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I'm in agreement with you regarding the novel vs the movie screenplay. I like how the screenplay took the story down to being a traditional ghost story. It kept all the good parts and built upon that. It's simple and neat. Straub did a good job with the novel but I felt it was like he was trying to emulate Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot, and the shapeshifting angle doesn't appeal to me as much as a vengeful ghost in the traditional sense. So I prefer the movie version. There are some bits from the novel left in the screenplay/movie that I felt didn't belong there, or work particularly well, like the man and boy (I forget their names) who are assisting the ghost.

@@Ruby_Kang Absolutely. The weird duo Bate doesn't work in the film. In the novel, they're undead. In the movie, it's more close to Dracula's Renfield character : living servants who dream of immortality. Dracula inspired a lot Peter Straub. I prefer the film resolution ending : it's a gothic story about guilt and sadness. It's very moving to see Fred Astaire's face. Also because it was his final role.

@@RavenMockery Yes, it's not a perfect movie, but with a few more nips and tucks it could have been. It's almost there, and I love what they did with it. Exactly, guilt is at the heart of the movie and that's conveyed very well by the cast.

Yes, I read the novel after watching the blu-ray and I know exactly what you mean. it made me appreciate what he did with the screenplay, a very impressive adaptation, which was no mean feat.

I've always enjoyed a good prison drama series and WTW is my favourite of them all. I really enjoyed watching Prisoner Cell Block H though as a young girl, it was the 'must see' show at that time.

It was a little before my time but I'm so pleased to discover it later in life, thanks to Network DVD.

Three great shows. Gronda Gronda Rangdo!

That's my favourite one out of these very first recordings. The rhythm and smooth vocals work so well together, almost puts me into a trance.

I found this to be surprisingly raw and edgy for a movie of that period. I think it was one of the earliest "talkies" too. This 1929 version sticks to the stageplay storyline, but the 1940 version with Bette Davis has more mystery and an additional ending after that final scene plays out. If you enjoyed this, I recommend the 1940 version too.

You're welcome. I didn't know anything about the author and found this featurette very interesting. Thanks for the extra background information.

@@Ruby_Kang Thank you! Glad to provide it. This is one of the most interesting DVD extras I've ever watched.

@@jonathanmitchell9886 Yeah, I was very pleased with the extras on the blu-ray, engaging in-depth interviews from everybody and good presentation. I hadn't watched Ghost Story since the 80s but remembered it well. I got the blu-ray on a whim and it's a really good package overall. Great movie too.

@@Ruby_Kang I may have to upgrade. I've got the barebones DVD release from 2007, but I'd really like to own all those extras. Alice Krige was amazing in the film; they couldn't have found a more perfect Eva/Alma anywhere.

@@jonathanmitchell9886 Yes, she was perfectly suited for the role, with that mysterious, enigmatic quality of hers. And I think her performance is the highlight of the movie.

The play isn't the story though. By the time they're ready to perform, they've all overcome their personal obstacles, achieved their collective goal and their story is over.

Yes, the movie is very different to the manga. I actually prefer the angle the movie takes. It's more psychological and can be read as Tomie existing only as a metaphor in Tsukiko's imagination, and everything is her fantasy while she's undergoing hypnotherapy on the couch. The movie (virtually every scene) is littered with subtle visual clues to support that interpretation, making it a psychological coming-of-age horror story.

You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed listening to it.

Gift for you... tinyurl.com/v2539hxz NOW 24-bit lossless (FLAC) + The Jigu Record Collection lossless (FLAC) Enjoy!

@@Ruby_Kang 고맙습니다. Actually, i tried to find something at a noraebang but couldn't and the sajangnim didn't know and even my abonim didn't know of her either. Perhaps for that generation you really had to be in the country in the early 70s to know.

@@johnhead3431 You're welcome. You can hear them in proper HQ now. Yeah, I think there's something in that. All of Shin Joong-hyun's music being suddenly banned by the then-government in mid-1975 possibly has something to do with it. The studio mastertapes were destroyed and people weren't even allowed to own his albums (strange times). All of Kim Jung-mi's songs and recordings up to that point were composed by him, and at the time of the ban (which lasted well into the 80s) she said "I'm now left a singer with no songs to sing!" Her banned albums were secretly kept underground largely by students, who later became DJs and revived interest in the work of both Shin Joong-hyun and Kim Jung-mi during the late 90s (playing her songs in clubs and making bootleg LPs). Because Kim Jung-mi decided to leave the music business in 1978 and didn't make an 80s comeback like Kim Choo-ja did, she became forgotten about and that older style of music was already obsolete (due to the 70s ban on socially unacceptable "decadent" songs and artists). The revival of interest in her albums hasn't been anything mainstream, still pretty much underground or niche market today, and the Korean music business generally focuses very much on current trends, so even though she's a major player in Korean music history, she hasn't been that well known since her heyday of the early 70s. I would be surprised (yet pleased) to find many young people of today's generation who are aware of her, even in Seoul. When you look back at the greats though, there she is. One of the top two.

@@Ruby_Kang Thanks for going into detail. I'm familiar with Park Jung Hee. I guess the music ban in 1975 co-incides with returning ROK soldiers after the fall of Saigon (I don't know the date of ROK withdrawl) in the sense that there was a narrow window for returning veterans to hear of such things and it wouldn't be the first things on their minds. By which I mean, if she was current in 1972-3 mostly then hence my abonim and other other older Korean don't know or remember her. I can imagine cultural restrictions going through to the mid-80s (why change?). Gwangju was 1980. People in a hall/ bar listening to music could represent any number of things, rationally perceived or not. Culturally, even Japanese things were hard to find until well after 2000. It's a little baffling that Kim Jong Mi and Sin Joong-Hyun should get caught up in censorship but then it tends to not be a very rational thing and not administered by the brightest or most open people. The cover for Now and the lyrics and songs are poetry, odes, and non-political. There is a wiki reference referring to her voice as 'vulgar'. She dances and sings on Korean black and white tv in one yt video. My mother-in-law as a student in Seoul had her dress measured by the mini-skirt police, so to speak. I guess that was sufficient. When I next go to South Korea maybe I'll manage to go to a vinyl bar and I can ask them to get it out and put it on =) I'll check out Kim Choo-Ja-any recommendations?

You've echoed how I felt about the show when I first saw it on first broadcast. I had no idea what it was about when it came on but was totally captivated by the pilot episode. It's great to hear that new generations are experiencing it in the same way that my generation did back in the day. Testament to its timeless quality, a pure classic. I love how you mention its "extreme sincerity" and how you want everyone in the world to know it exists. I'm really pleased you've found MSCL. It will stay with you forever.

I guess her passing was a private matter, with just a simple announcement made. Very little is known publicly about Sonia Graham apart from the roles she played. She was never one for being in the media spotlight.

I felt compelled to read the book after watching the DVD. It's a good read. The TV drama is pretty much a faithful adaptation but the book naturally offers more insight into Minty's thought process as she tries to make logical sense of the moondial and how time works (but not too much as to dispel the magic of it). It's interesting to read about the time-travel experience through her own thoughts.

Yes, there was a DVD release. As far as I know it still hasn't been released on blu-ray though. This was an HD TV broadcast but I would really like to have it on blu-ray.

You're welcome. I like the ending in this TV serial more than in the book.

@@Ruby_Kang Agree.

Lol, yeah he does a bit.

Me too. The beach was filmed in two separate locations (sand dunes and long path). You can find them on street view... The sand dunes are just to the left of Ikarashi 2 Nocho (五十嵐２の町), almost halfway between Shinkawa fishing port and Hidaka Farm. The sandy beach where they sit comes right off the coastal main road Nat'l Route 402 (the same stretch of long road where they are walking further up at the end of the movie). You can't see the sand dunes on street view at that part of the road but you may recognize the now grassy bumps on top of the dunes through which they enter the beach. The long path where they walk down to the beach after getting off the bus is in a different location (in real life) and doesn't actually lead to those sand dunes... The long path to the sea (and bus stop at the crossing) is further south of Niigata, opposite the JA Niigata Watermelon Sorting Center JA Niigatakagayaki Suikasenkajo / ＪＡ新潟かがやき すいか選果場

Hi there! Sorry for the late reply, your comment was 'held for review' for some reason. There have been a number of reissues of the NOW album made from different sources. I'm not sure what Pony Canyon label used as source material for their CDs but they were a small label and the quality was never very good on their releases. This Merry-Go-Round Records one and the US 'fontana / Lion Productions' CD/LP release both used the original record mould, and the most recent LP reissues do too. It's an awesome album isn't it. One of the best. The audio on these videos for the first three King Record era albums (Newest Songbook to Wind) are from the later reissues (remastered from 1st press LPs), not the old Pony Canyon releases. I used the cover art from the Pony Canyon release on the 2nd album video to show the double spread at the end of the last song.

Yes, I guess all versions have something distinctively special. This version of Beautiful Rivers was one of the songs from the 4th album which had to be bought over from Jigu Record to Seoul Records (the transition between contracts/record labels). This recording alone could be seen as the crossover song between the Jigu and SR eras, and you can sense that when you hear it. I like the strength of the later remake studio version, but I do like the charm of this first studio recording as well. My favourite version will always be the 20th Anniversary live one.

I can see where Prisoner got there inspiration from

As much as I love Maya (probably the best "thing" in season 2), I agree. Victor Bergman was an amazing character. The kind of father figure we all wish we had.

@questionsonchristianity8204 When I saw this as a teenager…I didn’t. Now, I think she’s fantastic!

Lol ! Me too 😂

It's a pleasure to share. Glad you're enjoying the videos. I think this is her best, most accomplished album, but my favourite is both this one and the 2nd full-length album (the collected works one), depending on what mood I'm in. I really love some of those early songs.

@@Ruby_Kang Ahead of her time, and now, timeless!!

Hi James. I remember watching a drama on YT some years back, which might be the one you mean, but I can't remember the title of it. A girl is dropped off by her mum to stay at her grandparents' coastal house. She meets a local boy on his bike outside and they become friends. The girl explores her granddad's attic, which is a closed-off kind of maritime museum. Something in there (might be an old clock or maritime compass or something) triggers a ghost. Later episodes feature apparitions of a battle taking place on the rugged coastline with 17th century soldiers drowning. That's all I can remember. Does any of that sound familiar, or am I thinking of something completely different?

The song is a wonderful opening to the album isn't it. I still remember hearing it for the first time when the album came out and I had no idea what to expect. The whole album transported me to another place. (Your Scent) You are the one I miss I love and long for you A longing I cannot bear (An unbearable longing) I'm sending my love on the wind Can you hear the sound of my heart? I pray that it can reach you On a sunny spring day Don't forget the day we will meet again I will wait for you In the dancing spring wind Remembering your scent I love and long for you I will come to you (The rest of the song repeats those verses/chorus)

@@Ruby_Kang Oh my!!! thank you so much for the translation. I kept all the translation that I see you reply, because i find that google translate isn’t always reliable. I like how here it is, “Your scent” and not his scent, the one in other music apps have a gendered translation.

@@windflower8821 Yes, she's addressing a person directly (but from afar without him being there). So it is a personal "your scent" not an objective "his scent." There are different ways of saying "you/your" in Korean depending on who is being addressed. Geudae (pronounced like kuhdae) is a poetic written form of addressing a lover. So it is like saying "you/your" specifically to a lover (boyfriend/girlfriend). It's like saying "my love/darling" directly to someone. It's not a term used as much in real life but is used a lot in written form and especially in songs.

@@Ruby_Kang oh wow, thank you for explaining it to me, i am saving this note too. i saved everything you say/explain about her music <3

@@windflower8821 You will hear geudae used in so many pop songs. The best way to understand the term in context is that it's equivalent to the old English term "thou" but spoken only to a lover. It's a historical poetic written term mostly. People wouldn't use the term 'thou' in everyday life but it can be used often in poems or songs.

Refreshed, calm and peaceful. Perfectly said. I too experience those same feelings when listening to this album. I like to lie back with my eyes closed and allow the waves of emotion to wash over me. Yes, this is an extraordinary album, rather than a standard soundtrack it is a work of art in its own right.