Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Horror Movie Challenge: Day 8


Your Favorite Foreign Horror Movie


Let The Right One In



 
   Let The Right One In is a 2008 Swedish film based on the novel of the same name. Oskar is bullied at school, has no friends and lives with his mother. One day he meets Eli and the two become extremely close- the only problem is that Eli is a vampire. This movie is amazing and it is a fresh take on vampires. The acting of the two child stars is great and the cinematography is beautiful.



Horror Movie Challenge: Day 7


A Horror Movie You Think No One Has Seen

    I'm a huge horror fan and have been since I was a kid. I have seen lots of independent and foreign horror  films. Picking a horror movie that is unknown to horror fans is pretty impossible so I'll pick some films that a casual horror fan might not of heard of.



Dance of the Dead


    


         Dance of the Dead is an independent zombie film made in 2008. It was made with little money and featured a lot of unknown actors. It is a great movie and has a place in my top ten zombie films.



Night of the Creeps




     I am a huge fan of 80's movies and I had never heard of this movie. It is really enjoyable and had some great characters.



Martyrs




     Martyrs is a French horror film made in 2008. I rarely meet anyone who has seen this movie let alone heard of it. It is one of the most disturbing films that I have ever seen. It is scary, suspenseful and shocking.
     





Image from zombiereportingcenter.com, moviegoods.com and movieposterbd.com

Where I Watch Asian Drama


   I only got into Asian dramas this past February but I am already completely obsessed.  Boys Over Flowers was the first drama I watched while browsing Netflix. It's not the best drama ever but it was my first so it will always hold a special place in my heart. I've spent a lot of time looking for different sites on which to watch Asian dramas and here are my favorite ones:



Viki.com (Free)-They upload and sub currently airing dramas extremely fast. They have mainly kdramas and a few Taiwanese and Chinese dramas.



Gooddrama.net (Free)-This site has tons of Korean, Taiwanese, Japanese and Chinese dramas. There are only a few commercials but you have to watch the episodes in three to four parts which can be a bit frustrating.



Dramacrazy.net (Free)-This site also has a ton of Asian dramas but suffers from frequent pop-ups.



Hulu.com ($9.99 monthly)-This site has a lot of dramas but they are almost all Kdramas. Also the frequent commercials can get very annoying. 



Netflix.com ($7.99 monthly)-They have added lots of Kdramas recently which is great but they have yet to add any Japanese, Taiwanese or Chinese dramas.



Dramafever.com (Free with commercials, $9.99 monthly with no commercials) This site has a lot of Kdramas and a few Taiwanese and Chinese dramas. There are frequent commercials if you use the site for free.



Mydramalist.com-This not a site to watch drama but it allows you to make lists of dramas that you've watched and plan to watch. There are drama reviews, recommendations and forums. I love this site and it helps me find dramas to watch and connects me with other Asian drama lovers.
http://mydramalist.com/profile/Goliath1357

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Asian Drama Review: Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge


Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge
  
Score: 10/10




Number of Episodes: 10

Episode Length: 45 minutes
Air Date: January 15, 2010

     Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge (Perfect Girl Evolution) is a Japanese drama that is adapted from the manga of the same name. The story is about Sunako, a girl who loves all things horror, wears a cape and doesn't like to leave her room. She prefers to socialize with two plastic anatomy models and a skeleton rather than actual people. Her rich aunt Mine runs a boarding house and offers her four male tennants free rent if they can turn Sunako into a lady. Every character has some issue or situation that they are dealing with. Sunako became completely asocial and eccentric due to bullying in high school. Kyohei is extremely handsome and hates it. The attention he receives from females (and some males) has gotten him fired from countless jobs and ruined his relationship with his parents. Ranmaru is a playboy that has never had a serious relationship because he can only love himself. Yuki is in a long-distance relationship and feels inadequate compared to his friends. Takenaga has a domineering father who wants to control his life. While attempting to change Sunako, the guys each begin to go through changes themselves. In the end Sunako never needed to change, she just needed to be accepted for who she was.

     I have only watched a few Japanese dramas but I really like them. They tend to have fewer episodes (between 9-11) compared to the sometimes lengthy Korean dramas (16-50+) and are easier to get through. I found myself comparing this drama to Hana Kimi due to the humor and quirky characters, although I liked more of the characters in this drama.  Sunako and Kyohei are the primary focus but all the characters get a chance to shine. Acceptance and friendship are strong themes in this drama and help keep it grounded amongst all the bizarre situations. The pacing of the story was great, it didn't drag or get weighed down by the more serious and emotional plot elements. I really enjoyed this drama and I highly recommend it.