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Reviews
American Horror Story (2011)
Under-utilized potential.
When it first came out, I wasn't interested in American Horror Story. However, so many of my friends recommended watching it that I finally got around to watching the first season. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't total garbage, but I was also a little frustrated by the end of the first season.
American Horror Story, as many of the negative reviews have already said, falls victim to incorporating too many of the ideas of movies and books that already exist. It doesn't have very many of its own ideas, so it doesn't feel fresh or unique. Some ideas were new and interesting, but fell flat because of how they were done. Another problem I had with the series was that so many of the scenes were simply not necessary, and felt more like fluff than actual content. They didn't add anything to the story or develop the characters. Finally, the characters were not very likable or interesting, and there were far too many of them in comparison to the number of episodes, so it was difficult to get close to any of them. The episodes that dealt mostly with the Harmon family were very boring, more like a soap opera than a horror series. When I think of a horror series, I imagine something that at least has jump- scares, but nope. Not a single part of the first season was scary (or even really surprising).
Some reviewers complained about sex and violence in the series. It is a horror series, so you should expect violence. As for the sex, it was over-the-top, but SOME sex scenes did add to the story and were necessary to advance the plot. If you don't want to see sex on TV, don't watch the show (or any other show with an MA rating). Also, some people complained about the misogynistic and generally discriminatory themes in this series. The racism of the characters doesn't necessarily reflect the ideas of the writers, and usually coincides with the setting. It's realistic. As for people complaining about the misogyny because "all the men in the show are bad." Most of the people in the show are bad in general, not just the men. There are many male characters that had good qualities, especially in the first season.
In conclusion, I felt that the series really had potential but didn't make the best use of it. Perhaps the next seasons will be better.
Bokura no (2007)
Surprising, disturbing, fascinating, and exciting... Anime for non-anime lovers.
Bokurano ("ours" in English) takes place during the summer vacation for school students. A group of middle school students who are enrolled in the same summer school decide to explore the beach when they find a hidden cave. Inside the cave are several machines and computers, which the owner explains he is using to develop a game and asks the children to play. However, the game is not as simple as it seems to be.
Although the premise might seem boring and the characters too young to relate to, Bokurano not only makes it all work, but it all works well. The summary makes it seem like a rehash, but the story line and plot are much more unique than what they seem at first, with added depth as the story progresses. The characters are younger than the target audience (approximately high school or college age), but it adds to the drama and comes as a reminder that age does not equal maturity. The struggles of the characters are diverse, as well. At least one character will strike a particular chord with any viewer, but it's more likely that many characters will do so.
Visually, the show is very pleasing. Unlike some other series, which tend to have characters with essentially the same reused faces and hairstyles, the characters in Bokurano are all very distinct. The CG is used sparingly and is not over-the-top or cheesy. The fighting scenes are interesting and vary greatly in style and length. Additionally, the opening and closing themes are haunting and tie in well with the themes of the series.
Over-all, this is one of my favorite series, and I'm definitely not a fan of anime. Whole-heartedly 10/10.
Ang-ma-reul bo-at-da (2010)
Another great psychological thriller from South Korea.
Some minor spoilers, mostly vague.
Like Oldboy, The Chaser, and The Man From Nowhere, I Saw the Devil is exciting and action-packed, as a thriller should be. It is sometimes disturbing, sometimes almost humorous, and it will give you plenty of situations with which to feel satisfied seeing justice be done (in some form). The emotional parts of the movie are a bit down-played and not as dramatic as some other movies in the genre, but the gut-twisting sympathy for the struggles of the main character is the same. I Saw the Devil is one of the greatest movies I've ever seen, definitely one of the most fun ones. The ending may leave something to be desired for some viewers. Even after seeing it several times, I still don't know exactly how I feel about it.
The fighting scenes are perfect. The actors chosen for the main roles were spot-on. Choi Min-Sik in particular makes a very convincing and creepy villain with a darker vibe and more imposing attitude than his performance in Oldboy. Finally, it was immensely gratifying to watch a psychological thriller that has moments both of frustration AND satisfaction, rather than more of one or the other.
That said, the supporting characters were a bit weak (not in acting, but in their involvement with the plot). The movie also suffers from some of the same annoying pitfalls as so many other thrillers, especially from lack of realism in certain circumstances.
For these reasons, I rated the movie 9/10. I would highly recommend this movie, especially to those who liked other South Korean thrillers.