Tell Me Something (1999) directed by Yuen-Hyun Chang

[Psychocandy]

This part of the board seems to get a lot less traffic than almost any of the other sections. Hopefully someone will have seen "Tell Me Something". It's a 1999 Korean serial killer flick and after reading a whole bunch about it i'm on the verge of investing in the the R3 DVD. It's a bit more expensive than many of the R3 discs i've invested in so I was hoping some schmoes (Kim-Ez?) can shed some light on whether it would be a worthwhile investment. It certainly looks cool and has been lavished with enough critical acclaim to intrigue me. Anyone got any opinions? Cheers.

Also...my next buying spree at DVDShelf is likely to include a hefty selection of the following movies. If anyone has seen any of them give me a rating. They ain't all horror but some of the them are.

Happiness of the Katakuris
My Life As McDull
Shiri
Fulltime Killer
Nowhere To Hide
Running Out Of Time 1
Running Out Of Time 2
The Longest Nite
Dark Water
Her Name Is Cat
Peking Opera Blues
Wing Chun
Avalon
Paradise Villa
Attack The Gas Station
God Of Cookery
The Miracle Fighters
Downtown Torpedoes
The Mission
2002
Spirited Away
My Wife Is A Gangster
Friend
The Touch
Love Fantasy, My Beautiful Girl, Mari

That's yer lot. I'm not really expecting much (any) feedback on these. This forum seems to be about the least popular running. Anything is appreciated though. Even if it's just to rate the ones any of you have seen out of 5.

Cheers.

[Kim_EZ]

Unfortunately, I have yet to see Tell Me Something. :/ But everyone I know says it's a good flick and definitely a good buy. And why get the region 3 DVD when it's available on region 1 DVD? The Region 3 version is the Chinese version and I am iffy about those. Sometimes the subtitles are horrible, and sometimes they're good. But since the Region 3 DVD does have a Cantonese audio track, it's legit and might've been given the good subtitle treatment. But yeah, just look for the Region 1 DVD. I've seen it at the store.

Here's a link to the region free, Korean-made DVD: http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx?pid=1001807159&did=0&code=k&section=videos&

It's subtitled in English as well. It's released by Spectrum, the same company that did the DVD for the Ring Virus, another Korean movie I own. And those subtitles were good. The image was a tad grainy sometimes, but not bad.

For more info on what the Region 3 (Chinese) DVD has, go and search at http://dvdasian.com

Most likely, the region free DVD won't have any extras except maybe a trailer or something. And the region 1 DVD might just have some good extras, too. Check Amazon.com for info on that.

[Kim_EZ]

Just went and rented the Region 1 DVD of Tell Me Something.

[RavenBlade]

Well, I must say, I'm glad someone else
is looking into this fine flick, that has buckets
of blood. This movie is pretty nasty in the gore
department, it has it's suspence, and has
that Seven atmosphere, which is why most
lable it a clone of the movie.

You will have to think about the movie
afterwards, as it's really required to do so,
reguarding the killings. It's interesting,
no, it's very interesting, and one scene
will leave your mind reeling. It's at the
tail end of the movie. I don't need to tell you
about it, as you will know it when you see it.
To me it was mind reeling, but for you, it may be
different.


For me, I give it a 9.5 out of 10.

Hope you enjoy it.

Raven

[Jason13thh]

I like the Se7en'esque atmosphere in this korean film, it is a really good film, somber, dark with an ambiguous detective.
It is really gory ( the lift - scene for example ) there is a lot of style reminds me the giallo genre.
The end is a bit confusing, *********************** SPOILER ******************** SPOILER ******************************* was the physician girl the really guilty and has the detective helped her ?

[Hardcore Horror]

Dark Water is tops!!

I've only seen this one on your list but it's amazing! Some creepy parts, some drama! Overall I would give this flick a 9 out of 10. If you liked the ring or the eye you will like this. The subtitles are good (there is no white subtitles on a white background). Anyway enjoy!

[Donnie Darko]

The Happiness of the Katakuris is hilarious. If you don't know, it's about a family who opens an inn in the country, but all of their guests end up dead. The family then must hide the bodies so people won't be afraid to come to their inn.

The best part of this movie... it's a musical.

Hilarious black comedy, I'd definitely suggest picking it up, and any other Takashi Miike flicks you can get.

[zipperha]

Spirited Away is a GREAT movie. It is so majestic. THen again I saw it ion a theater, but you really feel a part of the fantasy world shown in the movie. Whether or not this is a bad thing, the movie really feels like it lasts for 5 hours, whereas it is only 2 hours long. They cram so much in its astonishing. And thats good, because after watching this movie you feel exhilirated.

Then again....

Its a children's movie. Its not cutsey AT ALL, but it is not the type of movie that would be found around here. If you love both horror and non-horror movies, then this is a WOMDERFUL movie. Plus its anime, and most children's anime is really good (with the exception of anything on FOX kids or the WB :) )

[Oderus]

Tell me something is an excellent movie that doesn't get mentioned enough. It's a very good crime/suspense thriller with tons of the gooey red stuff.

The Happiness of the Katakuris is great! Not horror, but fans of asian films or black comedies should love this. The Happiness of the Katakuris should be out on dvd this tuesday (region 1, I believe).

Darwater is creepy.
No, it's not Ringu, but it's still damned good.

[Buck Turgidson]

I've mentioned Tell Me Something several times on various parts of the Horror boards. It's exactly the kind of intense thriller that I tend to go for. It's an evocative, mysterious story which will stick with you for a long time.

[Final Girl]

Originally posted by Jason13thh
I like the Se7en'esque atmosphere in this korean film, it is a really good film, somber, dark with an ambiguous detective.
It is really gory ( the lift - scene for example ) there is a lot of style reminds me the giallo genre.
The end is a bit confusing, *********************** SPOILER ******************** SPOILER ******************************* was the physician girl the really guilty and has the detective helped her ?

The end is a bit confusing? Try extremely confusing. This otherwise remarkable film is marred by its utter murkiness. I have watched the film three times now (bought it from AMAZON), but I still don't get it.

SAVING GRACES OF THE FILM:
The atmosphere.
The girl that plays the femme fatale. Such hypnotic beauty.

Films like SESSION 9 and DON't LOOK NOW require you to think. But usually you come to a solid conclusion. TELL ME SOMETHING will have you pulling outlandish theories out of thin air to try and explain the turn of events.

If anyone can break it down for me, I would be most appreciative.

[pat00139]

I saw this film a while ago and didn't get it. I've read a bit about it and I want to see it again. It's got TONS of symbolism in it and, like everyone else says, tons of atmosphere.

I'd say go watch it.

As for the other movies:

Shiri- Fuck me! This movie is like a punch in the face. One of the best asian movies out there. It's got amazing action scenes, and one hell of a story. GO SEE THIS.

Fulltime Killer- another great movie. One of Johnny To's best. Andy Lau is perfect in here. Watch it if you can find it.

Running Out Of Time 1- Andy Lau and Johnny To again. Great movie. Great story, great directing.

Running Out Of Time 2- Even better movie. I don't know how Mr. To did it, but this has pretty much the same plot as the first one and is just as new and fresh.

The Longest Nite- I can't find this movie and it's pissing me off!

Dark Water- Very creepy, very atmospheric. If you liked Ringu, you'll like this.

Peking Opera Blues- Haven't seen it but it's Tsui Hark so should be good.

Wing Chun- Lots of fun. Donnie Yen is a hoot as a clueless guy. You also have Yuen Woo Ping directing.

The Mission- Good characters and good story. Johnny To again mixes good action with good storytelling. Not as good as the Running Out of Time movies, but still worth a watch.

Spirited Away- Probably the best movie last year. Enough said.

[FT13TH Addict]

I watched Tell Me Something last week. The ending was really confusing, but I still enjoyed this one highly.

Ju-On is available on Ebay in the region 0 NTSC format. If you like creepy ghost flicks (Ringu, Dark Water, Three), you will enjoy this one.

[Gretchen_Ross]

ok, i just saw this movie last night, and i found it to be an acceptable and sporadically creepy thriller. then i saw the end.

what. the. fuck.

i'm a little bit ashamed to admit that i don't know what to make of the end. i'm usually very capable at figuring out movies that others deem too confusing to understand. not to brag or anything (uhhuh), but i pegged "donnie darko," "the matrix: revolutions," and "memento" on first viewing. i had no problem understanding them at all. but "tell me something" was a piece of cake until the last 5 minutes.

it's really bothering me that i can't figure out what happened, so somebody's got to explain it to me or at least give me their theory.

here's what i've got so far (SPOILERS - highlight to read):
ok, so i gather from the polaroid that the cop left for his partner (the main guy) that the lead girl and her doctor friend invited all the lead girl's past boyfriends over at the same time and that's when they killed, or at least kidnapped and incapacitated, those guys. now, either the lead girl was lying about the friend she had as a child being a boy (but why?) or she didn't know the doctor was the boy until later (if at all). why did the lead girl and the doctor kill the guys? is it because her father's abuse caused her and the doctor to hate all men that got involved with her so much that they wanted to kill them all? perhaps. however, if the lead girl and the doctor were working together (which the polaroid implied, right?) what was the whole showdown in tower records about? if she was so protective the lead girl, why would the doctor want to kill her? any my final question - who the fuck was that in the tank in the cabin? was that one of the past boyfriends or the lead girl's father?

[Final Girl]

Here' my take on it, and believe me, Gretch, I feel your pain. I just pulled this one out of my ass, and I still am confused. But it is the best I can come up with without getting an aneurysm.

HIGHLIGHT TO READ:

The heroine and the doctor lady and the guys were all friends, who I guess conspired to kill the heroine's sicko father (the body in the tank). But now that they have done this, the heroine needs to cut off all loose ends, which means her co-conspirators in the murder of her father. So she and the doctor lady, I guess, killed them all one by one, making the cops think that the victims didn't know each other. So, the setup in Tower Records, I guess, was to eliminate the final thread, which was the lady doctor. But why did the bitch hold the heroine at knifepoint? Didn't she realize this makes her look more guilty?

Confusing as hell. This is probably the only Asian movie that I wish they would remake, if only to better explain the twist at the end.

[Gretchen_Ross]

Originally posted by Final Girl
Here' my take on it, and believe me, Gretch, I feel your pain. I just pulled this one out of my ass, and I still am confused. But it is the best I can come up with without getting an aneurysm.

HIGHLIGHT TO READ:

The heroine and the doctor lady and the guys were all friends, who I guess conspired to kill the heroine's sicko father (the body in the tank). But now that they have done this, the heroine needs to cut off all loose ends, which means her co-conspirators in the murder of her father. So she and the doctor lady, I guess, killed them all one by one, making the cops think that the victims didn't know each other. So, the setup in Tower Records, I guess, was to eliminate the final thread, which was the lady doctor. But why did the bitch hold the heroine at knifepoint? Didn't she realize this makes her look more guilty?

Confusing as hell. This is probably the only Asian movie that I wish they would remake, if only to better explain the twist at the end.

that's a good theory. thanks for helping me out, Final Girl.

[Final Girl]

Originally posted by Gretchen_Ross
that's a good theory. thanks for helping me out, Final Girl.

No problem. I first watched TELL ME SOMETHING with a friend, and we were pulling theories out of the air for days. That was the best one we could come up with, and we're still not sure.

The movie has its merits, but damn....

And it was a box-office smash in South Korea! Maybe the twist didn't translate well, who knows....

[FT13TH Addict]

Double Vision is another good one to check out.

[Harry Warden]

Having recently rewatched this film, I felt like ressurecting this thread.

The film is the living incarnation of the expression what the fuck.
The movie is near perfect but the messy ending is definitely a problem.....But I wouldn't change it.....it's so weird. I love to make theories about it.

As for my own explanation.



*SPOILERS*





The fourth victim, the guy who ordered the conservative on the net is definetely a killer. He even had the killers tools in his car.....An why do people say they all killed Su-Yeon's father.....I don't think so and nothing made me think that way....the other killer, the doctor friend was her boy neighboor......He probably had sex change to act like Su-Yeon's sister since she could't stand men anymore.....As for the corpse in the tank...it looks sewn up so it could possibly not be the father.



Whoa.....writing this made me confused again.....I will rewatch it today with a friend and we'll try to find a plausible explanation.

[Jason13thh]

Again Tell Me Something is a great production from Korea.
Dark and pessimistic movie, the end is maybe a little bit too confusing.

I strongly recommand you the oustanding Sympathy For Mister Vengeance, another korean production.

Very very dark and somber, do not watch it if you feel blue or when you are depressed, you could kill yourself.

[Harry Warden]

Here are some plot points I picked up on my fourth or someting viewing.





*SPOILERS*




They find carbon on the fourth corpse.....Su-Yeon used carbon based pencils to draw.


Su-Yeon says that the stalker guy even changed branches to be close to her. That same guys says he was studying anatomy...So Su-Yeon was in anatomy too......Hmmmm.

The neighboor from the flashback is the doctor friend but we all knew that....But she's not Su-Yeon's sister like many said. The files reveal that the neighboors only had daughters and that one of them had the same name as the doctor friend..Can we say: That's so convenient!

The body in the tank.......Errrr......Looked sewed up to me....Could be the father's trunk and others limbs....But all the missing pieces from the others bodies could have made up that corpse...I think it's that,

As for why did all these people ended up in the garbage.....Errr...All the victims and Su-Yeon and her friend were photographied in front of the wall trap where the body is.....So yeah maybe it's the father's corpse then because the guys still had their limbs then.

As for the fishes........
....
....
....
*runs away*

[Harry Warden]

Here my detailed explaination which I think is the best one yet...and I'm not bragging....







*MAJOR SPOILERS*




There are three killers. The person who killed the first three men is Kim the stalker guy. He ordered the conservant on the Internet then proceeded to kill the three men. Su-Yeon was with him for the second murder. There are two rooms in there: a room filled with sculptures and the murder/dismembemenr room. Su-Yeon was there working on them (she's an artist remember) when the boy who was a thief climbed up the window but Su-Yeon stopped him. She wasn't dressed up in surgical garb because Kim did the dicing. Later, the big cop brings the other kid to that appartement and the little boy pick the lock showing that both were thieves. The cops also called them thieves after the finding of the boy's body.

After then, the girls fearing that Kim may talk now that's he's a suspect kill him. They plan the fake attack on Su-Yeon to bail him out of jail. Inspector Cho thought that the heart in Kim's fridge meant to say he was the next victim but he only kept it because he was the killer then. Cho received a head yet wasn't attacked. Su-Yeon was the one who killed Kim because there were traces of fusain on the body and she used fusain to draw.

Both Kim and her studied anatomy in France. She says that he followed her and even changed branches to be with her....Earlier Kim said that anatomy was part of his branch. Su-Yeon also studied it.

After that since all the men are dead and Kim too they decide to stop now. Seungmin goes to pick up all the stuff at app 202 but sees the cop there so she kills him. That same night the radar picks up her car since she was speeding after the killing. Someone on IMDB asked why was the picture of her car important.....that's why....they knew that that car had been speeding that night.

After she sees the cops in the hospital looking fo her she frames herself since she loves Su-Yeon and don't want her to get arrested but ends up getting killed.

The detective sees the pictures of all the men with Su-Yeon and Seungmin Oh in front of the wall where they hid the father's corpse so he races there.

Kim loved Su-Yeon and got used by her. Seungmin loved Su-Yeon and got used and the same thing happened to Cho.

[CoastGuard]

This was a kool movie but it got disturbing in one scene.