ßeautiful ✖ ✖ ✖

Tonight

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:45:21 GMT

When I woke up this morning, I knew that today would leave me rendered speechless. I knew that it would either worsen or relieve my fears for this country, my family, and the future. It's hard for me to express how tonight has left me feeling. It's such a whirlwind of feelings and thoughts.

I am so proud of all the people who helped on both and all campaigns. I am so impressed with the voter turn-out. It's not because Obama won or because McCain lost. It's not because of the seats in the House or the Senate. It's because this shows that Americans, when push comes to shove, love this country and her people and that she will unite when she is called upon. We have spoken and proved our worth.

Whether or not you are happy or angry with the results of this election, we need to set aside our differences. We need to work together for what's best for this country and her people. We need to believe again. It's hard to overcome, but America has proven time and time again that she can do it.

Regardless of position, every single person on this Earth, not just in America needs to keep the mantra in their minds.
YES WE CAN

"Bunch of idiots wasting time..."

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:37:38 GMT

Plot: ★★★★
Music: ★★★☆
Acting: ★★★★☆
Script: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★☆

It is hard for me to simply lump 추격자 (also known as The Chaser) with all the other thriller movies as often thriller movies are just horror movies who fail to terrify an audience. It is an intense crime thriller that leaves the viewer asking the same questions as Hannibal Lector did. Is he truly trying to be caught or is there more to it than just simply seeing if he can outsmart everyone else? It begins when two girls who were given advances suddenly stop showing up for work, Jung-Ho (Kim Yoon-Seok), an ex-cop turned pimp, believes they have run off him. But it isn't until he forced Min-Ji (Seo Yeong-Hee) from her home to see a client that he notice he has sent the sick Min-Ji to serve the last person each of the girls serviced before disappearing. Instructing Min-Ji carefully, he parked behind his car closely behind her car and waited patiently for a text from her informing him of her exact whereabouts.

But Min-Ji's text never came. With no signal, she crawled into the tub and attempted to use the window to only discovers that it has been closed up with bricks. It's not long before Min-Ji realized she is trapped. Jung-Ho circled the neighborhood in an attempt to find any sign of her. But when that same client crashes into his car and he notices blood on his shirt, he realizes that his girls suffered a terrible fate. And the confession that soon follows that confirms his belief when Young-Min (Ha Jeong-Woo) gives details of all his murders to the police. Young-Min even suggests that Min-Ji may still be alive, but only Jung-Ho believes that part of his confession. The cops race against time to find physical evidence to hold Young-Min longer and convict him while Jung-Ho tries desperately to find Min-Ji and save her before Young-Min is released to finish the job.

It is not arguable, but rather factual that Ha Jeong-Woo played a terrifying killer. He loses all humanity as he denies Min-Ji escape at mention of her daughter and proceeds with his plans. His expression is blank as he describes his methods. He smiles and nearly laughs as though he spoiled a birthday surprise when he admits to the murders. Every time he was on the screen, I felt a need to wring my hands nervously. He was completely unpredictable being both wild and controlled. But as a foil, there is Kim Yoon-Seok playing the easily upset Jung-Ho. At the beginning of the film, Jung-Ho is merely interested in getting all his money back. He shows no other interest in Min-Ji's welfare until he realizes that she has a seven year old daughter waiting patiently at home for her return. As he drags the small girl around on his unofficial investigation into Young-Min's habits with other redlight district businesses, he becomes more and more determined to bring her mother home. And as he gains humanity and more emotion involved in the hunt, he quickly becomes a threat to the case the police are attempting to run.

This film was absolutely superb and beyond expectations. With rich characters, intense atmosphere, and continued direction and style, fans of the genre will love it alongside those who would usually pass this up as a shallow film. I honestly can offer no complaint about the film, but must advise those that are wary of blood and gore to perhaps stay cautious of this film. Although the film's crux is its two main actors, it is some of the more violent scenes that add more emotion, whether it be anger or fear, and make the movie overall captivating. So, if you can take a little blood, get ready to be on the edge of your seat for The Chaser. I give this film four and a half chisels out of five.

Writer's Block: Missing from Nature

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:10:33 GMT

If one thing were to be stricken from nature, what could you stand to see go?

Submitted by incoherentstar

View other answers

Stupidity. Hey, that's something natural!

Hurry Xmas

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:48:13 GMT

His smile is so precious. I'm watching the few videos I have on my iPod. Total love.

Sir Pippin & Lady Kumi

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:53:31 GMT

They are in big trouble. More details later.

Purple Line

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:08:39 GMT

Purple Line has grown on me. Yeah, for the first time in months, I'm listening to Dong Bang Shin Ki for the first time in months.

BABY

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:51:27 GMT

He's here. A little underweight because he is 2 weeks premature, but he is here.

Tryston

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:51:02 GMT

Sorry! My new nephew is nearly here. We are on our way to the hospital!

Disgusting

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:28:09 GMT

There are Hannah Montana Halloween costumes. I think those are too scary for kids.

REIREI

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:17:06 GMT

Baby Hit Me One More Time is playing.

Whoa!

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:27:57 GMT

That bus driver didn't know how to go easy on the breaks. Standing was difficult, but the only choice.

Bus

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:10:14 GMT

A school bus was stopped on the other side of the road. I have a feeling those kids will be late to school. How about you?

Scarface

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:07:43 GMT

The word "fuck" and its derivatives are used 226 times for an average of 1.32 fucks per minute.

ChaCha

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:05:23 GMT

Solange has managed to get me addicted to asking ChaCha various questions. If you have a cell and can text, give it a try!

Sorry!

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:00:32 GMT

Sorry for running out on you so quickly, Rebekah. I'd still like to know why you are a horrible person though. I'd like to laugh, too!

Soon

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 22:36:05 GMT

I spoke too soon. Time is crawling now on UScan.

Awkward

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 21:15:14 GMT

It's really weird. One of the new girls has her mother and little brother back her. They keep squabbling.

Today

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 21:12:18 GMT

It's going by fast. I can't believe it is already 5:30. I am very sleepy today and keep pressing wrong buttons. There are two new people.

FOR DOG LOVERS/OWNERS ALIKE

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:21:16 GMT

I want to draw everyone's attention to Chai's Story. I won't get into detail as you can click the link, read, and see for yourself.

If you guys own the product, I'd suggest looking it over, or even better, throwing it out.

This just disgusts me on so many levels. I'm tired of people treating pets like they're things that can just be replaced without a second thought. A pet is a life. A pet is a family member. A pet is a friend. You can't just buy that, regardless of what some people might think.

Eleanor~

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:11:16 GMT

Come find us, Eleanor!
The Haunting is on TV.

Picture Dump!

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:34:26 GMT

I come to you with more pictures than you can shake a stick at!

Don't you guys love my scarf? Haha, I love how I finally caught a picture of Pippin's "doga."

Why yes, I was going for the creepy serial killer look.

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:24:49 GMT

The following people have been cut. If this is a mistake, please let me know. Otherwise, please remove me from your list.

bouncy_b_britt
louisvillean
ranaerssea
rawkstarr23
rentboyosaurus
szonjakun

The Power

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:49:30 GMT

It's out. I can't say that I'm too amused at the moment.

I want to check my email, but it is going to have to wait until after work.

Writer's Block: On Character Preferences

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:13:43 GMT

Who is your favorite fictional character? Why do you love them? What fictional character bugs you?

Submitted by twisted_clarity

View other answers

I think my favorite fictional character would be Willow Rosenberg from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Willow is and always will be a favorite character because she's somebody that everybody can relate to; she is the shy wallflower, but also gifted with personal strength. She goes from someone who never stands up for herself to someone who will protect those she loves and cares about. Definitely inspiring.

As for a character that annoys me? I'd have to say it's a tie between Dolly from Lolita or Iago from Othello.

I felt so sympathetic for Humbert that when Dolly ran off to go be a little hooker, I was infuriated. Although I was uncomfortable with the love affair in general, she still treated him like dirt and it bothered me.

I also hate Iago because I love Othello and Desdemona's relationship (I nearly cried during Othello's speech just before he smothered his beloved) and just his overall manipulative personality. Liars are perhaps one of my biggest pet peeves and Iago is the king of all liars.

~~And of course, how could I forget. Jacob from Jacob's Room has my undying hatred for all eternity because he's a little dbag.~~

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:40:06 GMT

Plot: ★★☆
Music: ★★☆
Acting: ★★★
Script: ★★
Overall: ★★★

Closed Note is the story of a university student named Kae (Sawajiri Erika) who finds a diary left behind by the previous tenant of her new home. As she begins to flip through the pages and read about the life of Ibuki (Takeuchi Yuko). She finds inspiration, strength, and parallels from Ibuki's life in her own life as she struggles to find her own inner strength in life, but also in dealing with an artist (Iseya Yusuke) she meets and grows affectionate towards.

Although the film thrived in the box office, I didn't find myself quite as pleased with the film. Initially, Sawajiri was what had attracted me to the film and after reading the synopsis, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Instead of a deep, intricate story of finding yourself through someone else's life while trying desperately to not make the same mistakes of the past, I felt like someone handed me a cheap $3.00 Hallmark greeting card that got soaked in the rain with all the color washed out and the words half-erased because they forgot to roll their windows up. The film seems at first, a star-studded cast and the makings of a great story, but it falls very short of its expectations and potential.

The pacing was dreadfully slow, pivotal moments happening maybe every thirty minutes at the very most (and that's probably giving the film too many great moments), making it hard for me to watch. Admittedly, I stopped watching about halfway through the movie and it took me days to muster up the energy to return and finish. About forty-five minutes or more of the film could have been cut and the film still would have been passing. (Perhaps the biggest cut I could recommend would be the random sub-plot that is created, but forgotten halfway through.) The movie did make an attempt at deeper points here and there, but they were dropped almost as soon as they had been picked up. The film opted to follow the cliche and be very predictable, leading to boredom and frustration at the slow pace. Even more frustrating was the lack of passion between characters with more of a focus on the intimacy factor. It left the roles bland despite the believable performances. Although nothing left me quite as frustrated and offended as the additional three minutes or so they added at the very end of the film for a happy ending. I could have lived without the Disney/Kodak moment at the very end of the film and perhaps would give it a little more praise if thsi had been left out.

However, this is not to say that this wrinkled up, cheap greeting card was all bad. The scenery and cinematography were beautiful and masterful despite being overall futile in adding emotion and color into this washed-out film. As for the acting, although none of the roles or performances were spectacular or something people are going to remember for years and generations to come, they were at least believable. Sawajiri made Kae's struggles easy to relate to for anyone who has ever had the difficulty of discovering if reciprocated feelings are truly there or mere illusions. Although some argue that Iseya's performance as a shy artist was a failure, I felt that throughout his character was constantly holding back something that is not revealed until the end. And it goes without saying that Takeuchi's performance is absolutely beautiful as she faces her own battles with heartwarming bravery and insecurity.

Closed Note makes a fair attempt at being a great film, but unfortunately falls very short. Maybe I put too much of an expectation on this film or perhaps the film really wasn't that wonderful and most of the hype surrounding it is accredited to Sawajiri's scandal at a promotional event. But whatever the cause is for its popularity in the box office, Closed Note is not a film I would discourage or recommend anyone from seeing. That's why Closed Note gets three Ibuki Medals out of five.