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otterandterrier · 1 year

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Here's a list of sapphic books I've enjoyed for Femslash February and Valentine's Day 🥰🏳️‍🌈

romance

A Little Light Mischief Former scoundrel turned lady's maid falls for her employer's companion. This was my first foray into wlw period romance. Absolutely loved it, it packs a lot of UST, steam and feels into a short novella!

The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics (Feminine Pursuits, #1) Olivia Waite's wlw historical fiction stole my heart. All of her books mention background queer characters too. This one is about a lady astronomer who falls in love with her widowed patron as they break down barriers in science and art. Smart and hot!

The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows (Feminine Pursuits, #2) The widowed owner of a printing business must call for the help of a beekeeper trapped in a fake marriage. Middle aged women falling in love!! Being gay!! Looking after bees!! Having sex!! Defying expectations!!

The Hellion's Waltz (Feminine Pursuits, #3) A pianist who hates swindlers tries to stop a swindler from swindling. Literally "be gay, do crimes"! Less UST and build-up than the other two, but still hot and sweet and socialist propaganda. There's poly rep too.

The Romance Recipe Restaurant owner hires reality star chef to help revive her restaurant (boss/employee), full of UST and good discussions of bisexuality. It has no less than five sex scenes.

Something to Talk About Celebrity romance with an age gap and boss/employee dynamic, deals with sexual harassment in Hollywood. Veeery slow burn with one smut scene.

The Falling in Love Montage YA, set in Ireland, our heartbroken protagonist doesn't want to fall in love so her new crush proposes a trope-filled summer fling. Plenty of making out but no smut. Very cute for anyone who enjoys the silliness of romcoms!

Perfect Rivalry Medical romance between rival overachievers who love gaming! Neurodivergent and multicultural rep, everybody is queer! Wholesome and hot.

In the Event of Love Second chance love / friends to lovers, Hallmark holiday movie vibes. Even planner heads back to her hometown after a PR disaster and reunites with her ex-turned-into-a-lumberjane childhood friend. Tooth-rottingly sweet and spicy.

For Her Consideration A heartbroken email ghostwriter is asked to meet with the cute celebrity she's writing for. Plus-size and multicultural rep, everybody is queer. It has a lovely found family theme and lots of spice.

Honeymoon for One The protagonist somehow forgets to cancel her honeymoon after calling off her wedding, goes on a solo adventure to Canada anyway and meets a cute ski instructor she does not get along with. Very sweet and with a couple of tender smut scenes.

drama

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo An aging Hollywood star hires a little known reporter to share the true story about her seven husbands - and her one true love. This one broke me.

Yerba Buena Follows the journeys of two girls whose families are impacted by addiction, and until their paths cross in LA. Deals with themes of identity, changes, growing up, grief, and healing with another person. Warnings for drug abuse, death, underage sex.

Milk Fed This one is a complicated story about a woman dealing with the fatphobia, body dysmorphia and eating disorders, and what happens when she falls for the Orthodox Jewish woman who sells her froyo. It's a tough and weird read - there's also homophobia, parental trauma, sexual fantasies, religious issues.

fantasy

Siren Queen A Chinese American girl willing to do anything to become a star in pre-Hays Code Hollywood. Really thoughtful urban fantasy novel about race and queerness and the Hollywood dream.

These Witches Don't Burn A teenage witch must work with her ex to find out who's working to destroy their coven, while trying to date the new cute girl in town. This one is way angstier that it seems!

#bookblr #book recs #books #sapphic books #wlw books #queer books #my posts #pinned post

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translations-by-aiimee · 3 years

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Dig a Grave to Dig Out a Ghost - Chapter 13

Original Title: 挖坟挖出鬼

Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Yaoi

This translation is based on multiple MTLs and my own limited knowledge of Chinese characters. If I have made any egregious mistakes, please let me know.

Chapter Index

Chapter 13 - Doubt

In the archaeological internship Lin Yan participated in, the Ming Tomb was undoubtedly a very peculiar place. The excavation work lasted three months. Before the excavation started, Lin Yan didn't even get any relevant background information. He asked his professor several times but never got a response. When he was told that would be staying at the tomb for only a week, he thought he was coming to be the team's water boy. Instead, he was unexpectedly sent to the site as soon as the plane touched down and was given one of the most important jobs of cleaning the body found in the main room of the tomb.

It was a medium-sized underground mysterious tomb. Bluestone blocks were built into arches. The apse in the room was about forty meters long. A large black lacquered coffin left slightly ajar rested peacefully on the stone platform. Lin Yan and the rest of the crew held their breath together. When the golden nanmu wood coffin lid was slowly lifted, and the gold, silver, jade and rosy brocade around the corpse were exposed, a soft cheer erupted from the tomb. Everyone couldn't help but celebrate that they found such an magnificent mausoleum that had been left completely untouched by tomb robbers. After a long while, all nonessential personnel evacuated one by one. Lin Yan remembered that the professor was the last one to leave the scene. When he left, he rested his hand heavily on his shoulders, as if he wanted to say something but never ended up getting anything out. In the empty and dark main room of the tomb, only Lin Yan and a few lights, both bright and dim, were left. Sometimes, the miner's lamp was often extinguished inexplicably. He later recalled that the owner of the tomb might have been watching him ever since then.

The corpse in the coffin had rotted into a skeleton, but the hair that remained was soft and shiny. However, when Lin Yan sat alone by the coffin and skimmed through some history books, doubts arose. The identity of the owner of the tomb was like the bronze of this mysterious palace, unrecognizable under the green rust. There was no record, no genealogy, nothing even mentioned in town and county chronologies. The tomb's eternal light placed in front of the coffin had long been dried up, and a two-foot-long black name card behind it was coated with thick old blood. The place where the name should be written was empty, and it turned out to be a non-character memorial tablet.

When the last artifact in the coffin was successfully taken out, Lin Yan was told he could return. It only took them seven days and no one had ever told him about the origin of the tomb that whole time.

The sun was shining on Friday morning, and the roses in the flower bed were rushing to bloom. There was a soft fragrance of something oily like burning opium in the air. Lin Yan parked his car at the school gate and hurried through the small square in front of the building to get to the professor's office. He was in such a rush that he went through the ground fountain in the square. After he took a few steps, bells and drums started playing and spurts of water shot from the jets, the surrounding area immediately turning into a forest of water columns shooting up.

"Shit. . ." He couldn't dodge them and got completely soaked. Lin Yan internally cursed as he rushed forward, wringing out the hem of his shirt. A few school girls had just come out of the main entrance of the building and giggled at the embarrassing scene.

Lin Yan blushed a little.

Shiny drops of water splashed off his hair and a droplet fell into his eye. When he raised his hand to wipe it away, his wrist was caught by someone. The cold fingertips wiped the drop off one of his eyelashes. Lin Yan blinked and stood there silently.

When he walked up the steps, he saw a new large poster on the left side of the automatic door. A gentle-looking middle-aged man with glasses was holding a pen, and his demeanour resembled an unopened folder in a stationery store. There was a large line next to him: Chen XX, a well-known Chinese history professor, is coming to our school to give a lecture. All students are welcome to participate. This will be a great chance to interact with the professor.

The tune played was one typically used by the Propaganda Department, the following rows of small letters are written with the specific time and content of the event. Lin Yan struggled to twist the hem of the wet T-shirt and walked towards the hall, muttering that this was probably the reason that the fountain suddenly turned on. Turning back, he frowned and stood in front of the poster for a minute. He always felt that the man on the poster was a bit familiar, but he couldn't remember who it was. After thinking about it for a while, Lin Yan shook his head and stepped through the hall.

The professor's office was on the fourth floor.

"Professor, are you kidding me? From the preliminary preparations to the end of the tomb excavation, so many people participated in it. How could it be possible that nothing about the tomb owner's origins could be found until now?"

"That tomb was already considered to be average to wealthy for the time period. Even if the owner of the tomb was not of official origin, there is always a record in historical records for wealthy businessmen."

University institutions were never busy on Fridays. Everyone was waiting for the weekend. Lin Yan’s professor was no exception. He was sitting in the office with his legs crossed when the drenched student burst into his office. Behind the table, he held a heavy purple sand teacup in his hand. Because he often went to the West in his early years, his skin was wrinkled by the wind and frost. His midsection was blessed by some middle-aged fat, and the bags under the eyes were hanging loosely behind the glasses.

The professor grew impatient with Lin Yan's aggressive tone, and patted a stack of books on the table: "Isn't that so? You see, I'm more worried about writing a report on the excavation. I've been busy for more than a month and I haven't made any progress."

Lin Yan leaned forward impatiently with his hands on the glass plate of the tabletop: "The mausoleum was left untouched. The body and burial items were intact. Isn't it possible to determine the identity of the tomb owner?"

This student had always been known for his politeness and patience. It was rare for him to be this anxious.

"That's the problem. Comparing the data compiled based on the unearthed cultural relics with the records at the time, I can only say that he's completely unknown." The professor put down the cup and tapped his finger on the cover of the book a few times: "Ming Dynasty history is not my specialty. Tell me, why don't you do some research yourself? The students in our school must be able to research independently. You should make good use of the school library resources."

Lin Yan shook his head disappointedly. Just like the professor said, there was a lot of historical data to go through. He wouldn't make any progress in the next three months. Even three years might not be enough time to go through all the information. By then, he would have run out of ten lives. What's more, he has searched through the relevant history books of the library for the past week and even asked Yin Zhou to search through the database in less legal ways, but the strange thing is that no matter what keywords they use - the age, name, location - he couldn't find any information. It was common sense that, in ancient times, even a talented person would be written about somewhere in the county annals, but this Xiao Yu was like a person from another world. The records passed over him like he had never existed.

The faint scent of book pages and wood was floating in the air, and the light blue shutters broke up the rays of sun leaking in. Lin Yan subconsciously glanced back, as if there should be a companion waiting to respond to his doubts. But Xiao Yu does exist, he thought.

Trying his best to stay calm, Lin Yan lowered his head and lowered his voice: "Teacher, this is really important to me, can you help. . ." While speaking, his gaze was fixed on the table. Under the glass plate were many old photos of the professor when he was young. There was a row of people wearing work clothes and hard hats in the black-and-white pictures. Compared to the middle-aged man with swollen eyes in front of him, there was a strange sense of contradiction in the gray-headed but happy-looking man in the pictures.

Time really did wonders.

The instructor tapped two fingers on the table. He didn't look at Lin Yan when he spoke. His eyes were a little dodged: "Why do you need to know the owner of the tomb? Do you need to write a paper?"

Lin Yan took a deep breath. He had always had a keen insight into people's emotions. When he had been sorting through clues last night, the situation that occurred in the tomb flashed in his mind. He had already had his doubts at the time, but he was so nervous and excited that he didn't think too much of it. For example, ever since he joined the team, everyone had been keeping secrets, and the professor also looked at him with that dodgy look when the excavators all left the tomb. The whole thing seemed to have been arranged long ago, so Lin Yan hadn't cared about interrupting the teacher's off-time and grabbed the phone to set up a meeting time.

"Professor, you should know why; this is a matter of life and death." After hesitating for a moment, Lin Yan frowned and said this sentence with emphasis. He pressed his hands on the table hard and turned away.

When I walked to the door of the office. He paused, one, two. . . Lin Yan counted silently in his heart.

Three.

"Wait." The professor's voice sounded from behind.

"Lin Yan, this project isn't under my control. I just heard that a lot of strange things happened when the tomb was opened. Someone came to me and asked you to go. I didn't agree with it. . . If you really want to know more, you can go ask the coordinator of the excavation yourself." The finger tapped twice on the desk. "His name is Chen, he'll be at our school next Monday for a lecture. There are posters downstairs." After speaking, he took a few volumes from the neatly arranged books and put them back on the table, gesturing that he could leave. "You can get more out of him than me"

"Last question." Lin Yan held the door frame and poked his face in: "Teacher, do you know Xiao Yu?"

"No, I don't." The answer was quick this time: "Who's that?"

Lin Yan sighed and held the railing as he quickly walked downstairs.

#dig a grave to dig out a ghost #dig a grave to dig out a ghost translation #chinese novel #chinese bl #english translation #yaoi novel #yaoi

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missholland · 4 years

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Wei Wuxian

Something I realise from rewatching The Untamed (like, right after the first watch), the drama gives us 3 versions of Wei Wuxian over the 3 vital points of his life: the young and carefree disciple from Yunmeng Jiang Clan with a sunflower smile, the gloomy and resentful Yiling Patriarch whose soul almost completely consumed by the dark Yin Iron, and the calm and confident Wei Ying finally free from trust issues and emotionally secured from having his soulmate by his side.

I always think that Wei Wuxian has the similar personality with Linghu Chong in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, and shares the tragic fate filled with misunderstandings as of Qiao Feng in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils. Wuxian and Linghu are free-spirited extroverts with a massive love for their liquor. Both are adopted and educated in highly respected sect/clan, but end up picking up unorthodox methods and go against the mainstream clans. While Qiao Feng was framed to crimes he did not commit and had a proper confrontation showdown with everyone on Shaolin Monastery, Wei Wuxian was deem Yiling Patriarch for pursuing demonic path and waited 16 years to finally clear his name in front of all main clans at Burial Mounds and later Guanyin Temple. This makes me personally invested in the character/drama in general, as the inspiration was briefly taken from 2 of the best protagonists in Jin Yong wuxia universe.

Jiang Clan’s Wei Wuxian obeys to no regulation, and pretty much does things as he may. He’s enthusiastically sworn to protect the weak with a clear conscience, not fully aware how much it cost him later on in life. That brings us to the PTSD Wei Wuxian who defected from his own clan, went against the cultivator world, as well as broke his own promise of sticking by his adopt brother and sister forever - all for protecting (and partly returning the favor of) the defenceless members of the evil Wen clan. The whole journey of him getting there from mastering dark methods to being an absolute loose canon in Jiang clan, causing huge headache for the young clan leader Jiang Cheng. I’m not Jiang Cheng’s biggest fan, but honestly, I would probably lose my shits too if I had to tolerate a not-so-great team player like this version of Wei Wuxian. The downfall of their relationship comes from both of their insane pride - one who is not willing to share his hardship and seek help, and one who prioritises his can’s reputation over his brother. Destructive Wei Wuxian’s pride also creates issue with his lifelong soulmate Lan Wangji. This is why I find the middle episodes of the series - 20 to 32 - so flipping hard to watch, considering how Wei Wuxian was indirectly hurting his loved ones (especially Wangji) and how it would eventually lead to his death.

Then again, that’s what makes episode 32-33 so fucking awesome. It gave me SO MANY FEELINGS - anger, sorrow, frustration, pain, HUGE PAIN - possibly what Wei Wuxian went through himself the whole time standing against 3000 cultivators at Nightless City. His loneliness without having a single person believing in him while defending himself through the whole crying laugh was heartbreaking. This stuck with me until episode 44-45 where Wei Wuxian, in the exact same position of speaking up for himself, does not lose his shit and can talk senses with the judgy cultivators in Burial Mounds until his name is clear. How? Because at that time, Lan Wangji was by his side and he literally had NO fear - he said it himself before the two departed Gusu for Yiling. The feeling of knowing someone wholeheartedly believe in you, sticking by your side no matter what is the greatest power that Wei Wuxian was given with his second chance. This reflects Lan Wangji’s greatest regret, as he could have helped Wei Wuxian clear his name since 16 years ago if he stood by him on that fateful night in Nightless City.

I LOVE the resurrected Wei Wuxian, now no longer has a poor temperament under Yin Iron’s influence. That Wei Wuxian has been through A FUCKING LOT. But unlike PTSD Wei Wuxian who made a series of bad decisions and lived on edge every single day, he is even able to take some of his wit back and crack jokes again. Sure, the first few days were a bit rough with the nightmares and the hiding. But as soon as he’s back with Lan Wangji, everything feels RIGHT again. No, he can’t go back to how he used to be, but it makes my heart dance seeing the reflection of the young and fun Wei Wuxian again. Wei Wuxian is a true extrovert in the sense of feeding energy from other people. He sees a lot of good in others, even in the members of the evil Wen clan, and trusts them. In return, he’s the most empowered and confident when he has the love and trust from the others, especially from Lan Wangji.

I enjoy watching the conflict inside Wei Wuxian, and am so happy he’s a pretty gray character rather than being just another righteous moral compass. Although I don’t name his as my favourite character in The Untamed (he sort of was during my first watch, but no longer the case after my 4th watch LOL), he’s the heart of the show and has such an incredibly compelling arc that makes you care SO MUCH. You find yourself fully rooting for him and wish all the sufferings would stop so he can take an actual break. Man, thinking of all the shits this guy has gone through in TWO LIVES.

I’ve always been pretty public with how obsessed I am with Wei Wuxian’s beauty. Of course, this is mostly because of Xiao Zhan’s natural glamour but hats off to the make-up and costume design team. They turn Xiao Zhan’s conventional good look into an exceptionally gorgeous Wei Wuxian that pretty much outshine Lan Xichen - who supposed to be like the hottest guy in The Untamed universe. Xiao Zhan’s Wei Wuxian, with his signature smiling eyes, is so captivating in every damn angle. This guy even manages to look cuter than a bunny when being put in the same frame. His delicate and feminine features are absolutely perfect for portraying a historical fictional character. But his charisma is truly second to none, and considering how many Chinese dramas I’ve seen since I can remember, no other character has even come close to his level. Xiao Zhan’s Wei Wuxian makes me properly SWOON just by seeing him on TV, and puts my heart on a treadmill because I cannot possibly handle his out-of-this-world beauty, the kind that comes out from a painting or you can actually call a real life masterpiece.

#wei wuxain #lan wangji #wei ying #lan zhan #the untamed #mo dao zu shi #xiao zhan #wang yibo #chen qing ling #character analysis #thoughts #yiling patriarch #yiling laozu #yunmeng jiang #gusu lan

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mrmichaelchadler · 6 years

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New York Asian Film Festival 2018: Highlights and Memories

The New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) turned 17 this year, a not-insignificant age if you, like me, have been attending the festival with regularity (like, say, the last 15 years). I've seen this film series grow over time, and would like to think my taste and sensitivities have grown with it. NYAFF used to be run by a group of white guys—Grady Hendrix, Paul Kazee, Brian Naas, Nat Olson, and Goron Topalovic—who had the necessary chutzpah and dedication to start a pop culture phenomenon. I know these guys: they paid for the festival with their personal credit cards and only really broke even during their first few years.

Still, they persisted, for which I'm very grateful. Back when the festival began in 2002, NYAFF's programming was a big deal for New York cult film fans like me. NYAFF's organizers regularly highlighted moving dramas and crowd-pleasing comedies that spoke to a spectrum of audiences and experiences from around Asia.

Like Uncle Boonmee, I vividly remember the festival screenings of my teenage years. Lines of ticket-holders coiled around 1st Street and towards Houston. A smaller slate of films and a different group of programmers, whose preferences and budgets necessarily limited what they showed. But those founding programmers and the current NYAFF selection committee—David Wilentz, Claire Marty, Karen Severns, and Koichi Mori, all led by Deputy Director Stephen Cremin and former Japan Society film programmer Samuel Jamier—remain some of the most influential among American film festival organizers.

The New York Asian Film Festival of today doesn't feel like the one from my already-calcifying memories. In 2010, they moved on up to the Film Society at Lincoln Center and now split their yearly program—a robust 48 films this year!—between the Walter Reade Theater and Chelsea's School of Visual Arts (SVA) auditorium. The festival's programming has become more diverse, which is something of a necessity when your international slate is co-assembled by various state-sponsored cultural institutions, particularly the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office of New York and the Confucius Institute Headquarters and China Institute. NYAFF's programmers also now give out several awards—more than just their original Audience Award—including a prize for the best action film, an honor that's dedicated to the memory of the late and much missed former NYAFF programmer Daniel Craft.

Still, the most important aspect of NYAFF remains a constant: the festival's consistently hearty and diverse crowds are great proof that American film distributors are wrong to think that only native language speakers want to watch new Asian film. Every NYAFF is like a party, and it's a party that everyone is invited to (and many seem to feel welcomed at).

With this in mind: I tried to find movies at this year's festival that gave me the same feeling of discovery and excitement that I got back when I first started attending in 2004. Not the easiest task when you can't take off work for a day or five just to watch movies and feel connected with a typically energized NYAFF crowd. NYAFF screenings have a definite vibe, one that many film festival programmers envy and try to copy. You can see it in the way that attendees respond to Hendrix's high-energy, high-content carnival barker spiel. This crowd is EXCITED.

Still, I didn't want readers to think I'm some kind of stuffy ivory tower aesthete (my greatest fear), so I began this year's festival with some Serious Arthouse Cinema: Korean historical drama "1987: When the Day Comes," a great place to start given that the festival organizers previously showed director Joon-hawn Jang's hilariously weird comedic short film "Hair" back in 2006. Jang used to be known among Korean film devotees as the weirdo who helmed the unsettling 2003 sci-fi black comedy "Save the Green Planet." Now he is rightfully known for making "1987: When the Day Comes," a rousing, if doughy dramatization of the events surrounding the murder of several Seoul-based student protesters, particularly the journalistic and police cover-up of their deaths. "1987: When the Day Comes" has Jang's characteristically queasy mix of moods and tones—in this case, sentimentality for a bygone era and punk rock anger for rights-suppressing authority figures—and a lot of charming period detail, particularly its costumes and sets. Still, this is basically a prestige drama that, in any other country, would be as big of a to-do as "The Post" or "Spotlight." It's solid, if a little stiff.

Next came "The Bold, The Corrupt, and The Beautiful," a soapy Taiwanese political drama about three generations of women, two of whom act as power-brokers, facilitating various below-the-table deals between local politicians and businessmen. This movie won three of Taiwan's prestigious Golden Horse Awards (their country's equivalent of the Oscars) for Best Feature Film and Best Actress (Kara Hui, as imperious matriarch Madame Tang) and Best Supporting Actress (Vicky Chen, playing Tang's daughter). Its plot is convoluted and jumps between the memories of its three anti-heroines, particularly the young daughter of Chen's character. There's also a lot of melodramatic twists involving illicit trysts, political double-dealing, and drunken speechifying. So a fun time is guaranteed for everyone who meets the film at its sudsy level. Or maybe just anyone who wishes "All the King's Men" were more like "The Days of Our Lives."

Following that: "Crossroads: One Two Jaga," another ensemble drama, though this time concerned with Filipino immigrants living in Malaysia. This was a must-see for me because I still fondly remember when the festival's organizers screened their first Malaysian film: "Gangster," a mostly kinda bad crime drama that screened back in 2006. The Malaysian film industry is still in its nascency and that shows in the many technical rough edges that hold back "Crossroads: One Two Jaga"—a repetitive, and unpolished social issues drama—back from greatness. Still, the film is ambitious—switching between three or four main sub-plots about police corruption and systemic brutality that's passed on like a birthright from father to son—and smart enough to bring to get under your skin. "Crossroads: One Two Jaga" is a major step up after "Gangster," and is, I'm told, part of a new wave of Malaysian cinema. I'm eager to see what comes next.

The first film that I loved at this year's festival would, however, fit right in at any country's arthouse cinema: "Hit the Night," a funny, dialogue-heavy South Korean sex comedy that feels like a pointed reaction to the prolific (and now unbearably self-pitying) Korean auteur Sang-soo Hong. Like many of Hong's films, "Hit the Night" centers on a series of booze-fueled conversations—about adultery, philosophy, art, and personal freedom—between a filmmaker and their potential romantic conquest. The main difference between Hong's films and "Hit the Night" is that this film is directed in real-life by a woman (Ga-Young Jeong, whose previous credits, including "Bitch on the Beach" and "Cinema With You," also sound like direct rebukes/responses to Hong's films) and is told from a female protagonist's perspective. The conversations that drive "Hit the Night" are consequently a little more involving sine Jeong considers her two main protagonists' inherent loaded assumptions about sex and gender in dialogue exchanges that are sometimes scathingly blunt and sometimes slyly nuanced. Like Hong, Jeong doesn't know if there's a solution to the questions that her stand-in poses. But oftentimes, it's a pleasure just to listen to Jeong's characters circuitously gab about their respective talking points and not-so-secret agendas.

I also really dug the Chinese revenge drama "Wrath of Silence," a macho, but often moving action film that, like "No Country for Old Men" and "In the Valley of Elah," is a pulpy narrative from the Whatever Happened to My Country sub-genre of crime fiction. "Wrath of Silence" follows a mute coal miner (played by martial artist Yang Song) who searches for his missing son by actively pummeling his way through an exploitative, nouveau riche bussinessman's empire. Director Yukun Xin effectively translate Song's characters' mixed feelings—of loss, confusion, and awe—through gorgeous, desolate panoramas of desert hills and valleys. There's a lot of on-the-nose symbolism here too, so anyone who dislikes blunt metaphors should steer clear. Everyone else will probably find something to like about this effectively punishing revenge tragedy.

Also, be sure to check out the rousing Filipino rap battle drama "Respeto," a corny, but satisfying story about a trio of teenagers who get schooled in the art of street poetry by a depressed used book salesman. "Respeto" is a NYAFF specialty: here's a film that breathes new life into tired coming-of-age tropes about growing up on skid row without real parents (imagine if "8 Mile" and "Finding "Forrester" eloped and had a child after moving to the Philippines). There's a real sense of loss and dynamism in every scene where our heroes attend and compete in local rap battles. And the filmmakers' unique brand of heart-felt, but sensational didacticism—Rap battle fame is fleeting! Teenage prostitution isn't glamorous! PTSD and rape are no joke!—is also pretty irresistible. I bet this movie takes home the festival's Audience Award.

"Respeto" screens right before this year's surprise screening, a can't-miss event for festival attendants both old and new. Last year, Hendrix programmed the delightfully bonkers 1992 sexploitation spy thriller "Naked Killer." And the year before that, Hendrix selected the John Woo-esque 1998 Hong Kong action-drama "A Hero Never Dies," a winningly nutty action bromance featuring the only wheelchair shoot-out you'll ever need. I'm not really sure if the typical NYAFF audience member attends these secret screenings, nor do I know if my reservations about the festival's steady growth matters much in the long run. I do, however, know that I'll be at this year's surprise screening at the SVA Theater. I hope to see you there.

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blackhatclubblog · 7 years

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WWW - February 2017

KOREAN: ~ Tomorrow With You Empress: Y'know, I haven't been disappointed by a Shin Min Ah drama yet...and I wouldn't mind another Lee Je Hoon drama...I hadn't seen such a ridiculous description until now, which is too bad. I had heard time travel and romance and was looking forward to it. I still mean to watch at least the first 2 episodes to see what it's like. XD Ambassador: Shin Min Ah is nowhere near enough to pull me into such a crazy sounding storyline... but if the Empress likes it, she'll drag me into watching it sooner or later. Unni: *giggles* I'll probably wait for one of these two to convince me to watch it....or wait for Pinterest to give me screenshots. ~ Perfect Wife Empress: This sounds possibly really depressing...I don't think I'm putting it on my list...XD Ambassador: SUNG JOON would be the main reason I would check this out. I can't tell if this is supposed to be an ahjumma romance or not but either way, it's not likely to tempt me, not even for him. Unni: *banging head madly into wall* ~ Romance Full of Life Empress: LOL. At that point, dude, switch careers. XD I would say NOPE, but if it's ONLY 3 episodes...maybe... XD Ambassador: 3 episodes and Yoon Shi Yoon. Probably at some point I'll pull it up. Unni: Um..................this just sounds like kinda cute......some weekend maybe. ~ Super Family Empress: .....I am underwhelmed. No thanks.... Ambassador: NO. It sounds like one of those long Monday melos and I generally dislike those. Unni: No xie xie.... ~ Strong Woman Do Bong Soon Empress: I was like NO, YOU CAN'T JUST REMAKE WEIGHTLIFTING FAIRY AND HAVE ANOTHER SUPER STRONG GIRL but then I saw some cute promo pics and bother, I like all 3 of the leads, and it might be adorable. So I am not putting it past myself to watch it. XD Ambassador: I like all three of the lead actors from other things but I didn't think that the synopsis was enough to tempt me. At first, anyway. THEN, I saw the part about her becoming his bodyguard and I cracked up and yes, I'll probably watch it, at some point. Unni: *BOUNCES UP AND DOWN* I am on a strong woman streak....this sounds delicious! *waves hand madly* ~ My Only Love Song Empress: Heh. Time travel is in again, huh? Nobody wants to stay in the present after 2016? Unless I hear something raving about it later, this isn't really enough to intrigue me. Ambassador: There isn't much information about this yet but Lee Jong Hyun of CN Blue is in it and so is the villainous brother of Park Ki Woong from Bridal Mask. As long as my list is right now, I feel that if I added one more drama I'm not passionately interested in, it will be the straw that broke the camel's back, er, list. So no. Unni: I'll probably wait for screen shots...it's a little interesting. ~ 109 Strange Things (webdrama) Empress: I am curious. Which is more than be said for the previous dramas. And I've enjoyed the last few webdramas I've seen. I might go for this one. XD Ambassador: Color me interested enough to check it out. It could be highly amusing. Unni: This sounds iiiiiiiiiiiinteresting CHINESE: ~ The Starry Night, The Starry Sea Empress: Heh. Okay, that sounds a little different from the usual. I like that. I also like the title. However, magical Chinese dramas tend to not be things I watch. So...I kind of doubt I'll get to it....XD Ambassador: YES, because it's William Feng and Bea Hayden and had enough internet buzz that I'm interested. (Also, I'd watch pretty much anything for William Feng Shaofeng, so there's that.) Unni: I just watched the opening credit scene because you get a peek at the drama.....I am not sure...it seems jussssssssssssssssssssssst a little more on the too weird side for me, they are cute though. ~ The Glory of Tang Dynasty Empress: Intriguing. If it was a Korean drama I think I'd be more likely to dive into it...it would depend on what else I heard about it. Ambassador: Hmmmm, I don't know. I'm inclined to say yes- palace and harem dramas are my kryptonite- but, I'll have to wait and see what it looks like. Unni: This sounds interesting, we'll see how it all goes down. ~ Love Just Come Empress: aww...it sounds sweet...but somehow not something that catches my attention.... Ambassador: Good for her, but nope, not going on my list. Unni: This sounds cute...the subject is interesting. I might look at it...we shall see. ~ The Legendary School: Three Lives, Three Worlds Tao Hua Yuan Empress: *dies* This sounds kind of adorable...I tend to be wary of magical dramas...but depending how it was done this could be really fun. XD Ambassador: Chinese urban fantasy is usually hilarious and fun and this looks like no exception. I'll be keeping an eye on it. Unni: We'll see how busy I am. ~ Detective Samoyeds Empress: HEE. I still want to watch Joseon X-files. But...between medic, ballistics enthusiast, and analytics expert...in the Tang Dynasty...XD I am very intrigued. Ambassador: YES. The plot and characters sound like too much fun to stay away. (The title cracks me up though... does Samoyed mean something different in China? Because all I can think of is fluffy white dogs. Unless they're simply referring to the idiom 'like a dog with a bone' for the way they operate... but why choose Samoyeds?) Unni: Subject matter interesting, everything else...no thank you. ~ Till Death Tear Us Apart Empress: I like the title a little bit...but the rest doesn't grab me... Ambassador: I don't thiiiiink so. Just doesn't pique my interest. Unni: Not up my ally of interest. ~ Long For You Empress: .....aliens, immortals, reincarnation...somehow I'm not terribly intrigued.... Ambassador: Finally the cdrama adaptation of You Who Came From the Stars. Noooope, not interested. Unni: Also a pass here. I couldn't get into the K one how could I get into the C one? ~ Full Love Empress: Poor kids...this all sounds depressing...naw... Ambassador: Ooh, Hawick Lau and Alina Zhang Meng make it tempting, but the plot removes that temptation. Probably not watching. Unni: *tip toes around drama* I'll pass. ~ Qin Empire Jue Qi Empress: Third installment. Because one 30 episode show was not enough...XD When I have endless time I will watch them all in proper order. Ambassador: I'm putting this on my list of dramas to watch when researching particular historical eras. Unni: I'll let these two fill me in on these unless I become fascinated with Chinese history A January cdrama I missed: ~ The Legend of the Condor Heroes Empress: That sounds possibly interesting...but when there are others in the series that I haven't seen yet... Ambassador: The latest in the Condor Heroes franchise. I started the one from 2008 and loved the chemistry in that one, but I'm not so sure I'll try this one. Unni: I started watching one of the Condor Heroes once upon a time... I found it a little weird....so no. TAIWANESE: ~ Art in Love Empress: no....XD Ambassador: George Hu isn't enough for me to watch this one. Unni: This sounds like one of the less interesting Taiwanese dramas HONG KONG: ~ Romance for 7 Days Empress: heh. This is not the Hong Kong drama that will draw me away from my massive list. Ambassador: Naah, not enough to interest me. Unni: No thank you! ~ Tiger Mom Blues Empress: okay, while "tiger mom" makes me laugh, the rest of this makes me cringe... Ambassador: Lordy NO. The title is cool but I don't usually like family dramas. Unni: Not really interested, there are far more interesting things in life. Which of these dramas will YOU be watching?

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