Black House (Movie - 2007)

The horror! Scary films rely on Magritte

Source | 2009/11/05 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Christine is having dinner with her boyfriend Clay and his parents at their home. On their plates are pieces of homemade cake that Christine brought as a gift for Clay's parents. Christine is uneasy because she has been suffering ominous hallucinations from time to time ever since she was cursed by an old gypsy woman. As she feared, strange noises begin to scratch Christine's ears again, and the middle of the piece of cake on her plate starts to pulse. She cautiously digs into the cake with her fork and discovers an eye of the gypsy woman staring back at her! Christine, stifling a scream, aggressively stabs the cake with her fork.

This is a scene from the American horror movie "Drag Me to Hell", which was released here this summer. The scene reminds me of the work of Sam Raimi, whose horror movies include the famous "Evil Dead" series and creatively combine both horror and black humor. But I also think the scene with the eye in the cake might have been influenced by a painting by Be...| More

'Girlfriend' Prevails With Small, Tactful Jokes

Source | 2009/04/23 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Don't be discouraged by the rather familiar plotline or the tacky English title. This reporter had been expecting the worst for what appeared to be a spin-off of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", but Sin Tae-ra's buoyant spy romance "My Girlfriend Isn't an Agent" is a promising asset to the South Korean romantic comedy genre.

It's predictable and cliched, but features some surprisingly good B-rate laughter, winning the audience with a series of small but tactile tickles rather than a big K.O. After dabbling with blood in the slasher film "Black House", the director returns with something more digestible, while actors Kim Ha-neul and Kang Ji-hwan make their mark on the silver screen.

Following a few mediocre franchises, Kim reclaims her reputation as the romantic comedy queen in the tradition of her "Too Beautiful to Lie", while Kang's charms, eclipsed by So Ji-sub's charisma in his feature film debut "The Rough Cut", shines through. While many homegrown roma...| More

'Private Eye' Signals New Detective Genre

Source | 2009/03/27 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Debutant director Park Dae-min brings a delicious mix of drama, comedy and adventure in "Private Eye", which, moreover, paints rosy prospects for South Korean cinema as it signals the potential of homegrown detective films.

Set against the Japanese colonial period (1910-45), the movie invites viewers to hop on coolie-drawn carts and join an accidental Sherlock Holmes (Hwang Jeong-min) in tracking down a serial killer on the loose.

If 2007's "Shadows in the Palace" hinted at the possibility for an Agatha Christie-style suspense, "Private Eye" promises something more solid, and perhaps even a serial franchise. It keeps things smart and intriguing rather than mind boggling or cryptic, and leads the audience half a step ahead in the cat and mouse game. The movie also manages to be entertaining without being too light as it gives birth to a detective with character.

Hwang plays Hong Jin-ho, one of those amiable rude people, whose successful surviva...| More

First Time Director Indulges in Noir

Source | 2009/03/19 | 0 comments | Permalink |

The up and coming release of 'Private Eye' by first time Director PARK Dae-min continues a neo noir tradition led by notables including PARK Chan-wook ("Old Boy") and KIM Ji-woon ("The Good, The Bad, The Weird"). Even the title 'Private Eye' seems to pay homage to the 1930's which is when the film is set. However, hidden behind the fedora hats is a curious mix of thriller, irony, comedy and action topped off by big budget illustrious sets.

A young medical student, when walking through the forest discovers a bloodied corpse. When his professional ambitions get the better of him he takes the corpse home for study opportunities only to find out it is the dead son of a powerful government official. Taking the body back he finds yet another corpse in its place. Here he recruits the help of the film's private eye, anti hero played by Hwang Jeong-Min ("Black House").

Like Kim Ji-woon's "The Good, The Bad, The Weird", an Asian action spaghetti western set in 1930's Manchuria, "Priva...| More

KIM Ha-neul in first action film

Source | 2008/12/22 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Actress KIM Ha-neul has said that she is excited about trying her hand at playing an action character. She has been cast in the upcoming film "My Girlfriend is an Agent".

The spy comedy is directed by SIN Tae-ra and the male lead is played by KANG Ji-hwan. The story is about two secret agents who fall in love while hiding their profession from each other. The film is scheduled for a 2009 release.

KIM Ha-neul was in cinemas earlier this year with the melodrama "Lovers of 6 Years" and starred in the popular comedy "My Tutor Friend" alongside KWON Sang-woo. KANG Ji-hwan has ample experience with action scenes after his fight scenes with SO Ji-sub in "Rough Cut". SIN Tae-ra directed last year's praised "Black House".

Yi Ch'ang-ho (KOFIC)...| More