Welcome to DongMakGol DVD (2005 Korean Movie) Review

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(More customer reviews)It is hard to tell you the exact nature of the film; it is basically a fantasy, but is also a war movie. Anyway the film is pretty impressive, though.
`Welcome to Dongmakgol' is made in South Korea, where it became a huge hit in 2005. It was selected as the nation's entry for Oscars, but in spite of the film's better-than average quality it was not nominated. If you see the film, you will know why it was ignored by the voters of the Academy. (I will come back to the supposed reasons later.) Let me first say that `Welcome to Dongmakgol' is a highly entertaining film for all its deep flaws.
The film begins with a close-up of a strange girl Yeo-il (played by Hye-jeong Kang, 'Old Boy') who is happily staring something falling from the sky. Actually she is watching a US fighter airplane which lands near the sleepy and peaceful village of Dongmakgol.
The story is in fact set in the 1950s, during the Korean War, and two groups of soldiers are seen heading for the same village Dongmakgol without knowing the presence of each other. When three soldiers of the North Korean army led by Chief Comrade Lee Su-Hwa (Jae-yeong Jeong) arrive at Dongmakgol after a bloody battle, they are surprised to find that there are not only two South Korean soldiers, 2nd Lt. Pyo (Ha-kyun Shin) and Army Medic Mun Sang-sang (Jae-kyeong Seo) but also an American pilot Smith (called Su-Misu, played by Steve Taschler).
Well I think you already know the rest of the story, which is pretty predictable. The soldiers of both sides confront one another at first, but the kind villagers and the life in the peaceful village gradually change their minds.
Something happens in the middle of the film, which I won't disclose here. All I can say is that some characters of the film, especially the Westerns (or Americans to be precise), are depicted in a very negative light. True, the filmmakers did not forget to refer to the painful facts as to who started the war, or who killed the (South/North) Koreans, and they present this Smith as a very nice guy. However, it is also true that some Western soldiers are violent, trigger-happy (and bomb-happy too), extremely negative stereotypes, and their nagative traits are shown on the screen with truly stereotypical villain's acting.
Though some scenes reflect the today's political climate in this country, the film has lots of wonderful fantasy-like moments that would be universally appealing, accompanied by the beautifull music of Jo Hisaishi (known for his works in the films of Miyazaki and Kitano), and the friendship between the characters are really moving. The ending has a surreal beauty, which is surely touching, but like many other films from South Korea, the film is sometimes very nationalistic, alienating some of us from the content of the film. `Welcome to Dongmakgol' is worth a look for the good acting from the Korean stars, and its unique visuals (see the funny slow-motion hunting sequence), but could be better with well-balanced descriptions of some characters.

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M*A*S*H (Widescreen Edition) (1970) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Five-Star Collection is Fox Studios' top-of-the-line releases. Movies like French Connection have already made the list, and now Fox debuts the greatest anti-war movie of all time, M*A*S*H. The basis for the long-running TV series (which also debuted recently on DVD), M*A*S*H introduces us to the antics of Hawkeye Pierce (Donald Sutherland), Trapper John (Elliot Gould), Hot Lips (Sally Kellerman), and Radar (Gary Burghoff).
Altman's black comic masterpiece doesn't have a solid plot so much as a series of skits and sketches about life during the war. From golfing 5 miles from the front to suspension of marital promises to trying to figure out why people are dying all around, M*A*S*H handles the gruesomeness of stupidity of war in the only way possible - if you're not laughing, then you're going to be crying, so it's probably better to laugh.
And what a way to bring this classic to DVD - the movie has never looked so good. For being 30 years old, it looks great after Fox's extensive restoration and is presented in its original theatrical ratio of 2.35:1 with an anamorphic transfer. There's some grain here and there, but the colors are exceptionally vibrant, with great contrast on the blacks and whites especially. The sound mix is a decent DD 2.0, which is fine considering that the movie is mostly dialogue, but the lack of a more dynamic soundtrack was noticeable during the football game and any time there was music. There are enough extras to make up for it, though, including Altman's commentary track, three featurettes including A&E's "The Story of M*A*S*H" and a 30-year cast reunion that's both touching and funny.
The lack of the DD 5.1 soundtrack doesn't sully the otherwise pristine quality of the rest of this 2-disc set. It's a must have - get it now. Now, trooper! Now!

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One of the world's most acclaimed comedies, MASH focuses on three Korean War Army surgeons brilliantly brought to life by Donald Sutherland, Tom Skerritt and Elliott Gould.Though highly skilled and deeply dedicated, they adopt a hilarious, lunatic lifes

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Sayonara (1957) Review

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(More customer reviews)Marlon Brando stars in "Sayonara," a 1957 love story based on the James Michener novel that tackles the issue of interracial romance. Brando plays a Major in the Air Force stationed in Korea, who also happens to be the son of a big-shot General and is wooing the daughter (played by Patricia Owens) of a Lt. General. When one of the men under his command (Red Buttons) declares his intentions of marrying a Japanese woman (Miyoshi Umeki), Brando tries to talk him out of it. When Brando and Buttons are transferred to Japan, Brando re-ignites his relationship with his girlfriend who is living there with her family. However, he also starts to realize that he's never explored what he actually wants in life - everything has been dictated by his family and social position. He then surprises even himself when he is attracted to a mysterious Japanese dancer, played by Miiko Taka.
"Sayonara" is surprisingly effective, both as a romance and as an "issues" movie; it really stands up better than most "issues" movies of its time. Most of the reason is because of the superb acting; Buttons and Umeki won Oscars for their supporting roles. In addition, Brando gives an under-stated, sensitive performance in his Oscar-nominated role. Fortunately, the outstanding acting allows the audience to believe Brando's transformation as well as the relationships that form, which is crucial for this film. Director Joshua Logan also does great work here, especially as he's best known for rather over-heated, unsubtle movies such as "Bus Stop" and "Picnic." The cinematography is exquisite and the segments in the Japanese theaters are wonderfully staged. Although "Sayonara" is a bit on the long side and probably could have used some editing, it's a first-class drama. Highly recommended.


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The story of American servicemen on leave in Japan during the Korean War, and the anguish they suffer after being spurned by both societies for loving Japanese women.Genre: Feature Film-DramaRating: NRRelease Date: 11-JAN-2005Media Type: DVD

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Gran Torino (Widescreen Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)Throughout his illustrious acting career, Clint Eastwood has delivered a series of iconic characters, such as The Man with no name, Dirty Harry, Josie Wales, and Will Munny in Unforgiven.
Throughout his illustrious directing career he has delivered outstanding movies such as Unforgiven, Mystic River, and Million Dollar Baby, for which he has won five Academy Awards, for best Picture, Best Director, and including the Irving Thalberg Life Achievement Award.
The actors who have worked with him have been blessed with Oscar: Gene Hackman for Unforgiven, Tim Robbins and Sean Penn for Mystic River, Morgan Freeman and Hilary Swank for Million Dollar Baby.
In Gran Torino he both directs and acts, and delivers an acting performance that will be remembered long after the final credits roll, in its unique way, as memorable as any other character he has created.
Gran Torino is the second best movie I have seen this year. Not just for the acting, not just for the directing, but for the storytelling, and the emotional journey on which it takes you, the laughter, the feeling of being gripped, and its more surprising moments.
In the opening scenes, we have the exposition of the character. We get to know Walt Kowalski, by how people act around him, and his seemingly hateful attitude towards people. More is conveyed through a scowl, and a snarl than with words. When the mischievous grandchildren go through his stuff in the basement, we see the Silver Star he won in Korea. There are three other important symbols in the movie, the lighter, the gun, and the car.
We see a hero with a warrior past, a patriot who fought for a cause greater than himself. Clearly, his bigotry stems from those experiences.
He's not just mean, he's 'get of my lawn' mean. He's Dirty Harry 'Go ahead punk, make my day!,' mean.
His dead wife's priest bugs him to hear his confession, at her request. The priest in a way is his wife's conscience.
When he snarls down the barrel of his rifle, at the neighborhood punk: 'I could blow your head off, and sleep like a baby,' you get the sense that he means it.
So, with all that happens, we see the change in his decision making, from someone reluctant to be involved in his neighbor's affairs, and a story can turn on something as random as looking at an empty beer cooler.
For all his faults, Walt has mature masculine character. Even though he is a difficult father, he has taught his children character. So, when he sees the boy next door lacks character, and a strong male role model, he takes him under his wing, and teaches him how to be a man.
The scenes where the boy practises Walt's high octane ball busting banter, are the funniest in the movie. Through knowing Walt, he makes decisions he never would have made by himself. In so doing, Walt finds meaning and purpose, and a chance for redemption, and the boy becomes a man.
The Academy's actor awards tend to go to actors in two types of role:
1.Psychopath- No Country for Old Men, The Usual Suspects, There Will Be Blood, Training Day, Silence of the Lambs.
2.Mentally Disabled, Social or Physical Handicap, overcomes great adversity or discrimination- Shine, As Good as It Gets, A Beautiful Mind, Ray, Scent of a Woman, Capote, Philadelphia, The Pianist, A Beautiful Life.
Every rule has an exception. Russell Crowe in Gladiator played a character with thematic similarities to Walt.
For a 78 year old man to direct and be lead actor in a movie of this caliber is an achievement worthy at the very least of being nominated for the highest award for Acting, Directing or both.
I hope you find this review helpful.

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A disgruntled Korean War vet, Walt Kowalski (Eastwood), sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possession: his 1972 Gran Torino.

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M*A*S*H - Season Seven (Collector's Edition) (1972) Review

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(More customer reviews)There are many enjoyable episodes in this season. Though this season is the last for Radar, aside from his final episode in season 8, MASH went on. This show, for better or worse, survived on through the many changes in cast. Radar was no exception.
Commander Pierce - Much to his own dismay Hawkeye takes charge and finds that the grass isn't greener on the other side of command.
Peace on Us - Hawkeye goes to the peace talks when they change the rules on discharge for doctors. Margaret's marriage to Donald hits a real rough patch, prompting her to get a divorce.
Our Finest Hour - The second of the documentary style shows that are shown in black and white and color. This one looks more deeply at the characters and their feelings about the war, family, and being away from home.
The Billfold Syndrome - A talented medic forgets his own name and Sydney is called in. Charles stops talking to B.J and Hawkeye after being turned down for a prestigeous post back in Boston. This gets a minor war going on between the Swamprats.
Major Ego - Charles' ego gets much higher when he saves a patient, and Stars and Stripes sends a reporter.. He sees a chance to get home. Klinger shows some of his more extravagant flair when the reporter shows up to interview Charles.
Point Of View - This show is shown from the view of a patient, for the entire show. You see a distracted Potter, and an enraged Charles. This episode was very very well done.
An Eye For A Tooth - Hawkeye, B.J, and Margaret trade a series of practical jokes, with Charles helping both sides. This series of jokes include a lemon pie, a full sized dummy, and a special mail delivery. Father Mulcahy goes on a mission of mercy after being passed over again for premotion.
Dear Sis - Father Mulcahy writes his sister over a Christmas holiday and tells of how he feels lost in the middle of a war zone.
The Young And Restless - A young brilliant surgeon bruises a few egos upon his visit displaying new surgical techniques.
C*A*V*E - A serious barrage of fire at the camp sends them to a cave, much to the dismay of Hawkeye, who suffers from clausterphobia. He an Margaret head back to camp under heavy fire to save patient who needs emergency surgery.
Rally Round The Flagg, Boys - Colonel Flagg goes way over the top and thinks everyone is a commie symp. He is copiously aided by Charles. Hilarious ending. This is the last show in which we get treeted to Flagg's raving paranoia. He left the show with some real flair.
A Night at Rosies - Hawkeye escapes a long night of surgery, and a horrid breakfast at the mess tent by heading for a drink at Rosies. He gets beer and then pours it over cereal. Then B.J follows, then Radar, Charles, and many others. Klinger heads to a floating crap game. The crowd pulls an all night binge to escape the war. This gets into Potter's craw, but he relents when he realizes that it's just what they all really need. This is also where we meet Scully, who's AWOL. He later becomes a love interest of Margaret.
The Party - B.J works hard on getting the loved ones of the main cast members together for a huge party. This happens after Radar offers his mother's help, and Potter hands him his home address. Peggy, his wife, had recently ruined the stove while canning. Radar says that his mother puts something special in it to keep it from boiling over. Potter talks about how good a canner Mildred is. This happens in the middle of a bug out, and return to camp when the Chinese pull of a huge offensive. This also happens while B.J has a patient that may never walk again, or have no feeling.
I prefer M*A*S*H after season four. I wasn't as crazy about the first few years. I enjoy the later episodes, because they got away from the slapstick humor and touched upon many many issues from suicide, blindness, love, hate, envy, infiltration, peace talks and so so much more.

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As the seventh season opens, peace talks to end the war have been going on for over a year and Hawkeye has had enough. He jumps in a jeep and roars off to the talks, and although he makes it onto the speaker’s floor, his rant does little to speed up the negotiations. His discontent isn’t helped by the return of war correspondent Clete Roberts who has came back to the 4077 to tape another one of his television talks for the folks back home. Yet Hawkeye isn’t the only one feeling the pressures of war. BJ nearly drives himself to exhaustion trying to help a poor Korean family, Father Mulcahy almost gets himself killed trying to get a promotion, Charles falls in love with a working girl at Rosie’s Bar, and Margaret’s divorce is finally made official. It’s all part of life during wartime.

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Narrow Escape (Full) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been looking for this movie for years. I always thought it was called "Thousand Men and a Baby". Why do they change the names and not cross reference them?
This is one of my favorites. Richard Thomas & Gerald McRaney are wonderful in this, and the actor who plays the Navy Chaplin (sorry I can't remember his name)is great. This is a truly heartwarming story and I wish we had more these days.

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The Hunters (1958) Review

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(More customer reviews)"The Hunters" is a well-made, exciting Korean war drama, with the accent on aviation. It has an above-average plot for this type of film, and the whole movie, particularly the aerial sequences, is expertly directed by Dick Powell. If you are interested in combat aircraft, there are many scenes of F-86 Sabre Jets engaging MIGs in dogfight battles to the death.
While the planes are great to watch, this film is primarily about human beings caught up in war. It stars Robert Mitchum, and he is terrific--his fighter pilot character is a born leader, yet he also suspects there is something important missing in his life. He enters into a guilt-ridden relationship with the wife of another pilot, played by lovely May Britt. When there's a war on though, the feelings of two people aren't worth--as someone once said--"a hill of beans". Mr. Mitchum's main job is to lead a fighter squadron, and satisfy his boss on the ground--Richard Egan in a strong performance, knowing that every day he may be sending a man to his death.
Just to make things even more interesting for Mr. Mitchum, his squadron includes Ms. Britt's husband ( a paranoid, self-doubting Lee Philips ) and a cocky, young "hotshot" who doesn't like "rules" ( a young, excellent Robert Wagner ). It would be unfair to reveal more of the plot, but the film is consistently interesting and exciting.
The DVD is full screen on one side, and wide-screen on the other. The colour is very good for a 46-year old film. It does not have "surround sound", of course, unlike that 1986 aviation hit, "Top Gun"--then again, "Top Gun" didn't have Robert Mitchum ! Tom Cruise has a nice smile--but, for leadership and grit, I'd follow Robert Mitchum through the gates of hell !
Actually, I'll give "The Hunters" 4 1/2 stars. Action--suspense--romance--Sabre Jets--Robert Mitchum--what more do you want ? Thanks, Fox--a very nice disc !

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With its electrifying flight sequences and high-powered cast, The Hunters is a mesmerizing film based on the best-selling novel by veteran fighter pilot James Salter. Set during the height of the Korean War, the story centers on Major Cleve Saville (Robert Mitchum), a master of the newly operational F-86 Sabre fighter jets. But adept as he is at flying, Saville¹s personal life takes a nosedive when he falls in love with his wingman¹s (Lee Philips) beautiful wife (May Britt). To make matters worse, Saville must cope with a loud-mouthed rookie (Robert Wagner) in a daring rescue mission that threatens all their lives in this well-crafted war drama.

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The Korean War (4-volume set) (1999) Review

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(More customer reviews)A very good documentary for anyone who is unfamiliar with this military endeavor. The details of politcal strategy are lacking, but the military strategy is revealed. Highly recommendable.

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