Haeundae - The Deadly Tsunami

This is more of a dramedy rather than a disaster movie. Movie started on a small ship in the middle of a storm facing a impending tsunami. Man-sik lost his colleague due to his mistake. He told Man-sik to take care of his daugther Yeon-hee with his last breadth. Years later, Man-sik unable to allow himself to get involved with Yeon-hee, though Yeon-hee wanted to, also because she does not the truth of her father's death. Man-sik's uncle plan to convert this Haeundae area into a more commercial area has been trying to fix the soured relationship, the latter being blamed for the accident, allowing the ship to go out knowing there was a storm.

From here till the tsunami hits, numerous characters appeared and having their own story, started to get abit confusing but straighten out once no more new characters came out. Dong-choon his neighbour doesn't want to get a proper job and always letting his mother worry, whom even arranged an interview for him. Geologist Kim Hwi, the "guy" in a typical natural disaster movie, he will tell the whole world it is coming but whole world "must not" believe what he say. His ex-wife Yoo-jin also arrived at Haeundae with their daugther due to work. Kim Hwi even got time to go find his daugther when she got lost on the beach but only got scolded by Yoo-jin.

Hee-mi, a college student accidentally fell into sea during a sea trip. Lifeguard Hyeong-sik, Man-sik's brother saved her but not in a pleasant "damsel in distress" way. Hee-mi was angry and somehow kept following him to annoy him but love grew eventually. Man-sik eventually proposed to Yeon-hee but was messed up by Dong-choon who told her the truth. Before Man-sik could explained, it came. About time some action amid the melodrama.

The tsunami raving in at hundred of kiometres per hour, towering over any buildings on the island. Apart of the good CGI effects, the melodrama continued. Man-sik uncle saved him from pulled away from the rushing water but only to be dragged away by the floating cabinet. Dong-choon survived miraculously along some bridge after the raging tsunami rushed through it, soon after that, he has to deal with a container ship stucked vertically on the bridge and it rained "containers" soon. More tragedy struck, his mother supposedly should be out of Haeundae for a picnic trip, decided not to at the last minute so she can go and get a pair of leather shoes for him. Hyeong-sik scarificed when the rope pulling him and some rich brat who beat him up due to Hee-mi gave way, Hee-mi was devastated. The "guy" also died with his wife but managed to sent their daughter away in the helicopter. Man-sik and Yeon-hee did survive. 7/10

500 Days of Summer

This movie is not the norm romantic comedy but somehow I sort of like it. Movie is presented in a non-chronological order but eventually reached the 500th day. It doesn't really get messy like Heroes or Lost which probably already make some people insane. Story is simple when boy meets girl but girl doesn't really like the boy.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Tom, find him familiar but still couldn't remember which movie or drama I saw him. Zooey Deschanel is Summer, find her familiar too and I knew where I seen her, in "Yes Man" ! Summer came into Tom's life when she joined his company as his boss's assistant. Tom studied architect but somehow ended up writing greeting cards, he writes those inspirational ones, happy ones with love. Not much mention of why summer came here but Tom who believes in true love likes her.

His 2 quite goony friends McKenzie and Paul are round to give crap advice, check updates and eventually consoling him etc.

During one company karaoke session, Mckenzie let out that Tom like her. That starts his journey of extreme emotions, happy and depression. Summer didn't really reject him and started going out with him.

They are happy together, Tom show him his favourite place in the city, the ikea scene is quite funny.

Though they had a argument when he punched a guy in a pub because of her. But there is one problem, for summer, something is missing and she doesn't want a relationship.

They broke up eventually. Tom didn't take it well, the friends and his little sister started to console him. Summer quit and Tom was moved to write consolations obviously losing all happy elements. Months later, both attended a co-worker weddings and was like happy moments came back. She invited him to a party at her place. Though what he expected and what was real was way off, at the party, the sight of the engagement ring made Tom left in a hurry.

Tom quit and went into alchohol/junk food mode. One day, he set his mind to go into architect work, though didn't really goes well. At Day 488, Tom met Summer at his favourite spot, both wishes both well. Then at Day 500, at an interview, he met a girl eyeing for the same job. Her name is Autumn. 8/10

Surrogates

This movie surpassed the B grade expectation. It is 2017, where human don't leave their homes. They stayed in some kind of cocoon pod and remotely controlled their "surrogates" who lived their daily lifes. Since the human are safe at home, there are no pain and crimes but underneath the beautiful and handsome robotic bodies, not every human is happy. There are groups of human who still live by themselves, lead by "The Prophet", anti-surrogates.

Bruce Willis is FBI agent Tom, he investiage the first murder in years. A student Jarod Canter was killed, the son of the founder of surrogate Dr Lionel Canter, former president of VSI, the company that invented and made surrogates. The problem here was killing a surrogate was not suppose to kill the human but this one did. And the guy also killed several cops.

Of course, not on his own, he was using some "black & decker" look like dust buster, that emits some kind of electro magnetic pulse or something.

As Tom try to find this guy, he speak to Dr Carter and found out he is using multiple surrogate but information he provided was not useful. He did track him down and almost killed when he blast the black & decker at his chopper but the human Tom managed to unplug in time. Then he chase him into human territory but before he can get this hand on the weapon, his surrogate was gun down by humans.

The guy was held captive by the Prophet and he took the weapon then killed the guy. Tom survived the blast and now living using his own body. As he was trying to make his wife understand and step out of her surrogate, his investigations lead no where. A tip by Dr Canter lead Tom to a more specific direction, the only possible organization that could build such a weapon, the Army. As he digged deeper, he found out his boss, Stone was involved. VSI made this weapon but project was cancelled due to it also killing the human. VSI paid Stone to use this weapon to kill Canter who was out to stop this surrogate revolution which he made himself.

Because the old Canter was using multiple surrogates, the guy mistakenly killed his son instead. Some twist in the end, the Prophet was also a surrogate by Canter and with the weapon in his hand, he planned to end everything but of course "Die Hard" saved the day. Abit short overall, not sure if the plot could be more complex and intriguing. 7/10

Fame

"Success is getting up in the morning and so thrilled about what you will be doing that you will fly out the door". Probably won't happen to me in this life, is like a matter of knowing what you like, what you good at and how much $ you get, etc. Back to the movie, fame is the typical kind of drama about living your dream but specifically in the performing or entertainment arena.

The movie starts with people going for auditions at the New York School of Performing Arts, 200 places from 10s, 20s thousands people.

So you see the main cast during the auditions, you find people good at dance, act, sing and instruments, etc. Though some find that they are even better at other stuff throughout the movie.

Marco who is good at singing and likes Jenny, the girl who couldn't free up during acting. He sang "Try" while playing the piano to Jenny, that earn him a kiss from her. Denise who excel in playing classical on the piano found out actually what she really like was singing. Like the song that she sang "Out on my own", an original, she did the piece in the movie when she was down, her parents dispproving her to sing.

Kevin and Alice were in dancing, ballet one of its kind. Kevin is not showing more than his potential and barely made it throughout. And he had to face the reality when the teacher rejected his request to write a recommendation letter and also told him the truth that he probably won't make it as a dancer. He almost wanted to flung himself onto a rushing train "Quentin Tarantino" style but of course this is "Fame", so that didn't happen.

Malik has problem doing well in acting class and living with his sister's death and dad abandoning him. But found his real talent in rapping and together with Victor, who is good at producing music. They try to hook themselves and Denise up with a company but the guy who worked with big names in the industry is only interested with Denise. They did churn out a good performance at some club place i assume.

Too many characters thus not much detailed development in each, just scattered bits here and there. It is more to indulge in the "performing" elements, like a musical but not entirely. The scene where they are started dance and sing in the cafeteria was quite entertaining. 7/10.

Phobia 2

It seems after "shutter", there isn't any really good horror thriller. That kind of chilling scare in shutter really inched up your spine and raised your goosebumps. Phobia 2 is a follow up from the previous 4bia, no relation though. Just another 5 short film, different stories but same kind of scare tactics.

First is Novice. Young Pey commited a crime, next scene he was brought to a monastery by his mother. The time coincides with some hungry ghost period and the rebellious pey reluctantly stayed. And there seems to be some tree spirit playing around with his karma, towards the end, it revealed the crime he commited was throwing a stone at a car and somehow was his fathers'. He was stoned to death in the end and seemingly became one of the tree spirit.

Second is Ward. The most straightforward one. A young man injured his legs and was hospitalized and warded into the same room as an dying old man. The old man is going anytime and was ready to unplug the machine but a group of man came by and request to delay for 1 day. Then the scare the audience tactics just came, as he was immobile so he can just lie around and kena scared the shit of himself. But the next morning, we did get the answer of what happen. The old man seems like some master now is in the young man body.

Third is BackPackers. 2 japanese young kids stranded along some road hitchhiked onto a truck, the driver with another young man. As they drive along, suddenly heavy pounding sound was heard from the back. The driver stopped and came down, to his horror, the people he thought he was ferrying all became dead bodies. Then the young man revealed, they are actually human drug traffickers, forced to swallow small packets of drugs. As they dragged the bodies down, the bodies became zombies, the jap kids came down and overheard. The jap guy was zombied to death, the driver quickly drove off. The young man and jap ger ran after the truck, eventually got onto it. The truck crashed and driver died, left the young man and jap ger, somehow another kid, ending was crap though.

Fourth was Salvage. About a unscrupulous used car dealer, selling revamped car that was involved in accidents. Beginning to end was in the used car lot, as she try to search for her son who was playing in the lot. Then all the scare using the cars came, the victims of car accidents visually on and off scaring her but the slight twist in the end was when she drive off in her car.

Last was In the end. This was by the same 4 guys from 4bia, the camping one. This last one was a comedy, not kidding, the audience was laughing like no tomorrow, maybe trying to ease off the scary moments which was little and very within anticipations. They are crew on a movie set, filming a horror movie, plot revolving the 4 guys, main actress and the other actress acting as the ghost. Comedic twists on and off making people think actually she was dead but not, he was dead but not. 6/10

The Ugly Truth

A typical romantic comedy, girl having problems getting her guys, met a guy she dislike, this guy helped her get her guys, then this girl and this guy starts to know, they actually like each other. But there are several hilarous moments, the story is based in Sacramento, Katherine Hiegl is Abby, a morning show TV producer. After coming home from a crap date, he saw Gerard Butler as Mike Chadway on his own show on TV, "The Ugly Truth", telling audience the cynicism about relationship.

This prompted Abby to call in, they argued though to no avail. Next morning, they became colleagues, Mike was brought in to improve ratings on the morning show. Their dislike of each other continued, M find A a control freak while A find M disgusted on his take about relationship and way of doing the show. But truth is the audience like the truth, ratings are up. Then A met his dream guy, his new neighbour, Colin whom is a doctor. M then make a bet with A, he will get her his guy, if not he will quit, if he did, A will co-operate with M during work.

Well, of course M won, proving his theory on relationship with several comical moments. Especially the one at the company dinner where A accidentally wore the "vibrating undies", she dropped the remote and the boy opposite just played with it. As the boy fiddle through level, it finally climax to "ectasy". With his gaining popularity, M got invited to some Late night show so he flew over. A went over also as her boss want her to make M stay at the station.

The trip made them realize they really do like each other, the irresistable passionate kiss in the hotel lift.

Though C surprise visit sort of spoil the spark, though A did broke up with C, telling him everything she did was fake, just trying to please him. Back at Sacramento, M leave for another local station. A was pissed off that M didn't tell his feelings then. It ends well when he finally did in a hot air ballon during one outdoor broadcast. 7/10