200 Pounds Beauty (Movie - 2006)

'Dreamgirls' Sweeps Korea Musical Awards

Source | 2009/10/27 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter

The musical "Dreamgirls" won six awards at the 15th Korea Musical Awards held at KBS Hall in Seoul, Monday night.

The musical won in six categories ― Best Foreign Musical, Best Actress, Best Producer, Best Set Design, Best Stage Technician and Best Orchestrations.

For this year's awards, a total of 58 musicals competed in 18 categories. Among them, 38 were Korean productions.

"Dreamgirls", which opened in February at Charlotte Theater in southern Seoul, was a big commercial success with sold-out performances.

The musical, better known as the Hollywood hit film starring Beyonce Knowles and Jennifer Hudson, had its premiere here as a co-production of OD Musical Company head Shin Chun-soo and American producer John F. Breglio.

With such devices as LED panels and glamorous lights, the musical triumphed in upgrading the '80s musical into a modern rendition starring a local cast. Its budget was some 10 billion won.

The show portray...| More

"Take Off" Takes Up Second Place at Box Office

Source | 2009/08/06 | 0 comments | Permalink |

While "Haeundae" continues to storm across the country Ski Jumping epic "Take Off" jumps into second place. Only eclipsed by Haeundae which has already has 4.7 million viewings "Take Off" is nearly itself at the one million mark in less than a week. KIM Yong-hwa the director had previously hit box office gold with comedy "200 Pounds Beauty" in 2006. "Take Off" also has significant star pull with actor HA Jeong-woo who playing the lead character. HA has been busy of late staring in "Boat" released this year in May and also stared in last year's "The Chaser".

HA plays an adopted Korean American who gets intertwined with Korea's North Jeolla Province's bid to host the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. While coming back to find his real mother he gets roped in to form Korea's first ski jump team. Along with a motley mix of others, the team must be ready to be able to assist with the province's campaign.

This is a busy week for Korean entertainment companies. While CJ's is handling sal...| More

HA Jeong-woo becomes a national ski jumper

Source | 2009/08/04 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Korean filmmakers have discovered a new-found love in sports dramas. Next is "200 Pounds Beauty" director KIM Yong-hwa who lined up HA Jeong-woo as an Olympic ski jumper. The underdog sports drama "Take Off" is based on real life events.

A ski jumping team is required for North Jeolla's Muju's 2002 Olympic winter games bid. A ski instructor with no ski jumping knowledge assembles a ragtag outfit who are as unlikely contenders as they come in underdog sports dramas.

HA's main character is an adoptee who is searching for his biological parents. He is reluctant to represent Korea because he feels betrayed by the Korean people. Another man joins because he is smitten with the pretty daughter of the coach. A third member wants to escape from his overbearing father, and the fourth hopes of success as a national athlete to avoid military duty because he is the breadwinner of the family.

The sports drama contains the recognisable elements of the genre, like the team building process, ...| More

Final 30 minutes saves overdone sports flick

Source | 2009/07/23 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Watching "Take Off" is like seeing a football match where one team engineers a come-from-behind win: the excitement begins just when you think it's all over.

The film focuses on Korea's oft-overlooked national ski jumping team. Those who enjoyed the 1993 U.S. movie "Cool Runnings" will find themselves smiling at familiar moments.

Like that film, based on the true story of the first Jamaican bobsled team to make it to the Winter Olympics, "Take Off" (or "Gukgadaepyo" in Korean) tells the emotional story of South Korean ski jumpers who struggle against both national indifference toward the sport and their own personal challenges.

Partly non-fiction, the film spotlights a hodge-podge team assembled to support the Korean city of Muju's bid for the Winter Olympics in 1996. At the time, the International Olympic Committee questioned how Korea could host the Winter Olympics without even having a ski jumping team.

Led by a former children's ski instructor who knows nothing about th...| More

Exhilarating 'Take Off' in Korean Sports Drama

Source | 2009/07/23 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Imagine, being perched above a vertigo-inducing height, swishing down a roller coaster-like slope and then freewheeling through the air ― with only a pair of skis to safeguard the landing.

Ski jumping is a minority within the sports scene here, but onscreen the icy game provides for the hottest summer movie experience. Packed with adrenaline rush, tastefully crafted drama and a rocking soundtrack, "Take Off" ("Ski Jump") lifts viewers onto a pulsating flight in this story about ski jumpers that dared to dream ― and fly.

Director Kim Yong-hwa didn't need to adopt the standard formula for sports films. Sure, the movie features conventional elements ― setting hurdles to overcome, overturning team dynamics and lots of sweating ― but truth is sometimes more interesting than fiction, and the filmmaker simply had to tell the amazing story, which he does with finesse.

Inspired by true events, the movie takes viewers to 1997 Muj...| More