Submissions and Suggestions

In order to keep this blog updated more regularly from now on, I'm happy to accept entries from any other fan of this generally frowned upon area of film. If you have interest, email me at mpatterson524@gmail.com and we'll work something out. If you have your own blog, email me as well and I would like to put links on the side of mine.

If there are suggestions you have for me to watch and review/respond to or simply add to my ongoing list, comment or email me, there's always more to be seen.

Michael

I Saw the Devil (Kim Ji-woon, 2010)

It's been a while since I updated the site. What better reason than an ailment that has me currently on day 3 of 7 days of bed rest (an ailment worthy of this kind of website, but I'll leave that one alone) and a recommendation from an excellent source for a Korean movie? I Saw The Devil (Kim Ji-woon, 2010) was suggested to me tagged along with a trailer, and given the two minute preview and encouragement knowing it was made in Korea, one of the few countries with any recent consistency when it comes to making original horrific and/or disturbing films, I had my Tuesday night plan.

Here is a plot overview, courtesy of Wikipedia:

"Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik) is a dangerous psychopath who kills for pleasure. He has committed infernal serial murders in diabolic ways that one cannot even imagine and his victims range from young women to even children. The police have chased him for a long time, but were unable to catch him. One day, Joo-yeon, daughter of a retired police chief becomes his prey and is found dead in a horrific state. Her fiance Soo-Hyun (Lee Byung-hun), a top secret agent, decides to track down the murderer himself. He promises himself that he will do everything in his power to take bloody vengeance against the killer, even if it means that he must become a monster himself to get this monstrous and inhumane killer."

This movie wastes absolutely no time in getting to the action. It begins eerily, a scene reminiscent of France's Ils, and picks up immediately. Not so much classified as a horror film as it is an action thriller, don't be discouraged due to your stereotypes from cookie cutter Hollywood thrillers. It plays off the familiar "catch and release" torture storyline that so many have failed at, finally giving it justice and executing to near perfection. It continues Korean's strong reputation for vengeance films, and despite its 144 minute running time, it rarely if ever drags on. It features incredible cinematography and fight scenes that blow most others out of the water. To give you an idea, there's a brief scene inside of a taxi traveling along a dimly lit back road which soon becomes the scene of a three man knife fight, while the camera revolves 360 degrees around the action-- enough said. Its plot maintains consistency throughout and continually fuels your hatred for the antagonist, and in turn you find yourself encouraging violence, a primeval response which makes it easy to relate to Soo-Hyun. This movie is worth watching the satisfaction you feel at its conclusion alone.

For Fans Of: Chan-wook Park

Fucked Up Content: Excessive Violence, Rape, Torture

Overall: 8.5 / B