 In my ever growing passion for K-RomComs, I discovered a new gem. I recently finished this series on Rakuten Viki – Tale of the Nine-Tailed. It stars Lee Dong Wook as a thousand year old fox god called Lee Yeon, Jo Bo Ah as his reincarnated love Nam Ji-Ah, Kim Bum, as the half fox-demon Lee Rang, Lee Yeon's younger brother and Kim Yong Ji as the goddess Talupia who oversees the balance between life and death. The plot is simple, Lee Yeon has been searching for his long lost love after she died suddenly. Nam Ji-Ah who found herself orphaned as a young child through supernatural experiences is a producer of a ghost hunting show of sorts. Her goal is to try and find her parents by examining mysterious instances. The typical love trope is wonderfully interwoven with complex characters, who each have their own desires – love not being one of the top concerns. What makes this show particularly wonderful is that there are several villains, some who come full circle to become heroes in the end. The writers never take the easy way out, either. Love comes at a great cost, be it true love, the love of family, or love for the order of the world. But what I really loved about this one is that it was genuinely funny. Lee Dong Wook and Jo Bo Ah play off each other so well. Their performances are smooth and very natural. They pull you into the story without any effort. Kim Bum plays his devious role amazingly well. He's very easy to hate at first, but as with each of the characters, his own complex nature is slowly revealed. He became one of the most memorable characters. The only critic, and this is from an objective perspective, it's 17 episodes, which means the story can feel drawn out. But from my perspective, I was lapping it up. I couldn't wait for the next episode! If you're not sure if K-dramas or K-RomComs are your thing, I can recommend this one as a good starter series. Kaely's Rating: B+ Critiqued by Kaely Monahan
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 Source: Spoiler TV On the tails of Sundance Film Festival 2021, I started an extreme binge/catch up on shows I had on my 'to watch list'. Maybe it's because we watched some thirteen plus movies over one long weekend or a craving for several episode-after-episode evenings, but I have done almost nothing but catch up and start several shows. First, I began to mark Golden Globe nominations off my list. Long on my 'to watch list', and by the grace of a good friend's login - thanks Joshy Pants - I binged HBO Max's "The Flight Attendant". The show is based off the 2018 novel of the same name by Chris Bohjalian. Initially, I wanted to watch because I've had a crush on Kaley Cuoco since the first episode of 8 Simple Rules (RIP John Ritter). Then, most recently, the eight-episode season was nominated for two Golden Globe awards - Best Musical/Comedy Series and Best Television Actress - Musical/Comedy Series category. Cuoco, for some reason unbeknownst to me, has had little fanfare in the awards arena. This nomination is long overdue. Watch her heartfelt reaction on the announcement via her Instagram. Seriously, I cried with her.  Vermont author Chris Bohjalian poses with Kaely Cuoco on the set of "The Flight Attendant". "The Flight Attendant", more considered a comedy-thriller than it's label for the Golden Globes, follows Cassie (Cuoco), an alcohol flight attendant, who spends most of her nights at dance clubs and karaoke bars in various countries she lands in. She rarely wakes up alone and chugs mouthwash before taking her next work flight. That is, until, one morning she wakes up next to a dead body and no recollection of the night before. Soon, she is followed by hired killers, the FBI, and vague memories of that crazy night. She finds herself taping together shredded documents, crashing memorials and learning who to trust along the way. This show is an absolute must-watch. The casting is brilliant, the acting is spectacular and the plot twists and turns with little expectation of what's next. It's oddly dark but also hilarious. I walked a fine line between hating Cassie as a selfish drunk but also rooting for her to overcome the evils at bay. The plot line should seem outlandish and downright impossible, but the acting, especially Cuoco, keeps it levelheaded. By Tuesday Mahrle  My pandemic pleasure has been K-dramas. There's something just delightful and fresh about these TV shows. And it tickles my fancy. I would never consider myself a rom-com lover, but if it's a Korean one then odds are I'm hooked. I'm particularly drawn to ones with fantasy or sci-fi elements. It's like cotton candy for my brain. I'm currently watching A Korean Odyssey on Netflix. The story focuses on a woman who is cursed with seeing ghosts, demons, and monsters, all of which wish to eat her. However, she discovers her powers lead to a higher purpose. At her side is a reluctant and disgraced deity. He becomes bound to her with a magic bracelet. It chains not only his will but his heart to her. I'm only three episodes in, but so far the humor and quirkiness is making it an enjoyable watch! The series stars Lee Seung-gi, Cha Seung-won, Oh Yeon-seo, Lee Hong-gi and Jang Gwang. Written by the Hong sisters, the drama is a modern spin-off of the Chinese classic 16th century novel Journey to the West. It originally aired on tvN starting December 23, 2017. By Kaely Monahan |
Kaely & TuesdayWhiskey and Popcorn is a joint venture between a couple of movie lovers. We love to watch, read and talk about movies. What better way to do that than by creating a podcast and website. We hope you enjoy our ramblings and comment on everything you see here. Archives |
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