0823 – Crash (2004)

timespace coordinates: 2000’s Los Angeles

Crash is a 2004 American drama film produced, directed, and co-written by Paul Haggis. The film features racial and social tensions in Los Angeles. A self-described “passion piece” for Haggis, Crash was inspired by a real-life incident, in which his Porsche was carjacked in 1991 outside a video store on Wilshire Boulevard.  (read more: wiki)

[first lines]
Graham: It’s the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. In L.A., nobody touches you. We’re always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something.

imdb   /   365-magnolia-1999/

0822 – Tuntematon sotilas (2017)

timespace coordinates: the Karelian front from mobilisation in 1941 to armistice in 1944 (the homefront / the Karelian Isthmus / East Karelia / The Soviet Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive)

The Unknown Soldier (Finnish: Tuntematon sotilas, Swedish: Okänd soldat) is a 2017 Finnish war drama independent film and the third adaption of the 1954 bestselling Finnish classic novel of the same name by Väinö Linna, a book considered part of national legacy. Directed by Aku Louhimies, it is the first one based on the novel’s manuscript version, Sotaromaani (“the war novel”). The previous two film adaptations were released in 1955 and 1985. The World War II film follows a machine gun company (Finnish: konekiväärikomppania) of the Finnish Army from a frog perspective during the Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1944. It was the most expensive Finnish motion picture at its release with a budget of 7 million euros. (wiki)

themes / imdb

821 – Illang: The Wolf Brigade (2018)

timespace coordinates: 2029 South Korea

Illang: The Wolf Brigade (Hangul: 인랑; Hanja: 人狼; RR: Illang; lit. Werewolf; also known as Inrang) is a 2018 South Korean science fiction action film directed by Kim Jee-woon and starring Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, Jung Woo-sung and Kim Mu-yeol. It is a live-action adaptation of the Japanese animated film Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (1999). (This is not a direct remake of Jin Roh:Wolf Birgade which is set in an alternate reality of 1950’s Japan, this remake sets the action in Korea and places the story in the future.)

Set in 2029 where South and North Korea get ready for a unified government after years of preparation. South Korean police launches a special unit, known as “Illang” (The Wolf Brigade), to stop an anti-reunification terrorist group called “The Sect” (wiki)

imdb

0818 – Push (2009)

timespace coordinates: 2000’s  Hong Kong

Push is a 2009 American superhero film directed by Paul McGuigan and written by David Bourla. Starring Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle, and Djimon Hounsou, the film centers on a group of people born with various superhuman abilities who band together in order to take down a government agency that is using a dangerous drug to enhance their powers in hopes of creating an army of super soldiers.

imdb

0817 – Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds

timespace coordinates: 2010’s South Korea

Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds (Hangul: 신과함께-죄와 벌; RR: Sin gwa Hamkke – Joe wa Beol; lit. “Together with God – Sin and Punishment”) is a 2017 South Korean action fantasy drama film directed by Kim Yong-hwa and based on a webtoon by Joo Ho-min, Along With the Gods. It stars Ha Jung-woo, Cha Tae-hyun, Ju Ji-hoon and Kim Hyang-gi.

The film was shot as one but presented in two parts. The first part, Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (imdb) , was released on 20 December 2017.  The sequel, titled Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days (imdb), was released on August 1, 2018. 

In June 2018, it was announced that another two sequels are scheduled to be filmed in 2019. As of February 2018, Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds is the second most viewed film in South Korean film history.

816 – Mark of the Ninja (2012 video game)

timespace coordinates: 2010’s Japan

Mark of the Ninja is a side-scrolling action stealth video game developed by Klei Entertainment and published by Microsoft Studios. It was announced on February 28, 2012 and later released for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade on September 7, 2012. A Microsoft Windows version was released on October 16, 2012, later released for Linux and OS X on September 11, 2013. It follows the story of a nameless ninja in the present day, and features a themed conflict between ancient ninja tradition and modern technology. Cutscenes for the game are rendered in Saturday-morning cartoon animation style. (wiki)

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS (RECOMMENDED): OS:Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1 / Processor:Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+ / Memory:2 GB RAM / Graphics:NVIDIA® 9600GT or ATI Radeon™ HD 5000+ or better / DirectX®:9.0c / Hard Drive:2.5 GB HD space / Sound:100% DirectX9.0c compatible sound card and drivers

steam

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irezumi

813 – American Pop (1981)

timespace coordinates: 1890s – 1970’s New York City – Kansas – California

American Pop is a 1981 American adult animated musical drama film starring Ron Thompson and produced and directed by Ralph Bakshi. It was the fourth animated feature film to be presented in Dolby sound. The film tells the story of four generations of a Russian Jewish immigrant family of musicians whose careers parallel the history of American popular music in the 20th century.

The majority of the film’s animation was completed through rotoscoping, a process in which live actors are filmed and the subsequent footage is used for animators to draw over. However, the film also uses a variety of other mixed media including water colors, computer graphics, live-action shots, and archival footage. (wiki)

imdb