Robot Taekwon V (1976) - 로보트 태권V (Ro-bo-teu Tae-kwon V)

Korean Characters Gain Overseas Attention

2008/06/13 | Source | Permalink |

Pucca, Dooly, Robot Taekwon V, may sound rather unfamiliar to many of our viewers.
These are all famous characters in Korean animation.
And now it seems these national characters may be catching on in the rest of the world, as well.
The Korea Culture and Content Agency says foreign companies showed great interest in licensing the rights to these characters during the TWENTY EIGHTH Licensing International Expo in New York this week.
While organizers did not disclose what deals were made, they said several licensing agreements were likely to come out of the expo and that American and European companies had talks about licensing the character Pucca.

Video by following the link below...| More

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Hollywood producer joins robot film team

2008/06/04 | Source | Permalink |

'There's an emotional touchstone in the story'.

One image captured the mind of William Teitler, a Hollywood producer known for his work on "Jumanji" (1995) and "The Polar Express" (2004).

That image was of a 60-meter tall robot ? and in his mind, Teitler was controlling it.

"It's a delightful fantasy just picturing the scene", he said.

Teitler, 57, is the executive producer of the Korean live-action film, "Robot Taekwon V", which starts shooting in September.

The animated film, directed by Won Sin-yeon, is based on the legendary 1976 Korean animated film, "Robot Taekwon V".

As the film's co-producer, Teitler visited Korea last week to meet with Shin Chul, the head of film company Shin Cine Communications; Kim Cheong-gi Kim, the director of the 1976 version; and Won.

They discussed the upcoming film's story and the use of computer graphics with seven local visual effects studios.

According to Robot Taekwon V Company, which is in charge of the filmmaking, this is...| More

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Classic Korean films re-released in Seoul

2008/05/15 | Source | Permalink |

Several decades-old films from Korea will be re-released in Seoul this spring, as two of Korea's older movie theaters try to attract new audiences.

Hollywood Theater, located alongside the popular Insa-dong traditional shopping district, has recently devoted one of its screens to re-releases of classic Korean and international films. It is currently screening both Ben-Hur and the 1976 Korean film High School Joker by SEOK Rae-myeong. Well remembered by viewers in their forties now, High School Joker has attracted 366 viewers in limited screenings since its re-release.

Meanwhile, Dream Cinema in Seodaemun, the last old-style single screen theater in Korea, has agreed to co-host together with Hollywood Theater a special showcase of four classic Korean films from May 15 to June 19.

The four films, which will not be subtitled, include "High School Joker"; veteran director IM Kwon-taek's "Surrogate Woman" (1986), which won a Best Actress Award for KANG Soo-yeon at the Venice Inte...| More

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[THE HIGH TIDE OF THE KOREAN WAVE(25)] Hallyu: the Koreanization of world culture

2008/03/21 | Source | Permalink |

In the last few years, Korean films, TV dramas and pop music have become immensely popular abroad, a phenomenon known as the Korean Wave. This is the 25th in a series of essays by a select group of scholars and journalists looking at the spread of Korean pop culture in Southeast Asian countries and beyond. - Ed.

"Hallyu", or the Korean Wave, marks the long overdue re-emergence of Korean culture into the global arena. Korean culture's newfound international vogue situates South Korean cinema, TV melodramas, K-pop, and computer games as active participants in the transformation of world culture.

These "domestic" electronic audio-visual cultural creations are no longer limited to just the Korean peninsula and the global Korean diaspora despite that they are produced in the Korean language - a language that is not one of the globalized imperial languages such as English, French, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese.

Despite this linguistic barrier, hallyu is now a recognized agent of gl...| More

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Kimchi & Big Apple

2008/02/28 | Source | Permalink |

Koreatown in New York Never Sleeps

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

NEW YORK ― Luminous skyscrapers, the hustle and bustle of yellow cabs, poker-faced pedestrians and a dizzying mosaic of different cultures: it's New York City.

In a way, the Big Apple continues to symbolize the great American melting pot. For a "genuine" New York experience, a visit to Little Italy or Chinatown ― or the newly emerging hotspot Koreatown ― is essential.

Seoul in New York: West 32nd Street

On West 32nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway lies a small block lined with Korean-style stationary stores (Morning Glory), supermarket (Han Ah Reum) and cafes galore. West 32nd Street, with its anarchic array of neon signs that read "BBQ" and "Open 24 Hours", takes you back to Korea.

Flushing, Queens may be the ultimate Korean district in New York (and on the east coast), but it has that distinct "Korean American" quality that sets it apart from mainland Korea. Like Los Angele...| More

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