In June of this year, two Korean actors will be feted at the famed Grauman’s Chinese theatre on Hollywood Blvd., where they will have their hand and footprints cast in the pavement; the first Asian performers to be honoured in such a way. One is Lee Byung-hyun who, rather than being one of the nation’s best or most long-standing thespians, is the one with the highest international profile. He is making a name for himself in the US industry and will soon be seen in G.I. Joe 2 and then the sequel to Red (2011). In fact, the former will be opening mere days following the aforementioned ceremony so his selection does smack of opportunism.
However, the second star has all the hallmarks of greatness that such a distinction would indicate, and then some. Ahn Sung-ki is a legend in the Korean film industry and is probably its most respected star. One of his earliest roles was in Kim Ki-young’s The Housemaid (1960) and he starred in a series of classics starting in the 1980s, such as A Fine, Windy Day (1980), Im Kwon-taek’s Mandala (1981), Whale Hunting (1984), Park Kwang-su’s Chilsu and Mansu (1988), The Taebaeck Mountains (1994, also Im Kwon-taek), Lee Myeong-se’s Nowhere to Hide (1999) and many, many more. Even now he is still one of the country’s top working actors and earlier this year he proved that he could still draw in the crowds just as well as anybody. He has won the Grand Bell Award (the Korean Oscar equivalent) no less than six times but he seems almost certain to pick up his seventh accolade later this year for his latest performance.
Many reviews for a wide variety of films this week and I've rejigged the subsections to reflect films that have already been released in Korea and those that have played at international festivals but have, as of yet, not secured a Korean release date.
Over on the VCinema Show website, which I am a contributor for, Adam Hartzell has embarked on a week-long consideration of Hong Sang-soo's The Day He Arrives as he posts his thoughts after seeing it every day during its week long engagement in San Francisco. Below are the links to his special feature with only the final day outstanding, which will likely be posted this evening:
After being in the doldrums for a few years, Korean cinema seems to have regained its stride as it rebuilds its reputation abroad. However, as much as I’m thrilled to see new Korean film festivals, on-demand ventures and a free classic Korean film youtube channel, when it comes to Korean entertainment, the word on everyone’s lips these days is k-pop.
Hollywood’s Rihanna, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Usher and co. are getting some serious challenges from the likes of 2NE1, Girls Generation, Big Bang and BoA with their sharp moves, fresh threads and slick videos. The industry has featured in many recent Korean films, like the k-pop themed drama Mr. Idol (2011) and horror White:The Melody of the Curse (2011) and its stars are also making strides to the silver screen, such as Big Bang’s Top in 71: Into the Fire (2010). Personally I don’t really listen to pop music so k-pop tends to fall just outside my radar though even I am aware when someone like Rain goes to do his military duty! The sector is so big that it’s hard to ignore it.
The Korean Film Archive has launched its much anticipated "Korean Classic Film Theater" Youtube channel which features 70 different hard to find titles, all free and with English subtitles. The films range from 1949's A Hometown in My Heart to Hong Sang-soo's 1996 debut The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well. Numerous classic Im Kwon-taek, Kim Ki-young and Shin Sang-ok films are featured as well as many of the most important Korean classics of the past decades, including Yu Hyun-mok's Aimless Bullet (aka Obaltan, 1961), Park Kwang-su's Chilsu and Mansu (1988), or the original hostess film, Yeongja's Heyday (1976).
I'm dying to get stuck into the many I haven't seen but I highly recommend Im Kwon-taek's Sopyonje (1993), Kim Ki-young' Ieoh Island (aka Iodo, 1977) and the aforementioned Aimless Bullet. Truly a phenomenal resource from KOFA and cause for celebration for all Korean film fans!
UPDATE 1:50pm (GMT+1) - The KOFA Classic Korean Film youtube channel goes live! More details below.
More developments on upcoming features Mister K and Remember O Goddess this week as well as a strong selection of interviews and a free one-day Korean film seminar in London.
KOREAN CINEMA NEWS
KOFA's Classic Korean Film Youtube channel goes live!
The Korean Film Archive has launched its much anticipated "Korean Classic Film Theater" Youtube channel which features 70 different hard to find titles, all free and with English subtitles. The films range from 1949's A Hometown in My Heart to Hong Sang-soo's 1996 debut The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well. Numerous classic Im Kwon-taek, Kim Ki-young and Shin Sang-ok films are featured as well as many of the most important Korean films of the past decades, including Yu Hyun-mok's Aimless Bullet (aka Obaltan, 1961), Park Kwang-su's Chilsu and Mansu (1988), or the original hostess film, Yeongja's Heyday (1976).
I'm dying to get stuck into the many I haven't seen but I highly recommend Im Kwon-taek's Sopyonje (1993), Kim Ki-young' Ieoh Island (aka Iodo, 1977) and the aforementioned Aimless Bullet. Truly a phenomenal resource from KOFA and cause for celebration for all Korean film fans!
I had a lot of news in my mailbox when I returned from Italy this week so there's plenty of big announcement in this Korean Cinema News update! Also a huge amount of exciting trailers below, including As One, In Another Country, Taste of Money and The Thieves. Remember if you have any news relating to Korean film feel free to email me and I'll be happy to include it in the nest update.
Enjoy!
KOREAN CINEMA NEWS
Ahn Sung-ki and Lee Byung-hun to Cast Handprints in Hollywood
The inaugural Look East: Korean Film Festival will be taking place this June, on the weekend of the 23-24, at the famed Grauman's Chinese film theatre in the heart of Hollywood. Numerous Korean films, old and new, will be showcased but the focal point of the event will the casting of the hand and foot prints of two major Korean actors. This marks the first time that any Asian performers have been honoured in such a fashion in Los Angeles.
Ongoing reports on the 14th Udine International Film Festival which Modern Korean Cinema will be covering onsite.
Last week was my first time at the Udine Far East Film Festival and straight off the bat the only negative point I can think of was that I wasn't there earlier to participate in the entire event. Regardless it was still a packed week during which I saw nearly 30 films, ate some great food and made a lot of new friends. I look forward to coming back soon but I'm sure it won't be in 2013 as I'll be making my way to Seoul next month. That said I do hope to meet up with many of the same people later this year at the Busan International Film Festival.
The highlight for me during the week was the opportunity to soak in the 'Darkest Decade' retrospective on 1970s Korean film. Darcy Paquet did an incredible job to bring these films, in good condition and many with brand new subtitles, to Italy and furthermore his picks were phenomenal, yielding some of the best Korean films I've seen. It was a pleasure to see rarer Im Kwon-taek, Kim Ki-young and Yu Hyun-mok films as well as to discover the works of Kim So-young, Ha Kil-young and Kim Ho-sun. I was particularly drawn to the many island dramas which have added new dimensions to an essay I have been planing on rural spaces as a site of horror in Korean cinema. Darcy's monograph (pictured) is another wonderful resource and a great complement to the retrospective.
Just like last month's Fribourg International Film Festival (which was also covered by MKC) one of the prevailing themes of the festival's program was filmmaking itself. Romancing in Thin Air (2011), The Woodsman and the Rain (2011), Vulgaria (2012) and The Woman in the Septic Tank (2011) all featured films within a film and each had their own novel take on the industry. Despite the global glut of awards bestowed on The Artist (2011), and to a lesser extent on Hugo (2011), I'm still finding that the past year's best films that cast an eye on the medium are those that sadly won't be seen by many. Although considering the cinephile-ready content, perhaps it's just as well that they feature strongly on the festival circuit above all else.
The great thing about the FEFF was its atmosphere: it's accessible, centralized, friendly and a lot of fun. There was lots of events and special deals in restaurants for anyone attending the festival. The Teatro Nuovo Giovanni, the single theater of the festival, was a wonderful venue with four levels. I stayed down in the pit for all of my screenings and I don't think I would have liked to be seated too high up (some seats were above the screen) but the projections were all top notch. Udine is also a wonderful little town with numerous restaurants, historic architecture, beautiful squares and everyone's favorite, gelato! I didn't have much opportunity to visit beyond the town's centre but what I saw was very charming.
Anyone interested in Asian cinema should definitely make their way to Udine at some point in the future and if you do, hopefully I'll see you there!
Below are my favorites of the festival and the FEFF 2012 award winners.
This monthly features previews the coming month's attractions in Korean cinema. All of these monthly posts are available in an archive on the Upcoming Releases page.
May 3
As One (aka Korea)
Just Friends
May 10
Du-re Sori Story
I Am
The Strangers
May 17
All About My Wife
Granny Is in 1st Grade
The Taste of Money
May 24
Children of Heaven
Hello!
U.F.O.
May 31
Don't Click
In Another Country
Runway Cop
Still Strange
May TBC
Rosa
Tummy
As One (aka Korea)
Director: Moon Hyun-sung
Cast: Ha Ji-won, Bae Doo-na
Synopsis: As One chronicles the victory of the first inter-Korean team at the 1991 Chiba Worldwide Table Tennis Championships.
Release date: May 3
There's a lot of buzz surrounding this project, especially with its two big female stars and theme of rapprochement of the divided Korean nations. It the film clicks with audiences it may be one of the highest-grossing films of the year.
Just Friends
Director: Ahn Cheol-ho
Cast: Oh Yeon-so, Lee Young-hoon
Synopsis: Just Friends is a romance about an unemployed art school graduate who has recently been dumped but meets an aspiring musician at a concert
Release date: May 3
I Am.
Director: Choi Jin-sung
Synopsis: A documentary of SM Entertainment's recent Madison Square Garden concert. Release date: May 10
Du-re Sori Story
Director: Cho Jung-rae
Screenplay: Baek Jong-min
Cast: Kim Seul-gi, Jo Ah-reum, Ham Hyeong-sang, Choi Eun-yeong
Synopsis: Two friends at the National High School of the Traditional Arts take a special class taught by a teacher with conflicting western influences. The class will compete as a chorus in contest.
Release date: May 10
The Strangers
Director: Choi Yong-seok
Cast: Yeo Hyeon-soo, Han Soo-yeon, Kim Joong-ki
Synopsis: Yeon-hee returns to her hometown following the death of her mother in a fire and there she meets Seok who has lost in father in the same accident. They bond and attempt to overcome their grief while Yeon-hee revisits the reason she left in the first place.
Release date: May 10
All About My Wife
Director: Min Gyoo-dong
Screenplay: Min Gyoo-dong
Cast: Im Soo-jeong, Lee Seon-gyoon, Ryoo Seung-yong
Synopsis: A romantic comedy about a man who, in a bid to cleanly divorce his wife, hires a playboy to seduce his spouse.
Release date: May 17
The Taste of Money
Director: Im Sang-soo
Screenwriter: Im Sang-soo
Cast: Kim Kang-woo, Kim Hyo-jin, Baek Yoon-shik, Yoon Yeo-joong
Synopsis: A woman divorces a salaryman and becomes wealthy. A tale of greed and sex in the upper strata of Korean society
Release date: May 17
Im Sang-soo's new film wrapped in January and looks to be another fascinating exposé of our darkest desires. The film will have its world premier at Cannes where it is in the main competition vying for the Palm d'Or. The Taste of Money will also feature a small role for the founder of koreanfilm.org and MKC contributor Darcy Paquet.
Granny Is in 1st Grade
Director: Jin Kwang-gyo
Cast: Kim Jin-goo, Shin Chae-yeon
Synopsis: A 70-year-old woman loses her son but she can't read the final letter he sent her so her 7-year-old granddaughter teaches her how to read.
Release date: May 17
Children of Heaven
Director: Park Heung-shik
Cast: You Da-in, Park Ji-bin, Kim Bo-ra
Synopsis: A new teacher begins a three month stint at a school for troubled children. She hopes to involve some of new students in a talent contest by staging a musical.
Release date: May 24
U.F.O.
Director: Kong Quee-hyun
Screenwriter: Kong Quee-hyun
Cast: Lee Joo-seung, Kim Chang-hwan, Kim Tae-yoon
Synopsis: A group of students catch sight of an alien spacecraft and decide to travel to UFO mountain but on the way there they are warned to turn back.
Release date: May 24
This sci-fi comedy opened last July at the Puchon International Film Festival and has since played at the Digital Seoul Film Festival and Tokyo International Film Festival.
Hello!
Director: Lim Tae-hyeong
Cast: Lee Sang-bong
Synopsis: Documentary chronicling the lives of 14 blind schoolchildren
The new Hong Sang-soo film stars a major French actress and will be premiering in Cannes ahead of its Korean release, not to be missed.
Don't Click
Director: Kim Tae-kyeong
Screenwriter: Kim Tae-kyeong
Cast: Park Bo-young, Joo Won, Kang Byul
Synopsis: Bizarre events occur after a pair watch a mysterious video.
Release date: May 31
This sounds like a blatant ripoff of The Ring (1998), given the poor quality of last summer's horrors, I'm not expecting much from this one. Also, as you'll notice on the poster, Don't Click was scheduled for release last August but got pushed back, never a good sign.
Runway Cop
Director: Sin Tae-ra
Cast: Kang Ji-hwan, Sung Yu-ri, Kim Young-kwang, Lee Soo-hyuk
Synopsis: In order to break a case, a determined detective goes undercover in the fashion world.
Release date: May 31
Still Strange
Director: Lee Hong-jae
Screenwriter: Kim Tae-kyeong
Cast: Jang Si-won, Kim Soo-woong, Lee So-hee
Synopsis: An old couple and their grown up children gather during the first New Year's Day following their only son's death.
Release date: May 31
Rosa
Director: Maeng Gwan-pyo
Cast: Ruzmetova Dayana, Jo Ha-seok
Synopsis: 16-year-old Uzbeki ballet dancer Diana loses her chance at a scholarship as the iron curtain rolls back. She then goes to Korea with a stranger in the hope of following her dreams.
Release date: May
Tummy
Director: Park Bo-sang
Cast: Cheon Ho-jin, Lee Mi-sook, Seo Yoon, Ye Hak-yeong
Synopsis: A sex comedy about a family's romantic entanglements. Release date: May
This film was made in 2008 and is finally seeing the light of day.
Well summer has truly arrived as we have our first major blockbuster performance. There was never really any doubt what would happen this weekend but the size of The Avengers' opening was very impressive nonetheless as it captured almost two thirds of the weekend box office.
Total admissions stood at an enormous 2.1 million which is among the biggest in the history of the market, it was also well over last year's 1.5 million when Thor (one of the many predecessors to The Avengers) opened. The Korean box office share took a big hit as it shrunk to 27%, which was a bit lower than 2011's 36%, but it will likely bounce back next weekend.
The Avengers 1,342,576 opening is huge but not a patch on last year's Transformers 3's opening bow, which stood at over two million. This early in the summer though it is a notable achievement and one must remember that The Avengers is not as popular or well known as in the United States. Given the film's positive reaction (Twitter netizens have been raving abut it) it should continue to play well but it will face some competition for the top spot next weekend in the form of a much anticipated Korean film. Though I wonder how much pent up demand was spent this past weekend. The good news is that this is definitely one of the biggest Hollywood films of the year so local fare may have to face much worse during the rest of the season.
A Muse was the major opening Korean film this weekend and I've been wondering why they scheduled at the same time as such a gigantic Hollywood blockbuster. It had a fairly good opening with 389,797 but I imagine it would have done better without the extra competition. Awareness for this pic is high and though I have not yet read any reviews I imagine that it could play well throughout the rest of May.
Architecture 101 stayed at number three but did drop around 40%. Its 157,166 frame is still very impressive given it is now in its sixth week. It will need a little more to push past the four million mark but I have a feeling that it won't quite make it that far.
Despite its increase last weekend, The Scent retreated this tie around as it lost over 60% of its business. It made 115,110 over the frame and has crossed the one million mark but will probably disappear from theatres very soon.
Battleship, after two big weekends, sank suddenly as it shed over 80% of its audience for 90,458 over the three days. Clearly The Avengers was too much competition for it. This also does not bode well for its stateside release.
The new Crayon Shin-chan anime film had an okay start with 90,099 while French hit Untouchable finally took a tumble as it lost most of its business, leaving it with 17,742.
Spring Snow, the other Korean film opening wide this weekend had a disastrous start this weekend as it attracted only 6,330 viewers. I'm not surprised really as even for fans of family melodrama I can't see much appeal in this one.
The Hunger Games and Over My Dead Body were almost wiped out as they both lost over 90% for 4,615 and 3,626 respectively, the latter has likely missed its chance at getting past the one million mark.
Next week we'll see if The Avengers keeps its crown or hands it over to As One, the most anticipated Korean film of the year to date. It has a chance but I think the band of superheroes will be taking a second victory lap. I'm also curious to see if A Muse can improve on this week's performance.
The Korean Box Office Update is a weekly feature which provides detailed analysis of film box office sales over the Friday to Sunday period in Korea. It appears every Sunday evening or Monday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at Korean Cinema News and the Weekly Review Round-up. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site.
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