#character | wong wook.

[star-paths]

Assorted Dialogue Prompts | status: open

@dcstinyscdgc asked: ❛ if i have to think about one more thing today, my head will explode. ❜ (wang wook's modern for jimmy, im sorry my tired boy has come to bother him)

Jimin chuckled a little, passing him down an unopened plastic bottle of water with a sympathetic look, cracking his own open.

“You did good work today, it’s understandable you’re spent,” he reminded him, moving to sit on the ground at his side as he watched the charity event go on nearby them. The two of them had met through the organization some time ago and bonded over their shared passion for helping disadvantaged youths, raising money to aid in education and bring awareness of their plights. Wang Wook’s tireless work for this among other causes was a source of inspiration for Jimin and they had become fast friends because of it.

“Can I treat you to a drink later? Nothing like a little soju to wipe the brain clean,” he smirked, draping his arms over upbent knees.

[thegardengrows-infrozenrain]

love how tumblr tried to kill tagspam by limiting you to 30 tags with 140 chars each and also if you tag a specific way then only the first four tags will show your post in searches or whatever and also only original posts will show and not reblogs anymore (and that is ANY reblog, not just reblogs with nothing on them)

but then you still see porn bots scattershotting every trending fandom tag (plus some extras) and the only thing it's done is make rambling in the tags (and more importantly, trigger tagging posts!!!!!) needlessly difficult and also wrecked visibility if you reblog something and add to a post and then tag it with the same tags

also they broke tagging again so now the automatically added end character for each tag will eat the last few letters of a tag and also you can't actually hit the 140 character limit anymore??? you have to come like three under it or you can't add the fucking tag and it still gives you that obnoxiously condescending "Ooops!!! Tags can only be 140 characters or less!!!!" warning.

also hitting 30 tags shouldn't give me a shitfuck ass fucking "You did it. You reached 30 tags" message. just say "tag limit reached" or something c'mon you're a fuckin website and the only thing this makes me wanna do is strangle your entire fucking database center (as in the physical building. get my hands around that bricky bitch.) because i'm a fuckin tumblr user not a five year old and this whole like impersonal friendliness added to error messages and shit these days makes me so pissed.

enough with the "teeheeheehee!!! oopsie daisies!!!!!🌺🌺🌺✨✨✨ ouw code monkies cant handwe mowe dan 30 tagsie-wagsies!!!! oooh noooo 😭😭😭😞😞😞😔😔😔😕😕🙁🙁🙁☹️☹️☹️😥😥😥😨😨😨😰😰😰🫠🫠🫠wooks wike youw gonna hafta wemove some tags!!!! ❌❌❌☹️☹️☹️🥺🥺😢 but make suwe dey'we onwy 140 chawactews! da code monkies eat ur tagsies and dey get tummie aches if dey'we too wong!!!!!! ^^ uwu nya rawr >w< xDDD" type shit. just fucking tell me "character limit reached" or something is it that difficult to just give users information directly anymore??????

also fuck the errors when your internet disconnects and it's like "this is a dashboard haiku. no posts here. who knows why?" "your dashboard is empty. soon it will be lush once more" on the app. that and the stupid fucking astronaut in the fuckin alegria/corporate memphis artstyle on youtube. fuck you. i don't need you to try to be funny and make me laugh because my internet connection is slightly spotty or to be given a fuckin illustration. just say "your connection isn't working". come on, say it with me. "your" "connection" "is not" "working". was that so hard? i get it's because it's ALSO a fallback in case the servers are down for some reason but jesus christ.

at least fucking facebook and instagram just give you "failed to load. check your connection" errors when they go down and most people know if you see them while your internet is up it means the website's having trouble and to wait a while. people aren't fuckin stupid and they don't need to be hand-held when a fuckin website goes down to the point you need to be vague and qUiRkY about it.

like if this shit doesn't stop i will find a way to physically choke a server rack. you fuckin wait. i'll make a goddamn computer experience asphyxiation. i'm gonna take your fuckin machines and i'm gonna fuckin feed them orbeez until they experience whatever the computer equivalent to an intestinal blockage is.

worthless piece of shit fucking website fr

[entropyfairy]

48 Queer Films

*Warning: Many if not all of these have sexual content of some kind*

Black Queer Media (In Honor of BLM):

Paris is Burning (1990)- Documentary on NY Ballroom culture

Kiki (2016)- spiritual sequel to Paris is Burning

Moonlight- coming-of-age story of a gay black man, named after a notable centaur from Greek mythology. FULL of symbolism.

Tongues United (1989)- Experimental documentary about black gay voices, and how they have been hypersexualized/silenced by both straight and gay white communities.

Noah’s Arc: Jumping the broom (2008)- Two gay black men get married!

Pariah (2011)- coming-of-age story of a black lesbian woman

Rafiki (2018) - Tale of two Kenyan lesbians and their relationship as it intertwines with political crisis 

Inxeba (The Wound) 2017- follows a boy through his Xhosan tribe’s initiation ritual of Ulwaluko, or passage into manhood, in South Africa. Gay relationships and love triangles happen

Blackbird (2014)- A black gay teenager navigates his faith and family in Mississippi

Naz & Maalik  (2015) - Two teenage, closeted, Muslim friends who scheme and are gay for each other

Set it Off (1996)- Lesbians who commit a heist ;) Queen Latifah is there

The Skinny (2012)- 5 Brown university students, four gay men and a lesbian, have fun in NY for a night

The Happy Sad (2013)- The lives of two couples in New York City -- one, gay and black, and the other, heterosexual and white -- intertwine when they explore sexual identity and redefine monogamy.

Cis Gay Male Media:

The Birdcage (1996)- Feels much like a play and is a gay remake of the classic French comedy "La Cage aux Folles". Two gay men, who own a drag club in Miami, must pretend to be a straight couple when their son needs to introduce them to future in-laws, who are conservative republicans.

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)- Some drag queens, on their way to a competition across the country, have their car break down in the Midwest. They help a small town and their residents with their problems waiting for their car to get fixed.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)- Two ranch hands have a great time on the range incrementally over the course of 20 years, but they always eventually have to return to their straight relationships. *cries in yeehaw*

God’s Own Country (2017)- a English farmer lives an isolated, unsatisfactory life; until he meets a migrant Romanian worker who helps him find his path.

Boys (2014)- Coming-of-age story about a summer love between two Dutch boys

The Circle (2014)- Swiss Docu-drama set in 1950’s Germany about the secret distribution and publication of an illegal gay male newsletter/journal. Which was a precursor to gay liberation in Europe. It makes me happy and grateful queers can be much more easily connected now.

Mala Noche (1986)- Gus Van Zant’s first film that explores gay relationships that aren’t clearly defined; as well as factors of inequality that stem from language, race, and class.

My Own Private Idaho (1991)- Two gay sex workers go on a road trip, and attract a sugar-daddy.

Mysterious Skin (2004)- Follows the parallel stories of two teens: one obsessed with UFOs, and the other a gay sex worker coming to terms with childhood trauma. WARNING: Sexual abuse

Stranger By The Lake (2013)- A French film that maintains a sense of tension and ominousness throughout, while also subverting the gay cultural expectation of perfectly fit, greek-god bodies. Almost like a gay male re-imagining of Red Riding Hood.

Chinese Characters (1986)- Examines the relationship of gay Asian men with White gay porn.

Happy Together (1997)- The fall-out of a relationship between two gay Chinese men who seek refuge in Argentina

Cis Lesbian Media:

The Handmaiden (2016)- My fav WLW/Park-Chan-Wook film. A Korean con- man tries to marry a Japanese woman to steal her inheritance, but she ends up falling for her handmaiden. BIG dunk on creepy men.

Saving Face (2004)- A Chinese-American woman surgeon falls in love with a ballet dancer. Family drama adds to this forbidden love.

Heavenly Creatures (1994)- Psychological thriller directed by Peter Jackson about two New Zealand Girls who run away to America together

Gaycation (hulu show)- Ellen Page goes to different countries and interview locals on their gays lives/experiences

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)- A wonderful and rare film about the female gaze; with a hint of Pygmalion flavor. In 18th century France, a woman is commissioned to befriend and accompany a reluctant bride-to-be by her mother, in order to observe and secretly paint the bride’s wedding portrait for a man in another country. She falls in love with the woman the more she paints her. 

Killing Eve (2018)- A psychological cat-and-mouse show about a MI spy (Eve) and a murderous, psychopathic assassin (Villanelle). They hunt each other and catch feelings as they try to outwit each other. A very fun ride.

Wild Nights With Emily (2019)- Dramatized Bio-film that looks at Emily Dickinson’s life with another woman.

The Ice Palace (1987)- Two 12-year-old Norwegian girls struggle with their forbidden love in the 1930’s 

Show Me Love (1998)- Two girls with polar-opposite personalities navigate teenage drama and their budding love in a small Swedish town 

Thelma (2017)- A Norwegian college student, from a very religious Christian family, experiences seizure-like episodes, only to discover they are psychokinetic abilities triggered by her love for another woman.

Thelma and Louise (1991)- I refuse to believe this isn’t at least lesbian-coded. Two women run away from their shitty lives together, then run from the law when one of them kills a rapist.

Colette (2018)- A talented and successful 19th century writer has a shitty husband, so she sleeps with women.

Fun (1994)- Two mentally unstable girls go to juvenile detention for killing and elderly woman.

Butterfly Kiss (1995)- A bisexual, homicidal woman saves a young woman and accompanies her on her rampage. WARNING: Sexual abuse

The L word (2004)- show about the intertwining loves of lesbian and bisexual women in LA. Prepare for DRAMA!

 Transfeminine Media:

Tangerine (2015)- The life and relationships of a transwoman whose a sex worker

A Fantastic Woman (2017)- A trans woman in Chile must navigate the death of her partner

Flawless (1999)- a transwoman gives a homophobic/transphobic man voice lessons after a stroke. It follows their journey to find a middle-ground and friendship.

She Male Snails (2012)- Experimental documentary by a trans woman. With poetry and thoughts from transfem people in their transitions and relationships

Southern Comfort (2001)- Documentary on the final year of life of trans man Robert Eads as he dies of ovarian cancer. And how it intersects with his friends,family, and partner Lola, a trans woman.

Transmasculine Media:

Girls Lost (2015)- 3 Swedish girls discover a fruit that can turn them into boys for a short time. One of them discovers they only feel right when getting to be in male form.

Southern Comfort (2001)-Documentary on the final year of life of trans man Robert Eads as he dies of ovarian cancer. And how it intersects with his friends,family, and partner Lola, a trans woman.

Tomboy (2011)- A young French girl enjoys dressing and acting like a boy, but adults and her peers are confused and distressed by it.

[metaangelz]

what are your most favorite movies??

Mustang is like my all-time favorite i've watched it at least ten times i really don't get tired of it and everything from the theme, to the cinematography and the acting is just perfect.....

Happy Together is another all-time favorite movie it was a nostalgic, sad but also hopeful movie i think it's my favorite from Wong Kar Wai along with In the Mood For Love!

Also!!!! SHOPLIFTERS!!! I can't stress how beautiful the movie is like it's sad and sweet at the same time but it's soooooo worth watching!! I was bawling my eyes out and the acting was stellar.

Parasite is easily also one of my favorite movies, it's excellen, really smart and the acting was amazing. The only movie i had watched from Bong Joon Ho before this one was Okja and both movies, but particularly Parasite have impressed me so much i want to watch his previous movies as well

Possession! Not because female rage or whatever (but its a part of it 🤷‍♀️) but because it's a genuinely excellent movie and it's genuinely unsettling without having to go into extreme gore for it, the characters are deranged and it's the most fascinating and scary part of it...

Stoker, i like movies with unsettling and deranged characters and this one was excellent and directed by Park Chan Wook at that

The Handmaiden and Moonlight for obvious reasons great plot, great acting, great cinematography, great themes

Gattaca! I watched it a long time ago but i remember really liking it i can't really tell why though. Also Gone Girl

[noirfos]

Harry Potter Asian Fancast

This is a fancast of Harry Potter with an all-Asian cast cause I’m Taiwanese and I always gotta get that sweet, sweet Asian representation. This is purely based off my own headcanons, and fanon portrayals of these characters. Feel free to add your own!

Marauders Generation

James Potter - Jooheon (Monsta X):

Remus Lupin - Osric Chau:

Sirius Black - Jang Moon Bok:

He got the luscious locks

Peter Pettigrew - PSY:

Lily Evans - Park Bom (2NE1):

Marlene Mckinnon - Hayley Kiyoko:

Dorcas Meadows - Amber Liu (fx):

Frank Longbottom - Harry Shum Jr.:

Alice Longbottom - Matsui Jurina (SKE48):

Ted Tonks - Simu Liu:

 Andromeda Black / Tonks - Wang Yi Ren (Everglow):

Severus Snape - Sam Tsui:

Regulus Black - Aidyn (Snailords):

Walburga Black - Alex Christine:

Orion Black - Lee Dong Wook:

Bellatrix Black / Lestrange - Kim Eun-young / Cheetah:

Narcissa Black / Malfoy - CL (2NE1):

Lucius Malfoy - RM / Kim Namjoon (BTS):

Molly Weasley - Yamada Noe (NGT48):

Arthur Weasley - Ken Jeong:

Golden Era

Harry Potter - Sheldon Ho (Candomando):

Hermione Granger - Gloria Tang Sze-wing / G.E.M.:

Ron Weasley - Kevin Wu (KevJumba):

Bill Weasley - Jay Chou:

Charlie Weasley - Jeremy Lin:

Fred Weasley - Mark Lee (NCT):

George Weasley - Lucas Wong Yuk-hei (NCT):

Percy Weasley - Im Changkyun (Monsta X):

Ginny Weasley - Ali Wong:

Neville Longbottom - Lee Yoo-Jin / Lee Eugene:

Luna Lovegood - Marina Lin:

Draco Malfoy - Johnny (NCT):

Pansy Parkinson - Ahn Hyejin / Hwasa:

Padma Patil - Jameela Jamil:

Parvati Patil - Lilly Singh (||Superwoman||):

Cho Chang - May J Lee:

Lavender Brown - Jessi:

Fleur Delacour - Kang Hyewon (IZ*ONE):

Nymphadora Tonks - Aki (akidearest):

Albus Dumbledore - Jackie Chan:

Minerva McGonagall - Lauren Tom:

Rubeus Hagrid -  Wee Meng Chee / Namewee:

Gilderoy Lockhart -  Go Tae-seob / Holland:

Alastor Moody -  Mark Edward Fischbach (Markiplier):

Fenrir Greyback - Lee Taeyong (NCT):

Xenophilius Lovegood - Patrick Chan:

Amelia Bones - Bae Yoon Jung: 

Next Generation

Teddy Lupin -  Hansol Vernon Chwe (Seventeen):

Albus Severus Potter - Jeon Jungkook (BTS):

James Sirius Potter - Ryan Higa (nigahiga):

Lily Luna Potter - J Lou:

Rose Granger Weasley - Nicole (coleydoesthings @whimsquirksandstuff):

Hugo Weasley - Shoma Uno:

Victoire Weasley - Marie Kondo:

Dominique Weasley - Awkwafina:

Louis Weasley - Yuzuru Hanyu:

Scorpius Malfoy - Suga / Min Yoongi (BTS):

Founders Era

Godric Gryffindor - Joey (The Anime Man):

Salazar Slytherin - Eugene Lee Yang (TryGuys):

Helga Hufflepuff - Lee Chaeyeon (IZ*ONE):

Rowena Ravenclaw - Lucy Liu:

[morningsound15]

I confess I've not watched most of the movies that u reblog gifsets of, but I'd like to; I just don't know where to start. What would ur top 5+ movies for the cinematically uneducated be? Best conditions for watching? Which should I start with, for any arbitrary reason? Hope ur day will be full of endorphins--endorphin anon

GOD i love this question so fucking much holy shit

y’all might not know but i minored in film studies so i am a true Film Hoe at heart. a problem w/ film studies (historically) has been that the movies ppl study tend to be primarily centered around white men. so u are not going to see any white male directors on this list! someone else can talk to u about them but i will not

         1. In the Mood for Love — Wong Kar-wai (2000)

Probably my fav movie of all time. The cinematography is beautiful, the story is aching and tragic, the musical suite that persists throughout the film will make you feel like time has been suspended. In Hong Kong in the 1960s, a man and woman discover that their spouses are having an affair together. Slowly, as they try to uncover the affair, they develop feelings for each other.

Idk that’s kind of a terrible summary I just love this movie so so much. Watch it late in the evening when you don’t have anywhere else to be. Watch it on a TV; turn off the lights and wrap yourself in a blanket and let the story carry you. Have snacks nearby because there is a LOT of food in this movie and you will want to eat it.

        2. Orlando — Sally Potter (1992)

Loosely based on Virginia Woolf’s 1928 novel Orlando. I love this movie because I love Tilda Swinton and I love how weird the music is and how beautiful the costumes and sets are and also because I love a little gender-fuckery in a movie. Basically a young androgynous nobleman named Orlando (Tilda Swinton) is given a large tract of land and a castle by Queen Elizabeth I, along with a shit ton of money, but only if he obeys her command: “Do not fade. Do not wither. Do not grow old.” So he doesn’t. He lives for the next several centuries. One morning, in the 1800s, he wakes up to discover that he has transformed into a woman. And that’s all I’ll say about that!

Watch this movie during the daytime, in the winter, when there’s snow on the ground. Watch this movie with your friends, and split a couple bottles of wine. It’s sometimes funny and sometimes serious but always fun, and you’ll be surprised how invested in the story you get.

         3. The Handmaiden — Park Chan-wook (2016)

I mean this one goes without saying but it is potentially the greatest queer film every made. It’s absolutely stunning, South Korean cinema is extraordinary. This is a tale of conmans and high society and double-crossings and a woman falling in love with her maid and then having unbelievably hot sex with her… I’m not going to spoil anything more. It’s a loose adaptation of Fingersmith and you should just go right now and watch this movie immediately. Watch it 100 times.

         4. Howl’s Moving Castle — Hayao Miyazaki (2001)

This is a great movie. Hayao Miyazaki only really makes great movies. You might know Spirited Away — his most famous film — but my personal favorite has always been Howl’s. The world that Miyazaki is able to craft is vibrant, rich, and a fantastical steampunk dream. There’s magic, witches, a talking fire, and a house that walks through the countryside on its own.

Truly my recommendation for this is smoke a little weed and watch it for the art/animation. Watch it on a Saturday morning when the sun is out and you’re already feeling joyful. Watch it on a TV, if you can; it slaps harder that way.

         5. Daughters of the Dust — Julie Dash (1991)

It took until 1991 for a feature film directed by a black woman to be distributed theatrically in the U.S. For that reason and that reason alone we should all watch Daughters of the Dust (and everything Julie Dash ever makes). But it’s also a really stunning movie. It’s set in the early 1900s, and tells the story of 3 generations of women who live at Ibo Landing on St. Simons Island as they’re preparing to leave their homeland and migrate North. (Ibo Landing was the setting of a mass-suicide in the 1800s. Enslaved Igbo people from Africa refused to submit to slavery in the U.S. According to folklore + the story when they saw the fate that was awaiting them, all of the enslaved people from the boat turned around and walked together into the water to drown).

The storytelling is non-linear, the dialogue is sometimes hard to understand (there’s heavy use of the Gullah language and unusual sentence structure), the visuals are lush.

This movie is on Netflix! You can watch it right away! This is a good movie to watch on your computer (turn the subtitles on).

Honorable Mentions:

Cléo from 5 to 7 (dir. Agnès Varda, 1962) — The movie that birthed the French New Wave! Also I’d die for Agnès Varda. Also it’s in French so have subtitles on lol

Roma (dir. Alfonso Cuarón, 2018, Netflix) — A movie reminiscent of the French New Wave! Almost certainly inspired by Agnès (the main character’s name is Cleo). Cuarón’s use of long-takes (which u might know from another great movie of his, Children of Men,) and ability to set up a shot that is layered in complexity for miles within the frame will leave you stunned and breathless.

[strayframes]

Jet Li - China’s Hero

By Sam Cave

Beijing, 1963. A child is born into poverty, the youngest of five. By two years old, his father has passed away. His family can’t afford meat, so young Lie Liajie is often hungry but never complains. When he is eight years old, his mother enrolls him in a summer course for martial arts. He shows a natural talent for Wushu, and his instructor takes notice. The boy attends a non-sparring Wushu event. Soon after, the instructor refers him to Wu Bin, coach for the Beijing Wushu Team. With his family’s permission, he is allowed to join. The coach takes a special interest in the boy, making him practice twice as hard as the other students. The criticism is harsh and constant, but he has good to food to eat and a sense of purpose that will help him to rise above his environment - China’s rocky crossroads between the Great Leap Forward and Mao’s cultural revolution.

A few years pass. Once a year the team is allowed to go to the movies. They watch Shaw Brothers and Shaolin five venoms, and sometimes Jimmmy Chang. One night the team gets to see a film called Fist of fury, Starring a westerner name Bruce Lee. the older boys love the film, and they clap and cheer, some of them smoking cigarettes and drinking rice wine. Their instructor chaperones hush them but also smile and laugh. Even as strict as the coaches can be, these boys need to blow off steam. The boy sits and watches the film, wide eyed. A friend passes him a Coca-Cola but he doesn’t notice. He is mesmerized by Lee Little Dragon’s screams and whoops, his speed and tempo. It is not so much Bruce Lee’s skills - the boy has seen Wing Chun and Southern Style Kung Fu before many times. It is the pauses, the stare, the speed with which he executes each maneuver. These are the things that a young Lie Lianjie would incorporate into his own fighting style, as the years ahead transformed him into the Martial Arts idol in known as Jet Li.

Asian cinema is a vast genre, with very different subsets. When I think of Japanese film, I picture ghost stories and bloody action like The Grudge or Battle Royale. Korea has the darkly comic revenge films of Chan Wook Park (Oldboy, Lady Vengeance). John Woo (Hard-Boiled) and Wong Kar Wai (2046, In The Mood For Love) both hail from Hong Kong. Historically, Mainland China’s identity in film has been firmly rooted in martial arts and Wushu-style historical epic tales. This makes sense, since the Wushu novels of writers like Jin Yong hold a place not unlike Tolkien in Chinese literary culture. Jet Li’s characters in Once Upon A Time in China, Fist of Legend and Fearless are based on real historical figures, and the China depicted in these stories is an honorable, decent place worth fighting for. The nationalistic message is often heavy-handed, but considering the China of twenty or thirty years ago, perhaps people needed to believe in not just heroes, but Chinese heroes.

I first discovered Jet Li when I saw Lethal Weapon 4. He played a silent martial arts villain with a ponytail who could dismantle a gun in seconds. His pre-combat stare was like nothing I’d ever seen onscreen before. It is his trademark - when he glares at his enemy he eminates both pure calm and pure danger. LW4 was Li’s first time crossing over into American films, after making over 30 movies in China since his debut in the 1980’s. Becore Jet Li started acting, there was an effort to find a successor to Bruce Lee, as evidenced by the early films of another Chinese martial artist, Jackie Chan. Chan was ten years older than Jet Li, and had been trained at the Chinese Opera. By Contrast, Li’s training focused purely on martial arts. He specialized in Wushu from the age of eight. Unlike Bruce Lee, who broke with Kung Fu tradition to establish his own style of fighting, Jet Li would become a Kung-Fu formalist. His trained at the Shao-Lin temple and spent years becoming an expert in Northern-style Kung Fu. Before the age of 10, Li won gold medals at the All China Games, and his team performed for Richard Nixon at the White House. According to Wikipedia:

he was asked by Nixon to be his personal bodyguard. Li replied, "I don't want to protect any individual. When I grow up, I want to defend my one billion Chinese countrymen!"

Jet Li would not be groomed as Chan was, to carry on Bruce Lee’s legacy. Too much time had passed and the industry had moved on from Bruce-sploitation and the legacy of Enter the Dragon. When Li first emerged in the 1986 film Shaolin Temple, his Northern Wushu and Tai Chi background was evident in every move, every trap, every aerial spinning kick. His fighting and performing style harkened back to old-school Kung Fu films by Shaw Brothers like Five Venoms and (bla).

…

The storyline of a typical Jet Li film goes something like this: A guy from mainland China (cop, soldier, fill in the blank) is tasked with the responsibility of protecting someone or exacting revenge for a dead master. He goes to Hong Kong, Japan or America, where his upstanding and honorable values are called into question by his new surroundings. There’s a girl, a villain, and much flying of fists and feet until finally the hero returns to China, happy to be home (in The Defender, he is killed and his body goes back to China).

After a few years as a supporting, utility player, Jet Li got the role of a lifetime playing Wong in Once Upon A Time in China. The film, directed by Tsui Hark, was a retro/throwback style historical epic with sharp cinematography and high-flying wire assisted wushu fight choreography and stunts. It was a leap forward for Hong Kong film, and spawned 3 sequels with Li reprising the main role. The films that followed could be described as Jet Li’s Hong Kong period. Fist of Legend, The Defender (also titled Bodyguard from Beijing), The Enforcer, Meltdown, Hitman, Tai Chi Master, Swordsman series. The list goes on.

Some of these movies showcased Li’s martial arts skills better than others. Sometimes he had guns, like Chow Yun Fat in Hard Boiled. Sometimes he had a kid sidekick or a love interest. One thing is for sure - playing in a Hong Kong action movie in the 90’s was not for the faint if heart. Cut-rate action techniques and low-budgets loaned themselves to accidents. The fighting was often full-contact. Actors could end up with a face full of glass from explosions. Still, the Beijing Wushu prodigy found his place amongst other martial artists like Donnie Yen and Michelle Yeoh, churning out epics, gangster films and cop dramas for audiences in Hong Kong (now hurtling towards its handover to the mainland) as well as the rest of Asia and beyond.

The only unfortunate aspect of Jet Li’s Chinese catalogue lies in the poor production values of most of these films. The overdubbed English is poorly translated, the action has a cartoonish quality and the characters are usually stock and cheesy. In other words, they are typical ‘Chop-Socky’ Kung Fu films made in the style of Bruce Lee’s catalogue, before the technical achievements of later films like Crouching Tiger, Hideen Dragon and Iron Monkey. There are some clear exceptions, such as the Once Upon a Time in China series, expertly directed by Tsui Hark and featuring another Kung Fu prodigy, Donnie Yen.

Because they were made before the age of DVD and HD, Li’s films could only be seen by Western audiences in rare Chinatown screenings in a few major cities. In the late 1990’s a new pop culture trend would change this pattern, and the trajectory of Li’s career – catapulting the Wushu prodigy from China to the United States. When Wu-Tang Clan first arrived on the American hip-hop scene in 1993, no one was prepared. Their albums were soundscapes comprised of hard-hitting verses, skits, and samples from Kung Fu and martial arts films. Along with Nas, DMX and others, Wu-Tang popularized Jet Li’s films by referencing him directly in their music. Li noticed, and his late 90’s output reflected this unlikely alliance. Black Mask, Romeo Must Die, and Cradle 2 the Grave featured Li’s action sequences cut to high-energy hip-hop. The films were successful, proving that Jet Li’s Wushu could be imported to the West.

Like Jackie Chan, Jet Li’s late 90’s crossover into Hollywood films was inevitable. It was a career move probably not based on financial need (he was already wealthy), but more based on the fact that he had outgrown the Hong Kong film scene. After his role in Lethal Weapon 4, he starred in a string of ambitious but fairly crappy vehicles like Romeo Must Die, Kiss of the Dragon, and Cradle 2 the Grave. These films, though largely panned by critics, served the purpose of greater exposure to US audiences and access to directors and filmmaker

In 2006, Jet Li announced his retirement from martial arts movies. The final entries into Jet Li’s martial arts catalogue, all made around this time, are easily the best. Hero, Unleashed, and Fearless are examples of bigger-budget Jet Li, not so different from his Chinese films but with an emphasis on acting and emotional content.

Hero is an epic historical tale in the style of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. In the film Li plays Nameless, an assassin tasked by an Emperor to eliminate those warriors perceived as threats to his his throne. Filmed in wild and beautiful colors with flawless cinematography, Hero is an example of contemporary Chinese cinema, and how much technical ground has been gained in the past 15 years. The film has been hopelessly replicated and borrowed from since its release in 2002, mostly due to its historical accuracy, dark tone and operatic fight sequences. It was at the time the most expensive mainland Chinese film ever made, and sits at the beginning of a trio of martial arts films by director Zhang Zimou, who before Hero was mostly known in art house circles for his dramatic collaborations with actress Gong Li.

The casting of Hero was an eclectic mix of non-martial artists and experts, with Jet Li (the mainland’s biggest star) in perhaps his biggest starring role to date. Donnie Yen, who at that time was still a supporting player, was brought in for the first fight scene. Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung, coming off the huge success of Wong Kar Wai’s In The Mood For Love, played the feuding lovers Broken Sword and Flying Snow. And Crouching Tiger’s Ziyi Zhang played Moon, the loyal servant. Leung and Cheung were both veteran Hong Kong actors, neither one from strictly martial arts but with 20 years of experience in all genres. Zhang came from a ballet background, and though she had a breakthrough performance in a Crouching Tiger, her martial arts skills were limited. Jet Li recognized her talent and mentored her on set, and joked about his short legs being the reason for his never trying ballet. It made sense for Li to reach out to the younger Zhang, also from the mainland and twenty years his junior. For so long he himself had been the young Wushu prodigy, but now at over 40 years old he was sliding into an elder-statesman role.

The action sequences in Hero used wires extensively - not just as a tool to exaggerate aerial jumps and spins but to make the characters fly and soar the air, dreamlike and surreal. This deliberate wire choreography may have been influenced by The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, but Hero has its own sort of Cecil B DeMille outrageousness to it that is totally out of balance with the serious tone. In fact, Hero is almost weighed down by its own sense of gravity, and is sometimes unintentionally funny when it’s adding more and more layers to each action sequence. (Arrows). It is here that Jet Li is the films saving grace. His sense of form, toughness and his skill not just as a martial artist but as an actor corrects the balance. When Li extends both arms in front of his face and slides his sword back into its sheath with a resounding and satisfying ‘click’, the film resets itself and we, the audience are given a break from the proceedings.

Unleashed raises a poignant question: can a man who has been reduced to an animal find salvation? In this film Jet Li plays Danny, a childlike soul with violent tendencies, trained since childhood to fight and kill on demand. His aggression is symbolized by a metal collar, which is controlled by his brutal ‘master’. Li is passive until the collar comes off, at which time he becomes an attack dog, dispatching his opponents in a flying, screaming rage. Unleashed is pure pulp, but it is elevated by the presence of Morgan Freeman (as Danny’s kind savior), and by Jet Li’s performance. Danny is a kid, full of wonder and innocence, but unable to escape the violence that has defined his existence. Li plays it with subtle, quiet emotion and dignity. The action in Unleashed is as usual exciting and well mounted, choreographed by longtime collaborator Yuen Woo Ping. There are even some darkly funny moments, like when Danny kills an opponent with one poke to the Adam’s apple. Yikes.

Fearless is an atypical Chinese martial arts film, because it shows the hero as lacking virtue (at least for the first half of the film). Li plays Huo Yuanjia, Godfather of Wushu and undefeated champion of Tianjin. After murdering a rival in the ring, the rival’s disciple takes revenge and kills Huo’s family. In his grief, Huo goes into exile and lives amongst simple farmers. Finally he returns home, humbled but also disgusted by the imperialist influx of foreigners taking over China. He begins to fight again, but this time for the honor and reputation of China – essentially for China’s place in the world. His final fight before dying from poisoned tea is against Tanaka, a Japanese samurai. It is worth noting that the Japanese occupation is a common theme amongst Chinese and Korean films. Both countries suffered under Japan at different times, and in the world of Fist of Legend and Fearless (two parts of the same story) the scars are still fresh. Fearless is actually titled Jet Li’s Fearless, and this film finds the actor back in his comfort zone of pure Wushu action and Chinese history. Where in Fist of Legend he reprised Bruce Lee’s performance in Fist of Fury as Chen Zheng, student of Huo Yuanjia and avenger of his master’s death, Li gets to play the master himself. Fearless is a mainland production, not as artsy as Hero and more in the vein of Once Upon a Time in China.

In the wake of Bruce Lee’s untimely death, the martial arts world was fractured. In the West, Karate was gaining speed and this popularity gave actors like Chuck Norris (a contemporary of Lee’s) and Jean-Claude Van Damme

It would seem the sun has set on Jet Li’s career. He left his audience wanting more, and with Disney hinting that he might return to his martial arts roots in Mulan, there may be more to see. In his personal life, Li occupies the rare position of the a mainland Chinese with wealth, who, now living in Singapore, is somewhat beyond the reach of the communist government. As a devout a Buddhist he has in fact visited the Dalai Lama (while making sure to voice his belief in a united China). He

So, the question remains. What is your favourite Jet Li movie? And why does Jet Li Matter? In the opinion of this humble critic, Jet Li Matters because China matters. Mainland China needed a hero during times of extreme transition, when the Western idea of the Middle Kingdom was that it was a place that manufactured plastic trinkets. Audiences got used to Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh, and yes, Jackie Chan - as the heroes of Shao Lin or daring Beijing Police detectives, fighting their way through low-budget films made by an industry trying to keep up with the world, yet not afraid to have some fun in the moment. I still have only seen a handful of the original Jet Li movies, and so my perception of his work is top-heavy, weighed down by the performances from the end of a unique and amazing career. But what performances they are: Danny the Dog sitting next to Morgan Freeman at the piano, trying to find the courage to say his own name. Nameless and Flying Snow deflecting a sea of arrows with their swords, weightless in the air above a temple. And finally Huo Yuanjia, in the last moments of his life and with poison coursing through his veins, finishing his battle against Tanaka, Japan, Imperialist Britain, and himself. Jet Li Matters.

[riotgrrrlhole]

Tagged by @karlavhh omg I just love movies idk I think I’ll try to think of three movies that I got more obsessed in every stage of my life

1. Anastasia (1997) - this movie is in my heart always I even had the yellow dress , got the doll , the music box , a Polly pocket , the XD soundtrack and even my 5 year old party was of Anastasia I know all the dialogues and songs , I always get nostalgia cause i loved my grandma like Anya

2. Hunchback of Notredame (1996) - this movie marked my curiosity in knowing more about the Roma people cause I wanted to dance like Esmeralda ( in later years I found out that dance was a lie and just performance and Roma dance is way diferent ) and Quasimodos struggle got me going to watch this on repeat🥲 like I used to sing heavens light like him cause I was like I’m ugly

3. santitos (1998) -i was a kid when I saw this one and I just love it , it’s an underrated Mexican movie and was one of the first movies that taught me that death doesn’t mean gone and was filmed in Tlacotalpan

4. Anna Karenina (1997) this movie was one of my favorites to watch everytime I saw it was on tv and as I grow older I change my views about the characters , at first I was like poor Anna , then I was like men she was kinda toxic now I just love the side story of Levin and Kity , also I got a sick obsession to Sophie Marceau and I do a rewatch every year

5. Wuthering heights (1992) - Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes are so good , the soundtrack by Ryuichi Sakamoto, the visuals , and the fact they covered most of the book , and also I blame this movie for my love of toxic ships

6. The Virgin Suicides (1999) - I was 13 and got obsessed with this movie and the song playground love of air , Idk why I didn’t realize that liking a movie about a bunch of teen dying and having mental issues wasn’t exactly mentally healthy but I was just so into the atmosphere , and the girls and how they never figure out why they did it

7. All about Lily chou chou (2000) - another teen suicide movie I was obsessed I loved the soundtrack and this movie also got me into Asian cinema , cause they just capture the loneliness in a way I can’t describe

8. Fallen Angels (1995) - first Wong Kar Wai movie i saw and wanted to know everything about it , also started my crush in Takeshi Kaneshiro , I just love the loneliness that Asian cinema portrays

9. The crow (1994) - this movie is on my Halloween rewatch always , the plot is simple but man the soundtrack , the fact that is Brandon Lee’s last role and the vengeance plot got me , another one that always remembers me death doesn’t mean gone

10. Lady vengeance (2005) - my favorite Park Chan Wook movie , I just love vengeance movies and this was one of the first I saw of Korean cinema

11. Evangelion death and Rebirth (1997)- I was like 12 when I saw this and hadn’t watch the anime and I understood nothing cause this is like a review of the first 24 chapters and still I watched it in repeat

10 films i love

tagged by @zurdoabsurdo my bisexual wife (acrylics on canvas)

in no particular order except the first two im adamant about, also they’re all very poignant because i don’t like to have fun

jean de florette/manon des sources — counting these two as one because they’re part the same story (the water of the hills), and hands down the most beautiful films ever made (in my unbiased opinion). the score, the acting, the settings, the everything I can’t recommend them enough. they’re very dear to me

persepolis — a powerful movie adapted from marjane satrapi’s autobiographic graphic novel that rewired my entire brain when i was a child. I cry every single time 🦢

whiplash — very intense, very beautiful, miles teller and jk simmons rock my entire world

i’m thinking of ending things — i’m gonna stop calling every film in this list beautiful but it’s the truth (i even got a line/still from this one tattooed). i hated this one upon my first viewing because it confused me, and at the same time i was so fascinated that i eventually came back and watched it again and again and again. i find something new every time

bye bye morons (adieu les cons) — another french one, a comedy drama that was very touching

tandem — french, i’d describe it the same as i did the previous one. they’re both about lonely people

the truman show — another childhood favorite, it’s whimsical and it hits you hard

slumdog millionaire — incredibly powerful film in my opinion, with an amazing score that i would listen to on loop as a kid

the chorus (les choristes) — i joined a choir when i was little because i loved this movie so much, i still remember all the songs. this one holds a very special place in my heart

life is beautiful (la vita è bella) —this one will also make me cry every single time. it’s a war movie but it’s about love what more can i say

tagging @la-pheacienne @geitonas @themadknightuniverse @salamancvnt @molekisser @karlavhh @rosayoro @howabhwmwn @abliafina-18782 @finalmoss and everyone willing :)

[bodashiri]

The King in Love (2017) - History

Historical background to help understand The King in Love (2017 MBC)

Yes, I did write it as I promised a few days ago. (LOL)

First of all, this drama’s protagonist Wang Won (왕원 王謜) / King Chungseon (충선왕 忠宣王, 1275~1325), is the first ever half-blood prince/king in the history of Korea. His maternal grandfather is Kublai Khan, the famous Mongol emperor and the founder of Yuan Dynasty of China.

* Kublai Khan (played by Benedict Wong) from Netflix original drama Marco Polo. Venetian merchant traveler Marco Polo (1254~1324) served the Mongol emperor for many years.   → Wikipedia Kublai Khan (1215~1294) 

Then, I need to talk about why the Goryeo king got married with Kublai Khan's daughter in the first place. The story throws back to the Mongol invasion of Goryeo (1231~1259), about 40~50 years before this drama’s period.

After the death of Genghis Khan (1162-1227), his successors continued to conquer an immense territory and built the largest empire in the world. Like many other countries, Goryeo couldn't avoid their invasion. The Mongol’s Great Khans had frequently sent their troops to Goryeo for about 30 years but had failed to conquer it because of the strong resistance from Goryeo's common people. Despite Goryeo’s military regime, the puppet king, and incompetent nobles abandoned them and evacuated to the safer Gangwha island by themselves, the commoners desperately fought to the end against Mongols to save their own family. However, the long-time Mongol invasions devastated the whole country, and Goryeo's military regime was still on its way down due to chaotic internal strife.

* If you want to know about this chaotic period, go watch God of War 무신 武神 (2012 MBC historical drama). → Wikipedia 

In 1259, King Gojong (고종 高宗, 1192-1259), the 23rd ruler of Goryeo Dynasty, made a secret decision to send his Crown prince to the Mongol emperor in order to negotiate a ceasefire agreement between the two countries, without notifying Goryeo's military regime. It was intended to end the war as well as to take back the royal authority from the military regime.

However, on the way to Karakorum (the capital city of Mongol empire), the Crown prince of Goryeo (Later known as King Wonjong 원종 元宗, 1219~1274) heard about the sudden death of Monke Khan (1209~1259) during the expedition to Southern Song Dynasty of China. He also got to know about an impending civil war over who should be the next Mongol emperor between Monke Khan's two younger brothers : Kublai and Arik Bukha.

Arik Bukha (1219~1266) had procedural legitimacy by claiming the throne in Karakorum first, but Kublai (1215~1294) had military advantages with powerful troops and abundant supplies. Which would be a sure bet? The Crown prince was in a muddled situation to choose between the two Khans with limited information. If he makes a bad choice, Goryeo will be over. He was bearing the destiny of the whole nation on his shoulders. After much consideration, he chose Kublai and started off on a transcontinental journey to meet him. It was a defining moment to change the history of Korea.

Kublai was so surprised and pleased that Goryeo's Crown Prince traveled all the way to meet him, even though Kublai was in a relatively disadvantageous position compared to his younger brother Arik Bukha. He considered it very auspicious, saying that even the previous Great Khans couldn't conquer Goryeo but now Goryeo’s Crown prince came to meet him voluntarily. The peace treaty with Goryeo would raise his authority and help him beat Arik Bukha when claiming the throne. That is how the truce between Goryeo and Mongols was concluded in 30 years after the war broke out.

Kublai guaranteed Goryeo's political autonomy and preservation of its tradition and cultural customs. But every king of Goryeo had to marry a Mongolian princess and be subordinate to the Mongolian Khans.

Their meeting broke up in a very friendly atmosphere. The crown prince had to go back to Goryeo after hearing the news of his father's sudden death and ascended the throne. (King Wonjong of Goryeo) A few years later, Kublai won the civil war against his younger brother and became the 5th Mongol emperor. He brought Song Dynasty of China to the ground and founded Yuan Dynasty.

Meanwhile, the peace treaty led by King Wonjong sparked Goryeo military regime's strong opposition. Blaming the royal family for selling the country out to Mongols, the remnants of military leaders called Sam-byeol-cho (삼별초 三別抄) protested against the decision and continued their resistance fights against Mongols for another 10 year. However, as the last resistance army was defeated in 1270, the war against Mongols had ended officially in 40 years.

In 1274, Kublai Khan's 16-year-old daughter Qutlugh Kelmysh (쿠툴룩 케르미시 忽都魯揭里迷失 1259~1297), also known as Princess Wonseong (원성공주 元成公主) or Princess Jeguk (제국대장공주 齊國大長公主) in Korean, married 39-year-old Crown prince of Goryeo (Later, King Chungnyeol 충렬왕 忠烈王 1236~1308) as their fathers promised to each other in the peace treaty.

However, this international marriage was the beginning of the couple's extremely unhappy married life. To say nothing of a language barrier and their age gap (he was 23 years older than her), the bridegroom already had 3 children of pure royal blood from his lawful wife, Lady Wang / Consort Junghwa (정화궁주 貞和宮主 ?~1319). She was also of royal blood.

Goryeo's royal family (Wang clan) believed that they were descendants from Dragon god, so incestuous marriages between half-siblings, cousins, uncle / niece, aunt / nephew were commonplace to keep their pure blood as well as to strengthen royal authority. (* If you watch Moon Lovers : Scarlet Heart : Ryeo (2016 SBS) and Shine or Go Crazy (2015 MBC), you can understand what I mean.) In such a mindset, it is safe to say that most Goryeo people didn't want their sacred future monarch would have the hateful enemy's blood in his vein, because it really hurt their national pride.

Goryeo people looked down on Mongols as uncivilized nomad barbarians but at the same time they were afraid of Mongol empire's power. In such a hostile atmosphere far away from her hometown, the newlywed Mongolian princess carelessly abused her authority and wielded her power to survive in the Goryeo palace. 

For example, she took a golden pagoda from a famous Buddhist temple by force just because it looked good, even though the temple's monks desperately stopped her, saying that the pagoda was a national treasure for people to pray for health and peace in the country. She didn’t care about critical opinion at all. 

In addition, after she gave birth to a son, she kicked Consort Junghwa (the king's first wife with royal blood) out of the palace and confined her in a remote house for over 20 years not to meet her husband again. Consort Junghwa's eldest son Lord Gangyang (강양공 江陽公) was also forced to become a Buddhist monk to get out of the new-born crown prince's way. (But he returned from the Buddhist priesthood to civil life after 4 years and lived his entire life as quietly as possible. )

All of these things made the king estranged from the princess and indulge in hunting and sex with other women, which in turn led to her resentment against her husband. In such a vicious cycle of marital discord, their only son Crown prince Wang Won grew up as one of Kublai Khan's favorite grandsons with genius brain and artistic talents. 

The first scene where the little Crown Prince desperately tried to stop his father from going out to hunt is really recorded in the history. But the king's insult to his half-blood son is a fiction of this drama.

Among the 3 main characters of this drama, Warrior Wang Rin and Lady Eun San are fictional characters. But Wang Rin's family members -- his father (Wang Young), his aunt (Consort Junghwa), his elder brother (Wang Jeon / Lord Seoheung), and his younger sister (Wang Dan / Consort Jeongbi) -- are real historical figures. They are direct descendants of King Shinjong (신종 神宗, 1144~1204, the 20th ruler of Goryeo dynasty) and the ancestor of King Gongyang (공양왕 恭讓王, 1345~1394) who is the last monarch of Goryeo in Six Flying Dragons 육룡이 나르샤 (2015 SBS).

OK. This is the beginning of The King in Love 왕은 사랑한다 (2017 MBC). I hope it will help you understand the context of the drama.  After this, Empress Ki 기황후 奇皇后 (2013 MBC) starring Ha Ji-Won, Joo Jin-Mo, and Ji Chang-Wook  will be a good sequel because it deals with the next period.

[weekendwarriorblog]

WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND November 22, 2019  - A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, 21 BRIDGES, AGNES BY VARD and more

While things have gotten busier in my everyday life, things are somewhat slowing down in terms of movies as we get through Thanksgiving, and then things will pick up again in December as every studio tries to get their awards movies into theaters.

The big movie of the weekend is Disney’s FROZEN 2, which I really don’t have much to say about. I haven’t seen it. I don’t plan to see it. NEXT! (I did write quite about about it over at The Beat.)

I have seen the other two wide releases of the weekend and the better of the two is Marielle Heller’s A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD (Sony/Tristar Pictures). I’m not going to write a full or mini review, but you may already know that this is the movie in which Tom Hanks plays Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, but what you might not realize is that this is not a biopic. Instead, this is a story based around a 1998 meeting between Rogers and and a cynical Esquire writer (played by Matthew Rhys) sent to profile him. What happens instead is that the writer ends up becoming friends with Rogers, who helps him deal with domestic issues, particularly with his father (played by Chris Cooper). It’s quite a wonderful film that really wins you over as it goes along, and though it’s not Mr. Rogers’ story, it is Hanks’ movie, very similar to Disney’s Saving Private Ryan a few years back.

I really wanted to like Brian Kirk’s 21 BRIDGES (STXfilms), starring Chadwick Boseman, J.K. Simmons, Sienna Miller and Stephan James, cause I really like a good New York-based police thriller… but this isn’t one. Yeah, I’m not sure what happened but a lot of it has to do with Kirk having a better cast than a script, and there being a lot of really obvious and questionable plot devices that are easy to figure out almost from the beginning. I also was annoyed that it immediately set up Boseman’s police detective as a cop not afraid to use his gun but twice he has Stephan James’ character at gun point, once while he is holding his partner (Miller) hostage, the other in a face-off on a train, and he doesn’t shoot.  It’s just a very disjointed film that could and should have been a lot better.

LIMITED RELEASES

Before we get to the regularly-scheduled releases, I want to mention the latest concert film release by Trafalgar Releasing, Depeche Mode: Spirits in the Forest, which is where you’ll be able to find me on Thursday night. I was pretty bummed to miss the group’s last tour, I think because I was in Toronto for my last TIFF, but going by Trafalgar’s other releases, this should be another great concert film.

The bigger release of the weekend is Todd Haynes’ DARK WATERS (Focus Features), starring Mark Ruffalo as environmental defense lawyer Rob Pilott, who was called upon by a farmer (Bill Camp) from the area of West Virginia where he grew up about the hundreds of cows who were dying from mutations which could be blamed on the nearby Dupont plant. As Pilott investigates, he learns that the materials being used to create the company’s innovative “teflon” has elements that are dangerous to living things, as he spends decades trying to get them to take responsibility.  I usually like this type of movie, as evidenced by last week’s The Report, and of course, I’ve been a long-time Haynes fan, but this movie was a real slog, especially when compared to The Report  or the earlier environmental message movie from Focus Features, Promised Land, which Gus Van Sant directed. Haynes had a decent cast but the story is told at such a snail’s pace that I found myself mostly bored and even dozing at times. Anne Hathaway is particularly wasted as Pilott’s wife, because she really doesn’t get to show off her usual dramatic flair. I did like most of the cast otherwise, but I just can’t in good conscience recommend this movie.   (Regardless, I should have some interviews over at ComingSoon.net sometime soon.)

On the other hand, I loved Agnès Varda’s final film VARDA BY AGNÈS (Janus Films), a documentary that covers her entire film career and acts as a mini-filmmaking lesson as much as it’s a portrait of her life. I’ll freely admit that I’m not too familiar with Varda’s work beyond the movie Faces Places, which she made with photographer J.R. a few years back. This movie covers their collaborating but also so much more, and if you want a great autobiographical view of the filmmaker and visual artist, this is a great introduction, especially with her entire filmography being shown at Lincoln Center in a complete retrospective next month. I just loved this movie, and it made me want to see more of Varda’s work, as she has had such an amazing and rich career as a filmmaker, especially in recent years as she got more into creating film-based installations. This opens at the Film Forum and at Lincoln Center in New York, and I expect somewhere in L.A. as well but hopefully it will get out to more cities.

Opening at the Quadin New York as well as the Laemmle Royal in L.A. is Kim Loginotto’s doc Shooting the Mafia  (Cohen Media Group)  about Italian photographer Letizia Battaglia who spent her life battling the Mafia by filming their crimes as a photojournalist. 

Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney also has a new doc out this week called CITIZEN K, also opening at the Laemmle Royal, but can also be seen at the Kent Theater if you don’t mind treking out to Coney Island. It’s a look at post-Soviet Russia through political dissident Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was able to get rich living in exile in London after being deposed as an oligarch.

Apple TV+’s Sundance pick-up HALA (Greenwich Entertainment) will get a theatrical release before debuting on the channel. Written by Minhal Baig, it follows a 17-year-old Pakistani-American teenager (played by Geraldine Viswanathan) who is try to balance her different lives.

Also out this week is the action flick The Courier (Lionsgate), starring Olga Kurylenko as a motorcycle courier who has to fight a sadistic crime boss’ henchmen to protect the witness that can incriminate him. It also stars Gary Oldman and Dermot Mulroney. I’ll let you figure out which actor plays which role.

Lastly, there’s Jon Kasbe’s doc When Lambs Become Lions (Oscilloscope Laboratories), winner of the editing award at Tribeca, as it follows a small-time ivory dealer who is trying to protect his trade with the help of a conflicted wildlife ranger.  It opens at the  Laemmle Monica Film Center in L.A. on Friday and then the Village East in New York on December 6.

STREAMING AND CABLE

This week’s streaming premiere is the fantasy rom-com The Knight Before Christmas, starring Vanessa Hudgens and Josh Whitehouse.

REPERTORY

FILM AT LINCOLN CENTER (NYC):

I’m going against the norm this week by starting off with FilmLinc, and there’s a good reason for that, and it’s called, “Relentless Invention: New Korean Cinema, 1996-2003,” which as it explains quite readily is an amazing series of some of the best Korean films from those years leading up to Park Chan-wook’s Old Boy, which was quite a turning point for the country’s cinema. The series includes two of Bong Joon-ho’s films, 2003’s Memories of Murder (in a new 4K restoration) and Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000), as well as Director Park’s earlier films Joint Security Area (2000) and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, both which are excellent. Others include Kwak Jae-wong’s rom-com My Sassy Girl from 2001, which was a pretty big Asian box office sensation. Genre films are well-represented with Kim Jee-won’s 1998 film The Quiet Family, Park Jong-won’s Rainbow Trout (which I highly recommend since it has similar class contrasts as Director Bong’s Parasite), as well as Nowhere to Hide. The series will run through December 4, two whole weeks, and if there’s a good excuse to get up to the Upper West Side, then THIS IS IT!!

METROGRAPH (NYC):

Things are still going well down in my own neighborhood on the Lower East Side, as Metrograph Pictures will be releasing a new restoration of Susan Sontag’s 1969 debut feature Duet for Cannibals (Metrograph Pictures), a quirky movie she made in Stockholm centers around the love quadrangle between a German exile, his wife and his Swedish secretary and soon-to-be wife. Noah Baumbach’s residency continues with screenings of 2010′s  Greenberg and 2014′s While We’re Young, paired with hand-selected companion films, Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye (1973) with the former and Mike Nichols’ Working Girl (1988) on Sunday. Also, Lulu Wang’s The Farewell, currently my favorite movie of 2019, will screen at the Metrograph on Sunday as part of its allegiance with the New York Film Critics Circle.

The Metrograph is doing Daniel Schmidt’s “Dream Double Feature” a little differently… by showing them on two different nights with Joseph Mankiewicz’s 1947 film The Ghost and Mrs. Muir on Friday and Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s 2015 Cemetary of Splendor with Rachel Rose’s 2016 short Everything and More on Saturday. I don’t really know as much about the films being shown as part of Moustapha Alassane: Three Programs of the Nigerien Master, but each program is made up of a series of shorts that are running Saturday and Sunday. This week’s Late Nites at Metrograph is the anthology film Tokyo!, featuring short works from Bong Joon-ho, Michelle Gondry and Leos Carax. It will screen Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights while this weekend’s Playtime: Family Matineesis George Cukor’s 1933 adaptation of Little Women. 

THE NEW BEVERLY (L.A.):

The lateness of my column means I keep missing the Weds matinee and I apologize for that. Also tonight and Thursday is a double feature of Vigilante, The Delta Force and Avalanche. Friday’s Cronenberg matinee is 1996’s Crash, while the Friday midnight movie is Pulp Fiction and then Saturday’s midnight is Demolition University (1997) with director Kevin Tenney in person. This weekend’s Kiddee Matinee is the 1961 adventure Mysterious Island. Monday’s matinee is The Limey, and Monday night is a “Robert Forster Secret Surprise Night” in tribute to the late star of Tarantino’s Jackie Brown. Tuesday’s double feature is David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive with the 1998 remake of Psycho, and just in case I’m late on next week’s column, the Weds. matinee is Samuel Fuller’s 1959 The Crimson Kimono.

IFC CENTER (NYC)

This weekend’s Weekend Classics: May All Your Christmases be Noiris Allen Baron’s 1961 film Blast of Silence(on Friday and Saturday only), this week’s  Waverly Midnights: Spy Games is 1990’s The Hunt for Red October and The Manchurian Candidate.  Late Night Favorites: Autumn 2019is once again Argento’s Suspiriaand Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange– both great movies, but enough already! At least on Monday, you’ll have a chance to see Todd Haynes’ awesome 1998 film Velvet Goldmine, presented as part of the Queer|Art|Film series.

MOMA  (NYC):

Vision Statement: Early Directorial Works will screen Cristian Mungiu’s acclaimed 2007 film 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Dayson Thursday (also playing at Film Forum this weekend), John Cassevetes’ 1959 film Shadowsand Kleber Filho’s Neighboring Sounds on Saturday. Modern Matinees: Iris Barry’s History of Filmcontinues with more films from 1927 and 1928.  Otherwise, MOMA is concentrating on its annual “Contenders 2019” series.

FILM FORUM (NYC):

“The Romanians: 30 Years of Cinema Revolution” continues through next Thursday with lots of interesting choices and Yasujior Ozu’s Tokyo Twilight continues through November 28. This weekend’s Film Forum Jr. is Miracle on 34th Street.

EGYPTIAN THEATRE (LA):

Friday is a special cast and crew reunion screening of Flight of the Navigator, while Joe Dante’s 16mm Spotlight on Sunday will show Ladybug Ladybug (1963). The theater is mostly focused on “Argentina: New Cinema 2019,” while the AEROis mostly focused on “Cinema Italian Style 2019.”

ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE BROOKLYN(NYC)

Next Monday’s “Out of Tune”  is The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (which is already sold out), Tuesday’s “Terror Tuesday” is 1987’s Stagefright and the “Weird Wednesday” is 1994’s Tammy and the T-Rex.

BAM CINEMATEK (NYC):

On Sunday, Jane Campion’s In the Cut (2003) and Alan Pakula’s Klute (1971) will be shown as a double feature as part of “Beyond the Canon.”

MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE (NYC):

MOMI’s “Moments of Grace: The Collected Terrence Malick” continues this weekend with screenings of The Thin Red Line(with critic Matt Zoller Seitz introducing the Friday night screening) and Days of Heaven.

ROXY CINEMA (NYC)

1987’s Oscar-winning performance by Cher in Moonstruck opposite Nicolas Cage screens on Thursday and Friday. Guillermo del Tor’s Pan’s Labyrinth also screens Friday night while the Coens’ Raising Arizona (1987) will screen Saturday as will a special Kevin Corrigan-hosted screening of 1997’s Bandwagon in 35mm. Sunday is a special 35mm screening of Sofia Coppola’s 2006 movie Marie Antoinette.

LANDMARK THEATRES NUART  (LA):

The Friday midnight offering is Kiefer Sutherland and Reese Witherspoon in 1997’s Freeway.

Next week, it’s Thanksgiving and Rian Johnson’s Knives Out, which also has advance screenings this Friday and Saturday nights, as well as the crime-drama Queen and Slim.

[diversemovies]

I had a quick browse through your blog, do you have a list of films by or with a diverse amount of LGBTQ characters?

I’m not quite sure what you mean by “by or with a diverse amount of LGBTQ characters,” but here’s a few films I know starring LGBTQ characters that aren’t just “two pretty white people fall in love,” many by queer directors:

Moonlight (dir. Barry Jenkins)

The Handmaiden (dir. Park Chan-wook)

Paris Is Burning (dir. Jennie Livingston)

Tangerine (dir. Sean S. Baker)

Rent (dir. Chris Columbus)

Milk (dir. Gus Van Sant)

Naz & Malik (dir. Jay Dockendorf)

Spa Night (dir. Andrew Ahn)

Happy Together (dir. Wong Kar-wai)

Circumstance (dir. Maryam Keshavarz)

Fire (dir. Deepa Mehta)

Pariah (dir. Dee Rees)

Margarita With A Straw (dir. Shonali Bose)

Y Tu Mamá También (dir. Alfonso Cuarón)

Saving Face (dir. Alice Wu)

My Brother The Devil (dir. Sally El Hosaini)

The Watermelon Woman (dir. Cheryl Dunne)

@lgbtcinema might be able to help you find others in a similar vein.

[jimmygeurts]

BEST MOVIES OF 2016

Aquarius 

We ascribe a lot of meaning into the personal possessions we collect and the places we live over the years. That seems like it might be a tough concept to convey in a cinematically compelling way, but director Kleber Mendonca Filho pulls it off with his latest movie. While his previous film Neighboring Sounds took a broader view of a Brazilian neighborhood, Aquarius focuses on a single woman and her longtime apartment, creating a 145-minute epic and political parable out of it. And it features the performance of a lifetime for actress Sonia Braga as that woman Clara.

Arrival

For reasons that are easy enough to understand if you’re familiar with both films’ plots, Interstellar is the Christopher Nolan film most people associate with Arrival. But really it’s closer to Memento in that both are ingeniously structured films built to surprise and pack an emotional wallop in its ending. It’s guided by everything from maybe Amy Adams’ best turn to Denis Villeneuve’s assured direction to its capable production design and score. And it, along with the upcoming Blade Runner 2049 and Dune remake, suggest Villeneuve may be our next great science-fiction filmmaker. We’ve come a long way from the dopey giant spider of Enemy. 

Green Room

As a lover of both punk music and genre films, Green Room is a brilliant combination of both. It gets punks better than nearly any other movie — how they’re less likely to be spiky-haired Sid Vicious types than relatively mild-mannered folks (including Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat and the late, great Anton Yelchin) concerned about charging their phones, finding gas for the car and getting to the next terrible gig. Then it takes the worst possible one in an isolated neo-Nazi venue and devises an expertly claustrophobic scenario out of it. In a banner year for close-quarters thrillers (see also: Don’t Breathe, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Hush), this one stands tall. 

The Handmaiden 

Speaking of expertly crafted genre films, there’s the latest and greatest from Oldboy director Park Chan-Wook. Reimagining Patricia Highsmith’s Victorian-era novel Fingersmith, The Handmaiden lets the filmmaker play with a formal dress period setting and formal chops anyone could appreciate. But there’s also the lurid details of his previous work, including explicit lesbian sex scenes, sadistic behavior and some unsavory actions involving a wooden puppet and bells. The result is the kind of combination of high art and the low-minded that we don’t usually get on screen outside of Brian De Palma and Paul Verhoeven.

Manchester by the Sea 

Manchester by the Sea is a portrait of death and grief that’s so devastating at times it can feel nearly unbearable. It’s also one of the funniest films of the year, in ways that often directly connect to the former. It’s about the ways the world can be so cosmically cruel you can’t do anything but laugh bitterly; your dead brother is in a freezer, you have a huge new responsibility to take on when you’re a wreck, the goddamn stretcher won’t even fit into the ambulance. That’s an incredibly tough emotional high-wire act to pull off, but thankfully this has the singular talent of Kenneth Lonergan behind it, as well as unforgettable performances by Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams.

Moonlight 

When I called Carol the best American Wong Kar-Wai film last year, perhaps I spoke too soon. The gorgeous third act of Barry Jenkins’ sophomore feature Moonlight, along with Carol and the Lily Gladstone/Kristen Stewart segment of Certain Women, seems to suggest that diner scenes are the best cinematic settings for romantic longing. Yet Moonlight also has much to say about race, sexuality, family, even Florida. Its ability to successfully span all of this subject matter over three different time periods makes it one of the most skillful cinematic feats of the year.

O.J.: Made in America

Not only did we get two films about Sarasota newscaster Christine Chubbuck this year, we got two sprawling epics about O.J. Simpson. One could quibble about whether O.J.: Made in America should be considered television or cinema — it was primarily viewed as a five-part event on ESPN, to be fair — but I’d argue it’s a film whose eight-hour running length gives it a scope few documentaries can compete with. In Simpson’s history, it encompasses race, gender, fame, the judicial system and more. By the time it gets to its truly pathetic final hour, it convincingly makes the case his life story is one of America’s greatest tragedies.

Paterson

In a year where “the working-class” and “the elite” were endlessly, needlessly pitted against each other, this lovely story of a bus driver who also writes poetry begs the question why. It’s also gently, nonchalantly inclusive in its diverse cast of characters in a way that feels like a salve in these turbulent times. It’s gripping even as its plot revolves around a normal guy’s work week and a dramatic climax that hinges on a misbehaving dog. Jim Jarmusch has long been one of our best filmmakers; this and Only Lovers Left Alive suggest he may be getting even better with time.

Toni Erdmann 

A prankster dad who sports fake dentures, a wig and an obviously false alias to get closer to his workaholic daughter has all the trappings of an obnoxiously broad comedy. Yet in the capable hands of Everyone Else’s Maren Ade, it becomes one of the best, most idiosyncratic films of the year. It’s a showcase for some wonderfully absurdist comedic set pieces (naked party! “The Greatest Love of All”!), a cutting corporate satire and a genuinely touching family drama. Hiring Jack Nicholson and Kristen Wiig for the American remake isn’t a bad start, but it has its work set out to achieve something this singular.

The Witch

The Witch hasn’t made a huge number of end-of-year list appearances, perhaps because it’s been one year since its theatrical release and two years since its Sundance premiere, perhaps because of the seemingly growing backlash against “indie horror.” No matter: it’s one of the best films of 2016, indie, horror or otherwise. The most memorable moments may come in the unnerving final act, as things truly get hellish. Yet arguably even more impressive is how compelling its slow-burn build is, aided by debut filmmaker Robert Eggers’ assured direction and the convincing Puritan period details.

Honorable mentions: 20th Century Women, Cameraperson, Certain Women, Christine, Elle, Hell or High Water, Indignation, Love & Friendship, The Mermaid, Microbe & Gasoline, My Golden Days, The Nice Guys, Right Now, Wrong Then, Silence

Still haven’t seen: I Am Not Your Negro, The Red Turtle, The Salesman, Things to Come, Tower