The Railroad (2006) - 경의선 (Kyeong-eui-seon)

2008/02/04 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

A star-studded cast and state-of-the-art stunts might not be enough to save SBS' latest drama "Bichunmoo - Drama" from a bad time slot, awkward dubbing and a poorly written script.

"I felt like I was watching a pathetic Chinese movie", a viewer wrote on the drama's official bulletin board, after the first two episodes aired last Friday.

Jointly produced by Chinese and Korean companies, "Bichunmoo - Drama" features a combination of both Korean and Chinese actors. The first two episodes solved the language issue by dubbing all the Chinese actors into Korean.

But Korean audiences aren't responding well.

"Are they trying to ruin the drama?" wrote one viewer.

Yet another viewer recommended switching to subtitles, writing, "If it weren't for the dubbing, it would be an acceptable drama. It's not too late to change to subtitles now".

Viewers will have to wait till next Friday's installment to find out if SBS takes the hint and starts subtitling. But the dubbing isn't the onl...

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2008/01/29 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

European directors are praising Korean actress Son Tae-yeong as one of the world's most beautiful actresses.

Son recently filmed a music video for new singer Revi in the United Kingdom, Yonhap News said Tuesday. Directors Nikita Diakur and Jonas Lund worked on the video, along with art director Thorbjorn Ankerstjerne and photographer Patricia Niven. Niven has worked as a photographer for the ad campaign of top lingerie line Agent Provocateur.

The foreign directors praised Sohn for having beautiful Asian eyes and lips and "rich, beautiful and sophisticated facial expressions". Sohn was the first Asian actress they have worked with.

Son recently appeared with Kim Kang-woo in the critically acclaimed film "The Railroad", directed by Park Heung-shik. The film won a special award given by the International Federation of Film Critics, during the 25th Torino Film Festival in Italy.

"The Railroad" is about two lost souls (played by Kim and...

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2007/12/25 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter

"Enjoy One's Calling" is the phrase written on actor Kim Kang-woo's cell phone. "Talented people cannot beat people who know how to enjoy life. I went through hard times when I first started acting. But one day, I realized I was doing something I wanted to do and earning money for it. The point is to take pleasure in what I do ― acting", Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Samcheong-dong in Seoul, Monday.

Kim, 29, debuted through "The Coast Guard" (2002), directed by Kim Ki-duk, when he was a senior at Chung-Ang University. "The only role I could get without any acting experience was a soldier", said Kim.

He was then noticed when he played Mu-cheol in the MBC drama "Breathless" (2003) and starred in SBS's "Three Leafed Clover" (2005). Kim has been known as "Mr. Right" since then for the honest and diligent characters he played. "It's funny. I didn't know that I had that kind of sincere image in me", he said.

Kim a...

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2007/12/05 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

KIM Kang-woo received the Best Actor Award at the 25th Torino Film Festival for his acting in "The Railroad". Director PARK Heung-shik's film also won the Fipresci Award.

The Railroad premiered successfully in 2006 at the Pusan International Film Festival in the New Current section and enjoyed a limited release in Korean cinemas around May 2007. "The Railroad" is PARK's second feature film and was supported by the 2005 KOFIC Production Support for Low-budget Films.

KIM plays a man whose path crosses a woman portrayed by SON Tae-yeong. Both happened to be on the same train and end up together at the last stop before the North-South Korean border.

KIM is quickly rising to stardom this year because of the box office hit "Le Grand Chef" and is in the spotlight again because of the upcoming film "Rainbow Eyes". SON featured in the assembly cast of "Sad Movie" and numerous television dramas.

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

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2007/12/04 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Actor Kim Kang-woo, 29, must feel like flying by now.

Although "Le Grand Chef", in which he played the leading role, opened in theaters during the slowest season (November), it has attracted more than 2.6 million movie goers nationwide. Moreover, he won the Best Actor's award on Saturday (local time) at the 25th Torino Film Festival for his role in "The Railroad", which was directed by filmmaker Park Heung-sik and opened in Korea in May. Simply put, he earned recognition as an actor who can garner both critical acclaim and box office success.

Although many Korean actresses won the Torino Film Festival, only a handful of Korean actors won this prestigious international award. Surprisingly, his voice was calm when he was asked on Sunday about winning the award.

"I couldn't imagine this could happen when I came here. I was nervous when the announcement was made, but I felt rather composed when I walked up to the platform. When I gave a few words in both English and Italian, the r...

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