Korean Entertainment News 2011

katt

News Index Page 29

July 25: 2NE1 Dump Sex Appeal for Bad-Girl Image
July 25: Girls’ Generation in Asia Song Fest  
July 26: Stars Putting Their Fame to Good Use
July 26: Fighters, fashionistas spice up small screen
July 26: New Copyrights Law Alerts Bloggers
July 23: U-Know Yunho of TVXQ to Star in a Drama
July 24: Rain to Have His Own Channel
July 24: Jang Dong-kun for president
July 27: Super Junior, Girls' Generation to Perform at Asia Song Festival
July 27: Ivy Returns to Stage in 2 Years
July 23: Exhilarating 'Take-Off' in Korean Sports Drama
July 27: 'Dream' to Depict the World of Sports Business
July 27: Park Chan-wook's Films to Be Screened at KOFA
July 24: Korean Guidebooks Available at Natural History Museum in New York
July 28: Film Industry to Launch Online Movie Portal
July 24: Long Awaited Tsunami Movie Haeundai about to Hit Korea
July 27: Disaster film a Korean BO success
July 24: High Profile Korean Films at the New Zealand International Film Festival
July 28: Film Industry to Launch Online Movie Portal
July 28: Big Bang Wraps Up Promotional Activities in Japan with Live Performance
July 27: Jun Jin's Leaked Music Video Finally Released
July 28: Celebrities Band Against Illegal Downloading
July 29: Ivy to Make a Comeback in November

katt

July 25, 2009

2NE1 Dump Sex Appeal for Bad-Girl Image

Girl band 2NE1 distinguish themselves from other manufactured combos like Girls' Generation and the Wonder Girls with a concept that abandons sex appeal for baggy hip hop pants and studded bracelet instead of miniskirts. It is girls, not boys, who go mad for the "bad girls."

The band consists of four girls -- 25-year-olds Sandara Park and Park Bom, 18-year-old Chae Lee, and 15-year-old Kong Min-ji.


From left, Park Bom, Chae Lee, Sandara Park and Kong Min-ji

"When we go to open studios where fans come and watch us perform, our fans are mostly girls. It feels good because they seem to like our confident and bold image,"  Sandara Park says. "But we are slowly trying to look a bit more feminine on stage. The biggest challenge comes from the fact that all four of us feel awkward at the idea of wearing a skirt."

All four members of 2NE1 had long years of training before making a debut. "When we were exhausted after long and intensive training sessions, all four of us used to run along the Han River together at night. It would be a lie to say it was easy to wait for so long," Park Bom says.

The group's name is a combination of 21st century and the initials of "new evolution." It represents their ambition to captivate audiences through constant transformation.

Credits: englishnews@chosun.com

katt

July 25, 2009


Girls' Generation perform during a friendly soccer match between FC Seoul and Mancheter United
at the World Cup Stadium in Seoul on Friday.

Credits: englishnews@chosun.com

katt

July 25, 2009

Girls’ Generation in Asia Song Fest  



Girls' Generation and Super Junior will take part in the Asia Song Festival to be held in Seoul in October, representing South Korea.

The festival, the sixth of its kind this year, will draw Asian pop groups and singers from nine countries in Asia including South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. It will begin at 6 p.m. at Sangam World Cup Stadium in northwestern Seoul.

Among the participants are Gackt and Mihimaru GT from Japan, Li Ming from Hong Kong, K-Otic from Thailand, Ho Ngoc Ha from Vietnam and Agnes Monica from Indonesia.

The annual song festival won international fame after it was broadcast for the first time in 30 countries last year.

The Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, the organizer of the festival, plans to announce the second list of two top Korean groups and an Asian singer to be present there in mid-August.

Admissions tickets will be available free on the festival's Web site (www.asf.or.kr) in early September.

Source: koreatimes.co.kr

katt

July 26, 2009

Stars Putting Their Fame to Good Use

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

Many events, organizations and public groups hire celebrities, both popular and up-and-coming, to act as spokespersons and goodwill ambassadors, and the reason is simple: They attract attention.

"It's all about the attention effect. The main goal for an advertisement or a promotion would be actual purchasing or participation. But before that, you have to attract people to get them involved. Hiring big stars is indeed one of the most effective ways to catch the public's attention," professor Kang Seung-koo of the Media Arts and Science Department at Korea Open University told The Korea Times.

One of the busiest stars here, Rain, already has three commercial contracts under his belt. He holds two important posts, as spokesman for both Seoul City and "hansik," or Korean food, tapped by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

"There have been various offers, and we choose depending on the image and cause. Rain always mentioned that he wanted to promote Korea and the culture as much as he could, and promoting Seoul and hansik seemed like a good way to start,'' an official from Rain's agency J.Tune Entertainment told The Korea Times.

"Rain topped the Time 100 Poll, Time magazine's online poll of the 100 most influential people of the year, in 2007 and he has a movie coming out that will premiere worldwide. He's not only well known in Asia, but he has also started to attract attention in other parts of the world as well,'' said Kim Jeong-wook, a public information officer at the ministry, adding that the singer will participate in events to promote Korean food.

Numerous other celebrities have used their celebrity for more personal causes.

Veteran actress Ko Doo-shim was appointed a goodwill ambassador for her home region of Jeju Island. Ko has participated in various events and festivals for the island and worked to further promote the island she calls home. Recently, she was appointed as cultural ambassador for the 3rd Delphic Games that will be held on Jeju.

Actress Park Eun-hye was hired to help promote Incheon through the 2009 Incheon Korean Wave Festival and Yoon So-na does the same for Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. Park was born and raised in Incheon, and Yoon in Jeonju

Singer Kang Won-rae serves as the spokesman for the National Rehabilitation Center. Kang was left paralyzed from the waist down in a motorcycle accident in 2000, and took on the role after he overcame the tragedy and maintained his position as a star. He supports physically challenged children and participates in various volunteer and welfare programs, according to the center.

In the case of Kim Jung-eun, who became the goodwill ambassador for the Gwangju Kimchi Cultural Festival 2009, her appointment was a win-win strategy for both the event and her work. The festival committee said they have signed a contract to support Kim's upcoming film "Le Grand Chef 2: Kimchi Wars" (working title), which will help the movie, and kimchi, gain recognition.

Being named to such a role is one thing, but maintaining the post successfully is a complete different matter. While some stars just lend their names as promoters, others actually do their best to fully accomplish the job.

Actress Han Ji-min is one of them. She has been continuously supporting the Korean branch of international relief agency JTS ever since she was appointed as its spokeswoman from 2007. She recently visited the Philippines to support under privileged children, where she taught, cooked and even danced with them.

Even fans have stepped up to do their part for the causes their favorite stars promote. Members of pop group Super Junior's fan club, Elf, donated blood donation tickets, money, ramyeon and even rice to support under privileged children and premature infants.

"As (the stars') final goal is to promote the event or organization, it all depends on how they follow up after being noticed. Once they've attracted attention, they must encourage the public to be involved in what they are promoting, which is much more than just smiling and having photos taken,'' Kang advised.

Credits: sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr

katt

July 26, 2009

Fighters, fashionistas spice up small screen



Poised to continue a winning streak garnered by hits like "Brilliant Legacy" and "Swallow the Sun," SBS goes head to head with MBC's "Queen Seon-deok" tonight and looks set to carry on its weekend prime time title with the new series "Style." SBS' new Monday and Tuesday night series "Dream," which starts tonight, recalls the Hollywood flick "Jerry Maguire." "200 Pound Beauty" star Joo Jin-mo plays a slick and mercenary sports agent whose sudden fall from grace gets him to grow a heart of gold. Featuring "Boys Over Flowers" hottie Kim Bum as a K-1 fighter and K-pop singer Son Dam-bi as a Tae Bo instructor, the star-studded cast presents a formidable threat to rival series "Queen Seon-deok."

Wrestling ratings away from the historical epic, however, will not be easy. MBC's "Queen Seon-deok" brought in nationwide viewer ratings of 30.5 percent (AGB Nielsen Media Research) on Tuesday and is showing no signs of relinquishing its right to the Monday and Tuesday night prime time throne.

"Dream," however, promises to put up a good fight. A hot male cast, which includes a team of five hunks called the Flower Fighters, serves as eye candy for female viewers, while hot property Son Dam-bi and the world of K-1 fighting promises to nab male viewers.

The tried-and-tested story of a man who hits rock bottom and helps himself and a team of underdogs will appeal to audiences, as will the love triangle between Son Dam-bi's, Joo Jin-mo's and Kim Bum's characters.

While SBS' new weekend series "Style" faces less competition than "Dream," it bears the burden of following in the footsteps of its blockbuster predecessor "Brilliant Legacy." The hit series racked up nationwide ratings of 42.2 percent (AGB Nielsen Media Research) on July 19, putting the pressure on "Style."

The upcoming series, which is based on Baek Young-ok's award-winning novel, maps out the inner workings of a fashion magazine. "Tazza: The High Rollers" star Kim Hye-soo plays the harpy vice-director of the company. "Beethoven Virus" actress E Jiah plays her lowly assistant. Hallyu star Ryu Si-won and newcomer Lee Yong-woo add a romantic edge to the series.

The plotline brings hit flicks like "The Devil Wears Prada" and series like "Ugly Betty" and "Stylista" to mind, spinning out the familiar tale of the struggles of a frumpy assistant at a fashion rag and her tough-as-nails boss.

When "The Devil Wears Prada," which featured Meryl Streep, came up at the press conference last Monday, Kim Hye-soo shied away from comparison. "Because Meryl Streep is such a great actress," said Kim. "I dare not imitate her."

The 38-year old veteran revealed concerns she faced regarding her return to the small screen after a four-year hiatus. "I thought, 'If I want to take in the real agenda, can I handle this schedule?'"

Kim rose to the challenge of playing the role of Park Ki-ja, a ruthless perfectionist with a penchant for designer goods. At the press conference, Kim highlighted the efforts she was making to add dimension to her role as a fashion mag's vice-director.

Co-star Ryu Si-won, who is also returning to Korea's small screen after four years, drew a crowd of around 350 Japanese fans to the press conference last Monday. "Wherever I go, I think that about nine out of ten people recognize me," the Hallyu star discussed his rise to stardom in Japan over the past five years.

Fans laughed in response to his comment, to which Ryu teasingly answered, "Oh, is it 10 out of 10?" Fans cheered.

In regards to his role as a macrobiotic chef, the 36-year old actor answered: "I like cooking... I also had a cookbook published."

Starring opposite Ryu is "Beethoven Virus" actress E Jiah. This is the second time she is working with a major Hallyu star, having starred opposite Bae Yong-joon in "The Legend." "It is an honor," said E, when asked what it is like working with major stars like Ryu, Bae and "Beethoven Virus" actor Kim Myung-min.

Playing an ugly duckling who finds her inner swan, E revealed that her character starts to develop a sense of style in the fifth episode but isn't likely to make a full transformation until the second half of the series.

"I read the book, and the difficulties and episodes that women undergo while living in society came across as very fun, I believe," E discussed the original. "There are a lot of parts that I can relate to... And there are a lot of stylish episodes."

As with any fashion forward series, viewers will not only be paying attention to the plot, they will also be paying attention to the outfits. And according to Ryu, "Style" director Oh Jong-rok focused on the fashion from the get go.

"It will be fun, in part, to watch how outfits are styled," said Ryu. "I think women will really enjoy it."

"Style" starts Saturday on SBS at 10 p.m.

"Dream" starts tonight on SBS at 9:55 p.m.

By Jean Oh ([email protected]) via koreaherald.co.kr

katt

July 26, 2009

New Copyrights Law Alerts Bloggers

By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter

Suh Ji-su, not her real name, has been getting dozens, or often hundreds, of daily visitors for her blog on movies, music, television and other pop culture staples.

But despite enjoying all the fun that comes from a growing online readership, she is now deciding to close her blog on Naver (www.naver.com).

With the country enforcing a new anti-file sharing provision last week, which gives authorities more power to prevent Internet users from illegally accessing copyrighted material, violators could face the suspension of Web accounts. Suh was suddenly uncomfortable about the many captured movie images and Japanese animation posters on her articles.

"It's not like the authorities upstairs would care, as I am not close to being one of the country's popular bloggers, but I really don't want to take any chance,'' said the 33-year-old Seoul office worker.

Suh plans to move her cyber home to a foreign-based blogging platform or social networking service, such as Facebook (www.facebook.com), saying she isn't sure what flies and what doesn't under the new rules.

"Of course it is frustrating. But what is the point of running a blog when you have to handcuff yourself with fear, as nobody can tell you for sure what will be allowed and what not?" said Suh.

Suh is apparently not the only blogger who is confused over Korea's new Internet regulatory regime. With already hundreds of blogs being closed or converted into "undisclosed" status, critics say the new law might hurt the vibrancy of Internet culture.

Bumchon, a blogger popular for his travel writing, was forced to shutdown his Egloos (www.egloos.com) blog recently, after answering police questions over a pop song streamed over one of his posts.

"I used a pop song, which was like 40 years old, on one of my posts. I was surprised to learn that I had been sued for copyright infringement and was questioned at a police station. I am forced to block my past postings and review if they are illegal under the new law," he recently wrote on his online journal.

Internet users in Web communities are just as uneasy as bloggers. The members of a Kim Yu-na fan club at DC Inside (www.dcinside.com) are fiercely debating whether they will be allowed to use the photos of their figure skating star because the copyright belongs to SBS.

NHN, the operator of Naver, the country's most popular Web site, said it is receiving about 200 calls a day from Internet users on copyright.

Tatter Media (www.tattermedia.com), which operates an online magazine-like service compiling the writings of popular bloggers, says that the confusion is also shared among the more experienced Internet users.

"We get queries about using streamed music, captured photo images, and even captured television images taken from the official review sites of certain products," said a Tatter Media official.

The Lee Myung-bak administration has been considering more ways to impose rules on Internet users.

Along with measures to limit online anonymity on major Web sites, the new anti-file sharing requirements may have the biggest impact.

The revised copyright law grants authorities the power to suspend Web accounts of Internet users involved in the illegal downloading or peer-to-peer distribution of intellectual property for up to six months.

Users accused of illegally moving copyrighted content will be subject to the ``three strikes'' rule, having their Web accounts severed after a third violation.

The same goes for Internet companies, which could have their Web sites shut down after a third warning over copyright infringement, whether or not copyright owners complained about it.

Government officials said that the provisions aren't intended to target the average blogger, but "heavy uploaders" moving a larger volume of illegal files for commercial gains.

However, critics argue that the loose definition of "copyrighted content," which could be anything from movies, music and news to online diaries, make the law over-the-top.

Equally vague is how to define commercial interest. For example, will a blogger who uses a captured movie image for his movie review be punished when he gets some pocket money from the Google AdSense advertisements that are attached to his blog?

When reached by The Korea Times, Culture Ministry officials didn't have a clear answer.

And what about all the copy-and-pasted news stories from professional news organizations that account for a massive amount of material in the blogosphere?

A ministry official, admitting that there are no clear-cut rules, suggested that "straight" news stories or press releases, which don't contain "ideas" or "sentiment," may not be subject to the copyright law, but other feature stories may.

"If authorities decide to impose the law exactly as it is written, virtually every Korean site would be tagged for violation. It is clear that the new copyright would eventually hurt the copyright owners themselves by limiting the buzz generated from their materials, which would clearly hurt consumption," said an official from a Web technology company, who didn't want to be named.

"Everybody is confused, and I think it will eventually come down to the Internet companies to figure things out. The copyrighted material, such as photos and music, used by bloggers are pretty predictable, and I think it would be possible for Internet companies to reach some kind of agreement with copyright owners like television stations, while allowing their bloggers the same kind of freedom they had before."

Credits: thkim@koreatimes.co.kr

katt

July 23, 2009

U-Know Yunho of TVXQ to Star in a Drama



U-Know Yunho of TVXQ was cast as the male lead of a new drama titled “Heading to the Ground.” The 23-year-old singer will be making his acting debut on this soccer drama. He will be playing the role of Cha Bong-goon, an unlucky soccer player who passionately pursues his dream of joining the national team despite many difficulties.

Producers of “Heading to the Ground” chose to cast Yunho in the leading role, because they thought that, just like Cha’s, the life Yunho led until he joined TVXQ was full of ups and downs, but that did not deter Yunho from achieving his lifelong dream. Yunho is really looking forward to his acting debut, saying that he’s excited to be playing the role of Cha. He said he’ll try his best to portray the character with sincerity.

The Wednesday-Thursday drama is scheduled to air on September 9. Other cast members include Lee Sang-yoon, who will fight Yunho’s character over a girl.

Source: KBS Global

katt

July 24, 2009

Rain to Have His Own Channel



Singer/actor Rain will have his own channel on internet protocol TV (IPTV), starting next month. On this channel all programs will be devoted to the star, showcasing his commercials, music videos, live concert footage, photo shoots, and some never-seen-before materials.

Rain’s representative at J Tune Entertainment announced that his exclusive channel will be on SK Broad & TV. This is the first time that a Korean celebrity got his or her own channel. Industry insiders are saying that Rain’s exclusive channel may open the way for other celebrities to establish their own channels to communicate better with their fans. Rain’s channel will offer a variety of programs that will show everything about this superstar.

Meanwhile, Rain will meet with his fans at a fan meeting held at Kyung Hee University in Seoul for the first time in a year. He has been kept busy with the filming of “Ninja Assassin,” which is scheduled for release in November, and his lawsuits in the United States over cancelled concerts.

Source: KBS Global

katt

July 24, 2009

JANG Dong-kun for president



Star director JANG Jin got Korea's leading man JANG Dong-kun to try his hand at comedy for the first time. JANG is set to play a young charismatic president in the upcoming KnJ Entertainment production Good Morning President. The explosive combination of JANG Jin and JANG Dong-kun turns it into a highly anticipated fall release.

HAN Chae-young has been cast in the female lead role. The story will be about three persons who get to meet the president. With JANG Jin at the helm, the film will be spiced up with JANG Jin's characteristic peculiar humour. JANG Dong-kun told reporters that except the young age of the president, the film has no similarities to current U.S. President Obama's story. Good Morning President is scheduled for an October release in cinemas.

JANG Dong-kun has been absent from the big screen for four years, since he appeared in 2005's Typhoon. He's best known for the films Friend and Tae-guk-gi. JANG Dong-kun returns this year with two films. Besides Good Morning President, his English language film debut The Warrior's Way – alongside Kate Bosworth and Geoffrey Rush – is also set for a 2009 release.

Credits: Yi Ch'ang-ho (KOFIC)

katt

July 27, 2009

Super Junior, Girls' Generation to Perform at Asia Song Festival



The popular bands Super Junior and Girls' Generation will represent Korea at the 2009 Asia Song Festival slated for September 19 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. Singers from nine countries including Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Thailand and Vietnam will participate.

Co-organized by the Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange and the Seoul metropolitan government, the festival marks its sixth anniversary this year. The performers will include rock singer Gackt and duet Mihimaru GT from Japan, popular Chinese star Li Yuchun from China, Luo Zhi Xiang from Taiwan, singer/actor Leon Lai from Hong Kong, the five-member group K-Otic from Thailand, singer/actress Ho Ngoc Ha from Vietnam, and Agnes Monica from Indonesia, who will be paritcipating in the festival for the second straight time.

Last year, the Asia Song Festival was recorded and broadcast in 30 countries, including the U.S. and Europe. This year, it will also feature Ukranian singer Ruslana, who is a former Ukrainian lawmaker and the winner of the 2004 Euro Vision Song Contest, a prestigious singing contest in Europe.

The second lineup, which will be announced in August by the Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange, will include a top Korean artist and two groups as well as a special guest artist from Asia. The foundation will also announce the winner of the New Artist Award.

The foundation director, Kim Young-hoon, said, "We organized this festival to boost the stagnated music market and promote Asian music as a whole. We will nurture it into a top brand of cultural exchange and collaboration in Asia."

Admission to the Asia Song Festival is free. Tickets can be downloaded in early September from the official website of the festival (http://www.asf.or.kr).

Source: [url=http://english.kbs.co.kr/Entertain/EntertainmentNews/view.html?No=7084[KBS Global[/url]

katt

July 27, 2009

Ivy Returns to Stage in 2 Years



Ivy, a K-pop singer, is poised to return to the stage after resolving conflicts with her agency, Yonhap News Agency reported Monday.

Ivy, 27, has been dormant since 2007 due to the conflicts after Ivy's former boyfriend threatened her with videos.

Ivy visited her agency earlier this month and expressed her hope to sing again, Yonhap said. Ivy gave up while engaging in producing a new album last year.

Yonhap quoted an official of the agency as saying, "We are just beginning to resume our suspended album production.''

Ivy made a debut in 2005 with her first album "My Sweet and Free Day." The album was a minor hit and after a one year's hiatus, she released her second album "A Sweet Moment,'' which spawned the hit "Sonata of Temptation."

Source: koreatimes.co.kr

katt

July 27, 2009

Super Junior, Girls' Generation to Perform at Asia Song Festival

The popular bands Super Junior and Girls' Generation will represent Korea at the 2009 Asia Song Festival slated for September 19 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. Singers from nine countries including Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Thailand and Vietnam will participate.

Co-organized by the Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange and the Seoul metropolitan government, the festival marks its sixth anniversary this year. The performers will include rock singer Gackt and duet Mihimaru GT from Japan, popular Chinese star Li Yuchun from China, Luo Zhi Xiang from Taiwan, singer/actor Leon Lai from Hong Kong, the five-member group K-Otic from Thailand, singer/actress Ho Ngoc Ha from Vietnam, and Agnes Monica from Indonesia, who will be paritcipating in the festival for the second straight time.

Last year, the Asia Song Festival was recorded and broadcast in 30 countries, including the U.S. and Europe. This year, it will also feature Ukranian singer Ruslana, who is a former Ukrainian lawmaker and the winner of the 2004 Euro Vision Song Contest, a prestigious singing contest in Europe.

The second lineup, which will be announced in August by the Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange, will include a top Korean artist and two groups as well as a special guest artist from Asia. The foundation will also announce the winner of the New Artist Award.

The foundation director, Kim Young-hoon, said, "We organized this festival to boost the stagnated music market and promote Asian music as a whole. We will nurture it into a top brand of cultural exchange and collaboration in Asia."

Admission to the Asia Song Festival is free. Tickets can be downloaded in early September from the official website of the festival (http://www.asf.or.kr).

Source: KBS Global

katt

July 23, 2009

Exhilarating 'Take-Off' in Korean Sports Drama

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter


In "Take-Off," a sports movie inspired by the actual South Korean national ski
jumping team, Ha Jung-woo stars as an athlete who surprises the world despite having trained
under such preposterous conditions as hanging from a tree to experience the vertical limits
of the sport. / Courtesy of Showbox/Mediaplex

Imagine, being perched above a vertigo-inducing height, swishing down a roller coaster-like slope and then freewheeling through the air ― with only a pair of skis to safeguard the landing.

Ski jumping is a minority within the sports scene here, but onscreen the icy game provides for the hottest summer movie experience. Packed with adrenaline rush, tastefully crafted drama and a rocking soundtrack, "Take-Off" lifts viewers onto a pulsating flight in this story about ski jumpers that dared to dream ― and fly.

Director Kim Yong-hwa didn't need to adopt the standard formula for sports films. Sure, the movie features conventional elements ― setting hurdles to overcome, overturning team dynamics and lots of sweating ― but truth is sometimes more interesting than fiction, and the filmmaker simply had to tell the amazing story, which he does with finesse.

Inspired by true events, the movie takes viewers to 1997 Muju, North Jeolla Province, which is bidding to host the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. A national ski jumping team needs to be whipped together for the campaign, and Bang (Seong Dong-il), a former children's skiing instructor, is asked to coach.

Coach Bang's mission is to round up some athletes that could act as a disposable cog in the wheel. His first target is Bob, played most convincingly by "it" actor Ha Jung-woo. For his role as a Korean adoptee who has experience in the U.S. Junior Alpine Ski Championships, Ha has polished up the fresh-off-the-boat broken English he spoke in "Never Forever" opposite Vera Farmiga to articulate slang-ridden lines.

Bob returns to his birthplace in search of his biological mother, which he has prepared for all his life by learning Korean. While he initially refuses to represent "the country that abandoned" him, Bob becomes convinced that being a national athlete could invite media exposure and thus help find mom.

The tearjerker melodrama wears a thick layer of mainstream superficiality, but is set off by fine comedic counterpoints.

Meanwhile, Heung-cheol, a womanizing club waiter (Kim Dong-wook), requires no more than a glance at Bang's beautiful daughter Su-yeon (Lee Eun-seong) to be in on the game and Jae-bok, a young man living in the shadows of his "fascist" father-cum-boss (Choi Jae-hwan), sees the offer as a ticket to independence. Chil-gu, on the other hand, cannot afford to be drafted into the mandatory two-year military service because he needs to care for his deaf grandmother and borderline simpleton brother Bong-gu (Lee Jae-ung). He joins out of desperation, since wearing the Korean flag on his chest would enable him to defer, and a gold medal would permanently relieve him of the duty.

The construction of the Muju ski resort is underway in the stifling summer heat, and the ski jumpers undergo some pitiful sticks and stones-style ``training.'' Save for Team U.S.A.-clad Bob, the rest toil in sweats instead of jump suits and helmets clearly not tailored for the sport. Lacking access to a proper ski jumping facility, they head over to an abandoned theme park with some nails and boards, waterproof sheets and buckets of water.

It's like how a so-called swimming athlete, lacking access to a decent pool, learns strokes in a bathtub and in the depths of his imagination, but goes on to wow the world in his first dip in a real pool.

The film culminates in some impressively rendered Olympic Games scenes; the beauty of "Take-Off" lies in the love of the game ― the magic of flying. But the emotional release is only meaningful, of course, because the viewer's heart is with that of the characters, and the music director of "200-Pound Beauty" completes the audiovisual experience with some great scores.

The few homegrown sports dramas, "Forever the Moment" and "Bronze Medalist," feel like a prelude to the establishment of something as solid as "Take-Off.''

In theaters July 29. Distributed by Showbox/Mediaplex

Credits: hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr

katt

July 24, 2009

High Profile Korean Films at the New Zealand International Film Festival

The NZ International Film Festival has always shown a large amount of Korean films.  The 5 acclaimed Korean features this year however have already racked up awards and played at festivals around the globe.  

First up and most recently is BONG Joong-ho’s Mother which opened in Cannes to rave reviews and stampeded at the box office when it came to Korea.  Both Mother and Cannes winner PARK Chan-wook’s Thirst together accumulated a large volume of sales at the festival.  Also playing at the NZ festival is the farmer-and-his-cow documentary Old Partner which, as an independent, came from obscurity and gained a total of 2 million local viewers.  Another sleeper hit included is NA Hong-jin’s The Chaser that won the ‘Best of Pucheon’ award at last year’s Pucheon International Fantastic Film Festival and has since gone on to play in other territories.  Korean American, KIM So-yong’s auto-biographical second feature, drama Treeless Mountain after opening the 16th Adana Golden Boll Film Festival and winning at Dubai is also making its NZ debut.  Last but not least, NOH Young-seok’s $10,000 (U.S.) feature Daytime Drinking which has appeared at numerous international festivals and has been released in the States will also appear.  

The New Zealand International Film Festival already opened July 9 in Auckland, NZ’s largest city.  It will go on to play in 14 other centres wrapping up in Whangarei November 25.

Credits: David Oxenbridge (KOFIC)

katt

July 24, 2009

Long Awaited Tsunami Movie Haeundai about to Hit Korea



For what maybe the longest possible wait for an internationally released movie to hit its own shores, Haeundae is about to be released in Korea.  Back in April the film sold to a number of territories at the Hong Kong Film Mart.  The CJ released film then went on to repeat its success at Cannes.  Given its star pull and its sizable success overseas, there is much anticipation for the film here in Korea.  

The film headed by director Youn J.K. is set in the southern tip of South Korea in the city of Pusan.  The city which is the name sake of Asia’s largest international film festival also boasts the seaside resort of ‘Haeundae’ a beach which can attracts a million people a day at the height of summer.  This sets the scene for gigantic tidal wave that is about to engulf the city at just this time – Summer, as it is in Korea now.  Ironically the film, which was filmed partly in California, is a more human story focusing on Man-sik, a local who runs a small seafood restaurant.  After losing a friend to the sea a year before he can never go back.  Later, while running into a stream of complications he is forced to confront his fear in the shape of a 500 mph wall of water.  

Haeundae stars SUL Kyung-gu (Public Enemy, Voice of a Murderer) as the title character and HA Ji-won of BABO fame.  It is set for release July 23.  

Credits: David Oxenbridge (KOFIC)

katt

July 24, 2009

Korean Guidebooks Available at Natural History Museum in New York

A Korean-language guidebook will be available to visitors of the American Museum of Natural History in New York from Aug. 1. Seo Kyoung-duk, a visiting professor at Sungshin Women's University said the museum decided to provide the 50,000 guidebooks in a project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the opening of the first Korean museum in U.S. Sponsored by the celebrity couple, Choi Soo-jong and Ha Hee-ra, the guidebooks provide information on the museum, its collections floor-by-floor, and how to navigate through the building.

Korean is the fifth language serviced at the museum after English, German, French and Spanish. The guidebook can be downloaded from the museum's website at www.amnh.org.

"This project can help Korean visitors enjoy the museum to its fullest, and also let our language become known to American and foreign visitors," Choi said. Ha said children were her motivation to sponsor the project. "I have heard that many Korean children visit the museum," she said. "I wanted to help make the museum experience better for them, however small the contribution might be."


Seo Kyoung-duk, a visiting professor at Sungshin Women's University, and actor Choi Soo-jong
hold a guideline board in Korean to be installed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. /Yonhap

The AMNH is the third museum in New York to offer a Korean guidebook, after the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art. "We plan to make Korean service possible in many world-class museums in Europe such as the Tate Modern in Britain, Musee d'Orsay in France, and the Suermondt-Ludwig Museum in Germany," Seo said.

Choi and Ha are currently goodwill ambassadors of the National Museum of Korea, and Seo serves the same position for the Independence Hall of Korea.

Credits: englishnews@chosun.com

katt

July 27, 2009

'Dream' to Depict the World of Sports Business

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter


The cast of the new drama "Dream"
smile for the cameras at a press conference
held in Tokyo, Japan, last week. From left: Ju Jin-mo,
Son Dam-bi and Kim Bum. / Courtesy of SBS

The local drama scene has been offering a bit of everything, from the ancient tale of a queen, to advertising companies and figure skating. The new drama "Dream" will add the world of sports agents and K-1 to this varied roster of local television dramas.

The drama has caught attention with its impressive cast― singer-turned-actor Son Dam-bi, "Boys Over Flowers" actor Kim Bum and movie star Ju Jin-mo ― and a plot that follows the lives of a sports agent and K-1 fighters.

Nam Je-il, played by Ju, is a successful sports agent with some famous clients, but when one of his baseball stars gets involved in a drug case, he loses everything. But when the miserable Nam befriends former pickpocket and aspiring K-1 fighter Lee Jang-seok, played by Kim, and taebo instructor Park So-yeon, acted by Son, he decides to regain his glory by making Lee a star.

SBS had nicknamed Ju's character "Korea's Jerry Maguire," referencing the charismatic agent played by Tom Cruise, but Ju said it was difficult to play the part that has been his own personal favorite. "After seeing my first shoot, I couldn't bear to look at myself. I looked so tense and nervous acting as the successful Nam. I finally decided to be myself and act as natural as possible,'' Ju said at a press conference last week in Busan.

In order to bring a sense of reality to his character, who shouts into the phone and runs around giving pep talks to his players, Ju worked alongside real agents.

Son, whose acting debut in Hollywood was postponed because of the economic crisis, said she chose to star in "Dream'' as soon as she heard about who had been cast. Debuting alongside such famous colleagues was a burden, according to Son, but her fellow actors and staff complimented her for bringing energy to the set. "I was never a good dancer, but now I'm a dance singer. I think it's the same with acting. I have been training as an actor during my spare time for the past four years. There's no one who's good at it from the start, and so I'm doing my best to not fall behind,'' she said.

Son's character, Park, is a bit of a tomboy. Taebo is an aerobic exercise that is closely related with the martial art taekwondo. Son, already slim-figured, eventually became a big fan of the exercise and was more than eager to offer it to fellow women. "I lost about three to four kilograms, and it's a great way to lose weight. I've been dancing for a long time, but when I first tried taebo, I couldn't move the next day, which proves how much exercise it can be,'' she said, laughing.

The biggest transformation for the new series is that of Kim, who portrayed a pretty and rich museum heir in the hit drama Boys Over Flowers. Not only will he play a tough K-1 athlete, but a sad and lonely figure with a dark past. "My character Lee is a nice person who doesn't want to come across as weak. He pretends to be tough and mean to protect himself. As he learns K-1, he finally realizes the importance of relationships and starts to open up,'' Kim said.

The drama is also expected to usher a new chapter of hallyu, or Korean Wave, in Japan, as the crew and staff also held a press conference in Tokyo to attract buyers and broadcasters. "We cannot confirm the exact Japanese broadcaster, but the drama will start airing in Japanese households as well. This will be a great opportunity for local dramas, as many consider hallyu to be taking a downturn," an official from SBS said.

Thanks to the interest from Japan and also being a program about sports, "Dream" will also have two-time K-1 World MAX champion Masato make a special appearance in the drama, the first time for the 30-year-old to appear in a local drama.

Written by writer Jung Hyung-soo (Prince of the Legend, 2006) and produced by Baek Soo-chan (Golden Bride, 2007), "Dream" airs every Monday and Tuesday at 9:55 p.m. on SBS.

Credits: sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr

katt

July 27, 2009

Park Chan-wook's Films to Be Screened at KOFA

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

A special retrospective of the films by award-winning director Park Chan-wook will be held at the Cinematheque, Korean Film Archive (KOFA) next month.

The retrospective is part of the Cinematheque KOFA's monthly Replay program. There will be special screenings of Park's films, starting from his directorial debut "The Moon Is.. The Sun's Dream" (1992) to his latest film "Thirst." "Thirst," a film about a priest who becomes a vampire, won the Jury Prize at this year's Cannes International Film Festival.

Also to be screened are Park's so-called vengeance trilogy films, "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance," (2002), "Old Boy," (2003) and "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance," (2005). Park won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004 for "Old Boy."

There will also be film screenings of "Joint Security Area (2000)," and "I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK" (2006).

Tickets are free. The Cinematheque KOFA is located in Mapo, Sangnam-dong. Visit www.koreanfilm.org or call 02-3153-2032.

Credits: cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

katt

July 27, 2009

Disaster film a Korean BO success
'Haeundae' simulates tsunami on Busan beachfront

By Park Soo-mee

SEOUL -- “Haeundae,” one of the most expensive Korean disaster movies ever made and set in the country’s existing beachfront, created a boxoffice tsunami over the weekend, beating “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

The film about a deadly tidal wave hitting the famous beach town near Busan is directed by Yoon Je-kyoon (“Sex is Zero”) and coproduced by JK Film and CJ Entertainment. It has attracted 1.57 million filmgoers on 869 screens since the film opened Wednesday, followed by “Harry Potter” at 2.4 million and “Chaw” at 1.15 million, which both opened on July 15. "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” attracted 7.28 million paid attendances so far.

With a budget estimated at $13 million, “Haeundae” is one of the year’s most expensive films, heavy with computer graphics and a star-studded cast. The film stars top Korean movie actors including Sol Kyung-gu, Park Jung-hun and Ha Ji-won.

Source: hollywoodreporter.com