I’ve seen some great movies from South Korea lately. The villain in this flick, Min-sik Choi, also starred in Oldboy which I also highly recommend. I Saw the Devil is not a horror movie about the devil. It’s a story of revenge, the depths of depravity, and the extent of actions human beings may take when pushed to the brink. Very good movie…I highly recommend it.
The movie is from South Korea so it is subtitled, of course. There is also considerable violence and graphically-depicted horror scenes. It is about a serial killer, after all.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Great horror flick!
I’m not a huge fan of the horror genre but the few movies of this realm I do like I like a lot and count among my favorites. I must add Insidious to this list that includes The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby, The Changeling, Psycho, & Halloween. The common theme in these five movies is a well-written script and excellent cinematography. There’s minimal blood and gore which is a big turn-off for me.
I can’t recommend this movie highly enough.
I can’t recommend this movie highly enough.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The story is not untold, just not heard as often as the stories of the American prisoners held by the Japanese during WWII. The Germans treated prisoners awfully, as illustrated by the true stories in this book.
The death marches were unbelievable. Some marched over 400 miles with very little clothing, no food, and the worst winter Germany saw in over 50 years. I found the resolve for these men to survive to be remarkable. The most incredible fact is that more POWs didn't die considering what they went through. I was particularly moved by the description of a POW afraid to go to sleep one night because he was sure he would freeze to death. Truly inspirational and fascinating stories. The sacrifices these men made are hard to fathom.
The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because of the writing style. I'm nit-picky, I know, but the writing didn't flow enough to grip me. The stories were gripping, but the writing could have been more creative.
Still, I strongly recommend this book. It relates facts that we should all be aware of.
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Thursday, April 21, 2011
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I wanted to give this book five stars but I will get into why I had to give four. I really reserve the 5 star rating for the best books I have ever read. The last half of this book fits this description but the first half falls short.
What I mean by this is the level of detail and the number of people described in the first half of the book, before the battle scenes. I found myself struggling to remember all the names because I knew I would want to remember them when the battles were described. I really wish the author would have developed the people when they were in action. I found it to be very difficult to remember the characters' previous development when the real action of this unbelievable story was described.
One more gripe...I feel I have to describe these gripes because the story is really incredible and I want whoever reads this to understand why I didn't give the book 5 stars. There are many awesome pictures in the book. Some of them are of people who don't figure in the story, or at least I couldn't remember where they were. I mention this because Bud Walton's picture is featured. I thought 'whoa I've missed something about him' but I couldn't find the detail. You see, Bud Walton is a huge figure where I'm from. The basketball arena here (for the Arkansaa Razorbacks) is named Bud Walton Arena and he was also the brother of Sam Walton (founder of Walmart).
Anyway, let me get into what is so incredible about this book. The sailors who put their lives on the line against seemingly insurmountable odds were all heroes. I wonder if men comparable to them exist today. Would men charge into battle knowing they would probably die? We live in different times now but we should not ever forget the great sacrifices that the greatest generation gave in defense of our nation.
For many years the battle described in this book (the Battle off Samar) was not mentioned by the Navy. The author gets into these details and sheds a different light on some of the admirals who were perceived to be great, but may not deserve the accolades they received.
The book is incredible. I really liked it. I recommend it to any WWII buff like me or to anybody who wants to read about inspirational sacrifice and men who realized a sense of duty for their country.
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Wednesday, April 20, 2011
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Easily the best war novel I have ever read. I'd love to see HBO get a hold of it for a mini-series.
The story is told from the perspective of a glory-seeking second lieutenant straight out of West Pont. He's assigned a ground troop unit and soon experiences the hell these men are put through.
What impressed me the most was the realism complete with military tactics and the interaction between men sharing these awful experiences. My constant thoughtthrough the book was that military planners didn't value the lives of the ground troops as much today as they do know but a lot of this could be blamed on the technology available at the time. Want an airstrike but it's cloudy? Forget it...
I highly recommend this book. I left my copy with my dad - West Point grad and Vietnam Vet. He was lucky enough to fly in an A-6 az a navigator.
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My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I usually read heavier stuff but this title came across my radar and I was enticed to read it. I love history and the book does an excellent job of painting a feel for the Civil War time period. I particularly enjoyed the "gentlemanly" attitude of the historical characters that was brought to life.
It's a serial novel and there will be 2 more parts. I eagerly anticipate the next 2 installments.
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Sunday, April 17, 2011
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Good primer for those unfamiliar with the subject. I wish the book would have been identified as such before I bought it. Most of the book is an extremely boring read and entire chapters are verbatim reproductions of 18th/19th century "legalese."
If you've never heard of the Kentucky/Virginia resolutions and still think the Civil War was fought to free the slaves then I would highly recommend this book. Hardcore, well-versed libertarians shouldn't waste their time.
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Saturday, April 16, 2011
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The description above says the author provided a dispassionate observation of the Bolshevik revolution. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Author Reed was the most famous American socialist of his time and he very lovingly describes the actions of the Bolsheviks and their leaders. Lenin and Trotsky are regularly praised and positioned as messianic figures for the working class.
Those facts notwithstanding the book is a good historical account of what happened during that fateful time that would eventually culminate in a battle for the world's dominant political ideology. From the very beginning the Bolsheviks denied individual rights and cherished freedoms thinking this sort of revolution was inevitable and would eventually happen around the world as Marx said.
I wonder what the USSR would have ended up like had Lenin lived longer without Stalin ruling with an iron fist. I'm sure the end result would still have been a huge nation of oppressed people but would the nuclear standoff with America have come about?
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Friday, April 15, 2011
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
McCullough's first book is a remarkable account of the devastating 1889 flood that destroyed Johnstown and the rest of the surrounding river valley in Pennsylvania. A common theme I've found in books written about this time period is that mankind thought he had mastered the forces of nature...over 100 years later we know all too well how we never will.
Another remarkable detail is the attitude of the flood victims. No one insisted the government do anything...the government didn't back then. But fellow Americans did pick up the slack and helped the people of Johnstown recover their tangible losses. I wonder how different America would be today if we never became the nanny state that we are. Oh well...I guess that's why I enjoy reading historical works so much.
Another different perspective is how the legal action taken against the dam owners was promptly dismissed. Much of this had to do with the money and prestige of these powerful men who successfully reflected any responsibility for the tragedy.
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Thursday, April 14, 2011
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Easily the best war novel I have ever read. I'd love to see HBO get a hold of it for a mini-series.
The story is told from the perspective of a glory-seeking second lieutenant straight out of West Pont. He's assigned a ground troop unit and soon experiences the hell these men are put through.
What impressed me the most was the realism complete with military tactics and the interaction between men sharing these awful experiences. My constant thoughtthrough the book was that military planners didn't value the lives of the ground troops as much today as they do know but a lot of this could be blamed on the technology available at the time. Want an airstrike but it's cloudy? Forget it...
I highly recommend this book. I left my copy with my dad - West Point grad and Vietnam Vet. He was lucky enough to fly in an A-6 az a navigator.
View all my reviews
Monday, April 11, 2011
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow what a story...to think how times have (hopefully) changed since the time when "Moon" was born into a situation of considerable disadvantage. Oskaloosa Moon is a very moving story that forced me to consider my life's advantages and how I have treated others.
I highly recommend this book and hope to see it made into a movie one day.
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Thursday, April 7, 2011
Swan Song
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I grew up during the Reagan years when we regularly heard about the Doomsday Clock and feared the inevitable rain of nuclear missiles from Russia. These fears changed almost overnight beginning with the fall of the Berlin Wall but this time period is indelibly etched on my memory.
I have found that I really enjoy watching movies and reading books from the 80s that deal with this subject and Swan Song is definitely one of the best. The book paints a vivid picture of the despair and hopelessness that would certainly prevail should a nuclear holocaust ever break out. For a time I was reminded of 'The Stand' but McCammon's work strikes out on its own with an original tale to tell.
I highly recommend this book.
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Wednesday, April 6, 2011
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I'm a big fan of historical fiction. I love to read about far-away places in time or distance. North Korea is certainly one of the latter and is a relic of the seemingly distant totalitarian states that thrived during the 20th century. Unfortunately the stories told in this book are not fiction...they are very real.
But North Korea is still a totalitarian state - the people there are completely cut off from the world and are raised from birth to believe their society is the greatest the world has ever known. Demick's book is a remarkable look into the lives of those who have lived through the regimes of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il - and lived to tell the rest of the world about it.
Reading this book will provide perspective to anyone who thinks they have a bad station in life. North Koreans are an unlucky lot - unlucky only because they were born above the 38th parallel. I can't recommend this book highly enough it is deeply informative and moving.
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Monday, April 4, 2011
Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin by Timothy SnyderMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Bloodlands are a region of Eastern Europe that suffered more in the 20th century than anywhere else on Earth. These lands were conquered by Stalin, then Hitler, and then Stalin again. Snyder compares and contrasts the atrocities committed by these infamous world leaders who were very different in their tactics even if their desired outcomes were the same.
Within the Bloodlands Ukrainians suffered more than any other population. Details are shared in this book about their plight that will haunt me forever. We've all heard about the Holocaust...much of what Stalin did to the Ukraine didn't come to light until the fall of the USSR. Much of what we know about the Holocaust is based upon experiences Aushwitz because facilities like Treblinka were so efficient that there were no survivors. Hitler and Stalin both represent the depths of human depravity and books like this will keep us from ever forgetting.
Much has been written about the crimes of the WWII era and Snyder would argue that many accepted facts are based on pure conjecture. Snyder extensively researched his work and provides an extensive bibliography and explanation of how he arrived at his conclusions.
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