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NEWS INDEX page 37
Aug 8: Public Enemy Returns (Movie Review)
Aug 12: Big Bang's 3rd Mini Album Sweeps Online/Off-line Stores
Aug 12: Buddies Play Enemies in New Action Flick
Aug 12: Crush & Blush starring Hyo-jin Kong opens October 16th
Aug 12: Lee Na-young, first actress to be on the cover of magazine 'Bazaar'
Aug 12: Ji Hyeon-woo returns to the screens on "Precious Sons and Daughters"
Aug 12: Son Tae-yeong wears Kim Hee-seon's wedding dress?
Aug 12: Jeon Ji-hyeon in Hollywood film, "Blood: The Last Vampire"
Aug 12: Networks Battle for Olympic Rating
Aug 13: [TV review] Park’s pride of the pool, on all TV channels
Aug 13: Conservation conveyed in Korean
Aug 13: "Knight" wins at Korean box office
Aug 13: Kim Jang-hoon's Version of 'National Anthem' Distributed Online
Aug 12: A delightful banquet among the stars begins soon in “East of Eden!”
Aug 13: 'Dachimawa Lee' breaks new ground in comedy
Aug 13: Hur Jin-ho and Yoo Ji-tae Appointed Judges for 2008 JIMFF
Aug 13: Veteran Actress Na Returns to Theater
Aug 13: 'Delicious' boys lead hallyu in Indonesia
Aug 13: Asian pop icons BoA and TVXQ to tour Asia
Aug 12: Lee Byeong-heon leaves for the U.S
Aug 11: Uhm Jung-hwa in the new movie "Haeundae"
Aug 11: My Dear Enemy with Do-yeon Jeon & Jung-woo Ha opens September 25, 2008
[ Last edited by katt at 14-8-2008 02:00 AM ] |
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Friday, 08 August 2008
Public Enemy Returns ("Gonggongui Jeog 3" -- South Korea)
Written by Ronnie Scheib
A CJ Entertainment presentation, in association with Cinema Services/CJ Ventures Investment, of a KNJ Entertainment production, in association with Cinema Service. Produced by Jeong Seon-yeong. Executive producer, Kim Joo-Sung. Directed by Kang Woo-suk. Screenplay, Jan Jin.
With: Seol Gyeong-gu, Jeong Ju-yeong, Kang Shin-il, Lee Mun-shik, Yu Jai-jin, Yeon, Jee-wook, Kim Nam-gil.
A handful of messy, screw-up cops battle legions of impeccable, organized gangsters for the hearts and minds of Korean youth in Kang Woo-suk's third "Public Enemy" go-round. A return to form for the hugely popular franchise after its disappointing sophomore sortie, pic, well-scripted by Jang Jin, has the cohesiveness its predecessor so sadly lacked. But the film's true joy lies in watching immensely talented Seol Gyeong-gu reprise his renegade cop lead, ably supported by a rogue's gallery of second bananas. Though it's done boffo business at home since opening in mid-June, the character-driven, comedy-heavy faceoff still might not translate offshore.
Natty villain Lee Won Sool (Jeong Ju-yeong, in an atypical baddie role) and scruffy hero Kang (Seol) establish their respective positions right out of the starting gate. Lee need only raise an eyebrow to have a 17-year-old student rush forward and knife a recalcitrant associate amid hanging sides of beef ("You'll feel better in a minute," an imperturbable Lee murmurs to his victim as he bleeds to death). In contrast, Kang, herded by 9-year-old daughter Mimi to "Bring Your Dad to School Day," finds the entire class thinks gangsters are way cooler than cops, their opinion vindicated as an angry Kang proceeds to browbeat his diminutive audience, much to Mimi's mortification.
Fed up, broke and unable to get a loan, Kang vainly tries to quit the force, his letter of resignation tossed on a pile of like missives by his supportive, long-suffering captain (Kang Shin-il, in a quietly compelling performance). But a new case, involving the recruitment of high school students into the corporate ranks as cold-blooded killers, draws Kang back into the game. Soon he is happily harassing Lee, up close and personal; getting badly beaten is a small price to pay for tweaking Lee's unflappable cool.
In familiar (and welcome) "Public Enemy" territory, pic trades visually on the vast differences in power and esteem commanded by the two men: Solo Kang is forever out on some seriocomic limb, while minions materialize as soon as Lee swings into view. For once, Kang has no problem convincing his colleagues of the rich CEO's guilt, given Lee's gangster past -- instead, the entire police force's credibility is on the line as they strive to steer teens away from crime.
Crime pays even after the fact, in the case of returning comic-relief ex-gangster An-Soo (the hilariously rubber-faced Lee Mun-shik), ducking and deferential at the sight of Kang (old habits die hard), though now completely legit with a string of karaoke bars.
If the adult world teems with colorful characters, helmer Kang finds himself on shakier ground tonally with his uneven cast of juves as they vacillate between schoolyard hijinks and corporate skullduggery. Finally, however, any concerns for Korea's youth pale before the anticipation of whatever insanely self-destructive but oddly effective move Kang will pull off next.
Tech credits are aces.
Reviewed at New York Asian Film Festival, July 3, 2008. Running time: 127 MIN.
via Variety Asia |
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August 12, 2008
Big Bang's 3rd Mini Album Sweeps Online/Off-line Stores
The group Big Bang has sold more than 30,000 copies of its third mini album "Stand Up" just two days after it was released on August 8. The album received an order of 85,000 copies from a retail dealer.
The album was completely sold out by 5:00 P.M. on August 9 at major record stores including Evan Records and the Gwanghwamun branch of Hot Tracks. The album was temporarily sold out on major online record stores including YGeshop and Internet Kyobo Book Store.
The manager at a record store said the album is selling at the same rate as Seo Taiji's latest album.
Big Bang's latest album defeated Seo Taiji on the Hanteo Chart and topped the weekly chart. The title song of the mini album "Day by Day" also ranked number one on Cyworld's music chart, MNet.com and Jukeon.
A total of 640,000 online users accessed the music video of "Day by Day" on YG TV, two days after it was unveiled to the public.
"Ingi Gayo," a popular music show on SBS TV, alloted an unprecedented ten minutes for Big Bang's first TV appearance since the album's release.
Source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/entertainment/news/1540124_11858.html
[ Last edited by katt at 13-8-2008 01:41 PM ] |
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August 12, 2008
Buddies Play Enemies in New Action Flick
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
Actors So Ji-sup, left, and Kang Ji-hwan talk about their new movie
"Rough Cut." / Yonhap
In the upcoming film "Rough Cut" (working title), So Ji-sup and Kang Ji-hwan play brawling rivals on a movie set out to get each other. In real life, however, the two top actors, both 31, are buddies who say they take care of each other.
"Ji-hwan is very detailed and even feminine. After a tough shoot, he'd prepare healthy stamina treats like honey-dipped ginseng for me," So told a media event Tuesday in Seoul.
Kang jokingly answered, "I'm used to taking care of my female co-stars, and when you catch a glimpse of long-haired Ji-sup's back, it's very attractive."
Director Chang Hoon added to the humorous mood, saying the reserved and reliable So is a good buddy, while the friendly and caring Kang is like a sweet girlfriend.
The media and young fans roared with laughter. So, the hero of KBS2 hit drama "Sorry, I Love You," has made a comeback after a four-year hiatus. Kang, who starred in the popular TV soap "Hong Gil-dong, the Hero," is making his big-screen debut.
In "Rough Cut," So plays a thug who dreams of becoming an actor. He said he could relate to his character, as he longed to act while serving in the Army.
Kang, on the other hand, plays an actor who beats up and hospitalizes his co-stars. He credited So's professionalism and friendliness for helping him dispel his initial nervousness over working with such a big star in his first movie.
The two characters are cast in an action film, but when So's thug character refuses to act in the fight sequences, Kang's hot-tempered screen persona refuses to back down, setting up a showdown.
The difference between fiction and reality was blurred on the set when the actors tumbled on a muddy beach. Despite three weeks of intensive training to perfect the choreography at an action school, the mud made it impossible to stick to the script. "It was like a dogfight," Kang said.
News of swimmer Park Tae-hwan winning the Olympic silver medal in the men's 200-meter freestyle was announced at the news event. So, a former professional swimmer, expressed great enthusiasm and congratulations over the news.
"Rough Cut" is slated for release Sept. 11 and is distributed by Studio 2.0.
Credits: [email protected]
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2008/08/141_29203.html
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August 12, 2008
Crush & Blush (Misseu Hongdangmoo) starring Hyo-jin Kong opens October 16th
Posted by luna6
One of the best young Korean actresses working today not named Du-na Bae or Na-yeong Lee is Hyo-jin Kong. She’s already set to appear in the upcoming summer blockbuster “Dachiwama Lee” and will have one more film coming out this autumn titled “Crush & Blush” (Korean title “Misseu Hongdangmoo”).
The principle cast for “Crush & Blush” includes Hyo-jin Kong, Jong-hyeok Lee, Seo Yu, newcomer Seul-hye Hwangwoo, and Eun-jin Bang. The film is directed by first time feature-length film director Kyoung-mi Lee. There’s also a strong Chan-wook Park connection with “Crush & Blush” as well. Chan-wook Park worked as the film’s producer and the film was produced by Moho Films (company that also produced Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance).
In “Crush & Blush” Hyo-jin Kong will play Me-sook Yang a former high school Russian language teacher, but now middle school English teacher (a language she doesn’t even understand). Furthermore Me-sook has a a blushing problem that turns her face crimson red. Me-sook is also in love with Mr. Seo, another teacher at her school. She is crushed when she discovers that Mr. Seo is having an affair with the Russian women who took her original high school job. Even with her disappointed feelings she still doesn’t give up hope on Mr. Seo. In fact she enlists the aid of his teenage daughter Jong-hee, a student at their middle school, to help break up their affair. More problems then occur for the ladies.
Source: lunapark6.com |
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August 12, 2008
Lee Na-young, first actress to be on the cover of magazine 'Bazaar'
Actress Lee Na-young is the first female actress to be on the cover of the international fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar Korean version. Cinema Angels Project has supported this photoshoot and will be donating all the profits to the independent films developments.
Lee Na-young wore outfits that were both tomboy and feminine styles. This photoshoot was the first in three years! Her pictures will be on the September edition containing 12 pages of her photos.
Last year, the Cinema Angels Project has brought together 13 movie stars, Ahn Seong-gi, Song Kang-ho, Jang Jin-yeong, Kong Hyo-jin, Ryoo Seung-beom, Hwang Jeong-min, Park Hae-il, Kang Hye-jeong, Sin Min-ah, Yoo Ji-tae, Bae Doona, and Soo-ae as their first step in supporting independent film developments. Their professionalism in modeling and supporting the various industries have been Bazaar's priority.
Source:
http://cynews.cyworld.com/servic ... 2008081212580920191
http://www.hancinema.net/chanmi- ... -bazaar--15014.html |
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August 12, 2008
Networks Battle for Olympic Rating
By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
Park Tae-hwan's sensational grabbing of South Korea's first-ever Olympic gold in swimming on Sunday was one stunning story, but the nation's top three television networks all had a shot at telling it in their own way.
According to AGB Nielsen Media Research, MBC did best as it secured 17.4 percent of viewers, followed by SBS with 13.1 percent and KBS locking in less than 12 percent. However, this didn't carry significance for long as ratings varied in other matches, without leaving one solid broadcasting leader for the Beijing Olympics.
In fact, frequent mistakes and near-identical commentaries are starting to annoy television audiences who say they're stuck with three look-alikes for the next two weeks.
"I really can't tell the difference between what's what," says Kim Kyo-min, a 23-year-old college student, who has been closely following the Summer Games since last week's opening.
Many seem to share the same complaints, as unhappy viewers are crowding online forums of the three networks to urge resumption of regular programming.
"There's no reason why all three networks should air the Games at once,'' says media critic Jeong Tae-yun. "It's a waste of time and money."
However, broadcasters don't see it this way with lucrative commercial deals at stake.
According to the Korea Broadcast Advertising Corporation (KOBACCO), KBS, MBC and SBS together paid FIFA, the official world cup organizer, about 24 billion won to win airing rights for the 2006 Germany World Cup.
"Each of them came out making about 20 billion won in profits from ad sales, so it's definitely a winning business," said one KOBACCO official, who asked not to be named. "Considering the larger scale of the Olympics, why wouldn't they compete?''
Another reason for the tight competition is because the 2008 Beijing Olympics is virtually the last Games in which all three networks will be engaged before SBS takes sole rights, starting with the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and the 2012 Olympics in London, up to the 2016 summer games.
"It's natural to see the competition fiercer this time around because it might be their last chance to reap big sales at least for the next few years,'' said an official of the Korea Broadcasters Association.
Credits: [email protected]
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2008/08/123_29219.html
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August 13, 2008
[TV review] Park’s pride of the pool, on all TV channels
Park Tae-hwan wins his first Olympic gold, a story that conquered
Korean television over the weekend. [NEWSIS]
Park’s pride of the pool, on all TV channels. It’s 3 a.m. on Tuesday, and I just threw in the towel. My days-long hunt for a target that has nothing to do with Olympics did not lead to any fruition.
Every mainstream, public channel just finished their Beijing Olympic specials or reruns of the highlights of the Games. There seems to be no escape. My original idea was to make an Olympic diary that was not related to the Games.
I wanted to emulate Japanese writer Haruki Murakami’s essay on the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics that deliberately discussed non-Games matters, such as the joy of having seaweed salad in summer. Still, clicks on my remote control only brought me to constant reruns of super cute 19-year-old swimmer Park Tae-hwan and other winners from this country, like those for archery and judo.
Korea’s major TV networks, MBC, KBS and SBS, are having a field day. Many of the shows in other genres, including immensely popular entertainment shows, were canceled or delayed. Even commercials were dedicated to the Olympics theme, making it next to impossible to avoid the sports.
I’ve seen Park Tae-hwan swim his way to that precious gold medal more than 10 times. But the Games are one way to forget the sultry weather and the hassles of the real world.
I can’t deny that watching Park beaming on the podium clutching his gold is better than watching blundering politicians sling mud at each other. And watching the archers hit bull’s-eye for gold distracts people from everyday worries like surging prices and losses on the stock market.
Each TV network is trying to attract viewers to its channel. One approach is to hire former athletes or former coaches as commentators. Yet some of the broadcasters were far too over-the-top. They did nothing but cry out at the top of their lungs when Park was swimming on Sunday morning.
The behavior of one commentator on SBS is a good example. He was on the verge of tears when Park finished first in the 400-meter freestyle. A former coach of Park, he just let out a series of exclamations like “Wow,” “Oh no,” “Oh yes” and “Ugh” during the race.
Some critics from the non-broadcasting sector complained in their reviews that the commentator was too histrionic. They might have a point. Meanwhile, another sportscaster said President Bush was waving a Taegeukgi, Korea’s national flag, instead of the Stars and the Stripes.
But these are cute mistakes compared to MBC’s subtitles for the opening ceremony. When the athletes entered the main stadium, MBC gave a brief introduction of each country. According to MBC, Ghana is where “Jesus Christ performed his first miracle.” The channel was confused perhaps with Cana in Israel.
The terms used did not seem very diplomatic, either. The United Arab Emirates was described as “a place where the money is” and “a funnel of wealth.”
The Virgin Islands, meanwhile, was introduced as the “place where the founder of Google recently got married.” I would not be very pleased if that is all that can be said about my country.
Meanwhile, MBC ran a subtitle that read, “Bu Chang Bu Su,” a saying in Chinese characters that means “a wife following the lead of her husband,” after the Korean men’s archery team earned gold on Monday, following the gold of the women’s team on Sunday.
Despite these mistakes, the Games are fun. There are more than 10 days left and the wisest option is to flick on the air conditioning, sit back and let the Games besiege you.
You can’t evade them even if you want to.
By Chun Su jin [[email protected]]
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2893574 |
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August 13, 2008
Conservation conveyed in Korean
A scene from documentary film “Earth,” which opens early next month.
Provided by All That Cinema
Korean moviegoers will soon hear wild animals, from polar bears in the Arctic to elephants in the African Kalahari Desert, stomping into local theaters.
“Earth,” a documentary film directed by Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield, opens Sept. 4 with hopes of stirring an ecological movement to save the Earth from global warming. The documentary is based on the British Broadcasting Company’s television series “Planet Earth” (2006) and follows the migration paths of struggling animal families.
Earth was originally narrated by English actor Patrick Stewart, who played the leading role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek series.
Director Lee Myung-se (left) and actor Jang Dong-gun. [JoongAng Ilbo]
For the documentary’s Korean version, film and television actor Jang Dong-gun takes on the narration under director Lee Myung-se’s supervision. “Since animals have no lines, it is the narrator’s role to deliver the film’s epic story, humor, emotion, thrills and suspense,” Lee said, noting that the film is the animal version of Steven Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s Eleven” (2001). “It’s adventurous,” he said.
In fact, animals have more power to draw people’s emotions, Lee added. When he first previewed the documentary, Lee was more than eager to work on a Korean narration. He thought the message could be delivered more clearly to local audiences in Korean than via English or subtitles.
The adventures that the animals encounter as they escape from the changing climate carves a special message deep into people’s hearts. “We have our feet set on Earth but we take that for granted,” Jang said. “We often forget to thank nature.”
And now, Earth is under a huge ecological threat. The film shows how grand nature still is - rainbows, large waterfalls, the Himalayan mountains and clouds. Filming of the documentary took place in 26 different countries and took five years to film. Some 40 camera operators moved from the North to the South Pole to capture animal life.
Lee’s favorite scene is the flock of cranes crossing the Himalaya Mountains for survival. “Though crossing the mountains is death-threatening, the cranes challenged nature’s barrier,” Jang said. Since the film doesn’t depend on digital technology but natural scenes, Jang couldn’t take his eyes off the screen when he first previewed the documentary.
“Most animals in the film are very impressive - like the African elephants who leave their homes in search for water.” The elephants’ journey directly reflects the Earth’s current environment - water shortages and drought.
Working on the narration, however, was difficult. “The previous narrator, Patrick Stewart, has more experience than I do,” Jang said. “I wasn’t sure at first if I could narrate as well.”
Jang wanted to sound familiar to the audience, yet objective. Interestingly, this was Jang’s first job in Korean for some time. Jang’s previous films were Lee Sngmoo’s hero film “Laundry Warrior,” in which he spoke English; the Korean film “Typhoon,” in which he spoke Thai and Russian; and “The Promise,” in which he spoke Chinese.
“Dubbing narration isn’t simple,” Lee said. “It’s different from acting as a character.” Recording 90 seconds of narration for the film’s preview took Jang five hours.
But after so much effort, he proudly presents the film to Korean audiences. “The documentary isn’t artificial - it follows the law of nature,” he said.
By Park Eun-kyung Movie Week/ Lee Eun-joo Staff Reporter [[email protected]]
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2893576 |
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Wednesday, 13 August 2008
"Knight" wins at Korean box office
Written by Han Sunhee
SEOUL -- Following its domination of the U.S. box office for four weeks, "The Dark Knight" topped the Korean box office in its opening frame last weekend. The Batman pic has made $6.9 million on 1.09 million admissions since its release on Aug. 6 at 576 screens. This is the highest box office record among Batman series released in Korea, beating the previous record holder "Batman Begins" that attracted 980,000 audiences in its opening frame.
Pixar's "Wall-E" also opened last weekend, but ranked a disappointing fifth, grossing $1.9 million on 310,000 admissions.
However, even Batman has not been able to keep up with the pace of "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor."
Last weekend "The Mummy" ranked at No.2 with 448,000 admissions in three days, taking its cume to $20 million from 3.19 million admissions. It passed the 3 million ticket sales mark in 11 days, the fastest performance for a foreign movie in Korea this year.
The most surprising performance of last weekend was that of local horror movie "Death Bell." Pic ranked at No.3 with $3.3 million gross on 536,000 admissions for distributor SK Telecom.
Pic was produced on a $1.3 million budget, but it succeeded in filling the traditional niche market for summer chillers that other distribbers abandoned this year.
Local champion, "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" ranked at No.4, pushing its total on to $37 million.
According to distributor CJ Entertainment, pic passed 6 million ticket sales mark on Saturday, a first for any film this year in Korea.
CJ added to the life of the franchise by releasing the Cannes version of the film on Aug. 6, which has a slightly different ending to the local cut.
At No.6, "Eye for an Eye" attracted 200,000 admissions in its second weekend, grossing $8.9 million to date.
Right behind "Eye," one of Korea's big hopes, "Sunny" waned conspicuously, achieving a $10.2 million cume in its third weekend, but adding only 63,000 admissions.
Source: Variety Asia
http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/6713/ |
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August 13, 2008
Kim Jang-hoon's Version of 'National Anthem' Distributed Online
Singer Kim Jang-hoon recently began distributing his recording of the Korean national anthem to the three major Internet portals Cyworld, Melon and Naver free of charge.
The singer recently recorded the Korean national anthem to be included in an album entitled "60 Years of Korean Independence," produced by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. Kim suggested that the national anthem be distributed online for free to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Korea's independence as well as the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Kim's version of the national anthem borrows the popular tune of "Auld Lang Syne." The song, whose lyrics are almost identical to that of the modern national anthem, had been the official anthem of Korea until August 15, 1948.
Source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/entertainment/news/1540344_11858.html |
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August 12, 2008
A delightful banquet among the stars begins soon in “East of Eden!”
Article
The star-studded cast of “East of Eden,” a new MBC TV miniseries special (writer: Na Yeon-sook, co-directors: Kim Jin-man, Choi Byung-kil) came together to shoot a promotional poster for a new TV show.
Starting from 12 pm on July 28th, the photo shoot took place at the MBC Ilsan Dream Center and lasted for nine grueling hours. The leading cast members including Song Seung-heon, Yeon Jung-hoon, Lee Da-hae, Han Ji-hye, Park Hae-jin, Lee Yeon-hee, Lee Mi-sook, Yoo Dong-geun, and Cho Min-ki struck different poses for the camera.
Song Seung-heon was the first star to appear at the studio. “East of Eden” will be his first show for MBC in 10 years after last appearing on the MBC sitcom, Three Men, Three Women” in 1997. “It feels like a homecoming visit,” he said with a smile.
“”East of Eden” is a period drama that is set in the backdrop of a coal mining town through the 1960s until present time. After the final shoot of the drama, the coal mining town of Taebaek will be shuttered down. It’ll be a TV miniseries featuring many cinematic shots unlike other shows,” Song Seung-heon said with pride. Song Seung-heon told us that he prepared a lot for his role as Dong-chul and during the shoot, he constantly monitoring the viewfinder of the camera after the photographer took each shot.
Dong-chul, the character that Song Seung-heon plays, witnesses the death of his father at a young age and later finds out that it was a premeditated murder, which compels him to get revenge. He becomes the right-hand man of a casino mogul to execute his plan for revenge. Song splashed water on himself to create the image of a downtrodden character who suffers physically and mentally from his circumstances. The cuts on his face, which were done by makeup artists, give him a meaner and tougher look. The tough image of his character makes him look like a wild stallion but Song Seung-heon responds to this by saying, “My previous image used to be a button?upped guy but this time, I play a violent character with a lot of rough edges. The director has shot amazing scenes that are like masterpieces. I hope viewers will support me. I’m working hard on the set in a tense atmosphere.”
Meanwhile, Yeon Jung-hoon cut a sleek figure while wearing a black suit. “I’m portraying a prosecutor and so I’m trying to contrast my character from the one that Song Seung-heon plays” Yeon Jung-hoon says. He really does look like an intellectual prosecutor. But playing a three-dimensional character that can be both moral and evil is a challenge that Yeon Jung-hoon seems to be up to as he gets into character with a laser-like focus.
“It gets really hot while wearing a winter suit in the summer. I envy Seung-heon because he only has to wear an undershirt during the photo shoot,” he said half-jokingly. “I think we’ll make a hit drama with such a great cast,” he revealed.
Cast members began appearing at the studio as time passed by and they tried hard to get into character while withstanding the searing heat. Braving the heat, actresses Han Ji-hye and Lee Da-hae kept saying, “It’s hot” during the shoot. While wiping off beads of sweat, the actors struck different poses for the photo shoot and monitored the viewfinder to make little improvements in their postures.
Individual and group photos were taken during the photo shoot for nine hours. Song Seung-heon mentioned earlier that “Since there are so many top actors and actresses here, I feel like I need to step up my game.” This sentiment seemed to have spread among the other cast members as everyone used more than their allotted time for their individual shoots to get a better shot.
As a TV miniseries special that commemorates the 47th anniversary of MBC, “East of Eden” is a story about the crossed fates of two families caused by a criminal act committed by one person.
The first episode will premiere on August 25th at 9:55 pm.
Source: MBC Global Media, image from empas.com
http://content.mbc.co.kr/english/news/1707082_25552.html |
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August 13, 2008
'Dachimawa Lee' breaks new ground in comedy
"Dachimawa Lee," directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, is a quirky action comedy that mercilessly pokes fun at almost everything related to the genre to which it pretends to belong, resulting in an unpredictable mixture of cheesy parodies, unnerving humor and pseudo action sequences.
Director Ryoo made a 35-minute short film of the same title in 2000 and distributed it on the internet. It started a wave of rave reviews from Korean online users, many of whom were impressed by the film's creative use of satirical humor.
The title, which sounds like a Japanese word, is a film term that Korean filmmakers in the 1960s and 1970s used to refer to an action film. But Ryoo's latest film is much more than a simple action-packed comedy; it's a grandiose attempt to show that people love a shamelessly fun-oriented movie.
In the big-screen version, the central character remains the same: a mysterious agent known as Dachimawa Lee. Played by Lim Won-hee, agent Lee is supposed to be devilishly handsome.
Throughout the movie, both major and minor characters are deeply struck by Lee's extremely attractive appearance. Of course, Lee's not a typical silver-screen hunk. He seems a bit stodgy, sullen, too serious for what he is doing, and, more importantly, far from handsome by the standard that is applied to most Korean actors.
No big deal. After all, the movie is all about the boisterous subversion of what is deemed normal. The supposed perception of characters about Lee's appearance is fully intended to elicit laughter.
In the movie, Korea is under the Japanese imperial rule and agent Lee is swept into a major treasure hunt a la "Austin Powers," though director Ryoo strongly denies a similarity with the "shaggedelic" International Man of Mystery.
Predictably, Lee is assigned to recover a fabled Korean national treasure Golden Buddha, only to confront a slew of obstacles -- a suspicious murder of a female agent (Gong Hyo-jin), ruthless goons and dark schemes. Also predictably, Lee embarks on a global journey together with a sexy partner (Park Si-yeon) in a bid to resolve the mystery. What's unpredictable, though, is that the locations where Lee encounters with all the self-styled enemies are on a grand scale, encompassing Shanghai, Manchuria, Switzerland, Tokyo and Pennsylvania, the United States. What's more remarkable is that all the international sites seem to be somewhere in Korea.
Another strength of the film is its liberal use of four different languages: Korean, Japanese, Chinese and English.
Most of the characters sport an amazing level of fluency in foreign languages, mixing Korean and foreign words in a way that is irresistibly funny and amusing for those who remember the old days when Korean television series and movies relied on similar forms of Konglish.
Unlike other mainstream films that record the dialogue in real time, "Dachimawa Lee" relies on post-production recording. This results in intentionally stilted and exaggerated dialogue -- another clever device that director Ryoo uses to maximum comic effect.
Ryoo Seung-bum, younger brother of director Ryoo, plays one of the key baddies in the film, showing off his talent in infusing realism into the character. Although the character itself is relatively minor considering Ryoo Seung-bum's lofty status in Korean cinema, he seems to understand what he's really up to, bringing a likeable rogue to the audiences.
But it is Lim Won-hee who sets the overall tone for the movie. His deadpan face and deadly serious voice fuel the film's comic drive, demonstrating his firm grip on the tricky character.
"Dachimawa Lee," to be released nationwide today, is by no means a blockbuster. But it deserves all the credits it aims for because of its eccentric sense of humor, riotous performances of impassioned actors and the director's unusually defiant creativity.
By Yang Sung-jin ([email protected])
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ |
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August 13, 2008
Hur Jin-ho and Yoo Ji-tae Appointed Judges for 2008 JIMFF
Film director Hur Jin-ho and actor Yoo Ji-tae have been appointed as judges for the 4th annual Jecheon International Music and Film Festival, which will be held from August 14-19.
Hur and Yoo will take part in selecting the winning piece for the "World Music Film Today" category.
This year's film festival will be held at Cheongpung Lake and the theater district in downtown Jecheon. A total of 82 films and music from 30 countries around the world will be introduced this year.
Source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/mcontents/entertainment/1540486_11692.html |
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August 13, 2008
Veteran Actress Na Returns to Theater
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
Veteran actresses Na Moon-hee, second from left, and Sohn Sook, third from left,
will alternate in “night, Mother.” / Yonhap
Veteran actress Na Moon-hee, 68, will return to stage with "'night, Mother" 12 years after her last work, "Mother" in 1996.
The play is the eighth among the Yeongeuk Yeoljeon picks (Best Play Series) now performing in Daehangno and also stars prominent actresses Sohn Sook, Seo Ju-hee and Hwang Jung-min.
"'night, Mother" is a 1983 play by Marsha Norman about a daughter, Jessie and her mother, Thelma, or Mama in the play.
The drama deals with the story between Jessie and Thelma one night after Jessie calmly tells her mother she intends to commit suicide before morning.
The play explores the meaning of life and sheds light on a woman's identity.
The dialogue between Jessie and Thelma portrays how Jessie has planned her own death and Thelma's frustration, reaching a disturbing climax.
Na will play the role of Thelma who tries to turn her daughter's decision but helplessly accepts it.
The 68-year-old actress is one of the top actresses who can play the role of a maternal figure.
"Unlike TV dramas or films which are made with machines, the play is pure and interactive with the audience experiencing empathy face to face," Na said in a press conference.
Na, who has three daughters in real life, said that the play is more like her own story. "I am trying to express myself as it is rather than thinking I am acting," said Na.
"I thought I have good communication with my daughters but while acting the role of Thelma who realizes Jessie's solitude only just ahead of her death, I come to think I haven't," she said.
Na garnered enormous popularity from her appearance in the hit sitcom, "High Kick" with her comic and warmhearted character, widening her acting scope to comic characters.
For the Korean versions, veteran actress Yoon Seok-hwa starred in the premiere in 1985 and Sohn Sook and Jung Kyung-soon in 1998, Park Jung-ja and Youn Un-kyung in 1990 and Yoon So-jung and Oh Ji-hye, who are mother and daughter in real life in 2004.
The play won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the original production at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, starred actress Kathy Bates as Jessie.
The play will open on Aug. 29 and will run until Nov. 2 at Nemo Theater in Wonder Space.
Tickets cost from 30,000 to 40,000 won. For more information, call (02) 766-6007.
Credits: [email protected]
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2008/08/145_29277.html |
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Thanks to kdramafanusa at soompi.com for the highlight
August 13, 2008
'Delicious' boys lead hallyu in Indonesia
By Evi Mariani
Deputy Editor for The Jakarta Post
Actor Kwon Sang-woo (Photo: Korean Cultural Center in Jakarta)
It all started with a TV drama series - "Winter Sonata." In 2002, one of Indonesia's TV stations aired the series, introducing one of Korea's cultural products to a wide public in this part of the world. Later on, another TV station, Indosiar - which specializes in Asian dramas from Japan, Taiwan and Korea - aired about a dozen Korean dramas. The latest favorite was "Princess Hours" in 2006.
"The rating is not constant. It depends on the drama. When we air a TV drama that is very popular in Korea, the rating of Korean dramas subsequently rise above other Asian dramas," Gufron, a public relations officer at Indosiar, said.
Gufron said the highest rating in Indosiar is held by local reality shows, followed by local TV dramas. Asian dramas came fifth after feature-length movies produced for TV and music programs. Among Asian dramas, Korean dramas' ratings fluctuate, depending on the popularity of each series being aired at a certain time.
"We now air reruns of the Korean drama 'Full House.' Many viewers asked for reruns," Gufron said. "We have bought some new series. We're holding them for now. Right now our leading Asian drama is from Taiwan."
Korean dramas' popularity might not be as huge as local TV series or reality TV. However, Korean cultural products have gained certain fans, mostly girls and young women.
Many fans say they love Korean products because they were bored with products from the West. Indonesia has always been open to foreign cultural products, mostly from the United States and Western Europe. Indian, Taiwanese and Hong Kong products have also gained their own fans in the country, but Korean cultural products started gaining attention early this century.
"I like Korean pop music, TV dramas and movies because I'm tired of music from the West and Indonesia. I wanted something different and it turned out Korean music works for me," a fan of Korean music, Lia, said.
Another fan, Celcilia Ros, said she loves Korean movies and dramas because she finds that Korean lifestyles are closer to Indonesian culture than other Asian countries. "From the way they talk, to their food, they are close to Indonesian culture. We joke about it: Their ancestors were probably of Padang descents," Celcilia said. Padang, a city in West Sumatra, is famous for its spicy dishes.
Meanwhile, a Korean movie buff, Shanne, also known on the internet as Blue Sunflower, said she liked Korean movies because she was bored with Hollywood movies.
"I love seeing the beautiful images and cinematography of K-movies. The plot also makes sense. Perhaps it's because Korea and Indonesia are both Asian countries. There is a similar approach and tradition in handling issues," Shanne said.
She continued: "The endings are sometimes thought provoking, at the same level with Hollywood or European movies. Compared to Japanese or Hong Kong movies, Korean movies are more beautiful."
In particular, Korean cultural products gain the most attention from women in Indonesia, who generally like the appearance of Korean actors. "If we are asked what we like about Korean dramas, most of us would say the boys," said Celcilia, adding she loved Korean dramas the most.
However, the interests extend to other things - like Korean technology, food, traditional culture and the country itself.
The growth of Hallyu in Indonesia is connected to the growing popularity of other Asian cultural products in the country. The Taiwanese TV drama "Meteor Garden" paved the way for East Asian penetration to the hearts of many Indonesian women. The men, on the other hand, seemed to be more indifferent than their female cohorts, although there are some Korean movies that attracted both women and men, like the popular movie, "My Wife is a Gangster."
Regarding Japanese products, manga (illustrated books) and anime attract the interests of a broad section of Indonesians - children, teenagers and adults. Japanese dramas and movies have been replaced by products from Korea and Taiwan.
Among Japanese, Taiwanese and Korean cultural products, Koreans are the most recent to enter the market. Consequently, most fans of Korean products were first fans of Japanese or Taiwanese products. Many of them still like all Asian products, but some have grown more focused on Korean goods. The fans said they like Korean dramas and movies because they showed both sides of tradition and modernity.
"They still uphold their traditional culture and customs, despite their modernized country. That's what makes Korean products attractive to me. We can see it through their TV dramas, where their cultural values are upheld. Perhaps it's a bit different with Japan's current generation, who seems to have been lost - as indicated by lifestyles portrayed in dramas," a fan, Yui Chan, said.
Fans who love Korean products subsequently have a desire to see Korea. Several interviewed fans of Korean cultural products said they had gone to Korea, others who haven't expressed hope that they would someday make the trip.
Those who had the chance to go said their visit was at least partly prompted because of their passion for Korean cultural products.
Lanny Tricya, was one such avid fan. Before she went to Korea, she said: "I rewatched Bae Yong-joon's "Winter Sonata," memorizing all the beautiful scenes. I bought five woolen shawls, a neutral-colored sweater, and an overcoat in a boutique."
Spending six winter days in the country, Lanny asked the tour guide to show her locations where the "Winter Sonata" scenes were taken.
Taking about 150 pictures, of which 70 were taken at drama locations, Lanny then added captions that indicated the location and in which episode of the drama it appeared.
"I like Korean dramas. I have posters, soundtrack records, 'Polaris necklace' and more," Lanny said.
In 2005, Korean dramas had already gained much popularity. Besides being aired on TV, fans could watch dramas by renting videos from rental stores. For example, to rent "Full House," the most popular video in 2005, one had to go on a waiting list. A marketing officer at a rental store in Jakarta said in that year, Korean dramas were more popular than Taiwanese dramas. |
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However, Indosiar's Gufron said that no Korean dramas ever beat the popularity of Taiwan's "Meteor Garden," which is the most popular Asian drama ever in the country. Once the hype on "Meteor Garden" subsided, Korean TV dramas have competed almost head-to-head with Taiwanese dramas here.
Hallyu in Indonesia is concentrated on TV dramas, while pop music and big-screen movies have yet to make a significant presence here.
Apart from TV stations, the availability of Korean cultural products through legal means is not high, however. Pop music and movies are still rarely seen on Indonesian TV.
So far, only one band, Paran, has ever come to Indonesia. There was no hype, no screaming girls and no glitzy limousines - especially when compared to the huge hype created during the Taiwanese F4 visit six years ago.
Large commercial cinemas in Indonesia also rarely screen Korean feature-length movies, save for "My Wife is a Gangster" and "My Sassy Girl." Meanwhile, fans of Korean pop music said they mostly get the songs by illegally downloading them.
One of the major challenges facing Korean producers is piracy in Indonesia. In the last two years, piracy has dominated the distribution of Korean cultural products. Along with other cultural products from the United States, Europe, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan, products from Korea are also on any pirated-DVD vendor's menu.
On bootleg vendor said that Korean dramas take up about 40 percent of all dramas he has in stock. "We have two rows here for Korean dramas, two rows for Taiwanese, and one row for Japanese," a vendor said, pointing to rows of DVDs in shoe boxes.
A fan of Korean dramas and movies could enter any pirated-DVD shop in the city and ask for the most popular current Korean drama and have no problem finding it.
Korean TV executives have mostly been the primary marketers of Korean cultural products in Indonesia. In 2005, they came to Jakarta to market their products, toting sneak peaks of dramas, cartoons and documentaries - as well as business commodities.
The visit to Jakarta was a part of the program called Korea TV Showcase 2005, which continued to Thailand and India.
Putting a nice touch on the marketing attempt, the Korean Broadcasting Commission appointed one of the country's TV stars to carry the mission to expand Korea's charm.
Twenty-four-year-old Kim Jae-won, who has starred in 12 TV dramas and movies, went to the three countries to help promote Korean programs as honorary ambassador for the TV Korea Showcase 2005.
"The grand mission is to introduce things about South Korea to the world. The particular mission is to introduce Korean dramas to the world," Kim said in the press conference for the program.
Outside the press conference room, dozens of girls waited for the actor, holding posters with endearing statements for the actor.
That was 2005. Three years later, the situation has not changed much. The concentration is still on TV dramas, not so much on music and movies.
Although the charm that some Indonesian fans hold for Korean music and movies has not quite reached the hype stage, there is a general support base.
Some even make blogs to share their fondness for Korean cultural products.
Besides the blogs and the mailing lists, there are several internet forums discussing Korean movies, dramas and pop music. Many fans are indeed young women who always tend to be at the forefront of trends.
"My references are certainly from the internet, especially from Soompi (www.soompi.com). I also get information from forums. On Star Asia Village we share info about the newest movies, music and dramas," Lila said.
Discussions often show that the fans develop a certain feeling for Korean cultural products that they could distinguish from other East Asian products.
"The last reason for loving them: All the boys are handsome. Korean faces are delicious. Different from Mandarin faces," Cinthia said.
Source: KOREA, August 2008
http://www.korea.net/News/News/NewsView.asp?serial_no=20080811003 |
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