TV Review: Kill Me, Heal Me

Hello to all my dear friends at Bloggers World! It’s been  a while. I hope everyone is doing well.

Now coming to the topic at hand; this is my very first TV show review, and for the purposes of this review, I have chosen a Korean drama (any K-drama addicts here?) – Kill Me, Heal Me.

Plot

The human body is capable of all sorts of things to survive difficult situations. Cha Do Hyun is a third-generation business heir who developed dissociative identity disorder (previously known as multiple personality disorder) in the aftermath of several life-threatening traumatic events. He tries to regain control over his life with the help of Oh Ri Jin, a first-year psychiatric resident who helps him secretly. But Ri Jin’s twin brother, Oh Ri On, is a writer who is determined to uncover the unscrupulous lives of the rich and starts following Do Hyun around. Can Do Hyun take control over his condition before one of his seven personalities takes control over him instead?

(source: Wikipedia)

My Take

First of all, the acting by our lead, Ji Sung, was commendable. It is a difficult job to get into the shoes of a hypothetical person and do justice to it. Ji Sung plays the role of Cha Do-hyun, our hero, who suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), more commonly known as Multiple Personality Disorder,

#filmreview, #fridayfeature

TV Review – The Heavy Water War

I love a drama that is set during times and circumstances that were pivotal in history. This past spring, while perusing the suggestions Netflix made for me based on previous programs I’d watched, I stumbled upon The Heavy Water War — a six episode miniseries produced by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. (It’s title in Norwegian is Kampen om tungtvannet and in the UK it was titled The Saboteurs.)

Directed by Per-Olav Sørensen, the series was filmed in Norway and the Czech Republic. The Heavy Water War tells the story of the German atomic weapons program during the Second World War. At the outset of the series we see the events unfold from two different perspectives.

On the German side we watch Werner Heisenberg struggle with his conscience as he realizes the potential devastation a weapon derived from a tiny amount of radioactive uranium could wreck on the world.

On the other hand, we see the story focus on Norwegian Intelligence Officer, Lief Tronstad, as he oversees the planning and training for a mission by the British Army and Norwegian resistance fighters to sabotage the facility in Norway that produces heavy water (deuterium oxide – D2O, a necessary component in the production of a nuclear reaction).

The series begins with the invasion of Norway by Germany and Tronstad escaping to Britain to warn the Allies of his suspicions that the German are attempting to build an atomic bomb. As the Germans take over the country, production is doubled at the heavy water facility, Rjukan.

When Tronstad establishes contact with the War Ministry, a plan to destroy the Hydro facilities is drawn up. In Rjukan, new managing director Erik Henriksen is tasked with rooting out suspected saboteurs from the heavy water facility, after the first attempt, Operation Grouse, is a disastrous failure.

Even though the production facility is nearly impenetrable to bombs, the American Allies press the British and Norwegians for a bombing raid. Nevertheless,Tronstad persuades the Allies to send in a team of Norwegians instead. In Germany, Nobel Prize winner Werner Heisenberg promises a breakthrough in the development of a Nazi atomic bomb. He is not entirely trusted by the German government and is under constant scrutiny.

Without revealing any spoilers, this story was as exciting and nerve wracking as any spy thriller a fiction writer could invent in the pages of a novel. I highly recommend this series not just to history buffs, but to anyone who enjoys an edge-of-your-seat adventure!

 

#filmreview, #fridayfeature, #weekly

Movie review Room 2015

There’s definitely why this is an Oscar worthy movie. First off it is based off of actual events like many movies of late. The cast was seemingly just right. I read some pretty nasty reviews from some that out right hated the boy who played Jack. I will certainly not be surprised at it winning possibly 2 Oscars. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

The movie revolves around the two main Characters Ma/Joy played by Brie Larson who as expected Won an Oscar and had won  many other awards for this movie and has been an award winner in 2013 as well and she plays a strong mother trapped after being abducted by Old Nick, played by Sean Bridgers, who keeps them locked in a shed and he daily rapes Ma while Jack sleeps in a closet until it is over. Jack, played by Jacob Tremblay is barely noticeable as a boy as he has long hair and comes off a bit boyish. Ma tries to escape before having Jack and she is injured badly and she keeps devising plans to escape to no avail.

 Jack turns 5 and she starts telling him that the world they live in is not real life, TV is not real and he does not want to hear it. Ma comes up with a plan to escape where she pretends Jack died in his sleep after begging Old Nick to take him to the hospital the day before. Jack is given a tooth that fell out of Ma’s mouth and a note. He is rolled up in a rug to be buried. When Old Nick stops, Jack jumps out and is being chased while a neighbor realizes something is wrong and Old Nick takes off in his Red Truck. The police come and Jack tells them enough by his recalling three stops and describes the room with a sky window and the police arrest Old Nick and let Ma out.

Now that they are out and safe Joy is very anxious and wants Jack to start becoming normal. Her parents are divorced since before the abduction and Joy’s mom is dating a man who she grew up with. Her father Robert is played by William H Macy and while relieved he can’t handle being in the house he once lived in with his wife, the reporters, impending court case and refuses to look at Jack at a family dinner and he leaves abruptly. Joy’s mother is Nancy played by Joan Allen and they clash throughout the second half of the movie as Joy blames her mother for not warning her about strangers and being too nice. Jack has an imaginary dog and wishes to  have a real one. As it turns out Nancy’s boyfriend has a dog who he gave to a friend while both Joy and Jack build up their immune system. Leo, played by Tom McCamus finally goes to get his dog after Joy has a panic attack and is hospitalized. Nancy asks Jack if it is OK to cut his hair and at first he says no, does not want to play with toys or interact and he slowly comes out of his shell and plays ball with a neighbor’s son and he asks to have his hair cut to give to Ma as it will give her strength as he holds onto her tooth that gives him strength.

The late stages of the movie have Jack wishing to visit “Room” one last time. Now having been educated about the world, which he goes on a long diatribe before Joy returns from the hospital and they go and see “Room” he is surprised at how small it is. Joy didn’t want to see the place as she is still dealing with PTSD and they were accompanied by the police as it is a crime scene. That is how they ended it. I found it very watchable and the time of 2 hours really flew by.  

#weekly  #filmreview #fridayfeature

#filmreview, #weekly

Tagging – Ready Reckoner

So, I’ve been harping about Tagging the posts correctly  all this while, and so was the admin team before me.

Here’s why Tagging is important, not just here on Bloggers World but also for your blog. Fortunately, tagging on our own blogs is a little easier. Here, not so much!

Add to that, there are tags where the categories should be. I’m giving up on sorting that out or editing previous posts.

In the recent poll, most of you indicated that you would like to be told where the tags were incorrect so that you could use the correct ones the next time round. (The results came as a relief! I was worrying about being too strict and that everyone would choose the ‘No’ options 😀 )

Poll Results for ‘Admin Assistance on Tagging’

So after much research, I think I’ve figured out the tagging bit.

The only way to ensure that the posts are easily visible in tag search results is to get the tags correct. So, here’s a ready reference guide. You may use them from the tag box in the post editor or add them manually.

Add #feedback to posts asking for feedback.
Add #help to posts requesting help
Add #techhelp if you have a technical problem.
Add #idea to posts with an idea

These are suggestions. You may add additional tags as needed.

Add following tags to the individual Weekly Feature Posts :
Add #weekly for all weekly feature posts. 

Additional tags as per the respective weekly feature –
Monday – #etymology
Tuesday – #triviatuesday
Wednesday – #authorstory
Friday – #fridayfeature (also, add the following tags for the respective Friday feature – #quotations for Friday1, #100wordsstory for Friday2, #filmreview for Friday3 and #bookreview for Friday4)
Saturday – #creativewriting
BlogCast – #blogcast
Sunday 13 Words Story – #13wordsstory
Guest Posts – #guestfeature

This post may again get lost in the sea of posts that shall follow it. So, for your convenience, the same ready reckoner is there on the right side menu under the heading “Tags”.

Now if only I could figure out how to tag this post!

(Categories, I hear you say. You kidding me?!! that’s for another lifetime! 😛 )

Do you think this would be easy enough to follow? In case you have further doubts, please feel free to reach out.

 

#bloggingtools, #discussion

Movie Review : Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Released in 2011, this film had been on my list of ‘Movies to Watch’ for quite some time now. I finally got down to watching it today and was blown away.

Official Synopsis:
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel follows a group of British retirees who decide to “outsource” their retirement to less expensive and seemingly exotic India.  Enticed by advertisements for the newly restored Marigold Hotel and bolstered with visions of a life of leisure, they arrive to find the palace a shell of its former self.  Though the new environment is less luxurious than imagined, they are forever transformed by their shared experiences, discovering that life and love can begin again when you let go of the past.

#feedback, #filmreview, #fridayfeature, #weekly

TV Review: Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries

Thanks again to Netflix, I’ve been introduced to another fantastic show; this time the Australian Broadcasting Channel’s: Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries!

Thanks to Fanpop for the image

 

This show is an absolute delight! It’s set in the 1920’s before the world wide economic collapse, so times are high. Miss Phryne Fisher (pronounced ‘Fry-nee’) has just returned from England to Melbourne. As the last in line to inherit a title and a nice chunk of money, she returns to settle down and find a way to occupy her time in a worthy pursuit. As it turns out, she has a knack for solving mysteries and decides to become a private investigator.

Along the way, she invariably crosses paths with (and attracts the eye of) Detective Jack Robinson of the city police. With his constable, the adorable Hugh Collins, Jack tries (unsuccessfully) to keep Miss Fisher’s nose out of his investigations. The trouble is, Miss Fisher always seems to be one step ahead of the police. She is not above bending (and breaking) the rules of investigation to achieve her aims and well, inevitably, shenanigans ensue! All of this makes for a lively and light-hearted mystery show!

In addition to the weekly case to solve, the running plot line to the show is the disappearance of Phryne’s sister, Jane. When the two Fisher sisters were small, Jane disappeared and her body was never recovered. The man who was arrested for the crime, Murdoch Foyle, has never confessed to the crime and insinuates that he was not responsible. Miss Fisher visits him in prison when he proposes a deal.

If you enjoy a zany adventure, a naughty heroine with a heart of gold, a handsome hero and some fabulous period costumes and cars, then please check out Miss Fisher’s Mysteries on Netflix!

Thanks to Wikipedia, here is the cast:
• Phryne Fisher (Essie Davis), an independent, glamorous private detective, who is determined to solve any crime.
• Detective Inspector John “Jack” Robinson (Nathan Page), a police detective who works reluctantly with Miss Fisher.
• Dorothy “Dot” Williams (Ashleigh Cummings), is Miss Fisher’s companion (i.e. one employed to live with and serve another). Dot is a devout Catholic.
• Constable Hugh Collins (Hugo Johnstone-Burt), is Inspector Robinson’s right-hand-man, and Dot’s beau and later husband.
• Mr Butler (Richard Bligh), is Miss Fisher’s loyal butler, an excellent household manager who provides good advice when needed.
• Bert Johnson and Cec Yates (Travis McMahon and Anthony Sharpe) – Two working-class friends and devout communists, who often assist Miss Fisher’s investigations.
• Dr Elizabeth “Mac” Macmillan (Tammy MacIntosh), is Miss Fisher’s close friend and doctor at a women’s hospital in Melbourne.

From left: Dot, Jack, Phryne, and Hugh.  Thanks again Fanpop for the image.

 

#filmreview, #weekly

TV Review

Longmire

Hi everyone! I am doing the very first TV review for Blogger’s World! The show that I’m going to review is Longmire. The series premiered in 2012, on the A&E network and moved to Netflix for it’s fourth season in 2015. The series was developed by John Coveny and Hunt Baldwin, and is based on the Walt Longmire Mysteries series of mystery novels written by best-selling author Craig Johnson.

The central figure of the story is Sheriff Walt Longmire, of fictional Absaroka County, Wyoming, USA. The series opens as Walt is returning to work after his wife’s death. He is also coming up for re-election to the position of sheriff and faces opposition from within his own department. The quiet, brooding sheriff is assisted by his friends and his daughter, Cady, a lawyer, as he investigates major crimes within his jurisdiction. The cases sometimes cross into the Cheyenne Indian Reservation which borders the county. The enmity between the Cheyenne Tribal Police and the sheriff’s department sometimes boils over into open hostility. And the feud is more than just cultural resentment. Sheriff Longmire was responsible for the arrest and conviction of the former tribal police chief for corruption.

#filmreview, #weekly

Return to the Journey (A Star Wars Review)

 I am watching Return of the Jedi as I type this, and I am remembering…

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I had just graduated from college, starry eyed and ready to believe, when  Star Wars: A New Hope burst onto the screen on May 25, 1977.  I had no kid to take, but I didn’t care; my friends and I had read early great reports, and we were all excited about going to George Lucas’s new film.

We found seats in the perfect spot–three or four rows behind the center, smack in the middle section of the theater. I scrunched my knees up against the seat in front of me, and that music began to roll, and so did the words–marching away from me in neat battalions,  scrolling forward, opening up a new world that existed a long time ago and in a galaxy far, far away.

Star Wars: A New Hope was a revelation to me: a fairy tale for children, full in breadth and scope, that spoke to the heart of an adult.  I didn’t move, I don’t think, for the whole hero’s journey.  I watched the unknown, untested Luke begin to blossom–to discover his gifts, to unleash his daring and his bravery.  Everything, for Luke, was new–the adventure and his history, the martial arts, the weapons, the travel,–and the tragedy.  I sucked in my breath when that boy screeched his land speeder to a halt, jumped out, and came upon the remains of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beroo.

Family gone–essentially the only parents Luke ever knew–he is freed to forge new bonds. Old Ben–Obi-Wan–becomes his trusted mentor.  Han becomes a rakish role model.  Leia becomes a dream figure, a shining example of bold and righteous femininity.  The droids add humor and poignancy.

And the adventure, and the mystery, slowly unfold.

Oh, they shouldn’t win.  How could they win—puny, untrained humans struggling against a mechanized, organized, stealthy death corps?  But they have their truth and their belief; they have their valiant spirits, even when, as in the case of Han, that spirit is well-buried.

Their have allies–wookie and Jedi among ’em.  They have, as the poet wrote, the wit to win.

When the lights came up after A New Hope, I turned and asked my seat-buddy, “How long before the next one comes out?”

Can you imagine waiting THREE years–three years!–for the sequel?  The Empire struck back in 1980; and then, in 1983, the Jedi returned.  By then, I had me a 9-year old stepson and a good reason to go to the movie.  And oh, what a satisfying ending.  George Lucas had truly created an epic.

Life rolled on, we got a VCR, and the films became available on VHS.  Jim was born in 1990, and I can remember him in his one piece footie pajamas, bouncing up and down in front of the TV set, two fingers in his mouth, enthralled by the world of Star Wars.

“Wuke!” he would proclaim, pointing a menacing finger at whomever walked by. “I am your FODDAH!”

Do you remember your shock on learning that Vader was the daddy?  For Jim–and much of his generation–that was a truth they don’t remember ever not knowing.

*******
Now the music swells, ominously: Darth Vader’s ship has landed; his shining black presence fills the screen.  Oh, he’s a villain who chills.  I’m watching the original film: we are purists, avoiding the digitally enhanced version released for the 20th anniversary of the phenomenon’s beginning in 1997.  Jim was seven; Matt was twenty-one, and the second generation of Star Wars wonder began.  New toys abounded–“Oh, shoot,” said Matt, “the originals were better,” and Jim argued with him, hotly.

Star Wars was an archetypal tale by then, its people woven into the memory-fabric of all the children we knew.  Earnest Luke, rascally Han, beautiful, brave Leia.  Monsters and furballs and talking machines.  We had witnessed the birth and firm rooting of a classic tale.

***********

The prequels were disappointing to me–good, I guess, but not anywhere near the epics of episodes IV, V, and VI.  Tonight, I watch Jabba confront Chewie–oh, Jabba: that blubbery, devious, wicked piece of work!–and I wonder about the newest film.  Jim, raised on the saga, worries: does the new film turn heroes into the fallen?  He hesitates.  Perhaps he won’t go to the theater–perhaps he’ll wait for it to stream.

**********

But the originals, meanwhile, still thrill.  Here is Han, frozen in carbonite, and here is his mysterious rescuer.  I must go.  I will rely on my colleagues here in Blogging 101 for recommendations about the newest film in the series. Meanwhile, we need to get Han warmed up and seeing,—and clear of the dark side.

#filmreview, #fridayfeature, #weekly

Friday Feature Plan!

Dear Friends,

From the discussion so far, I have come to realize that rotation will be less boring and easy. I propose following 4 activities for 4 Fridays :

 

1. First Friday: 

Quotes–3 quotes by the same author, with brief author bio and picture. Please nominate yourself in advance. Better if you nominate when schedule confirmation post is done. Though there is no constraint of any number of us doing the same thing here on first Friday. All I know–we can share 3 quotes everyday and nobody will mind–just that images are allowed only for the featured posts as of now.

2. Second Friday:

100 words story. Please nominate yourself in advance to make your post a feature/sticky. However, there is no restriction on posting any number of them here.

3. Third Friday:

Film review/TV show review. It will be better if you review a film or an entire season of a TV show–however some TV shows have great episodes too and they can be reviewed sometimes. Again–no constraint on how many people do them.

4.  Fourth Friday:

Book Review.This one is hardest as far as I am concerned. So I seek help from readers. Please keep it up and running. A review a month, will keep unshakeable plinth or something…

 

Now since the next Friday ( November 20th ) is the 3rd Friday of the month. Who is up for a film review? I swear I didn’t plan it this way because I am fond of talking about films–it just happened this way.

 

Love and light ❤

 

Anand 🙂

 #quotations #100wordsstory #filmreview #bookreview