Last February I looked at four romantic period movies, this year I thought I would try something I have been watching to try for a while. I’m going to randomly pick a “romance” movie or TV show  and review it. I’m going to this four time so one post a week.  The selection is through https://reelgood.com/roulette/netflix with only the genre romance picked.  There will be no re-rolls, you have my word.

A few guidelines;

  • If I get a show I will only watch/review the first episode.
  • I reserve the right to stop watching the movie/show at least the 30 minute mark. It does take me a lot to quit a movie but I don’t want to waste my worthless time either.
  • If I have seen the movie before I will still review it but in the event that I get a movie I have already reviewed before I reserve the right to re-roll but I shall make a note in the post of that event.  The odds of very low of though so I don’t imagine that will happen.

So guide me oh Netflix gods, What is your first pick?!

The First pick is Red Carpet. Could have guessed that from the subject line though.

Red Carpet 2014 Korean Movie picture image

Red Carpet 2014

Red Carpet is a 2014 Korean Rom-com drama about a porn director, Jung-Woo who dreams of being actual film director. He also falls in love with a former child actress and encourages her to go on a audition and she makes it big as an actress and she encourages him to make his movies. Oddly I figured was going to get something from Korea but I figured it would be a K-drama, which I have seen a few, not many but a handful. I just didn’t think it would be the first one but here we are. Wonder if I will get another before the month is done?

 

Jun-hee Ko as Eun-Su and Dal-hwan Jo as Jung-Soo Red Carpet 2014 Korean Movie picture image

Jun-hee Ko as Eun-Su and Dal-hwan Jo as Jung-Soo Red Carpet 2014

I wouldn’t say this was a bad movie but it had many issues. The biggest one was just how contrived it was. The two leads meet because the some apartment mix-up where Eun-Su  moves into Jung-Woo’s apartment. Not sure how that housing thing makes any sense other than a plot device. Then they encourage each other and fall in love and hook up then the plot misunderstand occurs. You see Eun-Su doesn’t know Jung-Woo works in pornography so she think he hooking-up with someone else and thus they part ways. He tries to make up with her and eventually he does. They film his legit movie but then scandal because he was  porn director and she is a top actress but it all works out in the end. It’s just all very contrived.

Then there is the humor. I didn’t get it. It might be that I either don’t resonate with Korean humor or I just didn’t work for me. It was all very awkward. Like sure the horse in heat on the highway part was funny but it’s require so many mental loops to get there. Like the horse was used in a film production, so how does the production even allow for the horse to get off the set and on the highway and the horse was in heat. Do productions even cast horses in heat?   Is that a question I have to ask?

 

 Red Carpet 2014 Korean Movie picture image

Red Carpet, 2014

Also the passing was an issue. Most of the movie seemed like porn based comedic vignette than plot than more comedy till like the end. It made the movie  hard to get into and pay attention to and it wasn’t long movie, just two hours.    

It wasn’t a wholly bad movie, it had it’s moments but it’s very,contrived and not all the comedy lands. Plus as a movie about Pornography, it’s very tame and naive.    

 

The Hunchback of Notre Dame reference in Red Carpet 2014 Korean Movie picture image

The Hunchback of Notre Dame reference in Red Carpet

This movie oddly has a Hunchback of Notre Dame reference in it, what are the odds? One of their porno scripts or movies is called, according to the subtitles “The Hunchback of Notre Dick.”  What luck finding a Hunchback reference in a random Korean movie.

What the hell is happening to Esmeralda’s costume? It just keeps getting shorter and shorter. It just looks awkward at that length. What is weird is Myriam Brousseau’s costume has a straight hemline and is shorter than most Esmeralda costumes and looks awkward too. No like.

The sound quality is really bad so I don’t want to blame Bedard but I can’t help but feel she is not one my favorite Esmeraldas, she just seems mechanical in her movements but at least she is acting happy.

Bada as Esmeralda Korean version Notre Dame de Paris picture image

Bada as Esmeralda Korean version Notre Dame de Paris

Notre Dame de Paris will play at the Blue Square Samsung Hall from Sept. 27 to Nov. 17, in Seoul. The cast includes Bada who is reprising her role as Esmeralda. She play Esmeralda in 2007 and 2009.

The rest of the cast is;
Esmeralda- Yoon Gongju (alternate)
Quasimodo – Yoon Hyungryul as (also returning in his role), Hong Kwangho
Frollo – Min Youngki, Choi Minchul
Gringoire – Jeon Dongsuk, Jung Dongha

(The site for Blue Square doesn’t have this show listed yet and I can’t find any hard sources on it but I’m pretty sure that this true)

With this performance of Notre Dame de Paris this means there is an overlap between this and Crocus City performances. two NDDP Casts at the same time on the continent! Lucky Asia! This is fourth cast it’s gotten in three years.   If you detective a hint of jealousy,  I’m not hiding it.  It’s been seven years since there has been a Canadian Cast or a French Cast and yet most of the recent casts have been Canadian.  Although I’m alway happy to hear about a new cast of Notre Dame de Paris Cast so I’m not going to gripe too much.

By the way does anyone else think Matt Laurent will reprise his role as Quasimodo for the Crocus City Show? Because I do.

This is a video for a   Korean musical version of The  Hunchback of Notre Dame . You can see the influences of Notre Dame de Paris and the Disney version.  It was done by the N.A Company and it premiered in August 2012. It seems to have  great energy and maybe more light-hearted than other stage versions. And I think there may even be Sister Gudule in this version.

Poster for the Korean Hunchback Musical

Poster for the Korean Hunchback Musical

Korean Boy Band, SHINee, released a song off their 2010 Album, Lucifer, called Quasimodo. The plot of the song mirrors Quasimodo’s relationship with Esmeralda in that it‘s about guy that is in love a girl he thinks he has no chance with. It’s a lovely song.

English Translations
Your traces that my heart is filled with
Makes me able to breathe
When the long night is colored by the moonlight
Will the inescapable wait all end?
I wish for a miracle and ask and answer myself

Oh, I can’t tell you about me
Who wants to reach your heart
Like the starlight hidden behind the cold clouds
I love you, in the end, this painful confession
That lingers at the edge of my lips slide down in tears

This arrow that’s reached my heart
Feels like a part of my body now
Even though it hurts to death
I can’t remove you, who’s stuck in my heart
Because it’s love
Because for me, it’s love

*Even if I can’t have you
In the end, even when my heart is blocked
By the wall of sad connection
I love you, if it’s a place
where I can just watch you
Because you’re my everything

I stay up for so many nights
When the starlight becomes rain
That doesn’t stop like my tears
Remember that I loved you

*Repeat x2

It’s not tough, oh no
Because you have to be mine
In order for you to be you
Even if it hurts
Even if you make me cry
I love you