TV Opening Series 19: The Man in the High Castle

One of the best tv series that came out recently.

The book... well, I will mercifully not talk about the book.

[First Impression] Circle

I see a ship in the harbour. I can and shall obey
But if it wasn't for your misfortune, I'd be a heavenly person today
And I thought I was mistaken, and I thought I heard you speak
Tell me, how do I feel? Tell me now, how should I feel?

(New Order, Blue Monday)*

A good science fiction is a really difficult genre, both in literature and in moving pictures. It's not enough to mix few weird ideas, add blinking lights and Deus-ex-machina solutions. A good sci-fi has its own mythology, its own air, its own laws within which it operates. And after a recent slump in TV science-fiction, past few years are marked by the genre's revival (most notably 12 Monkeys, The Expanse and Stranger Things) with fresh approach and new ideas. And Korean TV wasn't that kind of a medium for sci-fi, so this is even more satisfying.

Sci-fi feeds on both fear and hope, those are two main motors of countless stories. And fear and hope are two rails of the same tracks carrying the train of characters' fates.

[Movie Review] Pandora

Starting a movie or a drama with Kim Namgil is like opening a Pandora box indeed - you never know what horrible death awaits his character by the end. Probably his own fault because no one can surmount an enormous mountains of suffering and deep, soul tearing pain as beautifully and hauntingly as him.

Even here, in this uneven and a bit too long (2:16) movie, he managed to show a fracture of his talent, and his last moments have been haunting me for months now, so as a cathartic treatment, I decided to write a bit about this movie.
Plus, Namgil-nim speaking with saturi.

Spoilers ahead, because I don't give a damn about your soft shells hiding even softer flesh.

Bookshelf Part 4

 

Another bookshelf presented. As always, I don't include academic books because even though they can be fun, they are sometimes regional and no use telling about them.

Throwback Thursday Part 25

Today's Throwback Thursday takes us to the March 30th, 1891, when British Steamer "Utopia" sank off Gibraltar killing 574.

Because that's what utopias usually do. 

The antithesis of utopia, in the common understanding, is dystopia. I'd argue that the latter is rather a mirror image, distorted whenever possible, but it's not the complete opposite. It's probably almost the same ontic entity but with one tiny molecule of some quality more. It's not another quality. It's like chocolate. One may dream a world of chocolate to live in. But after some time within a world like this, having nothing more to eat or drink, not seeing anything else but chocolate flowers, one might shoot themselves between the eyes.

The Man in the High Castle

I might have returned to the sweet bosom of Asian drama, but that does not mean I won't be posting something about some other TV entertainment. Especially if it involves Rufus Sewell.

First - The Man in the High Castle.
And it has been renewed for season 2!

Utopia - Second Season

   

   The acid trip continues. 

The very first episode took us back to the seventies (1974) when Philip Carvel created Janus under Milner's threat she'd harm Jessica. But neurotic Carvel (played by Tom Burke) tricked everyone by hiding Janus project in... as we got to know at the very end of season one - in the body of his own daughter.
And we're only at episode 3 so far...

Dystopian "Utopia"

   And this picture above would be actually everything non-disturbing, that can be presented from Utopia. Places and scenery are beautifully shot, with vivid, lush colors which sometimes can make you dizzy.

But colors are not the main problem here. The series is sick.

Hero - antihero

   So I watched first, over 1.45 hour long episode of it and have one thing to say - I'm sold. Proper sci-fi series with visible OCN style and technique. Few minor flaws that don't undermine the overall quality of this drama. No, no drama, a series.