The General's Son (1990) - 장군의 아들 (Jang-goon-eui A-deul)

Credits Roll for Korea's Oldest Movie Theater

Source | 2008/09/26 | Permalink |

Dansungsa, the oldest movie theater in Korea in Myo-dong, Jongno-gu in Seoul, has gone bankrupt. The main creditor bank of the cinema, Woori Bank, on Thursday said Dansungsa on Sept. 19 failed to pay overdraft repayments worth W1.5 billion (US$1=W1,159) to the Jongno 3-ga branch of Woori Bank and it was finally declared bankrupt on Wednesday.

Dansungsa underwent renovation in 2001 to transform itself from a single-hall theater to a multiplex screening up to 10 films simultaneously. It reopened in 2005 and since May this year has been partnered with Cinus, operating as Cinus Dansungsa. However, due to overspending in the renovation and failure to compete with rivals backed by big business like CGV, Megabox and Lotte Cinema, it recorded a W11 billion loss last year.

Dansungsa recorded sales of W4.4 billion last year, a mere 56 percent of the previous year's W7.8 billion. Despite the bankruptcy, Dansungsa will continue to screen movies for the time being. "It is the owner of the Dan...| More

Great filmmaker Im to get French Legion of Honor

Source | 2007/11/29 | Permalink |

Korea's top filmmaker Im Kwon-taek will receive the Order of the Legion of Honor from the French government on Friday, in recognition of his decades of contributions to the field of visual arts.

The ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. at the residence of the French ambassador in Hap-dong, Seoul.

"Im Kwon-Taek will be awarded the title of Chevalier de l'Ordre de la Legion d'Honneur by French Ambassador Philippe Thiebaud for his long and active career, and especially for his contribution to defending the movie industry and to promoting Korean movies in France", the French Embassy said in a press release.

Im has already won numerous awards, including the best director award at the 53rd Cannes Film Festival. The embassy said the decoration is also meant to honor Im's dedication to the celebration of the 120th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Korea.

Created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, the Legion of Honor is the highest award given by the French Republic, reg...| More

Hit movies revisit audiences as musicals

Source | 2007/06/18 | Permalink |

Creating a new catch phrase "moviecal boom" in the country's entertainment industry, a number of musicals based on hit movies will be staged in the coming months. Smash-hit Korean movies, including "200 Pounds Beauty", "Singles", "Love So Divine", "My Love My Bride" and "The Parade of the Youth", are a few examples among many moviecals already announced for a rebirth on stage. The moviecal boom doesn't stop there. Older hit movies like "The Gingko Bed" (1995), which starred Han Seok-kyu and Shim Hye-jin, "The Harmonium In My Memory" (1999), featuring Lee Byeong-heon and Jeon Do-yeon, winner of this year's Canne Film Festival, and internationally acclaimed director Im Kwon-taek's "The General's Son (1990)" are also to be staged next year.

Among a number of moviecals, the musical adaptation of the movie "200 Pounds Beauty", is already grabbing media attention in and out of the country. The movie based on a transformation story of an extremely fat singer produced an impressive box-offi...| More

Director Ryoo Is Sole Presence at Venice

Source | 2006/09/05 | Permalink |

By Paolo Bertolin
Contributing Writer

VENICE, Italy . Ryoo Seung-wan's "The City of Violence" (Chakpae) was the sole Korean film invited to this year's Venice Film Festival. Ryoo's fifth feature film was screened at the festival, one of the world's leading film events, as part of the midnight screenings on Sept. 1st.

In "The City of Violence", 'Action Kid' Ryoo has once again tracked the paths of genre filmmaking with film aptly reminiscent of the Oriental tradition of kung fu movies, blended with a zest of the peculiar brand of Western incepted by Italian master Sergio Leone, the spaghetti western.

It's a story of a Seoul cop who returns to his native town to investigate the suspicious murder of an old time friend, and uncovers a web of corruption revolving around the development of a casino in the city. Ryoo told us about the film in Venice.

Q: The original concept of "The City of Violence" came from main actor Jeong Doo-heong, a wellappreciated stunt and action choreogr...| More

Jeong Doo-hong, best martial arts movie director in Korea

Source | 2006/06/14 | Permalink |

One person is drawing extraordinary attention in the Korean movie industry these days. He is an indispensable figure in action films. The man in focus is director Jeong Doo-hong, who is considered the best martial arts director in Korea.
Devotion and purity

Jeong is widely regarded as the representative martial arts director for movies and is arguably the best stuntman in Korea. There are numerous episodes involving Jeong. We can easily spend half a day listening to stories about him from movie directors who worked with him, including Kim Yeong-bin, Jang Hyeon-soo and Kim Seong-soo. If we put together all the episodes about him derived from the production of movies and TV dramas, we could easily find enough stories to publish two volumes. Jeong has always been highly determined and oftentimes excessively opinionated, and ready to cause a big stir. But everyone who has gotten accustomed to working with him wants to work with him again. The reason is simple. When the director of a mo...| More