My education of Korean cinema is limited to Chan Wook Park’s Vengeance trilogy [ Read my review of the Vengeance trilogy]. Of course, besides that K-movies are known worldwide for their indulgence with romance and rom-coms. However, director Shin-yeon Won’s crime thriller ‘Seven Days’ starring Kim Yunjin [ of Lost fame ] is a gloomy and dark tale revealed in a who-dunnit fashion. But the after effect of the movie is more thought provoking. And that is where Seven Days scores. It is a movie beyond the 125 minutes that it plays. Yes it is a relatively long movie, but the tension never loses grip and when the climax hits you, you leave still trying to fit together the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle.

The movie begins with criminal lawyer Yu Ji-yeon’s daughter getting kidnapped. The ransom demanded by the kidnapper is to defend and prove a rapist-murderer as innocent within the next seven days. The only ally that she gets is a cop friend while the murder victim’s mother and a corrupt would-be politician want the murderer to be executed. What follows next is a mind-boggling list of puzzles being revealed clue after clue as the body count keeps increasing. And wait till the end when you get the mother of all twists (pun intended, to understand it, watch the flick)

So what did I like about the movie?

A list of many things. Kim Yunjin playing the desperate mother trying to compose herself proffessionally to achieve what has been asked of her to deliver is really painful. The desperation of a mother to keep her daughter alive by proving a criminal as innocent gets a bit too far fetched. And you start questioning about why did it take so long for the loophole in the legal system to be revealed. I guess the judge wasn’t conversant enough. But ignoring that minor loophole, the rest of the movie is a roller coaster ride.

The title credits reminded me of Se7en and even CSI. Skin scraped and supervised under UV light, stitches and autopsy, finger-prints and of course dried blood on skin. This movie does not hold back at all. So if you are easily disturbed by such visuals, do have someone to assist you. But again, this is no Saw. The cinematography is a treat to watch and the snazzy editing makes the narrative absolutely crispy.

At the end of it, you do try to question the rationality of all the pain and toil of the kidnapping [ A plot point which I am not going to reveal ]. It is a genre-bound thriller nonetheless which retains its charm and positive tone [ unlike Se7en's climax] through the radiant charisma of Kim. She effortlessly carries the film on her shoulders and actually made the film more worthwhile. Not to forget the consistently performing supporting cast of the victim’s mother and the murderer himself. So if you expect a slick Aisan thriller, Seven Days is clever and yet sometimes dumb, but definitely entertaining cinema. Do watch it, at least for Kim Yun-jin.

Special Mention: ShoutOut @Nicki of ApunBindaas who gifted me this DVD.

Oh boy! The last ten episodes have been exploding with action filled to the brim. But it is so much to handle in one single post, I have split them into two: Part 1 is the Sasuke vs. Deidara portion, and part 2 is still awaiting future episodes, but it will be awesome I can say already. It will be Jiraiya vs. Pain. So glad that Naruto Shippuuden has finally pushed it to the limits. No more boring recaps, and thank God for no stupid filler story arcs. We have moved away from the utterly stupid arc of Yukimaru and Guren and all the sexual tension between Naruto and Yukimaru. Add to that, Sasuke has killed Orochimaru and absorbed his abilities, and is now on the move to seek his revenge against his elder brother Uchiha Itachi. What I absolutely love in this part is the emergence of Akatsuki’s immensely powerful Ninjas and the extreme mystical characterisation of them. No one knows about their abilities and yet there is so much sickness that surrounds them. Remember Hidan and Kakuzu who killed Asuma. Thank God for Shikamaru. But Kakuzu had one sick ability of a Voo-dooish black magic using the blood of the opponent. We also got a short flashback arc of how Kakashi got his left eye Sharingan. But there is so much more history about Konoha which needs to be explained faster. Anyway, coming back to the last ten episodes – 121 to 131. Sasuke is on the move, has collected three really crazy and strong Ninjas to team up for his mission to kill Itachi [ yeah right!]. The team is called Taka and the members are -

Suigestsu

We don’t know much about him other than he was a test subject captured by Orochimaru and kept in a huge bottle filled with liquid, much like Neo was kept [ remember Matrix? ]. Sasuke freed him and has skills with the sword, and now he possesses Zabuza’s blade, Kubikiri Bocho. He can transform into water, and hence, has instantaneous healing power and also can transform and elongate his body parts [ like Mr.Fantastic]. He aims to take on Akatsuki member and Itachi’s mate- Kisame Hoshigake and then capture his Samehada.

Karin

She has a strong sense of chakra, even stronger than Kiba and Akamaru. From her smell she can tell the number of Ninjas , the types of Ninjas- human or otherwise etc.  She was a former assistant to Orochimaru, but now is obsessively in love with Sasuke. Its quite funny sometimes, when she acts tough and fights with Suigetsu, and at the very next instant, she blushes to see Sasuke.

And then we have… Jugo

He is mentally unstable, sporadically fluctuating between a bloodthirsty and a docile personality. It is all a bit weird coz Sasuke reminds Jugo of Deidara and that Sasuke will protect him from becoming a monster is why he joined the team. The whole Orochimaru’s cursed seal was originated from Jugo, and the brief battle between Jugo and Sasuke was quite cool.

Akatsuki is after collecting the Bijuus and they know that Konoha has the biggest one – the nine tailed fox Jinchuuriki sealed inside Naruto. Sasuke is on the hunt to find Akatsuki members to get his lead on Itachi. And he encounters Akatsuki’s Deidara. And boy, we haven’t seen the best of Deidara yet. He was last seen fighting with clay bombs in the Village of Sand fighting with Gaara, and then was sent to another dimension by Kakashi. He had lost an arm in the last battle, and now he is all about showing off his skills as an art form. He is accompanied by the jolly and funny Tobi. Sasuke encounters Deidara and what happens next is a battle of monstrous proportions. Just feast your eyes on the following screenshots.

Sasuke vs. Deidara Screenshots.

Deidara’s Kakuru C4 jutsu is beyond my comprehensive power. I am speechless. It combines Nano technology with Ninja awesomeness. The clay bombs that Deidara spreads out are tiny particles suspended in the air, and as Sasuke breathes it in, he inhales them. And then Deidara detonates them! Sasuke – scatters, or does he?

It was all an illusion. Sasuke had worked on Deidara with his Sharingan’s Genjustu.

And the real monstrous Sasuke attacks Deidara with his Chidori.

It’s so awesome that I had to show it twice!!!

Of course, Deidara and Sasuke’s battle doesn’t end here. Deidara transforms himself into a living bomb in an effort to kill Sasuke and prove his art is supreme. But Sasuke escapes by means of using Orochimaru’s humongous snake and covering himself within it. Although Sasuke is heavily injured by it, he survives the attack. That should teach him a lesson of what the Akatsuki is capable of doing. Sasuke has grown to become an arrogant man who is way too confident over his abilities, and now that he has Orochimaru’s abilities, he thinks that he can conquer Itachi. How wrong is he!

But then, with all of these happening, we get to know of something so awesome. A revelation that shook me to the core. While Deidara was accompanied by Tobi, we all believed that with Deidara’s bad ass explosion, Tobi must have evaporated. But we get to see something that can be termed as the major ‘twist’ in the storyline. Tobi reveals his original identity as the one, the only – Uchiha Madara. And with this the awesome trio of Sharingan users is complete – Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Madara. Have a look below.

SHARINGAN

Jiraiya suspects that it was Madara who summoned the Nine tailed Fox monster Junchuuriki which almost destoryed Konoha, and which killed Minato Namikage while he sealed the Bijuu inside Naruto. But Madara was one of the founding fathers of Konoha along with the First Hokage, and he was defeated by the first Hokage, Hashirama Senju. It was believed that Uchiha Madara died in that battle. Until recently, when it was revealed that he is the strongest member and the founder of Akatsuki. Whoaaaaaaa!!!!! That moment was just fucking brilliant.

And to end, just a glimpse of what is coming up.

Yes, that is our friendly, but legendary Sannin of Konoha, Erosennin Jiraiya Sama with the summoned Toads.

Can you contain the excitement? I can’t wait for Thursday!!! Zor se bolo…Naruto Shippuuden rocks!!!

]]> http://www.oneknightstands.net/naruto-shippuuden-sasuke-vs-deidara-recap-121-125/feed/ 39 http://www.oneknightstands.net/sketch-kira-deathnote/ http://www.oneknightstands.net/sketch-kira-deathnote/#comments Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:14:24 +0000 Sujoy http://www.oneknightstands.net/?p=814

I have been randomly experimenting with my new tablet. And one of the many things which I wanted to test on it was the signature Frank Miller style of art [as seen in Sin City]. And I interpreted it in a Kira aka Yagami Light sketch. The hair leaves a lot to be done. But trust me, it was getting messy. Thank God for Ctrl+Z. I will try out doing Sin City and other Anime characters in the Frank Miller mode [ that's what I'm gonna call it - White on Black ]. But for now, have a look at my work, and do lemme know what did you think about it in the comments.

For the higher resolution image,  click the pic above.

Also, suggestions for characters etc are very welcome. Ciao!

Watching The Half Blood Prince made me realise a lot of things. One of them was that how an almost 3 hour movie with wizardry, dark-lords, death, and zombies could be turned into a 2.5 hours soap-opera. I mean, give me a break from the Love potioned Ron Weasley, or the Harry-Hermione emotional atyachar! I paid friggin 11 quid for this seat. Now just blast my eyes with some fireworks already! And yes, when you choose certain scenes for 3D over others, please try and select the ones which could be termed ‘sexy’ rather than plain-ol conversations in the hallway, or a lounge chair morphing into Mr.Jim Broadbent. #fail #fail #fail.

But yes, one of the other things which has emerged from the many discussions I have been having with my friends [especially that David bloke], is that how similar Voldemort – the ultimate dark lord, and the ultimate dark-Ninja we know of – Orochimaru are. So here I am, doing my analysis of their similarities and the differences as well. Whether, Harry Potter inspired Naruto [as in JK Rowling inspired Kishimoto] is a very sensitive debate which is out of the scope of this argument. We will be restricting our analysis to whether Voldemort and Orochimaru are indeed similar or not. Part 2 of the Analysis will be trying to answer a Kick-Ass question, literally – In a duel, who will kick who’s butt [and who will eat the dust] -Voldemort or Orochimaru. Pick your side!

First things first. The analysis chart with the Comparison Parameters. Here it is – the Curious Case of Voldemort vs. Orochimaru.

Separated at Birth? Or the same man?

Now for the big battle between the two. WHO WILL KICK WHO’s ARSE?

a) Why will Voldemort Pwn Orochimaru?

~ He’s got Avada Kedavra – the Death Spell.

~ He can kinda dodge Orochimaru’s attacks with his teleportation wizardry.

~ His soul is split into 7 horcruxes. So he can’t die until those are destroyed, one of which is *ahem* [ deleted to avoid spoilers ]. So to kill Voldemort, you have to destroy that too. Too much to ask for.

~ Orochimaru’s snakes can be controlled by Voldemort as he knows how to speak to them in Parseltongue.

~ Can Orochimaru withstand any Wizardry spell, even a basic one like – Petrificus Totalus

~ If Sasuke can pwn Orochimaru, Voldemort can surely do it too….. or can he?

b) Why will Orochimaru totally pwn Voldemort?

~ The ridiculously huge snake Manda can totally consume everything that Voldemort has – him, his Death Eaters and everything.

~ Sasuke did not defeat him. He was just a bit sick when Sasuke got the better of him. But Orochimaru cannot die. So Avada Kedavra might not be relevant in this battle.

~ Any other spell of Voldemort can be easily dodged by a Ninja of the level of Orochimaru.

~ Manda cannot understand Voldemort speaking to it in Parseltongue, coz it speaks only Japanese.

~ Orochimaru can disarm Voldemort but not the other way around! Huaaahahahaha.

~ Someone mentioned – Oro could kill Voldemort with a Kunai or a neck-bite, and then making him his new vessel. How evil will that be!!

~ Ninja Powers rock. There are way too many jutsus that Orochimaru knows, and most of them are the dark ones. And he has experimented them on himself, and his army of followers – not just a bunch of losers known as the Death Eaters.

So…you guys decide who wins the Battle of the Darklords. Me deciding Orochimaru would be unfair as I am a Naruto Devotee more than a Harry Potter fan. And then, both of them belong to different universes – one from the world of wizardry and the other from Ninjas. Wizard Spell vs. Ninja Jutsus is quite an unpredictable situation and could swing in any direction. Because Magic is Magic, and Jutsus are well…Jutsus. What you say? Shout out loud in the comments section

The best frigging episode of Naruto Shippuden..
in a long time:  Episode 113: The Serpent’s Pupil

I have waited a long time for this. Really long. For all those people who are still watching Naruto Shippuden, can definitely understand the utter frustration that we have went throughout the last couple of months. The entire arc has been shifting way too far from the main plot which kept us glued to Naruto at the first place, and that is Konoha,Uchiha and more Sennin, Genin and Junins. Instead the anime has been hovering over such stupid plots such as the Crystal Lady -Guren and the 3 tailed Biju controller-Yuukimaru. I hated that entire arc where everyone had a single piece of dialogue – You are the place where I return to. I think you can hear me scream out so loud right now. That one line makes me cringe every single time I hear it, and you know how many times it was being repeated. That kid Yuukimaru is just one stupid, annoying kid who carries around that crystal with a daisy. And Guren was another arse of a lady. Tragic melodrama oozes out from every corner possible when the two confront each other. But screw all that, we are back in BUSINESS. Shippuden’s latest episode: The Serpent’s Pupil showed to me, why I fell in love with this Anime at the first place. And you know what..It does not have a single frame of Uzumaki Naruto [except for the title credits and the end credits]. And it still rocked me socks off..!!!!

With intensely pleasing recaps of Sasuke’s Chuunin exam, Orochimaru’s dented curse of bonding, and eventually Sasuke’s choice to give in to Orochimaru’s desire to take over his body – everything just fits perfectly in the Serpent’s plan. Or does it sound too easy for the replication to begin? Man, how excited was I to see Orochimaru’s Jutsu get sealed by Sarutobi! How cool was it to see flashback of the sound village Shinobis that Orochimaru sent to capture Sasuke! And how cool was it to see just a little flash of Sasuke’s Chuunin exam combats..!!! While you must know that Orochimaru is almost hitting the limit that his current body can hold, and can only withstand the pain to go through the replication. Kabuto believes that Orochimaru is the greatest Ninja there ever was, is or can be! Orochimaru’s track record has been quite impressive, especially when he single-handedly battled against Erosenin Jiraiya and Tsunade. And with the power of Uchiha’s Sharingan, there would be none to challenge him. Kabuto has been the ever-serving bitch to Orochimaru, feeding him with pills and meds et al, and taking care of him [ you know, changing nappies and stuff,LOL]. While he is getting jubilant a bit ahead of his time, Sasuke-kun has other plans. WoooHoooo!!!

Sasuke has always been one of the most intriguing characters ever on any Manga/Anime. He has been a loner with a single focussed goal -Revenge against his elder brother Itachi. And that has driven him to the dark side to be trained by the dark lord Sauron…I mean serpent Orochimaru, and gain the powers he wanted. Sometimes he is a bit of a show-off, and exudes the overconfidence and extra X-factor with his looks, moves and swagger that even Orochimaru gets intimidated. And exactly that’s why Orochimaru had selected him as his next vessel. But little did he know, that Sasuke was thinking otherwise. Sasuke’s training montage in this episode, jumping back and forth his early days of his Sharingan development and back to his full form of Chidori is mindblowing. I couldn’t stop smiling, and yes, that is the perfect reaction. P.S. That image you see, does not imply any homo-erotic thought of Orochimaru.

And finally the screen is scorched!!
Sasuke vs. Orochimaru.

[Note: I wrote Sasuke's name before Orochimaru] The moment that we have all been waiting for..is HERE. Sasuke gives a long speech proving us that Orochimaru is just a worthless serpent of a Ninja. He has always been overshadowed by the power of the Uchiha, and all he ever was just a prodigy. He has only gained his powers by toying with thousands and thousands of lives, experimenting with bodies in the lab, and creating monsters, swapping bodies from one to another, and of course break every rule of the Ninjas. His attempt to get the better of Itachi was in vain, and so his next best option was Uchiha Sasuke. The best line in this episode was when Sasuke says to him: Orochimaru, you’re weaker than me. There is no more need to give you my body”. Woo-Hoo. Sasuke tries to tear Orochimaru’s body with his blazing Chidori, when Orochimaru throws up and takes the form of his original self – a serpent [reminded me of the J-Lo starrer Anaconda]. Orochimaru tries to wrap Sasuke with his never-ending body, but Sasuke is way too powerful now, or is he? Sasuke takes the form of a hawk. Will the hawk make the serpent eat dust? OMG!!!! The anticipation is through the roof. I can’t wait till Thursday!!

Korean movies are just top notch in terms of cinematical technicalities. The cinematography is unparalleled, the colors seem to be splashed straight from a palette chosen by Monet or Rembrandt, and the soundtrack breathes life into even the most dead of plots. All of it combined with a compelling romantic-drama plot like Daisy, can be best termed as an amplification of cinematic excellence to the fullest extent. When the director of the Infernal Affairs,Andy Lau teams up with three of Korea’s finest actors, the result has to exceed all expectations, and Daisy does it, and how so.

Tension, Tragedy, Twist!

SYNOPSIS: Daisy[ Korean name: Dei-Ji(2006)] stars my favorite Korean actress Jun Ji Hyun [now known as Gianna Jun] as a young artist Hye Young, living in Amsterdam. She assists her grandfather in running his antique shop, and works in the public square,drawing portraits. She starts receiving pots of Daisy from a secret admirer who she believes is the man who built a bridge for her [Its exactly how it sounds]. And then, one day she meets Interpol agent Jeong Woo [Sung-Jae Lee] who is actually tracking Asian drug dealers. Hye confuses her for the mystery man who sends her the daisies. While all this is happening, Hye Young’s real secret admirer,Park Yi [Woo Sung Jung] has a keen eye on her.
He follows every step of her, and even shows a hint of envy when he sees Hye Young enjoying Jeong Woo’s company. And then, in an encounter involving the drug dealers and Jeong Woo in the public square, Hye is severely injured thus, losing her voice. Jeong Woo has to leave the country and go back to Korea. And then, Park shows up to take care of the broken-hearted Hye. What Hye does not know is her secret admirer and the one who sends her the daisies is actually an assassin. Will Hye find out who her real admirer is? Will Jeong Woo return to Hye and confess the truth? Will Park get rid of his dirty past and will there be a happy ending? To find the answers, watch Daisy.

And why should you watch this movie?
a) The Golden thing that is silence.

Raining Silence

Daisy is just painted in leisure with all possible hues collected in a sombre pace. The speed although here does not make you cringe, rather makes you sink into the situation. The caress of wind on the petals of the daisy, or the reflection of sun on Hye’s eyes, the heavy showers washing the glass windows and the gurgling of water in the streams – all of this intermittently broken by the narration.

b) The Lady – Jun Ji Hyun.

Jun Ji Hyun - How pretty!

Although I adore and still am a die-hard fan of JJH’s outspoken, extremely OTT role in My Sassy Girl[who isn't!], JJH performance in this role stands at extreme opposite ends from her work in My Sassy Girl. She speaks through her eyes, expresses her angst and frustration in her actions. She made me believe in her quest for her secret admirer. Her eyes gleaming with romance when she receives her ‘FROWERS’, makes me squirm. And well, who wouldn’t want to just stare at her, while she sketches a portrait of you?

c) Amsterdam, Ambiance, Audio.

Oh Amsterdam!

If you loved ‘In Bruges’, this would make you fall in love with Amsterdam. The architecture, the streets, the public square, the countryside, the flowers…aaaah! Add to that, the interiors of an antique shop, or a well designed modern day European apartment, the dim-lit indoors of a restaurant, or even the dark alleys, all of these have a character of their own to add to the narrative. Lastly, the soundtrack is absolutely fabulous.

d)Andy Lau. Andy Lau. Andy Lau.

Eyes of the Kira..err Killer

This is not just a South-Korean tragedy. Nor is this another hitman action movie. Daisy combines both of these, and not in a formula-driven cliched mixed-bag. It combines the action, thrill and edge-of-the-seat sequences of an action movie, and yet somehow combines all the drama and the precise amount of human emotional clashes that one expects from a romance-drama. Andy Lau satisfies each and every thread of desire I would have from his cinema.

The Painting which started it all

To sum it up, what you would remember after this movie is the spellbinding cinematography of the movie, the mind numbing twists that this plot unfolds in layers, the absolutely impressive JJH and finally the soulful soundtrack. The non-linear narrative is best done in Asian cinema and this is no exception to that rule. It just enhances the storytelling, and when it comes to tragedy [minor spoiler], Koreans do it best. This for all Asian movie lovers, and for those special ones who loved My Sassy Girl, be prepared to be surprised to a very different JJH.

RATING: 8 on 10.

Special Mention: Niki of ApunBindaas who recommended this gem of a movie to me.

**SCREENSHOTS FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE**

More of Jun Ji Hyun

Romance while the lights are dim

JJH..

]]> http://www.oneknightstands.net/movie-review-daisy-2006/feed/ 7 http://www.oneknightstands.net/movie-review-the-vengeance-trilogy/ http://www.oneknightstands.net/movie-review-the-vengeance-trilogy/#comments Mon, 19 May 2008 19:50:58 +0000 Sujoy http://oneknightstands.net/?p=65

하나, 둘, 셋 ( One, Two , Three )

There is a big reason why  I am not writing three different reviews for the three movies constituting the Vengeance Trilogy- Sympathy for Mr.Revenge, Oldboy and Lady Vengeance, besides the obvious ones that it is a huge task to. Of course, they deserve individual appreciation and applause for the portrayal of immensely disturbing human stories. But then, it is very important to state on a single page, that even if the element that connects these three- Vengeance-is full throttle, it is the underlying human stories which actually steal the show, in each film. And needless to say, they are all very different and very awesomely disturbing as well. We have seen Hollywood’s brand of violence in many shades, colors, lights and sounds. We have been thrilled, scared, often left disturbed and then by the end of the third night we almost get over it and probably start pondering over the latest action flick. And that is where the Vengeance trilogy scores. It has been almost two weeks since I watched OldBoy and I watched Sympathy for Mr.Vengeance today (I watched Lady Vengeance in between, which again states another fact that in this trilogy, unlike any other, the order of watching doesn’t really matter). And yes, I still vividly remember the corridoor fight scene, the octopus eating scene and the tooth plucking as much as the grotesque smile of Oh Dae Su in Oldboy. That is the power of story telling. And I start this post by offering a salute to the genius of Chan-wook Park.

Uno: Sympathy for Mr.Vengeance tells us the tale of a kidnapping gone completely wrong. But well, that is just the permeable membrane enveloping the surface. What this story truly represents is how violence can destroy normal people. How it can make a deaf-mute, green haired worker turn into a psycho killer who can even go to the extent of piercing someone’s throat artery, tear open their guts and chew their kidneys. It is a tale which works in its own pace and relies more on the events happening than the dialogues. More so because the main protagonist is mute, but also because that’s how real it is. It is a disturbing drama more than anything else and the violence is just an effect of it. When you see Dong Jin mourning the death of her daughter we follow him walking, while his eyes are wandering in vacuum. He enters the autopsy room and he is informed of his daughter’s swollen lungs. We do not get to see a loud outcry but we see Dong Jin holding tightly to the grass on a green field, as a tear drop trickles down. The same Dong Jin, who by now has gone completely insane after seeing hallucinations of his drowned daughter, on discovery of the corpse of Ryu’s sister, reacts completely different in the autopsy room. We see him look at it directly and even yawn. Message conveyed. But what is most interesting is the race of who will find who and how will he confront the other. The entire debate of who’s revenge is justified and the absence of a “hero” and/or a “villain” is what just left me numb. Lastly, Mr.Vengeance leaves behind some of the most ruthless and unforgettable violence ever to be filmed and will not be easily consumed by the normal movie junkie. From the scene where the factory worker slices his belly with a blade as blood leaks out , to the ruthless shock torture of Yeong Mi, to the one shot of Ryu’s sister’s decomposed corpse, and yes to wind things up, Ryu’s cut open Achilles tendons under water. A grand start to the trilogy that lives up to a name like Vengeance.

Dos: Oldboy is more known for its disturbing subject matter than its now famous tooth plucking scene. But then, that’s upto you. For me, it remains a story of human complexities pushed to the extreme. Of human disjointedness dance wildly with chaos. Vengeance is so strong here that someone keeps his target alive and feeding for 15 complete years, waiting and planning for the perfect vengeance. It is just out of my normal human comprehension that someone can do this. But then, in a world of Sushil Sharma (Tandoor Murder case) and Nithari’s Moninder Pundher, where everyday news is all about violence served with garnishing (Mr. Rajat Sharma,are you reading?), this can pass out to be a day’s headline. But well, the vengeance here consists of something just a bit more complex than death as a punishment. The punishment here is the guilt and the sin of incest with which a person is made to live. I will not say anything more about the plot but the way it is revealed, layer by layer is a hint of the workings of a mind driven by a very dark passion for vengeance. You’ve to see this movie to experience the chills which no amount of Exorcists and Rings can give. Because man is scarier than ghost. Enough said about the plot, the picturisation of Oldboy is top-notch. In a way it is more of a texture based representation. The dark one room prison, the lavish apartment, and the CORRIDOOR. All of them speaking a tale of their own. Not to forget, the quintessential component-VIOLENCE. Park leaves no stones unturned here and nothing has been left more to say or imagine. We see blood squirt out of the jaws as Oh-Dae Su pulls the lever, we see live octopus being chewed upon, and then we also see the sexual animal in Oh-Dae Su. But what left all of us (all the viewers of Oldboy, I speak on your behalf) in awe is the one take shot of the corridor combat which resembles like a Video Game with the main character going against many people with the camera following from the left to right. What we see is hell unleashed and Oh-Dae Su just doesn’t stop, not even when he is beaten up and gets a knife stabbed on his back. To conclude I’d say Zinda was such a lame piece of crap for a copy. It didn’t even have a fraction of the intensity of Oldboy, both in terms of the “made to suit Indian viewers” storyline and violence. Some movies should be left untouched, un-remade.

Tres: Lady Vengeance is well, the finale of the Vengeance trilogy and is poetic, hilarious at times, visually riveting and according to the One Knight (who stands), this is the one to watch if you are a sucker for beautiful cinematography meshed with violence which is narrated mostly as the scream in the other room, rather than its predecessors which dealt with it upfront. I saw this movie after Oldboy, and I was still in shock by what I saw in Oldboy. So, the violence here seemed a bit subdued in comparison with the other ones, but in no way can be still termed as easy-to-chew. The basic difference between this and the other ones in the trilogy is that Lady Vengeance portrays Geum Ja as the heroine, the good one and her motivation for revenge is fully justified right from the word go. It doesn’t question Geum Ja’s righteousness, because the wrong done here has to be punished, because the one who suffered here is not only Geum Ja, but also her daughter and the families of the children whom Mr.Baek brutally murdered. Geum Ja however is faced by the question of the best way that Mr.Baek can be brought to justice, and she starts planning it right from her prison days. Well, you might find some similarities between Lady Vengeance and Kill Bill- both being movies about vengeance and well, both being mothers. But here, the climax is damn satisfying and it doesn’t involve a long montonous monlogue. It’s silent, it’s brutal and collectively relished by the like-minded to the tune of the classical Vivaldi music. The color settings add to the storyline perfectly and in every way.This is technically superiror to its predecessors although the storyline isn’t as strong and shocking . But yes, it is indeed a brilliant ending to the Vengeance Trilogy.

Okay, I have been on a long long vacation from Naruto. The last episode I saw was Shippuden’s Episode 045 where Naruto, Sakura and Yamato are planning to explore the secret behind Sai’s diary. On the other hand, Sai is with Kabuto and Orochimaru and are on their way to Sasuke. It has been almost 5 episodes in between, and I saw Shippuden’s 051-052 special 40 min episode yesterday. And it seems I didn’t miss a thing. I am so very much furious now. Naruto used to be my favorite anime. Not only because of the Ninja fights but also because of the detailed characerisation of the different protagonists and the layers of complicated emotions embedded within. But this arc is getting on my nerves now. Wanna have a sneak peek of what happened in the episode : Sasuke’s Anticipated Appearance! The Emotional Naruto Shippuden Special. Read on.

Remember the first episode of Shippuden, where we actually got to see a teaser of Sasuke’s appearance. Naruto and Sakura running around a dark tunnel and then, an explosion. Naruto runs towards the light at the end of the tunnel,to find Sasuke standing on the top of a rock. Sai is already there. Sakura and Yamato enter next. And then Naruto and Sasuke exchange dialogues about why Sasuke didn’t kill Naruto, and all that bond blah blah! Yeah, all that happened in the first episode of Shippuden. And now, that happens here yet again at almost 1/3rd the pace. I am so irritated to the core now. These Tokyo TV people and Naruto makers need to tighten up the belts and nail some good episodes right away or the fan base is gonna be very upset (more than what it is now). I mean, the anticipated appearance of Sasuke special has been nothing more than an expanded version of the teaser. Nothing more, nothing less.

And if you think I am lying see it for yourself. Oh I forgot to mention, it contains more flashbacks -one of Sai, Naruto, Sasuke vs Itachi, Sasuke vs Naruto, Yamato, Sakura ugh!!!! I am completely fed up. Only addition to the story is the Kyuubi’s advice to Sasuke to not kill Naruto. He says that if Sasuke kills Naruto, he’ll live to regret it. Now wtf was that? Naruto not resorting to using the Kyuubi’s powers and Sasuke is totaly kicking everyone’s ass including Yamato’s wooden ones. I think I’m gonna start watching Claymore now. Naruto is becoming more and more of a mental burden to me which leaves me with utter dissatisfaction week after week after week. Kishimoto C’mooooooon!!!!!