Kim Yong-gyoon (김용균)

'Sword' presents the softer side of actress Soo-ae

Source | 2009/10/01 | 0 comments | Permalink |

For years, top female actresses in Korea took turns playing the historical figures Jang Hi-bin and Hwang Jin-hi in the movies.

Now, you can add Empress Myeongseong to the list.

Stars including Kang Soo-yeon, Choi Myeong-gil, Chae Si-ra, Lee Mi-yeon and Moon Geun-yeong have recently played the role of the hwanghu, which means empress in Korean.

The latest: actress Soo-ae, known throughout the country for her classical beauty. Soo-ae plays Empress Myeongseong in the recently released film "The Sword with No Name", which is based on a book by Ya Seol-lok and was directed by Kim Yong-gyoon.

The movie depicts a desperate romance between the empress and warrior Mu-myeong (Jo Seung-woo). The empress, a forward-thinking advocate of modernity, wields her political influence to further her ideals. But she is often at odds with her orthodox father-in-law, regent Daewon-gun (Cheon Ho-jin), and meets a tragic death in her lover's arms. The movie is loosely based on history, but there ar...| More

Another side to Empress Myeongseong

Source | 2009/08/26 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Film focuses on her possible love affair

Empress Myeongseong of the Joseon Dynasty is one of the most talked-about figures in Korean history due to her extraordinary life, which was highlighted by political ambition and tragic death.

So it's no wonder that she's been at the center of various productions such as the acclaimed musical "The Last Empress" and the 2001 hit TV series "Empress Myeongseong".

A new film to be released late next month is tackling her story again, with a twist.

The movie, called "The Sword with No Name", examines the life of the empress through the lens of a love affair between her and a bodyguard.

"The productions depicting the life of Empress Myeongseong so far have shown the charismatic side of her, but I think there must have been a soft side to her, because she was a woman after all", Kim Mi-hee, the producer of the film, said during a press conference Tuesday.

"In the film, we focused on the more personal aspects of the life of the empres...| More

Soo-ae and Jo Seung-woo in royal drama

Source | 2009/08/14 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Director KIM Yong-gyoon cast Soo-ae as Chosun era queen Myeong-seong in his period drama "The Sword With No Name". Jo Seung-woo will play the queen's bodyguard.

The film is a combination of action, drama, and romance. The film is scheduled to enter Korean cinemas in September this year.

Soo-ae lead the cast of LEE Joon-ik's "Sunny" and starred alongside LEE Byeong-heon in "Once in a Summer". Jo played the lead in box office hit "Tazza: The High Rollers" ("The War of Flower") and played a mentally challenged man in "Marathon". KIM previously directed horror film "Red Shoes" and "Wanee and Junah".

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

[TALK OF THE TOWN] Jo Seung-woo keeps army date quiet to avoid public attention

Source | 2008/12/17 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Sometimes saying nothing draws more attention. It's the case for actor Jo Seung-woo, who appeared at the army training camp in Nonsan, South Chungcheong, last Monday.

Many fans were surprised that he suddenly joined the army. According to PL Entertainment, Jo wanted to avert public attention and the date of his enlistment wasn't announced in advance.

After five weeks of training in Nonsan, he will be stationed at an army camp, but the location hasn't been decided yet. His service ends on Oct. 23, 2010.

Meanwhile, Jo finished shooting "The Sword with No Name" last month, a film directed by Kim Yong-gyoon. ...| More

'Red Shoes' [Film and DVD Review]

Source | 2006/02/14 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Engrossing horror flick showcases the talents of Kim Hye-soo
Kim Kyu Hyun (internews)

A note to the readers: Woo Sung Region 3 DVD of "Red Shoes" contains two versions of the film, substantially different from one another. The non-theatrical and DVD-specific edition is identified as the "Rated for 18 or older" version, so I will refer to it as the "18+" version throughout this review.

"Red Shoes" is about a pair of dancing shoes (actually pink in the film) with a heavy-duty hex placed on them. As the film opens, a high school girl who tries them on at a subway station has her feet gobbled up by them. The poor girl is left screaming her lungs out, gazing at the stumps of her chopped-off ankles, while the pink shoes in question (in a nicely old-fashioned stop-motion shot) noisily slurps up the gushing rivulets of blood. Oh my. Not exactly Emeric Pressburger material, is it?


Production Notes

A Generation Blue Films/Cineclick Asia/Cinewise Films/Sovik Venture Capital...| More