masterly master lee

a home for forgotten and famous korean pulp, its heroes, its heroines, and its pulpeteers

Fate 숙명 2008 review

fate6Can you say ‘overacting’? Then you can say Fate. Violent glares, emotional outbursts, screaming contests, ten minute swearing sessions, extreme action, one man beating up tens of tough gangsters, overcooked romantic (?) liaisons, sentimental flashbacks… Read the rest of this entry »

Private Eye 그림자살인 2009 review

private eyeWhat is it about Korean soundtracks that makes them instantly recognizable? Is the ever-present accordion? The dramatic yet light-footed rhythm of the intro (think dancing bears), the canned strings? The Master isn’t sure (which as you know doesn’t happen very often), Read the rest of this entry »

Kill The Shogun 무장해제 1975 review

1killtheshogunzu0In 1592, the Japanese shogun Hideyoshi failed in his attempt to invade Korea (and later, China through Korea). This Hong Kong kung-fu thriller is loosely based on that historical incident. Since the real Hideyoshi is not an issue, and kung-fu is the star of the movie anyway, historical narration does not overpower the action. Basically, the movie shows the Koreans fighting the Japanese against all odds Read the rest of this entry »

Virgin Terrorist Mayumi’s Apocalypse 마유미 1991 review

Mayumi_(film)No, this is not a porn movie. It is as bad as a porn movie, though. Worse actually, because it trades the hanky panky for government rhetoric. It’s propaganda porno. It’s essentially what legendary director Shin Sang-ok 신상옥 had to do before being allowed back into South Korea after his forced stay in the North (no, don’t get the Master started on this). Read the rest of this entry »

Hera Purple: Devil Goddess 헤라버플 2001 review

hera1A great beginning for the movie publicized as ‘the sexiest and most shocking movie in Korean cinema history‘: a naked crucified body. Then a priest in a church, looking increasingly frightened by two books in front of him that are leaved through by an invisible force, stopping at a page with a picture of Greek goddess Hera. And it gets better. Very pretty ajumma Yi Hyerim Read the rest of this entry »

Rainbow Eyes 가면 2007 review

Rainbow Eyes didn’t immediatelyrainbow1 appeal to Master Lee and the box it came in didn’t help (come on, how many contrasting colours can you get away with?). When he put the disc in his trusty DVD player he had his thumb firmly on the fast-forward button. But lo and behold, he never touched it! Read the rest of this entry »

The Terrorists 테러리스트 1995

mlm terrorisatA gangster movie with Choi Min-su (Choe Minsu 최민수)? Master Lee is paying attention. Choi Min-su is one of the few truly believable gangsters out there in movie land. Not as believable as the Master, of course, but that would be asking too much, wouldn’t it now? It starts off well… really fake-looking camera shot of police trainees storming through a wood, screaming their lungs out (and screaming “we’re underpaid extra’s… no f*#&$ing way we’re gonna sound convincing to you!). Read the rest of this entry »

Bungee Jumping of their Own 번지점프를 하다 2001 review

‘Bungee Jumping of their Own’ is a most unusual story about true love, and one that has haunted Master Lee for quite some time. The movie introduces us to a student, Inu, played by heartthrob Lee Byung-hun, who falls madly in love with a beautiful girl, Taehŭi (played by Lee Eun-ju), who studies art at the same university. Read the rest of this entry »

Funny Luna Park DJ 웃기는 루나파크 DJ

Funny DJ at Incheon’s luna park…

Uri kangsan cha cha cha 우리 강산 차차차 1971 review

eab980eab8b0eb8d952Uri kangsan cha cha cha is a pretty forgettable comedy about two men who decide to come back from the dead to enjoy the cha cha cha fad. Although the actors do a pretty good job at hiding the lack of a proper scenario, towards the 45th minute it becomes painfully clear that concept took precedence over storyline from the start. Read the rest of this entry »

Shanghai Blues 샹하이 부르스 1969 review

eab980eab8b0eb8d952Shanghai Blues by director Kim Kidŏk (pictured; no, not the guy who hates women) is a colourful gem among Korea’s less serious features (and Master Lee wonders why it has not yet been brought out on DVD, whereas terribly forgettable movies such as 갯마을 have). Why? Read the rest of this entry »

Korea’s official romanization system seoks

Okay, so you still wonder why foreigners remain wary of Korean officials telling them how to romanize Korean sounds in their own language? Well, here’s why: Read the rest of this entry »

Green Chair 녹색의자 2004 review

Park Chul-soo once, in 1995, made 301-302 and at the time Master Lee thought it was quite a cool film. Although the scenes of abuse were a little unnecessary at times, it had Hwang Sin-hye, and her beauty, silent defiance and suffering worked brilliantly. Although not much happened, there was a lot to be learnt (not enjoyed, mind you) from carefully observing the women. Park obviously felt he could get a similar effect here. Read the rest of this entry »

USO Shows in Korea 한국의 미8군쇼

Since the 1940s the USO has organised all kinds of shows for its servicemen. In the 1940s and late 1950s, the men serving in Korea were on average very young. Whereas the stationing of troops in Japan had been much better planned and prepared (a number of American servicemen sent out spoke Japanese), the occupation of Korea’s southern half was much less so. Read the rest of this entry »

New web-based resources on 1950s-1960s

Master Lee has recently come across a few relatively new websites that offer some downloadable pictures and other resources from the 1950s and 1960s. The first one is the Ararian website The other one is that of the online Bell museum For more useful links, check the “useful links” link (we thought long and hard about the name for that link…).    

Once Upon A Time 원스 어폰 어타임 2008 review

Movies about the colonial period in Korea are getting more and more popular. And they are looking real good as well. Master Lee was impressed with the production values of these movies: Radio Days, Epitaph and the movie he saw just now, Once Upon A Time.

The best way to describe Once Upon A Time 원스 어폰 어타임 Read the rest of this entry »

The Resurrection Of The Butterfly 그림자 2007 review

It’s been a while, but Master Lee is finally back from his secret assignment about which he cannot say a word to you. He suffered a lot lately and he is tired beyond imagination. So what’s better than a great sword movie about bad Japanese samurai and good Korean women? Yup, that’s exactly what Master Lee thought as well. Read the rest of this entry »

Most excellent searches that maketh the Master happy Lee!

Dear Masterlies,
We cherish, frame and covert your visits, but those of you who stumble upon us through most excellent google searches deserve a special accolade. Here are some of the searches that maketh the Master that is Lee proud:
11/12 – “merry psychedelic christmas” (we don’t think this is a contradiction…)
12/12 – “jingle bells psychedelic” (if you’re psychedelic, you will have heard them)

Read the rest of this entry »

Midari candy 미달이 사탕

lollies.jpgThis candy was produced by Chungwŏn chegwa around the year 2000. Midari, played by Kim Sŏngŭn, was a popular character from SBS’s TV series ‘Sunp’ung sanpuin’gwa’ (Smooth Sailing Gynaecology). It’s one of many unsuccessful examples of real-life talents being turned into cartoon characters.  Read the rest of this entry »

Technomart parking dance – Technomart 주차춤

advert-girls.jpgFor several years now, Korean women looking like supergirl (the only thing missing is a cape), are employed to stand outside Technomart to direct cars into one of two lanes.  Read the rest of this entry »

Quick Man 追殺令 2002 review + update

quickman.jpgThis is directly from the back of the DVD: “The death of a company CEO triggers a battle for his estate, when his will indicates that he leaves everything to his missing granddaughter. Read the rest of this entry »

Korea’s Two Sisters 한국의 둘씨스터즈

Master Lee doesn’t like Copyright issues (although he was a bit pissed off with Tony Jaa stealing his backward-looping double flip-kick), and so this video of ‘Arirang Moktong’ 아리랑목동 gets his full approval, even though the song is said to be composed by (the probably fairly lazy) Pak Chunsŏk 박준석 and not The Hague’s Shocking Blue, or even the later Bananarama. Read the rest of this entry »

Lotte ice cream commercial 롳데제과 아이스크림 광고

Master Lee likes ice cream, and he loves pulp. This ad with cute model/actress Seo Woo (née 김문주, 金紋柱) deserves his 5-star rating.

Korean 7″ singles 한국의 7″ 싱글

1950s-single.jpgMaster Lee has noticed that it is common to use the word “single” when referring to a Korean hit song marketed separately. But is one such single actually brought out on vinyl or plastic? Nope, it isn’t. In fact all you will be able to purchase is an MP3-ed or MP4-ed audio or video file with the hit song.  Read the rest of this entry »

Vintage Korean film posters 2 한국영화 옛 포스터 2

the-stray-bullet.jpgHere are some more vintage Korean film posters. The first one is from what is commonly regarded as the best Korean film ever, The Stray Bullet 誤發彈 (1961). And Master Lee agrees. Although he doesn’t really think in terms of lists with at the top the best (except when it comes to himself, of course), Read the rest of this entry »

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