Train to Busan (2016)

  'Train to Busan' has already cemented its place in zombie apocalypse movie genre hall of fame. When the zombie outbreak starts, we find the main characters of the film on a train headed to Busan. We have a father and young daughter, a gangster and his pregnant wife, a high school baseball team, and cast of other minor characters. 'Train to Busan' does  a great job of character development and makes you really get attached to the characters. This thriller will have you on the edge of your seats as you watch the train make its way to Busan. If you love zombie movies, you already probably saw this. But, for some reason you haven't, go and check it out.

Yong's rating- 4/5
IMDB-7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes- Critics- 93% Audience- 88%

Movies to watch during the quarantine

      As the threat of corona virus hits close to home and creates dark cloud and uncertainty in our lives, many of us are practicing self quarantine and social distancing, I'd thought I would recommend some movies you can enjoy during some free time you may have.


Contagion (2011) 

       Perhaps one of the most relevant movie for our current climate is 'Contagion'. It captures how easily and quickly a novel virus can spread worldwide in today's mobile community. The film follows how the disease begins and the chaotic race to find the cure and contain the disease worldwide before it is too late. It was eerie to see how close some of the themes from the movie hit close to what is going on right now. Except the movie didn't warn us about the toilet paper shortages our world would face.


Children of Men (2006) 

         In 'Children of Men', we are introduced a different type of end of the world scenario. No, people are not dying from a flu pandemic or some other novel disease. Here, the entire world is faced with a different type of crises, a world wide infertility. For 18 years, for some mysterious reason, there has not been any recorded births. The world is in brink of a complete breakdown and anarchy. When a miraculous pregnant woman is found, Clive Owen is charged with a mission to deliver her to a sanctuary which may or not exist.

Gattaca (1997)

      'Gattaca' is one of my favorite sci-fi movie. Just as 'Contagion' hit close to home with many of similarities to our society, I believe what's portrayed in 'Gattaca' may become true in the future. In this world, scientists have perfected a way to genetically engineer an embryo. You can essentially create a perfect baby with science. What parents wouldn't want that for their child. Only problem is that this privilege is only reserved for the wealthy. The ones born the old fashioned way would have no way to advance in this society. This is a very interesting and thoughtful film I would highly recommend to anyone.


Groundhog Day (1993) 

             If you find yourself quarantined at your house with nothing to do, and pretty soon everyday starts to feel the same, then you would relate to Phil from 'Groundhog Day'. Bill Murray plays a narcissistic weatherman on an assignment to cover Punxsutawney Phil. When a snowstorm shuts down the roads, Phil finds himself waking up to the same day over and over again. This is a classic film you need to watch.

Space Jam (1996) 

          If aliens were to invade earth right now and challenged us to a basketball game for control of earth and you can have any player in their prime to build a team around to lead humanity, you'd be crazy not to pick Michael Jordan. With the NBA and march madness shutting down, why not watch some 'Space Jam' to get your basketball fix. LeBron may be making a sequel to Space Jam, but we all know we can't trust a man who got outplayed by JJ Barea during the NBA finals to save us from the aliens. In Jordan we trust.

Princess Bride (1987)

         If you are feeling under the weather and stuck at home and your grandpa was going to read you a book, what could be better than 'The Princess Bride'? It has adventure, comedy, action, friendship, and quest for true love. A classic movie that I could watch over and over again if I was home sick.

'The Pharmacist' (2020)

 

   'The Pharmacist' chronicles one man's fight to make sense of his son's sudden and tragic death. Dan Schneider is a small town pharmacist living an ordinary middle class life. His entire world is rocked upside down by the brutal death of his son. When he learns that his son was killed in New Orleans during a drug deal gone bad, Dan can't comprehend how his son was shot to death over drugs. He never suspected that his own son had any problems. Grieving over the loss of his son, Dan makes a promise to find the killer. What starts out as an obsessive murder investigation turns into something that Dan never would've imagined.
   The 4 part Netflix documentary takes us through Dan's journey. Following his son's death, Dan can't help but notice many young men and women dying from prescription OxyContin overdoses. As a pharmacist, Dan can't just stand by and watch people harm themselves from the drugs that he personally gives to his patients. His personal investigation turns the attention to a single doctor in New Orleans who is responsible for 90% of all the OxyContin prescriptions. Dan sees this as a chance to help save the lives of other young adults with addiction problems in honor of his son.
   The documentary takes the audience on a roller coaster ride as Dan uses all of his resources to fight unethical doctors and eventually Big Pharma. It was heartbreaking to see the effects drugs (legal or illegal) have on people who become addicted and their family. I would recommend this to everyone and I think those of you in healthcare would especially find this interesting. It really puts the spotlight on the vastness of the opioid crises all over the country, and how critical drug monitoring system is in aiding to help slow down the abuse.

Joker (2019)

  The 'Joker' is a brutally raw and gritty look into the origin story of one of the most infamous villains in popular culture. Joaquin Phoenix gives an unbelievable performance as the joker. Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, a man abandoned by society and his family. The Joker is a character study into how much mental and physical suffering a man can take before he just simply can't anymore. The film highlights issues of social inequality and lack of mental illness awareness and the madness that it can bring when things boil over.
  This film is very dark and at time uncomfortable to watch, and doesn't try to hide any of its ugliness. The struggles and insecurities that the Joker faces are things we can all relate to at some level. Even with its downfalls, Joker is worth a look and it should get a lot of buzz during awards season.

IMDB- 9.1/10
Metascore-58/100
Rotten Tomatoes- Critics-69% Audience- 91%
Yong's rating- 4/5

'Always Be My Maybe' (2019)

   'Always Be My Maybe' is the new Ali Wong romantic comedy featuring an all Asian cast. It tells a love story between two childhood sweethearts. Marcus (Randall Park) and Sasha (Ali Wong) are next door neighbors who become very close friends. As it often does in life, Marcus and Sasha lose contact once they graduate from high school. After more than 10 years apart, the two meet when Sasha comes back home on business. The chance meeting allows the two to reflect on their past. And more importantly, it gives them a chance to re examine their current situations. They must decide what values and priorities are important to them in their lives. It is difficult to find someone you can depend on to go through all of the messy obstacles life has to offer. Marcus and Sasha must determine if they really are meant for each other.
  It was very refreshing to see so many Asians playing major roles in a movie that wasn't specifically made for an Asian audience. The writing and the acting wasn't the greatest (let's just say it won't get any Oscar nominations), but the core of the story is something most people can relate to. And it's just a very cute, enjoyable movie. So if you like romantic comedies and have some free time, go check out this movie on your friend's netflix account.

IMDB- 7/10
Metascore-67/100
Rotten tomatoes- Critics-90% Audience-not yet available
Yong's score-3.5/5

'Christopher Robin' (2018)

  'Christopher Robin' tells the story of what happens when you grow up and forget everything you once held dear. The film introduces us to a grown up Christopher Robin played by Ewan McGregor. We watch the young Christopher Robin transform into an adult in the first few moments of the film. We watch him playing with Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and the gang as a child to see him grown up and too busy with work to play with his own daughter. The grown up Christopher Robin is consumed with responsibilities of work and providing financially for his family that he has forgotten what is really important in life. With his marriage falling apart and his relationship with his daughter in jeopardy, Christopher is too blinded by his job to see how much of a mess he is in. Just when you think poor Christopher Robin is going to lose everything, his childhood buddy, Pooh shows up to help him find the way. A trip back to Hundred Acre Woods leads to a great adventure just like back in the old days.
  Marc Forster does a wonderful job of telling this new version of Christopher Robin story. It reminded me of how much of innocence, imagination and capacity to love we lose as we get older without even realizing it. Often times, many of us find ourselves throwing all of our energy and time into our jobs and work to the point that we forget what is really important. Pooh bear and his gang of friends reminded me that family, friendship, and sense for adventure should always come first, and we should always laugh a little everyday to be constantly reminded to never grow up.

IMDB-7.3/10
Metascore- 60/100
Rotten Tomatoes- critics- 72% Audience- 84%
Yong's score- 4.5/5

'Andre the Giant' (2018)

  The HBO documentary, 'Andre the Giant' takes a look into the life and career of the wrestling legend Andre Roussimoff, known to the world as Andre the Giant. Using old footages and interviews with people who knew him and those who were closest to him, the documentary grants us a look into Andre's private and public life. You get to see what made him such a charismatic force on and off the wrestling ring. Andre was a truly gentle giant with a kind and loving heart. Yet, behind the big smile, life was not always so kind to Andre. He was constantly in pain and never felt like he belonged in a world too small for him. Whether or not you're a fan of wrestling, 'Andre the Giant' is an excellent documentary that tells the story of a remarkable man.  

'Aquaman' (2018)

  Jason Momoa finally gets his solo movie as the Aquaman. If your sole goal is to not think and be entertained by mindless action for a few hours, then I'm sure 'Aquaman' is the movie for you. Jason Momoa is very charismatic and has a strong on screen presence. But, there is only so much he can do with such poor screenplay and poor acting around him, I mean he's not Superman (boom).  
  'Aquaman' tells the origin story of how Aquaman came to be the hero he is. It introduces us to the magical world of Atlantis and their long and complicated history with the human world. When a radical fraction of Atlantians want to wage war against the humans and proclaim Atlantis as the rightful rulers of earth, it is up to Aquaman to be the link to peace between the two worlds.
  I feel there was so much potential to do a better job of telling this story, but instead we get a poorly written mess of a movie unsure whether it wants to be taken seriously or not. However, the box office numbers show the human world didn't mind the predictable mess of a movie.

Yong's Score- 2/5
IMDB- 7.5/10
Metascore- 55/100
Rotten Tomatoes- Critics- 64% Audience- 79%

Great Movies Part 2

'Groundhog Day' (1993)

 Bill Murray stars as a weatherman stuck reliving the same day over and over again. Phil (Murray) is sent to Punxatawney on assignment for the fourth consecutive year to cover Punxatawaney Phil the groundhog on Groundhog day. Just when Phil couldn't think the day couldn't get any longer, he finds himself awake the next day to relive the same day all over again. And over and over and over again...
 Bill Murray perfectly captures the role of Phil as you see him mature from a narcissistic jerk to a genuinely good person. If you haven't seen this movie yet, go watch it over and over and over again.



'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' (2004)

  I used to say this was the best movie made in the past decade. Then I realized it's 2019 now, so I'll have to think of a new best movie of the past decade. Until then, I'll just keep referring to 'Eternal Sunshine' as the best movie of the past decade. This was one of the few movies I had to rewatch right afterwards to see what I missed during the first viewing. The screen play, the cast, art direction and the visuals all blew me away. I was in college when I first saw this movie and it made me think, "so this is what a good film is". 'Eternal Sunshine' deals with painful experiences and how one can chose to deal with them. Are certain experiences worth eliminating from your memories forever? Or do you lose a part of yourself by choosing to erase those bad experiences and everything and everyone associated with them, no matter how much they hurt you?

'The Shawshank Redemption' (1994)

  I've never met anyone who has seen 'Shawshank Redemption' and said they hated it. I mean how could you hate this movie? Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman star as two prisoners who develop a life long friendship while at Shawshank penitentiary. Based on a Stephen King novel, it has great story telling and amazing character development which is a staple of any King novel. There's so many iconic scenes that you just have to watch it for yourself. If you've seen this movie, you know why it's so hard not to like this movie. If you haven't seen this movie, I dare you to go watch it and tell me how much you hated it.

'8 1/2' (1963)

'8 1/2' is one of my favorite Fellini films so I wanted to add it here on part 2 of my great movies list. It is regarded as one of cinematic masterpieces and rightfully so. The film tells the story of a director having a case of what you would call writer's block for a film maker. As he tries to find ways to get his creative juices flowing again, he recalls his past for inspiration. Fellini perfectly blends the director's memories with his current situation to create a fantasy world that is mesmerizing to view. If you have deep appreciation for cinema, I would highly recommend '8 1/2'.

Great Movies Series

   The reason I started this blog was to give movie recommendations of films that I've enjoyed with others. I will admit that I haven't been good with keeping up with the blog in recent years. I'm going to try to be more active and in that spirit, I am going to start a series I will call Yong's Great Movies. I will share 3-5 films in each series that I've enjoyed greatly and would recommend to everyone. My hope is that I can help you discover even one movie you've never heard of and get the experience the joy of watching a well made film. I know you are reading with great anticipation to see which films I included in the first of the series. So, I will let you get to it. Happy movie watching.

'Spirited Away' (2002)

    'Spirited Away' holds a special place in my heart. It is one of my favorite movies, so it's only fitting that I start this series with Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece. Every time I view this film, I am struck by its simplicity and beauty. Miyazaki's ability to portray so much through the transformation of the young heroine is what makes this movie an one of a kind. The film draws you into its fantasy world and its vast array of memorable characters and makes you never want to leave. Go watch this if you haven't already.

'Amelie' (2001) 

    When I first watched 'Amelie', I thought to myself that I've never seen a movie quite like this before, and I can still say it's one of the most unique films I've had pleasure of watching. It also features one of my favorite soundtrack. Audrey Tautou plays the quirky heroine who longs to bring joy to those around her. This is a film you can't help but smile watching. Roger Ebert wrote of 'Amelie' in his review,
   "Amelie" is a delicious pastry of a movie, a lighthearted fantasy in which a winsome heroine overcomes a sad childhood and grows up to bring cheer to the needful and joy to herself. You see it, and later when you think about it, you smile." 
  

'Inception' (2010)

Christopher Nolan is one of my favorite directors, and you'll see several of his films in this series to come. For the first installation, I have included 'Inception'. The cast and screenplay is amazing as with any Nolan movie. This film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Cobb, who specializes in stealing secrets from powerful men through infiltrating their dreams. Nolan creates a world full of infinite possibilities. 'Inception' takes you through an action packed journey through reality and the dream world. I encourage you to take the trip if you haven't yet. 

'Hoop Dreams' (1994)

   I had to include my favorite documentary. 'Hoop Dreams' follows the high school lives of two promising basketball players from Chicago. William Gates and Arthur Agee are discovered at young age in the inner city and find themselves in a private school with scholarship to play basketball where NBA legend Isiah Thomas attended. Soon after their freshmen years, the two kids take a very different routes to finish their high school careers. The documentarians spent 6 years following the two kids and does a wonderful job of telling their story. 'Hoop Dreams' is not a sports documentary. Sports only serves as a backdrop to tell the story of living in the inner city where life often times seems hopeless. Roger Ebert wrote this about 'Hoop Dreams' which I agree with wholeheartedly, 

    Many filmgoers are reluctant to see documentaries, for reasons I've never understood; the good ones are frequently more absorbing and entertaining than fiction. "Hoop Dreams," however, is not only a documentary. It is also poetry and prose, muckraking and expose, journalism and polemic. It is one of the great moviegoing experiences of my lifetime.

'Jurassic Park' (1993) 

  My first memory of actually seeing a movie at a theater is with 'Jurassic Park'. Based on Michael Crichton's novel, 'Jurassic Park' a perfect blend of science fiction and action. It is one of Steven Spielberg's most well known movie and for good reasons. A great movie has the ability to capture the audience's attention and engage them in the story telling and keep them at the edge of their seats. I can honestly say, the young Yong was definitely at the edge of his seat watching this film. Maybe it was even at this young age, the seeds for my love for movies were planted.