Lee Moo-yeong (이무영)

Korean movies leap into box-office fray

2008/05/29 | Source | Permalink |

In late April, Iron Man arrived in the Korean cinema, smashing the box office into very profitable pieces. In mid-May, Prince Caspian took the baton and kept up the pressure on Korean competitors. Last weekend, whip-wielding Indy joined the Hollywood-only party, roped in plenty of movie tickets sales.

The bombardment of Hollywood films dragged down the share of Korean films to a record low. But the bleak development was widely predicted since only a couple of new Korean releases were made. June might be slightly different, as eight Korean movies are set for release.

"Girl Scout", directed by Kim Sang-man, will hit theaters on June 5, featuring well-known actors such as Kim Seon-ah, Nah Moon-hee, Lee Kyeong-sil. The film will test whether the audiences still have an appetite for a chase-the-money drama with fewer funny moments than publicized.

Waiting in line for the June 12 release are four Korean films: "Life is Cool", "Beyond All Magic", "Spare" and "Like Father, Like Son". ...| More

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Top star invests in domestic films

2006/05/25 | Source | Permalink |

Keyeast, a media contents investor co-established by actor Bae Yong-joon, recently signed a contract with CJ Entertainment to invest 700 million won ($730,000) in four movies produced by one of the most established movie producer/distributors in Korea.

The movies are director Park Chan-wook's "I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK", Ryoo Seung-wan's "The City of Violence", Lee Moo-yeong's "Like Father, Like Son" and Choi Ik-hwan's "Life is cool".

The media contents company will be given a primary chance to invest in four additional movies currently under preparation by CJ Entertainment.

Keyeast, which was set up in March, has also invested in a local television drama "Smile Again" and participated in funding "Taewangsasingi" ("The Legend") featuring Bae as well as co-hosting the 2006 Jeju Hallyu Expo. ...| More

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'A Bittersweet Life' [DVD Review]

2006/01/26 | Source | Permalink |

Comparing it to Park Chan-Wook's 'Old Boy' is off the mark

Kyu Hyun Kim (internews)

Lee Byeong-heon plays Seon Woo, an owner of a bar (named "La Dolce Vita") and a lieutenant to a gangster boss (Kim Young Chul). He is entrusted with a job of looking after the boss's very young girlfriend Hee Soo (Shin Min-ah). To Seon Woo's consternation, however, the boss also orders him to kill her (and her lover) if she ever "strays". When Seon Woo catches her red-handed, though, he cannot quite bring himself to carry out his job. He lets her go... a decision with which he now puts his own life at risk.

The first half of the film advances with a languorous rhythm of a sleepy-eyed cat prowling his haunts. The cinematography by Kim Ji-Yong, gorgeously jade and golden (and later hellfire orange and scarlet) in night scenes and punctuated by silver rays of sunlight in day scenes, Ryoo Seong-Hee's sets, with its mixture of chrome-and-glass glitz of the bars and restaurants and dark muddy poo...| More

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'A Bittersweet Life's DVD is released at the end of this month

2005/07/17 | Source | Permalink |

Korean movie 'A Bittersweet Life's DVD starring Lee Byeong-heon is going to be released at the end of this month.

With a 'Directors cut' etc. that added new scenes, this DVD saw the light with a cinema of another feeling from a theater-version.

Written and directed by Kim Ji-woon, this film is portraying a story in which a high-ranking gang member who manages a hotel bar is asked by his boss to spy on his girlfriend, and kill her if she is being unfaithful.

Sunwoo is no ordinary hotel manager. Quick-thinking and efficient, he's also the right hand man of underworld boss Kang. But tough guy Kang has a weakness: his young girlfriend Heesoo.

Suspecting she's unfaithful, jealous Kang orders obedient Sunwoo to take care of the problem. But when Sunwoo finds Heesoo with another man, he is unable to kill them without knowing why.

Kang is furious and swiftly sends his gang members after Sunwoo, plunging him into a living hell. With nerves of steel, Sunwoo battles the gang alo...| More

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