Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:33):
S all right, ellis Cinema back another dish? How are
(01:26):
we doing out there?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Good?
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Great gray yandy yan ay yan wonderful as you see
on your screen, your dial. However you are choosing to
join us today, I know that the members of the
cast and crew appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Well.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Go USA and Shutter present Igzuma. Igzuma direct written and
directed by Jang Jai yun, starring Choyman Sick, Kim Gu
Lee Do Hyun, Kim Sung Jung, Hang Sing Yo Jun,
and You Hi Jin and many many, many more. So
(02:03):
what the hell is Egzuma? Well, I can tell you
one of my favorite horror films of the year, no question.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
It's a South.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Korean film that was released this year. We explore mystery
and occult elements. We follow the process of excavating an
ominous grave, which unleashes dreadful consequences buried underneath.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
And I thought that the fucking villain in this was good.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
I mean, at its core, Igzuma centers around the mysterious
events that unfold after the death of a well known
archaeologist who is Professor.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Kang Seung Wu.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
His passing triggers a chain of events that propels his
family and colleagues into a terrifying investigation surrounding his final
research on wait for it, an ancient burial site. You
can see where this is going, but I promise you
it has not been seen the way that it is
(03:05):
presented to you. Fucking the South Koreans are making easily
some of the best films in the last ten years.
As the story unravels, we are drawn into a complex
narrative and involving family secrets, long buried trauma. I know
all you people out there love that trauma bonding these
(03:25):
days and the dark forces tied to ancestral rights. However,
as the characters dig deeper into the mystery, they soon
realize that some graves should never be disturbed see Poultergeist.
If that didn't fucking teach you Poulter guys, should The
film's central conflict revolves around the interplay between the living
(03:48):
and the dead. It devolves it delves into grief, retribution
and the consequences of tampering with cultural beliefs surrounding death.
A couple odd ones that you see out of this
film in terms of how different countries treat their dead,
treat their spirits, what they send them off with, et cetera.
(04:14):
The supernatural elements are steeped in Korean folklore, introducing a
chilling mixture of spiritual traditions in the modern world, creating
a sense of existential dread as characters find themselves caught
between the material and the immaterial.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Like Zuma is.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
A film steeped in profound cultural themes, exploring the intersection
of traditional beliefs and modern much like its predecessors in
Korean horror, such as The Whaling, If you haven't seen
that really really good, In fact, I'm due for rewatch
on that one. I love a slow bird well, I
love all movies for the love of cinema Gang, I
(04:54):
love movies just like Keanu says, such as The Whaling
and The Mimic. The film beverages folklore not merely as
a set of supernatural events, but as a commentary on
societal and personal fears, because the Koreans have found a
way to make you care for, make you care about
(05:17):
characters in basic theme, basic themed movies, So like a
horror film here, you know, I mean traditionally most of
them Final girl, this, that or the other thing. South
Korea finds a way to kind of I don't want
to say, you know, spin it around, drop it on
its head, but like they have a way of executing
(05:39):
their vision is just refreshing sometimes when it comes to
very traditional genres like horror, action, whatever. But not to
be understated just how effective they are at doing this
like it it has to be seen to believe, seem
(06:01):
to be believed. The titular ezuma or grave disturbance is
a central metaphor for both the personal trauma the characters
endure and the physical and emotional consequences of disturbing the past.
There is a clear exploration here of ancestral rights and
how the living often fail to respect the spiritual world,
(06:22):
a theme that will resonate deeply with anyone familiar with
Korean traditions or even your own you know, Catholicism. However,
you know, however, whatever theology you have, it can deeply
resonate with you in terms of what your beliefs might be.
But anyone familiar with Korean traditions around death in the afterlife,
(06:44):
The film, I would say, probes into the idea of
what happens when we try to alter or bypass the
natural course of life and death. And of course it
comes with chilling results because this is a horror film.
Fam This is a horror film, and it's not just
supernatural horror. It's also a deep meditation on grief, responsibility
(07:09):
and you know, the hidden legacies we inherit from our
ancestors and the I think in a lot of South
Korean films, something that there they spend far more time on,
which I wish we did here in the States is
the cinematography and the direction always seems to be spot on.
(07:32):
You can tell the pre production. There's no stone unturned
in pre production. So like you know, Jang Jai Hun's
step into this realm, I mean, his direction is meticulous.
It conbines haunting atmospherics of rural Korean landscapes with intimate
(07:52):
psychological horror. Like we said earlier trauma bonding. The pacing
of Azuma is deliberate, I mean, and with jayg allowing
tension to build slowly rather than rushing into scares, I
feel like that pays off more. And the film's mood
is one of oppressive dread. I mean, where every corner
(08:14):
of a house, every shadow, and every quiet moment seems
pregnant with forebooding the cinematography just the way that it's utilized.
I know a lot of you want to be filmmakers
out there, would like to know how to create tension
(08:37):
without you know, giving too much away.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Watch this film.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Le Moguy, who is the cinematographer on this film, moves
the camera in a way where I would argue the
last half of that film it's so uncomfortable. And there's
multiple things that he's doing throughout this film. I mean
he's utilizing tight close ups and obviously wide angle shots
(09:04):
to emphasize isolation out in the Korean country, in the
vast haunting spaces that both entrap and expose all of
our main character's fears. So the rule setting plays a
critical role in this Gang. It enhances the film's atmosphere,
whether it be looking at dilapidated temples overgrown burial grounds.
(09:28):
Even though the burial ground but we stumble upon to
it is out in the middle of nowhere, nothing's around it.
And I gotta tell you, a gang, if it ain't
in a graveyard and you just find a random grave
out in the middle of nowhere, I'm just gonna stay
away from it. I'm just gonna stay away from it.
I just I'm like, you know what, that's that was
put there for a reason. It's away from every other graveyard.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
You know.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
I'm just going to get the hell out of here.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
So but anyway, the rule setting plays a critical role
in enhancing the film's atmosphere. Dilapidated temples, overgrown burial grounds,
and forgotten, forgotten shrines evoke a sense of supernatural world
encroaching upon the modern one. The camera often lingers on
(10:12):
these spaces, with the subtle movement of the frame suggesting
that something unseen is always watching.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
And let me tell you a gang it is.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
The film's color palette leans heavily on muted earth tones,
because again, a lot of this is taking place outside
in graveyards. We got grays, browns, and greens, which I mean,
whether you believe it or not, or whether you're conscious
of it or not, it enhances the grim mood and
leads a sense of decay and forgotten history. And I
love that sense of decay and forgotten history. The visual
(10:45):
style effectively conveys the film's central themes of resurrection and decay,
making the supernatural manifestations feel eerily tangible. All The performances
from the characters in this are absurd on how good
it is. And choymn sick who if you guys have
(11:08):
not seen any choyman sick. I'm trying to think of
a film that you might know from the States, probably
Lucy with Scarlett Johansson. He played mister Jang in that.
But like for me and a lot of other Sinophiles,
it's Old Boy, I Saw the Devil. You're not going
to see too many more effective thrillers than those two
(11:32):
that I just listed off. Old Boy and I Saw
the Devil, and a lot of that is attributed to
Choi's performance, and much like this one, like well how
can I?
Speaker 2 (11:47):
How can I?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
All? Right? He?
Speaker 1 (11:50):
In this he delivers a captivating performance that truly cements
him as one of cinema's most versatile and powerful actors.
Taking on the role of a man haunted by dark
secrets and the phantoms of his past, Choi brings a
depth and vulnerability that transforms his character's struggle into something
both deeply personal and universally haunting. His portrayal is intense,
(12:13):
It resonates with you. It's full of nuances, leaving a
lasting impact on viewers as he navigates the film's supernatural
and psychological layers. Choi masterly masterfully conveys his character's fear, guilt,
and emotional unraveling through subtle facial expressions and body language
(12:34):
you know acting. There are scenes where Choi's eyes alone
tell this, telling us an entire story. He reminds me
a lot of Tom Hanks. A lot of people consider
Tom Hanks as the best thinker on screen. Boy choice
rate up there thinking and conveying these emotions without saying
not one word, not one word, So his eyes alone
(12:57):
tell an entire story, capturing pain, resilient and an unshakable tear.
His ability to express so much with such restrained movements
makes his descent into fear feel all the more real.
One particularly powerful seeing is Choi alone in a dimly
lit room, wrestles with the phantoms in his mind, and
the wordless agony is almost palpable. What sets Choi's performance
(13:21):
apart is his remarkable emotional control and timing. He knows
precisely when to hold back and when to explode with energy,
making each scene gripping when he making each scene gripping
when he does give into the outbursts. It's both shocking
and heartbreaking. That's another thing I love about the Korean
films is whether it's a traditional horror film or action films,
(13:42):
I action film. I care about these characters.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
I really do.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
It's something that I feel, I don't know thirty percent
of the time, we really miss the mark on these
here in the States. So I mean, Choi's just shines
through every single frame. His performance is one that balances
horror with empathy, and he anchors the film with a
humanity that elevates the supernatural aspects of the story. This
(14:10):
role is a testament to choice skill in blending vulnerability
and vulnerability with intensity, making him the beating heart of
Ezuma and a key reason why the film.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Is so.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Successful. And I would argue that's the rest of the
crew is not getting the screen time he is. But
everybody is complimentary to him, whether it be Kim gu jung,
who I mean, for a lack of a better term,
just a witch, a shaman, a shaman or lead to
(14:47):
lead to Jun also awesome, King Sung Jung. Even Yo
hi Jin is almost overshadowed by everybody's performance, and I'm
very hesitant to say he's the comic relief he's not.
In fact, more often than not, he almost comes off
as the voice of reason that no one is listening to.
(15:09):
But everybody steps up and elevates their game. And I
think you have to do that when you have someone
like Choi Min sick on set and it's not it's
no disrespect to Kim or Lee or King Sung Hyung,
Kim Sung Jung or Yohi Jin, no disrespect to them.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
I think.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Yeah, it kind of reminded me of Jaws in a sense.
I think some of the best on screen chemistry that
you will ever see in a movie is.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
In Jaws.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Richard Dreyfus, Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw, you know those
A couple of those guys hated each other on set.
But I think sometimes that's important because it elevates your
game when you're doing that. I truly believe that, and
it's on display here like it, you know, I mean,
the support performances are equally as compelling. They bring this
(16:06):
grounded yet skeptical energy. Like I said, like Kim, she's
a shaman, and it serves as a counterpoint to the
supernatural events unfolding around them and the tension between the
rational and irrational is a core thematic element of this film,
and all of the actors skillfully navigate through this dichotomy.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
So that's just the acting.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
The technically, this movie is about as elite as it gets.
I mean, the sound design in Zuma is nothing short
of exceptional. It relies heavily on silence, allowing the sounds
of nature, whether it be the howling wind or the
rustling trees or distant footsteps, to become sources of discomfort
(16:54):
and characters themselves really and when sound is introduced it
feels like a physical intrusion because at this point, like
we got a lot of dead air out in that woods,
which you know sets the tone for some environmental horror.
And when it's feeling like a physical intrusion, it'say as
if the world around the characters is slowly closing in
(17:16):
on them. And when you see the mixture of the
sound design and cinematography, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
It gives a.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Heightened sense, the heightened sense of sound when we have
been without. It creates an immersive and almost tactile experience,
and you know, it draws me, draws you deeper into
the sense of dread. I'd say where it truly excels
is its ability to unsettle the viewer without relying on
(17:44):
jump scares or overt grotesque at torture porn. You know,
there's none of that in here, you know, or you
just see obscenely gross images. There's a couple in here,
but it's all justified. It's not like a Saw film
where we're doing it just to do it. I mean,
the horror here is subtle. It's psychological. It's deeply rooted
(18:07):
in the cultural context of the supernatural, and as the
characters uncover more about the disturbing rights tied to the exhumation,
the tear becomes both existential and spiritual, and it gives
this eerie sense of something ancient and I almost said
something Asian God, damn, I am the worst, something ancient
(18:31):
lying just beneath the surface. And the supernatural elements are
rich in folk lord like I mentioned before, with spirits, curses,
and ancestral rituals providing the central source of horror. I mean,
the true terar emerges not from when monstrous creatures or apparitions,
but from the quiet, terrifying revelations that the living might
(18:55):
not be as in control of their fates as they believe,
And the more the character's uncover, the more they realize
that some doors, once opened, cannot be closed.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
So what else do we got here that I wanted
to discuss?
Speaker 1 (19:17):
I think, in terms of horror films, probably one of
the best I've seen in quite some time. Just in
terms if if we're talking store, the complete package gang,
if we're talking things that, if we're talking cast and
(19:39):
crew clicks on all cylinders, you know, I feel like
a lot these days we have one or the other,
which you know, and and and I'm glad that a
lot of these films have that avenue to get their
(19:59):
stuff out there, you know, Netflix and Hulu and whatever.
But I feel, and I've been saying this for a
couple of years now, is I feel like the mentality
is drifting from cinema to content, and to me, there
is a difference. In fact, I'm sure I'm not the
(20:20):
first one to ever say this, but content is kind
of a dirty word to me. It's not to say
that content can't exist or I hate it or anything
like that, but I don't like that we are starting
to merge content and cinema. It is not the same
to me, folks, there's a difference of you know, filming
(20:41):
your cat doing silly things than being on a fifty
million dollar film set.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
It's just different that.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
More often than not, you know, like a film like this,
we are trying to invoke some emotion with which, yeah,
you know, it's not to say that the cat videos
give me the emotion of happiness. And still, yeah, I
understand what you're saying, but you can't compare, you know.
(21:14):
I was about ready to say, like saving Private Ryan
to just some of I don't even know where I'm
going with this, but it's different. I don't know how,
but it's different, and people smarter than me should delve
into it and explain it better than I can, because
I'm sorry. But if you add up however many TikTok
(21:37):
videos it takes to be on par with the same
run time as a Zuma, I'm telling you that even
though you may have gotten two million more emotions, it's
not the same, you know, I miss elongated stories, even
the slow burn itself, or like some people that are
(21:59):
getting mad like well I watch content in cinema two Yeah,
but I would argue your patience isn't what mine is.
And I'm not saying that I'm better than you, but
like a slow burn, I think plays a lot better
to me than someone who's sixty percent content forty percent cinema.
I don't know if that's true, but I'm pretty sure
(22:21):
it is, because I mean, I see it all the
time whenever I invite friends over for a movie or whatever.
Like you know, I have the no phone policy rule
when we're watching movies, but you know I can see
when we and we're talking good movies here. I don't
show shit when I get people together, but you can
(22:43):
just tell, like being patient and waiting for that payoff,
it's hard for y'all. And I would argue it's because
you've gotten so used to the content that you want
a payoff every five seconds or five minutes or whatever.
And that's just not how art works. And it's not
(23:04):
to say that sometimes that content can't teeter on art,
but content is not cinema.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Gang. It's not it.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Never will be, at least in my eyes.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
And if we go full on back to the vine
days where everybody is just going to they need their
fix in ten second increments, I just I'll never be
that guy. No matter how hard I try. In fact,
for the longest time, and I'm a little bit better now,
but for the longest time, I wouldn't watch like shorts,
(23:35):
even Academy. Like I watch the Academy Awards every year,
I wouldn't watch the shorts for the Academy. And it's
no disrespect to the cast and crew working on those,
But in my experience, by the time I've seen many, many, many,
many many shorts, but by the time it was done,
I was like, oh shit, I want more, or that
was a waste of my fucking time, you know, even
if it was only eleven minutes, I want more, you know.
(23:58):
So anyway, I don't know why I just went on
a tangent about content and cinema, but I feel like
it's important. Like I tell my chick all the time,
being patient and waiting for that payoff is so much
more gratifying than getting it every five seconds. It's overload,
you know, And I just I just hope we the
(24:21):
pendulum swings back the other way. I'm confident at will
I'm one of these weird people that thinks h ten
years from now, phones and the Instagrams and the tic
tackis and whatever else. It's going to be looked at
like cigarettes, you know, like it's it's going to be you.
You're on your phone on some social media site, and
(24:44):
it makes me sound like a fossil.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
But I'm not.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
I have all the social media's and probably navigate it
better than most people my age. But I hate it.
I can't stand it. It's such a waste of my
fucking time. In fact, they tell people all the time,
if not for this peace shit show that shouldn't exist,
I just wouldn't have it. I promise you, I have
no use for it. The only time I'm ever really
(25:08):
looking at it is occasionally in the mornings, occasionally when
I'm not bringing a book to the bathroom with me.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Occasionally. But I don't know.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
I don't like getting a payoff in ten seconds or
fifteen seconds.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
You know.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
I may watch a news clip here and there, but
that's not content. You guys know what I'm talking about,
being patient and letting the pay There's just something so
much more gratifying in that, you know. It's like it's
like if you open your Christmas gifts before Christmas. It's
the same ideology. I would much rather wait and wait
and wait until like I'm one of those guys like
(25:47):
last couple years, my parents or my girlfriend whoever has
been out of town, and I'll actually wait for them
to get home before I open my stuff. Yeah yeah,
I mean they would tell me to open on Christmas,
but nah, man, there's something about needing to wait. All right,
we are drifting away from Ezuma.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
Egzuma is a.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Deeply atmospheric and intellectually rich horror film that balances supernatural
thrills with a poignant exploration of grief, history, and cultural legacy.
Jang Jai Hyun's direction is masterful, allowing tension to build
slowly while creating an immersive world of palpable dread. The
(26:32):
performances are nuanced and compelling, and the film cinematography and
sound design elevate the storytelling to a hauntingly effective level.
If you're a fan of the slow burn, as I
was just talking about, the atmospheric whore that doesn't just
aim to frighten, but also to provoke thought, some of
(26:52):
my favorite stuff. Igzuoma's a must watch. It's a beautifully
crafted meditation on lost and the cost of desturbing the dead,
proving that the most terrifying things often lie just beyond
our understanding, do they not, Gang, this is a film
that will stay with you maybe not, but definitely with me,
(27:12):
not only because of its supernatural horror, but because of
the deep emotional and cultural undercurrents that give it a
haunting resonance. You can get Azuma on Blu Ray or
four k rate now you know where all all the
dumbshits Amazon, wherever you can get that now. It's also
streaming on Shutter. I love Shutter. I didn't know that
(27:37):
Shutter and well Go we're going to be partnering kind of.
Is this the first or second or maybe even third film?
I don't know, but I love that partnership. I love
to see a physical media company making contrary, a physical
media company that has more films coming out from overseas
partnering with one of my favorite streaming services that you
(27:59):
can get right now.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
So no excuses, Gang.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
You can either buy it for fifteen bucks the Blu
Ray if people still do that, I know I still do,
or pop the seven bucks on Shutter and then cancel
your membership. I don't I don't think you should, but
seven bucks, rent it, watch it, and I guarantee you
it'd be like, hey, man, I was really on the
fence about Ezuma, but after watching it, you're right.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
That movie fucking ruled.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
So that's it for me.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Gang Ellis Cinema, Egzumaggzuma now playing Gang.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
We're still doing this shit. Huh.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Elli Cinema, we gom in