Choi Dong-hoon (최동훈)

World Beware: The Wizard is Coming this Summer

Source | 2009/06/05 | Permalink |

Korea's own super hero movie "Jeon Woo-chi" is set for release this summer. The movie is highly anticipated not just because of its colloquial superhero themes but its super star cast and director. Choi Dong-hoon known for the colourfully large "War of the Flower" (2006) and "The Big Swindle" (2004) helms this ambitious Taoist action film feat. Equally as well known as Choi are its actors who are mainstays in Korean cinema. Kang Dong-won, young star of 'M' (2007) and The "Duelist" (2005) plays the mischievous time transported hero fighting against Kim Yoon-seok the detective anti hero in last year's surprise hit, thriller "The Chaser" (2008). Im Soo-Jeong from Kim Jee-woon's "A Tale of Two Sisters" fame and Park Chan-wook's "I'm a Cyborg, But That's Ok" also appears in the film along with Yoo Hae-jin who worked with Choi on "War of the Flower" and a host of other films.

Even though a superhero flick, Cho Dong-hoon has taken the familiar family genre, fused it with Korean h...| More

Korean Cinematography Booms on High-quality, Lucrative Productions

Source | 2009/05/21 | Permalink |

Korean cinematography has been thriving recently as more movies continue to draw scores of viewers to theaters, bringing in impressive revenues and receiving positive feedback both from domestic and foreign critics. As more viewers these days are attaching more importance to the uniqueness of movies rather than their scale, Korean movies are expected to continue to enjoy popularity for the time being. But some have voiced concerns that their success could be short-lived because many Hollywood blockbusters are set to open later this year.

The Korean film market remained stagnant in the first three months of the year despite the success of "Speedy Scandal" and "Old Partner", which opened this past December and January, respectively. The number of viewers during that period plummeted 19 percent from the same period a year ago, according to the Korean Film Council. Viewers began paying attention to domestic movies again around mid-April, when several hits including "Thirst" opened.

D...| More

What's on Cultural Horizon in 2009?

Source | 2008/12/30 | Permalink |

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

The year 2009 is now finally around the corner, and it is about time to prepare for the New Year. The past year was an interesting one, and readers can now preview what is planned in 2009.

Dramas

Historical Dramas on the Rise: The three major networks are planning to air three distinctive historical dramas next year, MBC with "Queen Seon-deok", KBS with "The Iron Empress" and SBS with "Princess Ja Myung Go".

The three dramas will touch on the lives of powerful women during the period in which the programs are set: the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392), the Silla Kingdom (668-935) and the Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C.-A.D.668), respectively.

Starring Ko Hyeon-jeong and Lee Yo-won, "Queen Seon-deok" will carry the story of the first queen to rule during Goryeo, while "The Iron Empress" will bring back the courageous grand daughter of King Taejo (47-165), played by Chae Si-ra, and her lifelong struggle to protect the country her ancestors built. "Prince...| More

Filmmakers eye hit with stories from other genres

Source | 2008/11/03 | Permalink |

A good movie tends to have a good script. What if a director fails to get one? No need to worry, because Korean filmmakers are quick to borrow from other genres such as comics and novels.

A striking case in point is "My Wife Got Married", a provocative tale about bigamy adapted from the bestselling novel of the same title, written by Park Hyun-wook. The movie debuted on Oct. 23 and shot up to No. 1 at the box office here, demonstrating that good storytelling works across different platforms.

Other filmmakers with a similar cross-breeding approach seem to have taken heart from the positive performance of "My Wife Got Married".

"Antique", to be released Nov. 13, falls into the same category, though the original story comes from a bestselling Japanese comic series. Directed by Min Gyoo-dong, the film features Joo Ji-hoon, who surged to stardom through his stellar performance in the hit TV drama "Princess Hours". In the movie, which explicitly targets female audiences, Joo plays J...| More

CHOI Dong-hoon's Comic Fantasy: "Jeon Woo Chi"

Source | 2008/08/27 | Permalink |

Director CHOI Dong-hoon, who made a splash in the local film industry with his high stakes thrillers, "The Big Swindle" (2004) and "Tazza: The High Rollers" ("The War of Flower", 2006), is currently in pre-production on his latest project, tentatively titled "Jeon Woo Chi". The big budget US$12 million production now has three quarters of its financing secured and will participate in the Pusan Promotion Plan (PPP) a major project pre-market during the 13th Pusan International Film Festival.

Highly successful producer LEE Eugene ("You Are My Sunshine", "Voice of Murder") and her shingle Zip Cinema will produce the project with financial backing from CJ Entertainment and United Pictures. The star cast includes KANG Don-won ("M") as the title character Jeon, IM Soo-jeong ("Happiness"), and KIM Yoon-seok ("The Chaser").

The story begins in the Chosun Dynasty in 1509 and involves a trio of Taoist wizards, a magician named "Jeon Woo Chi" (KANG Dong-won) and his dog, a corrupt king,...| More