Yoo Seon (유선)

'Shape of Things' - darker than your average romantic comedy

Source | 2008/09/01 | Permalink |

The old saying "Don't judge a book by its cover" applies well to the play "The Shape of Things". It opens as a typical romantic comedy but its unexpected twists and revelations take it somewhere darker. The more sensitive viewers will likely leave the theater feeling somewhat disturbed.

The original play, which premiered in 2001 and was made into a film two years later in the United Kingdom, is a well-known work by American writer and director Neil LaBute.

LaBute is noted for his cynical description of the power struggle between men and women, and of human cruelty in general. And his characteristic exploration of the dark side of humanity is well reflected in the local adaptation of "The Shape of Things", now playing in Daehangno, Seoul as well.

The play features female character Se-kyung, a smart and goal-driven art graduate student who dates Yang-woo, a nerdy guy, and inspires him to change; to lose weight, change clothing style and even get plastic surgery.

Smitten, Yang...| More

Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter 'Black House'

Source | 2008/06/12 | Permalink |

A robust, grisly horror film boosted by excellent performances

Kyu Hyun Kim (qhyunkim)

A meek but kind insurance salesman Jeon Jun-O (Hwang Jeong-Min, "Happiness") is handpicked by a creepy metalworker, Park Choong-Bae (Kang Shin-Il, "Silmido"), for renewal of the policies on the his family. Visiting Park's spectacularly decrepit adobe, Jun-O ends up discovering the body of Park's young son, apparently a suicide.

Meeting Choong-Bae's wife Yi-Hwa (Yoo Seon, "The Wig" - "Scary Hair"), a pale beauty who has seemingly exhausted her capacity for grief, Jun-O begins to suspect that the boy's death was in fact a murder, and that she is next in line.

What Jun-O does not understand is that his small act of kindness (and breach of professional ethics) over a phone consultation has already ensnared him in a web of deceit, mutilation and murder, spun by a psychopath who makes Norman Bates in "Psycho" look like SpongeBob SquarePants.

A Japan-Korea coproduction, "Black House" is base...| More

TV sitcom star swaps romance for current affairs

Source | 2008/03/05 | Permalink |

At age 62, actor Noh Joo-hyeon is heading for a new start ― he is appearing on SBS TV's live news show "Morning Wide", which airs every morning from 6 to 8:30 a.m.
No is in charge of a new feature called "Human Plus", which explores current affairs from a human interest angle.
The veteran actor's job is to comment on issues of the day and add his thoughts to the debates. His first show kicked off last Monday with a tale of a herbalist and his family who live in a hanok, a traditional Korean house, in the city of Daejeon, which is about two hours from Seoul by train.
Hosting the slot on Morning Wide marks a change of direction for the seasoned thespian. Since his acting debut in 1970, No has usually been cast as a courteous gentleman and from time to time as comic characters.
Well known for his starring roles in Korean sitcoms, No will continue to appear in SBS TV's "The Woman" as Baek Dong-soo, a rich widower in love with a woman 30 years younger than himself, played by Yoo ...| More

2007 Year-end Korean drama awards round-up

Source | 2008/01/07 | Permalink |

Winners of the 2007 KBS Drama Awards

▶The Best Actor : Choi Soo-jong ("Dae Jo Young")

▶Best Actor/Actress : Lee Deok-hwa ("Dae Jo Young"), Kim Hyeon-joo ("In-soon is Pretty"), Chae Rim ("Dalja's Spring")

▶Excellence in a Mini-Drama (Wed-Thurs drama) – Male/Female : Kang Ji-hwan ("Capital Scandal"), Lee Da-hae ("Hello, Miss"), Han Ji-min ("Capital Scandal")

▶Excellence in Weekend Series – Male/Female) : Jang Hyeon-seong ("Golden Era of Daughter in Law"), Yoon Jeong-hee ("A Happy Woman")

▶Excellence in a Serial Drama – Male/Female : Park Hae-jin ("By Land and Sky"), Han Ji-hye ("Likable or Not" ("I Hate You, But It's Fine"))

▶Netizens' Choice : Choi Soo-jong ("Dae Jo Young"), Han Ji-min ("Capital Scandal")

▶Best Couple Award = Kim Ji-hoon-I - Lee Soo-kyeong ("Golden Era of Daughter in Law"), Kang Ji-hwan - Han Ji-min ("Capital Scandal"), Park Hae-jin - Han Hyo-joo ("By Land and Sky")

▶Excellence in one act drama – ...| More

Actor can't hide his truthful eyes

Source | 2007/06/27 | Permalink |

Actor Hwang Jeong-min, known for his versatile images.

By Park Jong-geun

When Hwang Jeong-min, 38, accepted the best actor award at the Blue Dragon Film Festival for his performance in "You Are My Sunshine" many were moved when he said: "All I did was add a spoon to a dinner table that had already been prepared by others".
This summer Hwang is back with a different kind of film, designed to scare and horrify , as he stars in the thriller "Black House", directed by Sin Tae-ra.
The film, which will be released tomorrow, is based on a novel by Japanese author Yûsuke Kishi. Hwang plays Chun Jun-oh, who works for an insurance company and fights against a psychopath while investigating the mysterious suicide of a 7-year-old boy.
The JoongAng Ilbo met with Hwang to get an insider's look at the film.
"I always wondered why Korea has no movies like 'Dressed to Kill', 'The Silence of the Lambs', or 'Seven'", said Hwang. "On a hot summer's day, people want movies like these to give the...| More