Marrying the Mafia (Movie - 2002)

Incredible 'Hong's' Offers Comedy, Action

Source | 2009/11/19 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

"Descendants of Hong Gil-dong" ("Hong's Family Business" - working title) by Jeong Yong-ki, who directed the second and third installments of the "Marrying the Mafia" series, brings yet another family slapstick that provides bona fide lighthearted entertainment.

Earlier this year, mid-budget films such as "Speedy Scandal" have shown that good old humor rooted in witty ideas can prevail. "Hong's" relies on classic formulas ― a cast of endearing actors playing quirky characters, B-movie humor that retains a certain uniformity in the internal logic of the film and an adeptly crafted mise-en-scene that shows that mind boggling spectacles aren't crucial to a fulfilling audiovisual experience.

The Hongs are the perfect model family ― Mu-hyeok (played by the popular Lee Beom-soo), a darling high school music teacher, and his cheerful student-cum-younger brother Chan-hyeok have a respected professor for a father and a mother who exemplifies ...| More

Convergence of movie and TV drama continues to evolve

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

Simultaneous production of drama and its theatrical version increases efficiency
Generalization of digital shooting breaks down barriers of human resources & technology
Respect of different ways of producing broadcast programs and movies brings higher efficiency

Combination of movie & TV drama continues to evolve. Exchange between Chungmuro, Korean equivalent to Hollywood, and Yeo-ui-do, hub of broadcasting networks, was born as filmmakers produced TV dramas and drama PDs made movies. The exchange has brought the boom of 'Cross Over' such as 'TV Movie' and 'Theatrical Version'. Recently, there is an increasing number of works whose two versions as TV drama and movie were simultaneously made even in the stage of planning. The film and broadcasting industries expect this kind of 'format convergence' to be a chance to increase efficiency and quality in each genre and call for thorough preparedness based on understanding of features that each medium has.

◇'IRIS'
◆S...| More

"My Girlfriend is an Agent" Captivates Viewers' Hearts

Source | 2009/05/12 | 0 comments | Permalink |

The Korean comedy movie "My Girlfriend is an Agent" (directed by Sin Tae-ra and produced by Harimao Pictures) is off to an impressive start.

The production costs of "My Girlfriend is an Agent" amounted to 4.2 billion won, which is quite a lofty amount given the low-budget trend these days. But just 19 days since its opening, it has already drawn more than 2.4 million viewers – the break-even point, according to the production company's estimates.

Since week one, "My Girlfriend is an Agent" has maintained its edge even despite a number of Hollywood blockbusters that opened, including "Knowing", "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and "Star Trek XI". During the third week, it even beat Park Chan-wook's "Thirst", which drew significant media attention.

The stellar performance of "My Girlfriend is an Agent" is even more impressive because, despite all odds, it has gained recognition for its outstanding quality.

The film's director Sin Tae-ra has released only two commercial films so far...| More

JEON Ji-hyeon and SEOL Kyeong-gu portrayed greatest characters

Source | 2008/12/19 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Major Korean film magazine Movieweek polled to find out who Koreans regard as the ten greatest screen personas. JEON Ji-hyeon's role in "My Sassy Girl" claimed the top spot for greatest female character with 21% of the votes. 25% votes for SEOL Kyeong-gu's character in the "Public Enemy" trilogy secured SEOL the greatest male character title.

In close pursuit of SEOL is CHOI Min-sik's "Old Boy" character (20%). SONG Kang-ho's "Memories of Murder" character came in third (11%).

The top three for women is completed by second placed IM Soo-jeong (19%) for her role in "I'm a Cyborg, but That's Ok", and third seed LEE Young-ae. LEE's performance in "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" earned her 13% of the votes.

Movieweek compiled another Korea's greatest characters list by itself. This unranked list consists of: SIN Ha-gyoon ("Save the Green Planet"), IM Won-hee ("Dachimawa Lee"), KIM Jeong-eun ("Marrying the Mafia"), KONG Hyo-jin ("Crush and Blush"), MOON So-ri ("A Good Lawyer's Wife...| More

Actor to Support Ethiopian Kids' Choir

Source | 2008/06/25 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

Korean actor Jeong Joon-ho and his volunteer organization "Love's Foodcar" will meet the Ethiopia Children's Choir (ETHI) this Saturday.

The ETHI Choir, which arrived here last Thursday, was organized by a Korean children relief organization "World Together" in 2006. The aim of the choir project was to help Ethiopian children gain confidence and also give them a chance to travel and perform around the world. Comprised of 28 Ethiopian children from ages seven to 13, the choir gave a performance on June 24 at Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, the location of the Memorial Tower for Ethiopian soldiers who fought in the Korean War (1950-1953).

Jeong will bring "Love's Foodcar" to the Misari Boat Race Stadium to meet the choir on Saturday and have lunch with them. The children will also spend time with the 37-year-old movie star, who will bring bicycles and inline skates with him.

"I am very happy to share our love despite different boundaries and race...| More