Korean movie news

2008/04/21 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Actor/singer "Rain" (Bi) entered the "100 of the World's Most Influential People" of the leading weekly magazine Time for the third consecutive year. He has also been selected for the related "10 questions" video interview, according to his representative agency J. Tune entertainment.

This year and last year, "Rain" is on top of the online voting list for Time's 100 of the World's Most Influential people. "Rain" first featured in the prestigious list in 2006.

"Rain"'s real name is JUNG Ji-hoon which he used for his film debut in PARK Chan-wook's "I'm a Cyborg, but that's Ok" (Cyborgjiman Gwaenchanha). "Rain" is currently promoting his international film debut, the Wachowski brothers directed Speed Racer, and "Rain" is also cast in the Wachowski brothers next project "Ninja Assassin".

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

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2008/04/21 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Director/writer RYOO Jang-ha makes his comeback after his 2004 "Springtime" (Kkotbineun Bomi Omyeon) featuring CHOI Min-sik, with the romantic drama Soonjeongmanwha (English translation: "pure comic strip") starring YOO Ji-tae and LEE Yeon-hee.

The film's about a thirty-year-old office employee and a female student who run into each other every morning at an elevator. Both are secretly in love with each other.

Filming commenced on the first day of April. The film is scheduled for a release in the fall. The romantic drama is produced by Let's Film.

YOO Ji-tae played CHOI Min-sik's character's nemesis in PARK Chan-wook's "Old Boy". He also starred in the period piece "Hwangjin-y - Movie - 2007" and HONG Sang-soo's "Woman is the Future of Man" (Yojaneun Namjaui Miraeda). In addition, YOO directs short films.

LEE Yeon-hee is seen in LEE Myeong-se's "M" opposite of KANG Dong-won and the romantic teen film "A Millionaire's First Love" (Baekmanjangjaui Cheotsarang). She's one ...

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2008/04/21 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

YOO Seung-ho is one of Korea's most popular child actors since the film The Way Home (Jibero) in which he played a spoiled city boy left with his grandmother in the country. YOO's next film will be "Unforgettable" (Seouli Bonya, English translation: "can you see Seoul?"), two years after his latest film "Hearty Paws" ("Heart is.".. - Maeumi).

The film reunites YOO with director SONG Dong-yoon, the two also collaborated on Woori Seonsaengnim in 2005. The Cinema Service production will be released on May 8.

Seouli Bonya is set in the seventies. A school on the island Sindo of the Korean west coast receives an invitation from a Seoul based candy factory. The invitation is only for twelve students, but all the students start fantasising about eating candy in Seoul. The film employs the 'dreams can come true' theme.

"The Way Home" was a surprise hit film in 2002. The drama's warm content of a spoilt boy learning from his modest and poor grandmother struck a cord with Korean audie...

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2008/04/21 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Singer Jang Nara was the only Korean singer to participate in the recent recording of a special theme song to celebrate the 100th day leading to the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics.

According to her official website, http://www.narajjang.com, the organizing committee of the Beijing Olympics created the special song entitled "Beijing Welcomes You". A total of 100 celebrities from China, Taiwain, Beijing and Korea took part in the song recording. The music video will be premiered on the eve of D-100 on April 30.

Famous celebrities who participated in the recording include Jackie Chan, Karen Mok, Nicholas Tse and Wang Leehom.

Jang, who recently released her latest album across Asia, will visit Beijing to celebrate the eve of D-100 of the Beijing Olympics. She will also promote her new album in Taiwan....

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2008/04/21 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Actor Kim Myeong-min attended a fan meeting event in Japan for the first time.

Kim's management company K&Entertainment said the actor attended the fan meeting at the Nagano Sun Plaza in Tokyo on April 20. The fan meeting was organized to celebrate the official release of the DVD of "White Tower", a popular drama series in which Kim starred. Kim was accompanied by actor Lee Seon-gyoon, among others.

Prior to the fan meeting, Kim held a press conference with Japanese reporters. After the fan meeting, the actor personally shook hands with his fans who attended the event.

"White Tower" is a popular Japanese drama series which was aired in Japan in 1978 and 2003. The drama was remade into a Korean version last year and became a big hit. Kim appeared in the drama as cool-headed surgeon Jang Jun-hyuk.

In the meantime, Kim has been cast in the brand new drama series on MBC TV "Beethoven Virus". He will take on the role of orchestra maestro Kang Gun-woo alongside new actress Lee Ji...

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2008/04/21 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Director Yoon Jong-bin created a favorable buzz in 2006 when he unveiled his thought-provoking debut feature "The Unforgiven", highlighting the hidden talent of actor Ha Jeong-woo. Yoon's casting choice turned out to be prescient. Ha is now the most sought-after film star following the runaway success of "The Chaser", a thriller that further showcases the actor's passionate acting spirit.

But it seems questionable whether Yoon has made a right casting choice for "The Moonlight of Seoul" (Korean title: "Beastie Boys"), a drama in which Ha is recruited to play a central character for the second time with the same director.

The film, to be released on April 30, loosely reflects filmmaker Yoon's continued interest in the painful social trap that puts a stifling screw upon the life of Korean men. Previously, Yoon brought to life the suffocating pain in his award-winning "The Unforgiven" in a way that impressed critics at film festivals. The trouble is that, unlike Yoon's first feature...

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2008/04/20 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

One of the world's largest and most influential film events for women, the 10th International Women's Film's Festival in Seoul (IWFFIS), came to a close Friday. The festival may have ended, but nine-days of enabling people to "see the world through women's eyes" left a lasting impression.

The festival celebrated its big birthday with a big party, showing 140 films from 30 countries. It attracted over 50 thousand people, including over 40 female cineastes and scholars from 14 countries. Screenings recorded an average capacity of 86 percent, with numerous sell-outs.

Special guests included esteemed directors such as Peng Xiaolian, the first Chinese filmmaker; Helena Trestikova, recipient of the 2007 Best Czech Documentary Film Award; and Barbara Hammer, who presented an intriguing documentary on women divers native to Jeju Island.

The IWFFIS, being a playground for artistic and intellectual discussion, held two seminars at Ewha Womans Universit...

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2008/04/19 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

By Nigel D'Sa
Contributing Writer

The 9th Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) is nearing, and an impressive line-up of films has been announced for this year's event.

Set in its picturesque namesake city in Jeollabuk-do (province), JIFF runs May 1-9, bringing together innovative and independent films and filmmakers from around the world.

This year's program boasts a record total of 169 films with opening night going to Manda Kunitoshi's The Kiss in its International Premiere.

Japanese writer-turned-director Manda has already gained notice and won prizes at Cannes for his previous films, making this latest work highly anticipated.

JIFF's curtain-closer will be the Korean omnibus film "If You Were Me 4", produced by the National Human Rights Commission.

Each film in the series has a human rights issue as its theme with past concerns ranging from discrimination to forced surgery and bringing together a group of talented directors.

This year's project fe...

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2008/04/18 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Does a solemn vow as man and wife mean more to one person than another?
The movie "Cross Scandal" ("Changing Partners") asks its viewers to probe the intricacies of that question about the meaning of marriage.
One-night stands, spouse swapping and seduction replete with exaggerated sexual movements: That was what I imagined when I first read the story line.
Cross Scandal, however, tries to convey more than just another love affair.
On the one hand, its main characters, Yun-a (Uhm Jung-hwa) and Min-jae (Park Yong-woo), who have been married for three years, are like best friends.
On the other hand, So-yeo (Han Chae-young) and Young-jun (Lee Dong-geon), another couple, barely talk to each another.
The two couples meet at a social gathering and the sparks fly — but in all the worst ways.
Both couples find themselves attracted to the others' spouse.
The fact that the object of their desire is someone else's partner, something just out of reach, causes their desire to grow uncontrol...

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2008/04/18 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Korean star Lee Byeong-heon is returning to TV screen in a spy thriller titled "Iris". Lee's first TV drama in five years since his starring role in "All In", "Iris" is Korea's first attempt at a high-tech spy thriller filled with flashy action scenes, cool cutting-edge devices, and scenic overseas locations.

The 20 million-dollar action-packed drama is directed by Kang Je-gyu of "Taegukgi: Brotherhood of War" and Lee Hyeong-min of "Sorry, I Love You" and produced jointly by Taewon Entertainment, which had made the global project "Three Kingdoms: Resurrection Of The Dragon".Filming will begin later this year and take place in Russia, Japan, China and the United States. The twenty-parter "Iris" is scheduled to be aired early next year.

Lee has just wrapped up filming the French-American movie "I Come with the Rain" with Josh Hartnett and is getting ready to shoot "G. I. Joe". Lee will be playing Korean ninja Storm Shadow in the action flick. The multi-national collaboration co-sta...

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