| Actor taking movie world by storm with ' Rain ' (Source) |
2009/10/01 |
'I think the makings of a good actor in Korea translate to anywhere in the world'. - Actor Lee Byeong-heon
October 02, 2009
Lee Byeong-heon made waves in America after his successful debut in Hollywood this summer with the blockbuster "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra". But he's also turning heads for his role in "I Come with the Rain", directed by Vietnamese-French filmaker Tran Anh Hung.
The film is generating huge buzz here ahead of its debut in Korea next Thursday at the 14th Pusan International Film Festival in Busan. Movie fans snapped up all the available tickets for the screening within 38 seconds after they went on sale.
Tran made his mark on the film industry with "The Scent of Green Papaya", which won the Golden Camera Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1993, and "Cyclo", which received the Il Leone d'Oro, or the Golden Lion award, at the Venezia Film Festival in 1995.
His latest film features three major stars from three countries: Josh Hartnett from the United St... |More
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| 'Marine' Stays Afloat With Supporting Acts (Source) |
2009/01/22 |
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
It's about time the Korean Peninsula saw a maritime action flick. "Marine Boy" indeed features the most water treading sequences in South Korean cinema ― something only a fearless newcomer like Yoon Jong-seok can brave ― but it keeps afloat with classic premises like dramatic tension and great supporting characters.
An ocean-crossing drug mule the movie has named "marine boy" calls for extensive oceanic shoots that make up about 20 percent of the film, yet this is no big budget version of drug mule stories like "Maria Full of Grace" nor is it a raw crime thriller like "The Chaser". A complex "trust no one" formula fuels the seaside story, but the main dramatic tension lies in an obscure love triangle rather than underwater skirmishes. While the two-hour running time could have been cut shorter, Cho Jae-hyun and other bona fide actors keep the film from completely conforming to Hollywood.
The vast ocean blue invites viewers to plunge ... |More
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| 'Marine Boy' Explores Drug Trafficking (Source) |
2009/01/06 |
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
The upcoming film "Marine Boy" involves treading water, but it has nothing to do with the nickname Koreans affectionately give to swimming star Park Tae-hwan.
Written and directed by newcomer Yoon Jong-seok, this crime movie is about a former swimming athlete (Kim Kang-woo) who, desperately in debt, becomes employed as a "body packing" drug mule by a heartless drug lord (Jo Jae-hyeon). After swallowing a 10-meter-long drug package, this "marine boy" must swim across waters between Korea and Japan. Among the many things that beckon death, an alluring beauty (Park Si-yeon) tries to seduce him.
"As long as there are drugs, there will be those who transport drugs. What makes this movie unique is not its subject matter, but rather, the name `marine boy'. There is something beguiling about its duality, how these criminals are called something that romantically calls to mind the popular cartoon "Marine Boy" or the star swimmer Park Tae-hwan", the direc... |More
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| 'Marine Boy' swims against the tide (Source) |
2009/01/05 |
"Marine Boy", helmed by Yoon Jong-seok, is bound to stand out in terms of genre in the lineup of Korean films hitting theaters early this year.
Instead of treading the proven path, it dives into the relatively unknown world of the sea. That's why the film is now categorized as a "marine" thriller.
For most Koreans, however, the title of the movie evokes either an old Japanese comic series or Park Tae-hwan, the Olympic gold medalist swimmer dubbed "Marine Boy". The movie, though featuring plenty of under-the-sea scenes, is neither a rehash of the animation nor a biopic of the hugely popular swimmer. It is basically about drug trafficking which takes place, mostly, at sea.
"We went through many trials and errors because there's not much filmmaking know-how due to the lack of movies related to the sea", director Yoon told reporters at a news conference held in Seoul yesterday. "The production crew and actors also suffered severe sea sickness while shooting key scenes, and I deepl... |More
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| Rain Finally Unveiled in Asia (Source) |
2008/10/12 |
 By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Korean pop sensation "Rain" has officially returned to Asian fans. The 26-year-old singer was not only back home, but better than ever.
At his show, held at MBC Dreamcenter in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, fans from Japan, Taiwan, China and Korea who were exclusively invited waited patiently with their small fluorescent poles shaped in the letter "R" and pieces of that read "Rainism", the title of the singer's new album.
The lights finally dimmed and "Rain" appeared on stage dressed in a black suit, red tie, and a new hairstyle: short and burgundy.
"Rainism" was the first song he presented to fans, along with his trademark superb dance moves. There... |More
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