Song Kang-ho (송강호)

'The Good, The Bad, The Weird' to be Released in Japan

Source | 2009/06/11 | Permalink |

After success at home, last year's Cannes Film Festival and at festivals around the world, KIM Ji-woon's "The Good, The Bad, The Weird" is finally opening in Japan. The film, released almost a year ago in Korea July 17 2008 will open in Japan August 29. In Japan it will play on 100 screens including the high profile Toho Cinemas Chanter in Ginza and T-Joy Shinjuku Wald 9. Distribution is being handled jointly by CJ Entertainment and Japan's Show Gate, the first time a consortium has been created to handle the international release of a Korean film. Even though the film has garnered much attention worldwide its success in Japan remains to be seen given the portrayal of the Japanese army who pursue the lead characters throughout the film during the annexation of Manchuria in the 1930s. Japan is also famous for its own unique blend of avante guarde, spaghetti style, kung fu cult movies.
"The Good, The Bad, The Weird" is set during the early part of the century when Korea too was in ...| More

[ChanMi's movie news] "Himalaya, Where the Wind Dwells" released soon!

Source | 2009/06/03 | Permalink |

This will be Choi Min-sik's first movie in 4 years!

The film's title is "Himalaya, WHere the Wind Dwells" for which there was a press meeting.

Here, Song Kang-ho came to congratulate...| More

Pass the spaghetti for a rambunctious remak

Source | 2009/05/28 | Permalink |

Based on perhaps the greatest western of all time, "The Good, the Bad, the Weird", last year's Korean blockbuster now out on DVD with English subtitles, has big shoes to fill. And though none of its three main characters may have the one-of-a-kind charisma of Clint Eastwood, overall this re-setting of the Sergio Leone classic amid the wartime chaos of 1930s Manchuria is a fast, funny and exhilarating ride.

Here, the Confederate gold of the original is swapped out for a mysterious treasure depicted on a Russian map, which the Japanese army, the Korean independence fighters and a quirky group of Manchurian nomads are all pursuing.

In this new version, standing in for the Good is Park Do-won (Jeong Woo-seong), a bounty hunter hired by the Koreans to retrieve the map. The Bad is Park Chang-yi (Lee Byeong-heon), a pretty boy bandit who looks and acts a bit like a cross between Rain and Jack Sparrow, who starts out working for the map's double-crossing owner. The final piece - the "wei...| More

'I Got Heartfelt Ovation in Cannes'

Source | 2009/05/28 | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Director Park Chan-wook, who won the Jury Prize at the 62nd Cannes International Film Festival for "Thirst" Sunday, said he had secretly anticipated a win, he told reporters in Seoul Thursday.

"The audience's response was so heated. I wouldn't be able to win if the jury didn't like it, but it was the first time I ever received such a heartfelt ovation, so I began to hope for the chance", he said. This is his second Jury Prize ― which he shared with Andrea Arnold's "Fish Tank" ― from the prestigious French event after "Old Boy" in 2004.

"Thirst" is a bloody thriller about a priest who turns into a vampire and agonizes over his newfound desire for blood and sex. The film received critical acclaim, but the response among regular moviegoers is often split.

It was the first time a vampire film entered the competition pool at Cannes.

"I heard it was the first vampire film entered the competition pool in the history of Cannes. In Kore...| More

Park Chan-wook of 'Thirst' Receives Jury Award at Cannes Festival

Source | 2009/05/27 | Permalink |

Park Chan-wook has been given an award at the Cannes Film Festival. He said, "I felt like I had already received an award when I was invited to compete with the world's best filmmakers, but after I received big applause at the gala screening and then a real award, it's like I've received three awards in all". His movie "Thirst" earned him the jury award at the 62nd Cannes International Festival.

In an interview on May 25 at a hotel in Cannes, he said that of all the ovations he has received so far the ovation that he received in Cannes this time was the greatest. "Awards aside, I just prayed that viewers won't ridicule my movie or leave the theater during the middle. I was happy to see them like my movie", said Park.

Park, who received the first jury award in 2004 for his movie "Old Boy", snatched another one five years later, strengthening his status as a world-renowned filmmaker. On the question on whether or not he was upset because he didn't receive a more prestigious award, ...| More