With a formalist’s eye for visual symmetry, an architect’s sense of structure, and a poet’s ability to stoke the passions raging inside his precisely balanced frames, Park Chan-wook makes ferociously controlled films about ferocious, uncontrollable impulses. Ever since his international breakthrough with 2003’s “Oldboy,” remembered most for the oft-imitated hallway sequence in which a hammer-wielding Choi Min-sik lays waste to enemy waves in a righteous bid for freedom, the South Korean filmmaker has been widely associated with operatic bursts of sexuality and extreme violence, the kind often considered a signature of the New Korean Cinema.
Park has hardly shied from this notoriety, even binding “Oldboy” together with “Sympathy for Mr.
Continue reading ‘Decision To Leave’ Director Park Chan-Wook On His Romantic Detective Noir & “Opening Your Eyes Within The Mist” [NYFF] at The Playlist.
Park has hardly shied from this notoriety, even binding “Oldboy” together with “Sympathy for Mr.
Continue reading ‘Decision To Leave’ Director Park Chan-Wook On His Romantic Detective Noir & “Opening Your Eyes Within The Mist” [NYFF] at The Playlist.
- 10/15/2022
- by Isaac Feldberg
- The Playlist
Back in 2014, director Kim Han-min’s “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” released in Korean and international theatres and in the process set a record for the highest grossing Korean film of all time at the domestic box office, a record that no other feature has managed to push it off of even eight years later. Based on one of the most important and famous naval battles in history, the feature benefitted from the legendary hero status of Admiral Yi Sun-shin, a man so revered and loved that he has a statue of himself in the center of Seoul. Following up such a successful production can be daunting for a person, but Kim Han-min went down a unique path to follow it up; he decided to do not one but two different features and do a full trilogy on Yi Sun-shin, with the second story coming in the form of “Hansan: Rising Dragon...
- 8/7/2022
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
Chinese court thriller Silent Witness gets a sober and effective Korean update with Heart Blackened, a polished new offering from Eungyo director Jung Ji-woo that features an unflappable Choi Min-sik leading a strong cast. More serious and thus more drawn out than its rapid fire original, the film packs a solid emotional punch in its twisty climax. When a famous singer dies, all signs point to the daughter of her fiancé Tae-san, the much older CEO of a corporate empire. Tae-san hires defense attorney Hee-jeong to clear her daughter's name, who begins to unearth some surprising evidence from the night of the crime. In Fei Xing's original, which was viewed by some as a turning point for modern Mainland Chinese thrillers, the pace was relentless...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 11/1/2017
- Screen Anarchy
Films about the Joseon era had been among the most popular in S. Korea for years now, particularly through their combination of blockbuster production values and historic setting. This tendency found its apogee in “The Admiral”, a 2014 film based on the historical Battle of Myeongnyang, which recorded 10 million viewers in 12 days, setting a record for achieving 10 million viewers in the shortest amount of time, and in the process becoming the highest grossing film of all time in S. Korea, a place it still holds.
The story begins with the events leading to the naval battle, which, actually, became the duel between two men: Joseon admiral Yi Sun-sin and Kusushima Michifusa, whom Hideyoshi Toyotomi sent to Joseon to take over the navy. In the beginning of the film, both men have a number of issues to deal with. Yi Sun-sin has been just released from prison after the disaster at Chilcheollyang,...
The story begins with the events leading to the naval battle, which, actually, became the duel between two men: Joseon admiral Yi Sun-sin and Kusushima Michifusa, whom Hideyoshi Toyotomi sent to Joseon to take over the navy. In the beginning of the film, both men have a number of issues to deal with. Yi Sun-sin has been just released from prison after the disaster at Chilcheollyang,...
- 6/13/2017
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Subscription streaming services require digging to discover their full value. For example, while I’ve been prepping for IndieWire’s Best Action Films of the 21st Century (coming later this week), I was pleasantly surprised to find how many quality action films were available on Netflix — including works by a number of non-American auteurs. From martial arts to gangster shoot ’em ups to comedy-action films, here are eight highly original, well crafted, director-driven pieces of entertainment that could serve as a welcome alternative this summer when your local cineplex feels like a boring rerun.
“Shaolin Soccer” (2001)
Stephen Chow’s films (“Kung Fu Hustle”) are a wonderful and loony mix of comedy and action that have an infectious spirit. For this film the actor/writer/director adds a sports movie to the mix, which might sound bizarre, but once seeing it you’ll wonder why no one has made a martial arts soccer film before.
“Shaolin Soccer” (2001)
Stephen Chow’s films (“Kung Fu Hustle”) are a wonderful and loony mix of comedy and action that have an infectious spirit. For this film the actor/writer/director adds a sports movie to the mix, which might sound bizarre, but once seeing it you’ll wonder why no one has made a martial arts soccer film before.
- 6/12/2017
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Spring is already shaping up to be a busy season for Korean cinema. From the election drama The Mayor, in which Choi Min-sik appears the mayor of Seoul while Kwak Do-won (The Wailing) plays his aide, to renowned Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo’s On the Beach at Night Alone starring Kim Min-hee (The Handmaiden) to One Day, the latest film from romantic drama specialist Lee Yoon-ki (A Man and A Woman), featuring Chun Woo-hee (The Wailing) and Kim Nam-gil (Pandora).
Here’s a look at 8 new Korean films worth keeping an eye out for.
Ordinary Person
Director: Kim Bong-han
Cast: Son Hyun-joo, Jang Hyuk, Kim Sang-ho, Ra Mi-ran, Jung Man-sik, Cho Dal-hwan, Ji Seung-hyeon
Plot: Detective Seong-jin (Son Hyun-joo) arrests Tae-sung for petty crimes, but shocked to find out that he is the notorious serial killer. However, Seong-jin becomes doubtful of his identity as the serial murder case is investigated.
Here’s a look at 8 new Korean films worth keeping an eye out for.
Ordinary Person
Director: Kim Bong-han
Cast: Son Hyun-joo, Jang Hyuk, Kim Sang-ho, Ra Mi-ran, Jung Man-sik, Cho Dal-hwan, Ji Seung-hyeon
Plot: Detective Seong-jin (Son Hyun-joo) arrests Tae-sung for petty crimes, but shocked to find out that he is the notorious serial killer. However, Seong-jin becomes doubtful of his identity as the serial murder case is investigated.
- 3/25/2017
- by Lady J.
- AsianMoviePulse
Missing, Derailed and Part-Time Spy all clock deals.
Korea’s M-Line Distribution has sold E.oni’s mystery thriller Missing, starring Uhm Ji-won and Kong Hyo-jin, to Klockworx for Japan.
The film has also gone to Matv for a slew of Southeast Asian territories, including Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand, while inflight rights have gone to Gee and Emphasis
The Seoul-based sales agent has also sealed a Japanese deal to Maxam on Lee Seong-Tae’s crime action title Derailed, starring Ma Dong-seok and Choi Min-ho. M-Line also sold the film to Lemontree for China, Deltamac for Hong Kong and Av-jet for Taiwan.
In addition, M-Line has sold Part-Time Spy, directed by Kim Deok-su, to Longshong for Taiwan, Kim Quy Media for Vietnam and Encore for Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. The action comedy stars Kang Ye-won, Han Chae-a, Namgung Min and Jo Jae-yun.
Korea’s M-Line Distribution has sold E.oni’s mystery thriller Missing, starring Uhm Ji-won and Kong Hyo-jin, to Klockworx for Japan.
The film has also gone to Matv for a slew of Southeast Asian territories, including Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand, while inflight rights have gone to Gee and Emphasis
The Seoul-based sales agent has also sealed a Japanese deal to Maxam on Lee Seong-Tae’s crime action title Derailed, starring Ma Dong-seok and Choi Min-ho. M-Line also sold the film to Lemontree for China, Deltamac for Hong Kong and Av-jet for Taiwan.
In addition, M-Line has sold Part-Time Spy, directed by Kim Deok-su, to Longshong for Taiwan, Kim Quy Media for Vietnam and Encore for Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. The action comedy stars Kang Ye-won, Han Chae-a, Namgung Min and Jo Jae-yun.
- 2/11/2017
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Bluebeard
Director: Lee Soo-youn
Distributor: Lotte Entertainment
Cast: Cho Jin-woong, Kim Dae-myung, Shin Gu
Synopsis:
Dr. Seung-hoon (played by Cho Jin-woon) sedates his landlord before medical check-up, when the old man begins telling him a convincing murder confession. Sometime later, a young woman’s severed head is discovered at a butcher shop run by his landlord’s son, and Seung-hoon begins to suspect that the landlord and his son are the serial killers.
After appearing in a supporting role in the critically acclaimed Nameless Gangster, Cho Jin-woong rose to prominence as the antagonist in 2014’s A Hard Day and his career gained remarkable momentum. He landed a starring role alongside Choi Min-sik in The Admiral: Roaring Currents and the following year, he appeared in the star-studded period action drama Assassination. Recently, he delivered an outstanding performance in Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden and will be seen in, of Nameless Gangster,...
Director: Lee Soo-youn
Distributor: Lotte Entertainment
Cast: Cho Jin-woong, Kim Dae-myung, Shin Gu
Synopsis:
Dr. Seung-hoon (played by Cho Jin-woon) sedates his landlord before medical check-up, when the old man begins telling him a convincing murder confession. Sometime later, a young woman’s severed head is discovered at a butcher shop run by his landlord’s son, and Seung-hoon begins to suspect that the landlord and his son are the serial killers.
After appearing in a supporting role in the critically acclaimed Nameless Gangster, Cho Jin-woong rose to prominence as the antagonist in 2014’s A Hard Day and his career gained remarkable momentum. He landed a starring role alongside Choi Min-sik in The Admiral: Roaring Currents and the following year, he appeared in the star-studded period action drama Assassination. Recently, he delivered an outstanding performance in Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden and will be seen in, of Nameless Gangster,...
- 1/26/2017
- by Lady J.
- AsianMoviePulse
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