Rain (비)

2008/05/09 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Welcome back.
It's time for our weekly culture corner and our resident reporter Lee Jeewon joins me in the studio.
Good morning Jeewon.
Hi Sunhee.

Our first item is the latest rendition of a Korean poem written in 17-45 which later branched out to become novels songs and performing arts pieces.
With more than 280 different editions the story of Chunhyang is titled either Chunhyang-ga or Chunhyang-jeon depending on the genre.
It's a love story between a daughter of a former Gisaeng or Korean geisha and an aristocratic member of the literati during the Joseon Dynasty.
The National Theater of Korea showcases its Korean classical opera version until tomorrow.
It premiered in 19-02 and has improved over the years.
This year's production team has replaced Chinese proverbs with modern language to make it easier to understand and casts multiple storytellers for the same reason.

Interesting and I think Korea's performing arts scene could use more traditional Korean cultural works....

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2008/05/08 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

World star "Rain" (real name Jung Ji-hoon) has been listed in the Year in Review 2007 of the Encyclopedia Britannica Online. He is only the third Korean figure to be included in the biographies section of the Britannica. The other two are poet Ko Un and President Lee Myung-bak. However, "Rain" is the first Korean entertainer to be mentioned in the annual review.

Britannica Online described "Rain" as a pan-Asian superstar, who topped Time Magazine's online poll as the most influential person in the world in 2007, although the article did not fail to mention that "Rain"'s status was undoubtedly the result of his fans' dedication. The world-renowned encyclopedia also compared him to American idol star Justin Timberlake and introduced "Rain"'s past works in music, TV and film.

The annual review of the Britannica includes the year's major events and figures. It is not that often an entertainer is introduced in the encyclopedia. "Rain"'s fans welcomed the inclusion, saying that the inc...

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2008/05/08 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

When I told my colleagues about which movie I'd review this week, one editor at this paper fondly recalled how he'd loved the original anime cartoon version of "Speed Racer" as a 4-year-old.
But the Speed Racer in theaters now is hardly the cutely clunky cartoon of the 1960s. This version, written and directed by the Wachowski brothers, transfers the antiquated anime into slick, futuristic live action against a whole lot of computer-generated imagery.
The result is a psychedelic swirl of neon, probably most appealing to children of the video game generation or stoners, but still enjoyable for the hoi polloi. No other flick is so firmly committed to the dayglo palette.
Stylistic retro details, such as the flip of Mom Racer's hairdo, also nicely reflect the film's cartoon origins while contrasting with "The Fifth Element"-style race track scenes. The result is a future strangely similar to that of "The Jetsons", only in oversaturated Technicolor.
Faithful fans of the film's anime pre...

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2008/05/08 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Cult cartoon gets a big screen wedgie
Brian Orndorf (briano)

The Wachowski Brothers have proven their skill with visual gymnastics and their affinity for high-octane action, but an ability to assemble a suitable family film will most likely always elude them. "Speed Racer" is an ocular slap, but it's strictly empty calories; a joyless, over-plotted nostalgia machine that barely limps out of the starting gate.

Ever since he was a child, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) has always wanted to join the family business and become a car-racing competitor. When the death of elder brother Rex pushes Speed into the driver's seat, he shows amazing ability on the track, making his family proud. When the ruthless owner of Royalton Industries (Roger Allam) makes Speed an offer to join his aggressive driving squad, Speed refuses, putting him in the crosshairs of corporate thugs. With the help of the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox), Speed partakes in several hazardous contests, hoping with each opp...

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2008/05/08 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Singer and actor "Rain" finally met the popular U.S. comedian Stephen Colbert, the same man who lampooned him on national TV.

"Rain" was in L.A. for the premiere of his Hollywood debut in "Speed Racer", and on the night of the 5th, he showed off his dance skills on the nationwide TV program, "The Colbert Report". The program had been pre-recorded on the 28th at the New York City studio for cable TV's "Comedy Central" channel.

"The Colbert Report" is one of the most popular comedy shows in the U.S. and its guests include entertainers and athletes as well as political figures such as Hillary Clinton.

"Rain"'s agency, J. Tune Entertainment, announced that after the recording of the show, "Colbert became a great fan of "Rain"'s. He even went to the Tribeca Film Festival in New York to watch "Rain"'s performance in 'Speed Racer'." The agency also reported Colbert as having said, ""Rain"'s scenes in 'Speed Racer' were incredibly thrilling"....

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