the korean film mother is being released this week on limited theaters throughout la and new york. the latest film by joon-ho bong is by far my favorite. i was in my korean phase this past december and decided to watch this via a korean video store. but what i didnt realize was that they didnt have subtitles! i barely comprehended the entirety of the story (esp. the details) but i got the gist of it. and the gist of it is that its a completely, overwhelmingly passionate film about the capacity of a mother's love for her child. bong is quickly becoming one of the most prominent directors to come out of korea (next to park chan-wook, that is!) his other films like the memories of a murder and the host far exceeded my expectations of outstanding filmmaking. not only does these films relate to the universial love of kin-ship but tests their boundaries and limitations.

one question that is troublesome to ask a mother is how much they would sacrifice for their child. and though we all have notions of the unparalled measure of a mother's love, the daunting question is answered in mother.


i would definitely love to see this again with subtitles this time! if youre around independent theaters that show foreign films, definitely go see this. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. i think it was quentin tarantino that was disappointed that it was not nominated for this years oscars' foreign selection. THATS HOW GOOD IT IS!

Read more »

READ MORE

apparently, i now write for the independent film quarterly. even though i am still a novice in film critiquing, my previous intern gave me the priviledge to write for their quarterly magazine. my reviews are not as extensive as the other veteran film critics, but suffice it to say they deliver its terse message efficiently. i have already posted some of them on my blog but check it out to acutally see them on a legit film magazine! and i will definitely be sure to try to improve my writing skills cause my fingers are definitely lazy right now.

check out the latest reviews and articles on your right!!

Read more »

READ MORE

if im not a director or a cinematographer on a project, i would love to just be a set photographer. lacombe has taken one of the most memorable and stunning shots on film sets to date, not to mention how stacked her resume is.

Read more »

READ MORE

click here to see the full list of who won the 82nd academy awards!!!!

Read more »

READ MORE

may i introduce you to the first female director to ever win the director and best picture at the academy awards in 82 years! im honestly insanely ecstatic about this! not only did it win 6 oscars out of 8 nominations but SHE WON!!!!! im almost peeved that i was such a fanatic that googled her during the show and found out that she won. but even with that, hearing her overwelmingly appreciative speech made me love her more as a visionary director and as a strong woman. i love you kathryn bigelow! now, youre the queen of the world...!!

Read more »

READ MORE

AHHHHHH!!! its today! im estatic! im actually so excited in fact that im going to bake cupcakes for basically everyone and dress up a little better than usual (probably not) and just piiiiiiiig out! please tune in to watch 82nd annual academy awards considering that you might be witnessing history. if kathryn bigelow wins tonight, she will be the first woman to EVER win best picture AND best director. and lets not forget her biggest competitor, her ex-husband, who is most common known as james cameron, heard of him? its definitely a good conflict to add the this year's show. i dont think i was this excited for the oscars since 2007 when i desperately wanted d-day to win his second, but well deserving oscar. alrighty, enough said. tune in to see who wins! and if not, ill probably be updating you every minute of the grand showdown. abc, 5pm est.

p.s. whos down?

hi.

Read more »

READ MORE

with that said, i would like to announce that i have made other blog! (like i need another thing to keep up with!!! whew...) considering that im very interested in many things, i thought it would be nice to actually be able to share them without it interfering in this film-centric blog. over the past few months, i have been interested in the three f's. what are they? other than the million of other things im infatuated with, it is film (duh), fashion (expected), and... football (wait, what?!). or shall i say, futbol. (ok, i must admit im just a novice on this topic, but its become quite thrilling) what do all these f's have in common? in my mind, these three things are the they are a universal language in itself. i can go anywhere on our glorious earth and chat with anyone about any of these three topics and our cultural differences would shrink by a milestone. and i guess that can be said about anything depending on the person but these are three things that help my world spin around. and considering that i rarely talk about these topics publicly (ahem, besides film obviously) and other fascinations, i thought id be very apt to call my blog, dun dUN DDDUUNN!!

So's Other Thoughts!

but in no way does that mean that im going to neglect this one. this ones by first baby and ill always take care of it first! enjoy!!

Read more »

READ MORE

apparently this new vincenzo natali (cube) film is gonna be the next big sci fi hit this summer. it created such a piercing buzz during sundance that dark castle entertainment already picked it up and now warner brothers got a first look deal for 25 million dollars + pa commitment. warner brothers has so much faith in this film that it will be released on 3,000 theaters!!! avatars not even on that many theaters. and considering that it didnt even start out with a distributor, thats a huuuuge step up. and by the look of this clip, im wholly entralled and engulfed into this intriguing story.

OoOoOOooOoooo... im excited!! its gonna be huuuuuuuuuuge.

Read more »

READ MORE

Read more »

READ MORE

beautiful. just simply beautiful. nicole kidman is currently being featured in vogue italia and on the cover of l'uomo vogue for their feb 2010 issue. peter lindbergh is a german fashion photographer and his trademark black and white photographs captures such a pure and unhibited spirit that evokes a tender mysteriousness in every frame. i HAVE it get it now..! plus, i love italia!!!

Read more »

READ MORE

here are new trailers!! they all seem like stories we've seen before ( but what isnt these days.. ) but with a bit of twist. it could be very interesting and worth watching...

the joneses (april 16)

the exploding girl (tba)

i just read that it was shot on video which is not one of my favorite things but the cinematography looks decent.

toe to toe (march 12)

a prophet (out now)

TTTTHIIIS!!! i hear its great! i must go see it before it goes away. damn you irvine, you have everything!

with that said. everything looks pretty interesting. i guess we'll just have to see it to know if its worth it but by the previews, it looks promising. and if you go to an edwards, regal, or an united artists i suggest you get the regal card or whatever. its deeefinitely worth it if you go to to cinemas regularly...

Read more »

READ MORE

Source: LocateTV

Read more »

READ MORE

it is absolutely inspiring to see documentaries with such passion that almost always i get choked up just thinking about it. since i can remember, disney has consistently captured the true essence of adventure and beauty (ie: beauty and the beast, little mermaid, lion king.) but what we dont know is the story of how the multi-million dollar animation company came to be.

firstshowing says: Waking Sleeping Beauty is directed by Disney producer Don Hahn and features a behind-the-scenes look at Disney Animation during that 10 year period and what they had to go through to make movies. Beyond that, it has a fascinating look at the power struggle between then-Disney execs Jeffrey Katzenberg, Michael Eisner and Roy E. Disney (who passed away recently.) This is, hands down, a must see documentary for anyone that loves Disney or anyone that wants to see a honest and intimate look at the world of Disney Animation. Disney is bringing Waking Sleeping Beauty to limited theaters starting on March 26th this spring. See it!

Read more »

READ MORE

3-D will rapidly be coming to a home theaters near you! yeah you heard that right. even as soon as the summer, directv will have three 3-d channels up and running. and whats more amazing is that you will be able to even watch the 2010 FIFA World Cup between South Africa and Mexico on June 11. im almost terrified how fast technology is evolving. soon, we'll even have head encased head-sets for our video games!

you can buy models from all the major manufacturers as soon as the beginning of the summer. you will have to buy 3-d glasses which will have an "active shutter," which essentially means that it will flicker over each eye so only one is inputting the visual information at a time. and you wont be able to see the flickering because its liiiterally too fast for your brain to process.

dont get one just yet considering that it is still being developed and new. and what im most excited about this is seeing the world cup in 3-d. i think thats like my ultimate dream fulfilled. also theyre planning on continuing this trend with major sports games. itll be EPIC!

Read more »

READ MORE

with the help of a few of my friends, i have compiled the best romantic films of our generation just in the nick of valentine's day. some of these films are not all fairy tales but the subject of love is so prominent that it is forever embedded in our brains even after just one viewing.

because... beauty and the beast is a timeless classic and you honestly cant deny this oscar nominated love story that goes beyond the our first impressions.

because... like my friend linda says, the notebook is like crack. you honestly cant get enough of it. this is the quintessential chick flick of the once real-life couple goslin and mcadams that oozes with such passion that makes you want to cry mounds just thinking about how their love didnt endure.

because... breakfast in tiffany displays the girl we all want to be and the man who would not give up on her...

because... it makes you question if women and men can really be just friends. and all you really need is time for people to be brought farther and closer together from each other.

because... im a cynic at heart and itll take a bad boy to melt it to goo.

cause like harold and maude, love is ageless.

because... the eternal sunshine of the spotless mind shows that true love is prominently destined even with the jumbling of fate.

because... we all impatiently wait for our other half and also secretly stalk our crushes even if we will never admit it in a million years.

because sometimes not even love can keep two people together.

because... zooey deschanel and joesph gordon-levitt is so effing cute together. and because we all know that our first love never lasts.

because... it tests the boundaries of manhood and turbulences of friendships.

Read more »

READ MORE

you were one fucking great fashion designer whose talents truly couldnt be paralleled. thank you for your inhibited and boundless imagination that help expand the fashion world by a milestone.

rip.

Read more »

READ MORE

the prospect of musicians scoring films didnt sound promising to me. maybe its cause ive been inundating my ears in the orchestra ballads of a single man and 2046. but after reading an article that indie french band phoenix was scoring sophia coppola's next film, somewhere, i was actually ecstatic. not only are her films formulated with such perfection but her impeccable choice of music is even better. although, it is not completely surprising considering that she has a child and another one on the way with the front man, thomas mars. but nonetheless, im sure it'll be amazing and i cant wait!

somewhere is a dramedy directed sofia coppola (lost in translations, the virgin suicides) and starring stephen dorff and elle fanning. it is expected to come out this year. !!!!!!!

p.s. i hear that daft punk is scoring tron legacy!!!! itll be one ammmmmmmmazing ride!!!

Read more »

READ MORE

i know this is old but i cant get over it, its so beautiful. with the sun piercing through the drowsy and constipated clouds, i feel like dancing in my underwear to this song knowingly that the rays have promptly laid his hand on my shoulder to tell me that its ok to smile today.

Read more »

READ MORE

this is my friend michelle cho. this is her song, a story. its very quirky and has cute lyrics so give it a go!

this is a story
about a man
he bumped into a woman
the other day

he said i'm sorry
ma'am i'm in a hurry
I am terribly late to work

she said no worries
but I think you might
have me mistaken
I'm actually a man

entirely embarrassed
from head to toe
he said, I'm sorry I have to
I have to go home

and he never,
no he never
said sorry
ever again.

this is a story
about a man
he never bumped into
anybody ever again.

shes such an amazing artist in general. check out her wordpress.

Read more »

READ MORE

the vanity fair, march 2010 issue is all about film! its so amazing. as usual, annie leibovitz photographs the oscar nominated films and the visionaries who had the balls to create them.

check out the rest here!!

Read more »

READ MORE

when in rome was worse than expected. the same director that directed the beautifully heartfelt simon birch completely tears when in rome to shreds. yes yes its all about the money but come on, there shouldve been some effort put into this. and the producers shouldve known better to have done a chick flick written by two guys. even the 2002 mary-kate and ashley flick by the same name is better than this mess. im starting to think that they cant make a decent chick flick anymore. D

Read more »

READ MORE

CLICK HERE FOR THE 82ND ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS...

Read more »

READ MORE

the edge of darkness is an adaptation of the 1985 BBC television series of the same name. it stars Mel Gibson and Ray Winstone. it is directed by Martin Campbell who did 2006's casino royale and green latern out in 2011. ( i got confused with that and the green hornet which michel gondry is going to direct, weeiiiiird..)

the edge of darkness follows a detective (gibson) investigating the murder of his activist daughter, while uncovering political conspiracies and cover-ups along the way.

this seemingly typical vengeance film turned out to be more than i bargained for. it was not only unexpectedly thoughtful and endearing but with that it took 30-plus minutes out of my life. great story, great resolution, not so great pacing. i felt the sigh release from the audiences' sour breath knowing that the film wasnt over just yet. they tried to make a dramatic unraveling with a not so dramatic twist. it had substance, it just needed to be presented to the audience quicker before they got lost in the mist of the one-liners and action scenes. B-

Read more »

READ MORE

i thought this would be very apt considering sundance just ended and its almost valentines day to introduce blue valentine. los angeles times has named their top seven films from sundance which includes the love story between a married couple (gosling & williams) and chronicles the evolution of their love within multiple time periods.

los angeles times says:

"Blue Valentine" -- The only movie with any

stars on this list; in fact, it's the only scripted feature made for more than a tiny budget that's on this list. But it's here for good reason. There's an almost hypnotic quality to how Derek Cianfrance shot his marital drama, and how stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams play the couple carrying out that drama. Even when they're fighting like De La Hoya and Pacquiao, you can't take your eyes off their interaction, so intense and believable it's almost chemical.

and by the photographs, i can see what he means. i hope this turns out to be what im expecting it to be. and what im expecting is a timeless love story about the first true love in our lives which like polaroids slowly develop to capture the only momentary innocence and happiness in our persistently evolving lives...

click to see the other top films in sundance.

Read more »

READ MORE