North by Northwest (1959) *#

North by Northwest is my first Alfred Hitchcock movie, and yes I have a lot of catching up to do. North by Northwest is an excellent action thriller starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint. A mistaken identity leads an unsuspecting man to be thrown into the world of spies and government agency. When Roger Thornhill (Grant) is mistaken for a government agent by a gang of spies, he finds himself in a situation where he can't talk his way out of. Suddenly he is on the run from both the spies and the government across the country in an attempt to clear his name and figure out what is really going on. Along the way, he gets a little help from a beautiful stranger (Saint), who also becomes a part of his adventure. Hitchcock truly knows how to build up suspense and keep you entertained throughout the movie. Most of you probably have already had the chance to see this classic film. If you haven't, be sure to check this one out sometime. Any recommendations on which Hitchcock movie should be next on my list?

#IMDB- 8.6/10 (#38 on Top 250)

Rotten Tomatoes- Critics- 100%, Audience-93%

*(One of 1001 movies you must see before you die)

Yong's Rating -9.5/10 (must see)

The Chaser (2008)

In the spirit of Halloween, I am going to review an excellent thriller from Korea, The Chaser. This film isn't filled with flashy graphics or fancy chase scenes. In fact, most of its important chase scenes all develop slowly and occur on foot. Surprisingly, they were some of the most intense and suspenseful chase scenes I've seen in movies. Its simplistic style gives it a realistic gritty feel which is common feature found in a lot of good Korean thrillers.

Kim Yun Seok plays an ex-cop turned pimp. You can tell by the way he treats others that he is not a pleasant man to be around. When he suspects that someone is kidnapping and selling his girls, he relies on his police instincts to attempt to track down the creep. Little does he know that the creep he is after isn't a simple kidnapper. Ha Jung Woo plays the sadistic killer who poses as a client to lull escorts into a trap to use as his gruesome killing experiments. Some of the torture scenes are brutally real and graphic. Let's just say his main weapons of choice are chisel and hammer. (what is it with Korean movies and hammers?) Just a warning to the squeamish. When the Kim Yun Seok character finally catches up to the killer, the entertaining and thrilling chase ensues. This films features great character development and all the right ingredients that makes up a classic first class thriller.

The film rights have been bought by Warner Brothers and it will be getting the Hollywood treatment that many foreign thrillers seem to be getting these days. I doubt the Hollywood version could fully capture the suspense and the shock this film offers. So, go check this out if you are in a mood for a thriller this Halloween.

IMDB-7.9/10

Rotten Tomatoes- Critics- 81% audience-88%

Yong's Rating- 9.5/10 (Highly recommended)

Wild Strawberries (1957)*#

My personal experience with films in general can be divided into before and after I was introduced to the works of Ingmar Bergman. I've always been a casual fan of movies and knew that certain movies were better than others. But, as I got older I began to notice that certain directors made the movie watching experience much more special. They had a way of reaching me in a personal level that I never realized movies were capable of doing. Bergman uses his films to explore the deepest fears and desires of the human condition with such honesty. Wild Strawberries is one of my favorite Bergman films because it is so personal and I feel that I can watch it at different points in my life and learn something new from it every time. Here is my review of Wild Strawberries. Before I continue with the review, I just want to add that I was very impressed by the performance of the beautiful, Bibi Andersson. Also, Victor Sjostrom's portrayal of Dr. Isak Borg is one of the most authentic performance I have ever seen in movies.

This film is told from the perspective of Dr. Isak Borg, who we are introduced to as an old man being haunted by vivid nightmares of death. Isak is about to receive a honorary emeritus degree from an university. He decides on a whim to take the long drive to the university instead of flying. During the drive, Isak is haunted by visions of his past, feelings of emptiness, and realization of a life wasted away. Bergman's use of imagery in the dream sequences in this film is just amazing and sets a groundwork for future film makers to emulate.

Even with his numerous achievements and good standing in the community, Isak is all alone, resented by his son and those who are closest to him. Isak's self-reflections into his past and visions of haunting nightmares causes him to examine himself for who he really is and how he has hurt and alienated those closest to him throughout his life. Even though he has already spent the better part of his life, mostly in bitter solitude, there seems to a glimpse of possibility of hope for a change for the better for the old professor.

#-IMDB-8.3/10 (#153 on top 250)

Rotten Tomatoes- Critics-94% Community-94%

Yong's Rating- 10/10 (Must see)

* One of 1001 movies you must watch before you die.