CURRENT FILMS
(The Korea Times, August 30, 2012)
(Joong Ang Daily, August 24, 2012)
(Seongyong's Private Place, August 26, 2012)
Showing posts with label quick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quick. Show all posts
Friday, August 31, 2012
WKR: Neighbors, R2B and Ample KOFFIA Coverage
Lots of current films reviewed in this week's WKR and a wide selection of recent releases, largely stemming for the ample KOFFIA coverage.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Fest Preview: New York Korean Film Festival 2012
It’s probably a testament to the output and quality of the Korean film industry that here in New York we’re gearing up for NYKFF 2012 a scant five months after the similar Yeonghwa: Korean Film Today series, also a project of The Korea Society.
With this tenth edition of the fest, the programmers have, as in years past, done a terrific job of showing off Korea’s startling range of populist cinema. The lineup itself may not be vast, with only seven titles screening over three days, but the accessible mix of genres and styles makes the event perfect for both newbies and veteran fans who want to catch some rare big-screen presentations of several recent hits. Here’s a quick rundown of all that lies in store…
Sunny
Forget about the "chick flick" vibe as reflected in the poster, title, and maybe any plot summary you've read of this film – or maybe don't forget about it but instead allow any preconceived notions about the themes and tone of your typical chick flick simply to melt away. Yes, the maudlin, cancer-patient set-up is not promising, but fortunately most of the runtime is devoted to extended flashbacks of a very winning group of young actresses... and mostly they're just involved in a series of engaging confrontations with a rival pack of school girls. One of these occurs against a backdrop of a full-scale political riot, and soon becomes exhilarating in the way that only the best set pieces can. Consistently humorous, Sunny is pure, unaffected fun; so good and so refreshing that it made me recall why I love Korean cinema in the first place.
The Servant
At first it may seem a bit odd to showcase a 2010 film that’s been readily available to North American audiences via Netflix Instant since last year, but such an opinion would ignore the chief reason to see Kim Dae-woo’s grand romance: its overwhelming, practically swoon-inducing, visual beauty. Indeed, the combined efforts of art direction, cinematography, and costume design to achieve unforgettably vivid images projected in a larger-than-life format should provide sufficient motivation to travel to Brooklyn – or anywhere else. For better or worse, though, its sheer gorgeousness may be The Servant’s main virtue despite its many moments of disarming comedy and a few effective shocks. Retelling “The Tale of Chunhyang” with a mix of period intrigue and modern-day bluntness, especially when it comes to matters sexual, certainly increases the potential audience for such a film but the uneasy meshing of tones and sensibilities didn’t always work for me. More importantly, the film only partly strikes the air of high tragedy it’s aiming for – although it could be that I’m judging it a bit unfairly by comparing it to similar Korean films of the past decade: in my experience Hollywood romances are seldom this ambitious and thoughtful.
Moss
With a delicious air of slow-building menace and mystery, punctuated with sudden jolts of violence, Moss consistently delivers in the chills-and-thrills department. Ultimately, however, its climax (after two and half hours) lacks the majestic, perhaps mind-bending, revelations we’ve been expecting, whether spiritual in nature per the film’s themes or simply on the order of a deeply satisfying plot twist. Still, there are ample pleasures to be had here. Jeong Jae-young memorably plays the same character in both a young, abrasive, and corrupt version and as an older, still corrupt, but vastly smoother incarnation that recalls John Huston in Chinatown (1974)… except Huston wasn’t acting 30 years beyond his actual age. All in all, though, I much prefer the following film, made by pretty much the same creative team, in terms of providing a rewarding cinematic experience. 
GLove
I'm not big on feel-good movies, to put it mildly, and sports flicks have an annoying tendency to be formulaic, but this one really stands out from the crowd. Jeong Jae-young, one of my favorite Korean actors, nails the lead role as a disgraced ballplayer but to his credit does not overshadow the fine supporting cast. Kudos to director Kang Woo-suk for pulling this off as well as all the tonal shifts that a dramedy of this type demands – that Kang is at the same time showing off his own impressive versatility after the dark, usually urban films that have earned him so much box office success probably goes without saying. Rhymes with: the 2011 Oscar-nominated American documentary Undefeated.
Hindsight
I’m rounding my assessment up from a fail to a mere disappointment simply because, for my money, Song Kang-ho is one of the world's great stars and carries several scenes just by waiting a beat and then smiling. To a certain degree one can overlook the empty glossiness of production and equally shallow sentimentalism – those often come with the territory if one is expecting a multi-genre, popcorn-fueled blockbuster. In other words, I would have been very happy with another Secret Reunion (2010). Of course it's fine that here we have a romantic subtext instead of bromantic one, but what's not fine is how undercooked it is and how anemic the action scenes are on top of that. As an example of how neither angle works, I submit this image: an undeniably cute and appealing Shin Se-kyung takes aim with a high-powered rifle but then director Lee Hyun-seung has her gently bite her lower lip in hesitation. If you feel this sort of thing adds extra dimension to female characters or more heft to dramatic tension, knock yourself out, but I found Hindsight hard to take seriously after this point. The same was true following two scenes in which the leads separately endure the kind of physical assault that would land the rest of us in traction but from which they bounce back so quickly that it's as if the characters themselves had stunt doubles.
Quick
Quick is a film that doesn't take itself very seriously and all the ingredients are there for a heady summer cocktail of speed, flash and pyrotechnics but at the end of the day it's just too much. The story is cluttered and there are too many ingredients thrown in to please any and all comers, such as k-pop, gangsters, biker gangs, youth violence, washboard abs, scantily clad women, inefficient police, romance and of course melodrama. However, one you thing you can almost always count on with Korean films is strong production values and true to form director Jo Beom-goo's team is no slouch in the SFX department. At the end of the day this comedy-action film has a little something for everyone but perhaps not enough for anyone. (Pierce Conran)
Late Autumn
A second remake of the classic Lee Man-hui film of 1966, following one from 1981, and not to be confused with Yasujiro Ozu's 1960 film of the same name, Late Autumn is the third feature from the excellent Kim Tae-yong, who previously helmed Memento Mori (1999) and Family Ties (2006). The film stars Chinese beauty Tang Wei as an imprisoned woman on a three-day furlough to attend her mother's funeral in Seattle and Korean heartthrob Hyun Bin as a man on the run. The film kicked off a long series of international film festival engagements in Toronto and has subsequently been featured at Busan, Berlin, Jeonju, London, Hong Kong, and many more. It has also been awarded several times, most notably by the same jury that gave its top prize to Poetry at the Fribourg International Film Festival last March. (Pierce Conran)
Peter Gutiérrez writes for Twitch and School Library Journal, and can be counted on for too-frequent film and pop culture updates on Twitter via @Peter_Gutierrez.
Reviews and features on Korean film appear regularly on Modern Korean Cinema. For film news, external reviews, and box office analysis, take a look at the Korean Box Office Update, Korean Cinema News and the Weekly Review Round-up, which appear weekly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings (GMT+1).
To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Weekly Review Round-up (02/02-0210, 2012)
A pair of reviews for the hotly anticipated thriller Howling this week which will be opening on the 16th in Korea. Many more reviews of past and current films also on offer from a wide range of sources.
The Weekly Review Round-up is a weekly feature which brings together all available reviews of Korean films in the English language (and sometimes French) that have recently appeared on the internet. It is by no means a comprehensive feature and additions are welcome (email pierceconran [at] gmail [dot] com). It appears every Friday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at Korean Cinema News, and the Korean Box Office Update. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site.
To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
CURRENT KOREAN RELEASES
Howling
(Seonyeong's Private Place, February 4, 2012)
RECENT FILMS
(Hanguk Yeonghwa, February 7, 2012)
(YAM Mag, February 9, 2012)
(Beyond Hollywood, February 6, 2012)
(Init_Scenes, February 3, 2012)
(Init_Scenes, February 5, 2012)
(Seen in Jeonju, February 3, 2012)
Pain
Quick
Silenced
(Hanguk Yeonghwa, February 9, 2012)
The Client
The Front Line
(The One One Four, February 8, 2012)
PAST FILMS
200 Pounds Beauty, 2006
(Hanguk Yeonghwa, February 5, 2012)
D-Wars, 2007
(Korean Grindhouse, February 4, 2012)
My Dear Enemy, 2008
(New Korean Cinema, February 9, 2012)
Portrait of a Beauty, 2008
(Hangul Celluloid, February 8, 2012)
The Chaser, 2008
(Initi_Scenes, February 7, 2012)
Thirst, 2009
(The Daily Athanaeum, February 7, 2012)
The Weekly Review Round-up is a weekly feature which brings together all available reviews of Korean films in the English language (and sometimes French) that have recently appeared on the internet. It is by no means a comprehensive feature and additions are welcome (email pierceconran [at] gmail [dot] com). It appears every Friday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at Korean Cinema News, and the Korean Box Office Update. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site.
To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Quick (퀵, Kwik) 2011
 |
| Bikes |
Having more or less caught up with all of the this past
summer’s major Korean releases, the first thing that comes to mind is that if I
ever see a motorbike in a Korean film again, it will be far, far too soon. The two main culprits in my eyes are Sector 7 and Quick, and the thing that they share in common is Yoon Je-kyoon, the producer who was also the director behind such hits as My Boss, My Hero (2001), Sex Is Zero (2002), Miracle on 1st Street (2007), and Haeundae (2009). Not too long ago I decided
to savage Sector 7 in my review as I
felt it was a disaster that needed to be called out for the contempt it showed
its audience, thinking moviegoers would be content with novel 3D effects at the
expense of a solid story and engaging characters. Thankfully spectators rejected the film as it suffered one
of the most calamitous post-opening weekend drops in Korean film history.
Quick is not as
bad a film but it does demonstrate a similar lack of respect towards its
viewers. What I mean to say is
that it’s an overburdened everything-but-the-kitchen-sink comedy-actioneer that
is designed to appeal to everyone but could never hope to satisfy anyone. There is very little that the
filmmakers didn’t throw in to the mix in a bid to attract viewers. There’s k-pop, gangsters, biker gangs,
youth violence, washboard abs, scantily clad women, inefficient police,
romance, and of course melodrama, all that in addition to the heavy doses of
action and comedy.
 |
| Flying bikes |
Gi-soo is a former bike gang leader who now works as a
speedy bike messenger. One day he
is sent to pick up Ah-rom, a major k-pop star, who turns out to be his
ex-girlfriend. She puts on his
helmet but while he was away, someone has put a bomb in it. Now he must do an unknown man’s bidding
with the police and an old rival on his tail.
Quick is primarily
an action film and it borrows its concept from the popular 90s Hollywood summer
blockbuster Speed (1994), starring Keanu
Reeves, it has more or less borrowed its name too. The action is relentless and the filmmakers cram in
pile-ups, explosions, and as much speed as they can into the narrative. I must say that the action sequences
are for the most part convincing but they are just variations on a theme and
don’t offer us anything we haven’t seen before. There’s also a tendency to blend the comedy in with the
action, these efforts, rather than add up to something better, mostly fall
flat.
 |
| Funny bikes |
Comedy is a large part of Quick but I think it was either a poor choice or badly handled as
it is the cause of most of the film’s many problems. It’s not particularly funny and, as I’ve already mentioned,
it doesn’t blend well with the action, but beyond that it poses two significant
issues. Since a lot of the film is
played for laughs, there is no real urgency and the stakes feel very low, a big
no-no for an action film. Secondly,
I found the two leads to be terrible, mainly because they have no comic
timing. I know that Lee Min-ki’s
new film Spellbound as been received
very enthusiastically but here he’s just a pretty face and his performance is
hamfisted but also very unbalanced, Gi-Soo never felt like a character. Kang Ye-won’s is not someone I was very
familiar with beforehand but I do recognize her from last year’s Hello Ghost and she seems to be a Yoon
Je-kyoon stalwart, this being the fourth film of his she has starred in. Again she is a pretty face who only
seems capable of overacting and her grating performance quickly overstays its
welcome.
 |
| Sexy bikes |
Quick does feel
like a missed opportunity though.
At times, with all the different factions facing off against eachother,
I felt this could have been like an anarchic Kim Sang-jin (Attack the Gas Station, 1999; Kick
the Moon, 2001) film but it’s far too consumerist and cynical to pull that
off. The film lacks a raison
d’être, it is merrily an excuse for fast vehicles and pyrotechnics but rather
than reinvent the genre or offer up an original style from its mise-en-scene,
it expects the money being thrown at the stunts and explosions to impress
rather than the way in which they are presented.
Forgive the bad pun but I think the film was made a little too quickly, elements designed to draw in viewers were thrown together, explosions
littered the marketing, numerous mid-level stars were cast in small roles but
at no point was any effort put into the story, the characters, or the style of
the film. What we’re left with
looks more like a drawn-out music video than a feature film and that is
definitely not what I go to the movies for.
★★☆☆☆
 |
| Money shot |
Reviews and features on Korean film appear regularly on Modern Korean Cinema. For film news, external reviews, and box office analysis, take a look at the Korean Box Office Update, Korean Cinema News and the Weekly Review Round-up, which appear weekly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings (GMT+1).
To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Weekly Review Round-up (12/24-12/30, 2011)
A little slow this week but another wide variety of films covered, good, bad, old and new.
Enjoy!
The Weekly Review Round-up is a weekly feature which brings together all available reviews of Korean films in the English language (and sometimes French) that have recently appeared on the internet. It is by no means a comprehensive feature and additions are welcome (email pierceconran [at] gmail [dot] com). It appears every Friday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at Korean Cinema News, and the Korean Box Office Update. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site.
To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
Enjoy!
RECENT RELEASES
(Modern Korean Cinema, December 29, 2011)
(Init_Scenes, December 27, 2011)
(Hanguk Yeonghwa, December 27, 2011)
(Film in Asian, December 27, 2011)
(Film Business Asia, December 28, 2011)
(Init_Scenes, December 25, 2011)
(Hanguk Yeonghwa, December 23, 2011)
(Hanguk Yeonghwa, December 24, 2011)
(The Hollywood Reporter, December 26, 2011)
(Rainy Day movies, December 28, 2011)
(Wise Kwai's Thai Film Journal, December 24, 2011)
(hancinema.net, December 24, 2011)
(Asian Movie Web, December 27, 2011)
PAST FILMS
3-Iron, 2004
(Otherwhere, December 25, 2011)
Happy Ero Christmas, 2003
(Korean Class Massive, December 24, 2011)
Hellcats, 2008
(Init_Scenes, December 23, 2011)
Wonderful Days, 2003
(Hanguk Yeonghwa, December 23, 2011)
The Weekly Review Round-up is a weekly feature which brings together all available reviews of Korean films in the English language (and sometimes French) that have recently appeared on the internet. It is by no means a comprehensive feature and additions are welcome (email pierceconran [at] gmail [dot] com). It appears every Friday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at Korean Cinema News, and the Korean Box Office Update. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site.
To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Weekly Review Round-Up (08/06-08/12, 2011)
A variety of films reviewed this week including another pair of broadsheet commentaries for Poetry as it continues to screen across the world.
NEW KOREAN RELEASES
(hancinema.net, August 6, 2011)
(Seongyeong's Private Place, August 6, 2011)
RECENT RELEASES
(Variety, August 9, 2011)
(Beyond Hollywood, August 9, 2011)
(Modern Korean Cinema, August 6, 2011)
(koreanfilm.org, August 8, 2011)
(indieWIRE, August 9, 2011)
(Hangul Celluloid, August 7, 2011)
(The Reel Bits, August 6, 2006)
Poetry
(Beyond Hollywood, August 10, 2011)
(koreanfilm.org, August 8, 2011)
(PopMatters, August 11, 2011)
(pulpcurry.com, August 10, 2011) also cross-posted on VCinema
PAST FILMS
Running Turtle, 2009
(Modern Korean Cinema, August 7, 2011)
The Weekly Review Round-up is a weekly feature which brings together all available reviews of Korean films in the English language (and sometimes French) that have recently appeared on the internet. It is by no means a comprehensive feature and additions are welcome (email pierceconran [at] gmail [dot] com). It appears every Friday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at Korean Cinema News, and the Korean Box Office Update. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site.
To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Weekly Review Round-Up (07/30-08/05, 2011)
This is a brand new feature I am dabbling with which aims to round up all of the reviews published within the week on Korean films. I categorize them as: NEW KOREAN RELEASES, movies that have just or are about to be released in Korea; CURRENT WORLDWIDE RELEASES, new films that are making the rounds at film festivals or being released in foreign territories; and PAST FILMS, reviews for films that are no longer current.
The reviews will come from print sources, major websites, and blogs. If you know of reviews that are current but are not listed below please let me know via twitter or email. The formatting is for the moment very simple and I will likely change it in subsequent editions. I may or may not create a directory of reviews which I will maintain on a weekly basis with his update. Any suggestions or comments are most welcome!
The reviews will come from print sources, major websites, and blogs. If you know of reviews that are current but are not listed below please let me know via twitter or email. The formatting is for the moment very simple and I will likely change it in subsequent editions. I may or may not create a directory of reviews which I will maintain on a weekly basis with his update. Any suggestions or comments are most welcome!
NEW KOREAN RELEASES
(The Korea Times, August 4, 2011)
(Film Business Asia, August 4, 2011)
(Film Business Asia, July 30, 2011)
(The Korea Times, July 28, 2011)
CURRENT WORLDWIDE RELEASES
(Montreal Gazette, August 1, 2011)
(The Bourne Cinema Conspiracy, August 1, 2011)
(Rockstar Weekly, August 4, 2011)
(Sounds Like Cinema, August 5, 2011)
(Sounds Like Cinema, August 5, 2011)
PAST FILMS
Aimless Bullet, 1962
(New Korean Cinema, August 3, 2011)
Ghost Theatre, 2006
(Hangul Celluloid, August 1, 2011)
Murder, Take One, 2005
(Modern Korean Cinema, August, 2, 2011)
The Restless, 2006
(Modern Korean Cinema, August 3, 2011)
The Weekly Review Round-up is a weekly feature which brings together all available reviews of Korean films in the English language (and sometimes French) that have recently appeared on the internet. It is by no means a comprehensive feature and additions are welcome (email pierceconran [at] gmail [dot] com). It appears every Friday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at Korean Cinema News, and the Korean Box Office Update. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site.
To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Korean Cinema News (07/11-07/17, 2011)
A good amount of news this week, including updates on American films tied to Korea, blockbusters opening locally, film festivals, and a great article from Tom Giammarco. Interview, trailers, and box office at the bottom.
Josh Brolin First Name Linked to Spike Lee's Oldboy
After being confirmed last week, Spike Lee's rendition of Oldboy (2003) is rumored to star Josh Brolin. (cinemablend.com, July 12, 2011)
Quick Opens in Korea
Motorcycle summer blockbuster Quick opens this weekend in South Korea and will most likely provide cheap, forgettable thrills. (The Korea Times, July 12, 2011)
The Last Stand on Track at Lionsgate
The Last Stand is now a confirmed project at Lionsgate pictures, they will have domestic and international distribution rights. The pic will aslo be produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura through Bonaventura Pictures. (Business of Cinema, July 13, 2011)
Indian Women's Film Festival Spotlights Korean Cinema
The 4th Samsung Women's International Film Festival which takes place in Chennai, India, from 15-21 July, will feature a section film by acclaimed artist Park Chan-ok. (The Hollywood Reporter, July 13, 2011)
What May Be Borne Out of a Clash Between Kim Jee-woon and Arnie
Korean helmer Kim Jee-woon and returning action star Arnold Schwarzenegger are set to work together on The Last Stand. Given their strong personalities and divergent backgrounds, what will each bring to the project? (indieWIRE, July 13, 2011)
Sector 7 Will Showcase Korean 3D
The filmmakers of the upcoming blockbuster Sector 7 are hoping that the film will showcase Korea's nascent 3D capabilities and believe it should be able to compete on the same level as Hollywood films. (The Korea Herald, July 13, 2011)
City Hunters Star Meets with Hollywood Producer
American film producer Terence Chang flew to Korea to meet with Lee Min-ho, star of the top-rated City Hunters K-Drama. (soompi, July 13, 2011)
Jang Hoon Returns With The Front Line
Jang Hoon's third feature, after Rough Cut (2008) and Secret Reunion (2010), is a big-budget with an A-list cast. More than anything The Front Line showcases the brutality and depravity of war. (The Korea Times, July 14, 2011)
Cats in Korean Horror
Tom Giammarco examines the history of ghostly cats in Korean cinema. Armed with his encyclopedic knowledge of Classic Korean film he runs through a series of films from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.(koreanfilm.org, July 14, 2011)
Secret Expose Being Shot in North Korea
An undercover team of journalists are smuggling out footage of everyday life in North Korea. They have been trained and are being lead by a Japanese reporter. (Radio Australia, July 15, 2011)
Dubbing Takes Over With Rise of 3D Films
Korean viewers, who normally watch American films with subtitles are taking a different tack with 3D films as many of these are now being dubbed. (Joong Ang Daily, July 15, 2011)
Korean Films on Display at Dallas Asian Film Festival
The Asian Film Festival of Dallas got underway and will showcase a number of Korean films, including: Bedevilled, Cyrano Agency, Dance Town, Enemy at the Dead End, and Midnight FM. (dallasvoice.com, July 15, 2011)
PiFan Gets Underway
The 15th Puchon (Bucheon) International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) got off to a good start as 2000 people attended the opening ceremony. Many shows have sold out in advance and their is great selection of Korea and foreign films on display. (The Korea Times, July 17, 2011)
Korean Wave Stars in Movies
A comprehensive list of Hallyu idols from K-Pop or K-Dramas who have crossed over into movie roles. (soompi, July 17, 2011)
Kim Jae-hwan Talks About New Documentary
Documentarian Kim Jae-hwan discusses his new documentary The True-taste Show, he believes that documentary that draw their focus on the media will be more prevalent in the future. (hancinema.net, July 12, 2011)
A pair of new trailers, including one for one of Korea's most successful and long-running franchises.
Harry Potter Draws in the Crowds
The last Harry Potter opened big and has so far scored 1.7 million viewers. A huge figure but not as impressive as the recent record-breaking Transformers, which held well with over 600,000 admissions and is very close to the 7 million mark. Sunny is also a fraction behind that mark as it continues to do well with nearly 200,000 more spectators. The Cat played well in its sophomore frame and Quick and The Front Line sold a good number of preview tickets in advance of their full release this coming week. (hancinema.net, July 17, 2011)
Korean Cinema News is a weekly feature which provides wide-ranging news coverage on Korean cinema, including but not limited to: features; festival news; interviews; industry news; trailers; posters; and box office. It appears every Wednesday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at the Korean Box Office Update and the Weekly Review Round-up. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site.
To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
KOREAN CINEMA NEWS
Josh Brolin First Name Linked to Spike Lee's Oldboy
After being confirmed last week, Spike Lee's rendition of Oldboy (2003) is rumored to star Josh Brolin. (cinemablend.com, July 12, 2011)
Quick Opens in Korea
Motorcycle summer blockbuster Quick opens this weekend in South Korea and will most likely provide cheap, forgettable thrills. (The Korea Times, July 12, 2011)
The Last Stand on Track at Lionsgate
The Last Stand is now a confirmed project at Lionsgate pictures, they will have domestic and international distribution rights. The pic will aslo be produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura through Bonaventura Pictures. (Business of Cinema, July 13, 2011)
Indian Women's Film Festival Spotlights Korean Cinema
The 4th Samsung Women's International Film Festival which takes place in Chennai, India, from 15-21 July, will feature a section film by acclaimed artist Park Chan-ok. (The Hollywood Reporter, July 13, 2011)
What May Be Borne Out of a Clash Between Kim Jee-woon and Arnie
Korean helmer Kim Jee-woon and returning action star Arnold Schwarzenegger are set to work together on The Last Stand. Given their strong personalities and divergent backgrounds, what will each bring to the project? (indieWIRE, July 13, 2011)
Sector 7 Will Showcase Korean 3D
The filmmakers of the upcoming blockbuster Sector 7 are hoping that the film will showcase Korea's nascent 3D capabilities and believe it should be able to compete on the same level as Hollywood films. (The Korea Herald, July 13, 2011)
City Hunters Star Meets with Hollywood Producer
American film producer Terence Chang flew to Korea to meet with Lee Min-ho, star of the top-rated City Hunters K-Drama. (soompi, July 13, 2011)
Jang Hoon Returns With The Front Line
Jang Hoon's third feature, after Rough Cut (2008) and Secret Reunion (2010), is a big-budget with an A-list cast. More than anything The Front Line showcases the brutality and depravity of war. (The Korea Times, July 14, 2011)
Cats in Korean Horror
Tom Giammarco examines the history of ghostly cats in Korean cinema. Armed with his encyclopedic knowledge of Classic Korean film he runs through a series of films from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.(koreanfilm.org, July 14, 2011)
Secret Expose Being Shot in North Korea
An undercover team of journalists are smuggling out footage of everyday life in North Korea. They have been trained and are being lead by a Japanese reporter. (Radio Australia, July 15, 2011)
Dubbing Takes Over With Rise of 3D Films
Korean viewers, who normally watch American films with subtitles are taking a different tack with 3D films as many of these are now being dubbed. (Joong Ang Daily, July 15, 2011)
Korean Films on Display at Dallas Asian Film Festival
The Asian Film Festival of Dallas got underway and will showcase a number of Korean films, including: Bedevilled, Cyrano Agency, Dance Town, Enemy at the Dead End, and Midnight FM. (dallasvoice.com, July 15, 2011)
PiFan Gets Underway
The 15th Puchon (Bucheon) International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) got off to a good start as 2000 people attended the opening ceremony. Many shows have sold out in advance and their is great selection of Korea and foreign films on display. (The Korea Times, July 17, 2011)
Korean Wave Stars in Movies
A comprehensive list of Hallyu idols from K-Pop or K-Dramas who have crossed over into movie roles. (soompi, July 17, 2011)
INTERVIEW
Kim Jae-hwan Talks About New Documentary
Documentarian Kim Jae-hwan discusses his new documentary The True-taste Show, he believes that documentary that draw their focus on the media will be more prevalent in the future. (hancinema.net, July 12, 2011)
TRAILERS
A pair of new trailers, including one for one of Korea's most successful and long-running franchises.
Harry Potter Draws in the Crowds
The last Harry Potter opened big and has so far scored 1.7 million viewers. A huge figure but not as impressive as the recent record-breaking Transformers, which held well with over 600,000 admissions and is very close to the 7 million mark. Sunny is also a fraction behind that mark as it continues to do well with nearly 200,000 more spectators. The Cat played well in its sophomore frame and Quick and The Front Line sold a good number of preview tickets in advance of their full release this coming week. (hancinema.net, July 17, 2011)
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