Many different things on Friday and Life is Bittersweet!!!

[alexandral]

Hana Yori Dango
This week was busy at work and my brain is dead (at least the part of it which normally functions) but so many exiting things are happening in the fictional world!!!! I wanted to post pictures of the latest Japanese drama which makes me smile and sigh at the same time – "Hana Yori Dango", but meganbmoore have posted most excellent pictures already!!! Here.

Anime: "Fushigi Yuugi" vs "Ayashi No Ceres"
I also was thinking why don’t I watch anime and that I really love Hayao Miyazaki’s animation films (my absolute favourite is "Princess Mononoke"). But big Thank You to meganbmoore and dangermousie , they gave me some great recommendations. Now I am torn between "Fushigi Yuugi" and "Ayashi No Ceres", but I am really inclined to watch Ceres because it seems to be darker and have a huge weakness for dark moods and themes.

Bittersweet Life
I also have watched "Bittersweet life", film of Korean director Kim Ki-woon. ("A Tale of Two Sisters"). I enjoyed it much more then I thought I would and the same happened with “A Tale of Two Sisters”. Both are more then their genre implies – "A Tale of two sisters" is more then a simple horror movie and "Bittersweet life" is more then a simple action/revenge flick. May be it is all in the cinematography and noir elements which are done to the perfection, and may be in some intangible qualities which hang beyond the frames and colours. "Bittersweet life" is a tale of a lone gunman set in seedy places of Seoul. I was spell-bound by the music in this film - it was amazing, heart-wrenching and uplifting at the same time.

This is my favourite scene: Main protagonist Sun-woo moves between two walls of light and into the darkness ahead.





He could not sleep. For how many years already??



Dog Soldiers/ Kevin McKidd
On my wave of love for the HBO series "Rome" and for Lucius Vorenus in particular I watched "Dog Soldiers". It could have been a totally missable film if not for Kevin McKidd’s presence who played terribly efficient Pvt.Cooper. So it was not all that bad. :D. And I found a very stylish black-and white picture of Kevin McKidd!!!!





PS Nice weekend to you all!!!!!!!!!!!

Comments

[the-grynne.livejournal.com]

What a noble Roman profile... I thought several times during "Passover" that he had a face just like some marble bust.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

What a great observation!! I was wondering what kind of hair ancient Romans had. :D Were they as dark haired as modern Italians?

[the-grynne.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure, but with such a multi-ethnic population, mixing for however many centuries, I'm sure red and blond hair weren't unheard of.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I think you are correct, but I am still piqued, I will try to find some information on this.

[the-grynne.livejournal.com]

*g* Someone on the TWOP boards (http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/index.php?showtopic=3150464&st=120#) just noted that Vorenus looks a bit like the statues of Augustus (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=augustus&btnG=Search+Images).

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Oh my, Thank you very much!!! And yep, Max Pirkis and Kevin McKidd look somehow similar. :D

[koalathebear.livejournal.com]

In Dog Soldiers, I also love Sean Pertwee - who has a bad habit of getting killed in movies.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Do you mean lovely Sergeant? I liked him too, and the end of his story was wonderful. Did you like the movie? I could not take dog monsters seriously, but some of the actors were really good. I liked the villain guy too - Captain ..??

[koalathebear.livejournal.com]

Yes the actors were excellent. I didn't think the movie was that great and only watched it because of Pertwee, but the actors were really amazing given that they were being surrounded by very stupid looking rubber monsters that didn't look very real :D

I watched it ages and ages ago so can't remember all the details but .... Spoiler space so I don't spoiler anyone else






Pertwee played the guy who sacrificed himself last - blew himself up with the gas oven I think because he was turning over anyway

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Yes, this was the guy I meant - Sergeant. And I agree about the actors - British guys made me proud again. :D

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Fushigi Yugi is more popular and well known, but I prefer Ceres myself(but dangermousie will say FY, as she's the biggest FY fangirl I know) Ceres is also shorter.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I am hugely torn. I think I see what is in the library (or in the DVD shop). I am about to go out.:D But the whole "dark" thing and the fact that it is shorter shifts the balance to Ceres at the moment.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I hope they have it. FY used to be everywhere, but not as much so now, and Ceres has kinda lurked in its shadow. I hope they have something good.

Also, if you don't mind going the less-than-legitimate route, you can get most series that have come out in the US pretty cheap as a regionless.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

YESSS! I have gotten "Ceres". Be ready for much glee, but I have started watching "1% of anything" too.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

1% will help you get throug the dark, angsty parts.

Have you started Ceres? I think it has oe of the most beautiful opening themes ever, anime or otherwise.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Not yet, Sasha was hanging around and I put "1%" on as a safe option. (this is one of the best things with doramas, completely child-safe). And then of course I got into watching 6 episodes of "1%". Kang Dong Won is so cute in temper that can't stop grinnig!!! And I watched the ending already and it is wonderful! Everyone, everyone is happy! Without any great guys dying from angst like in "My girl".

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I assume Sasha's your daughter? Yeah...Ceres should only be watched when no one who shouldn't can walk in on you.

And 1%...oh yes, he's like a puppy. And I ADORE the joke they make at the very end, when the cast is doing their thank yous w/ the youngest brother and the kid it's like "yeah, we know this is utterly ridiculous and fluffy that EVERYONE's getting married, but admit it, you're grinning."

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Yep, Sasha is my 7-year old daughter. I was considering to let her watch "Ceres" with me, but dangermousie talked me out of it. :D

And I ADORE the joke they make at the very end, when the cast is doing their thank yous w/ the youngest brother and the kid it's like "yeah, we know this is utterly ridiculous and fluffy that EVERYONE's getting married, but admit it, you're grinning."

I think I am going to be very engrossed with Hyun-jin/Tae-ha story too - a girl with the bad family past/bad-egg cousin. Just so much of my thing.

[virgin-white.livejournal.com]

I really didn't care for A Bittersweet Life at all. It never picked up for me. It made me feel like I just could not care less.

If you like moody crime dramas, I'd recommend Running Wild, aka Beast starring Yu Ji Tae (http://www.nocturnal-butterfly.net/ji-tae) (one of my favourite actors) and Kwon Sang Woo or Puzzle co-starring sexy Joo Jin Mo. Also, have you seen the cult classics Memories of Murder starring Kang Sang Ho and Kim Sang Kyung or Nowhere to Hide with Park Joong Hoon and mega-celeb (and mega-heart throb!!)Jang Dong Gun (http://www.nocturnal-butterfly.net/dong-gun)? Deff. check those out! Also, in the same vein, you might check out The Humanist starring Ahn Jae Mo (http://www.nocturnal-butterfly.net/ahnjaemo); it's a very under appreciated movie, but it's good and very stylish and bizzarre!

As far as anime, I'm going to say Fushigi Yuugi! I loved FY, and I *love* the ancient Chinese astrology in it! I didn't like Ayashi no Ceres; I quit watching it half way through! O_o

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much for your recs!! I am very interested to see "Memories of murder"!!!

I liked noir elements in "Bittersweet life" and I admit I have a total weakness for the "lone gunman" stories ever since Clint Eastwood. It was not a masterpiece for me, but it sure was very enjoyable.

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

I never in a million years would have recognized that shot of Kevin McKidd!

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

He seemed to have some long hair once upon a time. ;D

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

Hee! Dog soldiers! I saw that one some time ago. To be quite honest I'm not sure it is to be taken seriously - to me it felt more like horror/comedy. Especially with the Matrix jokes: "Where's Spoon? Spoon's dead, there is no Spoon!" *g*

And the black&white McKidd photo is lovely. And a general Yay to Princess Mononoke which is an amazing film.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

EEEEEE! I am glad you liked the photo!!!

** cough cough ** I was thinking strange and silly things about "Rome" and I thought I 'll ask you as the best expert I know - Did they have blond/ginger hair in ancient Rome? Or were Romans just like modern Italians??

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

Well..I'm a little flattered now. *g* As far as I know there were instances of blond/ginger hair, but I think the dominant hair colour was dark/brown. A lot of the Roman sources make a fuss about the Celts and Northmen (Caesar and Tacitus respectively) being mostly blond, so I supposed that is an indication that blond hair wasn't that common.

But I can ask my significant other later. He's the big Roman expert, and he will know for sure.

Also - now I'm very curious to what strange and silly things you have been thinking. ;)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I appreciate your information very much!!! It is interesting that Caesar was blond.

Also - now I'm very curious to what strange and silly things you have been thinking. ;)

I started thinking how "roman" Vorenus and Pullo look :D, though the_grynne rightly noted that Kevin McKidd has really roman profile.

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

hee! he does have a very Roman profile! Also..Eeee! Tomorrow there will be new episodes. (well, technically today - but I will not be able to download them until tomorrow)queenofthorns told me some spoilers from the preview, so I'm very exited!

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Oh, please link me to spoilers!!! (if it is no trouble, of course!!!) I like spoilers very much. :D

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

Hee! I know you do. Which is why I felt it was alright to mention it. What she told me was basically a recap of the preview shown at the end of "Passover":

"In the preview for next week’s episode, Vorenus has gone deep into some total depression where he won’t even get out of bed, and Pullo goes to Antony for suggestions on how to deal with this. And Antony comes to see Vorenus and sort of half-taunts him into getting up (and of course, becoming the mob boss of the Aventine), but one thing that he says in the previews that I find deeply ominous is something about how Vorenus swore a blood-oath to Antony."
- quote queenofthorns

Now I only hope she doesn't mind being quoted like this.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!!! I guess Vorenus already sworn to Mark Antony in season 1, so this must be more on this front - "Bear responsibility for Caesar's death or give me blood-oath". This all seems to be good, with much angst and suffering. :D

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

I know! And even if I'm a little "Poor Vorenus", I'm looking forward to the angst. What really worries me is that Pullo has sworn to help Octavian, and eventually Octavian and Marc Antony end up as enemies. Meep! Poor Pullo and Vorenus!

Also - I asked my significant other and he said that Romans did have blond and/or reddish hair, but that brown was most common.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

that Pullo has sworn to help Octavian, and eventually Octavian and Marc Antony end up as enemies. Meep! Poor Pullo and Vorenus!

Oh, cruel and selfish part of me is looking forward to their clash of allegiances and their friendship being tested, because it must win at the end. :D

And thank you very much for the info - I appreciate this very much!!!

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

because it must win at the end. :D

IT MUST! hee.. otherwise I'm going to cry like crazy...come to think of it I'll probably cry any ways. It seems like that kind of season. ;D

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I am so silly - I have already cried a fair bit during the first episode, especially during the Plullo and Vorenus scene (the one in your icon, where Pullo say "Brother Vorenus"). Even more, every time I see this icon I get that "stuck in my throat" feeling. (in a good way, of course). And this considering it is my own icon - I usually get de-sensitized to my own icons during the time I fiddle around with adjustment layers in Photoshop. :D.

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

It's not silly at all! I was all teary and weepy the first time I saw the episode, and it actually became worse the second time. Maybe because I knew what was coming? And the "brother Vorenus" scene was so powerful I don't blame you for getting emotional. :D

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

More tears for me in the beard-shaving scene. :(

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

For me as well. And when the last shot revealed the Vorenii children and Lyde I got a lump in my throat and thought - Oh no! This is going to lead to so much angst!
After these two episodes I'm watching all the rest with tissues near by!

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I hope there will be some happy times comewhere for Vorenus and Pullo!

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I hope there will be some happy times somewhere for Vorenus and Pullo!

[catdecember.livejournal.com]

i really liked the noir-ish feel that A Bittersweet Life has. :)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

It was very nicely filmed, wasn't it?? I liked the main protagonist too, he did "dead face and soul" very very well.

[trailer-spot.livejournal.com]

The first trailer for A Bittersweet Life on my hard drive has a date stamp from June 05. Ever since I wait to get a chance to watch it but so far I'm not even close since it never made it to theatres in Germany (which would be a good indication for a DVD release or a later TV screening). :(

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

"Bittersweet life" wasn't a masterpiece for me (mostly because it was predictable), but I enjoyed it very much while watching, some of cinematography reminded me of "Oldboy". (it has the same noir feel). And the main actor, Lee Byung Hun, did a great job portraying a very hard inside man, in a best manner of TAkeshi Kitano.