masterly master lee

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

Archive for January, 2008

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 »

Vintage Korean film posters 한국영화 옛 포스터

blue-jeancheongbaji-1974.jpgThese posters make Master Lee feel nostalgic, longing back to his youth when he would watch these movies with his friends in the movie theaters of Chongno in Seoul. He had almost forgotten how beautiful the poster art was in those days. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Okay 싸이보그지만 괜찮아 2006 review

cyborg.jpgNo, it’s not okay! It just isn’t. Master Lee had to have himself checked by a shrink after seeing this movie. Fully expecting another fabulously original, genre-defining, earth-shattering, gut-wrenching movie from director Park Chan Wook 박찬욱 (referred to by Master Lee in private as Master Park), instead Read the rest of this entry »

If You Want 그대원하면 1987 review

ifyouwant1.jpgIf you’re looking for 80s pulp, look no further. It’s all here: the strange, scrawny hairdo’s, big leather belts with holes big enough to put your arm through, tight leggings, colors that scream “Mismatch!” and that inimitably dark feeling of doom from movies like The Class Of ‘84: Read the rest of this entry »

Hapkido 合氣道 aka Lady Kung Fu 女活殺拳 1972 review

hapkido2.jpgHere comes the unbreakable china doll to give you the kicking of your life! That is a fair description of this early Hong Kong/South Korean co-production made by Golden Harvest. Three Chinese students (Angela Mao as Yu Ying, Carter Wong as Kao Chang and Sammo Hung as Fan Wei) Read the rest of this entry »

The Korean Beatles: He5 or the Key Boys? 한국의 비틀즈: 히5 혹은 키보이스?

key-boys-k-apple-27-1971.jpgMaster Lee doesn’t care that much who the Korean Beatles were, but one thing is for sure: in the 1960s and early 1970s a few boy bands certainly tried to emulate the success of the British band (which certainly was great). Read the rest of this entry »

Koreans’ self-orientalism: The Kim Sisters 한국인의 자기화된 오리엔타리스즘: 김씨스터즈

kim-sisters.jpgOkay, we know this is asking for trouble, but then even Chuck Norris apologizes to Master Lee, so I guess he doesn’t need to care… Now, what is a self-orientalising song? And why does Master Lee like to discuss them? Read the rest of this entry »

Epitaph 기담 2007 review

epitaph.jpgThere is little argument that horror movies belong to the pulp genre. Nonetheless, here on Masterly Master Lee you’ll not find too many of them. Why? Because they’re BORING! At least, that is what Master Lee thinks. And pity the fool who’d argue with him. Read the rest of this entry »

Recorded songs of the Korean War

Thank God for VictoryNope, there are no recordings of Korean songs directly dealing with the Korean War, so all that is left is a number of songs by cynical or optimistic Americans dealing with the horrors of the War. Read the rest of this entry »

Vampire Cop Ricky 흡혈형사 나도열 2006 review

vampirecop2.jpgRicky 나도열 is a crooked cop (played by the king of supporting actors Kim Suro 김수로) who manages to get bitten by a mosquito infected with the blood of Count Dracula. Whenever he gets an erection, he now turns into a vampire… Read the rest of this entry »