No. 3 (1997) - 넘버 3 (Neom-beo 3)

2007/11/23 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Watermelons on the highway and other absurdities of life

Kyu Hyun Kim (qhyunkim)

A nebbish-looking stamp-maker Tae-han (Park Kwang-jeong, a well-known theater actor immortalized in Korean popular culture as "Rimbaud" in "No. 3") suspects that his wife is two-timing him with a womanizing taxicab driver Joong-seok (Jeong Bo-seok, "Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors"). He hires the cabbie for a one-way trip from Seoul to Yangyang, the Eastern Seaboard resort town, where his home is located. However, Tae-han seems clueless about what to do with his nemesis: does he want a confrontation with Joong-seok at the precise moment of illicit encounter? Or does he just want revenge? Adding complications to the matter is Joong-seok's rambunctious common-law wife So-ok (Jo Eun-ji, "A Bizarre Love Triangle"), who unexpectedly arouses Tae-han's sympathy.

"Driving With My Wife's Lover" starts off as if it will be one of those light romantic comedies with some predictable (tear-jerking) twist...

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2007/03/29 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Song Kang-ho played an eccentric yet strangely charming gangster in "No. 3" (1997), when he gave a funny lecture to his underlings about how to beat up enemies: "A long time ago, there was a man named Choi Young-ui, and he staged a showdown with the entire world, you know. His style is like this. Just walking and walking. Then the enemy tries to - saying 'uh, uh' - block his move. Just then, he grabs the arm of the enemy. He asks, 'Is this your arm?' And he just keeps smashing down the enemy's arm. Until it breaks, you know".

Song's characterization was so dramatic and distinctive that his gesture and accent was repeatedly parodied and imitated on television shows. Song also became a famous star overnight, a feat for an actor who'd made a feature debut just one year before.

Fast forward 10 years: Song's stature is now far bigger than a mere Korean star. Just recently, he won the best actor award at the Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong for his role in "The Host". In the blockbuster ...

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2007/01/29 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Earlier this month the film industry held a ceremony in Seoul to celebrate the lifetime contribution of Song Kil-han, a 67-year-old movie script writer.
The movie "Jagko", also known as "Pursuit of Death", which Mr. Song wrote in 1980, was shown at the event that took place at the Korean Federation of Film Archives.
Although many actors and movie directors have received such an accolade, it is rare for a script writer to be given this kind of recognition. The ceremony was planned to coincide with the recent publication of nine selected screenplays by Mr. Song. The book is called "The Selected Scenarios of Song Kil-han".
The movie "Jagko" features an ex-cop as its main character. He has chased after a notorious communist nickednamed Jagko for 30 years. Critics regard the work as being much more than an anticommunist movie. They see it as a philosophical film that looks into human nature.
Mr. Song was born in 1940 in Jeonju, North Jeolla province and he made his debut in the early 19...

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2007/01/20 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

"Acting has produced the biggest energy and the greatest pain in my life. I can't promise you that I'm going to be an actress for the rest of my life. When I fall out of love with acting, I'll quit immediately. But I'm still in love". So says Lee Mi-yeon, who will return to TV screen, with a new SBS soap opera fittingly called "Crazy for Love". It starts airing on Feb 3, six years after she starred in "The Last Empress" in 2001.

Lee isn't interested in being in dramas all the time, but she has remained in the public consciousness due to her frequent appearances in commercials. "It is dangerous for an actor to feature in too many TV commercials", she admits, but adds, "People seem to have been looking out for me even during my break because of my healthy image".

In the drama, her character falls in love with the man who killed her fiancé in a car accident just a day before her wedding. Could that happen in the real world? "Well, love isn't rational. I don't think such things are i...

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2006/12/06 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

By Kim Tae-jong

Staff Reporter

Im Hae-kwang, 22, is a sophomore majoring in computer engineering at Sogang University in Seoul. When entering college, he chose one of the most sought-after majors, one that all but assures him a job in the IT-powerhouse Korean economy. But he suddenly didn't want to study any more.

He wanted to do something easy but fancy, something that could bring him fame. He wanted to be on screen or onstage.

"I wanted to be a singer or actor because they look so fantastic. I didn't have a plan nor did I prepare. I just went to several management agencies to beg them to `raise' me as a superstar", Im said.

After being rebuffed several times, he realized that he needed to put more effort into his new pursuit. He enrolled in an acting class at a private school and began going to auditions. He took a leave from university, as well.

"As I learned more about acting, I became more fascinated by it. Now I want to be a `real' actor, rather than an entertai...

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