Oldboy Remake?

Ugh - with Spielberg on board it has potential, but please, anyone besides Will Smith.

Chicago International Film Festival

This festival has had some great movies in the past - I remember seeing The Host a few years ago. This year there are several Asian films, including two Korean films which have recently caused a lot of buzz - The Chaser and The Good, the Bad and the Weird. The first is a gritty crime thriller with a relatively unknown director and the latter has an all-star cast including Song Kang Ho, Lee Byung Hun and Jung Woo Sung. It's a great chance to see a wide range of foreign films in some of Chicago's nicer theaters - check it out if you get the chance.

Seven Days - 세븐데이즈

I saw this film last night, and wanted to write a review for it. I've been buying a lot of films lately but haven't been watching them. So i'm trying to catch up. Anyway, i saw this yesterday. Kim Yoon-Jin (김윤진)plays a lawyer who has her daughter kidnapped. As ransom she has to prove a man innocent of a rape and murder, and she has less than seven days to do it. A friend of hers who's a cop {played by Park Hee-soon (박희순)} notices her strange behavior and knows there's a problem. So she tells him and he helps her as much as she can. As she looks for evidence she starts to think maybe the man wasn't the murderer after all. But the mother of the victim {played by Kim Mi-Sook (김미숙) knows he's the man responsible and hates Yun-Jin's character for being his lawyer. There were some parts of the film that i thought were a bit too much, especially when her daughter is kidnapped and she starts to look for her. At some points they use dissolves to transition from shot to shot while the camera is handheld. I thought it gave a too much of a dizzying affect that they wanted the audience to feel as Yoon-Jin might have during that time, but i think they could have had the same effect without the dissolves. But that's just my opinion. As word starts to spread that Yoon-Jins's character is now representing the defendant one of her rivals is appointed as the prosecution. As in Korean movies there are always plot twists and this is where the first one happens. Evidence proves that there were more people involved than originally thought.
As this happens she gets phone calls periodically through out the film from the Kidnappers telling her the condition of her daughter. Who gets sick while she's kidnapped and need of medical attention and threaten to let her die. Once she finds the evidence, the twist is revealed but this film has more than one. The second is at the very end of the film, when she proved the man innocent and has found her daughter. If you read some of my other reviews you know i don't like to give away too much information. I rather let the viewer find out for themselves. Where as i'm the opposite, I like to know the ending to films or TV shows before i watch them.
if you'd like to see more pics of the film go to this link http://www.movist.com/movies/viewgallery.asp?mid=40229&tp=s&num=1

Trip to Korea pt2.

Hey guys, i didn't finish this post sooner because i've been busy with the whole "back to school" situation. So I have some free time now and i decided to finish up. As I said i while ago, when i was in Korea I met a lot of famous people while i was there. Well here's a few more people that i met while i was there.

that's me with Kim Seok-hoon (김석훈) when i met him i told him that i had seen him in two movies: Tube - 튜브 and The Legend of Gingko - 단적비연수. He told me those were the only two action movies that he made. Of course he's been in other drama shows.


Another actor i met was Yoo Hae-jin (유해진). He's a nice guy, and looks pretty big, like he works out. He was surprised to hear all the Korean films i own. He said that he was pleased because i knew so much about Korean cinema.


The last person i got to meet before i left was Bong Joon-ho (봉준호). Had i stayed in Korea, i'd be working on his new film which is suppose to go into production this month.

Well that's just about everyone i met. I also met Bae Doona (배두나) but that was about four years ago in chicago. I hope when i go back i'll work on a film that she's in then i can remind her.... Then ask her out.

씨네21

Yesterday i was meeting a friend of mine for some Korean tutoring. When I showed her a magazine i had bought in Korea. I showed her some pics of Jeong Doo Hong (i've already posted them on this site) that were in the magazine and ones i took when i met him. He was wearing the same thing, i told her that i was there for the interview he had in the magazine. She started to laugh. then i told her to look through the magazine to see if they mention me.

She did and told me that they did, she read me the article and told me what it meant. then i had to read it back to her for my Korean lesson.

good news!!!

I just found out i'm mentioned in a Korean Magazine!! i'll post the pics and the article tomorrow!!!

Trip to Korea

Well as some of you might already know i am in Korea, but not for long i'm leaving today. Anyway, i came for a meet and greet. I'm a film major at columbia college and am finishing soon. so i'm looking for a job. I met a man named Man Sung Son and he was impressed with me. so he said he would call a director he knew in Korea to give me an interview while i was there on vacation. The director is Young Woo Chang. He directed dramas like Hotelier, he's filming a new drama and is very busy so i didn't get a chance to meet him. While i had lots of free time i decided to go "looking" around.


One person i wanted to meet was Jeong Doo-hong (정두홍), and i did. He's really cool and a very nice guy. He works hard, i know because i spent a day with him watching him prepare for a new film. He use to be Korea's youngest action director now he's just the best. He was also impressed when he met me, he made a phone call and got me an interview with someone he knew. I got it, but i'll get to that part. Anyway he's really famous here in Korea i really admire his work. He's been in films like: The City of Violence - 짝패, Arahan - 아라한-장풍 대작전 and even makes a cameo in the new Dachimawa Lee - 다찌마와 리


While i was there i also met "Mr." Kim Won Jung. He was the action director for "OldBoy" and he choreagraphed he fight in the hallway with the hammer.





As i said earlier i met Jeong Doo Hong, he made a phone call and got me an interview with Hong Kyong Pyo. You might have seen some of his work he was the cinematographer on films like M - 엠 Taegukgi - 태극기 휘날리며 The Champion - 챔피언. I'm going to be working for him!! He wants me to start next month but i told him i want to finish school first. so he gave me his business card to contact him when i'm done. and i will, he just wants me to work on my Korean for when i come back.

hmmmm....
actually this is my last day in Korea. so i'm going to finish this later, i want to enjoy the it a little longer

다찌마와 리 -- Dachimawa Lee

It's about 11:30pm here in Korea on Aug 17. Anway i just saw 다찌마와 리 and wanted to talk aobut it before i went to sleep. This is Ryoo Seung-Wan's newest film. My Korean speaking abality is rahter low, so most of the jokes went over my head. This film is silly, and kinda confused me at the end, but that's my fault for not knowing Korean. Anyway the film takes place during the 40's, and is suppose to be an omage, to old 60's/70's spy films. The film is dubbed with the actual actor voice to give it that werid slight off sync look. As it goes: Dachimawa Lee is a spy, and his partner gets killed on a solo mission. He then given the assingment to finish the job. While he retrieve his orders he is given a new partner who falls in love with him. When he starts to feel the same way about his new partner he falls head first into his assingment, he actually does. When he get the stolen treasure his partner his partner is killed and he loses all his memories. A woman finds him and takes him in, where he runs into a trobule (someone he met earlier). He then becomes a "one arm swordsmen", only because his arm is in a sling. He regains his memories and finishes his job only to find out that there is a tratior in the organization. That's where things get complicated for me, i don't want to give the film away. I want you to see it for your self. It seems his partner knew about the traitor and had to fake their death.
But it's very funny with Im Won-Hee looking perfect for the part. To me his face looks perfect for a film from the 60's/70's and leading ladies Kong Hyo-Jin and Park Si-Yoen

The Good, The Bad and The Weird - 좋은 놈, 나쁜 놈, 이상한 놈

Not bad Not bad, I saw the film the day before yesterday in Incheon. As I know it's Korea first western film. Since I barley know any Korean I'm not so sure as to what they were saying. But I'll talke about that later, the film is a cross between Sammo Hung's Shanghai Express and 3:10 to Yuma. With it's comedic moments in dialouge but lots of gun fights, no martial arts if you're wondering since i compared it to Shanghai Express. It takes place in the fortys when Japan annex Korea. As the film starts it opens with a mob boss having a meeting with a goon. He gives a map/document to the goon who in turn gives it to the Chinese government. The boss hires his best lacky (Lee Byeong Hyon - The BAD) to get it back, but is beaten to the punch by Song Kong Ho characther (The Weird)Jeong Woo Seong character (The GOOD) is a bounty hunter, who is hired not to protect the map but in a sense given dibbs on the outlaws that would try to steel the map. Lee Byeong Hyeon lies to his boss about having the map in order to see how much he's willing to pay for it. Once he's paid he then kills his boss and assumes leader of the gange. He has no interst in the map at all but when he finds out that it was So Kang Ho's character who took it, he wants to pay him back for something that happend when they first met. Song Kang Ho is captured by Woo Seong but escapes, by then everyone knows about the map and everyone heads to the same location. Byeong Hyeon, Kang Ho, and Woo Seong are the only three to make it but each has different goals when they get there. They have a three way stand off like in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. hhhmmmm... there's a little more at the very end but I don't want to give it all away. Other than the title, the shoot out at the end and for an occasional whistleing music theme. there is no reference to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. It's an entertaining film that I recommend, I'm in Korea so that's how i was able to see it. I try to support Korean cinema as much as i can so I would also recommend that no one downloads the film. Just wait till it comes out on DVD, it'll be worth the wait. Actually while i'm here i might even see it agian.

US Distributor set for "The Good, The Bad, the Weird"

North American distribution rights for the Korean western, "The Good, the Bad, the Weird," have been picked up by IFC films. Set for release in Korea on July 17th, according to Variety Asia 70% of electronic tickets sales have been for "GBW", the highest figure this year for a Korean film and anticipation is high.

IFC is said to be looking to release the title in the first half of 2009 in a limited 5 major city release with a possible further wider rollout later. While at Cannes, IFC also acquired distribution rights to "The Chaser."

The comedy adventure stars Song Kang-ho, Lee Byun-hun, and Jung Woo-sung.

Dachimawa Lee: The Orient Espionage Teaser

This looks interesting, sort of a Korean James Bond... Unfortunately, I was not able to get a good look at the trailer due to a slow connection - hopefully you have better luck. Ryu Seung-Wan (Crying Fist, No Blood No Tears) is directing so I'm looking forward to it.

Korean Food

I know this is off-topic but I wanted to pass on a great site for those interested in learning how to cook Korean food. I really don't cook Korean food but my wife and sister can't stop singing this site's praises. Enjoy!

For those not quite ready to put their cooking skills to the test but either enjoy Korean food or would like to try it I would recommend a few places in the city - Cho Sun Ok, San Soo Gab San and Woo Chon (my personal favorite).

The Good The Bad The Weird trailer

This is THE movie I'm looking forward to seeing the most right now, with Park Chan Wook's Thirst a close second.

Korean Film Festivals

Most of these are in Korea, but in case you happen to be out that way...

Kwak Jae-Young

Kwak Jae-Yong (곽재용) is working on his Newest film entitled
"My Mighty Princess - 무림여대생", I'm sure you all know who he is.
Just in case you didn't he was the writer director of the film
My Sassy Girl - 엽기적인 그녀. If you look had enough you'll find the trailer. It's (the trailer) has been out for a while, the only reason I haven't posted it now is because i'm still busy with finals. Cinematography is not as easy as I thought it would be

Funny

This is old info and has nothing to do with Film but I just found it and thought I should share it with you guys and gals

Bluetooth bikini sews up iPod apparel market


Korean company JWin has developed a bikini top with controls sewn in, allowing the wearer to perform all the usual options, from adjusting the volume to selecting tracks. JWin didn't indicate where you should slip your iPod - anywhere you like, presumably, since the controls are wireless, connecting to a dongle on the music player.JWin has a solid background in the development of iPod accessories and is already fairly well known for its iLuv brand. But will ladies take to their hearts fumbling around with their swimwear in order to listen to their favourite songs?

Jeong Woo-seong (정우성)

I just found out that today is Jeong Woo Seong birthday. He's one of my favorite actors. I remember seeing a commercial in 1997 when his film BEAT (비트) was coming out. It's still one of my favorites. Anyway as of today he's 35. It's an older film that's hard to find but if you look really hard I'm sure you'll find it.
For more info on the film Beat goto to these sites (if you can read Korean).
http://haieun.egloos.com/273680
http://forget.tistory.com/tag/다시보는영화


Here's a list of other movies and TV shows he's did that you might want to see

Musa - 무사
Phantom the Submarine - 유령
Born To Kill - 본 투 킬
Mutt Boy - 똥개
A Moment to Remember - 내 머리 속의 지우개
Sad Movie - 새드무비
Daisy - 데이지
The Restless 중천 (中天)
Love - 러브
City of the Rising Sun - 태양은 없다
Motel Cactus - 모텔 선인장
Beat - 비트
Shanghai Grand 상해탄 (supposedly he's in here I haven't seen it)
Asphalt My Hometown TV Series - 아스팔트의 사나이
The Fox with Nine Tails - 구미호

'Secret Sunshine' Wins 3 Awards at the Asian Film Festival

Director Lee Chang-dong's 'Secret Sunshine' has won three awards at the second annual Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong. The film received the Best Film, Best Director and Best Leading Actress (Jeon Do-yeon) awards.

This is the second time for a Korean film to win the Best Film award after "The Host" won the Best Film award last year.

At the Asian Film Awards, which was held as a part of the opening ceremony for the Hong Kong International Film Festival, 'Secret Sunshine' competed with Ang Lee's 'Lust, Caution' and Peter Chan's 'The Warlords' and won the coveted award.


Jeon Do-yeon, who received an award for Best Leading Actress, thanked director Lee Chang-dong and co-star Song Kang-ho and said she felt honored to be presented with the award when there were so many talented candidates.

Director Lee expressed his joy by saying that he had expected Jeon to win an award but had not expected to win an award himself.

The Asian Film Awards was founded last year in order to build Hong Kong into the hub of Asia's movie industry. Renowned Asian movie personalities have participated in the event, making the awards ceremony one of the major film festivals in the Asian region along with the Pusan International Film Festival.

Even More Info

Bong Joon-ho, the director of 'The Host', returns with 'Mother'


Early last month news broke that director Bong Joon-ho was developing a new film entitled Mother but little else was known.

The film follows a loving mother who must protect her son from accusastions that he had commited a horrific crime. When all fingers point to the police force, she must seek out and uncover the truth herself and prove her son's innocence.

Mother, which was co-written by Bong Joon-ho and Park Eun-kyo, is budgeted at $5 million.







Park Chan-Wook Finds His Leading Lady


News on Park Chan-Wook's long overdue and rumored vampire project Thirst became a reality at the beginning of last year with Song Kang Ho set to star.

Since then we have been feeding you bits and pieces of news as they slowly came in. Since the beginning of last year we had a rough breakdown of the story thanks to forum member Khitcher.

We were only missing one thing, who was going to be our leading lady? A few names were tossed around by our forum members, Kang Hye-jeong, Yeom Jeong-ah, maybe even Kim Hye-Soo?


Then at the beginning of this month we found out why Park Chan-Wook was having problems casting his leading lady after all this time. Looks like Thirst could be the goth version of Lust,Caution, and our favorite korean actresses were having second thoughts about taking on this spicy role.

Everyone except Kim Ok Bin, who we last saw in the off the wall comedy Dasepo Girl. Currently finishing up Distrubance In Her Ballroom, Kim Ok Bin will jump into the role of 30 something Tea Joo at the end of March for a 9-month shoot.

So, what is Thirst actually about? Here is a breakdown.

The story finds Korea's leading man, Song Kang-ho, as a much-loved priest who becomes a vampire after a failed medical experiment; he becomes a tortured and depraved soul. Title refers to a craving for sex, blood and love. CJ is pitching the pic as a love story with horror and drama.

I know many of us were hoping for a release sometime this year but with a nine month shooting schedule don't expect to see this until sometime in 2009.





Filipina Actress Mercedes Cabral Lands Role In Park Chan-wook's Thirst

We have new casting news on Park Chan-wook's upcoming Thrist which is due to start shooting this April.

Early last month we reported that Kim Ok Bin landed the leading role in Thrist. Recently Park Chan-wook's also picked
Filipina Actress Mercedes Cabral for a role in his upcoming film.

Mercedes Cabral was quoted as saying "I am kinda nervous. (I couldn’t believe myself. We just sent a screener to Korea and they liked it very much). Her role in Thrist has yet to be announced.

I myself haven't heard of Mercedes Cabral. But abs-cbnnews.com reports that she is a favorite in the independent film circuit . Recently she proved her acting skills by winning the Best Supporting Actress award at the 2007 UP Inbox TV and Radio Festival for her sterling performance in the digital film "Bitin", produced by Good Vibes Productions.

Interesting casting, and I look forward to seeing what Mercedes Cabral will bring to her new role. I am sure this will lead to bigger projects in the near future.

Info part 3

KOFIC's Support Program for Hub-Library for Korean Film Studies

Korean Film Council's

Support Program for Hub-Library for Korean Film Studies

The Korean Film Council provides Korean film-related materials published in domestic or foreign countries as well as Korean film DVDs to major libraries overseas in order to support Korean Film Studies scholars and students. It also hopes that this support program will help broaden the base of ordinary audiences overseas for Korean films.

A library or research center of a university or college overseas that offers both Film Studies and Korean Studies are most eligible to apply for this program, and other institutions related to Korean film studies also can apply for the support program. After receiving applications, KOFIC will review each application and decide which libraries or institutes to support, in careful consideration of : geographical importance, activities regarding film studies, value of the University, and the prospects for development of Korean Film studies as well as management & usage plan of the provided materials.

KOFIC will provide the libraries Korean film-related materials such as publications regarding Korean Film (either in Korean, in English or in a third language) and Korean (Feature) Film DVDs (with subtitles at least in English) In principle, the support program is available once a year, but upon request of the libraries, additional support appeals can be reviewed within the budget limit of KOFIC.

This support program started in 2007, and the first beneficiaries in 2007 were: University of Chicago, UCLA, Columbia University, University of Sydney, Free University Berlin, and Indiana University.

To apply for 2008 Support Program :


O Program Announcement : March 3 ~ 21, 2008
O Application Period : March 17~21, 2008
O Documents to be submitted : to be sent by email ( sant0804@kofic.or.kr)

1) Application Form
2) A cover letter from an official of the institution or related department must be submitted together with this application form.

For program details with application procedure, and application form, refer to the files attached above.

For further inquiries,
contact Hyun-chang JUNG
Publications Manager
Email : sant0804@kofic.or.kr







KOFIC P&A Fund for Korean Films Abroad

Find out more details about the scheme at www.kofic.or.kr/english from March 18 th 2008

General Introduction

The KOFIC P&A Fund for Korean Films Abroad is a program where KOFIC supports expenses required for theatrical distribution, designed to expand opportunities for foreign audiences to enjoy Korean films in theaters. The program will be launched this year with a budget of 400 million Won ($420,000 USD).

What kind of film is eligible?

Films eligible for support include feature-length dramas, documentaries or animations that were made in Korea, or co-produced with Korea as the main producing country.

Who are qualified to apply?

Companies owning rights to a film's theatrical distribution in certain foreign countries are qualified to apply for the program. In submitting the application, the company must also submit related documents to demonstrate such rights.

How to apply?

An application form will be available at a web site of Korean Film Council(www.kofic.or.kr/english) from March 18th, 2008. After filling out an application form, please submit the form along with necessary documents to Korean Film Council by post. The necessary documents include a plan for financing which identifies the source of funding, a release plan with the number of theaters and their location, promotion/marketing strategies and an itemized statement of expenditure.

From when?

Applications are accepted from March 18th 2008. Taking into consideration that selections are made 4 times a year, application forms should be submitted at least 2 months ahead of the planned release date. For more details, please see the annual schedule below.

Annual Schedule 2008
3rd round : August 31st - September 30th - after October 31st
4th round : October 31st - November 30th - after December 31st

When will the final selection be made?

In 2008, a total of 4 selection process will take place. The films and companies to receive the Fund will be announced in June, July, September and November.

What is the amount of support?

The support amount covers up to 50% of the theatrical release expenses in accordance with the number of opening theaters and the scale of the marketing, with the maximum amount per film capped at 100 million Won ($105,000 USD).

What kind of expenditure is supported?

KOFIC P&A Fund award should be spent on direct distribution cost, during the period of 5 months prior to the release and 2 months that follow. Direct distribution cost include production cost of promotion materials, expenses for promotion and marketing, costs spent on promotion tours of director/actors, print production expenses, media advertisement costs, advertising material production costs, etc..

When will the support money be delivered?

50% of the total amount will be delivered when the selected film is released and the rest will be delivered when an account report on cost statement is finalized.

In case of a surplus, how should it be returned to KOFIC?

The Korean Film Council will seek to recoup its award in the event that the film generates a surplus for the applicant/distributor in its theatrical release. This will work as follows:

The applicant may recoup its agreed P&A investment in first position from distributor's share of box-office receipts. The applicant's agreed P&A investment includes the applicant's own money, a third party's investment and other grant such as those obtained through public funding program. Any distributor's share of box-office receipts in excess of this will go towards the Korean Film Council award i.e. the Korean Film Council award will be recouped in last position. In the event that insufficient distributor's share of box-office receipts are received to cover the award, then no further payment to the Korean Film Council will be due.

For further information
KIM Hyoun-soo
International Promotion Dept, KOFIC (Korean Film Council)
myear1014@kofic.or.kr








Deluge of foreign films drowning Korean releases

One of the intriguing (or disturbing) signs about where Korean movies are headed is the near absence of press previews this month. For instance, except for a screening of Yoo Ji-tae's short titled "Out of My Intention" on Tuesday, there's nothing going on this week. No screenings yet either next week.

The declining number of domestic film releases is in sharp contrast to the surging demand for foreign films. According to the Korean Film Council, the Korean cinema imported 404 films from abroad in 2007, up from 289 in 2006 and 253 in 2005.

The rating agency handled as many as 72 foreign films in the first two months of this year, up 36.8 percent from the same period last year. The momentum comes not only from the major Hollywood distributors but also from small film importers, encouraged chiefly by the unexpectedly respectable box-office success of "Once" and "Lust, Caution".

The foreign movie boom is setting off alarms in the domestic film industry, which is already finding itself in a rut due to rising production costs and a dearth of box-office hits.

In fact, the March-April period is traditionally a slow movie season as the key audience -- college students -- is largely busy taking care of back-to-school affairs.

Exacerbating the problem is the reluctance of local production houses who want to push back the release date of their forthcoming movies in order to avoid the slow season. For the March-April period, only seven local movies are scheduled to hit theaters, significantly down from 16 in the same period last year.

For March, only three Korean titles are expected to fill up the slots. "My New Partner", a sort of buddy-and-detective movie featuring Ahn Seong-gi and Jo Han-seon is being released today nationwide, while "Humming", a romantic flick staring Lee Cheon-hee and Han Ji-hye, is slated for March 13 and "Destiny", a tale of betrayal where Song Seung-heon and kwon Sang-woo compete for the spotlight, is set to be released on March 20.

Meanwhile, the producers of a host of Korean movies, including "Girl Scout" and "Kill Me", have decided to wait until May or June.

The only relief at the box office now is the trailblazing performance of "The Chaser" (Chugyeokja), a Korean thriller directed by Na Hong-jin. Ticket sales have surpassed the 3 million mark.

Since its Feb. 14 release, the film has maintained its lead at the box office, even outsmarting other Hollywood flicks.

The box-office performance of "The Chaser" is regarded as a surprise because it is after all a small-budget film and its main actors are low profile compared with those in other Korean movies released in recent months. Even the lengthy running time of 123 minutes was deemed a negative factor. But despite all the bad press, the movie has solidified its position as a "must-see" for mainstream audiences.

However, the euphoria sparked by "The Chaser" is limited as prospects for Korean film releases are unlikely to brighten for a while. In recent years, about three to four Korean movies were released per week. But the figure steadily declined to two in mid-February, and is now standing at the much-feared one or zero.

Many of the foreign films imported in 2007 are waiting to secure theater slots. In March alone, about 30 foreign movies, big and small, are getting ready to be released. Oscar-winning films such as "There Will be Blood" as well as small-budget titles are expected to dominate theater schedules.


Last weekend, foreign films led by "Vantage Point" and "Jumper" clashed with "The Chaser" and "BA:BO", a Korean film based on a popular online comic book of the same name that was released on Feb. 28.

Info (continued)

[Style] The 4 female actors "stepping out of their comfort zones"


"Stepping out of the comfort zones"
Literally, an actor makes their living through their outer image. Thus they undergo an endless changes and transformation in order to unfold their hidden charms. Recently, the female actors who had been hidden under the tag of being 'sexy' or 'innocent' took a critical counterattack to bring out their true charms.

Korea's No.1 sexy beauties Jeon Ji-hyeon and Kim Jeong-eun transformed themselves into free and easy-going characters without any make-ups; and the No. 1 innocent beauties, Son Ye-jin and Lee Bo-yeong brought out their strong femme fatale sexiness. The following is the stories of HOT ladies' transformations in their HOT movies.

■Sexy beauty → Innocent beauty

▶ "A Man Who Was Superman" : Jeon Ji-hyeon
In her film, "The man who was a superman" (CJ Entertainment Co., directed by Jeong Yoon-cheol) Jeon Ji-hyeon transformed into a TV station producer and took away her previous image of having the perfect 'S-line' body.

Many agree that the boyish attractiveness in Jeon Ji-hyeon was rediscovered in her loose T-shirt and pants without any make-ups and jewelleries. With black and white as the main style, other colours were excluded and a fashionable bracelet was replaced by a black hair band which has a functional advantage of tying her hair whenever she requires.

The costume designer, No Mi-rye explained, "The director wanted practical and humble costumes for his characters. In order to satisfy his request, the new clothes and shoes were reformed to look worn out. It was quite a hard process because even the worn-out-looking costumes look stylish on Jeon Ji-hyeon. But we were able to bring out the boyish charm in her".

▶ "Forever the Moment" : Kim Jeong-eun
Kim Jeong-eun, who was known for her stylish sexy dresses on various red carpet occasions have turned into a handball player without any make-ups in her latest film "Forever the Moment" (MK Pictures, directed by Lim Soon-rye). Throughout the film, she only wears blue and red sport uniforms.

Even though she wears the casual clothes every now and then, she excluded all jewelleries and wore simple semi-formal suits in achromatic colours. Instead, some extra details were added on her uniforms to bring out styles in it. On a standard Adidas uniform worn by the existing players, the body contour line was added to emphasise the body lines. Also instead of adding various colours to the uniforms, only inner arms and the waist had the colour contrasts to emphasise slimness of the body.

The costume designer, Ko Hee-jung said, "Because Kim Jeong-eun has very stylish and sophisticated image as well as having long arms and legs, she looks fantastic even with just simple T-shirt. The gallant details were reduced and the simplicity was the key word in the designing process".

■ Innocent beauty → Sexy beauty

▶"Open City": Son Ye-jin
The leader of Korea's best innocent beauty is, of course, Son Ye-jin. Even so, in her latest film, "Open City" (SsamI Vision, directed by Lee Sang-ki) she transformed into a fatal sexy beauty. However, she is different to previous femmefatale characters, such as Kim Hye-soo from "The War Of Flower" or Lee Hye-yeong from "The Devil's Game".

Instead of the extreme exposure, she emphasised the sexiness from various costume materials such as silk, glittering gold and spandex. Particularly, the variety of hair styles including pony-tail and long permed hair; and the nail arts enhanced the overall style.

The costume designer, Han Song-kyung explained, "In the film, there is a scene where Son Ye-jin wears a leather beret and a scarf, which was entirely her idea. Because she has the pure image of first love by many male fans, the focus was to emphasise the mysterious attractiveness within her rather than look for femmefatale sort of sexiness in her".

▶"Once Upon a Time": Lee Bo-yeong
The innocent beauty, Lee Bo-yeong transformed into a lean 'S-line' bodied sexy jazz singer in "Once Upon a Time" (Won Entertainment, directed by Jeong Yong-ki). As a jazz singer, the sexy and splendorous costumes were essential. Most of her costumes were made out of red, black and gold with sparkling pearl.

In the process of costume making, silk was the main fabric to be used to emphasise the feminine body line, as silk effectively brings out the body contours. And there were deep cuts at the back and the breast and hip lines were designed tight. Thus successfully bring out luxurious sexiness of the Hollywood female stars like Marilyn Monroe.

The costume designer, Yang Min-hye said, "The context of this film is 1945 and the modern boy and girl look of the time has similar sophisticated aspects of present contemporary styles. And I thought rather than wearing separated two-piece dresses, it would fit the time better if Lee Bo-young wear one-pieced dresses instead".




Lee Byeong-heon's threatening' bloody muscles' in Hollywood

The still-cuts from the Korean Waves star, Lee Byeong-Heon's first Hollywood debut film, "I Come with the Rain" were finally released.

Recently, the photos were uploaded to an American film site, in which Lee Byeong-Heon showed off his powerfully built body. His bloodied body and the bloodthirsty expression were frightening.

"I Come with the Rain" is directed by Director Tran Anh Hung ("Mui du du xanh" -"L'odeur de la papaye verte" ("The Scent of Green Papaya"), "Le Van Loc" ("Cyclo")) and is a collaborate work between France and America. Lee Byeong-Heon is appearing as a head of Hong Kong mafia.

Other casts include a Hollywood star, Josh Hartnett; a Chinese star, Daniel Woo; and the top Japanese actor, Kimura Takuya. Director Tran Anh Hung's wife, Tran Nu Yen-Khe, is also appearing as Lee Byeong-Heon's wife in the film.

On the other hand, Lee Byeong-Heon is still in Los Angeles to shoot a film "G.I.Joe" which is based on a popular animation.




JIFF to Focus on Alexander Kluge

Meeting the Leader of 'New German Cinema'
German film director Alexander Kluge striking a pose for the camera.


The 9th Jeonju International Film Festival will kick off on May 1, 2008 and last until May 9, 2008. Amongst the international films announced include the films of Alexander Kluge who is the leader of 'New German Cinema'. His movies will be in the most popular section 'Stranger than Cinema' during the festival period.

German movies have suffered from their backwardness since the last 20th century, but with Alexander kluge at the head, German film-makers gathered at the 8th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen in 1962 and declared a new era for German film creation by saying, "Fathers' movies are dead". Those directors influenced by 'Nouvelle Vague', a new movement in France, were called as 'New German Cinema' and described materialistic value and inhuman element through films.

Alexander kluge's film policy has transformed the structure of the film industry. The genre and content of his films are known as highly intelligent and rational. He has dealt with sensitive issues such as the Nazi period and has consistently maintained an objective and critical view.

There will be 20 films shown in the 'Focus on Alexander Kluge's section. Yesterday Girl was awarded 'Special Jury Prize' in Venice Film Festival. Germany in Autumn was directed by 11 representative German directors such as Werner Fassbinder, Volker Schlondorff, Edgar Reitz and so on. Part-time Work of a Domestic Slave was publicized the issue of abortion in the German society. Artists Under the Big Top was awarded 'Golden Lion' in Venice Film Festival. Pichota Manfredo, the former chief bodyguard of Hitler, appears in the film, I was Hitler's Bodyguard.

The Programmer, Yoo Un-seong who is in charge of 'Focus on Alexander Kluge' said that "Alexander Kluge, once the leader of young directors who dreamt of a new German film, is now conducting a new experiment by enlarging his ground from films to television. The 9th Jeonju International Film Festival will give a precious opportunity for the audience to plunge themselves into the world of Alexander Kluge as a director, an artist, educator, active Marxist and adventurer who experiences new medium".

Jeonju International Film Festival has organized meetings between audiences and experimental directors while holding special programs of Peter Kubelca in 2005, Peter Tscherkassky in 2006, and Harun Farocki and Artavazd Peleshian in 2007. In this year, Ulrich Gregor, the prestigious film critic and a director of a studio will visit Korea on behalf of Alexander Kluge and give lectures about Alexander Kluge and his movies at before most of the showings.

Introduction of 'Focus on Alexander kluge'

"Alexander Kluge is very important figure in German culture. Along with Pier Paolo Pasolini, Alexander Kluge is an intellectual as an artist and an artist as an intellectual and can be the most powerful and creative example for European ideal". - Susan Sontag

German movies had suffered from its backwardness since the end of 20th century, but Alexander kluge at the head, German film-makers gathered at the 8th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen in 1962 and declared a new era for German film creation by saying, "Fathers' movies are dead. We believe in the new films". Those directors who are influenced by Nouvelle Vague, a new movement in France, described materialistic value and inhuman element through films, so critics named them "New German Cinema". A lot of people say that without Alexander Kluge's desperate effort, the birth of the 'New German Cinema' would not be possible.

Alexander Kluge was a leader and a theorist who leads the young movies in German and spoke out about not only the movie policy but also the necessity of structure change in the film industry. He, himself, revolutionized highly intelligent and analytical genre and style of movies. His work was regarded as one of the role models for contemporary German intellectuals and artists, because he had critical perspective on Nazi period and German society after the war. He wrote two long-novels and a choice of short novels, and won several prominent literary awards including 'Georg Buchner prize'. In addition to that, he was the scholar who followed the ideology steps of Theodor Adorno and Walter Benjamin. Especially,

『The Public Sphere and Experience』 (1972), written by both him and his co-worker, Oscar Necht, was considered as an ideology scripture for German left–wings in 1970s and widely read. Since the middle of 1980s, Alexander Kluge almost stopped shooting films, focused on the vast possibility of the television and started to make alternative and counteractive television programs.


The films that will screen in the special session are total 20 including, Yesterday Girl (1966, Venice Film Festival, 'Special Jury Prize') disclosing the reality of divided Germany at the time, Artists Under the Big Top (1968, Venice Film Festival, 'Golden Lion'), the allegory asking the social status of artists, and early short films and alternative television shows. All those films are enough to show his unique style of work. Especially, Germany in Autumn (1978), created by 11 famous German directors such as Werner Fassbinder, Volker Schlondorff, Edgar Reitz and so on, will be shown for the first time in Korea. The 9th Jeonju International Film Festival plans to publish booklet containing reviews, unique theory of the directors and long interview written by Alexander Kluge's specialists to help understanding of the audiences. The booklet will be distributed to the audience who participate special lecture during the festival period.

Film introduction and lecture program by specialist
(Lecturer: Ulrich Gregor)

Ulrich Gregor: Born in Hamburg, Germany in 1932. He has contributed film reviews to journals and newspapers at home and abroad since 1957. 『Geschichte des Films』, written with Enno Patalas in 1962, is considered as one of the most influential literary works dealing with history of movies. The work bears comparison with writings of Georges Sadoul and Jean Mitry. Ulrich Gregor established German Cinema-tech Intimate Club (Freunde der Deutschen Kinemathek) in 1963 and Arsenal, the art movies theater, in Berlin in 1970. He has operated the 'Arsenal' until now. While he was working as the director of 'Young Cinema International Forum' in Berlin International Film Festival from 1971 to 2000, he devoted himself to find out alternative and the third movies around the world. Thanks to his contribution to the development of the German Films, Ulrich Gregor won 'Helmut Kutner prize' in 1988.

The special program, 'Stranger than cinema' of Jeonju International Film Festival, has offered chances for audience to see experimental and alternative films which are hard to encounter in daily lives, and to take lectures about their world of movies by inviting those famous directors. Thanks to this precious opportunity, 'Stranger than cinema' becomes a sellout and one of the popular programs in Jeonju International Film Festival. Great Masters in experimental movies in Austria, Peter Kubelca (2005) and Peter Tscherkassky (2006), and Harun Farocki from Germany and Artavazd Peleshian from Armenia (2007) had been in Jeonju International Film Festival to meet with the audiences. In this year, Ulrich Gregor, the prestigious film critic and the director of a studio will visit Korea on behalf of Alexander Kluge who is unable to come to Korea due to the tight schedule. Ulrich Gregor will give lectures about Alexander Kluge and his movies at the most of the times before showings.


Films of 'Focus on Alexander Kluge' Introduction

Feature Films

Yesterday Girl
Germany | 1966 | 84min

Having escaped from East Germany to West Germany, Anita G. tries to settle down in the West, but it is hard for her to find her position in the cruel society. As produced right after the Oberhausen declaration which proclaimed to stop old era films and to demand new cinema, this film shows experimental styles including jump cuts, fast sequences, and inserted subtitles. The film's articulated and omitted plot also presents the new stream of youth films in the 1960's. It is Alexander Kluge's first feature film adapted with his own original novel, and his younger sister, Alexandra Kluge played Anita G.

- 1966 Venice Film Festival, 'Special Jury Prize'

Artists Under the Big Top
Germany | 1968 | 100min

Although Leni Peickert, a circus master, wants to make a special circus with a political position, her action fails due to both a financial problem and lack of understanding of the audiences and the crews. This film is an allegory to reflect a hardship of the creator Alexander Kluge and an agony for unstable social positions as an artist. On the one hand, it is one of Alexander Kluge's most difficult films as well. It is also impressive that the film ironically uses a song, "Yesterday" by the Beatles, with the Italian version, achieving eminence in using experimental montage and sound editing.

- 1968 Venice Film Festival, 'golden Lion'

Part-time Work of a Domestic Slave
Germany | 1973 | 89min

It is one of the most Brecht styled films by Alexander Kluge, presenting a course that a 29 year old mother, wife and irregular laborer Roswitha Bronski undergoes all the social absurdity and changes herself becoming a radical activist. Roswitha with three children provides illegal abortion operations to make a living. Shockingly showing the social repression on women's bodies, its bald descriptions of the abortion sequences make controversy in the contemporary German society.

Germany in Autumn
Germany | 1978 | 123min

Motivated by a series of political events after the kidnap of Hanns Martin Schleyer, the chairman of the German Businessman Association in the fall, 1977, eleven German directors co-produced the film. It is an acclaimed work with high evaluation in that the directors, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Volker Schlondorff, Edgar Reitz and other contemporary important directors in German filmdom as well as Alexander Kluge joined the production to show a possibility of political solidarity among the directors in 'New German Cinema'. Gabi Teichert, a heroine of The Female Patriot, a feature film by Alexander Kluge released in next year appears in this film for the first time.

The Female Patriot
Germany | 1979 | 118min

A history teacher, Gabi Teichert who appeared in Germany in Autumn becomes the protagonist again in this film. The film has a peculiar plot with a main narrative and sub-narratives that repetitively blocks the procedures of the main, which would not be unified as one narrative. It also shows Alexander Kluge's experimental attempts such as parallel editing of black and white and of past and present, sudden sound-outs and insertion of animation sequences. It is also known as a woman director, Margarethe von Trotta, directed a part of the film.

The Power of Emotion
Germany | 1983 | 115min

Alexander Kluge says that this film is never a film on emotions but rather a film on the process to form them. In this film, he tries to analyze the way of systematize emotions by coincidence, exterior elements, murders and destiny. It is recognized that in the opening sequence over 13 minutes, the film shows all the techniques, materials and styles which every film by Alexander Kluge after the 1970's dealt with.

- 1983 Venice Film Festival, 'FIPRESCI' prize

The Blind Director
Germany | 1985 | 113min

The film is an omnibus film with a story of a lonely single woman who adopts an orphan girl but returns her to her rich relatives, and a story of a director who endeavors to complete his own film even if he is losing his sight, whose plot is elliptical. As a film which provides the philosophical speculation of Alexander Kluge on the nature of time, it is one of his prominent films before he dedicated himself to produce alternative television programs.

Short Films

Brutality in Stone
Germany | 1960 | 12min

Brutality in Stone is the first short film by Alexander Kluge, co-produced with Peter Schamoni.

Racing
Germany | 1961 | 9min

This short film compares a car racing to the competitive life in the capitalist society which makes people run faster than others and divides winners and losers. The enthusiasm for racing with roaring sounds of cars is suddenly ridiculed by the narration on a slow drum sound as if a ritual is being held. Both provide contemplation on life. The camera work caught with detailed long procedure of car racing and the cinematography with dichotomous compositions to reverse a situation.

Teachers in Transformation
Germany | 1963 | 11min

The film suggests an educational issue under the Nazis authority. A government official from Prussia and college professor, Reichwein was forced to stop teaching students after the Nazis centralized the power. Despite being a passionate teacher, Lull was so frustrated that he quit teaching after sending his students to the battlefield. Margit was divested of his teaching position without any just reason when she drove forward radical educational reform. These three stories are laid out in a parallel line.

Policeman's Lot
Germany | 1964 | 13min

This film is a short to picture a time change in Germany through a life of a retired policeman. You could have a bitter smile and reflect on the time in the personal history which is duplicated on the grand history. As if a buoyant mass game seems to show mechanical movement; insipid narrations on stills, sudden subtitles inserted like shouting slogans, repetitive sequences in keeping time and rhythmical editing.

E. A. Winterstein, Extinguisher
Germany | 1968 | 10min

The time of 1967 and 1968 in Germany was when the government and the young intellectuals confronted each other besides the movements against the government including anti-Vietnam War campaigns and college reform movements. The word fireman also means to extinguish the political and historical flames at that time.

TV

An Experiment in Love
Germany | August 9, 1998 on RTL | 13min

There are a man, a woman and a closed space. Could love happen with these three conditions? The film is a fiction based on the result of a medical experiment which was actually conducted in a concentration camp. A male prisoner and a female prisoner were locked in a room, and they are watched if their relationship develops for love. The film was adapted with a short novel in『Case Histories』, written by the director. When it was published, it was criticized as being radical.

I was Hitler's Bodyguard
Germany | January 18, 1999 on SAT1 | 45min

Hitler's death leaves numerous questions and suppositions. There are also many events around him. Hitler's chief bodyguard, Pichota Manfredo who had been watching all the courses of events interviewed for this film. Would his testimony be true indeed?

Serpentine Gallery Program
Germany | 1995-2005 | 100min

'Serpentine Galley', the most favorite gallery in England, has exhibited modern and contemporary works. You could see sequence transitions as if the collection of shorts by Alexander Kluge were to flip a collection book with TV programs which was introduced by Serpentine Gallery. Peculiar frame compositions, experimental images, and daring reinterpretation on his own films as well as previous films show the aesthetic strength of a director, Alexander Kluge.

The program consists of 5 short moving pictures and the advertisement collections aired on SVT as followings.

1) Minute Films | Advertisement collections televised on SVT (1998)

2) Cold Death Interrupts Love | Televised on RTL (May 29, 1995)

3) He Who Hopes, Dies Singing | Televised on RTL (March 14, 1999)

4) The Flexible Entrepreneur | Televised on RTL (February 18, 2001)

5) A Woman Like a Volcano | Televised on RTL (October 6, 2003)

6) The Officer as a Philosopher | Televised on RTL (January 24, 2005)

* How to use Press Site: JIFF Website (Eng.jiff.or.kr), click 'Press', Log in (ID: press, PW: jiff2008)

Jeonju International Film Festival
Publicity Team Manager
Jinhwa Yun
Tel +82_2_2285_0562, Fax +82_2_2285_0560

Info

Alright people, i've been busy a bit. That's just the price I have to pay as a cinematographer in training. Anyway, I have some info for all of you that you might want to hear, if you haven't heard about it yet.

As some of you know I'm not really into Dramas that much. I'd much rather watch movies, and I don't have cable so hearing about what movies are being played on Cable TV doesn't help me at all. Here's some info about upcoming films or news about Actors/singers.

'Yeon Sang-i' Park Eun-hye is becoming the April's bride

Actor Park Eun-hye (30) is going to marry 4-years senior Mr Kim on 27th April in Seoul Jang Chung-dong Shilla Hotel Diner's Hall.

The couple met at the beginning of last year through their friend and received permission from both parents to get marry at the beginning of this year.

At the moment, Park Eun-hye is having the happiest time of her life, where a series of matters for congratulation follows one after another. On 12th, Park Eun-hye stepped onto her first international red carpet as Director Hong Sang-soo's film "Night and Day" was nominated in the 58th Berlin International Film Festival.

Park Eun-hye made her debut in a film "Zzang" in 1998 and rose in popularity after appearing as "Yeon Sang-i' in the MBC drama "Dae Jang Geum" in 2003.







Director Park Chan-wook, chose a new-face Filipino actress for his film "Thirst"

According to a respective Filipino media, ABS-CBN News on 25th, a 21st century's rising female actress, Mercedes Cabral was cast into the film "Thirst". The media reported, "From a group of Asian actors, the Cannes' Hero, Director Park Chan-wook selected Kabral in the final stage of the selection process".

Kabral is a beautiful student of an Art School in the Philippines. She appeared in a number of independent films and won the "Best female supporting actress of the Year" in a TV/Radio Festival last year.

Meanwhile, Kabral, who receive the news said, "I couldn't believe it when I first hear the news. The director was very impressed with my previous works".

Director Park Chan-wook had just completed casting main roles for his film, including Song Kang-ho (protagonist) and Kim Ok-bin (heroine). The film will commence shooting at the end of next month.






The 'Remembrance Night' for the second anniversary of Lee Eun-joo's death

The 'Remembrance Night' was held on 22nd, in a café in Seoul Kang-nam to commemorate the second anniversary of Lee Eun-joo's death.

On this 'Remembrance Night', a large number of film producers, directors and colleagues whom she worked with, visited and spend time recollecting the memories of the actress. The visitors include, director Kim Dae-seung of the film "Bungee jumping of their own", director Kim Jong-hak, Lee Hyeon-seung, Byeon Hyeok and script writer Lee Yu-jin of the drama "Phoenix". The senior actors including Ahn Seong-gi, Han Seok-Kyu, Park Joong-hoon and her colleague, Kim Ji-soo also attended the ceremony.

The late Lee Eun-joo's agency, Tree Actors Co., will be continue to arrange a small meaningful day as this every year to commemorate her and her achievements rather than grieve over her death.





New Broadcasting Body Launches

The Broadcasting and Communications Commission launched Friday as the government's regulatory body for new media policies.

The commission was created through a merger between the Korean Broadcasting Commission and parts of the former Ministry of Information and Communication. It's the first agency in Korea to oversee both broadcasting and communications like the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

The new agency will handle the government's proposed media policies such as easing regulations on joint operation of broadcast and print media and privatizing terrestrial broadcasters. It's also expected to facilitate development of Internet protocol television (IPTV), digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB), digital TV and other industries merging broadcasting and communications.

The agency's commissioner will hold the rank of minister and will serve directly under the president. Its four standing members will hold the rank of vice minister, making the commission a powerful body.

Former Gallup Korea President Choi Si-jung has been appointed as the inaugural commissioner.

Reported by KBS WORLD Radio




The Sexy Icon, Kim Hye-soo has the best kissable lips!!

The 'Sexy actress' Kim Hye-soo was selected to have the best kissable lips along with her perfect body.
The film advertisement company, "Cinema Lovers", launched a survey about "Which female stars have the best kissable lips", as a mean of advertising a film "My Blueberry Nights" (starring Norah Jones). From the survey, Kim Hye-soo was ranked 1st with an overwhelming response of 62.42%.
Subsequently, Song Hye-kyo was ranked 2nd (15.92%), followed by Han Ye-seul (14.01%) and Kim Tae-hee (7.74%).

For all you Rain fans...

Rain to reign in "Ninja Assassin"

Written by Darcy Paquet

Thursday, 14 February 2008

Story Categories: Film, Hollywood In Asia, Korea, People, talent agencies, SEOUL - South Korea's biggest pop star Rain will take another step towards becoming an international film star with a leading role in Larry and Andy Wachowski's "Ninja Assassin". Tentatively skedded to shoot from March to July in Berlin, Warner Bros. pic will be produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski's, with "V for Vendetta" helmer James McTeigue likely to direct. A press conference in Seoul on Wednesday with William Morris Agency executive VP John Mass and Rain's agency J.Tune Entertainment provided few details about the film, but highlighted the dramatic career path taken by the young singer/actor. Also known by his real name Jung Ji-hoon, Rain took his first leading role in Park Chan-wook's 2007 Berlin Competition entry "I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK". He also plays a supporting role in the Wachowski's upcoming "Speed Racer". WMA and J.Tune have announced a special partnership to facilitate Rain's emergence as an international star. The singer's other upcoming activities include recording a new version of seventies hit "Kungfu Fighting" for this summer's release of DreamWorks animation "Kungfu Panda", and various music events tied to the Beijing Olympics.

Last Updated ( Thursday, 14 February 2008 )

© Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Block Cinema present Korean Film Series!!

Block Cinema Winter 2008 Schedule
Block Cinema, a collaboration of Northwestern University's School of Communication and the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, screens classic and contemporary films. Block Cinema is dedicated to providing the Northwestern campus, the North Shore, and Chicago with a quality venue for repertory cinema.

http://www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu/block-cinema/korean.html

Thursday, January 31, 8pm
Address Unknown
(Kim Ki-Duk, 2001, South Korea, 117 minutes, 35mm)
Director Kim Ki-Duk’s bleak tragedy explores the legacy of an American military base in the South Korean countryside. Kim expertly weaves together the stories of many characters — a horribly disfigured girl, an abandoned wife of an American soldier, an American army recruit coping with a relentlessly foreign environment — all searching for a happy ending that does not exist. Their desperate pleas for love and redemption are returned stamped in red, with “Address Unknown.”


Thursday, February 7, 8pm
Take Care of My Cat
(Jeong Jae-Eun, 2001, South Korea, 112 minutes, 35mm)
Jeong Jae-Eun's coming-of-age story Take Care of My Cat compassionately addresses the difficulties women in South Korea face as they search for their own identities. Melancholy and lush in a way that's reminiscent of the style of Sofia Coppola, Take Care of My Cat is a breakout Korean film, and unlike Coppola, Jae-Eun doesn't focus only on the drama of girls living a pampered life: this ostensibly modest film has a panoramic scope of Korean women from all economic and social backgrounds.



Thursday, February 14, 8pm
Oasis
(Chang-Dong Lee, 2002, South Korea, 132 minutes, 35mm)
After serving several years in prison for involuntary manslaughter, Jong-Du, a mentally ill young man, calls on the family of his victim. They send him away, but not before he falls for their daughter, a young woman severely disabled by cerebral palsy. Lee Chang-Dong, a Korean New Wave filmmaker who recently served as South Korea’s minister of culture and tourism, crafts an edgy, heartbreaking depiction of an unlikely romance between two people ostracized from family and society. Featuring a stunning performance by Moon So-Ri, who won the Marcello Mastroianni award for best actress at the Venice Film Festival.


Thursday, February 21, 8pm
Woman is the Future of Man
(Hong Sang-Soo, 2004, South Korea, 88 minutes, 35mm)
Heon-Jun has just returned to Korea from the United States, hoping to make it in the film industry. He runs into an old friend, Mun-Ho, who is now an art professor. Over dinner, the pair reminisce about their past and discuss Seon-Hwa, a woman they both dated in college. They hunt down Seon-Hwa, but when they find the former artist is now a bar manager, they slowly realize that she is not the same person they once knew–that sometimes the past is better left to memory. A challenging, unstable film, Hong Sang-Soo’s character study is also a critique of Korean men’s attitudes toward women.


Thursday, February 28 , 8pm
Memories of a Murder
(Bong Joon-ho, 2003, South Korean, 132 minutes, 35mm)
Two rural police officers are assigned to their first big case: finding Korea’s first serial killer. Without the benefit of “big-city” forensic methods, the rural cops have their own ways of extracting confessions — like beating them out of the accused, which means that everyone confesses — but when a city cop is assigned to the case, how to find the killer becomes more important than actually finding him. A black comedy loosely based on actual events, Memories of Murder is an off-center, keenly observant police procedural that was a huge hit in South Korea.


Thursday, March 6, 8pm
The President's Last Bang
(Im Sang-Soo, 2005, South Korea, 102 minutes, 35mm)
A hit on the international festival circuit, The President's Last Bang confronts Korean history and politics with bleak, sometimes grotesque satire. An agitated director of Korean intelligence plots to kill the president, but his carefully designed scheme completely unravels. From a jammed gun to an absurdly escalating body count, Im Sang-Soo turns farce into an outrageous indictment of Korean politicians. In 2005, a South Korean court ruled that four minutes of documentary footage of the assassination of a former Korean president had to be removed from The President’s Last Bang. Im Sang-Soo replaced the footage with a silent black screen.


Thursday, March 13, 8pm
Woman on the Beach
(Hong Sang-Soo, 2006, South Korea, 100 minutes, 35mm)
Film director Joong-Rae travels to the seaside town of Shinduri with his production designer, Chang-Wook, in order to finish his overdue screenplay. When Chang-Wook brings his beautiful crush, composer Moon-Sook, she and Joong-Rae hit it off — maybe. Reminiscent of Eric Rohmer’s work, Hong Sang-Soo’s wittiest film yet is about the clumsy indecisions of new romance.

The Air I Breathe - coming to Chicago 2/8

The following is an email passed on to me from a friend of mine as well as the director. I admit this is the first I've heard of the movie and/or the director but the trailer was solid and the cast is really good. If you get a chance, check it out - I definitely will.

I hope this email finds you all well and starting off 2008 on a great note. As most of you know, my first feature film "The Air I Breathe" will be hitting theaters soon and I just wanted to give you all a warm shout and ask you to please come out and support the cause -- and of course, to help spread the word!!

The film is a low budget indie--but we were able to wrangle a pretty talented cast that includes Forest Whitaker, Brendan Fraser, Andy Garcia, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Emile Hirsch, Kevin Bacon, Julie Delpy, Kelly Hu, John Cho and Clark Gregg. In a nutshell, it's a noir-driven romantic crime story that is half inspired by the Wizard of Oz, and half inspired by an Asian belief that we are all connected through 4 emotions: happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love. For a synopsis and more info on the film--please check out our website at: www.theairibreathemovie.com, and also www.myspace.com/officialairibreathemovie. On our website you'll find blogs, photos, our trailer and my director's statement (under director's blog) that'll help frame the film for you.

I'm not promising you Shakespeare, but it's been playing to sold-out theaters on the festival circuit and the audience reactions have been extremely gratifying. Our film launches next week on Friday, Jan 25 in NYC & SoCAL (LA, Burbank, Pasadena, Irvine, Orange and Santa Monica) -- and then wider on Feb 8 in other select cities. The more butts we get into theaters on opening weekend will determine how wide they release the film--so I'm pulling all my get-out-of-jail-free cards and imploring each and everyone of you to come out on Jan 25 (and bring your friends)!!!! As an indie, we have very little money for marketing--and the Writer's Strike has thrown a wrench in allot of our affordable promotional outlets--which all means that this film will live and die by the viral sword! So anything you can do to help spread the word will be incredibly helpful to us (I'm encouraging you all to BE that annoying mass e-mailer for once in your life because every hit counts...think of this as a good-karma chain mail ;-)

You can find a list of venues /screenings on our website (that will be continually updated) and I will follow up this email on wednesday with a final last blurb with exact times -- but for a quick snapshot I'm enclosing the info below:

CALIFORNIA - JAN 25
1) In LA: Laemmle Sunset 5 Theater (Director/Writer Q&A's on Friday--the evening 6-7-ish screening and the 8-9-ish screening; and the Saturday matinee - exact times to follow on Wed.)
2) In Burbank: AMC Burbank 30
3) In Pasadena: Laemmle One Colorado
4) In Orange: AMC 30 at The Block
5) In Irvine: Regal/Edwards Westpark
6) In Santa Monica: TBD

NYC - JAN 25
1) AMC Empire 25 Theater (Midtown)
2) AMC Village 7 Theater (Downtown)

REST OF THE COUNTRY - FEB 8
1) PORTLAND: The Regal Fox Tower
2) SAN DIEGO: AMC Fashion Valley 20
3) SAN FRANCISCO: Sundance Kabuki Theater
4) SEATTLE: Regal Meridan 16
5) CHICAGO: AMC Piper's Alley 4
6) AUSTIN TBD
7) Other Cities/States pending (AZ, FL, TX)

INTERNATIONAL: Unfortunately, I have not been informed about international venues yet--although I know for certain that it will be playing in Italy, England, Germany, France, Korea and India. I'm sure there are more countries (last I checked was months ago) so please look out for it!

Thank you all so much for your support--and apologies for the mass email. You are all the bedrock that keeps things real for me so remember that and tell a friend!!

Hope to see you all very soon, and much Love, Light and Laughter to everyone in the new year~*

Jieho


PS: For people in Los Angeles, Bob and I are trying to get all of our friends to come and hit the last screening on Friday night (probably will start around 9-ish but I'll have exact times for you by Wednesday) -- then we'll all try to migrate to a bar and get righteously loaded.