Old So What

 In the mood for something spooky this fall? Look no further than Repo! The Genetic Opera. This hard rock Opera movie, has songs with great lyrics, blood, and a great premise. A bleak future where people seek perfection through constant surgeries; sound familiar? Only if you miss a payment, they repo back what they operated on. Paul Sorvino is a powerhouse as the head of the company that performs these surgeries. Alexa PenaVaga belts out ballads that will have you rebelling against your own inherited genetics. Anthony Head is tortured Repoman forced to do all the dirty work to protect his family. But my favorite character is the mysterious Graverobber, who wrote the movie. You won't be disappointed with this movie.

 Is an epic Chinese fantasy drama that is larger that the three realms it inhabits. Friendship, betrayal, family, love; this drama has it all. The female lead is dealt a seemingly insurmountable fate, while the dreamy male lead tries to protect her from all dangers, even from herself. There is humor along the way and even quests. Paired with beautiful backgrounds and fantasy animals, demons and deities, it is like a video game come to life.  Highly recommend for anyone who loves fantasy. Just be prepared for a long emotional journey. I watched this on Amazon prime.

  Another excellent movie available on YouTube is:   The Painted Veil based on the story by the well-known writer, Somerset Maugham. The main characters, Kitty and Water Fane (Naomi Watts and Edward Norton) start out as unhappily matched, but end up coming together as a couple in love.   Unfortunately, it’s too late. Described as a “Chinese period romance,” with a backdrop of the real event of the cholera epidemic in early 1900s China.   (It should be said that any movie in which Edward Norton is involved can be counted on as being really good because the man is both creative and a perfectionist!) The supporting cast includes Diana Rigg and Toby Jones.   Highly recommended by this author.

  to go for! Did you know that YouTube has free movies! And some of them are really good, and well worth watching again or for the first time. One example is Dangerous Liaisons (the Chinese version.) Starring the very attractive actors: Zhang Ziyin, Jang Dong-gun and Cecila Cheung, who form an appealing and most accomplished cast. (A mention must be made for the director as well, Hur Jin-ho.) The plot is the sexual dares of two of the characters which end in disaster for all the characters.   Love triumphs just so far.   You know the chance for a happy ending all around is very slim, but this movie captures your interest (and, yes, your heart) until the very end.   Watch this one. You won’t be disappointed!

  I have watched many of these shows wherein you have to check your humanity, taste, decency, morals, and values at the door first.   Really! The only exception that I found, during my research, was a Korean relationship-matching program called: Love After Divorce.   This was a good show with actual values, and participants looking for long-term relationships not just the carnal knowledge of overnight hook-ups. (It should be noted that I only watched one season of this show, which I think was Season Four.) At the other end of this sampling of dating shows is:   Perfect Match.   The only thing good about this show is the host, Nick Lachey. How he got pulled into this mess, well it could only be for one (monetary?) reason. Perfect Match, is, well, it’s pretty disgusting, and it’s not just the gratuitous nudity (which comes to desensitize you completely to the fact that these people are essentially always without most of their clothing), but rather, it’s the ...

  The Veil on Hulu. This is a very convoluted series of 6 episodes.   If like me you are left with questions, I suggest you go on-line and do a little research.   Or you can stress yourself out trying to figure all the plot twists and turns by yourself. Is it worth the effort? In a word: YES! This show is excellent. It’s sharp, it’s edgy. It’s keeps you off balance, not knowing what will happen next. It has an international cast, most of whom are extremely attractive, and more than that, they are talented. Elisabeth Moss is not one of my favorites, but the fact that she was one of the executive producers who put this show together, speaks well of her. It should be mentioned that the writer for this project and another executive producer is Steven Knight. If you like spy thrillers, interesting characters, and a production (except for the music which is peculiar at best and jarring at worst), that is well done on a professional level then this series is for ...

  I can’t say enough in praise of the new Netflix program, “Captivating the King.” An historical drama, set in Joseon times, that is simply incredible.   And it gets even more incredible as it goes on, especially when the love story begins. It may well be one of the best features to appear on any television anywhere…anytime. (Coming from someone who has watched TV since 1950). The cast is impeccable with Jo Jung-suk and Shin Se-kyung taking the two top leads.   But the cast and director have played this story so well, with ALL leads.   There are very few minor roles.   Everyone is at the top of their game. Bravo to writers, directors, producers, actors, musicians, set designers, and anyone else, happily for us, to be participating in this production! This lovely series captures your heart.   It truly does.

  You will enjoy this 2015 film I’m very sure. It has everything:   good script, good director (Steven Spielberg) good producers, (one of whom is Steven Spielberg)   good actors. Based on a good story. A true story.   It grabs your attention and holds on in no small measure to the acting ability of its star, Tom Hanks.   He should be called:   Mr. Believable. You find yourself so caught up, so captured by the story and actors that you end up rooting for everyone, even a communist villain. Warning:   This is a feel-good film!

  you have not been absent from the planet, or living on the very fringes of it, so, therefore you are acquainted with the actors (meaning actresses, too) that I’ve written about so far.  If this is of no interest to you, please let me know through this blog, I don’t wish to waste your time. However, if you do find this topic valuable, please let me know that, too. SO, since this may be my last entry on the subject, I feel free to add my favorite actor, and that’s saying a lot! People just adore this man. Johnny Depp One of the most gifted actors of our time. Go see the film, “Minamata,” starring and produced by Mr. Depp as the American photo-journalist, W. Eugene Smith.  Go see the film, “Minamata.”   It’s so much more than just a motion picture.