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May 22, 2009
Scene on the big screen
Expats in Seoul watch 揅astaway on the Moon, |
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May 22, 2009
Josee star sails into town to promote 態oat |
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May 22, 2009
'Thirst' thrills, but can it conquer Cannes?
Director Park Chan-wook, second from left, with cast members Kim Ok-vin,
Song Kang-ho, Kim Hae-sook, and Shin Ha-kyun, from right to left, attend the screening
of their film 揟hirst |
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May 23, 2009
Korean short film comes in third at Cannes youth competition
Don't Step Out of the House / Nammae Ui Jip
 
SEOUL, May 23 (Yonhap) -- "Don't Step Out of the House," a film by an emerging South Korean director, won third prize at a youth competition section of the Cannes International Film Festival, the event's Web site said Saturday.
The short film by Cho Seung-hee, featuring two siblings locked in a basement with an unknown intruder, placed third in the Cannes Cinefondation section. The movie was sponsored by the Korean Academy of Film Arts, which produced "A Reunion" and "Stop," the winners of the section in 2006 and 2008, respectively.
Established in 1998, the Cinefoundation selects about 20 short and medium-length works each year from schools across the world with the goal of supporting the next generation of filmmakers.
Credits: [email protected] via yonhapnews.co.kr / festival-cannes.com |
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May 23, 2009
Seo In-young Is Back with New Reality Show
Seo In-young
Seo In-young is not a stunning beauty with a god-given voice, but what sets the 26-year old apart from other celebrities is her frankness.
And now Seo is back in yet another reality program "Seo In-young's Brand New Friend," a follow-up to "Seo In-young in KAIST." "Some might criticize me, saying how full of myself I must be to make a friend through an open audition," she says. "But I decided to come back to a reality program because I thought making a friend is a form of adventure in an age where it is so difficult to find someone you can fully trust."
The show started on May 14 on a cable channel M.net. Twelve participants wishing to be Seo's friend are given a mission every week, and one person gets eliminated. The last survivor becomes her friend. No fewer than 5,000 people applied to be part of the show, and only one in 400 made it. Is Seo this popular? "Honestly, some people must have applied because they want to be a celebrity themselves, and many of them must have had other intentions, rather than purely wanting to be my friend," Seo admits. "Many people try to befriend you based on your background, rather than taking you as you are. That's especially true among celebrities. In the show, I will try to find someone who can really understand and like me."
Many people point out that Seo's show is a mere copy of Paris Hilton's "My New Best Friends Forever" on MTV. "I also thought the show had many similarities with Hilton's show," Seo says. "But I'm different from Paris Hilton. Because the show is about how I deal with people and make friends, there must be a difference that only I can create."
Credits: englishnews@chosun.com |
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Thanks to mimerita at soompi.com
May 18, 2009
Kim Jong-hak to direct 'Magic Bell'
Helmer's co. to produce film with Lion Rock, Tosoa
By HAN SUNHEE
SEOUL -- Korean TV director and producer Kim Jong-hak announced in Cannes that he will helm fantasy epic "Legend of Magic Bell." Pic will be co-produced by Chang's Lion Rock Prods., Kim's Kim Jong-hak Prods. and China's Tosoa Entertainment.
Kim has been one of the most acclaimed and influential TV directors in Korea for more than 30 years. His last 24-episode series, "The Legend of Four Gods," was a hit across Asia. Kim had produced a few films in the late 1990s, but he has never directed a feature.
"Legend of Magic Bell" is a Chinese-language 3-D film set in China 5,000 years ago. The $28 million budget will be mainly raised by Lions Rock, with a support from the pic's international sales agency Golden Network Asia.
Kim also said that he is in talks with thesps Won Bin ("Mother" ) and Rain ("Speed Racer" ) for the male lead role.
Lensing is slated to start in the early 2010.
Source: Variety |
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May 19, 2009
Chang and Woo unveil 3D fantasy epic Magic Bell
By Liz Shackleton
Terence Chang and John Woo's Lion Rock Productions has unveiled details of upcoming 3D fantasy epic Legend Of The Magic Bell, to be directed by renowned Korean TV director Kim Jonghak.
Renee Yuan, who is managed by Chang抯 Stellar Entertainment, is set to star in the $30m film which Lion Rock is co-producing with Kimjonghak Production and Im Jang-dal抯 Taiwan-based Tosoa Entertainment. The producers are also in talks with leading Korean actors. Golden Network Asia is handling international sales.
Guo Zheng, who worked with Chang and Woo on Red Cliff, is scripting the project which is scheduled to start shooting in early 2010 for delivery in 2011.
Based on a Chinese classic, the film tells the story of a warrior who falls in love with a beautiful demoness but is forced to transform her into stone in order to save humanity. Their paths cross again 5000 years later when the warrior has been reincarnated as a demon hunter.
Kim previously directed the top-rating fantasy TV series Legend which was broadcast across Asia. 揑 was very impressed with the high production values and ground-breaking visual style of Jonghak Kim抯 TV series Legend, |
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May 20, 2009
Korea Thrust Back into the Limelight at Cannes
Korea's two most anticpated directors, who have already had success in Cannes, have thrust Korea back into the international spot light. PARK Chan-wook's Thirst and BONG Joon-ho's Mother have sealed a number of international deals. For a film industry already lagging before the global reccession, both directors have not disapointed . CJ, who will probably name 2009 as their year have sold Thirst to 'Lola Film' in Spain, 'Paris Filmes' in Brazil, 'Edko' in Hong Kong, 'Avsar Film' in T urkey and 'Discovery' who distribute in the ex-Yogoslavia teritories. BONG's Mother, after its critical aclaim priemiering at the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes was sold to 'Eco Film' in Portugal, 'Catchplay' in Taiwan, 'Eco Films' and 'Discovery' again. CJ's tidal success has continued also with disaster film Haeundae sold to 'Optimum' in the U.K., 'Splendid' in Germany and 'Edko' again.
After its showing at the Hong Kong Film Mart, Haeundae was also sold to a number of Asian distributers. Also before Cannes, both Thirst and Mother pre sold to a myriad of distributers across Europe.
Not to be left behind Showbox has also success selling The Sword with No Name to 'Splendid', 'Showbox Media Group' who distribute in the U.K, 'Horizon International' in Turkey and 'Catchplay' again. The Festival de Cannes wraps up on the 24th of May.
Credits: David Oxenbridge (KOFIC) |
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May 22, 2009
BONG Joong-ho抯 Cannes Hit Mother Has First Screening in Seoul
Appreciation can come in many guises. In the viewing room I was in, at the end of BONG Joong-ho抯 Mother, there was a quiet, shocked appreciation rippling through the seats.
Before the film had started, the Korean press audience line which snaked through the ticket area and out through the door, buzzed liked a normal main stream audience. Despite it being a 憄ress audience |
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May 22, 2009
Mother Tipped to be June抯 Best Bet
Director BONG Joon-ho, known here and abroad for his 2006 monster hit The Host, (which remains the top-grossing film of all time in Korea) has changed gears with his new feature Mother, a moving but hard-hitting crime-drama that screened to standing ovations and stellar reviews at the Cannes Film Festival last month. The film opens across Korea May 28 and is set to rule the box office if BONG抯 previous hits are any indication.
Veteran TV actress KIM Hye-ja won glowing accolades at the French fest for her gritty performance as a mother who takes on the local police when her half-wit son is blamed for a gruesome crime. Actor and popular heartthrob WON Bin plays the shy, near-imbecile Do-jun, who at 27 is still a virgin living with his mom. Friendship with a local bad boy winds him in trouble and when the body of a girl brutally murdered is found, the lazy police department pin the crime on him and extract a confession.
Bowing at Cannes outside the competition spotlight in the sidebar Un Certain Regard section, the film drew praise from international critics with Derek Elley of Variety calling it 揳 mutha of a different kind |
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News Index page 11
May 20: 'Mother' Turning Point in Won Bin's Acting Career
May 23: Congratulations! Lee Seon Kyun & Jeon Hye Jin's wedding
May 24: T.O.P and Seung-ri star in '19'
May 24: 'IRIS' to Bring Spy Story to Small Screen
May 25: S. Korean vampire thriller grabs third-highest honor in Cannes
May 25: 揟hirst |
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May 20, 2009
'Mother' Turning Point in Won Bin's Acting Career
Actor Won Bin says the movie 揗other |
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May 24, 2009
T.O.P and Seung-ri star in '19'
Members of boy band BIGBANG flexed their acting chops on set last Wednesday. On the last day of filming for their forthcoming telefilm, "19," T.O.P and Seung-ri took turns channeling teen angst; smoke swirling, rap pounding through the speakers. One out of a series of eight feature-length dramas produced by Samhwa Networks under the overarching title, "Telecinema," "19" charts the growing pains of a trio of 19-year olds. The plot reads like your typical teen flick -- a group of kids on the cusp of adulthood get implicated in a murder case and run away.
The writer behind this work, however, defies expectations. Taking a cue from the Korean Wave, "Telecinema" has enlisted the creative prowess of Japanese scriptwriters, Korean directors and Hallyu stars to spin out, flesh out and act out the eight tales.
High profile directors like Pyo Min-soo of the hit drama "Full House" and Hallyu stars like Kim Ha-neul, Ji Jin-hee and Dong Bang Shin Ki's Hero Jae-Joong are taking part in this large scale project. "The writer of '19' scripted the original 'White Tower,'" "19" director Jang Yong-woo referred to scriptwriter Inoue Yumiko during a press conference held on set, last Wednesday. "For this project, I went for a young vibe, for dynamism and movement," Jang added.
Decked out in black, BIGBANG member-and-fashion maven T.O.P, who is also starring in the blockbuster drama "IRIS," put the spotlight on his and his co-stars' roles: "I don't think that we will be fashionable (in '19'). Your attention won't be drawn to our outfits. It will be drawn to our characters."
Fellow member Seung-ri ruled out a full-blown romance, "Unfortunately, there are no love scenes in our drama." "Co-star Heo Yi-jae was unhappy about it," he quipped. "He is joking," actress Heo countered, hitting her male co-star playfully.
For those looking forward to seeing sharp outfits on their K-pop icons, this may come as a bit of a disappointment. But fans of BIGBANG's music may be in for a pleasant surprise. According to director Jang, both T.O.P and Seung-ri worked on songs that may be featured in the forthcoming telefilm. "It is very beautiful," director Jang said of Seung-ri's ballad.
Following the press conference, Jang and the cast continued to film "19," which is slated to air, with seven other "Telecinema" feature-length dramas, on SBS in Korea and TV Asahi in Japan.
Four of the works are slated to hit movie theaters in Japan and Korea this summer.
The telefilms will be 90 to 105 minutes long.
By Jean Oh via koreaherald.co.kr |
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May 24, 2009
'IRIS' to Bring Spy Story to Small Screen
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
The cast of the new drama "IRIS" pose for the cameras at a press conference
held May 12 in southern Seoul. From left, Lee Byung-hun, Kim Tae-hee,
Jung Jun-ho, Kim Seung-woo, Kim So-yeon and T.O.P. / Yonhap
"IRIS" is gearing up for a new genre of drama ― espionage action. The new series, expected to air in September, has fans anticipating where it will refuel the passion for hallyu.
"IRIS" is not only based on the hit movie "Swiri" (1998), but also stars some of Korea's best-known actors.
Lee Byung-hun, Kim Tae-hee, Jung Jun-ho, Kim Seung-woo, Kim So-yeon and Big Bang member T.O.P. will appear in the "blockbuster action melodrama," and even the actors said they were worried how the drama makers will pull out all the charms from the colorful actors.
"We approached 'IRIS' like it was a spy film, so viewers will get to watch movie-like scenes along with the emotional details that have made Korean drama so popular over the years at the same time," Kim Kyu-tae, the director, said. "One of the most interesting issues here is the division of South and North Korea. It's something that the world is interested in, but we tend to avoid mentioning the issue. 'IRIS' takes place in the middle of all this, so I believe that's one of the reasons why we are receiving international recognition," fellow director Yang Yun-ho added.
The story takes place in South Korea where Kim Hyun-jun (Lee) and Jin Sa-woo (Jung) are National Security System (NSS) agents and best friends. The two fall for the same girl, fellow agent Choi Seung-hee (Kim) but Hyun-jun ignores his feelings and hopes for his friend's happiness. Things take a drastic turn when Hyun-jun is sent for a secret solo mission and he loses everything, including his friendship with Sa-woo and Seung-hee, and discovers a secret society called "IRIS."
A short documentary showed scenes of the cast and the crew shooting in Japan, one showing Lee screeching down a dam with Kim in his arms, and this was one that Lee personally thought as one of the most memorable and terrifying. "It was perfectly safe, but the height of the dam was about 130 meters, and it apparently did make me nervous," said Lee, who is waiting for the releases of the Hollywood movies he appeared in, "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" and "I Come With The Rain."
The series was filmed around the world, including places where Korean dramas were never filmed before, such as Hungary, and the crew said that they were welcomed with open arms. "I don't know how they knew, but fans were everywhere and I have never felt more grateful for their interest," Lee added.
The support was extra special, particularly in Japan, where Lee is a huge hallyu star. The Akita Prefecture supported the actors and crewmembers with free lodging throughout the shoots.
Kim Tae-hee, a top female star who returns to the small screen after four years, appeared in black mini-dress and said that she tried hard to depict the image of the smart and strong agent Choi. "I lost some weight and trained at action stunt schools with fellow actors. I actually went through many injuries during rehearsals, so I am waiting for a perfect recovery now," she said.
For the usually comical Kim Seung-woo, who plays a North Korean agent, reporters asked him how it felt to act a North Korean, and the oldest and only married actor answered with humor. "North Korean agents are very different from what people may imagine. They don't use different dialects of the Korean language, and are very handsome like me. When I saw the DVD set of the popular television series `24' at one of my friends' house, I felt a bit disappointed and sad. I want this drama to become like '24,' something that you would like to keep and watch every now and then," he said.
Boasting a budget of more than 20 billion won and produced by one of Korea's top production companies, Taewon Entertainment, "IRIS" is aiming for a new chapter in Korean dramas, hoping to attract not only local but also foreign fans as well.
"We feel great responsibility and excitement at bringing such a genre based on the world's last divided country. While men will be attracted to the action scenes, along with the friendship and revenge between fellow agents and enemies, women can connect with the emotional details between the lovely and handsome characters, torn between love and their duties," director Kim said.
"IRIS" will be aired in September on KBS2.
Credits: sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr |
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May 25, 2009
'Thirst' Wins Jury Prize at Cannes
The latest Park Chan-wook film "Thirst" won the Jury Prize in the 62th Cannes Film Festival on Sunday. The Jury Prize was split between "Thirst" and "Fish Tank" by the British director Andrea Arnold.
Park Chan-wook (center), flanked by stars Song Kang-ho (left) and Kim Ok-bin,
talks about his latest film "Thirst" at a press conference in the Cannes Film Festival
on May 15, 2009. /AP-Newsis
Park, who won the Grand Prix (second place) in 2004 with "Old Boy," now has won two awards from the Cannes Festival. The Palme d'Or (first place) went to "The White Ribbon" by Austrian Michael Haneke. "A Prophet" directed by the French director Jacques Audiard won the Grand Prix.
Park Chan-wook poses after receiving the Jury Prize for his movie "Thirst",
during the photocall of the closing ceremony of the 62nd Cannes Film Festival
on Sunday in Cannes, southern France. /AFP-Yonhap
Credits: englishnews@chosun.com |
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May 25, 2009
S. Korean vampire thriller grabs third-highest honor in Cannes
By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, May 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korean director Park Chan-wook grabbed an influential award at the Cannes film festival Monday (Korean time) for his vampire thriller "Thirst (Bakjwi)," marking the second time for the talented auteur to be honored at the world's largest competition.
"Thirst," featuring a priest-turned-vampire struggling with his physical desires, shared the third-highest honor in the French contest with British director Andrea Arnold's "Fish Tank," the event's organizers said.
The top prize Palme d'Or went to Austrian director Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon," featuring an eerie tale of brutality in a 20th-century German town. "The joy of creating is my energy in making films. Filmmaking is a joy from the beginning to the end," Park told the audience at the awards ceremony. "I'd like to share this honor with actor Song Gang-ho, a great friend and colleague."
The award marks the eighth time that a local film has received one of the main awards at the Cannes International Film Festival. Park had won the festival's second-highest Grand Jury Prize in 2004 with his film "Oldboy."
South Korean director Lim Known-taek received the Cannes director's award for "Stroke of Fire" in 2002 and actress Jeon Do-yeon took the best actress prize in 2007 for "Secret Sunshine."
"Thirst," praised by the jurors of Cannes as a "unique noir film," competed for top honors at this year's Cannes with a platoon of big-named directors including Quentin Tarantino, Pedro Almodovar, Xavier Giannoli, Jane Champion and Ang Lee.
With 20 films vying for the top honor, Cannes opened in the French resort-city on May 13 hosting some 25,000 film professions and movie fans from around the world. Cannes winners draw prestige from the awards and hope for a box-office boost.
Park, who had also won the Alfred Bauer Prize for his science fiction comedy "I'm a Cyborg, But That's Ok" at the Berlin film festival, says it took a decade of preparation to bring the vampire story, a genre rarely explored by South Korean directors, to local screens.
Befitting Park's reputation for dealing head on with the most uncomfortable subjects -- incest, revenge, insanity and brutality -- "Thirst" again covers dark, brutal territory, drawing both criticism and praise from fans.
The film features a Catholic priest who begins to question moral and religious boundaries when he is turned into a vampire after being given a strange blood transfusion. Actor Song Gang-ho teamed up with Park for the third time after the two pulled off a superb performance in "Joint Security Area" in 2000.
Although long held in high esteem and recognized internationally, Park's fame has not always brought him automatic success. "I'm a Cyborg, but That's Ok," his most recent release in 2006, was slammed by critics as "too cute to be a creation of Park's" and was somewhat of an embarrassment for the director, failing miserably in local box offices despite its win in Berlin.
"I couldn't bring myself to make a film for a long time due to the recent failures," Park admitted during his speech in Cannes Monday.
"Thirst," the first South Korean film to be co-produced and distributed by major Hollywood studio Universal Pictures, has been sold to more than 10 countries, including France, Greece and Brazil, for screening worldwide later this year.
Hitting the local screens on April 30, the film has drawn 2.1 million viewers at home where 1 million is considered a yardstick for a box office success.
Credits: [email protected] via yonhapnews.co.kr |
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May 25, 2009
'Thirst' Gets Jury Prize in Cannes
South Korean director Park Chan-wook
holds his Jury Prize award for the film "Thirst (Bakjwi)"
during the 62nd International film festival in Cannes,
southern France, Sunday. / AP-Yonhap
South Korean director Park Chan-wook won the jury prize at the Cannes film festival Sunday for his thriller "Thirst (Bakjwi)" about a priest-turned vampire struggling with his desire for blood and sex, Yonhap News Agency reported Monday, quoting the event's Web site.
Park shared the prize with British director Andrea Arnold, who was honored for "Fish Tank" depicting the troubled life of a teenage girl in a London suburb. The festival's top prize went to Austrian director Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon," a tragic tale of a small German town on the eve of World War I.
This marks the first time that a South Korean film has claimed the honor in Cannes. The jurors praised the blood-soaked vampire film as a "unique noir film."
Park won the festival's Grand Jury Prize in 2004 with his film "Oldboy." "The joy of creating is my energy in making films. Filmmaking is a joy from the beginning to the end," Park told the audience at the awards ceremony. "I'd like to share this honor with actor Song Gang-ho, a great friend and colleague."
The award is the eighth time a local film has received one of the main awards at the Cannes International Film Festival. South Korean director Lim Known-taek received the director's award for "Stroke of Fire" in 2002 and actress Jeon Do-yeon took the best actress prize in 2007 for "Secret Sunshine."
"Thirst" competed for top honors at this year's Cannes with 19 other world-renowned directors, including Quentin Tarantino, Pedro Almodovar, Xavier Giannoli and Ang Lee.
Park, who had also won the Alfred Bauer Prize for his science fiction comedy "I'm a Cyborg, But That's Ok" at the Berlin film festival, says it took a decade of preparation to bring the vampire story, a genre rarely explored by South Korean directors, to local screens.
Credits: koreatimes.co.kr |
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May 25, 2009
Korea's 'Thirst' receives juror's award in Cannes
Korean director Park Chan-wook won the jury prize at the Cannes film festival Sunday for his thriller "Thirst (Bakjwi)" about a priest-turned vampire struggling with his desire for blood and sex, the event's Web site said, according to Yonhap News.
Park shared the prize with British director Andrea Arnold, who was honored for "Fish Tank" depicting the troubled life of a teenage girl in a London suburb.
The festival's top prize went to Austrian director Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon," a tragic tale of a small German town on the eve of World War I. The award marks the first time a South Korean film has claimed the honor. The jurors praised the blood-soaked vampire film as a "unique noir film."
Park won the festival's Grand Jury Prize in 2004 with his film "Oldboy." "The joy of creating is my energy in making films. Filmmaking is a joy from the beginning to the end," Park told the audience at the awards ceremony. "I'd like to share this honor with actor Song Gang-ho, a great friend and colleague."
The award marks the eighth time that a local film has received one of the main awards at the Cannes International Film Festival.
Korean director Lim Known-taek received the director's award for "Stroke of Fire" in 2002 and actress Jeon Do-yeon took the best actress prize in 2007 for "Secret Sunshine." "Thirst" competed for top honors at this year's Cannes with 19 other world-renowned directors, including Quentin Tarantino, Pedro Almodovar, Xavier Giannoli and Ang Lee.
Park, who had also won the Alfred Bauer Prize for his science fiction comedy "I'm a Cyborg, But That's Ok" at the Berlin film festival, says it took a decade of preparation to bring the vampire story, a genre rarely explored by South Korean directors, to local screens.
Befitting Park's reputation for dealing head on with the most uncomfortable subjects -- incest, revenge, insanity and brutality
-- "Thirst" again covers dark, brutal territory, drawing both criticism and praise from fans.
The film features a Catholic priest who begins to question moral and religious boundaries when he is turned into a vampire after being given a strange blood transfusion. Actor Song Gang-ho teamed up with Park for the third time after the two pulled off a superb performance in "Joint Security Area" in 2000.
Although long held in high esteem and recognized internationally, Park's fame has not always brought him automatic success. "I'm a Cyborg, but That's Ok," his most recent release in 2006, was slammed by critics as "too cute to be a creation of Park's" and was somewhat of an embarrassment for the director, failing miserably in local box offices despite its win in Berlin.
"I couldn't bring myself to make a film for a long time due to the recent failures," Park admitted during his speech in Cannes Monday.
"Thirst," the first Korean film to be co-produced and distributed by major Hollywood studio Universal Pictures, has been sold to more than 10 countries, including France, Greece and Brazil, for screening worldwide later this year.
Hitting the local screens on April 30, the film has drawn 2.1 million viewers at home where 1 million is considered a yardstick for a box office success.
Source: http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEW ... 25/200905250074.asp |
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Author
