Dark House

Dark House made me fall asleep twice. It isn't bad really but I kept thinking I have read it before and it just was not gripping enough to make stop everything and read. 

This Is Where I Leave You

This Is Where I Leave You is adapted from a novel and maybe I should've watched that novel. Actually I wanted to watch that one since I like to watch films about American families with first world problems (Home for the Holidays, Family Stone, Four Christmases, Beautiful Girls etc.) but this one was not for me. The family is colourful with the elder brother working for the dad business who is trying for a baby with his wife who actually dated with the middle brother the first time she met them, an eccentric mother who is a writer, the middle brother who caught his wife cheating with his boss, the sister married to a business oriented man and who actually is still in love with the neighbour's adult son who is brain damaged (at a car accident they were both in when they were teens), the youngest son is sort of a gigolo of his ex therapist. Offff maybe there were too much colour but I didn't identify with any of the problems and the family ended up being more annoying than interesting.   

Home (aka At The Devil's Door)

Home (aka At The Devil's Door) is not scary and actually I have fallen asleep for about 10 minutes during the mid section and I gave up even rewinding. It was that boring. 

Dinner For Schmucks

Dinner for Schmucks is a film I have only watched because it was there. And it was not funny. Maybe the original French film is better. 

The Good Lie

The Good Lie This is one of the stories of refugees from Sudan that were relocated to USA. It starts with them as kids, forced to run away from their villiage from the soldiers who killed their parents. They travelled km after km to find a safe place with casualties along the way. The eldest brother gives himself up to the soliders to save his younger siblings. The rest go on and finally go to a refugee camp. They are at least safe there but life doesn't get much better. And finally they are relocated to USA. Their sister however is relocated at another city and they try to reunite.

I shed many tears during this viewing. The actors were all good and despite the religious and nationalist undertones at least the film might give some awareness to the plight of refugees.

Also I have decided to take a photo of the screen instead of finding a photo on line. The qualtiy is not as good but this serves better to my recording purposes. 

Vampire Knight Guilty

Vampire Knight Guilty it took me a while but I have finally finished this show. It was spoiled to me by my friend's teenage girls and maybe that was the reason I have stayed away and I was not really into it during first four episodes but this changed and I watched the last five in a very interested manner. This is only recommended if you like anime and characters who has weird problems. 

War of the Arrows

War of the Arrows was just as good the second time. Of course now that I've watched Gaksital, I was able to go "Shunji" at one of the villains. The story is told expertly and it is amazingly fun to watch expert bowers battle each other. Highly recommended.

A Lady's Secret

A Lady's Secret is a welcome surprise. For some reason and despite the lack of intimate scenes (there were only two of sorts and neither were descriptive), I loved this book.

Spoiler

I realised when I was immensely relieved that Petra's father accepted her whole heartedly without any hesitation. I must have been holding my breath :)

Highly recommended. 

Sangdo (Business Ethics)

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Sangdo (Business Ethics) is a drama that I've come across when zapping channels. It was on the state tv but at noon time and since I was not at home at noon, I thought I'd get the dvd. Little did I know... Sangdo is even older than Jae Geum. Kim Myung Min had a bit for a few episodes!!!

Anyway the reason I liked this drama was not just because I love historical Korean dramas or that the lead actor was hot (he is not, in fact one of the villains is the one of the only two hots men in the whole drama!) but that in the episode he had to make a choice and even though he chose to do the right thing, it took him a long time to do it. The good guys are my catnip so I wanted to know more. And there was not any dvd (there was a loooooong time ago but now that are not any copies for sale) so I turned to my sister who downloads. My conscience was safe since I was not able to purchase this. However there are not any available downloads either. A colleague at work volunteered to download it but he was not able to find it either (and he is good). And it was not even on youtube with subtitles, only in Korean!!!! So I gave up on it. However God is good and I came across this on Daily Motion (a smaller, less quality youtube) and I was able to watch 48 episodes (dubbed in Turkish) Episodes 38 -39 were not there but this didn't affect me. I finished it today and am very glad I have watched it.

Im Sang Ok was apparently a real life character who was a successful merchant. So we know that Sang Ok will be alright in the end. It was an emotional ride though since Sang Ok is a morally upright, good man with not only a kind heart and a sharp ming but also a conscience. He is humble too. And I was so sad that his love life didn't go well but one can't have everything I suppose.

I highly recommend this drama only if you are into long talky sageuks or love to watch good triumph over evil.

www.dailymotion.com

Ted

Ted is one of those offensive humour films and I like those. I also like Mila Kunis and I had a few good laughs. 

Olympus Has Fallen

Olympus Has Fallen turned out to be an intentionally (I hope) hillarious action film with a fast tempo and strong nationalist satire. I had a great time viewing and laughed a lot during. The action was good too. 

Insidious

Insidious is a film I was curious about (I was in SF when it was released but chose other films instead) and now that the dvd has finally became cheap, I was able to watch it. I liked it but then again I like James Wan and Leigh Whannel. I liked the first SAW (I only tried to watch the second but it literally put me to sleep). And I like Patrick Wilson, I like Rose Byrne etc. So I had a good time but I wasn't really scared. 

Gangnam 1970

Gangnam 1970 is a film I'll admit to only purchasing because of the leads. I don't really like Lee Min Ho, nor find him hot but in this film he looked good and acted nicely too. I do like Kim Rae Won a lot and he was good as usual. However the film had the story told within fragments style, covering a lot of years and it didn't really work. 

Bounce

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Bounce I only chose it because of Ben Affleck. For some reason I love the man and he didn't dissapoint in the film. I probably wouldn't have liked the film as much if it starred another actor though. 

A Taste For Death

A Taste For Death turned out to be a great detective novel. I'm not so fond of Adam Dalgliesh but this one had a lot of characters and situations and it flew by. Highly recommended. 

Summer in February

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Summer in February was one of the films that was there on Dvdigi and apparently it is inspired by real life events. I didn't like nor understood the female lead who probably had a mental illness. All in all it was an OK film.

Amusement

Amusement is a horror film I got from the bargain bin. Some moments were a bit scary but that's about it. 

Guess Who

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Guess Who is a film I had seen some parts of but now that I have watched it in its entirety, I find it forgetable but entertaining. I like the actors so had a decent time with it. 

Horror Stories

Horror Stories is a four short film antology and I enjoyed it very much. My favorite story is the one where there are two children alone in the house waiting for their mother. I probably felt close to those kids often being left alone with my younger sister. I also liked the social message. My second fave is the second story where a serial killer (a psycopath) is being transported on a plane. I like flying and it was well directed and acted. The other two were alright I suppose and my least fave was the zombie story. It was well directed, I just don't care for zombies. 

John Wick

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John Wick was there and there was not anything else so I gave it a shot. It was ok I suppose, there were some nice cinematography, good cameos but all in all it wasn't a memorable experience. Just for timepass.

The Purge

The Purge was among my latest purchases made in weakness (yeah the project was a failure) I was curious about it and the strengths outweighed the weaknesses. I like the cast and they did a nice job with the dystopian near future. The baddies are even more evil in the context and all in all I had a good time. Recommended. 

Fi, Çi, Pi

Fi Çi Pi bir üçleme roman dizisi. İş arkadaşımın ödünç vermesiyle bende ücretsiz okuma şansı buldum. Yazarın tarzı bana Ayn Rand'ı hatırlattı. O yüzden çok sevemesem de hikaye ve karakterlerin başına gelenler ilgimi çekti. Kolay okuma olarak tavsiye edebilirim. Hele Ayn Rand seven varsa hiç durmasın hemen alıp okusun. 

Lock In

Lock In was entertaining but not really my type of novel (despite being a mystery). I just was not interested in the disease that caused the lock in. I actually didn't even listen to the bonus material. 

Going Clear

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Going Clear is one of the rare documentaries that I have watched, non  fiction is simply not my thing. I was interested since it got a big reaction out of viewers and Scientology is curious to me due to film people involved in it. This was very interesting on another level too. I finally understood The Master (PTA) a bit better now and appreciated Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance even more.

The documentary is very clear and explanatory with witness statements from the ex members. I highly recommend if you are curious about this sort of thing. 

Gladiator

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Gladiator is a film I like a lot. I like Ridley Scott's visual sensibilities and his storytelling. And this film is a testament to both. The story is not complicated and the technology is well served to the grandiose scenes in the story. Russel Crowe (not someone I particularly care for but not dislike either) excells in the role. The rest of the cast are good too but Crowe carries the film. And it is an entertaining film that makes me cry everytime I watch it. Recommended. 

The Country Girl

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The Country Girl was chosen only because I love Grace Kelly. And she was really good in this one too. Apparently (based on various sources, some really old in my mind) this role was a bit controversial since she appeared as a non glam housewife of an alcoholic actor. Well she got an Oscar for it. Grace Kelly is one of my all time favorites and I think she is one of the most beautiful people I have seen. I'm not really interested in Bing Crosby but I liked him a lot in that role. It is not a good character (and he has such a good face, this man) but he handled it very well. William Holden is another fave of mine (ever since Sabrina, I LOVE Humphrey Bogart but liked Holden in that too).

Anyway this was a talky film (adapted from an award winning Broadway play) and I like those and watching Grace on screen usually puts me in a good mood. Recommended (even if you don't like any of the cast) 

In Bruges

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In Bruges was a film I had started to watch in another country (I honestly can't remember which one) at a hotel before going to something previously scheduled, otherwise I would finish it. And now was my chance. I liked it very very much despite not being a Colin Farrell fan. The man can act when he puts his mind to it since this his best performance as far as I'm concerned. Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes are always fine, even when the film is not good but here was the magical combo. Good performances, good script and good visuals. Everything worked and this ended up being the best film I have seen this weekend. I may even get the dvd for it. 

Shooter

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Shooter it must be Mark Wahlberg week or something since this was the second option on Dvdigi. And I liked it better than The Gambler just because this is an action film with lots of action. Otherwise it was a bit stupid despite obvious good intentions. 

The Gambler

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The Gambler well I only watched it because there wasn't anything else. And it was not that good. The story was well told but didn't appeal to me in the least. I liked Jessica Lange though and that's about it.  

The Husband's Secret

     

The Husband's Secret it was even better than Little Big Lies and I liked it very much. I'll look for other novels from this writer. That was a big win from the second hand book fair shopping. 

Annabelle

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Annabelle put me to sleep, twice during viewing and I had to rewind. It was not scary. 

Recep İvedik 3

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Recep İvedik 3 evet ben bu adama gülüyorum. Bir ve iki kadar değilse de yine güldüm işte. 

How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days

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How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days is probably the only rom com that's worth watching starring a pre operation Kate Hudson and Matthew Mcconaughey (they did Fool's Gold too but it was no where near this entertaining). Anyway he is an ad exec who wants an account so bady that gets into a bet to make a woman his in company competition will pick and she is the "how to" girl of Composure - a woman's magazine - who has an assignment to lose a guy in 10 days. So naturally she does everything to make him run away and he forces himself to stay meanwhile falling for her real personality. Recommended.

Bad Neighbours

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Bad Neighbours  well, only if you like Seth Rogen and Zac Ephron (for some reason I don't like either) It has good intentions but doesn't hit the mark. The baby was really cute though. 

The Birdcage

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The Birdcage is a remake of a French film. This one I had seen in theater and on TV but I still gave it a go. Firstly now that I have been to South Beach, it was nice to spot locations and secondly I like the story. The cast is good, the jokes funny and even though it is not as relevant now (that gays can marry) it still gives a nice message. 

Way Back Home

Way Back Home only appealed to me because I love Jeon Do Yeon and like Go Soo. It turned out to be one of those 'inspired by real life' films and I have shed many tears over the housewife who accepts to smuggle rough gem stones for a friend of her husband's because the family is having financial problems (they had to sell their business and move into a really bad house) only she was not aware that she is trying to smuggle not gem stones but cocaine. And she suffers through legalities, a move to Martinique where no one speaks Korean and there is an awful guard who treats prisoners really bad and she rapes them too. The embassy is no help and her poor husband is reduced to pour gasoline over his head to get the attention of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Anway it is a happy ending but man that woman suffered a lot. 

Whitney, My Love

Whitney, My Love is just as good as the other two novels of Ms. McNaught I have read. Yes it is rather long and intimate scenes are kind of unintentionaly funny but the storytelling is so good that I didn't care. I liked Whitney and wanted her to be happy. Highly recommended.

Sudden Impact

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Sudden Impact was a surprise on TV and since I love anything and everything with Clint Eastwood, I gave it a shot -heh. And no surprises that I liked it. Clint has a leisurely style of story telling that appeals to me and the story was about revenge (one of my favorite plots) So I liked it and will recommend. 

Identity Theft

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Identity Theft is yet another generic USA comedy. It is a time pass and nothing much else. 

Elegance

Elegance somehow ended being the first of the novels I got from the second hand book fair. It was entertaining and got a few chuckles out of me but that's all I suppose. 

Monster

Monster the two reasons I chose this film were 1- It is a horror film and 2- I like Lee Min Ki. And I was not dissapointed. It was interesting and entertaining with that certain dark comedy sytle of Koreans.

Lee Min Ki is a psychotic serial killer who makes pots out of the remains of the people he killed (after burning them at a kiln of course). He is related to a small time crook and his ambitious mother whose morals are not much better than her son's.

The other story is of a mentally handicapped but functional woman who sells organic food at a villiage market and tries to send her smart and beautiful younger sister to university in Seoul.

The chain of events start with a relative of the shady son's asking to assist him in getting a mobile phone back. It seems that this man hit one of his employees and she filmed it and now is blackmailing him. The stupid shady son gets the money and calls the psycho to help him out to retrieve the phone - of course he never mentions the money he is supposed to deliver in return. What happens is that the psycho goes to the employee, asks for the phone and when she refused kills her and kidnaps her kid sister, the reason he doesn't kill her there is to have more fun by taking her in his house (which is in the middle nowhere surrounded with woods) and gives her time until he finishes his bottle of wine. He warns the child that he will kill everyone she talks to. She runs and eventually comes to the house the two sisters. They take her in with the intention of dropping her to the police station in the morning. The smart sister goes to school and the handicapped sister goes to the market and they take the little girl with them. Handicapped sister remembers that she left something at home and runs to take it, meanwhile the psycho finds the rest of the party and kills the smart sister. The big sisters sees everything and hits him in the head with a rock but her sister is already dead. She runs in the rural area and gets the police but when she takes him to the woods the pyscho and her sister's body are not there. And the police doesn't believe him. They think that the smart sister ran away.

If I don't stop I'm going to tell everything and it will take a long time. Suffice it to say that I enjoyed this and recommend it.

Lupin The Third

Lupin The Third I only got this one since I like Oguri Shun but it was very entertaining and I always loved the active camera of Ryuhei Kitamura. Also it gave me the similar vibes with the anime. I may even watch this a second time in the future. 

Date Night

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Date Night well I watched it till the end but it really didn't give anything to me.