Wishing Stairs (2003) - 여고괴담 3 - 여우 계단 (Yeo-go-goi-dam 3 - Yeo-woo Gye-dan)

'200 Pounds Beauty' Charms Overseas Film Fans

2007/05/30 | Source | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Korean made movie "200 Pounds Beauty" is taking audiences by storm abroad _ smashing box office records across Singapore and Hong Kong and signaling actress Kim Ah-joong's rise as a hot new hallyu star.

Three weeks after its opening last month in Singapore, "Beauty" had already grossed a whopping $550,000 in that country alone according to a release by local distributors InnoForm Media and Shaw Organization.

The film opened on April 19 and now exceeds figures of previous Korean record-holder "The Wishing Stairs" (2003) and last year's hit "The Host", which drew $550,000. The film's producer KM Pictures refused to release exact numbers.

"We bought the film at the AFM (American Film Market) last year and were surprised when our distribution partner Shaw suggested that we take it as wide as 18 prints", InnoForm general manager Lim Teck was quoted as telling "Variety".

"We enjoyed a clear run without much competition in the two weeks before `Sp...| More

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"200 Pounds Beauty" proves a hit in Singapore

2007/05/10 | Source | Permalink |

Comedy "200 Pounds Beauty" is enjoying a highly successful release in Singapore, having set a new record for Korean films in the city-state.

Released on April 19 on a comparatively wide 18 prints, the film spent its first week at #2 and has amassed box office revenues of US$550,000 (S$841,000 in local currency). This passes the mark set by the previous record holders "Wishing Stairs" and "The Host".

The film was pre-bought for Singapore at the 2006 American Film Market by InnoForm Media, and it was released in partnership with Shaw Organisation.

Directed by KIM Yong-hwa, "200 Pounds Beauty" tells the story of an overweight singer who undergoes a radical treatment of plastic surgery and weight loss to become unrecognizably beautiful. Released in Korea in December, it sold 6.6 million tickets for a total box office gross of over $44 million.

The film is next released in Hong Kong on May 17. The film's star, KIM Ah-joong, visited the city on a promotion tour and is repo...| More

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Seven Korean Films to Air on American Cable

2006/03/09 | Source | Permalink |

Seven Korean films, including "Old Boy" and "Samaria", will be shown on the Sundance Movie Channel, an American cable TV network.
Kim Jee-suk, programmer of the Pusan International Film Festival, recently stated, "SunDance Movie Channel, a leading movie cable channel in the United States, has bought the exclusive US televising rights to a total of eight Asian films from their distributor Tartan".

Kim added, "No schedule for airing the Korean films has been settled yet. However a tentative decision has been made to air the films during prime time every Sunday".
The seven Korean movies to be broadcast on the Sun Dance channel will be Park Chan-wook's thrillers "Old Boy" (2003) and "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" (2005); Kim Ki-duk's "Samaria" (2004); Kim Ji-woon's "A Tale of Two Sisters" (2003); Lee Jong-hyuk's "H" (2002); "Memento Mori" (1999), jointly directed by Kim Tae-yong and Min Gyoo-dong; and Ahn Byeong-ki's "Phone" (2002).

Park Chan-wook's thriller "Sympathy for Lady Venge...| More

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High School Horror Film Sends Actress Through Ceiling

2005/03/07 | Source | Permalink |

By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter

Aren't high schools scary places? The constant pressure of exams, homework and competition with ones peers is enough to make one to scream.

The crew of an upcoming horror film "Voice Letter (Yogo Kwedam: Moksori)" is now working hard to make the place even more frightening.

"The movie maximizes the fear that is created from the absence of something usual", Equan Choe, director of "Voice Letter" told reporters Saturday at an indoor set compound in Puchon, Kyonggi Province. "It depicts a series of dreadful accidents after a teacher lost her voice".

The movie is the fourth installment in the "Yogo Kwedam" series. With "Whispering Corridors", in 1998, "Memento Mori (Yogo Kwedam Tubonjjae Iyagi)" in 1999 and "Wishing Stairs (Yowu Kyedan)" in 2003, the films all take place at a girl's high school.

"The most difficult thing is to make each one different. There are things I can't use since they were used in the previous films", said Choe, who wa...| More

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Film Sequels to Hit Local Theaters

2005/01/09 | Source | Permalink |

By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter

It is commonly said that film sequels are rarely better than the original, which has been true for all the local sequels in recently years except for such movies as "Hi Dharma 2: Showdown in Seoul (Talmaya Seoul-kaja)", a sequel for gangster comedy "Hi, Dharma (Talmaya Nolja)" in 2002.

But it seems that local movie companies don't quite believe it or want to challenge it, given that many of upcoming movies are sequels to popular films of recent years.

"Wet Dreams 2 (Mongjonggi 2)"

The starter in the lineup is "Wet Dreams 2", part of trilogy of teen sex comedy. It will first meet local audience on Jan. 13.

The first installment was set in a boy's middle school in 1987 and told funny and frank stories related to teenagers' sexual desires while the upcoming sequel is set in a girl's high school in 1991 with similar topics.

The film focuses on 17-year-old high school girls when they have a new handsome teacher in their class. The new tea...| More

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