Dasepo Girl (Movie - 2006)

The 8th Mise-en-Scene Short Film Festival Opens this Week

Source | 2009/06/26 | Permalink |

This year's Mise-en-scene Short Film festival will showcase a total of 120 films. The film festival whose focus is genre short films will feature films genres normally associated with feature length films.  These genres include horror, fantasy, love and even action.  It features 57 films in the official section and the invitation section for foreign films focuses on varied stories surrounding the topic of death.
 
Behind the scenes is a wealth of talent and Korean film alumi. The committee chair this year is director BONG Joon-ho ("Mother - 2009", "The Host") and head of jury is director KIM Dae-seung ("Bungee Jumping of their Own", "Blood Rain").  On the committee is directors PARK Chan-wook (The Revenge Trilogy, "Thirst"), RYOO Seung-wan ("The City of Violence", "Crying Fist"), KIM Ji-woon ("A Tale of Two Sisters", "The Good, The Bad, The Weird"), LEE Jae-yong ("Dasepo Girl", "Untold Scandal") and many other well known directors.
 
The Mise-en-scene Short Film Festival opens Wedn...| More

Park's 'Thirst' Is Riveting

Source | 2009/04/26 | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Park Chan-wook's latest work "Thirst", like other great movies, makes you forget you're watching one, and you won't be able to stop it from shaking up every cell in your body unless you dart for the exit. Park-brand films are undoubtedly an acquired taste, and this vampire-priest story, slated to compete in Cannes next month, is certainly not for those with weak stomachs. Nor is it, despite being replete with tasteful humor only Song Kang-ho ("Secret Sunshine") can pull off and being the first South Korean film to be co-produced by a major Hollywood studio, for those seeking light-hearted entertainment.

This reporter admits having had to close her eyes and plug her ears for some of the extreme scenes, but still had the ultimate audiovisual experience discovering ironic amusement and empathizing with the protagonist's frenetic actions, disillusionment and despair, listless surrender and dissipation, and, finally, spiritual transformation.

In this...| More

Park Chan-wook Explores Self, Dream in 'Thirst'

2009/03/31 | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Recently, celebrated cineastes like Lee Chang-dong ("Secret Sunshine") and top stars Jeon Do-yeon and "Rain", among many others, were seen visiting the set of Park Chan-wook's much talked-about feature, "Thirst". The film's trailer was revealed for the first time before the press, Tuesday, in Seoul, before its release April 30.

It was indeed novel to see the all-too-familiar, yet distinctly foreign, theme of Universal Pictures opening the impressionable clip. "Thirst" is the first South Korean film to be co-produced and distributed by a major Hollywood studio.

"I'm not so sure how it happened", Park told the crowded press room regarding Korean giant CJ Entertainment's partnership with Universal. In a video clip provided by organizers, Universal's Focus Features CEO James Shamus said he was "desperate to in some small way be part of this incredible filmmaking genius' work".

"I don't expect big results like grossing high in the American box off...| More

LEE Jeong-jae fights over KIM Ok-bin

Source | 2008/11/20 | Permalink |

Young actress KIM Ok-bin plays a gisaeng (female entertainer) in the historic action comedy "The Accidental Gangster and the Mistaken Courtesan" (English working title; Korean title: 1724 Gibang Nandong Sageon). LEE Jeong-jae plays a skilled fighter who somehow attracts fights. His character falls in love with KIM's character and takes on her boss, a notorious criminal leader, to free her.

LEE told reporters that he wanted to try his hand at playing a different kind of character, a comical loose cannon type of character like in "The Accidental Gangster and the Mistaken Courtesan". The action comedy will mark LEE's first film since 2005's "Typhoon". In 2000, he was seen in "Il Mare" with JEON Ji-hyeon (aka Gianna JUN).

KIM said that she found acting in historical films more difficult, but she was helped by director YEO Gyoon-dong's consultations. KIM practiced traditional dances for two months in preparation of the film. She will next star in PARK Chan-wook's highly anticipated ...| More

Universal / Focus Features Slake CJ's Thirst

Source | 2008/09/17 | Permalink |

Universal Pictures (UPI) and London-based Focus Features will invest in and co-produce director PARK Chan-wook's latest film, "Thirst", currently in production. They will join chief investor CJ Entertainment, which has so far driven the project.

The deal, announced Sept. 11th by UPI president Christian Grass, Focus CEO James Schamus and CJ CEO KIM Soo-jung, marks the first time a USstudio has backed a Korean film in production. UPI will also handle stateside distribution while Focus looks to its UK release.

The move is a sign of great confidence in the film's commercial prospects. Director PARK is renowned international for his vengeance trilogy, particularly centerpiece Old Boy which won the Cannes Grand Prize in 2004. Lead actor SONG Kang-ho is a big draw locally and highly regarded internationally for his performances in BONG Joon-ho's "The Host" and LEE Chang-dong's "Secret Sunshine".

"Thirst" (Korean title - "Bakjwi") is the tale of a priest who, while undergoing...| More