The Chaser [ Korean Movie 2008 ]

Genre : Action,Thriller
Starring : Kim Yoon-seok, Ha Jeong-woo
Release date : February 14, 2008
Runtime :123 min.
Directed by : Na Hong-jin

Synopsis :

Ex-cop pimp Jung-ho is irritated because his girls keep disappearing without clearing their debts. One night, he gets a call from a customer and sends Mi-jin. Jung-ho realizes the phone number of the customer matches that of the calls the missing girls got last. As something smells fishy, he searches for her. During his search, Jung-ho dents a car in the alley. When Jung-ho spots blood splattered on the driver’s shirt, he senses the man, Young-min, is the suspect. After an intense chase, Jung-ho catches Young-min. But because of Jung-ho’s pretense as a cop, they are both taken to the police station. At the station, the man bluntly confesses he has killed the missing women, and the last girl, Mi-jin, may still be alive. As the whole police force is obsessed with a random search for corpses, Jung-ho is the only onewho believes Mi-jin is still alive. With only 12 hours left to detain the serial killer without a warrant, Jung-ho’s hunt begins, searching for Mi-jin entrapped in a place nobody knows.

source:http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr

Gallery:

Tags: The Chaser/korean movie/Ha Jeong woo/korean film

“Old Boy” Cited One of the 500 Greatest Movies of All Time

Director Park Chan-wook’s acclaimed film “Old Boy” was cited one of the 500 greatest movies of all time compiled by the British film journal Empire. Among the illustrious list that includes “The Godfather,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and “Empire Strikes Back,” Park’s “Old Boy” came in 64th place in the list.

Empire polled 150 film directors, 50 critics and more than 10,000 members of the public for the top 500 picks. The only Korean film to make the list, “Old Boy” was applauded for tenaciously probing the lure of revenge and its futility. The most memorable scene in the award-winning thriller was when the main character played by famed actor Choi Min-shik ate a live octopus.

On the whole, the 500 greatest movies list leans on the pop culture side. The perennial number one, Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane” ended up in the 28th place, while such commercial films as “Raiders of the Lost Ark” or “Jaws” were placed in the top 10. In spite of some questionable rankings, Empire’s 500 list is rated as a good source of recommendations and for discovering the classics as well as some really good films made outside the U.S.

source:KBS WORLD

Tags:Old Boy/Park Chan wook/Choi Min shik/korean film

The Beast and the Beauty [ Korean Movie 2005 ]

Genre : Romance ,Comedy
Starring : Shin Min ah,Ryu Seung Beom,Kim Kang Wu
Release date : October 27, 2005
Runtime :101mins
Directed by : Lee Gye-byeok

Synopsis:

Hae-ju (Shin Min Ah) is an attractive young woman who maintains good spirits in spite of having lost her eyesight years ago. For the past three years she has been in a relationship with Dong-gun (Ryu Seung-Beom) , a devoted boyfriend.

But when an eye-donor is found for Hae-ju, Dong-gun faces a dilemma: he is seriously disfigured by a facial scar and does not want Hae-ju to see what he looks like. Instead of explaining this to her, Dong-gun leaves a message for her that he has left Korea for Hawaii.

In the meantime, Hae-ju meets Jun-ha (Kim Kang Wu), a lawyer who is smitten with her. He keeps fighting for her attention and affection, but Hae-ju continues to await Dong-gun's return.

Gallery:

Tags: Beast and the Beauty/korean movie/Shin Min ah/korean film

Su-ae Admits to Passing Out in Film

Su-ae admitted in an interview with Yonhap News that had actually gotten drunk and blacked out for a scene. It was for a scene in her new film “Sunny,” which takes place at a nightclub in a U.S. army base, where she drinks heavily and passes out in the bathroom. She revealed that she really drank more than half a bottle of whisky at the director’s criticism that she didn’t look real enough. As a result of drinking so much alcohol, she became really drunk, adding reality to the scene where she throws up in the toilet and blacks out. Su-ae had won admiration from the director and the rest of the filming crew for her commitment to the film.

Due for release on July 24, “Sunny” is a story of naïve country girl named Sun-I, who goes to war-torn Vietnam during the 1970s to search for her husband. Su-ae has been applauded by film critics that she has played the role of Sunny to perfection, showing Sunny’s seamless transformation from an innocent and frail girl to strong and determined woman.

“Sunny” is also director Lee Jun-ik’s first film to be shot abroad. Director Lee is known for highly acclaimed films “King and the Clown” and “Radio Star.”

Source: KBS World
http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/entertainment/enter_chart_detail.htm?No=7881

Tags:Su-ae/korean actress/King and the Clown/korean film

Bong Joon-ho "Won Bin is youthful country style"

Director Bong Joon-ho of the movie " Mother " revealed an episode involving the two leading characters. In a meeting with his acquaintances, he said, "Won Bin was far from his image of a refined city-dweller. He is from Kang-won, so I sensed more of a country style".

Before debuting in 1996, Won Bin worked in a auto service center in Kang-won.

Director Bong said, "There is still a pure innocent image left in his face. He seems more human, for he likes tennis and soccer more than he likes working out or golf". As a director, he was glad that Won Bin still had an innocent image left in him. Won Bin plays a youth who is falsely accused of being a murderer.

Director Bong said, "In the early 1990s, there was a time when I was preparing an independent film with an underground cafe as my hideout. I heard that Kim Hye-ja lived next to the cafe, and I remember staying near the house every morning and evening". He wanted to use fate as an excuse and ask her to star in his independent film.

At that time, Director Bong filmed short films, such as "White Person" and "Incoherence". He wasn't in the condition to divide the labor, so for "Incoherence", he directed, starred, wrote, and edited.

He said, "From my early 20s when I had the dream of making movies, I wanted to work with Byeong Hee-bong and Kim Hye-ja, and that dream has been fulfilled". While filming "Barking Dogs Never Bite" and "Memories of Murder", he approached Kim Hye-ja and asked her to be in his works some day.

"Mother", starring Kim Hye-ja and Won Bin, is a story of a mother who goes to extremes for her wrongly-accused son. It starts filming this fall, and premieres next year.

Original Article: news.naver.com/main/r...
English Translation Credit: Hancinema

Tags:Won Bin/korean actor/Bong Joon-ho/korean movie

Song Hye-kyo Teams Up with Michelle Yeoh

Hallyu star Song Hye-kyo teams up with Michelle Yeoh from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Memories of a Geisha" fame to target the Asian public.

According to the film magazine "Variety," Song recently signed a contract with Stella Entertainment, located near Taiwan, for her work overseas.

Stella Entertainment was established by Yeoh, Terrance Chang (who produced "Mission: Impossible 2" and "Face-Off") and entertainment agent David Tang.

Variety magazine wrote that "Song Hye-gyo became extremely popular [with the Asian public] after co-starring with Rain in the TV drama, 'Full House.' She also starred in 'My Girl and I,' as well as 'Hwangjinyi.' She was also cast in the director Sohn Su-beom's independent film which was also his U.S.A. debut, 'Fetish.'"

Song also signed a new contract with Eden Nine, the Korean agency representing Won Bin. Won Bin and Song both plan on more active participation in the Asian entertainment industry.

source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/entertainment/news/1532644_11858.html

Tags: Song Hye kyo/korean actress/Michelle Yeoh/Full House/Won Bin