Summer Jaunts – Toronto Japanese Film Festival 2018

Attended from June 21-23, 2018

I know I’m LOOONNG overdue in writing this! Yes, I’ll get better….NEXT year!

Not many things brings an old woman getting closer to retirement joy than to attend a film festival that is highlighting one of her favorite Japanese actors! Nothing brings more joy than being so close but unlike some of her friends on Facebook and Twitter, too chicken to take that quick selfie with said actor; however, I still feel my drama and movie life is complete having been in the same room and breathing the same air with Takumi Saito!! Yes, yes! Without even flying across the waters, this encounter was a dream come true! Saito is definitely on the short list of Japanese male and even female actors combined that I would aspire to meet one day. It was a joy and an extreme pleasure to have done so. But it was a great trip from the beginning to end!! Here’s why….

Favorite Movies Watched for 2017…..so far

Movies and More Movies!

Movies are truly my passion! It was Asian movies that are responsible for grabbing my interest in drama watching.I was SOOOOO many movies each year. I wish I had the time to review all of them. Instead, let me give you a quick list of movies from 2017 hat I would recommend. MDL refers to MyDramalist website.

Movie Monday – Battle of the Remakes ~ Golden Slumber (2010/2018)

Starring:
Japanese stars: Sakai Masato as Masaharu Aoyagi,Takeuchi Yuko as Haruko Higuchi, Aibu Saki as Koume Inoue, Ito Shiro as Hirakazu Aoyaki, Kagawa Teruyuki as Ichitaro Sasaki, Bengal as Shizuo Todoroki, and Hamada Gaku as Kill-O

Korean stars: Kang Dong Won as Gun Woo, Han Hyo Joo as Sun Yeong, Kim Sung Kyun as Geum Chul, Kim Eui Sung as Mr Min, Kim Dae Myung as Dong Gyu, and Jung Jae Sung as Jo Se Hyun

Rating: PG-13, subject matter and some violence

Running Time: 139 min (2010)/109 min (2018)

Twinkies: 3 1/2 (2010)/4 (2018) stars

Movie Monday-Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead (2018)

Starring: Kim Myung Min as Detective K, Oh Dal Soo as Seo Pil, Kim Sang Beom as Chun Moo, Lee Min Ki as Heuk Do Po, Kim Ji Won as Wol-Young, and Jang Yool, and Park Geun-Hyung as Kim Shin

Rating: PG-13, subject matter and some violence

Running Time: 120 min

Twinkies: 4 3/4 stars

Movie Monday – Let’s Go JETS! (2017)

Starring: Hirose Suzu as Tomonaga Hikari, Nakajou Ayami as Tamaki Ayano, Amami Yuki as Saotome Kaoruko, Mackenyu as Yamashita Kosuke, Kentaro as Yashiro Hiroshi, and Yanagi Yurina as Reika Murakam

Rating: PG

Running Time: 121 min

Twinkies: 3 1/2 stars

Movie Monday – This Is Not What I Expected (2017)

Starring: Kaneshiro Takeshi as Lu Jin, Zhou Dong Yu as Gu Sheng Nan, Sun Sean as Xiao Meng, Yang Tony as Cheng Zi Qian

Rating: PG-13, subject matter

Running Time: 106 min

Twinkies: 4 1/2 stars

Movie Monday – Thanksgiving Holiday 2017 Movie Watch List~Adult Version

Beautiful Accident
Wolf Warriors II
Shock Wave
This Is Not What I Expected

Starring: See Cast List Below

Rating: PG13-R, subject matter and violence

Running Time: Varies

Twinkies: 4 stars and up

Movie Monday – Thanksgiving Holiday 2017 Movie Watch List~Kid’s Edition

The Lego Ninjago Movie
The Emoji Movie
The Boss Baby
Captain Underpants

Starring: See Cast List Below

Rating: G to PG

Running Time: Varies

Twinkies: 4 stars and up

Movie Monday – Battle of Memories (2017)

Starring: Huang Bo as Jiang Feng, Xu Jinglei as Zhang Daichen, Yang Zi Shan as Chen Shanshan, Yihong Duan as Shen Hanqiang, and Hsu Tiffany as Mystery woman

Rating: R, subject matter and some violence

Running Time: 90 min

Twinkies: 4 stars

Movie Monday – Jodhaa Akbar (2008)

Starring: Hrithik Roshan as Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as Rajkumari Jodhaa Bai, Sonu Sood as Rajkumar Sujjamal, Kulbhushan Kharbanda as Raja Bharmal, Suhasini Mulay as Rani Padmavati, Raza Murad as Shamsuddin Ataga Khan, Poonam Sinha as Mallika Hamida Banu Begum, and Rajesh Vivek as Chugtai Khan

Rating: PG, subject matter and some violence

Running Time: 214 min

Twinkies: 5 stars