YumCha!
»
Editor Picks
Browse
- ycec Editor's Picks By Category
- esid Editor's Picks - By Editor
- yca Feature Articles
- ycpc Professional Reviews
- Awards & Festivals
- ppid Music Pop Chart
- yceb Entertainment News
- About YumCha!
-
Big Bang : 3rd Mini Album - Stand Up
Big Bang
After the curious strategy of trying to enter the Japanese market with English albums, Big Bang has returned to their native fighting ground where their quirky fashion, oversized sunglasses, and ridiculously catchy rhymes are best appreciated. The group's third mini album Stand Up largely follows the formula of last year's Always and Hot Issue, which means six hip-pop dance numbers that get stuck in your head very fast. The integration of rap and hip-hop into mainstream pop has long been a unique aspect of K-pop since the days of Seo Tai Ji and Boys, but Big Bang has really embraced the genre and taken it to a new commercial pop high. Title track Stand Up (Track 1) and the following Haru... [read more]
-
-
Bee Movie (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
It's a bird, it's a plane ... it's a beeLike the title reveals, Bee Movie revolves around our useful black and yellow insect friends that have the inclination to sting from time to time. The fast-paced colorful animation comes packed with stinging humor and buzzing action. In this bee-populated big-screen feature, writer and producer Jerry Seinfeld also lends his voice to the animated answer to Benjamin Braddock, new-generation graduate and wanna-bee success Barry Bee Benson. Not only revolving around Barry's life, Bee Movie introduces the viewers to the most vibrant beehive ever to appear in a film and much more. Among the secrets revealed are the size and kind of magazine you need to take out a bee, exactly what kind of jobs are... [read more]
August 21, 2008 Picked By Ceriseno See all this editor's picks
-
-
Lost In Time (DTS Version)(US Version)
Cecilia Cheung (Actor) |
Lau Ching Wan (Actor) |
Louis Koo |
Derek Yee (Director)
Cecilia Cheung, Lau Ching Wan, and Louis Koo star in Derek Yee's bittersweet tale Lost in Time revolving around a woman's desperate attempt to overcome the loss of the most important person in her life. Cecilia Cheung plays the female protagonist Siu Wai whose life is turned upside-down after her fiance Ah Man (Louis Koo) has a fatal accident. Now left alone to manage not only her own life, but also that of her late lover's young son, Siu Wai's formerly happy life takes on a new gloomy aspect, until an unexpected third party appears to lend her a helping hand. Cecilia Cheung offers a passionate performance in her role as single parent who struggles to make ends meet, while Lau Ching Wan... [read more]
-
-
I am Your Singer (First Press Limited Edition)(Japan Version)
Southern All Stars
It's hard to think of another artist or group that has given as much to Japanese music over the last 30 years as Southern All Stars has. With a laidback, rugged pop rock appeal that crosses generations and genres, the legendary band has been topping charts and cheering hearts for three decades. Life wouldn't quite be the same without the music of Southern All Stars. Marking the band's 30th anniversary, their latest single I Am Your Singer opens happily with jovial beats and a carefree trumpet, creating a blithe and relaxed mood as Kuwata Keisuke's familiar voice rolls in. The song's opening lines - "I am your singer/My reason for living/Is to see your countless smiles" - brought an immediate... [read more]
-
-
God Man Dog (DVD) (Deluxe Edition) (Taiwan Version)
Tarcy Su (Actor) |
Jack Kao (Actor) |
Chang Yang Yang (Actor)
Taiwan director Singing Chen waxes lyrical about religion, relationships, and stray dogs in her poetically quirky sophomore feature God Man Dog. This modern allegory follows a group of disparate souls who are very different and yet the same as they make sense of their fragile beliefs and bungled lives. Exploring self, questioning faith, and affirming life, God Man Dog's uncommon method of storytelling and odd leaps of faith should strike chords with both the doubtful and the devoted. The first half of God Man Dog is slow moving, if not downright depressive, as the characters and their various unhappy states of existence are introduced. Pianist Ching's (Tarcy Su) mental health and marriage to... [read more]
-
-
Home Alone (US Version)
Joe Pesci (Actor) |
Catherine O'Hara (Actor) |
Macaulay Culkin (Actor) |
Daniel Stern (Actor)
Meet an eight-year-old destruction machineMacaulay Culkin rose to fame in this laugh-out-loud comedy hit from the late 90s. Regarded as the good-for-nothing baby of the family, Kevin McCallister (Culkin) accidentally stays Home Alone with hilarious results. Left to his own devices, he teaches two wannabe burglars the meaning of surprise, discomfort, and fear. Written and produced by John Hughes, Home Alone is almost as attractive to me today as when it first hit the theaters. Here are the reasons why I can still wholeheartedly recommend this heavyweight comedy with a lightweight star. The movie offers a tour de force performance by Culkin who does not play but rather transforms into the tale's young protagonist, the unforgettable... [read more]
July 31, 2008 Picked By Ceriseno See all this editor's picks
-
-
Faces Of FanFan (3CD)
Fan Wei Qi (Singer)
Fan Wei Qi is a singer who's easy to like, and yet also easy to let slip by. With her down-to-earth image and personality and comfortable, low-key numbers, she doesn't have the pop diva appeal of singers like A-mei Chang, Stefanie Sun, Elva Hsiao, and labelmate Angel Chang, but at the same time falls short of the full-fledged singer-songwriter acclaim of Tanya Chua and Cheer Chen. This might be why it took me so long to purchase my first Fan Fan album. Though I've always liked her music, come checkout time, I'm too easily lured away by the big name albums or the small, indie releases. I didn't quite realize how many great hits she has, how familiar her songs are, until I sat down to listen... [read more]
-
-
Cupia Vol. 1 (Japan Version)
Japan Various Artists |
Rentrer en Soi |
Versailles |
Dio
In October 2007, Cure and PIA magazines organized a concert at the C.C. Lemon showcasing up-and-coming visual kei bands. Along with the concert, the compilation Cupia Vol. 1 featuring songs from the 14 participating bands was released. As only a casual follower of visual kei, most of the bands featured in Cupia are new names to me, and I found the album to be a great collection for those who want to scratch beyond the surface of the familiar big acts. Catch these bands before they go big, go missing, or go soft for Oricon consumption. Four-man band Nega starts things off loudly with hard rock and creepy whispers in altar (Track 1). While the song's composition itself is average, the... [read more]
-
-
Shane (Sensormatic) (US Version)
Jack Palance (Actor) |
Jean Arthur (Actor) |
John Dierkes (Actor) |
Ben Johnson (Actor)
It has escaped my mind how long it has been since I first saw Shane, but I do know that it has been one of my favorites ever since. It has all the trademarks of the traditional western starting from hapless settlers in need of protection to a nasty gang of crooks trying to satisfy their selfish gains at all costs. Alan Ladd stars as Shane, a lone but upright gunfighter who seeks to start a life as an ordinary rancher, but later has to return to his old lifestyle for the sake of an innocent family. Not filled with just gun smoke, the film spends a lot of time to introduce the tale's characters, and often focuses on facial expressions and gestures. The perfect example is probably Joey Starrett... [read more]
-
-
Pia EP - Urban Explorer
PIA
Straying farther and farther from their origins with every release, PIA's new album Urban Explore again sees the band evolving and embracing a new amorphous identity. By now, I've almost forgotten that PIA started out as a metal band as they haven't been doing too much screaming lately. Compared to their 2001 debut album Pia@arrogantempire.xxx, Urban Explorer sounds like the work of a completely different band. If their music has gotten less defined over the years, it has also become more agreeable and diverse, indicative of the band's willingness to explore and experiment with new styles and elements. Seo Tai Ji continues to be an important influence over PIA as he serves as executive... [read more]
-
-
Forever the Moment (DVD) (First Press Limited Edition) (Korea Version)
Moon So Ri |
Cho Eun Ji |
Kim Jung Eun |
Uhm Tae Woong
When it comes to typical sports dramas, the plot usually begins with a team of underdogs who end up reaching the finals after conquering insurmountable obstacles. Forever the Moment is no different from its predecessors, but the film does a fine job of overcoming its awfully predictable story by offering enough genuine emotional uplift and good, tasteful humor. Inspired by the true story of the 2004 Olympics Korea Women's National Handball Team, the story begins with a team of exuberant players celebrating their victory at the women's handball league's championship game in front of empty stands. Clearly handball is not one of Korea's most popular sports. And not a moment too soon, the cold... [read more]
-
-
Wong Kar Kui Memorial Album (CD + DVD + Photo Album)
Wong Ka Kui (Singer) |
Steve Wong Ka Keung
I don't remember much about the summer of 2003, but I remember June 30th. That was the day I arrived in Hong Kong for vacation, and that was the day Wong Ka Kui left the world. As someone who grew up listening to Hong Kong music in the 80s and 90s, Beyond and Wong Ka Kui hold a special spot in my - and I'm sure many other people's - memories. I was quite young when he passed away so I didn't really understand back then what Wong Ka Kui represented for Chinese music, and what his premature death stole from Chinese music fans. But as the years passed, where the idol crushes fade away, Beyond's music remains. Already, it's been 15 years since Wong Ka Kui passed away, and three years since... [read more]
-
-
Giniro no Season (DVD) (Standard Edition) (English Subtitled) (Japan Version)
Tanaka Rena |
Eita |
Tamayama Tetsuji |
Aoki Munetaka
Considering I didn't even particularly like Hasumi Eiichiro's box office-topping Umizaru films, my expectations were fairly modest as I walked into the theater, wondering why I got up early on a Saturday morning to catch the Hong Kong Film Festival's screening of Giniro no Season. Thankfully, Giniro proved to be every bit as entertaining as it is lightweight. The people are pretty, the snow is fluffy, the scenery is beautiful, and skis fly high into the sky for an enjoyable commercial sports film with an undemanding story and high rewatch value. I'm glad I woke up early to see the skiing and snowscape on the big screen. Eita, who got an extra shot of popularity after Nodame Cantabile, gets... [read more]
-
-
Wild Strawberries (Criterion Collection) (US Version)
Gunnar Bjornstrand (Actor) |
Ingrid Thulin (Actor) |
Bibi Andersson (Actor) |
Victor Sjostrom (Actor)
Whenever, I watch an Ingmar Bergman a certain feeling of warmth overcomes me as if I was visiting an old friend and that is especially true for Wild Strawberries, his ambitious study about an elderly man's reflection on life. Actually, I was much too young to understand his movies the first time around (and I wonder whether my parents did), but they have always been filled with a strange kind of intensity that has never failed to draw me in. Bergman's film lets the viewers simultaneously wander through the past and the present of the film's protagonist Isak Borg (Victor Sjöström), a retired professor plagued by the echoes of the past. In Wild Strawberries Bergman has perhaps found the... [read more]
-
-
My Sassy Girl Director's Cut Special Edition (Japan Version)
Cha Tae Hyun |
Jeon Ji Hyun |
Kim In Moon |
Gwak Jae Yong (Director)
Jeon Ji Hyun delivers girl power in Kwak Jae Yong's My Sassy Girl. Packed with situational humor, this film from the summer of 2001 has laughs and touching moments to spare. Presented through a first person narrative, the viewers are invited to the world of male protagonist Kyun Woo (Cha Tae Hyun), a happy-go-lucky guy enjoying his life as a student. A twist of fate makes him stumble into the girl (Jeon) of his dreams, or is she? The awakening comes very swiftly and miserably for Kyun as this girl reveals her unbelievably bad manners, challenging Kyun to endure multiple blows to his face and other painful mistreatments that disqualify her as his or anybody's girlfriend. Yet, Jeon's... [read more]
-
-
Throw Down (DTS Version) (US Version)
Aaron Kwok |
Tony Leung Ka Fai |
Johnnie To (Director) |
Louis Koo
The world of Throw Down can only be described as judo jiang hu meets contemporary Hong Kong. Johnnie To's amusing tribute to Kurosawa and the hard-boiled samurai flicks of yesteryear, the film is an engaging, whimsical action melodrama filled with quirky, earnest characters floundering about in odd, yet oddly compelling, situations. Aaron Kwok plays a wide-eyed judo enthusiast who wants to challenge former judo champion Louis Koo to a duel, but instead finds a mumbling, stumbling, drunken man, a shadow of his former self. Refusing to leave without a match, Kwok stays on at Koo's bar as a saxophonist alongside a sexy-cute aspiring singer, played by the sexy-cute Cherrie Ying. For Kwok, Koo,... [read more]
-
-
Money's War (DVD) (End) (English Subtitled) (SBS TV Drama) (US Version)
Park Shin Yang |
Kim Jung Hwa |
Park Jin Hee |
Shin Goo
I love Korean dramas but I must admit I do get tired of the same old formula now and then. So when SBS kicked off its early summer lineup with Money's War (a.k.a. Money's Warfare) in 2007, I was pleasantly surprised by what I now consider to be by far one of the most unique Korean dramas I have seen in years. In its groundbreaking blend of comedy, tragedy, and social satire, Money's War tells a heartening tale of ordinary citizens who suffer from major debt hangovers. They often fall prey to unscrupulous moneylenders who charge extortionate interest rates, which in turn traps them in a vicious cycle of debt. And it doesn't get any better as these bloodsucking sharks will use every possible... [read more]
-
-
Super Junior - Happy 1st Mini Album - Cooking? Cooking!
Super Junior
Every time I turn around, a new Super Junior unit has sprouted from nowhere. Certainly with three Super Junior albums released in about a month's time, it seems Father SM is testing the patience and wallets of even the most faithful. At first gander, Super Junior Happy does have the suspicious air of being slapped together - an antidote to occupy members not in Super Junior M and to distract fans still chanting "Only 13" - but their mini album has turned out to be a very agreeable release. If pop music is meant to be happy, harmless, and entertaining, then Super Junior Happy's Cooking? Cooking! passes with flying colors. In comparison to the picture-perfect boy band image of Super Junior M... [read more]
-
-
Choice is Yours (Japan Version)
AAA
Although my overall feelings for AAA are fairly neutral, I volley between loving and hating their music with every other single they put out. It's almost uncanny how they keep reeling me in with a completely fun and fresh eurobeat pop dance track, and then scaring me away with their next strangely shrilly, off-tempo, eurobeat-jackhammer dance track. Still, AAA's distinctive style makes them consistently interesting, and compels me to at least listen to every release they put out. Their latest Choice is Yours is a mini album from only the five male members of the group. Although the group has recorded "boys-only" and "girls-only" tracks before, this is the first time AAA has divided out by... [read more]
-
-
Rocky (2-Disc Set; Collector's Edition) (US Version)
Sylvester Stallone (Actor) |
Talia Shire (Actor) |
Burgess Meredith (Actor) |
Bill Baldwin (Actor)
Rocky transfers the myth of the American Dream to the silver screen. Shot in the second half of the 70s, Rocky takes you through the boxing ring and more importantly the life of its titular protagonist played by Sylvester Stallone. Stallone also provided the script for this original story of an underdog boxer about to take on the battle of his life when he is offered the unbelievable opportunity to compete for the heavyweight champion title. Director John G. Avildsen's Oscar-winning movie offers an in-depth character study of the main cast, leading to a grand finale in which the titular character attempts to go the distance against all odds. Rocky is one of those lucky cases in which a good... [read more]
-
United States - English
Bookmark & Share