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Into the Mirror
(2003)
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William Schwartz
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The ambience in Into The Mirror is great- a nice snapshot of the long-ended horror trend in the Korean Wave.
Posted May 24, 2023
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7
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The Pollen of Flowers
(1972)
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Panos Kotzathanasis
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"The Pollen of Flowers" emerges as a more than worthy film, equally titillating and thought-provoking, and one that could also be attributed the title of cult, for its most extreme aspects.
Posted May 07, 2023
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5.5
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A Man and a Gisaeng
(1969)
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Panos Kotzathanasis
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Has its merits, particularly regarding the aforementioned comments, but in the end, it has not stood the test of time, with its comedy appearing mostly distasteful, and the whole film just another title in Shin Sang-ok's production factory.
Posted Apr 23, 2023
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6.5
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The Lost Choices
(2015)
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Panos Kotzathanasis
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"The Lost Choices" has some issues regarding its script, particularly regarding its melodramatic moments, but as a whole, works excellently in its mixture of social drama and vigilante thriller, in a rather unique approach to both genres.
Posted Apr 23, 2023
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A Man and a Woman
(2016)
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William Schwartz
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Exceptional cinematography and superb pacing make "A Man and A Woman" nearly impossible to dislike on an aesthetic level, leaving most of the focus on the emotional causes and ethical dilemmas posed by the affair.
Posted Apr 02, 2023
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Kill Boksoon
(2023)
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William Schwartz
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I'm only emphasizing the generally nonsensical economics of Kill Boksoon because Kill Boksoon also spends so much screentime on it, to the detriment of nearly every other possible plot point.
Posted Apr 02, 2023
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Miracle: Letters to the President
(2021)
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William Schwartz
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The sentiment in Miracle: Letters to the President is fantastic, as are its performances.
Posted Mar 22, 2023
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20th Century Girl
(2022)
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William Schwartz
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What changes Bo-ra from Kim Yoo-jung to Han Hyo-joo? How did those teenage experiences turn her into the woman she is in the present day? "20th Century Girl" doesn't have a good answer for that. She loved, she lost, and now she sells beauty lotion.
Posted Mar 04, 2023
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Broker
(2022)
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William Schwartz
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Despite competency in parts, I found the malaise in "Broker" to be underwhelming overall, mainly because the movie's lacking in any particularly obvious point.
Posted Mar 04, 2023
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6.5
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Heavenly Homecoming to Stars
(1974)
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Panos Kotzathanasis
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"Heavenly Homecoming to Stars" does not make sense at all times, and the deliriousness associated with cinema in the 70s does not always work in its favour. It is, however, a rather intriguing movie, both contextually and cinematically
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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7.5
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The Devil's Stairway
(1964)
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Panos Kotzathanasis
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"The Devil's Stairway" is an excellent movie, whose multi-levelled approach works quite well even today, with the restoration by the Korean Film Archive highlighting its overall artfulness in the best fashion.
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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7.5
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A Day Off
(1968)
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Panos Kotzathanasis
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"A Day Off" is an excellent film, another testament to Lee Man-hee-I's prowess and his ability of presenting deep, meaningful comments within a narrative that also focuses on beauty.
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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7
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The Devil's Deal
(2021)
|
Panos Kotzathanasis
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"The Devil's Deal" may be somewhat repetitious, but even this minor fault is lost inside the overall prowess of one the best crime/political thrillers we have seen recently.
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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7.5
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The Anchor
(2022)
|
Panos Kotzathanasis
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Despite the somewhat obvious story "The Anchor" emerges as a rather entertaining and interesting movie, that juggles its comments and its thriller premises excellently, highlighting in the process Jung's direction and the great performances.
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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6.5
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The Policeman's Lineage
(2022)
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Panos Kotzathanasis
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Despite some minor issues in the script, "The Policeman's Lineage" emerges as a captivating crime thriller, which, although does not reach the level of the masterpieces of the category, remains entertaining from beginning to end.
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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7
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Paid in Blood
(2021)
|
Panos Kotzathanasis
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That the context here is somewhat poorer than in some of the best titles of the genre, as much as the fact that the twists and finale are somewhat expected, emerge as the only aspects that keeps "Paid in Blood" from becoming a masterpiece of the category
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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7
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The Novelist's Film
(2022)
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Panos Kotzathanasis
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Hong Sang-soo does not reinvent himself with "The Novelist's Film" but presents another title that highlights how he has perfected his particular style, which is bound to garner awards and attention from festival audiences for many years to come.
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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7.5
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Vegetarian
(2009)
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Panos Kotzathanasis
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"Vegetarian" is a great existential psychoerotic thriller and one of these rare occasions when the movie is more enjoyable than the book.
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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6
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In Our Prime
(2022)
|
Panos Kotzathanasis
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"In Our Prime" is a bit naive and cliche on occasion, but in the end, emerges as a very entertaining movie in crowd-pleasing fashion, particularly because it is quite easy to watch.
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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7.5
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Nothing Serious
(2021)
|
Panos Kotzathanasis
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May be a typical rom-com on a number of levels, but is also very smart in its comments, humor and their presentation, features two delightful performances and is quite well-shot, resulting in a movie that is very easy to watch.
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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7.5
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The Killer
(2022)
|
Panos Kotzathanasis
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"The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves To Die" is one of the best action movies of the year and a return to a cinematic past of Korean movies that I feel many have missed significantly.
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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6
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Hansan: Rising Dragon
(2022)
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Panos Kotzathanasis
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"Hansan: Rising Dragon" is unashamedly a big-budget, blockbuster type of production, with all the pros and cons of this type of films, but one that definitely deserves a watch for its production values and final battle.
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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7.5
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Black Hair
(1964)
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Panos Kotzathanasis
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"Black Hair" is an excellent noir that combines the crime film and the melodrama in the most entertaining fashion, while the somewhat optimistic finale provides a much needed relief that also works for its benefit
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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5
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Alienoid
(2022)
|
Panos Kotzathanasis
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"Alienoid" is a movie that definitely deserves a watch for its individual elements, particularly on the big screen, but does not make much sense as a whole.
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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7.5
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Project Wolf Hunting
(2022)
|
Panos Kotzathanasis
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If you like your action bloody, nonsensical, and with very few punches pulled, look no further, "Project Wolf Hunting" is probably one of the best movies you will ever watch.
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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7
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Kingmaker
(2022)
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Panos Kotzathanasis
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"Kingmaker" emerges as a very interesting and entertaining film, but also one that is definitely on a lower level than "Man Standing Next
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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6
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Hot in Day, Cold at Night
(2021)
|
Panos Kotzathanasis
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"Hot in Day, Cold at Night" evidently addresses only the hard-core arthouse audience, but along these lines, manages to be a rather rewarding film that is quite easy to watch.
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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6
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Guimoon
(2021)
|
Panos Kotzathanasis
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Shim Duck-geun has some good ideas, and his eye for composition is evidently good, he just needs to work on his closings.
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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7.5
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Next Sohee
(2022)
|
Panos Kotzathanasis
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"Next Sohee" is an excellent drama that highlights the issues with the Korean system and their consequences in the most pointed but also rewarding way.
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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7
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Coming to You
(2021)
|
Panos Kotzathanasis
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"Coming to You" emerges as an excellent documentary, which makes its comments in a way that is both easy to watch and highly informative.
Posted Jan 04, 2023
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Decision to Leave
(2022)
|
William Schwartz
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Decision to Leave doesn't work well as either a romance, a melodrama, or even a detective story. It's a movie that could only really possibly appeal to people who really, really love film noir.
Posted Aug 20, 2022
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Don't Go Too Far
(2018)
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Panos Kotzathanasis
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"Don't Go Too Far" is easy to watch, particularly for those who also enjoy stage plays, while the thriller elements give it the necessary cinematic elements. Furthermore, at 77 minutes it does not outstay its welcome.
Posted Aug 10, 2022
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The Roundup
(2022)
|
William Schwartz
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I don't think police brutality is all that amusing no matter how much charm and worksmanship is put into it.
Posted Jul 21, 2022
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Love and Leashes
(2022)
|
William Schwartz
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A fairly wholesome primer on what exactly dom-sub culture is.
Posted Jul 21, 2022
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Shark: The Beginning
(2021)
|
William Schwartz
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Woo-sol was bullied because he was scared of being hurt. He can only break free of that fear by accepting pain as a part of life and choosing his battles.
Posted Jul 21, 2022
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Yaksha: Ruthless Operations
(2022)
|
William Schwartz
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The plot in Yaksha: Ruthless Operations is quite weak, and the characters rather boring.
Posted Jul 21, 2022
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6.5/10
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The Witch 2: The Other One
(2022)
|
Panos Kotzathanasis
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"The Witch : Part 2. The Other One" is a great and quite unique for Korean cinema action film, and a movie that all fans of blockbusters will enjoy.
Posted Jun 28, 2022
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6.5/10
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Three Sisters
(2021)
|
Panos Kotzathanasis
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"Three Sisters" communicates its messages about the consequences of trauma convincingly, while not many faults can be found neither in direction and acting, nor to the production values.
Posted Jan 19, 2022
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7/10
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Seire
(2021)
|
Panos Kotzathanasis
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The overall minimalism with the occasional splashes of visually impressive moments appears to be a well-fitted approach for the "new generation" of horror films, along with the combination of a number of art-house elements, as the richness in context
Posted Dec 30, 2021
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6.5/10
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Climbing
(2020)
|
Panos Kotzathanasis
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"Climbing" is another testament to the fact that Korean animation has great prospects, particularly if the filmmakers dealing with the genre manage to work a bit more on the technical aspect of their movies.
Posted Dec 30, 2021
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The Medium
(2021)
|
William Schwartz
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Genuinely intriguing presentation is mostly ruined when the story moves on to more boilerplate exorcist stuff.
Posted Dec 27, 2021
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Vivo
(2021)
|
William Schwartz
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Vivo is clearly aiming for the same pseudo-educational cultural experience that has become Lin-Manuel Miranda's calling card. Yet, in many ways, it's actually an even more antiquated view of Cuban culture than the stereotypes it's aiming to replace.
Posted Oct 02, 2021
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One Second
(2020)
|
William Schwartz
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Movie night is a huge community event in One Second because it's the only chance for the people to access the outside world. They convene not out of love for film, but community.
Posted Oct 02, 2021
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Nightmare
(2000)
|
William Schwartz
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You can also see flashes of tragic resignation in Ha Ji-won's performance that were much more effectively utilized in her later melodramatic career.
Posted Oct 02, 2021
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6/10
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Snowball
(2020)
|
Panos Kotzathanasis
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"Snowball" has its merits, with parts of the script, the acting, and a number of comments being well communicated. As a whole however, it does not make that much sense, with the sole "excuse" here being that it is Lee Woo-jeong's feature debut.
Posted Sep 24, 2021
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6.5/10
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Ten Months
(2020)
|
Panos Kotzathanasis
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"Ten Months" is a very interesting and entertaining indie film that could also be perceived as a caution tale regarding youths deciding to have children, particularly when they have not thought it through beforehand.
Posted Sep 24, 2021
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Escape From Mogadishu
(2021)
|
Panos Kotzathanasis
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"Escape from Mogadishu" is a great action movie that also works very well on a contextual level, due to the plethora of sociopolitcal elements included.
Posted Aug 12, 2021
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Phone
(2002)
|
William Schwartz
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Phone is at best a historical curiousity...it's not a movie that's much worth watching in any case.
Posted Aug 04, 2021
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Dragon Wars: D-War
(2007)
|
William Schwartz
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D-War is a complete waste of time that shouldn't be watched by anyone, for any reason.
Posted Aug 04, 2021
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Mr. Go
(2013)
|
William Schwartz
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Mr. Go is a delightfully whimsical movie, noteworthy mainly for its surprisingly sincere depiction of a generally absurd situation.
Posted Aug 04, 2021
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