By Pierce Conran
Click here to read about the events leading up to this story.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
News: BIFF Director Stays on, Censorship Concerns Linger
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Review: GYEONGJU, Not Just a Place But an Idea
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By Rex Baylon
“You can't go back home to your family, back home to your childhood... back home to a young man's dreams of glory and of fame... back home to places in the country, back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting but which are changing all the time – back home to the escapes of Time and Memory.”
- Thomas Wolfe
News: Lotte Picks up TERMINATOR, Still No Release for MEMORIES OF THE SWORD
By Pierce Conran
In an unusual move, Paramount announced earlier this month that their summer tentpole Terminator: Genisys would not be distributed by their usual partner CJ Entertainment in Korea. That position has now been filled by Lotte Entertainment, which will release the film in July.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Coming Attractions: Can EMPIRE OF LUST Keep the Fires of the Period Drama Burning?
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By Rex Baylon
The period drama boom in the Korean film industry seems to show no signs of abating as March will see the release of Empire of Lust, Ahn Sang-hoon's third feature after Arang (2006) and Blind (2011). The film stars Shin Ha-kyun (Save the Green Planet, 2003), playing Kim Min-jae, the supreme commander of the Joseon dynasty, Jang Hyuk (The Flu, 2013) as the king's son, and Kang Ha-neul (Mourning Grave) as Min-jae's hedonistic son.
News: Bong Joon-ho to Sit on Berlinale International Jury
The Berlin International Film Festival just held a press conference to announced the full jury for the international competition of its 65th edition next month. Bong is also part of this year's Berlinale Talents, where he will give a talk on transnational filmmaking. His last film Snowpiercer was screened at Berlinale in 2014.
News: HAN GONG-JU Named Best Film by Korean Film Reporters Association
By Pierce Conran
Lee Su-jin's Han Gong-ju has been named the Best Korean Film of 2014 by the Korean Film Reporters Association. The group also voted the film's star, Chun Woo-hee, as last year's Best Actress, while veteran Choi Min-sik was deemed Best Actor for his performance in the record-breaking period smash Roaring Currents.
Monday, January 26, 2015
News: Busan Asks BIFF Director to Step Down, He Refuses (2nd UPDATE)
2nd Update (01/27) - Though the basic facts remains the same (refer to the original post and 1st update below), here is some clarification on the current situation, as explained in a Screen Daily article:
- Last Friday (January 23rd), BIFF Director Lee Yong-kwan met with Jung Gyung-jin, Busan's vice mayor for administrative affairs, and culture and tourism bureau director-general Kim Kwang-hee. Citing the poor results of a recent audit (which were not shared with Lee), they suggested he should step down. Lee inquired as to whether they were conveying Busan Mayor Suh Byung-soo's opinion. They confirmed this to be the case.
Review: Straightforward Action in NO TEARS FOR THE DEAD
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Writer-director Lee Jeong-beom made a big splash in 2010 when his confidently made action feature The Man from Nowhere became a box office hit in South Korea. It made a believable action star out of its lead, Won Bin, and had an emotional core that helped it lean closer towards other, well-established action films of its ilk such as Luc Besson’s Leon: The Professional (1994) or Tony Scott’s Man on Fire (2004). Lee follows a similar format with his newest ultraviolent follow up, No Tears for the Dead, which at times feels like it could have been another Tony Scott film.
Coming Attractions: A MATTER OF INTERPRETATION Leaves It Up To You
By Rex Baylon
Lee Kwang-kuk returns after a two year hiatus with his sophomore film A Matter of Interpretation. For those who might have forgotten, Lee spent his formative years as assistant director to festival darling Hong Sangsoo before finally debuting as director with 2012's Romance Joe.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Reel Talk: GANGNAM BLUES and Korean Gangster Cinema
Every Friday I appear on a segment called Reel Talk for Arirang TV on the 2 o'clock news, mostly covering Korean cinema.
I've made no secret of my love for Yoo Ha's comeback Gangnam Blues (you can read MKC's review here) and this week on Reel Talk I took the opportunity to sing its praises and briefly look back over the rich history of Korean gangster cinema.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Review: GANGNAM BLUES, a Gorgeously Overwrought Gangster Classic in the Making
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By Pierce Conran
Yoo Ha returns to gangster cinema and knocks it right out of the park with his latest, an evocative and immensely entertaining saga that pits a common tale of brotherhood and betrayal against a thrilling period setting mired in violence and corruption. Nine years after A Dirty Carnival, Yoo has maintained his knack for combining genre filmmaking and subtle symbolism, while also elevating his craft to encompass the full range of Korean cinema’s technical knowhow in Gangnam Blues.
Friday, January 23, 2015
News: Kino Lorber to Give US Viewers A HARD DAY
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By Pierce Conran
One of last year's best Korean films, the thriller A Hard Day is finally going to find its way to American theaters after being picked up by Kino Lorber. The film will be released this summer before hitting the home market in autumn.
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