Ha Jeong-woo (하정우)

2008/04/29 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Actor Ha Jeong-woo has gone from cold-blooded murderer to a professional Casanova whom women pay to be with.

In his new movie, "The Moonlight of Seoul" ("Beastie Boys" in Korean), the actor plays a man who serves drinks and dances with women at a host bar.

The role is a substantial departure from the brutal killer he played in the hit thriller "The Chaser", which attracted five million viewers nationwide.

In "Moonlight", Ha plays Jae-hyeon, who lives for the day, talks big and tries to con people. While using his roommate/girlfriend to get 50 million won, he brings other women to their home. Instead of being driven away by his brazenness, plenty of women seem eager to vie for his affection.

To perfect his role, Ha said he read interviews of 200 men who worked at host bars and met some of them. He told the Dong-A Ilbo, "Some of these guys are real professionals. They know how to get their clients to open their wallets. They even have detailed manuals to win their hearts".

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2008/04/27 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

The world's premier film event, Festival de Cannes, will open for the 61st time May 14-25 in the southern French port city. While there are no Korean entrees this year in the main competition section, five films ― including the world premiere of the anticipated blockbuster "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" ― will shine in other sections of the festival.

"The Good, the Bad, the Weird", directed by Kim Ji-woon, will be shown in the Out of Competition section. This "oriental Western" features exciting horseback races and train rides in vast Mongolian plains.

It stars three of the hottest Korean actors ― hallyu star Lee Byeong-heon (TV soap "All In"), heartbreaker Jeong Woo-seong ("Daisy") and bona fide actor Song Kang-ho ("Secret Sunshine").

The film will receive its own gala event, complete with a red carpet event. It is anticipated to be a big highlight along with the premiere of films like Woody Allen's "Vicky Christina Barcelon...

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2008/04/24 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Young, stylish director Yoon Jong-bin is releasing "The Moonlight of Seoul" (aka. "Beastie Boys"), his second feature film starring Ha Jeong-woo. The gleaming cast also includes singer-turned-actor Yoon Kye-sang and up and upcoming actress Yoon Jin-seo.

Director Yoon and Ha reunite for another guy movie dealing with a provoking subject matter after their critically acclaimed homosexual soldier story "The Unforgiven" (2006), which made both of them landmarks on the cinematic map.

Away from army barracks, "Moonlight" takes us to the posh strip of Cheongdam-dong in the heart of downtown Seoul. When night falls, the glitzy Louis Vuitton road shop and high-end art galleries go into deep slumber and another world awakens.

But "Moonlight" goes beyond your idea of a thrilling nightlife. It's about excessive partying in all its capitalistic glory: rich but lonely ladies (mostly 30-something businesswomen) flock to an upscale "room salon" (bar with pri...

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2008/04/23 | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Official selection (Out of Competition) :

"The Chaser" by Na Hong-jin with Kim Yoon-seok and Ha Jeong-woo
"The Good, the Bad, the Weird" by Kim Ji-woon with Lee Byeong-heon, Song Kang-ho and Jeong Woo-seong

Un Certin Regard :

"Tokyo", omnibus film by Leos Carax, Michel Gondry and Bong Joon-ho

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2008/04/22 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

In his debut feature "The Unforgiven" (2006), director YOON Jong-bin showed us a side of men and masculine codes in the Korean military with honesty and sensitivity. Now YOON is back with his sophomore effort, a film which shows another side of men, this time male hosts who serve female clients in discreet salons tucked into the affluent fashion districts of southern Seoul. Opening April 30, "The Moonlight of Seoul" (titled Beastie Boys in Korean) stars the talented and now famous HA Jeong-woo ("The Chaser") along with YOON Kye-sang ("Flying Boys").

The story centers around Seung-woo (played by YOON), who, was once quite wealthy but after a turn in fortunes, joins a 'host bar' to make ends meet, and Jae-hyeon (played by HA), a partner and manager at the host bar, living a reckless life. Seung-woo falls in love with a client (played by YOON Jin-seo), one of many females hostesses who frequent the place to let off steam from their own line of work and but the couple are plagued by...

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