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The Story of Bi Hyung: Enchanted Master of the Goblin (Korean Series)

This show is a bit of a weird mix, blending old-school folklore with a modern-day BL setting. It feels like it’s trying to be both ancient and contemporary at the same time. I have to admit, the first four or five episodes really pulled me in, but unfortunately, I just couldn't stay interested as it went on. The whole supernatural plot and the folk story elements got pretty confusing after a while. Luckily, the funny back-and-forth between the characters was enough to keep me watching. The series tries to draw parallels to the legend of Bi-hyung, the Goblin King, but since I don't really know that story, I'm not even going to try to explain it. Altogether, it’s 12 episodes, and each one is about 25 to 30 minutes long. The story kicks off with Geum Bok, a guy from the countryside who moves to the big city because he wants to be an actor, but he immediately gets scammed out of his apartment. He’s stuck sleeping on the streets until he has a random run-in with a stranger who p...

Pushing Dead

This film is so much more than what the summary of the film suggests. I think the summary covers only about 15% of what this film is trying to be. I am not saying that its a good thing, but I have a problem, when the makers try to promote their film as something which its not. Being promoted as a film about a man who suddenly has his medical insurance suspended and has to struggle for his HOV meds is talked about at a ,maximum 20% of the film. There is so much more happening here.

Dan, has been HIV positive for over 22 years, but still finds a stigma attached to it and is very uncomfortable talking about this to anyone at all. When he deposits a $100 birthday check from his mom, it pushes him out of his low income bracket and he is subsequently pushed out of his healthcare plan. His medicines are now going to cost him thousands of dollars. We meet Dan's roommate, a girl who is his best friend and has always been supportive of him in every step of the way. We also meetDan's boss Bob, who has been kicked out of home by his wife and who has been getting a lot of emotional support by Dan. Dan also meets a nice guy at the doctors office. They talk and meet a few times and finally Dan feels that he may have a chance at love once again, but eventually they backs out. 

I am just not sure what was this film trying to be. A dark comedy, a statement on the US health system, story of people living with HIV, friendship or something else? The script is neither serious nor funny and the script is very fragmented and all over the place. The only reason anyone can sit through this film is because of a very good performance by Dan and his charm. He is lonely and isolated but also has a charming support system of his best friend and a boss who cares for him. The biggest culprit here is story and how it all connects together. It drags on and on from time to time and you keep wondering where this is headed. His medical insurance issues gets magically resolved without him having to do much. Overall a disappointment. (3.5/10)

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