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When i was researching some information about value investing and i stumbled upon it. I wonder the investment personality category is that accurate. Check your own personality that is based on Carl Jung's test. It is one kind of accurate test on your personality. I would use it when i conduct job interview.
When I saw a picture printed in local Chinese newspaper 'Shin Min', it greatly interest me. It is a picture of Tony Leung and Carina Lau. I surfed to find more information preferably in english. I was stunned and surprised that Tony Leung was about to marry his beau, Carina Lau in few weeks time. According to HK tabloid, if true, Faye Wong decide to be 'middleman' to solve so-called problem that created by HK tabloid between Tony Leung and Carina Lau. What she did was that she took them along with her husband to Bhutan to seek Tibetan Buddhist Leader. Upon such advice from Tibetan Buddhist Leader, Tony Leung and Carina, decide to wed. Incredible. It is really long time. Tony Leung is indeed patient gentleman waiting for Carina to settle first before getting married. As you look down the story between both of them, you will also agree and admire Tony Leung's unwavering patience. I did a close check on his birthday date and I was surprised that his birthday fell on the same day as mine. I guess his career was successful thanks to the passion from his close friend Stephen Chow that influenced and encouraged Tony Leung into acting career. He is still one of my favourite actor.
I think Kwon Sang Woo will be the next Tony Leung Chui Wai of Korea after seeing his latest movie, Fate. So far, i saw his most of his acting works from few Korean dramas and movies. Very impressive. Oh my god, ever since I saw 'Marathon' movie, I decide to finish every movie i store since last year. In attempting to finish every movie, a Korean Movie titled 'The Herb' touched me a lot. A low IQ, say equivalent to 7 years old girl experienced so much things and feelings which not many people have chance. On top of that, after her mother death, she went on to live as per normal but better one than she used to live with the utmost care coming from her mother. Indeed I always believe that people can not learn properly if they depend too much on their own parents. That is why i am utmost believer in letting the children to experience themselves as long as there are proper talk about the relevant topic pertaining to the first-time experience on new things in the first place. This way, children can experience a lot of feelings and moments which most children with too much dependence can never have one. In this movie 'The Herb', she can't ride bicycle well and yet during the moment she knew that her mother was going to die soon, she kept on practising to ride the bicycle no matter how many times she fell. Not just in the movie, it does happen in reality. Yet another good example is a Korean drama called 'Couple or Trouble'. A young lady whose has rich family background never knew the hardship of the life until she learnt it when she has temporary memory loss.
On the side note, Daniel Chan,one of my favourite singer, finally re-entered the singing business with new album producer. I guess the rumour that was about some kind of friction between Daniel Chan and his former company, universal is true. So far he released 3 albums, two best songs compilation and one new album. I have bought two albums which are made of many best old songs he sang before. Yeah, I missed his singing for a long time. His 4 new songs from my two albums i heard are great. I am trying to aim to buy the third one which is released not so long ago. Ironcially, Nicholas Tse went into hibernation and spent a lot of time into drama acting career. I wonder when he will sing again for the commercial purpose.
Now, I am trying to arrange the piece of different era into one model I wanted to think of. I want to start a disclaimer here first. I believe that my knowledge for the past era is not nearly accurate whatsoever because I did not spend tiny part of my life reading science about the past that had already happen. I shall start it on the next paragraph.
I believe that some of you know that big bang in universe formed the chemical formation that create a Earth which we live in right now. Without any doubt, everyone know that dinosaurs were there in the beginnning of the life. However, there are two frictions of science that argued on that basis because one of them think that it doesn't exist with the supporting evidence based on the use of time dating technique on certain rare antique items. Unfortunately, it is this far I know ever since I happened to see small argument on this in a local forum. I must say that it is one hell excellent argument. Given that such evidence is proved to be convincing based on the rational and logical argument, it could put a stain on religion which holy book of any kind of religion said about the past. As we know that volcano erupted and killed many dinosaurs. Once again, the chemical formation due that incident create new forms of life such as plants, animals, humans, etc.
I read a book that was borrowed to me from my diploma classmate, Suliana. I was so impressed and convinced on how the author explain how humans grew. Originally, humans' body shape are almost like gorilla or ape because of spine structure that was bending. As the time passed by, humans began to straight their backs like we do today. It was proved by the observation on such human bones that was found under the ground. These human bones was estimated to be few thousands ago. In other word, it is evolution of humans.
Many many years ago, humans were barbarians and they have no sense of code that shape them to be so unfriendly to other tribes. I still do not know how these humans became more civilised. In this model, it will be one big blank until I managed to find such information to fill up this blank. Well-known historical heroes emerged. They are Napoleon Bonaparte, Alexander, Genghis Khan and etc. Civilisation grew well but there was a number of conflicts that ensued series of wars. These wars were done for the sake of protecting its own culture and then country. They viewed that fighting in the war was the great honour to do it. Commercial influence went into every country. British nearly rule whole world and British view themselves as the most powerful lot in the world until the internal conflicts reduced British influence on the world. World War 1 was the result of miscommuncation. It can be said that the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who was heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne as a catalyst to World War 1. It greatly affected the flow of economy during and after World War 1. The main focus in this era was in financial industry
Financial industry was created in order to enable the flow of the money that need to circulate around the country(later on, around the world in modern times like today).
To have better understanding on history of financial system, I recommend a book called 'Comparative Financal Systems' written by Allen, F. and D. Gale. If you bother to look at banking history in United States, you would realised that banks are vulnerable to bank runs that were caused by asymmetric information. It usually occurs when a bank went bankrupt due to lack of liquidity and credit. When that happened, people began to lose faith on other banks that were actually healthy in financial statements. This people behavour cause the banks to go bankrupt. Once there are no more banks, the economy will not move on other than deflation. It means that we will go back to era where,for example, we would be walking for travel. It is because companies would not have money to develop further for innovation and people would not be able to buy such luxary items that were developed by innovation. It happened the worst in 1930s. It started with stock market crash followed by increasing umemployment rate and inflation. Therefore banks went bankrupt under such extreme outcome. It was the effect of the great depression. It was said that it lead to World War 2 which Germany, under the Hitler regime decide to go war on the basis of reducing unemployment rate and greater influence in Europe(and probably world). In fact the history of those wars were slighly distorted due to humans bias.
World War 2 greatly affected Europe the most and as a result, Russia and United States become superpower nations. Before the end of World War 2, John Maynard Keynes wrote General Thery of Unemployment, Interest and Money. His book greatly influenced many people including economists. Therefore Macroeconomics was formed as a component of ecnomics that was started with Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations. Today, diploma, 'A' level, university students who took economics learn Keynesian cross and some of his works. Keynes' work was one fine piece of liberal arts. It greatly solve the problems of using concepts,developed by classical economics, to get out of fast-growing inflation. Fast forward to 1970s onwards, stagflation, which was termed as slow economic growth and inflation occur simultaneously render Keynes' work ineffective in some ways. Many new concepts/theories were created in the history of Macroeconomics.
Technology development grew very fast. The most signficiant technologies are 'The Internet' and computers. They enable another mean of cost-cutting measures and access to information in much faster way. I,myself, greatly affected by these two techonologies. I can easily access almost any kind of books,information,slides,notes,blog,people opinions/views anywhere online!I love it so much that I use computer and internet every day. If they were properly and efficiently used for commercial purpose, the average cost of firms will be reduced greatly by a lot for a long-term plan with use of special kind of machine which nobody can easily buy/access it. Alas, I can't think any good real-life example of which company has this kind of competitive advantage. For consumers, they can be double-edge swords because they have no discipline,which is the most likely to be in this case, to waste too much time on chatting craps in online forums. That is what you see in early 2000s when manufacturers and telecommunication companies decided to make computers and broadband internet(cable,ADSL, etc) cheaper to sell and subscribe repectively. As a result, I has to wear spectacular for my short-sighted view whenever I need to see things by a few distance away.
It is the end of incomplete model I carefully thought for few months. It shows the signs of the progress on culture,technology and social areas. You can expect that there will be endless change in these three areas that mentioned above. This incomplete model will bring some degree of clarity in your mind that you should expect such change that is coming somehow in any time. Next paragraph is what I spend much thoughts on one controversial thing in the past two and half months.
Examination marking are under fire in late June this year when British media, i think, published article about enrolling unsitable foreigners and leeway on marking.
I am not impressed with all these tactics of boosting examination marks under the basis of free-rider. In short run, it may be very beautiful moment for one. It bring one the temporary relief. However, in long run, problems will start appearing if one can't handle the work tasks due to inability to understand the linkage of academic and professional concepts. A guy brought up the problem to a certain forum but not related to the one i am talking now. But,clearly, i was impressed how he notice some students for particular schools can not do the job properly. For the rest of the comments he believe strongly, he makes a lot of good points. Lecturer notes make a lot of points too briefly and textbooks are essential ones to equip one to greater and proper understanding (for such example, why the demand curve is downwards sloping curve;I already mention in the previous blog entry). One who miss out the tiny detail that enable you to understand will take extremely long time to understand the meanings behind in every concept in every module. This particular guy, who used to be lecturer, exposed some facts nicely. I would agree with him for this extreme extent on this side but, sadly, due to asymmetric information, he may not have seen a few good/excellent students in these particular schools.
Most universities use bell-shaped curve to grade the student. Two well-established local universities, NUS and NTU use bell-shaped curve. Few students from these schools even announced that they are not going to study everything but minimum to the point where they find it useful as in 'may come out in the exam'. They even add on that they will rely on bell-shaped curve to 'give extra marks' to achieve passing grade. For simplicity(because I still do not know what kind of approach professor use bell shaped to distribute), if your mark is not on the bell shape curve(as in below the bell shaped curve) because of few marks short), you will be given some extra marks in order to be on bell shape curve. This greatly create a small distortion in the marking award classification. Despite of that, it is still practised by many universities. On the hindsight of that issue, I believe that it will lower the competitiveness among the school in terms of intelligence. I know that Cambridge practise this grading but i do not know whether this side effect has its influence working on most of the students. It is because I never had a chance to be in the crowd(let it be small or big) who can talk on the issues clearly and seriously.Most of my time, the conversation among classmates are always dominated by such comments like 'how to study', 'i don't want to study this chapter', 'I don't know'. So, I can only envy some of those students in top universities like LSE, Chicago GSB, Harvard, and others. It is really enriching to engage yourself into such conversation until to the point where you are enlightened by intelligence conversation. Due to lack of this kind of experience, I am not really sure that this effect of lowering competitiveness is really apparent in those schools. At least, bell-shaped curve grading is not that bad.
I shall add further concepts on the oil pricing analysis on top of the the one that was written in previous blog entry. The new diagram will continue from the first two diagrams in the previous blog entry. Someone in the local forum claimed that there was a sign of oversupply over demand on oil when the oil dropped for the first time in few weeks ago. Let question this claim whether it is true.
This diagram above shows a large parallel shift of supply curve to the right(S1 to S2). It clearly illustrate the word 'oversupply'. In theory, that claim is correct. In practice, it is wrong because it is against the law of nature. Noting that the oil is nonrenewable resource, it is not possible to oversupply the oil when companies know the limit of drilling the oil. Oversupply the oil prevail only if oil is renewable or unlimted resource.
It brings to another question how much of the oil the companies can limit when drilling. It is good know the competitive equilibrium which, I think, is the centre focus. Set the assumption that there is zero extraction costs and a competitively organised industry. It determine entirely for competitive equilibrium. If the present value of future value is greater than present price,that is,
P1/(1+r)> and =P0. Therefore the firm is willing to postpone the drilling. It is becase it is profitable that the future price of the oil resource rises sufficiently to make the price in succeeding periods grow at the rate of,at least, r percent per year, where r is the market rate of interest. It can be described in the mathematical terms as
P1> and =P0(1+r). In this case, the oil will not be extracted now. When that happens, it will raise the present price and at the same time future price will reduce. As a result, it will reach to equilibrium, which is P1=P0(1+r). Similiarly, if the present value of future price is less than the present price,that is,
P1/(1+r)< and =P0, the firm will drill now and invest the proceeds at the going market rate of interest. The result of doing this is that the present price is going down while the future price is going up. Therefore there is competitive equilibrium, which is
P1=P0(1+r).In fact it is somewhat similar to stock price. If you are smart, you can easily visualise this concept into stock price equilibrium.
Now you have an idea about competitive equilibrium on oil industry. Let look at the perfect competitive firm and monopolistic firm. I shall start drawing the diagram based on perfect competitive firm and then monopolistic firm in two areas, which are quantities and pricing.
The above diagram illustrates that the perfect competitive firm will extract at faster rate than monopolistic firm. Monopolistic firm extract the resource more slowly as it wants to exercise the monopoly power to charge higher price on oil.
The above diagram shows that the the competitive price path rises compounding at the interest rate of r whereas monopolistic marginal revenue path rises at compound interest but it is steeper than competitive price path. It is because of marginal revenue schedule(curve) is steeper than demand(price) schedule. Please take note that monopolistic firm set the price where marginal revenue is equal to marginal cost in order to maximise the profit.
This is a refresher diagram for those who did not study (micro)economics. It answer why marginal revenue schedule is steeper than demand schedule in the case of monopoly. In theory, marginal revenue is always twice steeper than demand schedule. The point A in the diagram show where Marginal Cost schedule interest with Marginal Revenue. From there, it will ultimately decide the price and the quantity, which are P1 and Q1.
The final concept to answer the everything when you think of how much the limit the firm should extract the oil. Intertermporal choice is an extremely important one that will greatly affect to your life. It can be explained by the use of the diagrams. It will be done step by step.
This diagram above show the downward sloping demand curve in present time. I believe that you know why demand curve is downward sloping.
It is the same as the previous diagram but it is in future time. Now you flip this diagram and combine with the previous diagram and it will form a new diagram shown below.
This diagram above give you an impression that demand schedules are like mirror to each other in every period which mean that quantities and prices will be the same in every period. However it is not an equilibrium. If the firm extract now and then sell and the proceed will be invested at the going market rate of interest. In this case, the firm will have P1(1+r) next year. Therefore this price is greater than the future price the firm sell next year. There will be equilibrium only if present value of the future price is equal to the present price. Therefore it must sell at Q0(present quantity) at present and at Q1(future quantity) at future. It will be shown in the diagram below.
The equilibrium price in present time and future time is P*0 and P*1 as per the diagram above. The eqilibrium quantity in present time and future time is Q*0 and Q*1
In words, the quantity in present time is greater than in future time while the price in present time is lower than future price.
What is left is to do some critical thinking. What if demand in the future time is greater than in the present time?D1 and D*1 schedules will be higher as shown in above diagram. As usual, the price will increase positively with demand. Looking at the red coloured broken line, the equilibrium prices in present time and future time are P*0(new) and P*1(new). At this time, the equilibrium quantity in future time is greater than the equilibrium quantity in present time. If you want to change the variable in this model, you can do some further study by reading environmental economics textbooks.
That is the catch. It is consistent with the real world situation, despite not doing any econometric model to prove it so. I strong believe it so.
Let look at the petrol pricing situation in Singapore. One of few major oil stations decide to cut the price by few cents. In few hours later, the rest of few major oil stations follow suit by cutting the price as well. It really sound like oligopoly model. I noticed that the price after they cut are not symmerical to each other. So, it closely fit Stackelberg model, one of those oligopoly model. If the readers are interested in learning oligopoly model, you should take your time reading 'Immediate Microeconomics' textbook by Hal Varian.
The experience of taking exams in expo and being taught by 4 UK-based lecturers for just 2 days(each lecturer) is priceless. Let me say something about them.
The first UK-based lecturer was Pascal Frantz who teach two modules at LSE and teach Corporate Finance. I think he is French judging his name. He is one kind of modern lecturer arming with laptop and LV bag. He introduce some shocking questions accompanied with shocking answers. The word 'shocking' what i am trying to say that some are not covered in Corporate Finance subject guide. In the end, two Corporate Finance markers, Frantz and the other UK-based guy set a quite number of questions that shocked me and numbed my logical thinking. My answers based on my understanding and logical thinking largely depend on how they accept my answer. The result from final exam prove it so.
The second UK-based lecturer was Michael Buckle who set Principle of Banking and Finance prelim exam. He is examiner of old module which is Principle of Banking. He was nice guy who is willing to break the complex details into simple details that many students can digest. On top of that, upon asked about complex financial product, which is asset backed securities and mortgage backed securities, that are not covered in syllabus of Principle of Banking and finance, he tried so hard to draw a diagrams for students to visualise. At times, he would ask class whether class can understand what he is trying to teach.
The third UK-based lecturer was Libon Fung who was one of two persons setting Principle of Accounting prelim paper. Oh yes, he is the examiner of old module called Elements of Accounting and Finance. He is working in one of UOL college. I was told by my friend that he come from Hong Kong. Yes, he has Asian facial feature. Best of all, his English speech is much better than any Singaporeans i ever heard. I perfectly understood him by far. He told class to raise hands and ask any kind of questions. He is so willing to answer questions regardless of either tough or easy. He prove his worth as he answered a girl who asked about dividend. He told class that it is more about Corporate Finance and based on his research(finding), not many companies smooth the dividend. He is willing to stay back until he need to catch the bus that is arranged by SIM. What a committed lecturer.
The fourth UK-based lecturer was Dr John Chard who set the questions for prelim and final exams for Microeconomics. He is thin and fit man. Out of blues, he did some bending(so that he can touch his shoes) for warm up exercise in the class. He told the class that he need to do it to get rid of back pain(something like that). Although he is boring gentleman but he is willing to try his best to teach. His notes has few interesting examples which i never saw in any microeconomics textbooks. I was so impressed how those microeconomics concept can revolutionise the global working world as well as local one.
Judging on the results I received, I will be very very busy studying for next year exam. I will be using a lot of textbooks and journals. To keep me steady in analysing, I will be doing thousands of questions,if available.Most of textbooks i will be using are shown as below.
The Bank Job (United Kingdom Movie 2008)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
Based on the true story of the 1971 Baker Street bank robbery which was prevented from being told for over thirty years because of a Government gagging order. The real story of how one of the biggest robberies in British history took place with no arrests ever made nor money ever recovered.
Rating:9/10
Bonuses:1)the film based on real life story seem to be too good to watch at 2)You see this and i can tell you that conspiracy is all over at every corner of anywhere you are standing at. 3)it is good to know some British slang that was spoken in the movie-it mean that you either understand or don't understand 4)What a beauty looking at the England as if it was in 1970s.
10,000 BC (Hollywood Movie 2008)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
A prehistoric epic that follows a young mammoth hunter named D'Leh's journey through uncharted territory to secure the future of his tribe. When a band of mysterious horse-riding warlords raid the Yaghal camp and kidnaps his heart's desire - the beautiful Evolet along with many others, D'Leh is forced to lead a small group of hunters south to pursue the warlords to the end of the world to save her. Driven by destiny, the unlikely band of warriors must battle saber-toothed cats and terror birds in the Levant
Rating:6/10
Bonus:A simple fight with hand-made spears for the sake to save your closed one.
L Change the World (Japanese Movie 2008)
Synopsis extracted from wikipedia.org:
Ken'ichi Matsuyama reprises his role as L Lawliet from the previous Death Note films. The film chronicles the final 23 days of L's life, as he solves one final case involving a bioterrorist group that aims to wipe out much of humanity with a virus with ten times the infectiousness of Ebola, taking a boy, the sole survivor of its use in a village in Thailand, and a junior high schooler named Maki Nikaido under his wing.[1]
Shunji Fujimura also reprises his role as Watari, though he dies early in the film as per the events of The Last Name. The characters Misa Amane, death god Ryuk, and Light Yagami also all have brief cameos in the film.
Rating:8/10
Bonuses:1)Despite of bad ratings from a number of people, i think the story of L is quite meaningful. 2)It is true that a genius, even good one, can never save the whole world 3)It is about time for humans to accept the dirtiness in their own life.
Formula 51 (American Movie 2001)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com
Elmo McElroy (Jackson) is a streetwise American master chemist who heads to England to sell his special new formula - a powerful, blue concoction guaranteed to take you to 'the 51st state.' McElroy's new product delivers a feeling 51 times more powerful than any thrill, any pleasure, any high in history. But his plans for a quick, profitable score go comically awry when he gets stuck in Liverpool with an unlikely escort (Carlyle) and his ex-girlfriend (Mortimer) and becomes entangled in a bizarre web of double-dealing and double-crosses
Rating:7/10
Bonuses:1)interesting vulgar words all over the show 2)It is quite funny show.
G.P. 506(Korean Movie 2008)
Synopsis extracted from avistaz.com:
When soldiers and officers of GP 506 located somewhere in the vicinity of the DMZ fail to report back to their superiors, officials of the South Korean military began to get worried over the possibility of North Korean commandos since protocol requires ROK military guard posts to report after every half hour. A team of soldiers arrive at GP 506 to investigate the area before the military covers the whole incident up over the possibility of having a public relations mess as the base’s commander is the son of a high-ranking South Korean army officer.
Though they had located two surviving soldiers, one of them being an enlisted soldier and a suspect in the mass murders and the other the said base’s commanding officer, the MP team finds out that a homicidal virus is responsible for the massacre and they later get isolated in the same post due to the raging weather while being infected with the same disease.
Rating:8/10
Bonuses:1)Despite of no ghosts or whatsoever, it is truly horror movie that keep you in suspense. 2)Superb twists make you surprised at times 3)The lesson of this can be a good moral for you. To stop the 'deed' spreading fast, you have to take all of them as well as yourself down as in DEAD!
The battle of Red Cliff (Hong Kong/China Movie 2008)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
In the early third century, the land of Wu is invaded by the warlord Cao Cao and his million soldiers. The ruler of Wu, Sun Quan, calls on the rival warlord Liu Bei for help, but their two armies are still badly outnumbered. However, the Wu strategist Zhou Yu sees that Cao Cao's army is unused to battling on the sea, which may just give them a chance if they can exploit this weakness properly.
Rating:7/10
Bonuses:1)Some jokes for you to laugh but some people don't find it funny. 2)John Woo tried to make this first installation of Red Cliff comfortable for viwers to watch.
Fälscher, Die(The Counterfeiters)(German/Austria Movie 2007)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
The Counterfeiters is the true story of the largest counterfeiting operation in history, set up by the Nazis in 1936. Salomon "Sally" Sorowitsch is the king of counterfeiters. He lives a mischievous life of cards, booze, and women in Berlin during the Nazi-era. Suddenly his luck runs dry when arrested by Superintendent Friedrich Herzog. Immediately thrown into the Mauthausen concentration camp, Salomon exhibits exceptional skills there and is soon transferred to the upgraded camp of Sachsenhausen. Upon his arrival, he once again comes face to face with Herzog, who is there on a secret mission. Hand-picked for his unique skill, Salomon and a group of professionals are forced to produce fake foreign currency under the program Operation Berhard. The team, which also includes detainee Adolf Burger, is given luxury barracks for their assistance. But while Salomon attempts to weaken the economy of Germany's allied opponents, Adolf refuses to use his skills for Nazi profit and would like to do something to stop Operation Bernhard's aid to the war effort. Faced with a moral dilemma, Salomon must decide whether his actions, which could prolong the war and risk the lives of fellow prisoners, are ultimately the right ones.
Rating:8/10
Bonuses:1)based on the real life, the movie was running on a good pace narrating on how this operation started 2)code of moral/conduct is there for you to see 3)It is no surprise that it won an oscar award.
Garoojigi(Korean Movie 2008)
Synopsis extracted avistaz.com:
Hidden in the ancient Korean folklore lies a tragic character with a massive inferiority complex. Byun Kang-se’s problem stems from his seriously impaired libido due to a freak accident when he was young. He lives in a small village deep inside a mountain where women’s estrogen flows freely and men do not possess much control. The women tease and ridicule Byun, a man who’s without manhood within, and he hides himself in the mountains. There he encounters a traveling monk and attains the ultimate male power of never-ending erection and arousal. Around this time all men are grouped and sent off to war and only Byun remains to satisfy the women of the village who are only happy to line up outside his home and quench their sexual desires and fantasies.
Rating:7/10
Bonuses:1)Erotic movie that make you wonder why so many womens,regardless of their ages feel so horny. 2)Crappy jokes for you to laugh.
Ashita no Kita Yoshio(Japanese Drama 2008)
Synopsis extracted from wiki.d-addicts.com:
Can a coward commit suicide?
Meet Kita Yoshio, a very unlucky man who has chosen his close friend’s death anniversary as his suicide date, which is 11 days away. The number 11 has been quite significant throughout his life: he was born on November 11th; his roll call number at school was #11; and 11 years ago, he and his wife, Mizuho, went through a divorce. Debt-laden and feeling unneeded to the world, he sells off all his belongings and plans for his death date. However, on the 1st day, he meets Yashiro Heita as well as numerous other characters who will cause him to experience the most eventful 11 days of his life
Rating:6/10
Bonuses: 1)Unlucky man get 'lucky' to be surrounded by young women.
Fate (South Korea 2008)
Synopsis extracted from koreanmovie.com:
In the dark criminal world of Seoul, U-min (Song), Cheol-jung (Kwon), Do-wan (Kim In-kwon) and Yeong-hwan (Ji Sung) are close friends in a gang. One day, with the help of an older member Gang-seop (Ahn Nae-seong), U-min, Cheol-jung and Do-wan attack the gang's casino so they can start new lives. But their plan goes awry when Cheol-jung betrays them, and U-min goes to prison. He becomes the scapegoat to save his friends' lives.
After serving his time, U-min wants to stay out of trouble but is drawn back into the underworld when he sees what has become of his friends: money and power-hungry Cheol-jung continues to betray others as he climbs up the gang ladder; Do-wan is a drug user; Gang-seop is missing; and his girlfriend Eun-yeong (Park Han-byul) has left him to run a bar as the boss' mistress.
As U-min tries to solve the situation, however, unfortunate twists of fate set off one misunderstanding after another. To make matters worse, the mob boss and right-hand man Yoeng-hwan get them involved in a huge drug deal. Once again thrown into a game with high stakes and big cash, the once best friends must fight one another for their lives.
Rating: 8/10
Bonuses: 1)Kwon Sang Woo acting is pretty impressive. I think he is going to be the next Tony Leung of Korea. 2)A few of A-list korean male stars involved and yet there is chemistry between them in acting as lead characters 3)Loyality has its price to pay.
The Pursuit of Happiness (Hollywood Movie 2006)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
Chris Gardner has big dreams for him and his family but it doesn't seem to come together for him. Chris has an opportunity to be a stock broker but first he has to go through a grueling internship which means no pay. Chris decides to do it but when his wife leaves and he is evicted, he has to take care of his son on his own. So they find themselves sometimes living on the street and struggling to get by. But Chris is determined to make it.
Rating:7/10
Bonuses: 1)His hard work(juggling his day work and his child when his wife left) show you something. We must learn from him 2)WOO!Benjamin Graham's Security Analysis appeared in this movie when the lecturer in the internship in the stock broker firm pass about 60 copies to 60 interns!
Security Police(Japanese Drama 2007)
Synopsis extracted from jdorama.com:
Okada plays Kaoru Inoue, a member of a police escort division. Ever since losing his parents at a young age, he has possessed heightened senses and a photographic memory. He also has other skills, such as analyzing footprints. His boss is being played by Shinichi Tsutsumi.
Rating:7/10
Bonuses:1)Inoue's special skill is quite impressive to look at 2)Twisted chain of command.
Sex is zero 2(Korean Movie 2008)
Synopsis extracted from wikipedia:
Having broken up with his previous girlfriend, law student Eun-sik is keen to consummate a new relationship with Kyeong-ah, a popular swimming champion. Despite help from his friends, Eun-sik begins to doubt himself when Gi-joo, a suave prosecutor, tries to compete for Kyeong-ah's affections.
Rating:5/10
Chaser (Korean Movie 2008)
Synopsis extracted from hancinema.com:
Ex-cop pimp Jung-ho is irritated because his girls keep disappearing without clearing their debts. One night, he gets a call from a customer and sends Mi-jin. Jung-ho realizes the phone number of the customer matches that of the calls the missing girls got last. As something smells fishy, he searches for her. During his search, Jung-ho dents a car in the alley. When Jung-ho spots blood splattered on the driver’s shirt, he senses the man, Young-min, is the suspect. After an intense chase, Jung-ho catches Young-min. But because of Jung-ho’s pretense as a cop, they are both taken to the police station. At the station, the man bluntly confesses he has killed the missing women, and the last girl, Mi-jin, may still be alive. As the whole police force is obsessed with a random search for corpses, Jung-ho is the only one who believes Mi-jin is still alive. With only 12 hours left to detain the serial killer without a warrant, Jung-ho’s hunt begins, searching for Mi-jin entrapped in a place nobody knows.
Rating:9/10
Bonuses:1)A lot of emotions involved in this movie. Watching this movie will make you feel something. 2)Superb storyplot until you will be damned from start to end. 3)You will feel like cursing when murderer slip out of the justice again and again 4)Kim Yoon-seok act as if he is really the male lead doing all kind of violent actions.
LOST Season 4 (American Drama 2008)
Synopsis:
Following from Season 3, what will happen if Jack called for rescue team to take Jack and the Oceania victims away from unknown island.
Rating:8/10
Bonuses:1)Season 4 is much better than all the previous season 2)this time, there are a plenty of future flashback rather than past flashback which frequently dominated from season 1 to season 3. 3)Yet new more elements appeared in the unknown island.
Cast Away (Hollywood Movie 2000)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
After FedEx systems engineer Chuck Noland is ripped out of his hasty life by the clock in a plane crash, he finds himself alone on the shores of a tropical island. First, frustration gets to him and then he realizes how little his chances are to ever get back to civilisation. Four years later, Chuck has learned very well how to survive on his own: mending his dental health, catching fish with a spear, predicting the weather with a selfmade calendar. A photograph of his girlfriend Kelly has kept his hopes alive all these years. Finally, Chuck takes the opportunity to take off for home: He sets off on a wooden raft with a sail that has washed ashore
Rating:7/10
Bonuses:1)Unique story to see how a man survive as in robinson crusoe story setting. 2)Tom Hanks' acting was pretty convincing in this movie.
It's a wonderful life(Hollywood Movie 1946)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
George Bailey has spent his entire life giving of himself to the people of Bedford Falls. He has always longed to travel but never had the opportunity in order to prevent rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town. All that prevents him from doing so is George's modest building and loan company, which was founded by his generous father. But on Christmas Eve, George's Uncle Billy loses the business's $8,000 while intending to deposit it in the bank. Potter finds the misplaced money and hides it from Billy. When the bank examiner discovers the shortage later that night, George realizes that he will be held responsible and sent to jail and the company will collapse, finally allowing Potter to take over the town. Thinking of his wife, their young children, and others he loves will be better off with him dead, he contemplates suicide. But the prayers of his loved ones result in a gentle angel named Clarence coming to earth to help George, with the promise of earning his wings. He shows George what things would have been like if he had never been born. In a nightmarish vision in which the Potter-controlled town is sunk in sex and sin, those George loves are either dead, ruined, or miserable. He realizes that he has touched many people in a positive way and that his life has truly been a wonderful one.
Rating:10/10
Bonuses: 1)The ending will definately give you the feel of christmas day, no matter what day you watch this movie 2)Your life has a lot of linkages to every happening and this movie teach you how important and horrible your life can be 3)Ethics is very important thing for one to learn how to use it in one life. 4)It show you how to solve bank run if the regulation that enforce banks don't work 5)See!Good ethics will have its beautiful and wonderful reward.
Doremifasolasido(Korean Movie 2008)
Synopsis:
This move is about love triangle between two male and one female teenagers. The female lead character in this movie lost friendship(that last many years since childhood) with one male lead just because of this incident. Based on the present setting, she met the other male lead when he was moving house where it is just opposite to her home. Love sparks there somehow. Suddenly love triangle fell into this picture when all three lead characters met.
Rating:8/10
Bonuses: 1)I like how the love triangle story from start to end. 2)Great rock music for doremifasolasido band. 3) the male lead as a main singer in rock band sang nice music that many girls will like this one.
Stalingrad (German Movie 1993)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
"Stalingrad" follows the progress of a German Platoon through the brutal fighting of the Battle of Stalingrad. After having half their number wiped out and after being placed under the command of a sadistic Captain, the Lieutenant of the platoon leads his men to desert. The men of the platoon attempt to escape from the city which is now surrounded by the Soviet Army.
Rating:7/10
Bonuses:1)Obviously, it is sending some kind of anti-war message 2)It is there for you to see the meanings of cruelty, hardship, sorrow and etc.
Once Upon A Time In Mexico(Hollywood Movie 2003)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
Once upon a time... it is a time of trouble is Mexico. The Mexican president has declared war on the Barillo drug cartel, who has plans to fight back by backing a coup by General Marquez. Agent Sands of the CIA is in the middle of it all trying to make sure Marquez do NOT succeed... by forcing El Mariachi himself out of retirement... El Mariachi, after the death of his wife and daughter, no longer wishes to fight, but he may not have a choice. At Culiacan, Barillo and Marquez have set a trap for the president, and Sands want El Mariachi to take out Marquez after the coup. El Mariachi called upon his two brothers for the final showdown... To save the revolution. Who will remain standing at the end?
Rating:7/10
Bonuses:1)gun shooting battle 2)good ending for moral value
All Quiet on the Western Front(Hollywood Movie 1930)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
This is an English language film (made in America) adapted from a novel by German author Erich Maria Remarque. The film follows a group of German schoolboys, talked into enlisting at the beginning of World War 1 by their jingoistic teacher. The story is told entirely through the experiences of the young German recruits and highlights the tragedy of war through the eyes of individuals. As the boys witness death and mutilation all around them, any preconceptions about "the enemy" and the "rights and wrongs" of the conflict disappear, leaving them angry and bewildered. This is highlighted in the scene where Paul mortally wounds a French soldier and then weeps bitterly as he fights to save his life while trapped in a shell crater with the body. The film is not about heroism but about drudgery and futility and the gulf between the concept of war and the actuality
Rating:7/10
Bonuses:1)Old men told things to young men who, in turn, enlist for the war. And this turn out to be not so true in comparison of what old men said 2)Moral of the story is to experience it. That is when your true knowledge confirm the myth of a thing.
Gone with the wind (Hollywood Movie 1939)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
Scarlett is a woman who can deal with a nation at war, Atlanta burning, the Union Army carrying off everything from her beloved Tara, the carpetbaggers who arrive after the war. Scarlett is beautiful. She has vitality. But Ashley, the man she has wanted for so long, is going to marry his placid cousin, Melanie. Mammy warns Scarlett to behave herself at the party at Twelve Oaks. There is a new man there that day, the day the Civil War begins. Rhett Butler. Scarlett does not know he is in the room when she pleads with Ashley to choose her instead of Melanie
Rating:9/10
Bonuses:1)It teaches you that most of the time you are loving an imaginary things that don't really exist 2)When it is too late, the real things you truly love is gone by the time broke them apart. 3)it is one hell brillant almost 3 hours movie i ever seen 4)The ending is quite timing and nice.Nothing more you can ask for.
Strawberry Shortcake (Japan Movie 2006)
Synopsis extracted from wikipedia.org:
Strawberry Shortcakes (2006) is a Japanese film by director Hitoshi Yazaki. The film, based on the Japanese manga of the same name by Kiriko Nananan, concerns the life of four girls, as they deal with their own insecurities while living in the metropolis of Tokyo.
Rating:5/10
Black House (Korean Movie 2007)
Synopsis extracted from hancinema.net:
Jun-oh, formerly a bank employee, gets a call on his first day at work from a woman seeking advice. She asks if insurance is paid out on suicides, and only after hanging up does he see the warning on the insurance agreement. A few days Jun-oh receives a request for a meeting with an unknown policy holder. From the living room of a decrepit house Jun-oh opens the door to the bedroom to see a seven-year-old hanging from the ceiling. Police start an investigation, but the autopsy and all the evidence points to suicide. But Jun-oh can’t shake his suspicions that the incident was actually a murder. Believing that insurance, which should protect lives, cannot be seen to promote murder, he withholds payment. There is evidence of other serial murders, and a secret lying inside company records in storage. Where is the truth? And what is the true nature of the Black House?
Rating:7/10
bonuses:1)No ghost but gruesome murders to twitch your feets 2)A twist on the focus who is the murderer.
The Romance(Korean Movie 2006)
Synopsis extracted from koreanmovie.com:
Yoon-hee is so harassed by her husband's obsession and frantic love, that even breathing is painful to her. One day, her sudden suicide attempt is foiled when someone takes her in his arms and saves her. Hyung-jun is a rough-looking detective. He asks nothing, but maybe he knows that for some people, just being alive is hard enough.
Yoon-hee goes looking for Hyung-jun, and from the moment she sees him, feels that he already loves her deeply. Because she knows it is totally impossible to be free from her prison of marriage, the peace and happiness she feels at Hyung-jun's side is heartbreaking and frightening. Hyung-jun, used to his life of loneliness and despair, loves Yoon-hee at first sight, but as he can't do anything for her, just lets her go. The only thing he can do is to offer her and himself some comfort.
Rating:6/10
Bonus:1)First time love click everything between a man and a woman. It was enternal one with no objective at all but alas, the resistence came about from jealousy and evil.
A Cheerful Gang Turn The Earth(Japan Movie 2006)
Synopsis extracted from hkdvdstore.com:
Another heist comedy from Japan, this one based on a novel by Kotaro Isaka , circling on a cunning foursome that likes to rob banks. Naruse is a soft-spoken figure who can detect if people are telling a truth or a lie. Kyono is a philosopher of sorts who likes to marinate the bank captives with entertaining speeches while the rest take care of the cash. Their driver is played by the stunning Kyoko Suzuki, who's character has a precise biological clock inside her, in other words she's a time nut.
Rating:6/10
Bonus:1)Colourful action may pep your mood.
Herb(Korean Movie 2007)
Synopsis extracted from hancinema.net:
Sang-eun, a beautiful 20-year-old girl, but is mentally challenged. One day, she happens to meet Jong-Bom and deludes herself to think him as a beast under the vicious spell. Her mother who has taken care of her with such dedication feels a bit concerned and neglected as her love begins. However, least expected hardship come up and Sang-eun has to face the world all by herself.
Rating:8/10
Bonuses:1)Indeed beautiful story 2)A low IQ girl conquer the 'world' after her mother death 3)It is a miracle that she learn the most difficult things which she can't do in the first place.
Battle of Britain(United Kingdom Movie 1969)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
It is 1940, and the diabolical mind of Adolf Hitler is planning to bomb England into submission to his warped dreams of a 'Fortress Europe'. Standing between Britain's freedom & Hitler's terrifying plans is the R.A.F - dedicated pilots who took to the skies again & again in the face of overwhelming odds. The German Luftwaffe's planes outnumber the R.A.F's by more than 2 to 1 - 650 planes of the R.A.F. vs. 2,500 of the Luftwaffe! These odds. however, do not deplete the determination of the R.A.F. to stop Hitler, and as the Luftwaffe launches wave after wave of Heinkel 111 bombers against British cities, the R.A.F. responds, under the leadership of Air Vice Marshal Park (Howard) and Squadron Leaders Canfield (Caine) and Harvey (Plummer) who lead the newest pilots of the R.A.F. into confrontation after confrontation with the Luftwaffe's experienced veterans, with the aim of driving Hitler's forces away from Dover's white cliffs for good...
Rating:9/10
Bonuses:1)one of exciting and natural-filmed air battle 2)guessing game on which target german will attack 3)probably a miracle that the shortage of britain air pilots. It left a desirable to win the air battle given that the german air force was much larger. 4)Hail Britain.Watch it and you will be delighted.
Skeletons in the Closet(Korean Movie 2007)
Synopsis extracted from yesasia.com:
If normal families are dysfunctional, then what about dysfunctional families? Jeong Yun Cheol, who won hearts, awards, and box office with 2004's Marathon, writes and directs his second film, family comedy Skeletons in the Closet (a.k.a. Shim's Family).
Like in Marathon, Jeong keenly and convincingly paints characters and relationships with a clever script and uncommon storytelling, creating a film that is both odd and oddly heartwarming.
The film makes use of a talented ensemble cast that includes Kim Hye Su (Tazza: The High Rollers), Park Hae Il (The Host), Jung Yoo Mi (Family Ties), Lee Ki Woo (Sad Movie), and veterans Cheon Ho Jin and Moon Hee Kyung.
Detailing how an eccentric family learns to come together in times of need, Skeletons in the Closet is a humorous character-driven drama that is as crowd-pleasing and compelling as Jeong's previous work.
The five members of the Shim family don't get along too well. The father (Cheon Ho Jin) is a harried teacher who is bothered by the rote and ineffectiveness of his work. At home, he resists his wife's (Moon Hee Kyung) night-time overtures because he's too tired. She's pretty tired herself as well, tired of the endless household chores and inappreciative family.
Her sister (Kim Hye Su) writes martial arts fantasy novels, and has no prospects of getting married or moving out any time soon. Their troublemaking son (Yoo Ah In) skips classes, fantasizes about his previous life as a Joseon Dynasty king, and spends his time chasing after a girl (Jung Yoo Mi) who wants nothing do with him.
The sleepy youngest daughter (Hwang Bo Ra), meanwhile, just wants to know one thing: how did she end up in this mess of a family?
Rating:5/10
The Four Feathers(Hollywood Movie 2002)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
Set in 1884 Sudan, this fifth film to be adapted from the A.E.W. Mason novel follows a British officer who resigns his post right before his regiment ships out to battle the rebels. Perceiving his resignation as cowardice, his friends and fiancée give him four white feathers, the symbol of cowardice, but little do they know he's actually going undercover and plans to redeem his honor
Rating:7/10
Bonuses:1)The price of arrogance proved to be too much for British army 2)That is how the life is about.
Don't look back(Korean Movie 2006)
Synopsis extracted from hancinema.net:
Jung-hee, a 21 year-old college student is a lover of dance. She is confused when her father comes back after a fifteen-year absence and finds it difficult to accept him. 25 year-old Keun-woo is a telephone mechanic who enjoys eavesdropping while at work. He gets to know a woman through eavesdropping and falls in love with her. However, he is quite lost as to how he should express his feelings for her. Thirty-year-old In-ho was already a married man when he enlisted in the army two years previous. He comes home on his last leave of absence from the service. He detects something has changed in his wife but does not know what.
The film is about these three young people whose lives are thrown into uncertainty. What will be waiting for them at the end of their journey through life?
Rating:5/10
Midway(Hollywood Movie 1976)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
The glory, the suspense, the spectacular drama of the men who won the most decisive naval battle in U.S. history.
Rating:8/10
Bonusus:1)Woohoo, i love silent tactical battleship work before the tactics come into action. 2)It is a question of right or wrong for sending such tactical move to intercept enemy attack 3)Battle Stations!You shall guess it as you move on to middle of this movie.
Umizaru Evolution (Japanese Drama 2006)
Synopsis extracted from wiki.d-addicts.com:
A story of friendship, love and the brutal training of 14 Japan Coast Guard officers becoming rescuer divers. The rescuer divers, on the front line in rescue activities in heavy seas and always one step away from death, are a group of specialists in a profession that only 1% of all Coast Guard officers qualify for. In order to receive that qualification they have to undergo 50 days of grueling training in rescue activities. The young Cost Guard officers, including Daisuke Senzaki, take on the challenge of that hellish training. The story concentrates on the lives of the divers after having passed their examination
Rating:8/10
Bonuses:1)It give you a good feeling each time you see umizaru saving people's lives 2)It teach you how you should give priority to. 3)It reflect my saying 'Safety come first, anything else come last' whenever i do something.
Girl,Thirteen (or The Wonder Year)(Korean Movie 2007)
Synopsis extracted from hancinema.net:
13-year-old Soo-ah lives with her mother. After her father passed away a few years ago, her mother runs a diner to support their living, and she’s always too busy to have much time taking care of the adolescent daughter. Soo-ah does not approve the robust mother’s hard living, because she thinks a popular singer is her real mother. Soo-ah loves to daydream about the real mother, watching the Pop singer’s music videos. One day, Soo-ah decides to leave her home and go to Seoul for the Pop singer’s concert. So she gets on the train, and meets a friend, and the two of them land in Seoul. But Soo-ah has no money to buy the concert ticket, so they wait at the back door until the show ends. Now Soo-ah hesitantly approaches the star, but…
Rating:6/10
Bonus:An imaginary mother was extracted from her father's diary as she long for so-called real family. It turn out to be imaginary and her present mother is the one who gave birth to her.
Kindaichi Shounen no Jikembo 3 SP- Murder on the Magic Express(Japanese Movie 2001)
Synopsis extracted from wiki.d-addicts.com:
When the head of the touring magician’s group “Magical Fantasy‿ is murdered on a train while on his way to Hokkaido, young Kindaichi, who also just happens to be on board, is fast on the case to find the culprit. But just as quickly as the case unfolds, the body disappears only to be rediscovered again, along with other new bodies
Rating:6/10
Bonus:Mystery lure you out into asking yourself a lot of questions on how these murders were created.
A bridge too far(Hollywood Movie 1977)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
This WWII film follows the perspectives of American, Polish and British soldiers attempting to capture key bridges behind German lines in a complicated parachute and armoured assault
Rating:7/10
Bonuses:1)Truth is clearly shown in great detail. 2)Indeed it was a bridge too far!
Tora!Tora!Tora!(Japanese and American Movie 1970)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
In 1941 the Japanese are at odds with the United States on a number of issues which they are attempting to resolve via their Washington embassy. In case this diplomacy fails, the military are hatching plans for a surprise early Sunday morning air attack on the U.S. base at Pearl Harbour. American intelligence is breaking the Japanese diplomatic messages but few high-ups are prepared to believe that an attack is likely, let alone where or how it might come.
Rating:10/10
Bonuses:1)It is way better than modern movie Pearl Harbour 2)A wonderful view of how the chain of command within american military lag each other 3)Japan navy has no qualms attacking Pearl Harbour 4)Masterpiece of a film that pan in incredible amount of detail on every japanese figthers bombing every available and sighted battleships and flighters that were on the sea and land respectively. 5)What more can you ask for?
Boiler Room(Hollywood Movie 2000)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
Seth Davis, a Queens College dropout has high aspirations. The casino Seth operates from his apartment is a good source of revenue; but does not meet the high expectations of his father. His father is a successful judge who is stern, which makes his approval important to Seth. One night, when Seth looks out his front door at the yellow Ferrari, he is introduced to the wealth potential of stock brokerage. Seth pursues a career with J.T. Marlin, a wire house located on Long Island. As a junior associate he learns the craft of sales over the phone. He is aiming for a position as a senior broker after obtaining his Series 7 license. He's terrific salesperson. Once he completes his training, the pay is phenomenal. He soon notices the commissions earned at J.T. Marlin are much larger than average. At this point he becomes apprehensive of J.T. Marlin's business practices. While entering this profession to impress his father; Seth soon figures out he may have chosen the wrong profession
Rating:7/10
bonuses:1)Yeah, that is what you see that humans get swayed by the moment of making quick bucks. 2)The main lesson of this movie is that it doesn't pay well to do short cut for such wonderful success.
Miracles of Giving Fool(Korean Movie 2008)
Synopsis extract from hancinema.net:
Ji-ho is a promising pianist, studying and playing abroad for years. But one night she had a stage fright and never recovers. In despair, Ji-ho comes home and meets her old classmate Sung-ryong. Once a very bright boy, Sung-ryong had an accident and now he is in late 20s with the mind of a six year old. He is very forgetful, but he has never forgotten his first love Ji-ho. Other half of Sung-ryong’s dumb mind is occupied with his only family – younger sister Jee-in. To take care of her, Sung-ryong sells toasts in front of Jee-in’s school. But Jee-in is embarrassed of her idiotic brother and ignores him. And Sang-soo is Sung-ryong’s old friend who understands Sung-ryong’s innocent mind. But he inevitably falls to the world of gangsters. Ji-ho is still in her slump, Jee-in falls sick and Sang-soo gets involved in a bloody dispute. But all of their agonies are miraculously saved by Sung-ryong in a way nobody has forseen….
Rating:7/10
Bonuses:1)Indeed, it is a miracle for people to feel hope in doing something from idiot. 2)Hey, it is great to be idiot!
Hidden Floor(or Forbidden Floor)(Korean Movie 2006)
Synopsis extracted from hancinema.net:
Min-young moves onto the fifth floor of a new studio apartment with her six-year-old daughter, Joo-hee. She's concerned when her downstairs neighbor, HAN Chang-soo, says that he cannot tolerate the noise above him, even though the two women live tranquilly. Furthermore, she is anxious about other residents' strange behaviors – never mind the mysterious deaths. Min-young hardens herself mentally after the move into the new house, largely because of her daughter's unprecedented odd behavior and continual run-ins with a bizarre woman. Convinced that Joo-hee has fallen sick and perturbed by the mysterious events around the studio apartment, Min-young looks to disclose the truth by herself...
Rating:7/10
Bonuses:1)This horror flick probably keep you guessing where the ghost is. 2)Time to scream.
The Longest Day(American Movie 1962)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
England in June 1944. Unseasonal storms. Allied troops are massed ready for the invasion of France, some already on the boats. The Normandy beaches will be their destination while paratroopers are dropped inland to take key towns and bridges. On the other side of the Channel the Germans still expect the invasion at Calais, and anyway the weather makes them think nothing is likely to be imminent. Eisenhower decides to go. Hitler sleeps on.
Rating:8/10
Bonuses:1)A full blow plan of d-day in Longest Day, probably better than Saving Private Ryan just for D-Day scenario. 2)Interesting depth in the story in between allies and german who both are waiting for confrontation. 3)Some well-known generals look like exactly as they should be.
Change(Japanese Drama 2008)
Synopsis extracted from jdorma.com:
The story begins with the deaths of ruling party's Fukuoka legislator and his eldest son, his heir apparent, in an accident. It is decided that a by-election will be held, and Kanbayashi Masaichi, the leader of the ruling party, and secretary Miyama Rika conceive the idea of fielding the second son, Asakura Keita, who had been renounced by his father.
After Keita graduated from senior high school, he went on to a university in Nagano because he wanted to live in a place with beautiful stars, and eventually became an elementary school teacher over there. Well-liked by children and satisfied with his beloved star gazing, Keita has no interest in the world of politics. However, at Rika's persuasion and the pressure of his family, he reluctantly decides to announce his candidacy.
Upon returning to Fukuoka, Keita is given a hearty welcome by supporters. The election strategist, Nirasawa Katsutoshi, arrives there. He is guided by the notion "election is the only permitted legal war" and begins Keita's election campaign
Rating:9/10
Bonuses:1)A refreshing politican is fast tracked to be prime minister within few weeks 2)A lot of unprecedented things happen 3)For those who are weary with current affair of own government politics, they should watch this drama 4)As usual, Kimura always act in most of excellent dramas. No doubt, it is worth of Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix Spring 2008 award.
The Old Garden (Korean Movie 2007)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
Hyun-woo steps out of prison after a 17-year sentence for his anti-government activities. During his long imprisonment, everything has changed even his fellow anti-government protesters have become mundane. His mother then tells him of the death of Yoon-hee, who harbored and loved him right before he was caught 17 years ago. To cherish memories with her, Hyun-woo goes back to the place where the two had spent a few months together like a couple of honeymooners. Reading through Yoon-hee’s diaries and letters, Hyun-woo discovers that she was the only one who remained loyal to him to the end. Because of her faith and love, the despair and loneliness that Hyun-woo felt after his imprisonment is slowly healed. He also discovers that Yoon-hee left him another gift behind – their daughter.
Rating:6/10
Bonus:1)Slow and sweet long-time love story.
All For Love (Korean Movie 2005)
Synopsis extracted from koreanfirm.org:
A week passes in Seoul, with a diverse group of couples and singles experiencing love or tragedy in strong doses. Broken families and newly-formed marriages, struggles with debt or with an uneasy conscience, conflict and resolution, sickness and health, newly-discovered love, the resurfacing of old relationships... Similar to Robert Altman's Short Cuts or, more recently, Richard Curtis' Love Actually, sophomore director Min Kyu-dong (Memento Mori) utilizes a large cast of talented actors and a well-written screenplay to weave a multitude of stories into a single narrative.
Whereas sweet-tinged optimism tied together the multiple parts of Love Actually, director Min adopts a more somber tone in All For Love that is sympathetic to the struggles of its characters, but not necessarily convinced that everything will work out for them. Indeed, the film feels like it was made in a time of economic insecurity, with people feeling a bit uneasy about the future. Thanks in part to this, real drama develops towards the middle and later sections of the film, as we draw closer to the characters and become concerned for their welfare. The ending finally brings everything together in an ambitious crescendo, leaving the audience satisfied but also, perhaps, a bit exhausted.
The cast is almost uniformly good, so that each viewer may have a different favorite couple. Veteran actor Joo Hyun (A Family) and Oh Mi-hye (making her film debut) are a particular treat as a gruff theater owner and a woman who rents a coffee shop from him. Despite playing opposite multiple attractive young actresses, Ms. Oh is clearly the most beautiful woman in the film.
Uhm Jung-hwa (Princess Aurora) and Hwang Jeong-min (You Are My Sunshine) are a jolt of comic energy in their indignant bickering and awkward attempts to reconcile. Im Chang-jung (Sex is Zero) and Seo Young-hee (Jealousy is My Middle Name) provide some of the film's most dramatic moments as a newlywed couple crushed by debt and desperate for work. Yoon Jin-seo (Oldboy)'s role as a young woman about to be ordained as a nun may seem a bit far-fetched, but she acts with such charm that this is easy to overlook. Finally Cheon Ho-jin, a long-time supporting actor finally beginning to attract some notice, gives a rock-solid performance as a tightly-wound, divorced father struggling to raise his son.
It's true perhaps that All For Love (the Korean title, by the way, means "The Most Beautiful Week in My Life") fails to hit the brakes at some key moments. I would probably consider the TV basketball match re-enactment scene with Kim Soo-ro to be absolutely ludicrous, if I hadn't seen similar displays of emotional kitsch on Korean TV before. The When Harry Met Sally reference also felt awkward and forced. But on the whole, this film is a winner, for its narrative strength and its large cast of memorable characters
Rating:6/10
Bonus:1)The moral of the movie is that you don't need to give any hoot to anything that happen in your life.
Coffee Prince (Korean Drama 2007)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
The life of Go Eun Chan (Yoon Eun Hye) is not easy; she works many jobs to pay off debts and even gave up her feminine image. Choi Han Kyul (Gong Yoo) is the heir of a big food company, but his grandmother wants him to settle down, so she arranged many dates for him. After Eun Chan bumped into Han Kyul and was mistaken for a boy, Han Kyul decided to hire Eun Chan to be his gay lover in order to avoid the arranged dates. Desperately in need of money, Eun Chan had no choice but to accept. Han Kyul's grandmother also made Han Kyul in charge of a filthy coffee shop in danger of being bankrupt. Eun Chan begged to work at the coffee shop, and not long after, feelings start to spark, except, how would Han Kyul accept his "homosexuality"?
Rating:7/10
Bonuses:1)Yoon Eun Hye's acting is getting better after her first drama acting(Goong experience) 2)The cast of this drama show some considerable chemistry that you would have thought that it is for real.
Path Of Glory(Hollywood Movie 1957)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
In Stanley Kubrick's "Paths of Glory" war is viewed in terms of power. This mesmerizing, urgent film about a true episode in World War I combines the idea that class differences are more important than national differences with the cannon-fodder theory of war, the theory that soldiers are merely pawns in the hands of generals who play at war is if it were a game of chess. The result of this amazing film has been the emergence of one of the great talents in contemporary cinema, the master whose greatest work was yet to come.
Rating:6/10
Bonus:1)Army politics
The Glorious Team Batista (Japanese Movie 2008)
Synopsis extracted from twitchfilm.net:
Coming as it does from the production arm of major Japanese broadcaster TBS it should probably not be quite so surprising that medical thriller The Glorious Team Batista plays like little more than an over blown television movie but somehow I expected more. Director Yoshihiro Nakamura is an accomplished veteran of the industry, after all, and one who has collaborated as a writer with Yoichi Sai and Hideo Nakata and his cast boasts a number of prominent names, prime among them Hiroshi Abe.
The story goes like this. A prominent heart surgeon and his team have had an uncommonly long string of successes with a high risk procedure known as Batista surgery in which a piece of the heart is removed and the remaining tissue sewn tight to correct enlargements of the organ. Despite a normal average success rate of only sixty percent the team rolled off twenty six consecutive successful surgeries before a string of three straight failures, failures that trouble the lead surgeon enough that he has requested an investigation into what’s going wrong, hoping to detect some flaw that can be corrected. Desiring an outside opinion on the situation he hospital assigns the investigation to Taguchi, a shy young woman who works in the hospital as a sort of low level therapist, listening to ‘undefined complaints’ from a regular crew of hypochondriacs and lonely old women.
Taguchi, however, is unable to find anything wrong and labels the deaths as unexplainable, a result that doesn’t please the hospital’s director who calls in a favor with old friend Shiratori, a brash health ministry investigator played by Hiroshi Abe who barges in, labels the deaths murder and starts slinging accusations around in hopes of provoking some sort of response.
And so the search is on but the problem is the film offers neither a plausible mystery – why does Abe conclude murder when the team has a success rate more than twenty percent better than the national average? – nor plausible suspects nor much in the way of dramatic tension. The characters are stock at best, the story arc blandly predictable and the ending drawn out beyond reasonable bounds. The technical end is solid and the performances good enough but the script for this just feels far more like a lengthy episode of prime time network television from the pre-HBO era – much more Murder She Wrote or Matlock than Dexter – than it feels like the feature film – adapted from a popular mystery novel – that it is. Horrible? No, just horribly bland.
Rating:9/10
Bonuses: 1)That is how batista operation is like 2)Hiroshi Abe is top notch actor and everything seem so neutral about his acting skill. 3)A nice twist to find out who is murhder 4)Time for you learn how operation should be.
Happy Life(Korean Movie 2007)
Synopsis extracted from koreanmovie.com:
Sang-woo, the leader of college rock band Volcano, dies and sets up a reunion for Gi-yeong and the other members of the group. Former bass player Seong-wook lives a hand-to-mouth existence working two jobs. Drummer Hyeok-su is a single father struggling to make a living as a car salesman. The jobless lead guitarist Gi-yeong dreams of taking over Volcano as the new frontman. When he suggests they reform the band while the old friends reminisce at the funeral, they all spurn the idea. But Gi-yeong persists and gets each to relent, setting the stage for a rock and roll reunion
Rating:7/10
Bonuses:1)Good old and sweet rock and roll 2)Is that good to live?
Platoon(Hollywood Movie 1986)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) is a young, naive American who gives up college and volunteers for combat in Vietnam. Upon arrival, he quickly discovers that his presence is quite nonessential, and is considered insignificant to the other soldiers, as he has not fought for as long as the rest of them and felt the effects of combat. Chris has two commanding officers, the ill-tempered and indestructible Staff Sergeant Robert Barnes (Tom Berenger) and the more pleasant and cooperative Sergeant Elias Grodin (Willem Dafoe). A line is drawn between the two officers and a number of men in the platoon when an illegal killing occurs during a village raid. As the war continues, Chris himself draws towards psychological meltdown. And as he struggles for survival, he soon realizes he is fighting two battles, the conflict with the enemy and the conflict between the men within his platoon.
Rating:7/10
Bonuses:1)No teamwork and no attack co-ordination and so war is lost 2)Thumb rule for invading the foreign territory is to treat them nicely.
Girl Scout(Korean Movie 2008)
Synopsis extracted from hancinema.net:
Mi-kyung drives a van for a private tutor institute. Yi-man works part time at a local supermarket. Bong-sun lives with her sick children, and Eun-ji is being chased down because of her father’s debt. Nothing can get any worse for these women and they only dream to live a simple life in the future, but one day, they get themselves into a big mess when Hyae-ran runs off with their money. Mi-kyung gathers up others to catch her and get their money back, and this is how the “Bongchon 3-dong Girl Scout” was organized. As they fall deep into a cruel underground world, the situation turns for the worse.
Rating:7/10
Bonuses:1)Laughers for you 2)Wrestling for the money.
Book Title:Even Buffett Isn't Perfect: What You Can--and Can't--Learn from the World's Greatest Investor
Author:Vahan Janjigian and Steve Forbes
Opinions: This book amazingly show academic works that are mostly taught in undergraduate courses and the author of this book tried to link it with Buffett's success and belief. It is pretty good to give author's opinion and some relevant empirical evidences to show some of buffett's view/thoughts wrong.
Rating: 9/10
Book Title:The New Paradigm for Financial Markets: The Credit Crash of 2008 and What It Means
Author: George Soros
Opinions: I think he has improved his writing in attempt to explain his model of reflexivity that came to his idea from his favourite influential person, Karl Popper. His view on sub-prime and housing bubble that took place in USA recently is quite interesting. Probably alternative view to most used two words 'Moral Hazard' by many people who penned almost every article in media.
rating:8/10
Book Title:When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management
Author: Roger Lowenstein
Opinions:I long heard Long Term Capital Management demise when i was studying princple of banking and finance module. However the study guide of this module did not explain the whole story. Out of curiousity, i went to borrow this book to learn how the failure arrived. Fortunately, I read few chapters from textbook titled Investments written by Bodie. It greatly supplement my understanding as much on derivative and hedging strategies as possible. I have better idea how the author wrote on what professionals in Long Term Capital Management do. Yet again, it affirm my two beliefs. They are 1)'Modern finance that is now widely taught in all business schools has one biggest flaw which it assume that the market is efficient' and 2)'Statistics, although i believe it is somewhat useful to assist one's reasoning and analysis should not be used for stock method analysis as if the past tell something about the future'. Best of all, there are a lot of arguement over what kind of package should be done in order to rescue Long Term Capital Management among CEOs/Presidents of top-tier banks.
Ratings:9/10
Miss Gold Digger (Korean Movie 2008)
Synopsis extracted from imdb.com:
Actress Han Ye-seul offers advice on how to ``shop'' for men in her screen debut. In her polygamous romantic relationships, she adopts different personas for each boyfriend, from being a prim and proper lady for her JFK-like boyfriend to a sexy party girl for a young rapper. But when her shopping spree starts to get tangled, the men show their true side when they discover that they have been manipulated
Rating:8/10
Bonuses:1)Han Ye-seul is fast becoming excellent actress 2)You see how girls play with boys 3)Good story
Book Title:The Intelligent Investor
Author:Benjamin Graham and commentary done by Zweig
Opinions:It is one of classic investment book. I agree everything what Graham thought through his research and experience of stock market. Incredible book. I indeed read it again and again after I have done with my degree. It is the kind of investment philosophy that create enough defence for your income up against market risk as well as firm risk. Again and again, many investors, being blinded by their so-called impressive return they had obtain, burn their fingers because the defence was not enough to hang on. Just imagine that you are in a army that is filled with musketeers and you are to defence up against waves and waves of enemy attack that was riding horses with any kind of sharp weapons. Take note it is not-so-modern warfare. A poorly position of the army will see the defence fall instantly. That is one reason why defence can easily collapse. Another reason is that the leader send the wrong signals where, when, and how to defend enemy by attacking. Similarly, many investors were using models to tell them to invest. The biggest trait is that they don't even bother to understand how the models work. They all care about the percentage of return. When the market risk that greatly affect all industries is up against them, they will be dropping their own pants by selling securities at whatever price they can manage to sell. Why did they do that?Simply to say, their own models doesn't work what the market price of securities should be. There was a big contradiction.It make them panic. Models are craeted with the basis of the assumptions used. Hence these assumptions were not present in the period of bear market. This book does not teach you any model on how to earn such sky high return or beat the market but a philosophy to have enough defence. The best defence in investment is margain of safety which Graham and his best disciple, Warren Buffett stressed the most. Frankly, i wish i can lay hand on the first edition of this book but it is pretty hard to find one today.
Rating:10/10
Book title:A Modern Approach to Graham and Dodd Investing
Author:Thomas P.Au
Opinion:I pick this book in attempt to find out the modified Graham and Dodd investment tools that are shaped for modern investment era. It turn out to be a mass of stuffs which can be taught in any business schools. However, the difference is that it has much more caution and probably strict guidance for safety. Yeah, the safety of investment has been preach throughout Graham and Dodd's Security Analysis and Graham's intelligent investor. Thomas P.Au, without any qualms, brought over the real concern of safety for investment. The best chapters i ever read in this book is the last two chapters. The last two chapters illustrated nicely about economics and pattern of human. I think it is quite good start for one who never been studied in business school for undergraduate course. I think that the title of this book is quite misleading.
Rating:7/10
Tony Del Piero wrote and posted at at 6:59 pm
