Kim Hae-gon (김해곤)

[Talk of the town] Happy days are here again for reluctant superhero

Source | 2008/07/09 | 0 comments | Permalink |

John Hancock (Will Smith), the miserable superhero in Peter Berg's "Hancock", should be happy now.
Released last Thursday, the film is number one at the box office in Korea.
According to the Korean Film Council, Hancock attracted 948,397 viewers during the weekend (July 4 to 6), outnumbering Timur Bekmambetov's action film "Wanted", which ranked second.
Third on list was the Korean action thriller "Public Enemy Returns", directed by Kang Woo-seok.


Writers and directors rally against beef imports

The film industry has expressed support for protests concerning the resumption of U.S. beef imports.
The 22 Korean film screenwriters include Kim Hae-gon who wrote "Failan" (2001), Han Ji-hoon who wrote "Taegukgi" (2004) and Lee Won-jae who wrote "Blood Rain" (2005).
The scribes who participated in the candlelight rallies issued a statement on Monday that said, "The government isn't willing to communicate with its people and it's trying to suppress the rallies through violent means...| More

A Whole New 'Fate' for Song Seung-heon

Source | 2008/03/24 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Song Seung-heon used to play sweet, gentle parts, mainly in sad melodramas that squeezed copious tears from his women fans. But in his first work after being discharged from the military, Song is reborn as an explosive, wild and tough guy. He stars in the gangster movie "Fate" with Kwon Sang-woo and Ji Seong. The movie was sold to Japan for US$2 million last year, even before production had been completed. And more than 30 percent of tickets for the movie are booked even before its release, such is the curiosity about the film.

Song plays Woomin, a gangster who enjoys the trust of his boss and colleagues. "I thought hard about my first work after the discharge. I chose 'Destiny' in the end because I wanted to change my gentle image. My family and friends were against my decision, but I wanted a completely new, wild and masculine image, because I'm returning after a long break. So while I was thinking about my new image, I read the 'Destiny' screenplay and heard that director Kim H...| More

"Fate", When Pretty Boys Go Bad

Source | 2008/03/20 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

In the star-studded gangster film "Fate", friends become foes and "pretty" actors get rough. Actor-turned-director Kim Hae-gon casts hallyu TV stars Kwon Sang-woo ("Stairway to Heaven") and Song Seung-heon ("Autumn in my Heart") and other familiar faces to play unfamiliar roles.

"Fate" is a quintessential commercial flick that feeds on star power, provocative action and melodrama. While weak storytelling and exhausting running time wane the fun, the actors' engaging performances fill in the missing links.

In the dark criminal world of Seoul, U-min (Song), Cheol-jung (Kwon), Do-wan (Kim In-kwon) and Yeong-hwan (Ji Seong) are close friends in a gang. One day, with the help of an older member Gang-seop (Ahn Nae-seong), U-min, Cheol-jung and Do-wan attack the gang's casino so they can start new lives. But their plan goes awry when Cheol-jung betrays them, and U-min goes to prison. He becomes the scapegoat to save his friends' lives.

After serving...| More

Actors Kwon, Song Get Rough in 'Fate'

Source | 2008/03/18 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

"Fate" is the talk of the town as actor-turned director Kim Hae-gon brings together not just one but four of the hottest Korean actors in his second feature film: hallyu stars Kwon Sang-woo (2003 SBS drama "Stairway to Heaven") and Seung-heon ("Autumn in My Heart" 2000 KBS2), heartthrob Ji Seong ("All In", 2003 SBS) and bona-fide actor Kim In-kwon ("My Father", 2007).

"The Fate" tells the story of a group of close friends who rule the underworld of Seoul. One day they scheme to steal casino money, so they leave their mob. They almost succeed ― until Cheol-jung (Kwon) betrays them. While Wu-min (Song) is forced to go to prison on behalf of the gang, everyone's lives are torn apart by lustful desires and other mishaps. After serving his two-year term, Wu-min tries to rectify things, including reclaiming his beautiful girlfriend (Park Han-byeol). But unfortunate twists of fate set off one misunderstanding after another, and best friends become t...| More

[Movie Review] 'Fate' a tale of two gangsters

Source | 2008/03/18 | 0 comments | Permalink |

"Fate" (Sukmyeong) packs plenty of heart-pumping action sequences on the strength of high-profile Korean Wave stars but its heavy reliance on stylized images without offering background details stops short of expectations. In the movie, we see the downfall of a handsome and kind-hearted gangster Woo-min (Song Seung-heon) who attempts to hit it big by attacking a casino along with his close friends including Cheol-jung (Kwon Sang-woo).

Somehow, they manage to escape with bags of cash, but it turns out that Cheol-jung, a short-tempered, foul-mouthed money-will-solve-everything villain, has sold them out for a reward in a secret contract that he hopes will land him a comfortable life.

After all, Cheol-jung's unwavering belief about life is that money talks the loudest and nothing else, even lifetime friendship, counts.

Playing a scapegoat, Woo-min serves a two-year prison term, showcasing his willingness to sacrifice for his friends. Once out of prison, however, he realizes that ...| More