Nowhere To Hide (Movie - 1999)

Breathless and The Chaser win in Europe

Source | 2009/03/19 | Permalink |

YANG Ik-joon continued his victorious round along European film festivals. YANG's "Breathless" won four more awards over the weekend. Deauville Asian Film Festival awarded Breathless the Grand prix (best film) and the International critic's award.

At International Film Festival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria it were the actors who took the honours for "Breathless" with a Best actor (YANG Ik-joon) and Best actress award KIM Kkob-bi).

NA Hong-jin's "The Chaser" is still not running out of breath, this time adding the Best action Asia film award from Deauville to its impressive tally. Deauville categorised The Chaser in the Action Asia section.

It is the second year in a row for a Korean film to sweep the top honours at Deauville; last year Deauville crowned JEON Soo-il's "With a Girl of Black Soil" with the Grand prix and the International Critic's award.

Korean films enjoy a high reputation at Deauville, winning numerous awards in various categories. Deauville's top award wen...| More

'The Chaser' Is a Superb Thriller

Source | 2009/01/04 | Permalink |

Na Hong-jin's debut feature restores faith in Korean genre cinema
Kyu Hyun Kim (qhyunkim)

Jung-ho (Kim Yoon-seok, "Tazza: The High Rollers" - "The War of Flower") is a former cop turned pimp for a "massage parlor". He is convinced that a young, dorky customer Young-min (Ha Jeong-woo, recently on a roll, also excellent in US-lensed "Never Forever") has kidnapped and sold his "girls", including Mi-jin (Seo Yeong-hee). Unfortunately, what the cops uncover is far worse: Young-min is an impotent serial killer who uses a chisel and a hammer to slaughter his female victims. While the police investigation stumbles and takes detour, Jung-ho becomes increasingly aware that Young-min's latest victim, Mi-jin, is still alive somewhere, bleeding and bound: and that he is the only person who can rescue her.

"The Chaser" is the hands-down grittiest, snazziest and gutsiest Korean thriller of 2008, possibly in last three years or so. It is difficult to believe that this is a feature film debut fo...| More

Taewon Entertainment leaves stock market

Source | 2008/08/29 | Permalink |

JEONG Tae-won's long-lived production company Taewon Entertainment, which has made such diverse films as "Nowhere to Hide" (1999), "Marrying the Mafi"a (2002), and "Shadowless Sword" (2006), is effectively de-listing from the KOSDAQ stock exchange.

JEONG and other stockholders FireWorks International and Cannizaro Asia Master Fund sold their shares to a group of private investors who will convert the listed company to a energy and resources firm. Meanwhile, JEONG is establishing a new, unlisted company called Taewon Production which will continue to produce its current lineup.

The move marks the end of an era in many ways. Beginning in 2005, a large number of Korean film companies including Taewon Entertainment, MK Pictures, Tube Pictures, and others achieved "backdoor" listings on the stock exchange through reverse acquisitions such as that described above. Given the mid-decade craze over Korean content and the "Korean Wave",many of the companies saw their value soar.

Howe...| More

JANG Dong-gun and LEE Myeong-se Return to Earth

Source | 2008/07/11 | Permalink |

Korean wave star JANG Dong-gun is collaborating again with auteur director LEE Myeong-se on his latest project, simply titled Earth. JANG, who last worked with LEE 9 years ago, acting in his 1999 classic "Nowhere to Hide", will be doing voice-over narration for the new film this September.

"Earth" is said to be an atmospheric contemplation of life on earth, capturing beautiful and thought-provoking images with shooting taking place in Europe, Japan, and exotic locals around the world. JANG's deep, resonant voice was selected to enhance the meditative depth of the film.

Director LEE is known for his visually striking and meticulously choreographed features such as his recent films "M" (2007) and "Duelist" (2005), as well as his early work "Gagman" (1988) and "First Love" (1993). JANG has starred in numerous features including the hit film "Friend" (2001), "The Coast Guard" (2002) and his recently completed Hollywood debut in the upcoming fantasy-western "Laundry Warrior".

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[ChanMi's movie news] Jang Dong-gun comes back on "Earth"

Source | 2008/07/07 | Permalink |

Our beloved movie star Jang Dong-gun is coming back through "Earth" directed by Lee Myeong-se this September.

Jang Dong-gun's working with this director is special because it was his movie, "Nowhere To Hide" in 1999 that brought attention to this star's talents....| More