Paciencia y Fe 📺
In the Heights premiered in theaters and HBO Max and it was so entertaining to watch. I missed watching musical performances on the big screen and Lin Manuel Miranda and John Chu certainly did not disappoint.
I recently became a Lin Manuel Miranda fan after watching Hamilton last July on my home TV. This man is a genius—if I ever met him in person I would probably die.
I can’t believe it’s only been a year since I watched Hamilton. I remember it came out in July of 2020 and COVID had sunk into everyone’s reality and life was sad. It is July 2021 and a mask mandate was just implemented (again) due to the delta virus. Just when you think it’s over and everything is back to normal, COVID says “NOO!!”
In the Heights, it was so, so good! I had never listened to the original Broadway soundtrack and had never seen the show. The movie blew me away and was so funky, groovy, and beautifully made.
Many questions popped into my head while watching this movie like:
Do communities like this exist anymore?
What caused the romanticization of reverse-migration among immigrant families?
Other generational challenges that affect American immigrants?
“Little details, that tell the world we’re not invisible ”
In the Heights reconstructed this idea of a diverse community nestled in the ever-gentrifying city of New York. Lyrics in the songs depict a struggling, yet vivacious community that is torn between change and tradition. I think that LMM really defines a new, colorful definition of the American spirit and inspires the new generation.
One song particularly stuck with me: Abuela Claudia’s “Pacienca y Fe.” The lyrics in the song depicted such a vivid story of immigration. Abuela Claudia is reminiscing the obstacles her and her mother experienced once they set foot on American soil—from working tirelessly as maids, living paycheck to paycheck, and adjusting to a new definition of freedom.
I don’t want to ruin anything in the movie, but I highly recommend watching it! The music, choreography, editing, and overall performance is so spectacular and special.
I am happy that it’ll always remind me of Summer 2021.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Kingdom 📺
2.12.2019
This weekend I watched The Kingdom on Netflix. I had little to no expectations of the South Korean take on zombies.
As a Korean-American, I would say that I have seen a lot of South Korea’s takes on film and drama. From historical, to melodrama, to toe-curlingly cheesy, I would be able to recommend something in every genre to someone.
Except for horror.
What I mean by “I watched” The Kingdom, I really mean sat on the couch for six hours straight and binged through it. I am not leaving any spoilers here, but I would definitely recommend watching this to anyone!!!
The mini-drama is composed of six episodes, starring Ju Ji-Hoon as a Crown Prince, the protagonist (Goong, anyone?). Bae Doo-Na (Sense 8) is the female lead, playing the role of a female healer. The film is a saguek, or a historical film, set in the Joseon era. Other characters include the Queen, an evil court official (and the Queen’s father), the Prince’s trusty sidekick, and a mysterious mercenary. It’s addicting to see the story unfold of the Crown Prince losing his birthright over his kingdom, yet gaining a different kind of power—one that insinuates personal trust, family, and responsibility. Themes prevalent in the film include filial piety, power struggles, socio-economic class, figureheads, and of course, survival & humanism.
From my little-to-no knowledge of special effects makeup (thank you, Face Off), the zombie makeup in this movie was great. The blood and gore was definitely believable and not too overdone (no flying/broken/swinging/open appendages.) The zombies were made-up very well—enough for the special effects to contribute to the film, not take away from it.
The Kingdom is made up of the same stuff as other zombie stories —gross addiction, dry and random humor, and empathy for the characters holding on to survival. Apparently, in South Korea, the film is only available on Netflix. I had never heard of this before this movie and find it interesting. The movies and dramas that have the ‘Netflix Original’ stamp on Netflix are usually aired in Korean cable channels such as TVN or JTBC. (Equivalent to Lifetime or Bravo channels here in America. In other words, channels that are not ABC, MSNBC, FOX, etc.)
I don’t know if South Korea, being the busy country that it is, has room for Netflix. Most of the country’s viewer audience is made up of an older demographic, and there is an abundance of content available on TV. From music shows, to home shopping (Korea’s QVC), to news, comedy/variety shows, dramas, and even channels dedicated to broadcasting American shows with Korean subtitles, where would a monthly subscription service fit? Students go to school and then after-school all day, and adults have more of a 12 hour workday than a 6 hour one. The international audience is a different story.
2021 Update
Korea continues to air exclusive works on Netflix and Korean content thrives on the platform, evidenced by Netflix’s increasing budget in the Asian market year over year. A very exciting time for entertainment not just in Korea, but all over the 🌎!
