| Uhm transforms herself again (Source) |
2010/03/18 |
Film is another guise for the multitalented 'Korean Madonna'
Korea's entertainment industry experts love to nickname local stars after Hollywood celebrities. It's a surefire way to attract the public's attention. A young teen in an idol group who can dance and sing might be called "the Korean Justin Timberlake" or a skillful child actor who can burst into tears on demand is dubbed "Korea's Dakota Fanning", even though Fanning is all grown up now.
These would-be stars often fail to live up to their namesakes. But Uhm Jung-hwa - known as the "Korean Madonna" - may be the exception. Uhm is unafraid of transforming herself for a screen role - her characters have included a devoted wife, a lesbian, a single woman who wants to have a baby - while on stage, she sings disco with her hair in a bob, wearing skin-tight leather tops and shorts at the age of 41. She also loves to stir up controversy: Uhm was the first local singer to appear in public in her underwear.
A favorite of the pub... |More
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| 'If You Were Me 4', Omnibus Treat (Source) |
2009/05/28 |
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
For its sixth omnibus feature film "If You Were Me 4", the National Human Rights Commission of Korea has brought together five directors to capture the magic and complexities of being a teenager. The closing film for the 2008 Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) makes a promising theatrical release June 4 despite tough competition with big Hollywood flicks.
Along with JIFF's popular digital franchise, the human rights project continues to positively contribute to the omnibus genre. In past years, directors such as Park Chan-wook participated ("If You Were Me", 2003), and this time Bang Eun-jin, Jeon Gye-soo, Lee Hyeon-seung, Yoon Seong-ho and Kim Tae-yong each offer a small gem of a piece.
Bang, who debuted with the bloody thriller "Princess Aurora", offers something bright in "Blue Birds on the Desk". The story itself is rather typical of 1990s TV dramas on growing pains, but cheerful melodies, school uniform-clad dance sequences and slight... |More
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| CJ Ent. Makes Waves at HK FILMART (Source) |
2009/04/16 |
The film sales arm of Korean major CJ Entertainment did brisk business at the Hong Kong FIILMART, closing deals on a slew of titles including pre-sales for its big-budget disaster film "Haeundae" going to Indonesia's VSG for rights over Malaysia, Singapore and home territory.
The Busan-set CGI driven film about a tsunami that hits the popular Korean beach resort of Haeundae, boasts a top cast of SEOL Kyeong-gu ("Oasis"), HA Ji-won ("Duelist"), PARK Joong-hoon ("Radio Star"), and UHM Jung-hwa ("Princess Aurora"). JK Youn (Yoon Je-kyoon - "Miracle on 1st Street") directs with Hollywood master Hans Ulrich (Star Wars 4 & 5, The Day After Tomorrow) supervising CGI.
"Haeundae" also sold to Indo Overseas along with KIM Ji-woon western "The Good, The Bad, The Weird" for India. CJ also sold KANG Woo-seok thriller "Public Enemy Returns" to Palisades Tartan for the US and UK, and JEON Yoon-soo's erotic period drama "Portrait of a Beauty" to UniArt for Japan. CJ also signed an agreemen... |More
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| 'Seven Days': Fast and Furious (Source) |
2008/10/01 |
A slick, Hollywood-style thriller will satisfy Kim Yoon-jin fans
Kyu Hyun Kim (qhyunkim)
A hotshot defense lawyer Yu Ji-yeon (Kim Yoon-jin, TV's "Lost") learns to her horror that someone has kidnapped her daughter. Instead of a ransom, the kidnapper demands that Ji-yeon defend a vicious rapist-murderer to an acquittal at an upcoming trial. She has only seven days to locate her daughter, or, conversely, prove that the prosecuted murderer is innocent.
The only help around is her thuggish cop friend (Park Hee-soon, "Boss X File", "Antarctic Journal"), while a corrupt prosecuting attorney (Jeong Dong-hwan) and the victim's headstrong mother (Kim Mi-sook, "Marathon") stand in her way.
"Seven Days" turned out to be the biggest box office draw in the fourth quarter of 2007 in Korea, enthusiastically embraced by the moviegoers, even though critical reaction was more ambivalent. The film's MTV-on-speed editing style and narrative rhythm received some criticism, but I don't feel like... |More
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| Korean Films Premiering at 9th JIFF (Source) |
2008/04/16 |
Ten Korean features will have their World Premiere at the Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) this spring. Now in it's 9th edition the festival will run May 1st – 9th in the attractive and historical city of Jeonju, in North Jeolla province.
Korean highlights include documentary director KIM Dong-won's latest, "63 Years On", about the 'comfort women' enslaved by the Japanese military in stations across Asia during WW2. The film provides an historical investigation along with interviews with victims still living in Korea, China, and the Philippines. KIM is best known for his 2003 film Repatriation which raised the documentary genre to commercial prominence in South Korea.
In the Korean Cinema on the Move section, presents 10 new independent features mostly by debut directors. Among the most interesting are "Synching Blue" by SEO Won-tae, a director whose shorts films have garnered praise for their visual arrangements. This HD feature is about a man who seeks comfort i... |More
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