Shim Hyung-rae (심형래)

The Chaser Top Winner at Grand Bell Awards

2008/07/01 | Source | Permalink |

Hit thriller, "The Chaser", the top Korean film at the box office for the first half of 2008, was also tops last Friday at the nation's annual film awards fest, the 45th Daejong (Grand Bell) film festival, held in southern Seoul. Director NA Hong-jin's debut feature picked up six awards including Best Picture, Director, Cinematography and Actor for KIM Yoon-seok).

Actor KIM, known for numerous supporting roles, won for his first lead performance as the cop-turned-pimp who is hot on the trail of a serial-killer played by the equally gifted HA Jeong-woo. KIM also won the BMW Popularity award at Daejon. "The Chaser" went on to captured the Best Production award as well.

The Best Actress award went to KIM Yoon-jin for her role in another successful thriller, "Seven Days", a tale of kidnapping and blackmail. KIM is known to American audiences for her role in the hit TV sevies "Lost", for which she has also won acting awards. The fast-paced plot-twister also won awards for Best...| More

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D-War to open in Chinese cinemas

2008/05/15 | Source | Permalink |

SHIM Hyung-rae's "D-War" will receive a wide release in China on May 11. The monster film will screen in hundred Chinese cities, including the major cities Beijing and Shanghai, on 500 screens.

"D-War" was a blockbuster in Korea and the U.S. last year. "D-War" holds the record number of screens for a Korean film in the U.S., namely 2200. The biggest Korean hit in China is BONG Joon-ho's "The Host", another monster film which was released in Chinese cinemas in 2007.

"D-War" is Korea's most expensive film and boasts spectacular special effects. Critics were less enthusiastic, but the film garnered US$ 11 million at the U.S. box office. In Korea, the film attracted seven million viewers. The film is English spoken and stars Hollywood actor Jason Behr. The film was shot in LA and the plot revolves around a legend about dragons who return to present day LA.

Yi Ch'ang-ho (KOFIC)...| More

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[Talk of the town] 'D-War' hopes to breathe fire into Chinese film industry

2008/05/14 | Source | Permalink |

The next station for Shim Hyung-rae's "D-War" is China.
The film will be screened in some 600 theaters in 100 cities in China, including the two major cities of Beijing and Shanghai.
Shim is hoping for a continuation of hallyu, or the Korean wave.
"Korean films should play a big role in the Chinese film industry", he said during a press conference in Beijing on Sunday.
Last year, "D-War" blasted into the United States. It was shown in more than 2,200 theaters and earned $11 million.
The film will be released in Japan during the fall....| More

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[BRIEFLY] 'D-War' to hit Chinese screens

2008/05/08 | Source | Permalink |

"D-War", a sci-fi flick directed by former comedian Shim Hyung-rae, will be released in China on May 11 at more than 500 theaters in about 100 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenchen.

The movie was a commercial success in Korea last year, drawing more than 7 million people. It also earned over $11 million in the United States, despite being panned by critics.

The Korean producers of "D-War", as well as the Chinese media, expect the movie to be a huge hit, possibly surpassing the success of "The Host", the most successful Korean movie yet in China.

Yonggu Art, the production company behind "D-War", said the movie was likely to appeal to the Chinese, since it deals with dragons, which are important in Chinese culture, along with other sentiments shared by Asians. The company also said the movie's computer graphics and film technology match those of Hollywood. ...| More

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Books Map Out Korean Film History

2008/04/25 | Source | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Korea is increasingly becoming an important film market ― ranking sixth and seventh in the world in terms of audience size and ticket sales, respectively, according to the Korean Film Council.

Last week, the Asia junket for the anticipated blockbuster "Iron Man" took place in Seoul ― the second big Hollywood event to be held here the one for since last summer's "Transformers".

In international film festivals, more and more Korean filmmakers and actors are stealing the limelight, notably actress Jeon Do-yeon (2007 Cannes Best Actress) and directors Kim Ki-duk (2004 Best Director awards at both Venice and Berlin), Park Chan-wook (2004 Cannes Grand Prix) and Im Kwon-taek (2002 Cannes Best Director, 2007 Dubai Lifetime Achievement Award).

Local production companies and investors are now out to play in the big league. Last year, Shim Hyung-rae's "D-War" marked the first widely released Korean film in the United States, while domestic ...| More

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