Rikidozan (Movie - 2004)

[DVD Review] This film's irony ends with the title

Source | 2007/02/07 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Song Hae-seong's "Our Happy Time" is full of dialogue that sound like quotes from the British dramatist Oscar Wilde, although they seem to work better when they are used out of context. They are the kind of words that instantly grab your attention and you later find them on random blog sites when surfing the Internet.
They are phrases like: "A thorn is as small as a piece of a dust but it can be more painful than the universe when the wound is yours" and "My life was like living in hell, but now I want to live" and "I can take my secrets to the grave because I am a condemned criminal".
They make great quotes, but, as with Oscar Wilde's plays, they can disrupt the flow of a story.
"Our Happy Time" is an epigrammatic story and when it is not using striking quotes it pulls in just about every dramatic element that's necessary to create a stimulating film. First it starts with a murder, than a man stricken with poverty, a suicidal woman, an abusive mother, a rape, love, repentance, a...| More

Top 10 News Part 8: Legacy Left Behind By Korean Movers and Shakers

Source | 2006/12/28 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Continuing our series of special reports looking back at the year 2006.
This year, as in other years, we bid farewell to some of the greatest names in Korea, ranging from a visionary artist to a wrestler who did more than just entertain his fans.
Park Soojin reports on their legacies.

Paik Namjune broke with convention every step he took.
For that, he's hailed as the pioneer of video art.
Better known as Nam June Paik, the Korean-born artist expanded the definitions of artistic creation using moving images and electronic technology as a new medium for expression.

RECORDED: "He created the entire field of video art which did not exist in the 1960s and now it is the largest major of any art school in the United States and he has influenced how society views media and how the media is used as an art medium".

Studying music and art in Seoul, Tokyo and Munich, Paik envisioned that TV would become the most influential cultural medium in the 20th century.
The prolific artist lef...| More

Seol Kyeong-gu: no Ordinary Action Hero

Source | 2006/11/08 | 0 comments | Permalink |

"Cruel Winter Blues", which goes on release Thursday, is a little different from conventional action flicks, even if it deals with revenge and betrayal like much of the genre. But apart from a special emphasis on a mother's love, the movie stands out from the crowd thanks to a masterful performance by Seol Kyeong-gu, who comes to feel uncontrollable love for the mother of an enemy he has to "dispose of". Though passionate and ready to take on anyone, Seol in the movie also portrays a sneaky, shameless coward. The Chosun Ilbo spoke to him about his life and craft.

―You seem to be a bastard in the film, but unexpectedly it fits you well.

Someone asked me if it was my true character.

―You portray a thick-skinned, shameless person…

"I agreed with the director before shooting not to portray an emotional character. Even for clothes, I instantly switched from suits to shell suits, trying to give the impression of a bottom feeder. Yet at the same time I needed to convey...| More

Local Movies Thrive on Nationalism

Source | 2006/07/19 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter

Korean movies thrive on nationalism as five of the 10 recent box-office local movies deal with nationalistic themes.

Heavy on anti-Japanese sentiment or rather on anti-foreign forces sentiment, "Hanbando (Korean Penisula)" is the latest among the nationalism-tinged films that have become box office hits.

Among the 10 most viewed films of all time, five deal with nationalistic issues: "TaeGukGi: The Brotherhood War" (2004), "Welcome to Dongmakgol" (2005), "Silmido" (2004), "Shiri" (1999) and "JSA - Joint Security Area" (2000).

Despite concerns over the film's controversial theme, "Hanbando" ranked top at the box office this week, dethroning hitherto Hollywood blockbusters such as "Superman Returns", and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" from local movie theaters.

According to KnJ Entertainment, the film's production company, "Hanbando" drew over 1.5 million moviegoers for five days since its release on July 13. It is currently sh...| More

10 Hot Culture Issues in 2005

Source | 2005/12/28 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Kim Tae-jong, Park Chung-a
Staff Reporters

How will you remember the year 2005? Perhaps more than other years, this year has been a roller coaster ride, full of many proud moments and shameful incidents.

As the year draws to a close, The Korea Times looks back on the 10 hottest culture issues of the year.

Korean Wave Strong in Asian Countries

"Hallyu", or the Korean wave, does not seem to be letting up as Korean pop culture continues to flow into neighboring countries.

Thousands of people from Asian countries screamed for Korean stars such as pop singers "Rain" and BoA and, of course, Bae Yong-joon, affectionately called Yonsama by his Japanese fans. Korean TV dramas such as "Jewel in the Palace" - "Dae Jang Geum" and "Winter Sonata" have had encore runs in Hong Kong, China and Japan.

South Korea's export of cultural contents is estimated to exceed $1 billion this year, according to Korea Culture and Contents Agency. The figure represents another hefty jump in the...| More