Movies I Came to Love This Summer

MIRACLE IN CELL NO. 7 (2013)

Director: Lee Hwan-Kyung

Cast: 

Ryoo Seung-Ryong,  Park Shin-Hye / Kal So-Won, Oh Dal-Su, Park Won-Sang, Jeon Man-Sik, Kim Jung-Tae, Kim Ki-Cheon, Jung Jin-Young

Synopsis: 

Lee Young-Gu (Ryoo Seun-Ryong), who is mentally handicapped, has a daughter, Yea-Seung (Park Shin-Hye/Kal So-Won), who he loves very much. Back in 1997, they were eyeing a sailormoon bag that Yea-Seung wants to have outside a store, but then his father can't afford it yet so he made a promise to buy her that bag when the payday comes. Unexpectedly, right then and there, someone bought the bag, so innocent Lee Young-Gu went inside the store to beg the kid's father that it is Yea-Seung's bag and began touching the kid's face. As crazy as he looked like, he got slapped by the kid's father. 

The next day, the kid, who is wearing the sailormoon bag, showed up in the grocery store where Lee Young-Gu works and asked him to follow her because she knows where Lee Young-Gu can buy the same bag. In the market, where the floor was covered with ice and no people are around as it is a freezing day, the kid accidentally slipped and died on the spot. Catching up with the kid, Lee Young-Gu saw her lying down, dead. So, he tried to revive the kid. While he was giving her a mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, a woman who is passing by the frozen market saw him and thought that Lee Young-Gu was raping the kid! Accused of being a murderer and a rapist, Lee Young-Gu was sent to jail with a death sentence.

In the prison, everything did not start smoothly. But eventually, Lee-Young Gu became friends with his cellmates when he performed an extraordinary act -- which is saving the life of one of his cellmates. To return the favor, they asked for Lee Young-Gu's wish, and that is to see Yea-Seung. That unveils the thrill and comedy in this movie.

 In the present day, Yea-Seung chose the path of becoming a lawyer to prove his father's innocence.

What I think:

Packed with comedy, thrill, and love, this movie will never fail to give everyone a good laugh and a good cry. I'm telling you, if you need a movie that will make your eyes puff from crying, watch this. I've watched this movie thrice already, but I still get the same feelings as if I watched it for the.first time. The cast did a really GREAT job, especially Ryoo Seung-Ryong (Lee Young-Gu) and Kal So-Won (toddler Yea Seung). I'd say this is one of the best movies there ever is, and it certainly deserved its awards.

My rating & Recommendation: 

I highly recommend everyone to watch this.

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 EDGE OF TOMORROW (2014)

Director: Doug Liman

Cast: 

Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Kick Gurry, Drago Mrsic, Charlotte Riley, Jonas Armstrong, Franz Drameh

Synopsis: 

Due to the awesomeness of this movie, I don't think I can explain its story. Even if I do, I doubt you would understand my words. So I recommend you to just read it here. 

What I think:

Even though it is an action movie, Doug Liman did not forget to include a bit of comedy and love. It's effective, of course (because hello, it's Tom Cruise!). It is really a great film; one of the best this year, in fact. It's just akdmadpvmklsm! I don't know. It's awesome. What I regret was I didn't watched this in 3D! I bet it would be even more awesome if I did because its computer effects and stuff are really realistic. I have to commend the graphics team (or whatever you call them) for doing such an amazing job. However, like many of Inception fans, it is possible to have tons of questions about this movie (though I don't have one) as it is a little bit confusing to others. Be sure to pay attention.

My rating & Recommendation:

I recommend this to all action movie suckers and to Tom Cruise fans out there -- much more to Inception lovers.

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That's it. Though I watched 5 movies in total this summer, these two out-shined the three. :-)

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What have I done this summer?

FYI, it's the first time in the Philippine history (I'm being exaggerated if you haven't noticed yet) to have a summer break as long as 4 months. FOUR FREAKING LONG MONTHS, was what I thought when the vacation started. Halfway through, I realized that 4 months couldn't be really that long because of two reasons: 1) I had the 2 months to prepare and be preoccupied with our debut. 2) I'm a kid who has a meters-long TBR list.

So, to answer the title of this entry, what I did was:
1) Prepare and celebrate our debut (as stated before)
2) Organized my parents' surprise wedding (with the help of my siblings ofc, and which I will be blogging about!!)
3) Read books
4) Watched Korean dramas and movies
5) Attended my favorite authors' book signing (!!!)

Now that our 4-month vacation is almost over, I realized the need to pause and write about the awesome things that has happened, and write a review about each stuff I watched and read. In total, 11 reviews and 4 journal-type of entry. You see why this break seems short to me?

It's great to have a break & look back at the good GREAT things that God has blessed me. :-)

writing from k8demaria on 8tracks Radio.

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Dear Kpop Haters,

It was back when I was a week-old Kpop lover when I realize how hard it must have been for the long-time fans. Years back, I used to mock Kpop music. Whenever I tune in in our local music channel and see a Kpop song play, I'd wish there is a Skip button somewhere.

Now that my friends and family discovered my new interest, my ears want to burst from all the mockery.

Friends: 'Nah, they're gay.'
Family: 'Omg, what a terrible fashion.'
Stranger: 'Geez, what did they just say?'
Dog: 'How can you like/listen to a song you don't even undertsand?!'
Universe: 'Chinky eyes everywhere.'

Me:


Lemme get this straight and answer the world's most ignorant questions and statements.


1. 'Nah, they're gay.'
Just because one does not dress the way you think one should normally do does not mean he is homosexual. FYI, being gay is based on sexual orientation. Thus, it cannot be judged by how one looks.

2. 'Really, what a terrible fashion'
Every country has its own culture, consequently it own fashion. Hankies on waist? Guys wearing make-up? That's how it goes in Korean entertainment industry. Why care? Perhaps, you've never heard of the word 'costume'.

3. 'Geez, what did they just say?'

Every country has its own unique language. So what if we can't understand what they are singing (or in the case of dramas, saying)? Good news! There is a thing we call online translation! We can even search for English translations and romanizations. Thankfully, there are also fans who translate these interviews. We could even study the language if we really want to. But still...

4. 'How can you like/listen to a song you don't even undertsand?!'

This is the most common question we receive, not to mention the most irritating. Well, I've got a news for you! The beauty of a song does not depend on its lyrics alone. Lyrics won't be called lyrics without any accompaniment. They'll just be called poems. See the importance of rhythm? That's what lacks in some Western music, and the thing that Kpop music abundantly possesses.

5. 'Chinky eyes everywhere.'

While some may have chinky eyes, not all of them have it. I'd even accept it if you're talking about Chinese people. Seriously, get your eyes checked. Lemme tell you an obvious fact: Seeing (t/n: not studying their faces intently) two similar persons together for at least 20 times, will let you distinguish one from the other. There is no need for scientific research of whatsoever for me to know that. Just living with a twin sister for the past 17 years of my life and having close friends who distinguishes us easily as the time went by gave me that realization. So in the case of Korean people looking alike, why don't you try making a picture of a girl group or boy group your phone wallpaper? You could even distinguish them in no more than an hour if you're that eager.

I guess being involved in this industry (lol whut) for the next few months, or even years, would let me make the list longer. So...

TO ALL HATERS OUT THERE: STOP ASKING/TELLING US THESE BECAUSE, TRUST ME, WE'VE HEARD MORE THAN ENOUGH IN OUR LIFE. It's very annoying. Thank you!

No hard feelings, though. Well, actually there is. Just a little. *wink wink*

xxx

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My Valentine's Day Reminder for Girls

Pictures of ladies posing with the flowers and chocolates they received are everywhere -- Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Even the streets are full of couples and vendors selling flowers and balloons. Indeed, it's inevitable for anyone to feel the Valentine's day.

Every princess has her own prince. As teenagers, it's quite irresistible for us to long for someone who'll give us stuff like what couples give to each other on Valentine's day. Moreover, we long for someone who will love us for who we are not for what we do or how we look -- someone who will love us unconditionally.

My previous February 14s are no different from this year. I always anticipate this season, waiting for something(someone) that(who) would surprise me. But then, I realized that it is really possible for us to miss the Person who loves us just because we choose to ignore and focus on what we want. We may say, "Yeah, I know that God loves me and all, but it's different when it comes from my crush." Familiarity, it is.

God gave his one and only son for us to be given that chance to live with Him eternally. Sending His Son down on earth for him to receive the punishment we deserve. Jesus shed his blood on the cross for us. He could have said no, but he chose to say yes. That's when you know that you are valuable. You are so valuable that you just don't give yourself to anyone. Jesus hanging on the cross is indeed the best public display of affection. No man could ever outdo that act of selfless and unconditional love. Through Jesus, you are loved, forgiven, cleansed, and accepted. In Him you have Identity -- you are the princesses of the Almighty King.

There's nothing we should be in hurry of. Whatever season you are in right now, just enjoy and learn from it. Every season serves as a preparation for the next. As for students, enjoy the student life. Build relationships, study hard and prepare for your future. There'd be a lot of time for that relationship after you graduate.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:" (Ecclesiastess 3:1)

With that, I leave you a very short mix which is composed of my favorite Christian songs. Enjoy!!

Jesus, my Valentine ♡ from awsmbeans on 8tracks Radio.

xxx

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It has been a great pause

After being quiet for almost 4 months, HELLO EVERYONE!!! I apologize for being away for a long time. It's just I have been busy in school. Exams and deadlines are everywhere. Last October was our semester break, and I was planning to (finally) write, but then laziness came over. Well, not really. I just thought I need a break from everything, and instead dove on the books listed on my to-read list. Guess what, I was able to read 5 books: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares, Eleanor and Park, Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiant; all of which I will be making a review.

During the break, my mom, sister, and I went out of town. Got some sort of girl bonding. It was fun, really. We visited my parent's college, strolled in unfamiliar parks, and thrift-shopped. Being away from the city and seeing more of nature made me really thought of how cool and awesome God is as a Creator. I mean, how could anyone think of such creative and intelligent design and make anything great out of rubble? Our get-away was also a good time to be reflective. Aside from the all-girls trip, we got to visit our relatives in our province. It was such a nice season to be reunited with my cousins since we all have been busy in our academic life.

All-girls get-away :-p

(L-R) Diane, Ate Angelica, Me, Kate, Nikka: when we jogged early in the morning to visit our grandparents' deathbeds

Having a break in between stressful tasks helps in a way we'll never know. We shouldn't push ourselves too much in accomplishing things all at once, or right after the end of the other. Skipping breaks might cost some lessons in life that are only learned in me-times.

xxx

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Serendipity

After a week full of exams, finally I was able to unwind! Well, sort of. I still have piles of things to do, but I thought I must see a movie first. There has been a lot of good talk about Serendipity in our classroom so I thought I need to give this movie a try.

If you wanna know Serendipity's plot, click here. I'm not gonna put the plot of this movie in this entry Now, let's start with good thoughts. As it is said in its poster, "Destiny with a sense of humor," Serendipity is indeed funny. Though it's a bit cliche and I kinda predicted the ending, it's not boring at all. In fact, I think it's cute and funny. Oops, did I already mention that it's funny? Oh, right. With those being said, I gave this movie 4.5 stars :)

Also, I made a mix in 8tracks named Serendipity. It's made up of 9 songs from the movie itself, so check it out. :)

Serendipity from iamincloud9 on 8tracks Radio.

The Distance // Evan and Jaron
Never A Day // Wood
When You Know // Shawn Colvin
Sara Smile // Hall & Oates
Moonlight Kiss // Bap Kennedy
Northern Sky // Nick Drake
83 // John Mayer
Wait in Vain // Bob Marley
January Rain // David Gray

Enjoy! :)

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La Ville Lumière

As what I've said in my previous entry, I had been addicted to French stuffever since I finished reading Anna and the French Kiss. I had been studying French language for quite a while and learned to spell and pronounce a few words. *cheers* I had been productive during the suspended class days... only with things not related to school. Lol. At least, I didn't let a day pass without knowing something new. Haha.

In line with this addiction, I made a mix composed of 16 french songs. Gosh, it took me 3 hours just to find those songs. Anyway, here's the mix.

La Ville Lumière. from iamincloud9 on 8tracks Radio.

Ça ira  - Joyce Jonathan
Sacred Heart - The Civil Wars
Je ne sais pas - Joyce Jonathan
J'ai Laissé - Christophe Maé
Au-dela Des Mots - Axel Tony ft. Dry
Vous - Merwan Rim
Aude - Reves d'Enfants
Le Festin  - Camille
Je t'aime - Axel Tony
Elle Me Dit - Mika
On S'attache - Christophe Maé
C'était salement romantique  - Coeur de Pirate
L'amour Dans le Mauvais Temps  - Mika

Comme Des Enfants - Coeur de Pirate
Fondu Au Noir - Coer de Pirate
On Trace La Route - Christophe Maé

Enjoy :)

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