This still from Jang Dong-gun’s Hollywood debut (The Warrior’s Way, aka Laundry Warrior, with Kate Bosworth) has about as much sexual chemistry as a Hong Sang-soo film: none. http://bit.ly/ikokw2 # [Read More]
Category: General film news (page 11)
Discovering Korean Cinema book launch at the KCC
For those keen to find out more about Korean film there’s an interesting talk, together with a book launch, at the KCC on Tuesday 23 November. Three distinguished speakers: Daniel Martin will be chairing the panel and giving a brief talk on the history of the LKFF, Mark Morris will be talking about War films, … [Read More]
Jang Jin and performers’ fees
Just for once, at the Q&A with Jang Jin tonight, I DIDN'T ask any question about the screen quota. It was an effort though. #. Instead, I asked him about actors fees, which for a significant portion of a film’s budget. But in the news today, it seems film actors aren't the only performers with … [Read More]
The LKFF 2010 is off to a sizzling start
The London Korean Film Festival is now more than 10 years old, and this is the 5th year of its existence under the organisation of the Cultural Centre. It seems to get bigger every year. From its early home in the Prince Charles Cinema, it moved to the more prestigious venue of the Barbican for … [Read More]
Call For Papers: Korean Horror Cinema (Edinburgh University Press, 2012)
Abstracts are sought for a collection on Korean Horror Cinema to be published by Edinburgh University Press in 2012. Deadline for proposals: 1 December 2010. South Korean cinema is of rapidly increasing international importance, and this collection offers an informative overview of its most appealing, culturally significant and critically fascinating genre: horror. Korean cinema was … [Read More]
Adoptee film explores life after the reunion
Adoptee filmmaker Tammy Chu explores life after the reunion of adoptee son with his birth mother. Looks like a must-watch film. Resilience is released in Korea on 30 September. Hope it gets a DVD release. http://bit.ly/9uh3Du #. www.resiliencefilm.com [Read More]
KOFIC releases Lee Man-hee box set
Box set of classic Lee Man-hee films, including Marines who Never Returned. A must-buy. http://tinyurl.com/2u6vukv # [Read More]
Koreanfilm.org’s films of the decade and ROK Drop’s top Korean War films
Koreanfilm.org releases its top ten films of the decade, 2000-2009, six times over. Plenty of food for thought. http://bit.ly/8XL6jz #. And ROK Drop suggests the 10 Best All-Time Korean War Movies. Michael Caine's debut A Hill in Korea squeaks in at #10 http://bit.ly/byaTSF # [Read More]
Kang Woo-seok first director to get 30 million audience
Kang Woo-suk (of Silmido fame) is the most popular director in Korean box office history according to KOFIC: he has exceeded the 30-million viewer mark http://bit.ly/91Sabj #. With a career which started in 1988 (Sweet Brides) and the Public Enemy series behind him, the audience numbers have been accumulating nicely. [Read More]
Lee Chang-dong and Poetry at Cannes
“Poetry” misses out on Cannes top award, but wins Lee Chang-dong Best Screenplay award. http://bit.ly/cfcKR2 # The Joongang Ilbo tells us that the Korean Film Council rejected Lee’s request for funding: the screenplay was too much like a novel ‘”Poetry” is a dazzling piece of screen portraiture. Yun Jung-hee surely a front runner for Best … [Read More]
Hong Sang-soo wins Un Certain Regard
Hong Sang-soo wins Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes for Hahaha http://bit.ly/cjguln #. Nice shots of the Tongyeong area. Lee Chang-dong’s Poetry also wins the award for best screenplay. [Read More]
2010: a bumper year for Korean film?
Not so long ago, the Korean film industry seemed to be in the doldrums. Darcy, Twitch and others were sounding notes of gloom that Korean cinema had lost its way. But then things picked up again, with blockbusters such as Haeundai, and new indie films such as Breathless making the headlines and bringing in the … [Read More]
Call for papers: Directory of World Cinema: Korea (Intellect Press: 2011)
Please find below the call for papers for the forthcoming Directory of World Cinema: Korea, to be published by Intellect Press in 2011. This is an exciting project. Intellect’s Directory of World Cinema: Japan has just recently been published. Details can be found here: http://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/books/view-Book,id=4679/ Directory of World Cinema: Korea CALL FOR PAPERS The directory … [Read More]
Yang Ik-june’s Breathless gets R2 DVD release
“ONE OF THE YEAR’S BOLDEST AND MOST THRILLING DEBUT FEATURES.” – EYE WEEKLY.COM Following its critically acclaimed UK theatrical release in January, Yang Ik-june’s award winning Breathless comes to DVD on 22nd March 2010 as a two-disc Special Collector’s Edition featuring a host of exclusive extras including interviews with the director and cast members, specially … [Read More]
LKL’s top 10 K-films of the noughties
Mark Russell led the way with his fascinating list of films of the decade – in which the biggest shock was that there was no Park Chan-wook. GI Korea also has a list, which redresses the balance somewhat. So here is mine. Over the years I’ve been reasonably diligent in giving marks out of 10 … [Read More]
Park Chan-wook’s most embarrassing DVD
This week’s Time Out has a brief interview with Park Chan-wook, to celebrate the UK DVD release of Thirst. The subject? His 2,000-strong DVD collection. For an obscure recommendation from his shelves, Park tips Sanjay Gupta’s Zinda, the Bollywood film that seems to be based on Oldboy. “A man, taken and locked up for 14 … [Read More]