Cha Soo-yeon (차수연)

[Talk of the town] "Kung Fu Panda" kicks his way into the spotlight

2008/06/25 | Source | Permalink |

Po (Jack Black), the obese and lazy panda in Mark Osborne and John Stevenson's animated film, "Kung Fu Panda", is now a star.

According to the Korean Film Council, the film attracted some 3.31 million Korean viewers as of last weekend, since its release on June 5.

Past animated films that attracted as many viewers were "Shrek 2" (2006), with some 3.3 million, and "Howl's Moving Castle" (2004), with 3 million.

While Kung Fu Panda ranked second at the box office last week, Kang Woo-seok's action-thriller "Public Enemy Returns", released last Thursday, ranked first. It attracted 1.3 million viewers in three days, according to the council.

Meanwhile, for those moviegoers hoping to see more Korean films on the big screen among Hollywood blockbusters like "Incredible Hulk" and "Sex and the City", wait till next month.

These films are on standby director Kim Jee-woon's "The Good, the Bad and the Weird", Lee Joon-ik's "You Are Far Away" and Gwak Kyung-taek's "Eye for an Eye, Too...| More

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"Beautiful" Shows Ugly Side of Beauty

2008/02/14 | Source | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

While aesthetic standards vary over time, the desire for beauty and the power of its allure remain unchanged. Countless tales and myths across cultures speak about it, and director Jeon Jae-hong continues this tradition in his feature film debut, "Beautiful". He explores the dark side of this age-old human obsession in a haunting tale about how a woman's enrapturing beauty results in her downfall.

Currently showing at the 58th Berlin International Film Festival's out of competition section, "Beautiful" is based on an original story by distinguished director/producer Kim Ki-duk. The film reads like a stark fairytale for adults that is deeply rooted in reality. It takes flight with human desires and fantasies but keeps its feet on the ground with social messages.

The film is ridden with criticism of how rape victims are undermined and offers a disturbing glimpse into eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia nervosa. But it remains highly allegor...| More

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Arthouse films warm cold season

2008/02/13 | Source | Permalink |

Except for the Lunar New Year holidays, February and March are regarded as a slow season for movie theaters. No wonder top production houses are reluctant to release their major films with greater box-office potential.

But the lull in the competition for ticket sales does not mean an absence of high-quality films. In fact, movie buffs might prefer the post-Seollal period because they can sit back comfortably in a not-so-crowded theater and enjoy more artistic films.

"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly", to be released tomorrow, lays out a vision of freedom that transcends figurative boundaries and entrapments in life. The movie involves the Elle magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, who suffers a stroke which paralyzes his entire body, except for his left eye, which guides his communication with the outside world.

With the help of an intermediary, Bauby uses that eye to express what he wants in his memoir, detailing his work, love and life in a style that is meditative and insp...| More

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"Beautiful" Opens on Valentines Day

2008/02/12 | Source | Permalink |

Currently screening in the Panorma section of the Berlin International Film Festival, JEON Jae-hong's dark feature debut, "Beautiful", will open in Korea February 14, through indie-distributor Sponge. The original script for the film was written by none other than prolific auteur KIM Ki-duk, who served as JEON's mentor.

"Beautiful" is the story of Eun-yeong, a lonely and distraught young woman, played by CHA Soo-yeon ("For Eternal Hearts"). She is the victim of her own stunning beauty, becoming the object of every man's desire and the source of women's jealousy. She tries in various ways to ruin nature's gift from binge-eating to starvation. Along the way, a police officer, who has been watching her, falls deeply in love with her.

Director JEON has made several critically acclaimed short films, which have screened at festivals worldwide. His short film Fish screened in competition at Venice last year. He has worked as assistant director on KIM's 2006 feature "Time". JEO...| More

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[MOVIE REVIEW] 'Beautiful' examines idea of beauty a la Kim Ki-duk mode

2008/02/04 | Source | Permalink |

Combine sex, obsession and extreme circumstances, and you'll have a perfect formula for a movie created and crafted by the award-winning filmmaker Kim Ki-duk. "Beautiful" (Areumdapda), however, is not Kim's movie -- officially, in the least.

The movie, to be released on Feb. 14, is Jeon Jae-hong's debut feature, but it has all the artistic and thematic trappings that are automatically identified with director Kim. After all, Jeon is Kim's new protege, who has a firm grip on what is called the "Kim Ki-duk style" of the big screen.

"Beautiful" is based on Kim's incomplete screenplay, and Juhn, eager to learn Kim's filmmaking techniques, has turned it into a feature-length movie. Kim, known for his uncontrollably sarcastic humor, says he "saw that it was good".

Kim is actually telling the truth to some extent. "Beautiful" has been invited to the Panorama section of the 58th Berlin International Film Festival, Germany, which will start on Thursday. This is also Kim's trademark: wh...| More

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