Films/DVD Asylum

"I Saw the Devil:" entertaining and way over the top revenge carnage from,

98.232.224.41

tinear

A

of course, Korea--- easily the world capital of violent, usually revenge-motivated, films.
A secret agent's squeeze brutally is murdered by a serial (what else?) killer. Clever writing--- enough plot twists and turns in-between the blood-bathing--- good acting and actors (the killer is portrayed by the guy who starred in "Old Boy"), and the usual Korean moralizing (implied, never philosophically debated) about the act of revenge make for an entrancing several hours of escapism.
(I think Wonka reviewed this awhile back, but the search engine didn't find it).

Follow Ups:

These films are nothing but gratuitous garbage - Victor Khomenko 17:45:14 10/02/14 (6)
It is always like that... some cynical "artist" wants to "show them", so he smears shit on a large canvas, and then goes into long drinking binge.

In the meantime twenty very smart critics step all over their genitalia explaining the deep meaning of the crap smear.

Same is here. I just love those explanations.

The truth is - the Koreans, with VERY few notable exceptions, just can't make a decent film, so they think the more crap they put on top, the harder it will be to see the substance.

Don't look now... there is none.
- Not if you are Korean . . . - Billy Wonka 23:22:07 10/02/14 (5)
  or Japanese for that matter. Those folks take their horror in blood not monsters. What's good for their culture may suck in yours.
  - It is not their culture - Victor Khomenko 05:43:13 10/03/14 (4)
    Not any more than Brahms wrote Japanese music. Unnatural attempts at westernizing.
    - What??? Film is "westernizing?" I guess Peter the Great should have stayed home, too, and stopped Russia from - tinear 08:06:33 10/03/14 (3)
      "westernizing?"
      Your penance: watch the "Old Boy" trilogy whist eating bowls of kimchi.
      - Only if you let me use my Chinese export porcelain - Victor Khomenko 08:44:50 10/03/14 (2)
        
        In Reply to: RE: What??? Film is "westernizing?" I guess Peter the Great should have stayed home, too, and stopped Russia from posted by tinear on October 03, 2014 at 08:06:33
        
        I dislike the fake cultures.
        The famous Thai cowboys? No... thank you! :)
        
        Edits: 10/03/14 10/03/14
        
        "Leningrad Cowboys go America" is an hysterical film by Ari Kaurismaki: don't be such - tinear 07:44:47 10/05/14 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Only if you let me use my Chinese export porcelain posted by Victor Khomenko on October 03, 2014 at 08:44:50
        
        a fuddy-duddy: it's fun! The Thai cowboys, however, was dumb.
        So, you dislike mainland Chinese film, period. Taiwanese. Hong Kong.
        Thai films.
        African.
        Mexican.
        Brazilian.
        And�. Japan. Goodbye Ozu. And a few others "overrated" directors?
        The logic would apply to novels, too, I'm assuming, and modern architecture?
        I'd go further than you.
        I'd say any classical music that isn't German/Austrian must be discounted...
        
        Heck, I would certainly discount the Chinese classical music :-) - Victor Khomenko 14:27:30 10/05/14 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: "Leningrad Cowboys go America" is an hysterical film by Ari Kaurismaki: don't be such posted by tinear on October 05, 2014 at 07:44:47
        
        I guess you missed my point entirely. I was talking about the Korean garbage, ultra-violent films made to mimic the Western ones. There is nothing Korean in those films, besides the actors and scenery. If you feel the Devil is in the same category as Ozu - be my guest, but to me one is an authentic work of art, and the other - pop culture trash.
Das Doppelganger saw this . . . - Billy Wonka 13:52:11 10/01/14 (2)
a while back . . .
- http://db.audioasylum.com/mhtml/m.html?forum=films&n=77020&h (Open in New Window)
- This explains a lot...(nt) - mkuller 20:41:22 10/02/14 (0)
  (nt)
- Watched it again last night . . . - Billy Wonka 14:11:58 10/02/14 (0)
  and still enjoyed the whole thing.
  
  I realized that you see almost zero Korean horror films. It seems like the get their horror from ultra-violence and sometimes ghosts. Certainly Japanese and Thai films produce a lot of ghost/spirit related film but not so much for Korea.
I loved it... - SF tech 18:17:29 09/30/14 (3)
It takes a very dark sense of humor to laugh at a movie like this.

I was chuckling the whole way through!

SF
- I believe that is the way Koreans view their . . . - Billy Wonka 13:28:18 10/01/14 (1)
  violent films: mores a dark humor than reality. Sewing something inside someone is going to far for revenge.
  
  "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" had a ton of humor in it besides its overall imagination.
  - Could be repression - Jon L 10:55:58 10/03/14 (0)
    Kind of like how the Japanese act so proper and demure in public, yet in private, they have a exploding porn/sex industry, likely as an outlet.
    Similarly, both Korea and Japan heavy Draconian stance against guns and violence. A bloody stabbing will make the national news headlines and severely criticized. Movies like "Devil" and "Chaser" have got to an outlet for a culture so repressive about bloody violence. And yes, I would call all that part of their culture.
    
    Edits: 10/03/14
- Chuckling at the bag scenes? Hmmmm� nt - tinear 07:49:06 10/01/14 (0)
  d

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