Articles Written by James Mudge
James Mudge is BeyondHollywood.com's longest contributing movie reviewer. Based out of Glasgow, James is our go-to guy for Asian movie reviews old and new. He has a forthcoming book about Asian movies set to be released sometime this century. Maybe.
Princess (2006) Movie Review
Given the enduring popularity of Eastern style anime and manga, Denmark probably isn’t the first country to spring to mind when considering adult themed animation. Step forward then Danish director and comic book creator Anders Morgenthaler, whose “Princess” is easily one of the most challenging, thought provoking and entertaining examples of the form in recent [...]
March 28th, 2008 | James Mudge | 0 Comments | Read MoreM (2007) Movie Review
“M” is the latest effort from critically acclaimed Korean director Lee Myung Se, who has won praise both at home and abroad for his highly stylised works that tend to overflow with cinematic flair. With this, his eighth film he seems to be in reflective mood, combing the themes of bittersweet love and loss seen [...]
March 21st, 2008 | James Mudge | 0 Comments | Read MoreVenus and Mars (2007) Movie Review
Korean director Han Ji Seung, previously known for “Too Beautiful To Lie” and “Fun Movie” tries to shake up the romantic comedy genre with his latest offering “Venus and Mars”. Here, he takes the battle between the sexes to its logical conclusion, casting aside all notions of civility and good behaviour in favour of aggression [...]
March 21st, 2008 | James Mudge | 1 Comment | Read MoreGoing by the Book (2007) Movie Review
With Korean crime and detective dramas of late having been a fairly straight-faced and generic bunch, rarely diverting too far from the given formula, the determinedly off beat “Going by the Book” comes as a breath of fresh air. Directed by first time helmer Ra Hee Chan and written by award winning scribe Jang Jin, [...]
March 21st, 2008 | James Mudge | 0 Comments | Read MoreOur Town (2007) Movie Review
“Our Town” takes the tried and tested serial killer genre and gives it a bit of a shake up by offering the viewer not one, but two crazy murderers on the rampage. Although this may sound like a somewhat desperate gimmick, first time director Jung Gil Young uses this unusual premise to craft a taut, [...]
March 17th, 2008 | James Mudge | 0 Comments | Read MoreMy Eleventh Mother (2008) Movie Review
“My Eleventh Mother” sees popular Korean actress Kim Hye Su, best known for playing sexy sirens in the likes of “Tazza: The High Rollers” and “A Day For An Affair”, taking on a very different role. Here, eschewing make up for the most part, she plays a down and out woman who is offered one [...]
March 16th, 2008 | James Mudge | 0 Comments | Read MoreLinger (2008) Movie Review
Although current critic and fanboy favourite Johnnie To is best known for his action thrillers and crime dramas, his career, which now spans nearly thirty years, has seen him tackle pretty much every genre imaginable. Given this, and the fact that his Milkyway production company has a tendency to spread itself between quirky and more [...]
March 15th, 2008 | James Mudge | 0 Comments | Read MoreAnna and Anna (2007) Movie Review
“Anna and Anna” is the latest from writer and director Aubrey Lam, previously responsible for “Twelve Nights” and “Hidden Track”, and who collaborated with Peter Chan on the scripts of several of his films including “Perhaps Love” and recent blockbuster hit “Warlords”. Here she takes on the ever-popular cinematic theme of the doppelganger, mainly as [...]
March 8th, 2008 | James Mudge | 0 Comments | Read MoreMay 18 (2007) Movie Review
“May 18″ deals with the Gwangju Uprising, a dark episode in Korean history when in 1980 the city attempted to stand up against dictator Chun Doo Hwan, who had taken control of the country after his 1979 military coup. Directed by Kim Ji Hoo, who previously gave audiences the popular comedy “Mokpo”, the film revolves [...]
March 1st, 2008 | James Mudge | 0 Comments | Read MoreOur School (2006) Movie Review
“Our School” sees documentary film maker Kim Myung Joon taking on a potentially fascinating and unique subject in deciding to explore and follow the lives of students and staff at a school set up in Japan by Korean immigrants in 1945 to protect their own culture, language and sense of identity. The film itself has [...]
February 23rd, 2008 | James Mudge | 0 Comments | Read More














