Love So Divine (Movie - 2004)

[ChanMi's movie news] Kwon Sang-woo and Ha Ji-won in a melodramatic movie

Source | 2008/09/23 | 0 comments | Permalink |

The two stars, Kwon Sang-woo and Ha Ji-won will be starring in a melodramatic movie together!

This new movie is titled, "My Love Beside Me" ("Closer to Heaven").

Kwon is acting as a man who is suffering insomnia in his limited life span while his love acted by Ha Ji-won will be by his side loving and caring for him until the end....| More

Korean dramas carve a niche in Japan

Source | 2008/09/05 | 0 comments | Permalink |

The full force of the Korean Wave hit Japan in 2004. Four years later, the phenomenon known here as "hallyu" has succeeded in creating a comfortable niche for itself in the Japanese TV and music world.

In November, 2004, the initial frenzy clogged Narita Airport, as thousands of Bae Yong-joon fans flocked to welcome him to Japan, ten people were injured as the crowd outside his Tokyo hotel scrambled to get a peek at him. Today, the hallyu boom has evolved into a calmer, sustained and widespread interest in Korean pop culture that has increased the Japanese public's desire to better understand the customs, lifestyle and cuisine of their closest neighbor.

Of course, not everyone has rushed to ride the Korean Wave, but it has succeeded in widening the perceptions and perspectives of many. Here on the northern island of Hokkaido, where Korean TV dramas are especially popular, signs of the hallyu presence are everywhere. Ladies gently jostle each other out of the way to get at the wid...| More

Hallyu in Northeastern States of India

Source | 2008/08/21 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Sandip Kumar Mishra

In recent years, there have been some significant reverberations of the Korean cultural wave, Hallyu, at India's doorsteps. In July 2006, the Korean Drama Emperor of the Sea was for the first time introduced in India by the national broadcaster DD-1. In September 2006, another Korean drama Jewel in the Palace began to be aired on DD-1. These two Korean dramas have received a good response from Indian audiences so far. Furthermore, many Korean musical and theater troops have visited India in recent times and Korean cultural products have been gradually making their way into India.

However, the most striking and powerful manifestation of Hallyu could be seen in the Northeastern states of India, particularity in the state of Manipur. In the age of globalization and revolution in information and communication dispersal, Korean cultural products are a big hit in Manipur. These cultural products have been reaching Indian shores through Korean the satellite channe...| More

"Rough Cut" Ready for September Release

Source | 2008/08/13 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Director JANG Hun, a new protégé of maverick auteur KIM Ki-duk, will see his feature debut "Rough Cut" released locally this September 11th. The US$ 1.5 million action-drama (Korean title: "A Movie is a Movie"), is the second film, not directed by KIM, to be produced by his production company KIM Ki-duk Film.

"Rough Cut" explores the slippery line between reality and fiction in film. It tells the story of an actor, Soo-ta, who begins to identify too well with the gangster role he is playing, disrupting the shoot. He ends up bringing a real gangster into the cast, Kang-pae, who has thespian ambitions – but the two strike a deal to use real violence during the action scenes instead of staged fights.

Soo-ta will be played by KANG Ji-hwan (from SIN Dong-il's "Host and Guest") while SO Ji-sub (from TV series "Sorry, I Love You") plays Kang-pae. Korean sales company Showbox Mediaplex has picked the film up. It is distributed locally by Studio 2.0. A trailer for the film was rece...| More

Hit movies revisit audiences as musicals

Source | 2007/06/18 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Creating a new catch phrase "moviecal boom" in the country's entertainment industry, a number of musicals based on hit movies will be staged in the coming months. Smash-hit Korean movies, including "200 Pounds Beauty", "Singles", "Love So Divine", "My Love My Bride" and "The Parade of the Youth", are a few examples among many moviecals already announced for a rebirth on stage. The moviecal boom doesn't stop there. Older hit movies like "The Gingko Bed" (1995), which starred Han Seok-kyu and Shim Hye-jin, "The Harmonium In My Memory" (1999), featuring Lee Byeong-heon and Jeon Do-yeon, winner of this year's Canne Film Festival, and internationally acclaimed director Im Kwon-taek's "The General's Son (1990)" are also to be staged next year.

Among a number of moviecals, the musical adaptation of the movie "200 Pounds Beauty", is already grabbing media attention in and out of the country. The movie based on a transformation story of an extremely fat singer produced an impressive box-offi...| More