Venus and Mars (Movie - 2007)

When Stars Bank on Advertising Only

Source | 2009/09/05 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Despite numerous box office bombs and once-in-a-blue-moon TV soap appearances, some actors and actresses enjoy wild successes as commercial models, firmly establishing an aura of mystery even among celebrities. In Japan, even popular celebrities rarely appear in more commercials than dramas, while stars in U.S. rarely shoot commercials except for luxury goods. But in Korea, some celebrities star in commercials at least 10 times more than in dramas or movies.

◆ Commercials-only Stars

For the actress Kim Tae-hee, who returns to the screen for the first time in four years this September, her new drama role is a chance to shed her prolonged image as a TV spot star. She appeared in 26 commercials since 2005, an average of 5.2 per year. During the same period, she starred in only two films, "The Restless", and "Venus and Mars". Actors and actresses such as Jang Dong-gun, Jeon Ji-hyeon, Han Ga-in, Han Ye-seul, or Sin Min-ah also appeared more in commercials than in movies.

What...| More

Summer Action Flicks Are Coming

Source | 2009/06/30 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Every summer, big budget Hollywood movies flow in, and many worry about the potential threat to homegrown films. Recent trends, however, suggest that competition is healthy.

"The fact that such a comparison (between national and international franchises) is even possible is unique; there aren't so many countries around the world where domestic films can compete with American ones", Han Seung-hee, researcher at the Korean Film Council, told The Korea Times.

After the turn of the new millennium, the Korean film industry enjoyed rapid growth, with blockbusters rewriting box office history each year. But the market plummeted for the first time last year, and investment and production hit an all time low. Moviegoers even criticized films that fared well at the box office as being formulaic.

So far, 2009 looks better. The success of "A Frozen Flower" and "Scandal Makers" ("Speedy Scandal") opened up a promising new year. Although February and March...| More

KOFIC, Korea-China Interchange to Revitalize Two Industries

Source | 2008/11/12 | 0 comments | Permalink |

KOFIC (chairperson KANG Han-sup) is commencing two events in order to revitalize the film interchange between Korea and China.

First of the two events is '2008 Korea-China Business Campus' which will take place from Thursday, November 13 to Monday, November 17, over the course of 5 days. The event will mainly focus on the process of sharing films as well as co-production opportunities. This event first took place in 2006 in China, and then moved to Pusan International Film Festival in 2007 as a forum format, thus making this year's event second edition to be held in Korea. First annual event focused on the effect of Korean manpower and resources in Chinese film industry, while the current Business Campus will concentrate on not only the further advancements of above but how Korea and China can collaborate on projects that promote exchange of resources between the two countries. The event will hold pitching/mentoring sessions, seminars, business meetings for producers, production/po...| More

[ChanMi's star news] Kim Tae-hee wants to return to screens

Source | 2008/09/11 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Actress Kim Tae-hee has confessed that she is eager to come back to the screens.

She says that she has been picky and choosy in starting a drama. Now, she is ready to face failings and trials even though the works are not as successful. She is missing the camera action. ...| More

Romance missing from Korean films

Source | 2008/06/25 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Two genres - the melodrama and the romantic comedy - used to do very well at the box office.

"200 Pounds Beauty" is a case in point. It deals with plastic surgery, but it is deeply rooted in the romantic comedy tradition in which love ultimately conquers all.

But Korean theaters in recent months have had few, if any, offerings that stir people to talk about the triumph of romance. The summer lineup continues the paucity of romantic flicks.

What happened?

Last week, "Public Enemy Returns", directed by Kang Woo-seok, rose to the No. 1 slot, offering a much-anticipated reprieve to the protracted slump in the local film industry. But the film, starring Seol Kyeong-gu and Jeong Jin-yeong, does not have any elements that can be categorized as romantic.

"Crossing", a film about North Korean defectors which is also getting a lot of attention, is about to hit theaters this week, but there is no room in that story for romance.

"The Good, The Bad, The Weird", a big-budget Korean...| More