robert Elswit. The other was given to Daniel Day-Lewis for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.
He was good! He played his part well. He was so good that I HATED HIM!!
I HATED THIS MOVIE!!!
If I met any of those people in real life, I would run away from them!
I only liked 2 characters: the adopted son (of Daniel Day-Lewis) and the girl he fell in love with.
As for the character played by Daniel Day-Lewis and that preacher he was always butting heads with?
I HATED BOTH OF THEM! I HATED THEIR GUTS!!
So was there blood? If you have not seen the movie, I don’t want to spoil it for you, but … yeah! Blood was definitely shed.
Sean Fennessey, a writer for The Ringer, a publication that covers sports, pop culture, and tech, provided a succinct description of this film in his movie review:
Never crawl out? Never??
What a relief to know that it was just a movie and not a historical account of real events.
So relax. If you are pursuing the American dream … dream on!
♦ "There Will Be Blood" has some excellent behind-the-scenes trivia.
Paul Dano was originally cast only in a small part as Paul Sunday, but a few weeks into filming, he was asked by director Paul Thomas Anderson to also play Eli Sunday, effectively giving him two roles in the movie.
The film’s iconic metaphor, “I drink your milkshake,” was adapted from a real historical analogy used by U.S. Senator Albert Fall during testimony about oil drainage and the Teapot Dome scandal.
The celebrated score by Jonny Greenwood was ineligible for an Academy Award because it incorporated material from his existing compositions, yet it still won awards and became highly influential.
The opening of the film has very little spoken dialogue, emphasizing atmosphere and character through visuals and sound rather than words.
Daniel Day-Lewis appears in nearly every scene of the film, and his immersive take on the role has been noted as a key element in the movie’s haunting impact.
At one time, Cary Grant (1904 - 1986) was one of Hollywood's main leading men. He was certainly one of my favorite actors. He has been acting since the 1930s, but most of the movies I remember watching when I was growing up were released in the late 1940s and the 1950s.
Watching old movies is one of my favorite things, especially during the holiday season. Christmas is not until December, but I hope no qualms about starting the celebrations as soon as the autumn season is officially declared. The last week of September is usually the first week of the fall season. Here are my 2 picks for Cary Grant movies to watch for the Christmas season. It's best to watch in December.
Movie #1: The Bishop's Wife (1947), leading lady, Loretta Young Cary Grant is an angel from heaven named Dudley. He came down to earth in response to the Bishop's prayer for guidance, and in the process of performing his ministerial angel duties, he ends up spending most of his time with the bishop's unhappy wife. The answer to the bishop's prayer lies in his realizing that in the performance of his duties as bishop and a husband, he had somehow misplaced his priorities. All he needed was to get back on the right path. It's a warm and fuzzy feel-good kind of movie that is best watched during the Christmas holiday season.
Movie #2: An Affair to Remember (1957), leading lady, Deborah Kerr
What happens when two (2) lovers make an arrangement to meet at a certain place, on a certain date, at a certain time, with the intention to get married and living happily ever after … only one of the lovers does not show up at that certain place and time, as per the arrangement? Another love story and a real tear-jerker! My favorite part of the movie was where Deborah Kerr started crying, but she took her handkerchief and started wiping the tears from Cary Grant's face. He gently took the handkerchief away from her and started wiping her tears. She was the one crying. Not him! It was a love affair to remember. I remembered it and have rewatched the movie more than once. It wasn't a Christmas movie, but that touching love scene happened during a Christmas holiday.
The
list below is 5 Korean movies I have already watched or are on my
watchlist. The “H” means the film is historical.
Castaway on the Moon (2009)
I Saw the Devil (2010)
Swordbrothers: The Showdown (2011)-H
Nameless Gangster (2012)
Perfect Number (2012)
♦
1)
Castaway on the Moon (2009)
Kim
Seung-Keun (played by Jung Jae-Young) goes to a bridge over the
Han River because he is contemplating suicide. He jumps but instead
of dying he ends up stranded on a deserted island in the middle of
Seoul. Looks like it just wasn't his day to die. Once he gets
adjusted to his new life, he decides living a solitary life is not so
bad, even though he still wrote out a message in the sand “HELP”,
just in case.
Kim
Jung-Yeon (played by Jung Ryeo-Won) also lives a solitary life
and never leaves her apartment. Her hobby is taking photos of the
moon. But one night she happened to see “HELP” written in the
sand and a figure of a man walking on the shore of the deserted
island.
It's
a very unusual way for two solitary people to connect.
♦
2)
I Saw the Devil (2010)
This
K-drama is a gripping and suspenseful thriller. So-Hyun (played
by Lee Byung-Hun, “Concrete
Utopia”, “Mr.
Sunshine”) is an agent for the NIS (National
Intelligence Service). When his fiancée is murdered by a serial
killer, he uses his KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities) as a
secret agent to relentlessly pursue the killer. If he catches the
murderer alive, the right thing to do is turn him over to law
enforcement for trial and conviction. However, since he is a covert
agent, he might blur the lines between right and wrong, and misuse his
“license to kill”.
♦
3)
Swordbrothers: The Showdown
(2011)
This
is a Korean historical period drama, and the setting is Manchuria,
China, 1619. Heon-myung (played by Park Hee-soon, “The
Bequeathed”), Do-young (played by Jin Goo, “Shadow
Detective”), and
Du-soo (played by Ko Chang-seok) are
three swordsmen from Joseon who are forced to come to China by the
Ming Dynasty. They
tried to take refuge in a tavern but found themselves cornered by
Manchu forces.
Do
you love intense sword-fighting scenes in historical K-dramas? Then
you'll love this movie.
♦
4)
Nameless Gangster: Rules of the
Time (2012)
Set
in the 1980s, this gritty crime drama follows a corrupt customs
officer who rises to power in the criminal underworld. Choi
Ik-Hyun (played by Choi Min-Sik, “In
Our Prime”) is caught accepting bribes. He
wasn't the only dirty officer, but he is the one who took the blame.
One night, while still being employed as a customs officer, he discovers
a stash of illegal drugs in a warehouse. Since he had to leave his
honest job where he was dishonest, he made up his mind to become
completely dishonest. It turns out he's related to a crime boss,
Choi Hyung-Bae (played by Ha Jung-Woo, “Narco
Saints”), so they become partners in crime and
take over the Busan underworld.
♦
5)
Perfect Number (2012)This film is a mystery thriller. Suk-Go (played by Ryoo Seung-Bum, “The Berlin File”) is a math genius. That's the highlight of his life. He's good with numbers, but not much else, and lives as a recluse. Hwa-Sun (played by Lee Yo-Won, “The Great Queen Seondeok”) is his neighbor. He makes no effort to establish any kind of neighborly bond. She moved there because she was trying to escape her abusive, violent boyfriend, only he found her.
Suk-Go hears sounds coming from his neighbor's house, which are obviously the noises made when people are having a violent fight. Hwa-Sun manages to kill her ex-boyfriend. Suk-Go knocked on the door to ask if there was a problem, and when he entered the house, he saw the dead body.
Hwa-Sun does not try to stop him from calling the police, but she asks him if he would listen to her side of the story before making the call. Suk-Go decides to help her cover up what happened.
Hwa-Sun accepts his help, but later she starts wondering, “What's his angle”? She starts adding things up in her mind. Why did he help her? Does he have dark secrets? Is he a psycho who is worse than her ex-boyfriend? I mean … she didn't even know him, and he volunteered to. Things don't seem to quite add up. It's not just math!
This movie is based on the 2005 novel "Yogisha X no Kenshin" ("The Devotion of Suspect X").
If you were to ask any Brando fan to name their favorite Brando movies, I seriously doubt that "The Ugly American" would be on anybody's list. Nevertheless, I'm recommending this movie. Why? Because ...
The novel “The Ugly American” was published in 1958 and in 1963, the book was adapted to film by Universal Pictures. Marlon Brando (1924 – 2004) played the part of Ambassador Harrison Carter MacWhite. Many critics gave Brando great reviews for his acting; however other critics did not have praise for either the movie or Brando. If you're a fan, you can watch this movie on YouTube, in English, with Spanish subtitles and decide for yourself.
I discovered the art of Monica Stewart while searching for work by African-American artists similar to that of Lavarne Ross. Mr. Ross knows how to capture motion, and his most famous work is called "Tribute", which features African ballerinas. Ms. Stewart's art radiates grace, movement, and emotional depth.
Admirers have nothing but good things to say about this gifted female artist. Monica Stewart’s art has been described as “a contemporary expression of culture and sisterhood” because she captures “women of color celebrating life”. She gives her work “an authentic, ethnic flavor”.
The next time you watch the movies “Waiting to Exhale” or “Romeo Must Die”, watch them very carefully. Her artwork has been showcased via these films. Cool huh? :)
Stewart is best known for her pastel paintings, which she loves for their brilliance and flexibility.
Her work often centers on Black women, capturing moments of joy, reflection, and sisterhood. She once said, “I have a good understanding of myself as a woman, so I do tend to paint a lot of women”.
Her art explores universal human experiences, aiming to evoke personal meaning for each viewer.
🖼️ Famous Works
Some of her most popular pieces include:
“Unity” – a vibrant portrayal of African-American women dancing in harmony.
“Graceful Motion”, “Dance of Joy”, and “Rejoice!” – all celebrate movement, rhythm, and spiritual uplift.
Her prints have appeared in films like Waiting to Exhale, Romeo Must Die, and the sitcom Living Single.
🏆 Recognition & Impact
Stewart’s art has been featured on California State Lottery and Bank of America calendars, as well as family record books, journals, and photo albums.
She’s a nationally recognized artist, with her work displayed in galleries and stores across the U.S.
Though she didn’t complete her formal art degree, her talent was nurtured early on and reignited in the 1990s, thanks in part to encouragement from novelist Terry McMillan, who was one of her first collectors.
Today is August 29, 2020, and I was not expecting this shocking news. A brilliant talent has departed this life far too soon. Chadwick Boseman (1976–2020). He chose his acting roles carefully. No doubt he will be remembered for being the first black superhero portrayed in American films. He was Black Panther.
Other roles he played he chose likely because they were people he admired and praised:
James Brown (known as the hardest working man in show business and the godfather of soul), and
Jackie Robinson (first African American to play in Major League Baseball).
Mr. Boseman suffered quietly for 4 years but in the end, lost his life to colon cancer. "Deaths from colorectal cancer. In the United States, colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and in women, and the second most common cause of cancer deaths when men and women are combined. It's expected to cause about 53,200 deaths during 2020." (Source: Colorectal Cancer Statistics | How Common Is Colorectal Cancer?) As expected tributes to this young man are pouring in via Twitter.
Chadwick Boseman quote worth remembering: "press on with pride and press on with purpose.”
Do you like Bollywood movies? Bollywood is a name inspired by the word “Hollywood”, the word that is synonymous with American cinema, films, and movies. It merges “Bombay” and “Hollywood” and is used to refer to Hindi or Indian cinema. I enjoy watching Bollywood movies. The music and dancing are always great. The comedies can be very funny. The science-fiction flicks are kind of quirky. But the drama films? Oh, the drama!!! Full of life’s complexities. Mixed marriages: not so much interracial, but interfaith, i.e. two different religions. Main characters always faced with choosing sides: loyalty to family versus allegiance to country, or on a broader scale, to the world we live in. Having to answer life’s difficult questions:
● Where do I take a stand?
● How do I defend my loved ones?
● If I know or even suspect imminent danger, isn't it my duty to warn others, so they can protect themselves?
There are 3 specific movies that address and answer these questions. Producers and directors of Bollywood cinema did not shy away from the content but chose to address the post 9/11 environment in the United States, broach the topic of terrorism, and bring it even closer to home in three films: “Kurbaan”, “My Name is Khan”, and “New York”. Each film starts out with a loving couple, who should be like every other loving couple in the whole wide world: bonded together in a blissful union by promises of fidelity, secure in the hope of living happily ever after forever. The happily ever after part of their lives is going quite well until … 9/11 happens.
Kurbaan is an intense Bollywood drama; a love story set against the backdrop of a terrorist plot.
My Name is Khan is the story of a loving couple in this movie. Even though the man suffers from Asperger syndrome, he is very gifted in many ways. However, a tragic incident tests their relationship.
New York is a movie about three all-American kids. Indian-Americans studying at a university, doing all the things that crazy college students do while pursuing their higher education, and then, 9/11 happens.
Of these films, my favorite is “My Name is Khan”. I’m not the only one who was impressed with this movie. Fox Star Entertainment, an American company, thought so highly of this foreign film that they bought the distribution rights to it.
Have you watched any of these films? If not, you should put them on your watch list. ♦♦
Neo-noir
is a modern take on classic film noir, which thrived in the
1940s–1950s. South Korea
began embracing neo-noir elements in cinema during the late
1990s and early 2000s,
with films like Oldboy
(2003) and Memories of
Murder (2003) setting the
tone.
Neo-noir
K-dramas are highly
popular among international audiences,
especially fans of psychological thrillers and crime dramas. Their
appeal lies in:
Complex
antiheroes and
morally gray characters
Stylized
visuals with moody
lighting and urban landscapes
Themes
of revenge, corruption, and existential dread
Directors
like Park Chan-wook
(“Decision to Leave”)
helped elevate the genre globally.
Decision
to Leave is actually a South Korean neo-noir
romantic mystery film, not a K-Drama. It was directed by
Park Chan-wook, who co-wrote the screenplay with
Jeong Seo-kyeong. Here’s what you need to know:
Based
on OR Inspired by?
The film is an original
story, not based on
any existing work.
Release
Date: Premiered at
the Cannes Film
Festival on May
23, 2022, and was
released theatrically in South
Korea on June
29, 2022.
Genre:Mystery, Thriller,
Romance, Drama.
Filming
Locations: Primarily
filmed in South
Korea, including
Busan.
Detective
Jang Hae-jun,
a dedicated investigator suffering from insomnia,
is assigned to a case involving the mysterious death of a retired
immigration officer, Ki
Do-soo, found at the
base of a mountain he frequently climbed. As Hae-jun delves into the
case, he meets Song
Seo-rae, the
deceased’s enigmatic widow. Though Seo-rae’s lack of grief and
suspicious injuries make her a prime suspect, Hae-jun finds himself
drawn to her in ways that compromise his judgment.
As the
investigation unfolds, Hae-jun becomes obsessed
with Seo-rae, watching her from afar and engaging in intimate
conversations that blur the lines between detective and suspect. His
growing infatuation leads him to cover
up evidence, despite
realizing that Seo-rae may have orchestrated her husband's death.
Their relationship is a delicate dance of trust,
deception, and longing,
culminating in a tragic separation.
A year
later, Hae-jun, now struggling with depression,
encounters Seo-rae again—this time married to a wealthy
businessman. When her new husband is found dead, Hae-jun is once
again drawn into her orbit, suspecting her involvement. As he pieces
together the truth, Seo-rae makes a final,
haunting decision,
leaving Hae-jun devastated and forever searching for answers.
This blog post is about one of my favorite Indian actors, Aamir Khan. It's
fair to say that he is one of the first Indian actors I came to know
who made me want to watch more Indian and Hindi cinema, even though
they have to be English-subtitled. His full name is Mohammed Aamir
Hussain Khan. He started his career as a child actor.
“In
2001, he founded Aamir Khan Productions, whose first release, Lagaan,
was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
and earned him a National Film Award for Best Popular Film and two
more Filmfare Awards (Best Actor and Best Film).” (Quote Source:
Wikipedia)
My first favorite AK film? Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001) –
As far as the storyline goes, people are living in this small
Indian village, being oppressed by the British rulers. One of the men
in the village is Bhuvan (played by Aamir Khan). He challenges this
arrogant British guy, Captain Andrew Russell (played by Paul
Blackthorne), to a game of cricket. If he wins, the Brits can't
collect any taxes. Well, the Captain is so certain that he will win,
he agrees.
The villagers are wondering if Bhuvan has LOST HIS MIND!
He doesn't know how to play cricket!! The captain's sister,
Elizabeth Russell (played by Rachel Shelley), knows her brother is a
proud, crude, and cruel jerk! She also knows the villagers don't know
the rules of the game. So she secretly teaches Bhuvan and the
villagers how to play the game so that at least they have a chance of
winning.
I am not really familiar with any of Aamir Khan's work
before this film was released. I liked the movie for its historical
value, but also because it was the film that introduced me to this
cultured and refined actor. He really left a lasting impression. By
the way, the word “Lagaan” means “tax”. This movie has won
several awards. It was even nominated for an Oscar in the category
of Best Foreign Language Film. Definitely Oscar-worthy.
My second favorite AK film? Fanaa (2006) – A painfully beautiful
love story; emphasis on the pain part. A young man, Rehan Qadri
(played by Aamir Khan), meets a blind girl, Zooni Ali Beg (played by
Kajol). He falls in love and pays for her to have eye surgery to
regain her vision. The surgery is successful ONLY … she does not
know who paid for the operation, and she never knew what Rehan looked
like.
When they meet again, she falls in love with him, not realizing
that he was the one who helped her regain her eyesight. They get married
and have a son. The problem is that she does not know her husband is
linked to a terrorist organization.
When she finally realizes his secret, she
is faced with a major decision. Should she report her husband, the
father of her child, to the law enforcement authorities so they can
capture him? The story was so tragic yet so touching and beautiful.
I was extremely moved by the performances of both Aamir Khan and his
leading lady, Kajol.
[UPDATE: March 20, 2025 - You know what they say. Get it while it's HOT! Apologies, but the movie that was once available on YouTube to watch online for free, is no longer available. For more info, please scroll down to the bottom of this post. Thank you.]
**
Maureen O'Hara is one of my favorite actresses. (Born Maureen FitzSimons; 1920 – 2015). She was an Irish actress and singer. I remember her for her flaming red hair. I thought she was gorgeous! I have seen her in so many movies. But I found a movie that I had not seen. She starred in this movie with another one of my favorite male leading actors, Jeff Chandler (born Ira Grossel; 1918 – 1961).
* Flame of Araby (a.k.a. Flame of the Desert), released in 1951. *
Jeff Chandler plays the part of Bedouin
chief Tamerlaine and Maureen O'Hara plays the Tunisian Princess
Tanya. Of course, you know as soon as they meet sparks fly! They
make a charismatic onscreen couple. The Bedouin chief is searching
for the legendary black stallion Shahzada. To be the one who catches this prize steed is all he could ever want. All that he could ever want that is …
until he met the Princess Tanya.
It's a love story with both a hero and
a heroine. A wonderful wholesome family movie. I enjoyed it!
**
You can watch this classic film on Daily Motion. (However, it may not be in your language.)
If you like crime thrillers, you'll like the movie called "Georgetown" (2019). The name caught my attention because there is Georgetown, Texas, a city near where I live and then there is Georgetown near Washington, D.C. I used to work in D.C. and it's a lively place. This movie was set in the historic neighborhood of Georgetown, in the District of Columbia (D.C.)
The reviewers at RogerEbert.com gave the film 2 stars and Rotten Tomatoes gave it 3 stars. Not sure why the ratings were so low. High caliber actors were in this film: Vanessa Redgrave, Annette Bening, and Christoph Waltz. I would give 1 star fir each and the another star for the film. That's 4 stars!
I did not realize until The End that it was based on a true story. Yeah. That creep was an idiot and he really did kill his wife.
The real guy's name is Albrecht Muth.
The name of the character in the movie was Ulrich Mott (played by Christoph Waltz).
In April 2014, Albrecht Muth, 49 years old, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 50 years in prison for first-degree murder of his wife.
Even though it would not make my top 10 list, it's a good movie for a Friday night.
