The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong

The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong is a book that was recommended at a korean drama website I frequent dramabeans . It is written by the official wife of Crown Prince Sado. He died in 17th century Joseon Korea in a rather tragic and mysterious way. There is going to be a sageuk drama of this incident (starring Han Suk Kyu) so I wanted to know more about what happened. And despite not being a lover of non fiction books, I was captivated with this one. Translation is very good, clear and the prose is flowing. Of course there are lots of lamentations since Lady Hyegyong (this is her title not her name) has suffered a lot and many of her relations died before her. I have found out a lot about the time period and this wetted my apetite to seek more. 

Moebius

Moebius directed by Kim Ki Duk was one of the biggest WTFs of my viewing history. And that is no mean feat since I like directors like Takeshi Miike, David Cronenberg, Tsai Ming Liang, Lars Von Trier and Michael Haneke and of course Kim Ki Duk. But this film left me speechless on so many counts that I'll resort to bullet points to reach a semblence of  what I felt.

* the film should be named something else (male genitalia). Right after it ended I actually looked up to see what Moebius meant and I learned all about Möbius stript etc. But my opinion remains the same.

* Once again silene is golden for Mr.Kim but this time we know that every character is able to talk and we see them talking to each other behind windows or whispering to each other's ear. But the scenes we watch involve no talking. And apart from the last scene I don't remember hearing any music.

* So being a father is sacrifising all for your son but only upto a point. There is a limit to being a devoted dad.

* Wait I hope that lady was not his mother, was she? Say it isn't so.

* Male genitalia is very important to men.

* There is no end to the bizarre actions human beings are capable of.

* And maybe the weirdest of all is that I actually was falling asleep at the end. Seriously. Am I just that jaded a viewer or this film was boring? (This is coming from someone who is riveted by Kim Ki Duk films such as The Island, The 3 Iron, Spring, Summer, Fall ....... and Spring.)

* I hope this one doesn't stay with me for a long time. 

Love Actually

Ok first off I don't know why the photos refuse to rotate. Well... I'll try to sort this out in the future. Meanwhile Love Actually is a fave rom com. An ensemble piece with good performances, likable and not so likable characters and one that never fails to make me cry buckets of tears. I needed something comforting and as usual this just fit the bill.

I remember the first time I watched it. It was in Hong Kong and they actually have taken out the porn actors' section completely. Imagine my surprise to watch it again some other time and realise that they were there :) 

The Heat

Photo credit http://www.theheatmovie.com

The Heat is a film I have watched once on the plane and didn't remember hating. I like Sandra Bullock but I'm not so into Melissa McCarthy and this film didn't change my mind. It ended up a good timepass but nothing really special. 

Black Mirror Series 2

Having loved the first series so much I immediately watched the second series the next day. It was even better if possible. So many questions in one's mind and so many issues raised. I can't decide whether my fave is Waldo or The White Bear. I think I'm going to go with Waldo. 

Black Mirror Series 1

I have heard of Black Mirror of course but since it got great reviews I chose not to read any and watch it completely devoid of spoilers. And once again I reap the benefits of being a spoiler phobe.
It was a great viewing experience and I loved especiall the one with the Prime Minister and the one with the talent show. Actually my fave among the three is the talent show one. The one I least liked was about the break up and how anyone is able view their lives back when they want to. Now I don't really think I'd want that. 

The Shining

The Shining is the second S.King novel I have read (the first was Firestarter) and I was completely hooked. To me this is not only a classic but also a masterpiece of a novel.

I like the film too but it is different than the novel and as usual the novel is better.

One last thing about Campbell Scot. This guy never interested me as an actor but he is a GREAT reader. My favorite by far. I want to write an appreciation post for him someday. So far I have listened Orxy and Crake and The Shining and he was so good in both. Great work. 

Adventureland

Adventureland popped up at Digidvd from time to time but I never gave it a shot. I don't care for Jesse Eisenbergh and I don't care for Kristen Stewart, but I don't have either of them. This one was included in one of those lists on buzzfeed, popsugar or wherever as one of the romantic films you probably didn't watch. And I have a weakness for a good rom com so I gave it a shot. It turned out to be OK. Not much but worth the watch.

Photo credit: http://www.midnightreview.co.uk/

The Black Book

The Black Book is one of those rare Rebus novels that I have not read yet (isn't it wonderful to find one like that in a series? )  Also apparently it is the book where we are introduced to Siobahn - Rebus'  great sidekick.  There is nothing new to say, I like Ian Rankin (and not just his Rebus novels) and so far he has not dissapointed me. 

Poongsan

Poongsan is the last of the films which I now call as "the lame batch" because with this film the name fits the whole sorry order. This one is written by Kim Ki Duk (he is a fave director of mine) but directed by some other guy. And I didn't even know that when I ordered. I chose it because I like the lead actor Yoon Kye Sang. And I got what I deserved because the only thing that was good in this film was his performance (and his appereance). 

The Grand Heist

The Grand Heist is yet another average film that I blindly chose at random. How come there was not even a single win in this batch? This one is your usual heist film where the thiefs are actually good guys who are after revenge and justice (it was kind of a sageuk drama on fast forward) and even the frequent fart jokes didn't enliven things up for me. Well at least I didn't fall asleep, that's something no?

And the film made want to check out the chronicles of Lady Hyegyong (Prince Sado's wife) since the story is right when his son Yi San inherits the throne. At least that's something no? :) 

Gifted Hands

Gifted Hands also turned out to be not so good. So far there is not a single win in this batch of purchase. Anyway the story is of an incompetent cop (he was seriously incompetent) and a psychometric (?) (a person who has psychometry) trying to catch a serial killers who kills little girls. The two leads are good looking (with Kim Bum being the best looking) but the film is not worth the eye candy. I have not fallen asleep during it but I was bummed that it turned out to be so average. Koreans do it right when they do it right but their average films turn out to be so bland.

If cops who cannot catch a serial killer plot piqued your interest, I highly recommend Memories of Murder which is an excellent film. 

Hüzün

Hüzün The Road'dan sonra üslubunu beğendiğim, yada daha önce hiç okumadığım yeni bir yazara haksızlık edeceğim, ayrıca yoğun bir romanın ardından daha hafif bir lezzete ihtiyacım olduğunu hissettiğim için bu gibi zamanlarda hep yaptığım gibi Ayşe Kulin'e sarıldım. Çok güzel öykü anlatıyor ve hayatının çalkantılı bir dönemini anlattığı bu otobiyografik roman her zamanki gibi beni nasıl olduğunu anlamadan duygusal düzlüğe çıkarıverdi. Yine okurken bir kaç gözyaşı döktüm ama Sn.Kulin'i bir kez daha takdir ettim. Bu roman 4 kitaplık bir serinin sonuncusu. Önce ilk üçünü okuyunuz sonra bunu.

Belki hayatının sonraki kısımlarını da anlatacak bir roman daha yazar. Bu arada ben yeni Ayşe Kulin romanları almalıyım. 

The Road

The Road was one of the books I have bought in San Francisco (great city for secondhand book stores). Cormac McCarthy, I have heard about of course. I even "looked inside" Blood Meridien at Amazon, after No Country for the Old Men- the film-.
So this one is awarded a Pulitzer prize. And it is a dystopian novel (thanks to The Wind-Up Girl and Margaret Atwood, I'm into dystopian novels now).

Now this one turned out to be sneaky. First off the prose is deceptively simple but I have found myself checking the dictionary while reading. And some of the observations/insights to human nature were spot on. There was a part where The Man remembers people burning snakes and he thinks that people want to destroy the symbols of evil (they can't destroy the real thing). I actually wanted to take a photo of that passage but couldn't locate it as I was trying to catch the shuttle to work.

Also the story telling is sneaky. I thought I was bored with it while reading throughout the first pages but when I had to stop reading I was not only reluctant but also worried for the Boy and the Man.  Now I didn't see that coming, at all.

I don't know whether I'll continue to seek reading this author but this novel is highly recommended to anyone who like to read books.  

Frozen

Photo credit http://www.thewrap.com/

Frozen is a film I have heard from a good friend of mine. She has a six year old dauther who loves the film and they sang the song "Let it Go" together to me and I liked the song. Later on I have heard that "Elsa" costume was sold out in every Disney store and she is having a hard time providing her daughter with one.

So when this is on TV I decided to watch it. It was inspired from a Hand Christian Andersen story which was one that I liked a lot as a child. I always felt sorry for Kay. Anyway back to the film.

I was not aware that this is a film about sisters. Of course since my relationship with my sister is at its worst (she refuses to speak to me and to be honest doesn't like or respect me) it hit me hard. Again the taps opened and water was shed.

Anyway I don't know what the kids are after Elsa costumes since I thought Anna was great. All in all it is a good story with good messages and a neat twist. I liked the song and the snowman Olaf too (actually I felt very close to him since I'm usually optimistic to the point of naivete, like him). 

The Guardians of the Galaxy

The Guardians of the Galaxy as opposed to Philomena, I wanted to watch this one ever since I have seen a teaser in a cinema in Bangkok. And I love the soundtrack (Hooked on a feeeeling).

So the Saturday night found me walking to the only theater in town to catch the late viewing (the only one with subtitles - as opposed to dubbed). And I liked it very very much. These heroes have problems but they come together and make it work. Also the theme of friendship and friends sticing up for each other is there. Chris Pratt is the star-lord (even saying that makes me laugh) and Zoe Saldana is a green assassin. Bradley Cooper (this guy is everywhere - happy for him, not happy for me) as an artificially engineered racoon, Dave Batista is a tough guy criminal who seeks revenge for his dead wife and kid and finally Vin Diesel is "Groot".

This one is emotional and fills you with warm and fuzzy feelings. Listening to soundtrack and loving it. Also looking forward to the sequel.

Chris Pratt is good looking (and I found out that he is married to Anna Faris - not that is a couple I like a lot)  but a funny guy - and not like Dane Cook or some other such funny actor who thinks being decent looking entitles them- and he is very funny in this one. But a goofy funny, not "I'm handsome and lost weight and got ripped for this film" funny.

All in all this one is good for everyone (and yes I even cried during that one but since I was in a theatre with other people, who were not crying, I tried to keep it at a minimum) I will purchase the dvd for this one since I see myself watching it again and again. 

Philomena

Photo credithttp://o.canada.com/

Philomena was not a film I cared to watch. I didn't want to watch an old woman who tried to find her son. But it was on dvdigi and I decided to watch for a few minutes to see what the fuss was about. Aaaaand about half an hour later I was completely into it and crying buckets.

First off it is a good script. Full of nice little touches that reminds one of her own mother independent of socio cultural differences. Also I loved the story. Philomena is actually looking for the son she gave birth at a very young age and has given not only her baby, but also her labour (7 days a week) to a nunnery in exchange for a safe place to stay and her baby being properly taken care of. She and the others in there are only allowed to see their children one hour a day. And if one gets adopted then they don't have any say in the process or any chance to oppose it. Philomena's child is adopted when he is three years old and she now tries to find him, she has of course thought about him all these years and wanted to find him but the nuns didn't help her. When she has a chance to get help from a journalist (fired and disgraced) she agrees to receive his investigative and monetery help in exchange for her story. So first they visit the nuns and they are lied to but the journalist will prove to be very helpful, not only in location her son but also...

I think I have only watched Dangerous Liasions from Mr.Frears' filmography but this one hooked me and didn't let me go. And at the end credits I have found out that this is a true story with real life photos of Philomena and the journalist (stayed away from spoilers even in that one).

Great performances (and I don't even like Judi Dench (gasp!)) and wonderful cinematography which gave me my close up shots and a tidy viewing.

Highly recommended. I'm so glad I've watched it.

All About My Wife

All About My Wife I have read about this one somewhere some time ago and I like a good romantic comedy so I gave it a try.

Well in the end I didn't like it a lot. It was just OK for me.

Pros:

- I like the fact that the female lead's unhappiness is identified as just being a housewife. She is a smart, resourcefull woman.

- Im Soo Jong as the female lead (but I always like her ever since ...ing)

Cons:

- The comedy has a troubled timing. Sometimes it worked but many times it just didn't.

- The male lead Lee Sun Kyun, I just can't like this actor and it is not his fault.

- Ryu Song Ryeong at a comedy. This actor is brilliant (started to like him in War of the Arrows, loved him in Masquarade) but I don't like him in comedy - but this maybe due to the fact that the comedy just was not to my taste.

- Cinematography (I needed more close up shots)

All in all, sadly this one ended up being a decent timepass but not really a successful purchase. 

Q&A on Reading

I have some spare time so I've decided to a Q&A (questions prepared by someone called shevinefeels where I found here My Little Corner of Awesome

·         What was the last book you read?

Biz Burada İyiyiz by Barbaros Altuğ (a novella)

·         2:Was it a good one?

Not really

·         3:What made it good?

It was not that good

·         4:Would you recommend it to other people?

Maybe to some specific readers

·         5:How often do you read?

All the time

·         6:Do you like to read?

Oh yes.

·         7:What was the last bad book you read?

Biz Burada İyiyiz 

·         8:What made you dislike it?

I didn't connect with it, it felt a bit fake. 

·         9:Do you wish to be a writer?

Not really.

·         10:Has any book ever influenced you greatly?

Yes, many.

·         11:Do you read fanfiction?

No

·         12:Do you write fanfiction?

No

·         13:What's your favorite book?

Too many to list here but if I have to choose one, I'm going to go with Pride and Prejudice.

·         14:What's your least favorite book?

120 Days of Sodom by Marquis De Sade (I couldn't finish it)

·         15:Do you prefer physical books or reading on a device (like a kindle)?

Physical books.

·         16:When did you learn to read?

When I was 6.

·         17:What is your favorite book you had to read in school?

Jane Eyre

·         18:What is your favorite book series?

Harry Potter

·         19:Who is your favorite author?

Jane Austen

·         20:What is your favorite genre?

I like to read fiction and don't have a preffered genre. I tend to read more mystery/detective novels and classics though I guess but I don't base what to read on the genre. The genre I least like is war.

·         21:Who is your favorite character in a book series?

Harry Potter.

·         22:Has a book ever transported you somewhere else?

Yes.

·         23:Which book do you wish had a sequel?

Pride and Prejudice.

·         24:Which book do you wish DIDN'T have a sequel?

Nothing comes to mind, I don't mind book sequels. 

·         25:How long does it take you to read a book?

Depends on the book.

·         26:Do you like when books become movies?

Don't really care but sometimes I get to read books as they come films so it doesn't really hurt. 

·         27:Which book was ruined by its movie adaptation?

Oh many, many. The one I thought of right away would be The Hunger Games.

·         28:Which movie has done a book justice?

The Godfather. 

·         29:Do you read newspapers?

On line.

·         30:Do you read magazines?

Seldom.

·         31:Do you prefer newspapers or magazines?

Newspapers.

·         32:Do you read while in bed?

Yes.

·         33:Do you read while on the toilet?

Yes.

·         34:Do you read while in the car?

Yes.

·         35:Do you read while in the bath?

No but I don't take baths, I like taking showers.

·         36:Are you a fast reader?

I think so, but I think it depends on the book. 

·         37:Are you a slow reader?

No.

·         38:Where is your favorite place to read?

A patio, shady with a slight breeze on a sunny day. 

·         39:Is it hard for you to concentrate while you read?

No.

·         40:Do you need a room to be silent while you read?

No.

·         41:Who gave you your love of reading?

My parents.

·         42:What book is next on your list to read?

Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book I guess. But it may change.

·         43:When did you start to read chapter books?

First grade.

·         44:Who is your favorite children's book author?

Enid Blyton.

·         45:Which author would you like to interview the most?

Haruki Murakami 

·         46:Which author do you think you'd be friends with?

Jane Austen

·         47:What book have you reread the most?

Pride and Prejudice 

·         48:Which books do you consider "classics"?

Lots of them. I'm currently re reading The Shining and I think it is a classic.

·         49:Which books do you think should be taught in every school?

To Kill A Mockingbird

·         50:Which books should be banned from all schools?

I don't think any book should be banned from schools.