Nam Goong-min (남궁민)

'Beautiful Sunday' at the Park Inferno

2008/06/19 | Permalink |

Park Yong-woo gives it all in a convoluted thriller

Kyu Hyun Kim (qhyunkim)

Well, here is another Korean movie that you suspect that the title (the Korean-language moniker, too, is the English phrase "Beautiful Sunday") was meant to be heavily ironic, given that it involves a police detective who gradually sinks into the cesspool of corruption and moral confusion in order to pay medical bills for his comatose wife, and an uber-creep who rapes a woman and then marries her later, hiding his true identity. "Beautiful Sunday", indeed.

Detective Kang (Park Yong-woo, "My Scary Girl", "Blood Rain") is making deals with scumbag drug lords, marked for death by his arch-enemy Sang-tae (Kim Dong-ha), falling asleep at a stakeout, and otherwise unraveling at the seams. His colleagues openly question his motives, and the sympathetic department chief can do only so much for him. In a separate stand of...| More

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The Korean Gangland Is 'a Dirty Carnival'

2008/05/26 | Source | Permalink |

Yoo Ha's searing crime melodrama deserves kudos

Kyu Hyun Kim (qhyunkim)

Byung-Doo, lanky and adorable, (played by TV drama star Jo In-Seong from "Something Happened in Bali") is a 29-year-old career criminal working for the middle-rank enforcer Sang-Chul (Yoon Je-Moon, a Molotov-cocktail-loving vagrant in "The Host"). Burdened with a terminally ill mother and taking care of younger siblings, Byung-Doo is feeling financial pressure as a substitute patriarch. When the big boss President Hwang (Cheon Ho-Jin, "The Big Swindle", "Crying Fist") is cornered by a corrupt prosecutor, Byung-Doo volunteers for a whack job and wins the man's trust. However, his real trouble begins when friend Min-Ho (Nam Goong-min), an aspiring movie director, asks him to be a "consultant" for the latter's debut film, a gangster epic not unlike "Dirty Carnival".

Yoo Ha's follow-up to the successful "Once Upon a Tim...| More

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Watched this again last night with a cousin who is also a Jo In Sung fan-a-tic. Love his acting in the movie. Can't wait for the next one. ginger ale 2008-05-30 19:49:12

Actor Park Yong-woo

2007/03/22 | Source | Permalink |

Jin Kwang-gyo, director of the film "Beautiful Sunday": What was the most difficult scene to film in "Beautiful Sunday"?

"I'd say it was the scene where I meet Nam Goong-min at the end of the film. Although it was the most important scene, where the intensity of emotion reached its climax, it was shot during the early stages of filming. I wasn't sure whether or not it was right".

Seok Myeong-hong, CEO of Cineline, the production company of "Beautiful Sunday": Have you ever regretted rejecting an offer to star in a film?

"Many times. Some films became very successful while others didn't. I don't want to name the titles. Some people call it destiny which repeatedly torments actors. There is no correct answer and regretting does not do any good. However, the success of a film does not last forever".

Shin Gyeong-ho, Director of Star Park – management agency of Park Yong-woo: You have been driving your car for eight years? Would you like to sell it to me at a low price? And how ...| More

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Actor Park Yong-woo, No More 'Good Guy'

2006/08/28 | Source | Permalink |

By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter

When actor Park Yong-woo showed up last Sunday at an indoor set in Taejon, he looked different. Gone was the soft image he had shown in previous roles. Instead, he was slimmer, which gave a sharp and sad impression, and most noticeably, he wasn't wearing his trademark warm smile.

For his new film "Beautiful Sunday", Park said he had to get rid of his "good guy" image.

"When a person is pushed to an edge, they become keen and lose weight. I wanted to deliver such impression", Park said Sunday during a news conference followed by the shooting of the film at the set.

"I think my face doesn't give audiences a strong impression, so I tried to lose weight to give my face a sharper outline", he added.

He lost about eight kilograms for the film by adopting an intensive diet and also because of his demanding schedule. His schedule was so tight that he had to get an injection of Ringer's solution, or nutrient shot, several times while filming.

Di...| More

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Film "Dirty Carnival" Draws 2 Million Viewers

2006/07/20 | Source | Permalink |

The film "A Dirty Carnival", starring Jo In-seong, has drawn two million viewers just a month after its opening.

The movie's promotion company said July 19 that "A Dirty Carnival", which opened June 15 just in time for the World Cup fervor, has made a successful run in the domestic box-office on par with Hollywood blockbusters.

The movie's success can be attributed to the excellent directing skills of its director, "Yoo Ha", as well as the superior acting of its cast, which includes Jo, "Jin Goo", Nam Goong-min, Cheon Ho-jin and Lee Bo-yeong. Despite a somewhat heavy plot for a summer movie, "A Dirty Carnival" captivated viewers' hearts with its heartfelt story about real life. Adding to the movie's popularity was an active promotion campaign that lasted for three weeks after the film's opening. Jo in particular received rave reviews for his true-to-life portrayal of a gangster.

With few successful domestic movies opening in the first half of the year, with the exception of "T...| More

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