Monday, October 31, 2011

Kang Dong Won - MVIO Photoshoot 2

Continuation of the MVIO Photoshoot gallery. Part 1 can be found here.

This blue t-shirt is just beautiful. The second picture is one of my favorite pictures of him, in general. I think it's nicely taken, the colors work wonderfully, the hair really suits him styled like this and the clothes are absolutely perfect on him as well.

Also, those almighty peepers of his have a nice powerful look here. Although it does look like he's saying "Take this flower, or I will murder you with it" rather than "Here is a flower because you are charming". You just can't tell if he will attempt to kiss you or strangle you with his necklace when you get close. I'm guessing it's the latter.

The props are also to die for, adding to the weirdness of this, but it's an all around good photoshoot and nice cf. Beautiful clothes that fit on the handsome model.


MVIO_13 MVIO_14

 MVIO_15 MVIO_16

The Crucible - A Small Step Forward

It seems the buzz around The Crucible and child abuse in South Korea, along with the public outrage, has pushed the government to revise the law around it and also around the abuse of people with disabilities.

Things have become much stricter for such offenders and if there are no big loopholes in this, then it's a significant step for the better.

I don't trust such "laws" myself, as I know very well that the cruel monsters calling themselves "politicians" always manage to let things conveniently slip through, but it's at least something.

I feel that anyone who worked on the movie will be very relieved to see they did their part in at least getting a big problem out in the open.

Hope this does give perverts and bastards a run for their money and get them to think a bit more before they dare touch a person they have no business touching.

Also, the school where the events depicted in the movie took place will be shut down, if all goes well and no one slimes their way out of it. Article about this here.

Google Halloween Doodle 2011

I just love these. What a smart way to keep your logo lively and give a little something to everyone who uses the engine.

I really like the idea of showing a team and not just doing another animation again. Halloween is very much a "people" holiday, celebrated best with others.


Sunday, October 30, 2011

Happy Halloween!

With Tim Burton and his crew. Of course.


Fun Gifts for Quirky Korean Holidays

Yeot


My good friend Ethlenn posted this up on her blog as well. She found this lovely article from "Korea JoongAng Daily" on Korean holidays, naming some peculiar and fun gifts that are given during said days and also giving a bit of an explanation about their meaning.

I think that it's a very well done piece, shedding some light on things we might not know much about as foreigners. The author mentions quite a few holidays and one thing that cracked me up was her following confused question:

"I don’t know where the idea that Koreans are shy about expressing their feelings came from, but it is incorrect."

Korean dramas where the passionate lovers kiss like 10-year-olds only once, before they're practically at "getting married" stage? Where a 30-year-old guy goes all "shucks" if his arm brushes the girl he likes? Where a woman acts like someone offended her family's honor when they dare kiss her after the mutual attraction has become obvious and accepted?

Yes, if we go by dramas, Koreans are all virgins well in their late 30s and they only touch people in non-romantic ways, unless they want to be daring and overly "modern". :P

As for Black Day, the day of singles, what a bleak name it is. I mean, we're not that sad. XD Plus, if I could taste some friggin' jjajangmyeon, which Korean entertainment has been torturing me with, I'd lie even!


Jjajangmyeon


But setting that aside, such articles are nice little peeks indeed. They are not only interesting, but they give some more information on everyday life things that we may not know or misunderstand (those of us who think dramas = reality).

And now I must go and raid my fridge for sweet and savory stuff. Curse Google Image Search and Korean yummy goodness!

The Host Vs. Sector 7 - Monsters, Assume Your Positions!


Gwoemul Sector 7


I love horror movies. I love disaster movies. I love movies with monsters, aliens and anything else horrible and supernatural or monstrous. I have been watching horror and thrillers, action and sci-fi since I was a wee little girl. When others were watching only cartoons, I was watching cartoons, Star Trek TNG and Stephen King, among other things nerdy. So, for that reason, I expect a lot from a monster movie.

Ever since I have been into Korean entertainment, "The Host" has hovered over my head like a majestic high bar that other things are apparently too short to reach. I had heard the best things about it and I knew it as some legendary movie, a masterpiece of Korean cinema.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Many a Little Romance - Stills & Trailer

Many a Little Romance

Yet another romantic comedy (although it stills says melodrama in the info) from South Korea which I am looking forward to, as of late.

I really liked Han Ye Seul ever since "Fantasy Couple". She was just one of those people that caused positive feelings in me. After this whole Myeong Wol mess broke out, I like her even more. Frankly, no matter how risky a move it was, it set fire to some asses that needed to sit on some good ol' hot coal and think about what they're doing. Ballsy, "not professional", but I feel she did good.

As for Song Joong Ki, I really didn't like him at first. Mainly because the first I ever heard of him was when he published a book on how to maintain perfect skin... I admire men who take care of themselves, but publishing a book for it is leaning a bit too far on the metro side, I felt.

Then I watched Sungkyunkwan Scandal (well, 2-3 episodes left to watch still) and I liked what I saw acting-wise. I don't love the series or anything, but his character is refreshing and I see potential. Also, I admit it. The bastard has awesome skin.

So I am a bit more sold on Many a Little Romance now. Which is the movie in the title, as your amazing skills of deduction might have already revealed to you.

I am not as excited for this as I am for Chilling Romance (not by a mile), but it's still a good movie to keep an eye out for. I'm game for a romance movie. Not series. I need a break from those because I think my higher brain functions are starting to deteriorate from too much fangirl-oriented scriptwriting.

So, here are some stills and a trailer.

You can find the rest of the stills at its page on Hancinema.


Many a Little Romance1

Many a Little Romance2 Many a Little Romance3

Many a Little Romance4 Many a Little Romance5


Beautiful Failures - Killing Language

You know, a good fail is a fail that brings something useful. Be it knowledge, a lesson learned or even some nice laughs. Today was very much a fail day for me. Language fail day. For my mother also.

First, my mom asks if I potatoed the salts (salted the potatoes). Then she asks if I cheated on the potatoes. Alatises = you salted, Apatises = you cheated, in Greek. Then I told her my fit blouses well instead of my blouse fits well.

And then the mega-fail of the day came along. The one where I gave a friend on Facebook a very... uhm... unique book suggestion for Halloween.


Bag of Bones


Thursday, October 27, 2011

Korean Actors Flocking To Corporate Owned TV

A wave of actors flocking to general service channels (corporate owned channels) opening soon is causing quite the buzz in South Korea. Among them, are actors Hwang Jeong Min and Kim Hye Ja. There are a couple of translated articles on this over at Hancinema too.


Hwang Jeong Min Kim Hye Ja


And really, who can blame these people? As I wrote in my latest article for Hancinema, these kind of channels are more "ahead" than public television.

They can offer more variety, good pay and the lack of cruel filming schedules and conditions for the actors. They can also offer better quality works because of it. It's not surprising then, that a lot of those who have stayed away from television for a while are now starting to take some shy steps back. And fresh ones will follow.

For the viewers, this also means that content on these channels will not be as controlled by the government (unless the company is "friendly" with it). What that may mean?

No "controlled" kissing of a woman like you're 10 just so we won't "harm the children". No characters that make themselves miserable at 30+ because their mom and dad don't like the bride. Mom and dad being anything from mean to murderers and gangsters/murderers, who apparently have rights over the "kids" just because "our country should stick to its (dated) values and respect elders no matter what kind of a nutjob they are".

Also, no need for the lack of blood and too much violence. The "moral laws" that govern public television, along with the backwards thinking of old and conservative politicians do not hold any power over works on cable and general service channels.

I know this will not change everything and public channels will still be full of propaganda, like public channels are in my country and like I assume, in every country. But it is still a major step forward. At least people have more choice now.

I am really hoping this will be a step towards better quality dramas in South Korea, attracting more big-screen actors and offering a solution for those not willing to risk life and sanity for demanding and ruthless audiences. Think about all the wonderful film artists and what great work they could do in a good quality series.

The fact of the matter is, S.Korea has extremely talented film-makers and actors. A lot of them mop the floor with the best of the best of Hollywood. And a series is a medium that can tell so much more than a movie and so differently.

I am really hoping that this will be a successful start at a new kind of bigger and better television for South Korea. The mere thought of what kind of great dramas could come from such channels and what great film actors could do with such stories fills me with such excitement.

Best of luck to this new type of broadcasts and I am sure a lot of us will be watching and supporting very closely, if this does prove to be as good as it looks.

Translated Hancinema articles here:

Stars moving to general service channels, celebrity casting success

Hwang Jeong-min, Jeong Woo-seong 'screen stars'

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Kang Dong Won Works - A Quick Guide Part 1

Kang Dong Won Movies

My brand new follower (and followed), conan, has suffered the horror of "Temptation of Wolves". It caused her to give up on Kang Dong Won works. But she is willing to try and conquer her aversion. Thankfully, none of his other works are as bad as this one so I hope that she will be pleasantly surprised.

I thought that, since I have watched almost everything he's done, I would make a quick guide for her and anyone who might want to check out his works in the future. Short descriptions of them here, my opinion on them and a couple of pictures. An occasional trailer too, for those that have watchable ones.

I describe things with him as the center. For the movies I really really liked, I make reviews and cover more there. These go by chronological order from old to new.

For more information on them, click on their titles to be taken to their Hancinema pages and use your good and informed friend Google.

This continues in Part 2, for easier viewing.

This post includes the works between 2003 and 2006.

Videogames I Love - Fallout 3

Some of Them


You know, I've realized recently that despite my love for videogames, I haven't written much about them. I guess I have been around them so long that attempting to even start talking about them felt like too daunting a task. However, I was recently part of an online course handling videogame development and we had this assignment at some point. Our job was to look at specific genres, select two games of our choice from each genre and talk a bit about them.

And then I thought that I should maybe write about some games I love here on my blog as well. I will write about 1 game each time, since I have a lot to say about the ones I love. You know me. I talk and write a lot.

Before we get started, I have to say that there is something I greatly value in games. I call it the "Holy Game Trinity" and it consists of story, characters and voice-acting. I believe that there are many ways and mediums to tell a story, but at the end of the day, it's the story and how it's told that draws a person in. And it's the characters that you can sympathize with. A brainless movie or game is good for fun, but it won't stick with you unless it reaches deeper.

So, I am very much a story person. I view games as a medium for telling stories in an interactive way and I view them as art. This means that any games I have loved over the years have had something more to them than fancy graphics and lots of boom booms. Although those are always appreciated.

Let's get crackin' then.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Chilling Romance - Stills and Making Of Videos

I have some more stills from this wacky romantic comedy, courtesy of Hancinema. I also have 3 making of videos for it. Very cute ones.

Have I said this looks absolutely kyaa-worthy adorable? I probably have and I'll keep saying it. I.. I can't hold it in... AWWWWWZZZZ!!! ♥♥♥ There. I got it out of my system. But the movie does seem very cute indeed.

We can see some of the ghosts in these images, as well as some other characters along with the main two. The cardboard box one is hilarious. What a chicken, this man. But he still tries to help her. More "awwwz" for him then.


Spellbound17 Spellbound18

Spellbound19 Spellbound20

Monday, October 24, 2011

Fun With My Stats - What Brings People Here

As you may know, Blogger offers Stats for its blogs. Which means that I can see how many visits a day I have, from which countries and even which search terms bring people here. I thought I'd share some with you.

No worries, nothing private. I do not know that much about who visits. But here are some interesting searches that have led to this blog. I might make this a semi-annual thing or something. Post some interesting blog trivia.

  • Someone has apparently found my blog by googling the term "aaaaaargh". 16 hits, in fact. I guess my occasional (ok, a bit more than occasional) frustration with certain things has lead to this term being here somehow.

  • I once had a hit by someone who googled "indian pussy". Sorry, pal. I only have "Iron Pussy" in this blog and here she is. "Her" name is Michael.

    Michael

    If you do fancy him though, he is openly gay and looks quite likable.

  • Someone googled "innocenteens" today. I did talk about corrupting innocent girls with the Camellia "hot" kissing pictures, but that was not the kind of "corruption" I had in mind. So, do kindly stay the hell away from my blog, you sick freak!

  • Kang Dong Won's recent scarecrow weight seems to be an issue with other fans as well. Whoever found my blog by googling "gang dong won weight loss", I feel you. I really do. There was no fat left on the man last time I saw any pictures of him. Now, he's never exactly been the chubby type and his "fattest" was around "Our Happy Time", which was just normal by human standards, but it looks like someone put a lock on his fridge during the last 2-3 years. I know you've been busy, love, but EAT!

    Before After
    Honestly, which one looks more healthy?

    And if any fangirls want to tell me that his Haunters weight is healthier because the skinnier the better, please do, so that I may pummel your asses properly, you worms.

  • Last, but not least, someone searched for the phrase "is seung-beom ryu gay". Well, if he is, I bet it would come as a really big shock to his long time girlfriend, Gong Hyo Jin. So, let's hope not, shall we? :P

As for top searches and countries that visit and so, there really isn't a need to know, but if you must, Kang Dong Won, Haunters and Korean movie posts are quite popular and my biggest audience is the U.S, followed by India, Finland, Singapore, Philippines and many many others. I've also had some visits from Neverland. Which was just what I read when I was too tired to see it spelled "Netherlands". I hope... O_O

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Chilling Romance - Eight New Stills

I know five posts in one day is kind of pushing it, but I've been busy for about a week and I am compensating. Since news keeps coming, I keep writing. Here are some more stills from Chilling Romance.

Again, courtesy of the lovely jjsweeter over as DarkSmurfSub.

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Spellbound11 Spellbound12

Spellbound13 Spellbound14

Spellbound15 Spellbound16

Korean Cable Television - A Mirror World

God's Quiz Still
OCN's "God's Quiz"


Up until a few months ago, when I first caught sight of "God's Quiz", I was not aware of cable channels in South Korea. Not even of their existence, let alone the works they produce. Which meant that the aforementioned series came as quite a shock to me. For one thing, it wasn't a melodrama, a romantic comedy or a sageuk, as it feels that public television does not know any other genres, save for the occasional exceptions. Or at least they don't get promoted as well as the same ol' same ol'.

This was a crime/medical series. Not only that, but it didn't feature a cast comprised of hot men and women sporting the most expensive and fancy clothes and being the center of everything simply because of their looks. It had insert and soundtrack songs which weren't pop or some fashionable western hits. There was no big crying and yelling extravaganza by everyone on screen or anything melo about it and cops aren't all useless gangsters or bums. All the clichés we have become so accustomed to in other series seemed to have disappeared in this.

On the other hand, it did not feel like a western "CSI-style" series either. For all the elements it borrowed from them, it also adapted them and made the whole thing feel very "Korean" without including the image of Korea we keep seeing in other series. It was like a movie, but on television.

I later found out that OCN is a cable channel and that explained quite a lot of things. Private funding, the need for something different to draw paying viewers and also the lack of certain backwards thinking and limitations public television is riddled with. Like showing off women in skimpy clothes and 12cm heels and then not letting them kiss like adults in fear of "over-sexualizing" them. Hypocrisy, anyone?

After considering the potential of cable television for quality dramas, I decided to check out other series to see if this was something consistent or just a fluke. To my delight, I discovered that cable television is indeed a very solid ground for quality works.

Camellia - I ♥ Netizens

A while back, I posted an article on the kissing scenes in Camellia and some reactions of idiots netizens on the hotness of it. Based on the bellow pictures of a pre-peck and one where she just looks like she's admiring his eyeliner.

Camellia pecks

I decided to go back to Hancinema and check the original article there for any new comments, which just made my day.

Apparently, user Dongwanoppa loves him so much that, besides not even spelling his name right, she feels it's appropriate to say the things you see bellow about the also tragically misspelled Song Hye Kyo.

Dirty Girl!

That's right, you dirty girl! Stop shoving your tongue down our innocent and probably still a virgin oppa's throat! You, with your amazing looks, talents and prestige are in no way qualified to possibly fancy some man we all like, which you clearly do, since you actually dare kiss him while doing your job! Stop trying to seduce him with your dirty heart! Wash it first, at least!

Oh man... I'm still smiling. That was just too priceless a comment.

So next time you feel that me calling fangirls mentally disturbed and lacking any touch with reality is a bit extreme a statement, please remember such comments, which I see every single day.

And now I shall corrupt any young girl reading this and turn them promiscuous, with what the first picture in this post should be like to even call it kissing. And they never show the "good stuff" in these promotional videos either. From yours truly, with a lot of love, to Dongwanoppa and all such fangirls.

Kiss One

Kiss One

The Crucible - English Trailer

From CJEntertainment's Youtube channel that I just found, here is the english trailer for "The Crucible". They are using the title "Silenced" here, however.

Not the best quality subtitles for an official foreign trailer, but still. For this movie, the point gets across even without subs. A good trailer should do that.

I have some other news concerning the movie (somehow) that you might have already seen, but here it is anyway.

Ex-teacher accuses 'Dogani' school of murdering students




Chilling Romance - New Posters, Stills, Official Site

This movie just keeps looking funnier and funnier, cuter and cuter. Two character posters are out for this, a few stills which I'll post, since you can't find them easily yet and also, an official site has launched, which is a whole other world of adorable!

Here is also the Youtube channel for CJEntertainment in english. They seem to be using the title "Spellbound" for the english trailer, so maybe that is the one that will be used abroad.

The posters are very nice and I just love the way they are using cuteness and horror side by side in such a playful manner. The style of the whole promotional campaign is consistent and it's just so cheery.

It is also interesting to note the question the teaser poses. Will there be a happy ending? Well, this is about as comedy and cute as you can get, as far as I see, so yes, there should be one. If there isn't, it will be yet another major "wtf" moment from a Korean work. They do seem to favor those. But a sad ending belongs in a movie with a tone appropriate for it. This looks plain "heppey".


Posters & Stills

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(pictures are originally from naver and thanks to jjsweeter of DSS for posting them)


English Trailer



Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Halloween Theme

Ok, I have to admit that this is mainly to troll my lovely Ethlenn and my mom, but I thought I'd make a Kang Dong Won Halloween theme. This will stay here for a couple of weeks and then it's back to my old one.

I was inspired for this by a specific photoshoot of his during his early modeling days. He looks like a cousin to the Adams family or something. The style of the photos is such that it fits Halloween spirit, I think.

So, here are said photos and here is the theme. Hope you like it. With love, to Ecchan and mom. >:D


Halloween 1 Halloween 2

Halloween 3 Halloween 4
 
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Copyright © Orion's Ramblings
Images used on this blog are taken from various sources and often modified by Orion. The credit belongs to their respectful owners. If you do not want your image to be used here, contact me with a link to it and it will be removed.
KangDW Light Theme designed by Orion. Based on the template "Touch of Purple" by Jakothan. Dreamon Shape Brushes used.