Reviews

You have to hand it to the Koreans for coming up with entertaining programming. This imaginary zombie infestation was fun, silly, gross and contains plenty of edge-of-your-seat action as each task takes a toll on the struggling contestants. Unexpected kinship develops and each time one of the cast loses it and cracks up laughing, the viewer laughs right along with them. It's the most fun I've had on Netflix in a long time. Standing out in the mix are the beautiful Lee Si-Young and the lanky Kim Jin-Young (Dex) a deceptively laid back ex-soldier who runs circles around the zombies and bravely risks his skin to save others not once but several times. Unscripted has never been my cup of tea, but I loved this and can't wait for a second season.

The sheer number of female killers in this series is off-putting after a while. In every other episode, the murder has been committed by a woman, and it's strange that no one on the show ever seems to mention this anomaly. Ask any real homicide detective and they will tell you that the statistics and the ratio of female killers to male killers is vastly different than is portrayed here (as most viewers and true crime aficionados already know.) I imagine bored writers find it more interesting if the killer is a woman, and may have told themselves they were creating interesting female roles aside from those in the regular cast. Still, it stands out and diminishes an otherwise enjoyable experience.

As usual, I had a book open and another screen going at the same time I turned on Netflix and cued up The Irregulars. I ended up closing the book and turning off the computer to watch. I found the diversity appealing, the modernistic take more fun than I expected. Some favorites included in the cast were a welcome surprise to see, such as Rory McCann and Clarke Peters. Creepy story lines, moody atmosphere and fresh faces kept me watching. Never get tired of Sherlock, do we?

Have to say without reservation that I will watch both Thomas Kretschmann and Jonathan Rhys Meyers in anything they choose. I would watch them sitting and staring at a wall for an hour because I know both are talented enough to make it interesting. Pairing the two and pitting them against a shadowy shared foe should prove interesting and I'm intrigued enough to want to know more. I like the lavishness of the production value and enjoy hearing all the names familiar to the novel, though with different interpretations. The character of Renfield has certainly taken a unique twist, and oh my goodness the shining Lady Jayne definitely has some secrets, doesn't she? Throwing in Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla and the magnetosphere doesn't hurt. Flashlights didn't exist, eh? Well, do vampires? Take it for what it is, an imaginative derivation of a tale that still enthralls. I for one will keep watching, and probably re-watching to catch what I miss.

The arrogant action film actor is a bully with a temper and after one tantrum too many finds himself without any willing co-stars, so enter the inscrutable gangster who was in a movie once as an extra and still enjoys watching films. A request for an autograph leads to the first showdown between the actor and the gangster. Western films have led us to believe Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro (and now Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson) are the stereotypical gangsters that whack and or whip out a garrote at the smallest slight. Not the stoic Gang-pae, played so well by Ji-Seob So, who barely needs any dialog to convey his thoughts or reactions. From the moment he agrees to be on screen, and to fight for real, I began to get a feeling of dread. His line to the action star about finally becoming a real actor was as heartbreaking in its own way as the events that followed. Like I said, action yes, but the characters made made it a solid film.

I recently became a fan of Yoo Gong and followed the links to this film, unlike anything I expected but so intense that I found myself yelling at the screen during certain scenes. Yoo Gong's performance caused one of those reactions, when he snapped and went after the jerk in the hall and I gave a shout and a fist pump. Then all I could do was watch and shrink from the madness that ensued. Too real, too raw, particularly if you are a parent. Still I'm glad the horrifying acts of the evildoers came to light, even if they weren't punished in the way I wished. A huge thank you to the writer and to those who acted to make the film. Change begins with awareness.