The "new" Korean cinema.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005RFHF.01.TZZZZZZZ.jpg

Jang Sun Woo's highly controversial film chronicles the bizarre sexual relations of a 38 year-old man, J, and an 18 year-old student, Y, who is intent on losing her virginity before graduation. After the initial encounter, they embark on a sexual odyssey toward the realms of obsession and sadomasochism. No common love affair, theirs tests the limits of both body and mind. Intense desires drive them into a relationship that revolves around pain, pleasure and unavoidable lies. As J's sexual needs take on addictive dimensions, Y begins to draw back. Insecurities, doubts and indiscretions begin to weigh on a love that once knew no limits... - From the Back Cover

There were a couple of things that will stick:
1) When the female protagonist is telling her story on the train to the camera and she glances shyly to the old lady to see if she is not listening
2) When the female protaganist is beaten up by her best friend and the crew cries cut, and the camera keeps rolling and the protagonist is in obious emotional distress
3) the shit/kiss scene

so I would say: worth the price of admission/rental but I do concede that the SM scenes failed to strike a chord

Classic lines from not so classic films, part IX: "Now I know you really love me. No one else would eat my shit."

I wasn't that blown away by Shiri at first (I think I was intially surprised by how 'Hollywood' it was), but I've grown to like it more and more over repeat viewings. The romantic stuff is a bit corny, but aside from that it's a great action movie.

I've got Symphony For Mr Vengeance and Die Bad on the way to me which I can't wait to see, have read good things about both.

just saw Tale of Two Sisters and thought it was fantastic. manages to pull above the standard slow burn morose style that a lot of Asian horror is doing (though it too has long haired spooky girls). great macabre set design and multifaceted story/performances. next up, Whispering Corridors 3: Wishing Stairs.

i also liked Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance quite a bit as unrelentingly bleaks as it is. anybody see the My Wife is a Gangster films?

it's great

Turning Gate is not only one of the best of the new Korean cinema, it is one of the greatest films I've seen in about ten years.

Come to think of it, ALL of Hong Sang-Soo's films are fantastic.

i was surprised honestly because i tend to think of asian cinemas, korea's especially, as notably chaste (even the japanese cinema if you except the subgenres of sadeian violence and sex, and of course porn) in what they can portray, but aside from the pubic hair thing, which is trivial as you note, these were some of the most forceful and almost discomfortingly realistic sex scenes i'd ever seen

Woman on the Beach out on DVD today.

NYC retro

https://www.filmlinc.org/series/relentless-invention-new-korean-cinema-1996-2003/#films

Parasite
= o