Son Jae-gon (손재곤)

Marriage of Movies, Musicals in 2008

Source | 2008/01/14 | Permalink |

By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter

Koreans are using the word "movical" more and more these days. It is an apparent keyword to define a trend in the local musical industry.

"Movical", a combination of "movie" and "musical", refers to interaction between the two industries. It started with a local film, "Waikiki Brothers", (2001) directed by Lim Soon-rye, which was adapted for the musical stage in 2004.

For this year alone, about seven or eight musicals based on films are expected to be put on stage.

"Singles", the musical based on the namesake local film, which premiered last year, will launch its second season, starring singer-turned-actor Son Ho-young, former member of all-men pop group G.O.D. starting from Jan. 15 to Feb. 24 at Hoam Art Hall.

"Radio Star", based on the film featuring Park Joong-hoon and Ahn Seong-gi, will now be made into the musical, starring comedian-turned-actor Jung Sung-hwa who stole the limelight in last year's excellent performance of "Man of La...| More

Director's Cut Awards Diversity of Films

Source | 2006/12/28 | Permalink |

The Director's Cut Awards bestowed the Best Director Award upon HONG Sang-soo for the film "Woman on the Beach" (Haebyeonui Yeoin), the film depicts the struggle of relationships between men and women. Lee Song-hee-il was awarded the Best Independent Director Award, his gay themed "No Regret" (Hoohwehaji Anha) broke box office records for independent films. SON Jae-gon was voted Best New Director, he directed the successful comedy "My Scary Girl" (Dalkom, SalBeolhan Yeoin).

The Best Performers Award went to the cast of "The Host" (Gwemool), The main cast of Korea's most popular film includes: SONG Kang-ho, BAE Doona, KO Ah-seong and BYEON Hee-bong. CHOO Ja-hyeon received the Best New Actress Award and RYOO Deok-hwan was recognized with the Best New Actor Award. CHOO Ja-hyun starred in the crime film "Bloody Tie" (Sasaeng Gyeoldan) and "RYOO Deok-hwan" in the coming of age film "Like a Virgin" (Cheonhajangsa Madonna).

Korean Association of Film Art and Industry's director LEE Chun...| More

Hong Sang-soo Named Best Director

Source | 2006/12/22 | Permalink |

Hong Sang-soo of "Woman on the Beach" fame was chosen the best director by his peers.

At the Director's CUT Awards held Thursday evening, Hong was honored with the Best Director of 2006 award. Hong's latest work "Woman on the Beach" won an overwhelming number of votes for its mellow plot and witty twists.

The Best Independent Director of the Year award went to Lee Song-hee-il for the distinctly unique film "No Regret". Director Son Jae-gon of "My Scary Girl" was named the Best New Director of the Year.

Instead of separating the best actor and best actress award, this year's ceremony presented the "best performers award" to the starring cast of this year's mega hit "The Host", Byeon Hee-bong, Song Kang-ho, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona, and Ko Ah-seong.

Ryoo Deok-hwan of "Like a Virgin" received the Best New Actor Award and Choo Ja-hyeon of "Bloody Tie" the Best New Actress Award.

Lee Chun-yeon, director of the Korean Association of Film Art and Industry, was honored with the Fi...| More

Smart girl chooses two silent types to go missing with

Source | 2006/11/13 | Permalink |

"Whom did you like best ―Kim Sang-kyeong or Park Yong-woo?"
It's easy to appreciate the dilemma that 13-year-old actress Hahn Bo-bae found herself in as she was repeatedly asked to choose between the two famous men she has worked with for the last few months.

Watching the teenage girl giggle with embarrassment, Kim Sang-kyeong, sitting on her left, shook his head. Park Yong-woo, to her right, smiled and crossed his arms.
The three are appearing in the upcoming film "Quiet World", or "The Missing Girl", as it will be called outside Korea. Hahn is one of the missing girls and the two male actors are both looking for her but for different reasons. The three actors met with reporters for interviews last week at a Hongdae bar.
Kim plays a mysterious figure with the power to read minds. He is also a suspect in a serial abduction and murder case. Park is a policeman who tries to look tough wearing a grim look on his face all the time despite having a soft-hearted nature behind th...| More

Sweet, pretty and slightly murderous

Source | 2006/08/29 | Permalink |

Halfway through the film "My Scary Girl", there's an interesting round of dialogue between the main characters.
Dae-woo (Park Yong-woo), a timid university lecturer, comes down hard on his sweet murdering girlfriend Mi-na (played by Choi Kang-hee) to tell the truth about who she really is. Mi-na replies, "I'm no different from that girl over there", and points to an ordinary-looking woman across for her table in a restaurant; the woman is sweetly wanly at her date.
Perhaps she has the right to be seen as an ordinary woman, at least to the man she loves.
The film, which was released under the Korean title "Sweet Bloody Lover", is a black comedy that explores the secrets behind every potential lover's sweetness, and how absurdly people can forget those flaws once their eyes are blinded by love.
The heroine is an ordinary-looking woman who also happens to be a murderer. Yet even without the extreme metaphor, it's evident that the director, Son Jae-gon, was trying to portray the moment...| More