Once Upon a Time (Movie - 2008)

'Hand Phone' Showcases Top Talent

Source | 2009/02/12 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

"Paradise Murdered" ("Paradise 1986") director Kim Han-min brings yet another unconventional thriller, "Hand Phone". But unlike his previous work, the setting shifts from an isolated island to the big city and, like its title suggests, revolves around every urbanite's essential hardware, the cell phone

The cell phone, which South Koreans commonly call "hand phone" and thus the title of the film, has appeared without fail in recent thrillers such as "Seven Days". "Hand Phone" also has the victim running around as the perpetrator whispers orders from the other line. It capitalizes on the familiar anxiety of looking for a charger when the battery starts dying out on an important conversation. It also shows the perils of losing one's personal information held by cell phones.

The beauty of the film lies in its haunting revelation of the grotesque in things mundane and the unleashing of the latent beast within individuals, including the most docile, u...| More

KIM Han-min's sophomore project

Source | 2009/01/20 | 0 comments | Permalink |

February 19 will see the release of "Paradise Murdered" director's second feature film "Hand Phone". The thriller stars PARK Young-woo and EOM Tae-woong in the leading roles.

The two battle each other over a mobile phone with a scandalous video of a rising actress. EOM plays the actress' manager and PARK the extorter.

KIM's debut feature film "Paradise Murdered" ("Paradise 1986") was a commercial success and praised by critics for its originality and story.

EOM was successful with the handball drama "Forever the Moment" and in the critically acclaimed "Family Ties" ("The Birth of a Family"). PARK entertained Korean audiences last year with "Once Upon a Time" and "My Scary Girl".

Yi Ch'ang-ho (KOFIC)...| More

Kwon Sang-woo Resumes Romantic Role

Source | 2009/01/13 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Newly wed actor Kwon Sang-woo was caught walking down the aisle once again ― this time with actress Lee Bo-yeong in the upcoming movie "More Than Blue" (working title "A Sad Story").

As its title suggests, the film is about heartbreaking, unrequited love. The wedding shoot, revealed to the press Monday in a Seoul cathedral, featured Kwon's character walking down the aisle with the woman he loves (Lee Bo-yeong) ― but only to marry her off to another man (Lee Beom-soo).

Kwon returns to the romance genre after foraying comic or tough guy parts, such as in "Fate". He said he drew inspiration from his own marriage for his latest role. "I think being married enables me to think more deeply about playing melodramatic parts. Like my movie character, Kay, I also needed a lot of courage to bear the fruits of my love", he said.

The "Stairway to Heaven" star made headlines last year when his clandestine romance with actress Sohn Tae-young be...| More

'Modern Boy': Reinterpretation of Japanese Colonialism?

Source | 2008/09/30 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Following the footsteps of "Radio Dayz", "Once Upon a Time" and "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" comes "Modern Boy", another purely entertainment-driven movie set during the Japanese colonial era (1910-45). Gyeongseong, the name of Seoul at the time, is home to flamboyant flappers (so-called "modern boys and girls"), radio stars and charming bandits who aren't necessarily working for Korea's independence.

The symbolic power of cinema is extensive, as it often showcases a given country's aesthetics, technical achievements and entertainment factors, and moreover portrays to varying degrees its cultural, historical and social values. Period pieces in particular become the subject of scrutiny as they speak for the shared history of a people.

A Japanese newspaper made a misleading report about "Modern Boy" and the above-mentioned Gyeongseong movies in January this year. Katsuhiro Kuroda, managing editor of Sankei Shimbun's Seoul branch, announced "the ...| More

New York Korean Film Festival this August

Source | 2008/07/18 | 0 comments | Permalink |

The seventh edition of the New York Korean Film Festival is set to run August 22 – 31. Sponsored by KOFIC and The Korea Society, the event will screen more than 15 recent Korean features, of which 14 have been finalized for the line-up.

Highlights include one of the top-grossing Korean films of 2008, "Forever the Moment", a sports-redemption-themed film directed by LIM Soon-rye and starring MOON So-ri and KIM Jeong-eun. Other 2008 releases in the line-up are "Hellcats" by KWON Chil-in, "Once Upon a Time" by JEONG Yong-ki, "Open City" by LEE Sang-gi, "Spare" by LEE Seong-han, and the Korea-Japanese co-production "Virgin Snow" starring LEE Joon-ki and Aoi Miyazaki.

Films in the program from 2007 include such high-profile films as the Chosun-set popular tale, "Hwangjin-y - Movie - 2007", starring SONG Hye-kyo, the Kwang-ju-set historical tragedy, May 18th, a Chosun-set tale of high stakes cooking, "Le Grand Chef", and Daniel Henney vehicle and tear-jerker, "My Father".

Othe...| More