Mr. Queen

tags: comedy, Kdrama, mystery, sageuk, time-slip

This new Korean drama sageuk (historical fiction) has 16 episodes that started December 12 and 13. The first 2 episodes are mostly comedy with a present day male chef who drowns and finds himself in the body of the designated queen during Joseon period. The male chef in a female's body creates hilarious scenes. Shin Hye Sun's performance of the male chef played by Choi Jin Hyuk is nothing but perfection IMHO. 

Shin Hye Sun as queen on her wedding day

Highly recommended for Korean sageuk drama and comedy fans.

Alice In Borderland

Coming to Netflix streaming on December 10, 2020 - Alice In Borderland, starring the busiest young actor in Japan, Yamazaki Kento. The TV series is based on Manga. An aimless gamer and his two friends find themselves in a parallel Tokyo, where they're forced to compete in a series of sadistic games to survive. 

Derry Girls On The Great British Bake Off

Must watch: Derry Girls (and Boy) on The Great British Baking Show Holidays, Episode 2, now streaming on Netflix. It was so much fun watching actors with zero or limited baking experience do their very best to bake cakes. They are as funny and genuine as their characters on the show, Derry Girls.  

Watch seasons 1 and 2 on Netflix streaming (warning: salty language). I can't wait for the new season to stream.

Adam Bede

tags: classics, George Eliot, historical fiction
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

from Wikipedia

According to The Oxford Companion to English Literature (1967), "the plot is founded on a story told to George Eliot by her aunt Elizabeth Evans, a Methodist preacher, and the original of Dinah Morris of the novel, of a confession of child-murder, made to her by a girl in prison."

The novel follows four characters' rural lives in the fictional community of Hayslope, a rural, pastoral, and close-knit community in 1799. The novel revolves around the beautiful but self-absorbed Hetty Sorrel, Captain Arthur Donnithorne - the young squire who seduces her, Adam Bede - her unacknowledged suitor, and Dinah Morris - Hetty's cousin, a fervent, virtuous, and beautiful Methodist lay preacher.

Adam Bede is the first novel written by George Eliot, published in 1859, the story set in 1799 spanning 8 years. The novel is a little over 600 pages and I initially found it a bit difficult to read because of the language at the beginning and scattered throughout the book. Once I got used to the language, it became easier to follow the story and I couldn't put it down. The book has it all - normal village life, death, romance, religion, tragedy, comedy, satire, and a tiny bit of politics. There are pages and pages of religious teachings by Dinah Morris, the young travelling Methodist lay preacher, which readers may not appreciate. They can be skipped and won't affect the story. I actually read them and didn't get bored.

Dinah Morris as a Methodist wears the drabbest clothing and discourages suitors, telling them she will never marry. At 22 years old, she does nothing but preach and minister to the sick and poor. Her aunt, Mrs. Poyser, once stated that she will only marry a Methodist and cripple. Mrs. Poyser is proven wrong. Dinah eventually marries the man she loves who is neither a Methodist nor a cripple.

The book has numerous characters to keep track of, summary from Wikipedia:

• The Bede family:
  • Adam Bede is described as a tall, stalwart, moral, and unusually competent carpenter. He is 26 years old at the beginning of the novel, and bears an "expression of large-hearted intelligence."
  • Seth Bede is Adam's younger brother, and is also a carpenter, but he is not particularly competent, and "...his glance, instead of being keen, is confiding and benign."
  • Lisbeth Bede is Adam's and Seth's mother. She is "an anxious, spare, yet vigorous old woman, clean as a snowdrop."
  • Thias (Matthias) Bede is Adam's and Seth's father. He has become an alcoholic, and drowns in Chapter IV while returning from a tavern.
  • Gyp is Adam's dog, who follows his every move, and looks "..up in his master's face with patient expectation."
• The Poyser family:
  • Martin Poyser and his wife Rachel rent Hall Farm from Squire Donnithorne and have turned it into a very successful enterprise.
  • Marty and Tommy Poyser are their sons.
  • Totty Poyser is their somewhat spoiled and frequently petulant toddler.
  • "Old Martin" Poyser is Mr. Poyser's elderly father, who lives in retirement with his son's family.
  • Hetty Sorrel is Mr. Poyser's orphaned niece, who lives and works at the Poyser farm. Her beauty, as described by George Eliot, is the sort "which seems made to turn the heads not only of men, but of all intelligent mammals, even of women."
  • Dinah Morris is another orphaned niece of the Poysers. She is also beautiful – "It was one of those faces that make one think of white flowers with light touches of colour on their pure petals" – but has chosen to become an itinerant Methodist preacher, and dresses very plainly.
• The Irwine family:
  • Adolphus Irwine is the Rector of Broxton. He is patient and tolerant, and his expression is a "mixture of bonhomie and distinction". He lives with his mother and sisters.
  • Mrs. Irwine, his mother, is "...clearly one of those children of royalty who have never doubted their right divine and never met with any one so absurd as to question it."
  • Pastor Irwine's youngest sister, Miss Anne, is an invalid. His gentleness is illustrated by a passage in which he takes the time to remove his boots before going upstairs to visit her, lest she be disturbed by noise. She and the pastor's other sister Kate are unmarried.
• The Donnithorne family:
  • Squire Donnithorne owns an estate.
  • Arthur Donnithorne, his grandson, stands to inherit the estate; he is twenty years old at the opening of the novel. He is a handsome and charming sportsman.
  • Miss Lydia Donnithorne, the old squire's daughter, is Arthur's unmarried aunt.
• Other characters
• Bartle Massey is the local schoolteacher, a misogynist bachelor who has taught Adam Bede.
• Mr. Craig is the gardener at the Donnithorne estate.
• Jonathan Burge is Adam's employer at a carpentry workshop. Some expect his daughter Mary to make a match with Adam Bede.
• Villagers in the area include Ben Cranage, Chad Cranage, his daughter Chad's Bess, and Joshua Rann.

George Eliot was a great writer, IMHO. I love her satirical, lyrical, and often times comedic scenes. I laughed out loud at the following conversation among the men of the village having a drink, almost at the end of the book. I wonder if Alexandre Dumas who called Adam Bede the masterpiece of the century was also amused. 

Meanwhile the conversation at the head of the table had taken a political turn. Mr. Craig was not above talking politics occasionally, though he piqued himself rather on a wise insight than on specific information. 

 "I'm not again' it - mark my words - I'm not again' it. But it's my opinion as there's them at the head o' this country as are worse enemies to us nor Bony and all the mounseers he's got at his back; for as for the mounseers, you may skewer half-a-dozen of 'em at once as if they war frogs."

"Aye, aye," said Martin Poyser, listening with an air of much intelligence and edification, "they ne'er ate a bit o' beef i' their lives. Mostly sallet, I reckon." 

I also laughed at the village misogynist's descriptions and reasons why he doesn't like women which are always funny and most of his complaints are true anyway. He has a dog which he named Vixen after discovering it is a female but kept it. He refers to Vixen as woman and her puppies babbes as if they are humans. Feminists and the easily offended won't like Mr. Bartle Massey. 

Highly recommended.

Hetty and Arthur story

The Call

tags, fantasy, horror, Korean movie, Netflix streaming, thriller

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

form AsianWiki

Two women live in different times. Seo-yeon (Park Shin-hye) lives in the present day and Young-sook (Jun Jong-seo) lives in the past. They connect with one phone call.

I've been waiting for this movie since the start of the year and was surprised to see it on Netflix this morning available for streaming. It's another satisfying thriller from South Korea and starring one of my favorite actresses, Park Shin-hye. 

2 women from different time lines connect via a land line phone call. The woman from 1999, Young-sook pleaded to Seo-yeon, the woman from 2020, to save her from her stepmother who tries to exorcise her by flogging. The 2 women became friends over the phone and Young-sook changed the past by saving Seo-yeon's father from dying by a fire accident in their house. Changing the past is never a good idea because it unleashed a serial killer, and the evil past of one of the women.

The almost 2 hour movie never lets you relax for even more than 2 minutes as you don't know who's going to die a bloody death next. Park Shin-hye and Jun Jong-seo (Burning) are both very good in the movie.

Highly recommended for Korean movie fans 

Elsewhere

tags: parallel multiverse, mystery, sci-fi, thriller

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

from GoodReads

The fate of the world is in the hands of a father and daughter in an epic novel of wonder and terror by Dean Koontz, the #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense.

Since his wife, Michelle, left seven years ago, Jeffy Coltrane has worked to maintain a normal life for himself and his eleven-year-old daughter, Amity, in Suavidad Beach. It’s a quiet life, until a local eccentric known as Spooky Ed shows up on their doorstep.

Ed entrusts Jeffy with hiding a strange and dangerous object—something he calls “the key to everything”—and tells Jeffy that he must never use the device. But after a visit from a group of ominous men, Jeffy and Amity find themselves accidentally activating the key and discovering an extraordinary truth. The device allows them to jump between parallel planes at once familiar and bizarre, wondrous and terrifying. And Jeffy and Amity can’t help but wonder, could Michelle be just a click away?

Jeffy and Amity aren’t the only ones interested in the device. A man with a dark purpose is in pursuit, determined to use its grand potential for profound evil. Unless Amity and Jeffy can outwit him, the place they call home may never be safe again.

Dean Koontz does it again. The highly entertaining yet scary novel is a short sci-fi thriller with some horrific people and machines alike. Father, daughter, and a new friend face danger while travelling in parallel universes. Dean Koontz is clever by subtly reminding free people what antifa fascists are up to and to be vigilant. Amity's pet domesticated mouse accidentally activates the "key to everything" and travels with Jeffy and Amity to a parallel city. It's cute and a welcome change to Dean Koontz favorite golden retriever.

Highly recommended for Dean Koontz fans.

Christmas With A Prince

tags: Christmas movie, Netflix streaming, romance

⭐

from imdb

Pediatric specialist Tasha Mason is focused on keeping the kids in her ward as healthy as possible. But when the handsome Prince Alexander Cavalieri breaks his leg on a nearby ski-slope, Tasha is forced to allow him to secretly get well on her floor, and she's furious that a spoiled Royal is interrupting the precious healing time her kids need. Soon, however, Tasha learns that some tough love and a lot of Christmas spirit could turn this royal pain into a knight in shining armor.

Netflix and Amazon have started streaming Christmas themed romance movies in November which I think is waaay too early. 

I watched maybe less than half an hour of this movie that should carry a warning: CONTRIVED SCENARIOS AHEAD. The acting and dialog are awful, too clichéd, and cringe-inducing. Both leads are far from the usual beautiful people inhabiting fantasy romances involving princes and princesses. The actor playing the prince has no charisma; he's tall, dark, and retarded. Prince Humperdinck is more charming and princely IMHO. 😉

Do not watch. You'll thank me.

Antifa: Rise of the Black Flags

Can You Forgive Her?

tags: historical fiction, politics, romance, Victorian era, 1000 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

from GoodReads

Alice Vavasor cannot decide whether to marry her ambitious but violent cousin George or the upright and gentlemanly John Grey - and finds herself accepting and rejecting each of them in turn.

Increasingly confused about her own feelings and unable to forgive herself for such vacillation, her situation is contrasted with that of her friend Lady Glencora - forced to marry the rising politician Plantagenet Palliser in order to prevent the worthless Burgo Fitzgerald from wasting her vast fortune.

In asking his readers to pardon Alice for her transgression of the Victorian moral code, Trollope created a telling and wide-ranging account of the social world of his day.

Wow. I finished reading this thousand-page book and I loved it! I've been on a Regency and Victorian era reading period because there are no new books worth my time. I reread some of Jane Austen's books then suddenly remembered I wanted to read Anthony Trollope's books written during the Victorian period. Goodreads readers recommend to start with more-than-a-thousand-page Can You Forgive Her? But what's up with the title? 

“Poor Alice! I hope that she may be forgiven. It was her special fault, that when at Rome she longed for Tibur, and when at Tibur she regretted Rome.”

My answer is of course, I forgive her, Alice Vavasor that is, regardless of her being hard-headed and wishy-washy. She is a very independent young woman, growing up without a mother who died when she was a baby, and her father who hardly pays attention to her. Alice resents her elderly aunts telling her whom to marry and makes a mistake in taking back her promise to marry the handsome and moderately rich gentleman, John Grey. During this time, it's disgraceful for both parties to cancel the engagement and Alice feels she has sinned by doing so and doesn't deserve to be forgiven. 

The other young woman, the wealthy heiress Lady Glencora Palliser, is married to a duke's heir, Plantagenet Palliser. Lady Glencora was in love with a beautiful idler, wastrel, and gambler, Burdo Fitzgerald but was "jumped on" by her titled aunts to marry the better man, Palliser. Both aunts are indeed correct for jumping on Lady Glencora and Alice Vavasor.

The third woman, the rich young widow Mrs. Greenow, the sister of Alice's father spends her time on  matchmaking. She and the characters in her universe provide lots of funny moments although there are plenty of LOL scenes all throughout the book.

One of the love-to-hate characters is the heir to Vavasor Hall, George Vavasor, Alice's first cousin whom she was engaged to briefly when she was only 19 and then again after her disengagement from John Grey, but rejected him both times eventually. He is described as short in stature, with very dark hair and eyebrows, has small hands and feet, and has a scar running from under his left eye down to his jaw. He got the scar when he was just a boy for confronting a burglar in their home. In other words, he is as ugly as sin, even his grandfather says so often. He is also a penniless ne'er do well wastrel and even though a pauper wants a seat at the Parliament, carelessly using Alice's money. He is a brute and a violent man, a total villain. Alice who thinks she is still in love with him but realizes she isn't, is lucky to escape his clutches. 

Anthony Trollope had managed to make George's character evil, murderous, and pathetic but funny in a way. When George was desperate and mad at everyone and everything whom he deems has wronged him including his grandfather, his sister Kate, Alice, John Grey, his uncle, the city, the country, the sun, the universe, he curses at them mightily and thinks of a thousand ways to murder them. Trollope had a way with words that I really like. I wasn't bored at all reading about the countless number of characters and the political parts of the novel. I'll try to read the rest of the series, 5 more books, that are more about the Pallisers and politics.

 Highly recommended for British Victorian historical fiction readers.

Uncle Tom - A Larry Elder Documentary Movie

 

tags: black conservatives, documentary, Larry Elder, nonfiction 

 A must see documentary movie for all Americans. Watch it here or here.

Herman Cain was one of the most amiable and humble self-made black man in my opinion. He should be emulated and celebrated not just by black youth but all young people. The Democrats called him an Uncle Tom for being a conservative Republican. Shame on them. 

Come Armageddon

tags: faith, fantasy, sci-fi, Tathea book 2

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

from GoodReads

After half a millennium, Tathea prepares for the final battle

For five hundred years, Tathea has lain asleep, imprisoned in the forest. Once the Empress of Shinabar, she was pushed out of power when a coup took her husband’s life—a tragedy that led to a miracle. While roaming the wasteland, she learned of the unending battle between good and evil, and a book that could stop the demon Asmodeus forevermore.

It takes centuries, but at last the world is ready for the final battle—the Armageddon that will purge Tathea’s kingdom of evil. The coming of the war is marked by the birth of a child, Sadokhar, who will lead God’s armies into the fray. A battle is looming, and it’s up to Tathea to prepare Sadokhar for Armageddon.

The sequel to Tathea is much darker with wars going on and lives including the animal and plant kingdoms annihilated. Armageddon needs to happen while the devil is unprepared in order to finally defeat him and his minions. The novel is filled with symbolism and philosophy that seem to warn that removing God from people's lives creates wars, chaos,and desolation on earth and possibly beyond. There are great battles between good and evil in this novel. The conversation between Asmodeus and The Man of Holiness is fascinating.

The book was written in early 2000 and I find it a bit prophetic. Currently, worldwide, there are man-made forest fires, bio weapons created in labs, race related anarchy, looting and riots, pedophilia, satanism, etc. These will be man's undoing due to lack of faith and religion among the young and old alike.

The demon Asmodeus [he resembles a real evil person who finances violent riots around the world] to one of his Lords of the Undead:

"Get out! Go and prove your worth! Spread the corruption of tyranny, violence, greed, and oppression until Camassia also tears itself apart! You wanted Armageddon without waiting for me. So go and forge it then. Create it! Reap souls for me. Bring me the cruel, the cowardly, the betrayers, the deceivers, bring me the corrupt to the core!"

First Love

tags: action, comedy, Chinese triad, Japanese, Takashi Miike, yakuza

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Leo is an orphan and a boxer. He works in a Chinese restaurant in Kabuchiko, Tokyo. When he was knocked down by a weaker opponent, he went to have a scan and was told he has a brain tumor. A young girl, Yuri, is a drug addict and working as a prostitute to pay for her abusive father's debts. She hallucinates seeing her father wearing only his underwear and a blanket over his head when the drug effects wear off. She is being held by a demented yakuza couple, Yasu and Julie. Julie, played by the lovely Japanese tarento, Becky, went crazy and made me laugh when she jumps on the hood of the car shouting "Kase!" wanting to kill him with a crowbar and later with a katana because Kase "accidentally" killed a lot of people, the first one was Julie's man, Yasu. The young couple, Leo and Yuri, are caught in the middle of the fight between yakuza, triad, and the corrupt policeman. 

Takashi Miike threw in all the crazies in this hilarious action comedy - yakuza, corrupt cop, Chinese triad, old man dancing on a train in his tighty whiteys, one-armed triad wielding a sword - in a drug deal gone wrong that all happened in one night. The opening scene has a newly severed head of a Filipino thug, still twitching, which reminds me of freshly chopped fish heads and headless chicken running around. LOL. Miike was asked about the title and he answered, "to make money" which is vague on purpose. Miike never disappoints. 

Recommended for Takashi Miike fans.   

The Dead Tongues

Album - Transmigration Blues, 2020

Album - Unsung Passage, 2018

Nice folk and country music. Freegal download available from our library. Also available at Amazon.

Laplace's Witch

tags: Japanese, murder mystery, sci-fi, thriller, Takashi Miike

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

from Asianwiki

Two people are poisoned to death by hydrogen sulfide at hot springs located in different regions. The police ask Aoe Shusuke, a geochemistry professor, to determine whether the deaths were caused by freak accidents or were murders. While investigating the cases, Aoe Shusuke comes across a young woman, Uhara Madoka who guesses correctly that a natural phenomenon will take place. The police begin to suspect Uhara Madoka might be related to the deaths.

Takashi Miike directing a murder mystery movie based on a novel by Keigo Higashino - how can I not love it. It's a 2-hour movie full of twists and turns, and a lot of intelligent dialog. It's hard to guess the who and why and my early assumptions are all proven wrong. As in Higashino's previous novels, the story uses mathematics and science, hence the title Laplace's Witch, from the writing by French scholar and polymath Pierre-Simon Laplace, Laplace's Demon. 2 young people who underwent procedures to have precognitive abilities as described in Laplace's Demon help in solving the murders.

Highly recommended. 

The School Nurse Files

tags: action, comedy, fantasy, ghosts, mystery, Netflix streaming, Kdrama

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

from Netflix

Eun-young is an ordinary school nurse with an extraordinary secret: she sees strange and beautiful jelly creatures that no one else can see. She’s not particularly fond of this gift, but when the school comes under attack, it’s up to her and fellow teacher In-pyo to save the day. Question is, does she feel like saving the world today?

After watching this new Netflix 6-part series from South Korea, I felt as though I have just walked into Haruki Murakami/David Mitchell/Takashi Miike universe. It is fantastically weird full of weird people competing for the most weird one. Eun-Young, the school nurse has a gift of seeing jellyfish-like creatures which are visible to her only. She uses her plastic toys, a retractable sword and a gun to kill the jellies. She is a ghostbuster protecting the school kids from evil spirits roaming the school. When a swarm of bugs appeared, again only visible to the nurse, a female high school student appears out of nowhere. She was never born to human parents and has lived many lives as a male and for the first time is living as a female enrolled as a new student in the school. She is a bug eater which is beneficial to humans much like green lacewings and ladybugs eating harmful insects to protect plants. This character dies every 20 years and is reborn as a high school teen so she or he never ages. The series is absolutely entertaining.

I just wished the male lead is older. Nam Joo-Hyuk is 26 years old, 12 years younger than the female lead actress. I like both of them, just don't do a romance story line later if there is a second season. I wish McKenzie has more screen time because he's a very interesting character. Or maybe it's just me because the actor playing him, Yoo Teo, is good in all the shows I've seen him in specially as Ragaseu in Arthdal Chronicle and as Kwon Min-Seong in Chocolate, both streaming on Netflix. All 6 episodes are streaming on Netflix and now I can't wait for the second season. I have to re-watch.

Enola Holmes

tags: historical fiction, mystery, Netflix streaming, Sherlock Holmes's sister, Victorian era

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

from Netflix

England, 1884 - a world on the brink of change. On the morning of her 16th birthday, Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) wakes to find that her mother (Helena Bonham Carter) has disappeared, leaving behind an odd assortment of gifts but no apparent clue as to where she's gone or why. After a free-spirited childhood, Enola suddenly finds herself under the care of her brothers Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and Mycroft (Sam Claflin), both set on sending her away to a finishing school for "proper" young ladies. Refusing to follow their wishes, Enola escapes to search for her mother in London. But when her journey finds her entangled in a mystery surrounding a young runaway Lord (Louis Partridge), Enola becomes a super-sleuth in her own right, outwitting her famous brother as she unravels a conspiracy that threatens to set back the course of history. 

I didn't expect to love this movie but I did. It's full of action, mystery, and maybe a hint of romance at the ending between 16 year old Enola and the very young Viscount Tewskebury, Marquess of Basilwether. Millie Bobby Brown is wonderful as smart-as-Sherlock and feisty Enola. She is all grown up and so pretty in Victorian clothes. Henry Cavill as Sherlock is actually good and Helena Bonham Carter as their mother looks lovely and ageless. I didn't even notice the 2 hours running time. I was totally engaged and entertained the whole time, laughing at the comedic scenes. I hope there's a sequel.

I didn't know the story is based on a novel written by American author Nancy Springer. There are 6 books in all and the movie is based on the first one, The Case of the Missing Marquess, published in 2006. I might check them out to see if they are worth reading.

Highly recommended. 

Piranesi

tags: fantasy, mystery, science fiction

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

from GoodReads

Piranesi lives in the House.
Perhaps he always has.

In his notebooks, day after day, he makes a clear and careful record of its wonders: the labyrinth of halls, the thousands upon thousands of statues, the tides that thunder up staircases, the clouds that move in slow procession through the upper halls.

On Tuesdays and Fridays Piranesi sees his friend, the Other. At other times he brings tributes of food and waterlilies to the Dead. But mostly, he is alone.

Messages begin to appear, scratched out in chalk on the pavements. There is someone new in the House. But who are they and what do they want? Are they a friend or do they bring destruction and madness as the Other claims?

Lost texts must be found; secrets must be uncovered. The world that Piranesi thought he knew is becoming strange and dangerous.

The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.

Wow! I love it. Enough said. 💗💗💗

Tathea

 

tags: adventure, allegory, fantasy, mystery, philosophical, spirituality

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

from Amazon

Exiled from her palace by a bloody coup, an empress travels the dangerous wilds of her kingdom in search of enlightenment—and righteous vengeance

The empress Tathea is awakened by the sounds of insurrection. The army, the aristocracy, and the royal guard have all turned against her husband, and stained the palace with his blood. Were she an ordinary ruler, she might follow him to the grave, but Tathea is a child of the wild lands. She comes from the desert, so to the desert she flees.
 
Across the kingdom she travels, searching for shelter, friendship, and an explanation for the tragedy that destroyed her old life. As she fights to stay alive, she finds a book whose message might tip the scales in the battle between good and evil, changing the world forever. If her life is to have meaning, Tathea will have to spread the word.

I like it better after rereading because I seem to understand the story more. It's over 500 pages, yet the story easily pulled me in and I couldn't put it down. Tathea is a combination of fantasy, adventure, self discovery, and friendship while forming and spreading a religion, trying to survive from evil forces. The book is written well and I love the colorful description of the fictional countries and their people. Some of the scenes in the book eerily describe the ongoing chaos, destruction of properties, and anarchy going on in the USA and around the world. I find it prophetic and I see the devil in someone's face *cough G. S. cough*. 

It sometimes reads like a sci-fi novel but with heavy religious themes. This book is not for everyone and might trigger readers who don't like religion specially Christianity, or any mention of God. Anne Perry has been a long time member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon Church. The Book of Mormon might be the inspiration in writing this book. I will read the sequel, Come Armageddon, and will review it next month.

#Alive

tags: action, horror, South Korean movie, Netflix streaming, zombies

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

from AsianWiki

A city is infected by a mysterious virus, which causes the city to spiral out of control. Joon-Woo (Yoo Ah-In) and Yoo-Bin (Park Shin-Hye) struggle to survive in an isolated apartment complex from those infected with the virus. Everything including internet, phone, and electricity has been disconnected around the apartment.

Yes, a new zombies movie from South Korea. How can I not love it. It stars 2 of my favorite actors, Yoo Ah-In and Park Shin-Hye. They are the only 2 people, aside from the zombies, in almost 85% of the entire movie. It wasn't boring with just the 2 of them really. There's a subtle comedy here and there that reminds me of another South Korean survival movie, Exit, only with hungry ugly zombies. Park Shin-Hye's character is the smarter of the two and sometimes rolls her eyes at her co-survivor not knowing what to do. She's very creative and skillful using contraptions and an axe to kill or chop off limbs of the monsters. There are some impossible to believe scenarios but this is just a movie. You have to suspend disbelief with any zombie movies. 

Recommended for Korean, zombies, survival, action, and horror movie fans.

**************************************************************************************

Currently streaming on Netflix:

Yoo Ah-In movie Burning and drama Chicago Typewriter 

Park Shin-Hye dramas Inheritors and Memories of the Alhambra 

The Silence Of The White City

tags: Basque-Spanish, mystery-crime, thriller

⭐⭐⭐

from GoodReads

A madman is holding Vitoria hostage, killing its citizens in brutal ways and staging the bodies. The city's only hope is a brilliant detective struggling to battle his own demons.

Inspector Unai López de Ayala, known as "Kraken", is charged with investigating a series of ritualistic murders. The killings are eerily similar to ones that terrorized the citizens of Vitoria twenty years earlier. But back then, police were sure they had discovered the killer, a prestigious archaeologist who is currently in jail. Now Kraken must race to determine whether the killer had an accomplice or if the wrong man has been incarcerated for two decades. This fast-paced, unrelenting thriller weaves in and out of the mythology and legends of the Basque country as it hurtles to its shocking conclusion.

I watched the Netflix movie based on the book before reading the book. The movie is just okay. It's good but not great. The book is also so-so probably because of translation from Basque to English. The main character Unai sounds and acts more like a female rather than a male IMHO. There are also unnecessary red herrings that don't make sense. Red herrings should be smart to mislead readers but here, they are stupid and insulting to the reader.

The story is compelling enough and I love the places, history, and rituals in the Basque town of Vitoria which are more interesting than the 3 cops who seem to have no distinct personality and have but one voice. The book has a high rating on GoodReads but I can't give it more than 3 stars. I still recommend it for readers who like thriller and mystery.

 

After reading the book, I think the actress playing the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Alba Diaz Salvatierra, is miscast. She has blonde hair and looks much older than the book's character who has long dark hair. The actress is not good, with one expression throughout the movie. She ruined the movie for me.

Unknown Origins

tags: action, comedy, Netflix streaming, parody, Spanish movie, superheroes

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

from IMDB

Heroes do not exist. David, a young policeman who has recently moved to Madrid, is forced to collaborate with Jorge Elías - an endearing freak and owner of a comic book shop - in order to solve a series of atrocious murders that recreate the secret origins of the classic superheroes. Each grotesque murder is a piece of a jigsaw puzzle that has the streets of Madrid as a backdrop, but whose complete image they are unable to distinguish. Jorge's encyclopedic knowledge about the comic world and the unexpected discovery of David's dark past will be fundamental in helping them solve the enigma hidden behind the awful crimes. The clues will guide them through the Spanish capital, along a labyrinth designed by a disturbed criminal mind and the only person who knows how to find the exit. Will they be able to unravel the tangled mess of clues and win the game against the troubled criminal that tries to manipulate them? They say that, sometimes, it is necessary to put on a suit and get out ...

If you see it with very low expectations like I did, you'll probably enjoy this 96 minute action comedy from Spain, Origenes Secretos. It won't win any awards but it made me laugh a little. I got maybe almost all of the comic book, movie, and TV characters mentioned including some Japanese anime like Gantz:O and Berserk. It's easy to guess who the villain is.

This movie is not serious at all although not slapstick either. Watch it in the original European Spanish language with English subtitles.  

The Face Of A Stranger

tags: historical fiction, mystery, police procedural, reread 

⭐⭐

from GoodReads

His name, they tell him, is William Monk, and he is a London police detective. But the accident that felled him has left him with only half a life; his memory and his entire past have vanished. As he tries to hide the truth, Monk returns to work and is assigned to investigate the brutal murder of a Crimean War hero and man about town. Which makes Monk's efforts doubly difficult, since he's forgotten his professional skills along with everything else...

I finished reading one of Anne Perry's new mystery series - the Daniel Pitt series - and I didn't like it one bit, I gave it 1 star. 

I've read several of her books including this first book in the British Victorian mystery series with Police Detective Monk and I remember liking it at the time. That was in the early 90s. I reread the first book, The Face Of A Stranger, and to my dismay, I thought it was tedious and meandering with Monk's frequent internal monologues because he's suffering from amnesia. Get on with the dang crime investigation instead of wondering what he did in the past and things, music, etc he liked. Sheesh! I also discovered my utter dislike for the nurse character, Hester Latterly who also has frequent internal monologues. Ugh! I'm wondering why I now have a different view of the characters and Anne Perry's writing style. 

I will tackle next time one of her stand alone novels, Tathea, which I read almost 20 years ago, I can't remember it anymore. A fantasy and if I recall has some religious themes. 

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Bit of trivia re Anne Perry

Anne Perry was born Juliet Marion Holme in England. She and her family moved to New Zealand when she was very young and there she committed a serious crime although it was her friend who did the deed. She was the subject of the 1994 Peter Jackson movie Heavenly Creatures starring Kate Winslett. I remember watching it but never knew the 15 year old murderess is one of my most read authors. The movie is based on the murder of the mother of Juliet's friend, Pauline Parker. The girls killed the woman, were both found guilty and "detained", whatever that means, then released to their parents after 5 years. She and her family moved back to England after her release. 

Stonehearst Asylum

tags: book adaptation, dark, insane asylum

⭐⭐ 

This 2014 movie, currently streaming on Amazon, is an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe very short story, a dark comedy, The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether. This movie adaptation could have been good but the writer and director turned it into a predictable and unsatisfactory tale - a lost opportunity. Read the full EAP story here.

Ben Kingsley as always is good as Silas Lamb and he alone deserves the 2 stars. What I don't like is not the predictable twist in the ending. It's the 2 leads I couldn't stand, Kate Beckinsale and Jim Sturgess,  whose mouths are always open. Always. It seems the director was not able to tell these 2 actors to close their mouths whenever there are no dialog. Open mouth acting is a pet peeve of mine. But it's just me probably. This movie placed Kate at the top 5 of my list of untalented actors, Keira Knightley is currently at number 1. 

2 Classic Comedy Movies - PLAYTIME and THE PARTY

tags: comedy, Jacques Tati, Peter Sellers

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

These 2 movies have something in common - Tati's and Sellers's characters created hilarious chaos without any self awareness. Great actors, although IMHO, Jacques Tati is still the best.

PlayTime is currently streaming on Kanopy.

The Party is currently streaming on Amazon.

Highly recommended

.

Utopia Avenue

tags: fictional British band, the 60s

from GoodReads

Utopia Avenue is the strangest British band you’ve never heard of. Emerging from London’s psychedelic scene in 1967 and fronted by folk singer Elf Holloway, guitar demigod Jasper de Zoet, and blues bassist Dean Moss, Utopia Avenue released only two LPs during its brief, blazing journey from the clubs of Soho and drafty ballrooms to Top of the Pops and the cusp of chart success, and on to glory in Amsterdam, prison in Rome, and a fateful American fortnight in the autumn of 1968.

David Mitchell’s captivating new novel tells the unexpurgated story of Utopia Avenue; of riots in the streets and revolutions in the head; of drugs, thugs, madness, love, sex, death, art; of the families we choose and the ones we don’t; of fame’s Faustian pact and stardom’s wobbly ladder. Can we change the world in turbulent times, or does the world change us?

I'm a bit uncertain if I like or love David Mitchell's latest novel. The characters are not very likable and their back stories, except Jasper de Zoet's, are rather boring. There are plenty of cameos from real people from the music and arts scenes but they seem contrived and tedious. Mitchell again incorporates a few characters and places from his previous novels - Marinus and Enomoto and the town of Gravesend where Dean is originally from. Jasper's great great great grandfather is Jacob de Zoet from a previous novel, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. Jasper's story is the more interesting of the 4 band members. He is schizophrenic, actually someone is living in his head since he was 16 years old. He spent 2 years in an asylum until he was given a classical Spanish guitar as a therapy. The only notable part that made me smile is the short conversation under a dining table between Jasper and John Lennon.

Utopia Avenue band is a mix of progressive rock, jazz, folk, and blues. 1968/69 Deep Purple music comes to mind right away. Although Pink Floyd is mentioned in the book as one of the progressive rock bands at the time, DP [before they changed the lead singer and became a generic screecher band] in my imagination closely resembles the sound of Utopia Avenue if it was a real band. Jasper de Zoet, described as a guitar god, has a German girlfriend who lived with him for a while, just like DP guitarist Ritchie Blackmore had a German girlfriend living with him in London. BTW, I love eclectic music specially when merged together. Example: jazz with a bit of classical, pop, electronica, and heavy metal elements. Yes, to me it's not weird at all.

Deep Purple 

 

Jasper's practice guitar music - Andres Segovia, RECUERDOS DE LA ALHAMBRA

Update 09/4/20: after rereading the novel, I have added another star. I'm still not liking the Elf character and her story. She is just not an interesting person IMHO.

The Woman In The Moonlight

 

tags: Amazon First Reads, Beethoven, Giulietta Guicciardi, historical fiction, "Moonlight" sonata

from GoodReads

A stirring and romantic historical novel about nineteenth-century Vienna and the tragedy and dynamic passion that inspired Ludwig van Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata.

Vienna, 1800. Countess Julie Guicciardi’s life is about to change forever. The spirited eighteen-year-old is taking piano lessons with Ludwig van Beethoven, the most talented piano virtuoso in the musical capital of Europe. She is captivated by his volatile genius, while he is drawn to her curiosity and disarming candor. Between them, a unique romance. But Beethoven has a secret he’s yet to share, and Julie is harboring a secret of her own, one so scandalous it could destroy their perfect love story.

When Beethoven discovers the truth, he sets his emotions to music, composing a mournful opus that will become the Moonlight Sonata. The haunting refrain will follow Julie for the rest of her life.

Set against the rich backdrop of nineteenth-century Vienna, The Woman in the Moonlight is an exhilarating ode to eternal passion. An epic tale of love, loss, rivalry, and political intrigue. A stirring portrait of a titan who wrestled with the gods and a woman who defied convention to inspire him.

Ugh! What did Beethoven ever do to deserve disgusting fictionalized stories about him and his ladies.  First, the hokey movie, Immortal Beloved, which is tolerable because Gary Oldman was good as Beethoven and I like the soundtrack. 

I cannot say the same for this new historical fiction novel featuring the Hungarian Countess Giulietta Guicciardi who was supposed to be the dedicatee to Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14, or what is known as "Moonlight" sonata. I can understand fictionalization for romantic novel purposes but this book made me cringe so much. The book reads like a Wikipedia entry with emotionless main character narrating in the first person, Julie/Giulietta. The language IMHO is too modern for the 1800s. Julie describes Beethoven as a short man at 5 feet 4 inches tall and she 5 feet 8 inches tall. What young woman in the 1800s contemplates on stature? Nothing to do or think about? Geez. There is so much "telling" instead of showing events and their relationship. The author did a lot of research but she also trivialized Beethoven and his fictional lady love. I also hated the stupid maid of Julia, Lucy, who is so annoying and does not know her place. She's written as if she's an equal to the countess. SMH. Stupid author. I bet Beethoven will be needing very sturdy straps to prevent him from turning over and over in his grave. *Julie in real life did not fall in love with Beethoven, nor did he with her although he dedicated Piano Sonata No. 14 to her.*

This novel is one of the choices for September 2020 Amazon First Reads. Avoid it if you love Beethoven and his music and/or if you want to keep your IQ points.

Three Men And A Maid

tags: classics, humor, romance

from GoodReads

Hi-jinks and fun ensue when three men and a woman find themselves together on an ocean liner sailing for England. When another woman enters the picture, we only know one thing: five is not divisible by two.

Lately I couldn't find new novels that are appealing so I've been reading old classics, short ones for almost instant gratification. P. G. Wodehouse wrote many novelettes sans Wooster, Jeeves, Blandings, etc.  I like his humor and writing style. Most of his books are available free from the web and our library and I'm reading them one after the other. I have also several of Nikolai Gogol's books on my reading list. 

Three men all got engaged to the same girl in a matter of days and a little over a week. The red-haired girl also falls in love as quickly as falling out of love for 2 of the men; one is foisted upon her by her father but she agrees to marry him anyway regardless of the man being a coward, a pushover, and ugly. She's too wishy-washy. The 3 young men are not desirable either. P. G. Wodehouse wrote a LOL funny novelette with the most absurd characters for a love pentagon. 

  

A Princess Of Mars

tags, classics, Martians, sci-fi

from goodreads

A Princess of Mars is the first of eleven thrilling novels that comprise Edgar Rice Burroughs' most exciting saga, known as The Martian Series. It's the beginning of an incredible odyssey in which John Carter, a gentleman from Virginia and a Civil War veteran, unexpectedly finds himself on the red planet, scene of continuing combat among rival tribes. Captured by a band of six-limbed, green-skinned savage giants called Tharks, Carter soon is accorded all the honor of a chieftain after it's discovered that his muscles, accustomed to Earth's greater gravity, now give him a decided advantage in strength. And when his captors take as prisoner Dejah Thoris, the lovely human-looking princess of the city of Helium, Carter must call upon every ounce of strength, courage, and ingenuity to rescue her before she becomes the slave of the depraved Thark leader, Tal Hajus!

Excerpt:
Her oval face was beautiful in the extreme, her every feature finely chiseled and exquisite, her eyes large and lustrous, and her head surmounted by a mass of coal black, waving hair, caught loosely into a strange yet becoming coiffure. Similar in face and figure to women of Earth, she was nevertheless a true Martian--and prisoner of the fierce green giants who held me captive, as well!

Most new fiction books are mediocre IMHO, usually peppered with obscenity and annoyingly "politically correct". I am now reading classic sci-fi and mystery novels that I never read before. The ebooks are free to borrow either from the county library or Amazon Prime. 

I've never read any Edgar Rice Burroughs books and I'm surprised I like this first book in the Mars series. It is well written, interesting, and hard to put down. I think Star Wars copied the jedi term from this series - jed, jedakk, etc. to mean leader, emperor, and so on. I suspect the princess, Dejah Thoris, is the model for Princess Leia when she became the prisoner of Jabba the Hutt. Dejah is scantilly clad because they don't wear clothes in Mars apparently. Princess Dejah was captured by enemies twice and had to be rescued by John Carter. She's no damsel in distress, though. She's tough and highly intelligent but to keep the peace in Mars she is willing to marry the ugly enemies of her family. 

M. C. Beaton's Poor Relation Series

from goodreads and Amazon

1 - Lady Fortescue Steps Out

After her husband’s death, Lady Fortescue knows she must work, even though the thought will appall her society relatives. So she decides to transform her once-grand Bond Street home into a hotel, the Poor Relation, offering society guests the pleasure of being waited upon by nobility.
 
With the help of other down-and-out aristocrats, London’s newest, most fashionable hotel is born. And it is the perfect venue for Lady Fortescue to play with the love lives of her guests and staff, starting with her nephew, the dashing Duke of Rowcester. Lady Fortescue has it on good authority that the duke once shared a dance with darling Harriet James, the hotel cook. When the duke comes to London, Lady Fortescue orchestrates a reunion that is sure to scandalize the ton. 

2 - Miss Tonks Turns To Crime

The fashionable Poor Relation hotel has rescued its six owners from genteel poverty, but they need ready cash for its upkeep. Once more, one of them must discreetly rob a rich relative.

The faded spinster Miss Letitia Tonks is dispatched to disguise herself as a highwayman and hold up the carriage that is transporting her nip-farthing sister and her lovely young niece, Cassandra. But by a twist of fate, their dashing prankish neighbor, Lord Eston, himself masked as a highwayman, does the deed for her--and grabs the opportunity to dazzle Cassandra with a swift kiss.

3 - Mrs. Budley Falls From Grace

The Poor Relation is in need of money to survive. Widow Eliza Budley wants to help save her new home, but with her fortune lost due to her deceased husband’s gambling debts, how can she? With no rich relative to go to, Eliza calls on the senile, elderly Marquess of Peterhouse, and pretends to be a relation while she steals just enough of his worldly goods to fund the hotel. But when she arrives at his bleak castle, she learns the Marquess is deceased, leaving his handsome nephew in charge of the estate. Once the dashing heir learns of her devious plot, can he get past her criminal leanings long enough to fall in love with her?

4 - Sir Philip's Folly

The owners of the Poor Relation Hotel are busy once again. This time, Sir Philip Sommerville has installed a vulgar, grasping woman in the hotel, and his co-owners are frantic to remove her. At the same time, they decide they must help a young guest find a husband. These experienced schemers almost make and break the wrong matches, but greed is revealed, and love triumphs.

5 - Coronel Sandhurst To The Rescue

Due to a bad wager by one of its founders, the popular Poor Relation hotel is in financial trouble. Fortunately, founder Colonel Sandhurst has a plan. Offering the hotel as a sanctuary to a bride running from her arranged marriage, the colonel plans to return her to her father in exchange for a ransom rich enough to settle the hotel’s debts. But the colonel’s plan goes awry when the bride’s jilted fiancé shows up instead, mistakes a hotel maid for his future wife, and promptly falls in love. To make matters worse, the ransomed bride herself is now smitten with another dashing guest, a nobleman unhappily betrothed to another woman. Now it will take all the matchmaking prowess of the eccentric staff of the Poor Relation to get these romantic affairs in order—and save their beloved hotel from bankruptcy.

6 - Back In Society

Life is finally looking up for the eccentric owners of London’s Poor Relation hotel. The Prince of Wales’s coat of arms gleams over the entrance. All but one of the rooms are filled by the open-handed Prince Hugo and his entourage. The owners have taken on a popular actor as a new partner. Finally, these once-impoverished aristocrats have reached a position comfortable enough to allow them to consider offers to buy the hotel.
 
But their hard-earned success stands in stark contrast to the plight of their latest guest, Lady Jane Fremney. The slight, beautiful daughter of the Earl of Durby has been cast out of her family for refusing to marry the man her father has chosen. Lonely and bankrupt, Lady Jane has decided to commit suicide. But when hotelier Miss Tonks uncovers her plans, the entire staff tries to rescue Lady Jane by finding her a suitable husband—fast! Fortunately, these lovable hoteliers have a knack for matchmaking.

I have read all of the Hamish Macbeth [set in fictional Lochdubh, Scotland] and Agatha Raisin [set in The Cotswolds, England] mystery books by Marion Chesney Gibbons writing as M. C. Beaton. She passed away December 2019 and I'm awaiting the last books for both series to be issued later this year. Although I have tired of both characters, I still read them as soon as they are published hoping Hamish will finally marry either Priscilla or Elspeth, and Agatha, Sir Charles Fraith. Now I'll never know.

I'm no fan of romance novels but I read a few of her romance series years ago and a couple of her Edwardian mystery series. I decided to read one of her romance novelette series, Poor Relation, set in the Regency period, which I finished in 4 days. They are very short, 150 and up to 220 pages, and I liked all of them. Her sense of humor and engaging writing style easily earned 4 stars from me. 

Floor Is Lava

tags: floor is lava, Netflix, reality show, silly

10 less than 30 minutes episodes

I binge-watched the new reality show on Netflix streaming, Floor Is Lava which is an old game played by kids usually on their lawns, pretending the ground is made of lava. I've never heard of this game before. I noticed the reality game show is number 1 for more than a week already so I watched the first episode out of curiosity. It is silly and dumb yet I was entertained the whole time. The "lava floor" is actually a pool lit with red or orange lights to look like lava and maybe tinted with food dye. The lava looks a little bit slimy so it's not that easy to navigate getting to the exit without falling into the water. This game requires team strategy and coordination. 

Recommended for fans of mind-numbing game shows similar to the Japanese silly game show Takeshi's Castle.

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This show is a temporary cure for anxiety over the current negativity in the news - destruction of historical monuments and cancelling of cultural icons like Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben's which IMHO is pure insanity. 

2 Korean Drama Series

Two new Korean drama series came out this week June 19 and 20, 2020. 16 episodes

Backstreet Rookie

It's Okay To Not Be Okay streaming on Netflix

Wow! Cinematography, setting, actors, story are beautiful and mesmerizing. The animation parts and music remind me of 2 dark-themed animated movies Coraline and Jack And The Cuckoo-Clock Heart.

These 2 new series might become my favorites of 2020.

Devoted

tags: Dean Koontz, gifted dogs, horror, mystery, thriller

from GoodReads

From Dean Koontz, the international bestselling master of suspense, comes an epic thriller about a terrifying killer and the singular compassion it will take to defeat him.

Woody Bookman hasn’t spoken a word in his eleven years of life. Not when his father died in a freak accident. Not when his mother, Megan, tells him she loves him. For Megan, keeping her boy safe and happy is what matters. But Woody believes a monstrous evil was behind his father’s death and now threatens him and his mother. And he’s not alone in his thoughts. An ally unknown to him is listening.

A uniquely gifted dog with a heart as golden as his breed, Kipp is devoted beyond reason to people. When he hears the boy who communicates like he does, without speaking, Kipp knows he needs to find him before it’s too late.

Woody’s fearful suspicions are taking shape. A man driven by a malicious evil has set a depraved plan into motion. And he’s coming after Woody and his mother. The reasons are primal. His powers are growing. And he’s not alone. Only a force greater than evil can stop what’s coming next.

Kipp is a Golden Retriever and one of the main protagonists in the book; yes protagonist. There are other adorable gifted dogs in the book, Bella is a favorite. She has her own Bellagram to communicate with other dogs. Oh, and she also reads books and sometimes walks on hind legs like a human when nobody is looking. So cute.

Dean Koontz has once again delivered a bone-chilling thriller, a fight between good and evil, but at the same time full of tender Disneyesque moments with Kipp and his humans.  

Highly recommended for Dean Koontz fans and dog lovers.

Knives Out

tags: horrible, knives dull, mystery, whodunit

goose egg

This Agatha Christie-style murder mystery tried to entertain but failed horribly. Everything about it is horrid - acting, script, setting, and even the music. I can't believe this was written and directed by the same person who wrote Brick which I thought was brilliant. This murder mystery is amateurish as though written by a 5th grader. No kidding.

Viewers who gave it 1 or zero star were more offended by the left leaning and woke bent but I didn't mind it at all. I am more appalled by the childish script, the boring presentation, the contrivance of each family member, the lame attempt at humor, and the annoying and mystifying fake southern accent of Daniel Craig that people likened to Foghorn Leghorn. They are not incorrect. It hurt my ears and gave me a headache. I can't understand why the director made him talk in an inauthentic southern accent which highlighted his inability to act. I always thought Daniel Craig is abysmal and this movie just confirmed it. I read that Johnson is writing a sequel with his character Foghorn Leghorn Blanc as main character. What?!! Geez Louise! It would have been acceptable if the movie is a spoof or parody but it isn't; it's just a 2 hour snooze fest that will put anybody with functioning brain to sleep.

Murder mystery is one of my favorite genres in fiction movies and books and I have seen and read hundreds of them so I believe I know what is good and what is less than inferior. This was written and made for first timers, those who haven't read a good Agatha Christie book or seen a good movie adaptation of her books.

The 1976 movie Murder by Death, a spoof of Agatha Christie-style mystery, is way more intelligent and highly entertaining than Knives Out. The script, actors, and acting are top notch; there's never a dull scene in the entire movie. Even the Adam Sandler/Jennifer Aniston Murder Mystery on Netflix is superior to this overrated and over-hyped movie.

2 Movies - THE WITCH: SUBVERSION And RE: BORN

2 movies that have similar themes: children trained by secret government section to be assassins. Both are extremely gory and with the most awesome lead characters and plot twists. The main twists of both movies are identical.

THE WITCH: SUBVERSION

tags: Korean, Netflix streaming, 2018, thriller, 3 part movie series  

from IMDB

A high school student with amnesia tries to uncover what has happened to her. All leading her into deeper troubles ultimately revealing a darkness she could not have imagined.

Rookie but gifted Korean actress Kim Da-Mi is awesome as a young female assassin and her character reminds me of Eleven. I can't wait to see Parts 2 and 3. Check-out Kim Da-Mi's 2020 Korean drama series, Itaewon Class, currently streaming on Netflix.

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RE: BORN

tags: action, Japanese movie, Tak Sakaguchi, 2016 thriller

from AsianWiki

Toshiro runs a convenience store in a small town. He lives with his young niece Sachi. In his past, Toshiro was known as "Ghost" and was a lethal member of a special covert force.

His peaceful life is soon upturned by members of his former special ops team. Sachi is kidnapped by the group and Toshiro is determined to get her back.

I can't believe Tak is 20 years older since I saw him in Versus, one of my favorite weird Japanese movies. It has comedy, fantasy, vampires, zombie ninjas, yakuza,, romance, blood and gore. I have seen probably a dozen of his movies including the equally weird but most entertaining Death Trance.

He still has his laconic acting style which I like. He wrote and directed the movie and employed his daughter Makoto as Casper, one of the child assassin trainees. She's also good at martial arts although really tiny at less than 5 feet tall. This movie is really really violent and gory. Slit throats galore like chicken at the slaughterhouse. Guns are useless because Tak's character known as Ghost, is able to dodge every bullet which ends up with the enemies killing each other. So one soldier shouted "Stop using your guns!" Knives vs guns, knives won. Lots of knives.

 Both movies are highly recommended for fans of thriller full of blood and gore.