Daily Archives: June 20, 2014

Yong Dong Pollywood, Sollywood and Pusaniwood

Heck readers.  They’re calling the India foreign film industry Bollywood.  At least the part happens  down Bombay-way.  And they’re calling the Nigerian foreign film industry Nollywood.

But Korea, yeah, Frozen Chosun, has as good, possibly better foreign film industry than those.  And nobody’s assigning it any names with wood on the end.  So I’m nominating Yong Dong Po llywood as my favorite, because Yong Dong Po was OFF LIMITS when I was in Korea.  I enjoyed some great, but risky times in Yong Dong Po.  But failing that, Sollywood [Seoul] or Pusiwood [Pusan] works fine.  Further north foreign filmeywood might house Pyongyaniwood.

Welcome to Dongmakgol, 2005 NR 132 minutes , In a village in war-ravaged Korea, fate brings together a crash-landed U.S. fighter pilot, three North Korean soldiers and two South Korean soldiers. Starring:Jae-yeong Jeong, Hye-jeong Kang, Director:Kwang-Hyun Park, would make a nice debut for Pyongyangiwood, for instance.

The Warrior , 2001 R 158 minutes, Korean envoys on a diplomatic mission to China refuse to accept their fate when they’re accused of espionage and sent to a remote desert to die. Starring:Woo-sung Jung, Sung-kee Ahn
Director:Sung-su Kim, I’d hand over to YongDongPollywood.

And so on.

Just a suggestion, though.  What the hell do I know.

Old Jules

 

Robert Jaws Shaw, James Mason and Faye Dunaway

Hi readers.  Some things are already good enough.  No johnny-com-lately movie maker needs to come along with some glue-sniffing team of 21st Century Drama mamas and papas attempting to do it better.

Robert Jaws Shaw in Battle of the Bulge is one example.

James Mason as Rommel in The Desert Fox is another.

Faye Dunaway as Bonnie in Bonnie and Clyde [Bastards have already given that one a half-assed try].

Anthony Quinn in everything he was ever in.

Burt Lancaster in everything he was ever in, but especially The Rain Maker.

Stevie McQueen in everything he was ever in.

Rod Steiger in everything he was ever in.

Marlene Deitrich in Blue Angel.

 Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal, Amidou in Sorcerer

Michael Caine and all the others in Zulu.

Everything else they can have with my blessings.

Old Jules

 

Named a car Killed in Action? KIA? Hell, I suppose.

Hi readers.  From the Civil War until today KIA has meant Killed in Action.  Never meant anything else that I’m aware of.  Everyone knew what it meant.

So when I began noticing little medallions on cars with KIA on them a few years back I assumed it was some after-factory patriotic thing that didn’t make any more sense than all these damned Chinese-made ribbons demanding people support our troops, eat our veggies, and go to church Sundays.

Well, guess what.  It’s the name of a real, actual automobile manufactured in Korea.  A good one, I’m told.  Though its sales were probably slow off the starting line.  Who the hell wants a car with Killed in Action medallions all over it.

Jeanne’s car search has led her in the direction of KIAs because they have lousy resale value.  Those and Hyundai.  Both Korean.  I heartily approve because I’d hate to give any support at all to Japan, whether it’s the car industry used resales, or anything else.

And Koreans are good folks, even if you can’t understand their inscrutable senses of humor.  Naming a car Killed in Action, for instance.

Old Jules