This final teaser screening for the 2017 London Korean Film Festival looks rather fun. And to add to the tease, on the same evening the programme for the main festival will be unveiled. See you there. The Villainess (악녀) London Korean Film Festival Teaser Screening + LKFF 2017 Programme Launch Director: Jung Byung-gil (정병길), 2017, … [Read More]
People: Shin Ha-kyun
The Front Line (고지전, 2011) review: know what you’re fighting for
While it could be said that the characterisations in The Front Line would have benefitted from having more depth and being slightly less obvious, the film nonetheless remains a far more worthy cinematic offering than any war film about a horse, Oscar nomination or not. [Read More]
Thirst (박쥐, 2009) review: vampirism, desire and the collapse of moral certainty
Park Chan-wook’s Thirst reimagines the vampire myth as a sensual, violent struggle between faith, desire and morality. Blending black humour, brutality and romance to question belief, free will and the nature of humanity, Thirst truly is a sumptuous film and the sum of its many parts utterly redefines the concept of beauty and the beast. [Read More]
Saharial reviews Thirst
Being a big fan of Park Chan-wook’s Vengeance Trilogy, I was definitely excited and keen to see Thirst (박쥐; Bakjwi) his newest release that won the Jury prize at Cannes this year. The story is of Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho), a priest who willingly undergoes a medical experiment to help find a cure for a virus. … [Read More]
Lead us not into temptation – Q&A with Park Chan-wook at UK “Thirst” premiere
Appropriately enough, Director Park cast a sombre red shadow on the screen as he walked onto the stage to answer questions following the London premiere of Thirst. The film delivered all the blood you have come to expect from a Park Chan-wook movie, this time with some justification, given the vampire theme. But as always … [Read More]
Save The Green Planet (지구를 지켜라, 2003) review: funny, brutal, moving… and bonkers
Save The Green Planet follows Byeong-gu, a traumatised man on a mission to save the Earth from Andromedans. Beneath its sci-fi comedy surface, the film explores mental illness, moral responsibility and the human cost of corporate power, constantly shifting audience sympathy and genre expectations. It’s incredibly funny, viciously brutal, genuinely moving and completely nuts [Read More]
Welcome to Dongmakgol (웰컴 투 동막골, 2005) review: humanity found beyond the battlefield
An uplifting and gently funny tale, told with genuine affection and served up with copious amounts of popcorn (watch the film and you’ll understand what I mean), Welcome To Dongmakgol reminds us that, whatever our beliefs and whatever the causes for which we fight, we should never forget our humanity. [Read More]