Skip to main content

Journey With You (Chinese Series)

By Golu
I've always had kind of a love hate relationship with Chinese historical BLs. Some are genuinely excellent, but then there are others that cram in so much plot that keeping track of all the layers of betrayal and scheming gets exhausting, and I end up checking out mentally. Part of the issue is also just how much content is out there in this space, so something really has to stand out to keep me hooked. In this case, the production value is genuinely impressive, top tier stuff, but story wise, I just couldn't bring myself to actually care about these characters. There's a ton of political scheming and backstage manipulation running throughout. Somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, a hostage ends up falling for his own Prince Charming. The show runs eight episodes, each around 50 to 60 minutes long. After spending three years guarding the border, Fifth Prince Yin Qi gets called back to the capital because of a secret letter, only to end up walking straight into a deadly...
Post a Comment

¡Corten! (Spanish) [Cut!]

By Golu
I am not sure how to review this film. A self-spoof of sorts, the film never takes itself seriously even for a second. The film is about a flop director making ridiculous films, who really doesn't care about what other people think and seeing that really unfold in front of you in precisely what the film is about is just meta film making to another level. Part of me feels that the director was smart enough to know exactly what he was making and make spoof on himself but is he dumb enough to actually do that?

A unsuccessful filmmaker is hell bent on making his next film, a queer giallo. Giallo is when a series of murders happen. But while he is shooting for the film, a series of terrible murders start to happen around him. And somehow all the murders can be traced back to him. It starts with a waitress who the maker offers a part in the film, then actor who is supposed to be killed in the first scene in the film, then a famous drag queen who was supposedly the star attraction of the film, then a young boy he picks up at a bar and the list goes on. During all this, there is a young man who has travelled from Madrid who desperately wants to feature in the directors films. All this is being investigated by a lesbian cop and a male guy with a trans partner. The film continues to operate in the meta zone with even the identity of the killer sort of merging between the film and the film within the film.

Its not surprising that the actual director of this film also happens to be the actor playing director in this film. And this is just the beginning. At one point the character exclaims : “Because films need to be made… No matter what!” Which so well describes as to what really is happening in front of you. Throughout the film, I was confused as to how am I supposed to consume this film. A spoof, or a genre that I am not yet familiar with. Apparently the director of the film has already built up a loyal audience and even his own trademark style, which fuses camp and B movie with unbridled send-up, which is fantastic. But this leaves viewers like me confused. The eventual suspense reveal at the end of the killer is still a nice surprise, which most people probably didn't see coming. All in all, this is one of the weirdest meta movies I have seen, although admittedly I have seen only very few of them. (3.5/10)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Tuxedo (Thai Series)

By Golu
When I saw this series with 8 episodes of about 20-25 minutes each, I thought, good: Finally someone has come to senses and made a show which is not stretched out and they have tried to squeeze in a decent storyline in a good small episode format. But unfortunately, despite a decent premise on hand, the clunky writing, bad screenplay and an extreme tasteless portrayal of mental illness makes this show, not a fun watch. By the time it finishes, you just want to laugh off at the entire absurdity of it all. Aioun is talented tuxedo designer and very much in demand but he has handful of clients and he builds suits only for people who he feels a connection to. One night when his younger brother is about to get mugged, he is helped by a total stranger named Sichol. Since he tears his suit in the fight and has an interview the next day, Aioun gifts him a suit form his design as an expression of thanks. Sichol's interview is for. Personal assistant of a man named Nawee, a wealthy heir to h...
25 comments
Read more

Heartstopper: Season 2 (Web Series) (UK)

By Golu
Heartstopper Season 1 was a universal hit. You could not have read one bad review or heard from anyone who has seen the show not liking it. It was the kind of series that is easy to love, with sweetness exploding out of every scene without overwhelming you. So naturally, when Netflix greenly Season 2, expectations were naturally high and the same happened with me. I didn't know what to expect, but I had high expectations of this very very sweet teenage love story. And with eagerness and being a little late to the game by a few days, here I am, pouring my t thoughts down having just finished one of the most anticipated shows of the year. The second season also has 10 episodes and has all of our loved ones from the original season. The show continues from where it had left off in Season 1. Charlie and Nick are a couple and only their very close circle of friends know about it. This includes Charlie's best friend Tao and his trans best friend Elle. The center of the show is still ...
19 comments
Read more

Gaya Sa Pelikula (Filipino Series) [Like In The Movies]

By Golu
Pinoy BL series seem to be catching up to the popularity of the Thai shows. And I must say that they are doing a pretty good job at it. Where Thai series started to get repetitive with so many shows based in a college setting with seemingly similar storylines, Pinoy series are offering the viewers with new and interesting stories and some really good sets and surroundings. This series was 8 episodes of about 25-20 minutes each. Karl, a 19-year old introvert architecture student is in the middle of an identity crisis. Prior to the start of the second semester in college and forced by his parents, he moves into his uncle's condominium unit so that he can learn to be financially independent. Karl takes on odd jobs online to do so. But when one of his major clients suddenly goes MIA, he is left short on funds and without a means to pay for his utilities. An opportunity presents itself when his cocky neighbor Vlad has to hide from his family and proposes to share Karl's space for th...
23 comments
Read more