Monday, March 19, 2012

Interview: 'The Front Line' Director Jang Hoon

With three big films under his belt, Jang Hoon is now seen as one of Korea's top directing talents.  His films have met with great success but they have also been critically acclaimed.  His male-centric, dual protagonist narratives explore ambiguous but often familiar territory.  They are films that have highlighted the paradoxical social ills of Korea but they are also engaging thrillers that have attracted droves of spectators to the theatres with their potent mix of wry humour and sharp plotting.

Jang burst out on to the scene in 2008 with Rough Cut, penned and produced by his then mentor Kim Ki-duk, a blistering gangster film that cleverly confuses the lines between the gangster and filmmaking worlds.  As well as being one of the most fascinating genre films to come out of South Korea in recent times, Rough Cut is also a supremely entertaining satire.  His next film was the blockbuster Secret Reunion, starring Song Kang-ho and Kang Dong-won as a former South Korean agent and a North Korean spy who form an unlikely partnership.  Humour plays a big part in Jang's sophomore feature despite its weighty subject matter.  It went on to become the second-highest grossing film of 2010.

Jang's latest is The Front Line, a Korean war film that chronicles the interminable final leg of the battle for Aerok hill as armistice talks dragged on for over a year in the waning days of the struggle.  Shin Ha-kyun and Ko Soo headline a top cast and Jang's impressively made feature was last year's official Korean Oscar submission.

Recently, MKC was able to ask him a few questions courtesy of Cine-Asia to coincide with the recent UK release of The Front Line on DVD and Blu-Ray.  He talks about Lee Chang-dong, cinematography, the division of the Korean peninsula and his new film The Front Line:


1. In terms of structure, The Front Line is quite different from other war films.   How did you and writer Park Sang-yeon choose to approach this?

I came onboard to this project after a draft of the script was completed by writer Park and the producer.  Park and I shared lots of ideas while revising the script and during the pre-production, more plot details were ironed out.

2. Over the last decade a number of high profile Korean war films have been released.   With The Front Line, what were you hoping to add to this impressive group of films?

The film tells the story of how the war ended, whereas many other films start from its beginning.  There is still a long road ahead before peace settles in this peninsula and I wanted to show this movie, especially to younger generations, to allow them to question the historic war and the current North-South relationship.

3. Your last two features have explicitly dealt with the rift on the Korean peninsula, do you find yourself particularly drawn to this subject?

Living in the only divided country in the world, we (Koreans) all have some interest in the relationship between the North and the South.  Being one of them and sharing this common interest, I started to develop this story with that in mind.

4. You have worked with different cinematographers (Kim Woo-hyung, Lee Mo-gae, and Kim Gi-tae) on each of your films, which as a result are quite distinct from one another.   Is this a conscious decision to separate the style of each film and how would you describe your working relationship with your directors of photography?

Due to the different circumstances of previous films, I have worked with three different cinematographers and thanks to their distinctive characteristics I was able to accumulate unique experiences and partnerships.  We had many discussions concerning the most suitable cinematographic style for each film.

5. You made your debut as a director at a time when the future of Korean cinema seemed uncertain.  How do you feel the industry has progressed since then and what do you think the future holds in store for Korean film?

Korean audiences are very adept with the internet and social networks, which have become strong media for films.  How they choose and judge a film has drastically changed.  While many Korean films fared well last year, some blockbusters did not come close to reaching their expected outcomes.  It shows that audiences are not drawn to typical dramas or expensive films anymore and in order to be more successful in this market, we have to keep developing new content and constantly evolve.

6. Would you be able to tell us a little about your future projects?

I don’t have any particular project in mind, yet, but some potential projects are being considered.

7. Finally, could you tell us what your favorite Korean films are?

Personally, I like the films of Lee Chang-dong.  All his films are great and my favorites are Secret Sunshine (2007) and Poetry (2010).


Many thanks to Louise Rivers at Cine-Asia for setting up the interview!

Modern Korean Cinema's review of The Front Line.




Reviews and features on Korean film appear regularly on Modern Korean Cinema.  For film news, external reviews, and box office analysis, take a look at the Korean Box Office Update, Korean Cinema News and the Weekly Review Round-up, which appear weekly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings (GMT+1).

To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

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Sunday, March 18, 2012

Korean Box Office Update (03/16-03/18, 2012)

Helpless Repeats at the Expense of Russian Coffee


Title Release Date Market Share Weekend Total Screens
1 Helpless 3/8/12 36.20% 561,323 1,567,211 521
2 Chronicle (us) 3/15/12 13.10% 205,425 241,290 324
3 John Carter (us) 3/8/12 12.50% 179,449 679,630 355
4 Russian Coffee 3/15/12 8.70% 139,594 170,103 339
5 The Vow (us) 3/14/12 7.10% 110,159 165,079 314
6 Love Fiction 2/29/12 5.80% 89,658 1,653,853 309
7 This Means War (us) 2/29/12 5.30% 81,900 730,029 231
8 Introduction to Architecture 3/22/12 4.30% 64,960 80,900 282
9 Nameless Gangster 2/2/12 2.30% 35,814 4,646,361 210
10 Seeking Justice (us) 3/15/12 1.60% 24,397 29,294 142


While Korea's new release was pretty much dead on arrival, domestic films continued to exert their dominance as the market held at a strong 60% of the weekend's 1.55 million admissions.  This compared very favorably with last year's 16% figure and 1.23 million total.  While the local film industry has been doing well and has put out a number of high profile and quality products, it must be noted that competition from abroad has been weak as no recent Hollywood films were really expected to clinch the top spot.

Top of the pile is the sophomore stint of Helpless which raged on with another 561,323 admissions, a huge weekend that was off a minuscule 7%.  Clearly word of mouth has caught on for this thriller and it may be another early hit for 2012.  It will cross two million admissions before long and unless it suffers a big drop, three million should come along soon after.

The top US offering for the week was Chronicle which pulled in a respectable 205,425.  In its second weekend John Carter dropped a little over 50% for 179,449.  It has a good shot at crossing one million now which, while not a particularly impressive figure for such a huge production, will be seen as a decent result after its calamitous failure in its domestic market.

The expensive period action drama Russian Coffee, starring Joo Jin-mo, Kim Yo-seon and Park Hee-soon was a no-go as it opened in fourth place with a meagre 139,594.  The continued success of Helpless most likely contributed to its disappointing performance but more than that the film presented an awkward image in its marketing and couldn't hope to match the diverse and popular local offerings of the past two months.  I don't expect things to get any better for the film further down the line and it may vanish altogether within a fortnight.

Hollywood romance The Vow, starring Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams opened with 110,159.  An okay start for a film that has limited appeal in Korea but this performance pales in comparison to the US where it became a big hit.

Love Fiction dropped three spots and lost almost two thirds of its business as it sold another 89,658 tickets.  Last week I said it wouldn't have much trouble crossing two million admissions but now I'm not so sure as it looks to be fading fast.

US action romcom This Means War slowed about 45% for 81,900 in its third weekend.  Though it will likely fall short, it does stand a chance of crossing the one million threshold.

Korean romance Introduction to Architecture played in previews ahead of its opening next Thursday.  It scored a strong 64,960 and considering its positive early notices it could be in for a healthy run.

Nameless Gangster slipped 60% to 35,814 and will likely fall out the top 10 altogether next week.  It won't hit five million but with 4.6 million and counting, it is already by far and away the year's biggest hit.

Rounding out the chart was the new Nicholas Cage revenge pic Seeking Justice as it sold a paltry 24,397 tickets in its opening weekend.  I imagine that this will be the last time we hear about it.

Introduction to Architecture goes wide next weekend and should do strong business but I wouldn't be surprised if it can't muster enough to stand up to Helpless.  Mark Whalberg action-thriller Contraband will also be opening but will likely be playing third fiddle to the aforementioned Korean duo.

Source: kobis.or.kr


The Korean Box Office Update is a weekly feature which provides detailed analysis of film box office sales over the Friday to Sunday period in Korea. It appears every Sunday evening or Monday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at Korean Cinema News and the Weekly Review Round-up. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site. 

To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

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Friday, March 16, 2012

Weekly Review Round-up (03/10-03/16, 2012)

Another huge Weekly Review Round-up as the Korean blogathon came to an end.  A great wealth of films covered stretching across every time, genre and style you could imagine.

Enjoy!


CURRENT KOREAN RELEASES


(The One One Four, March 14, 2012)

(Scene in Korea, March 9, 2012)

(hancinema.net, March 10, 2012)

(Scene in Korea, March 10, 2012)


RECENT RELEASES


(Unseen Films, March 10, 2012)

Blind

(We Eat Lemon, March 10, 2012)

(Film in Asian, March 12, 2012)

(cineAWESOME!, March 11, 2012)

(VCinema, March 9, 2012)

(Unseen Films, March 11, 2012)

(Far East Films, March 11, 2012)

(KOFFIA Blog, March 11, 2012)

(Hanguk Yeonghwa, March 13, 2012)

(Unseen Films, March 10, 2012)

(Hangul Celluloid, March 10, 2012)

(YAM Magazine, March 11, 2012)

(The Montreal Gazette, March 8, 2012)

(Init_Scenes, March 13, 2012)

The Yellow Sea

War of the Arrows


PAST FILMS


(YAM Magazine, March 11, 2012)

A Bittersweet Life, 2005

(Flying Guillotine, March 8, 2012)

(Rainy Day Movies 9, 2012)

Bad Guy, 2001
(Next Projection, March 12, 2012)

(We Eat Lemon, March 10, 2012)

Dream, 2008
(Next Projection, March 13, 2012)

Duelist, 2005
(Rainy Day Movies 7, 2012)

Epitaph, 2007
(VCinema, March 8, 2012)

Haeundae, 2009
(Hong Kong Rewind, March 9, 2012)

(Orion's Ramblings, March 11, 2012)

(Podcasts Without Honor and Humanity, March 9, 2012)

(Unseen Films, March 9, 2012)

M, 2007
(Rainy Day Movies 7, 2012)

Marathon, 2005

Mother, 2009
(At the Cinema, March 11, 2012)

(Unseens Films, March 11, 2012)

(Korean Grindhouse, March 5, 2012)

(Rainy Day Movies 7, 2012)

Oasis, 2002
(Rainy Day Movies 8, 2012)

Oishii Man, 2008
(Podcasts Without Honor and Humanity, March 6, 2012)

(Rainy Day Movies 8, 2012)

(Rainy Day Movies 9, 2012)

(Rainy Day Movies 9, 2012)

Rikidozan, 2004
(VCinema, March 11, 2012)

Sky Blue, 2003
(VCinema, March 9, 2012)

(Greetings From Movie City, March 8, 2012)

(Oriental Film House, March 10, 2012)

Tigresses, 1977
(Planet Choco Zine, March 9, 2012)

Time, 2006
(Next Projection, March 11, 2012)

Truck, 2007
(Unseen Films, March 9, 2012)



The Weekly Review Round-up is a weekly feature which brings together all available reviews of Korean films in the English language (and sometimes French) that have recently appeared on the internet. It is by no means a comprehensive feature and additions are welcome (email pierceconran [at] gmail [dot] com). It appears every Friday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at Korean Cinema News, and the Korean Box Office Update. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site. 

To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

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Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Korean Cinema News (03/08-03/14, 2012)

Lots of interesting news this week, including reports of a Korean director being fired from a Chinese produciton, numerous great interviews, a new Lee Hae-jun (Castaway on the Moon) film, and the great fortunes of the Korean box office.  Loads more trailers, posters and other tidbits to boot.

But first, the final round-up of the Korean Cinema Blogathon which was an enormous success and accumulated almost 200 posts.  A treasure trove of Korean cinema content!





KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

Mixed Reaction for Fox’s Foray Into Local Market
Following Fox International Productions’ announcement of its foray into the Korean film market as a distributor and investor last month, there are mixed reactions here to the possible changes to be brought to the scene.  An international production umbrella unit of America’s major film production house Fox Filmed Entertainment, FIP produces and distributes local language films around the globe.  (The Korea Herald, March 6, 2012)

Kanryu Currents in Japan, Past and Present
Tokyo-based journalist, translator and filmmaker Jason Gray examines the ebb and flow of the Korean Wave (Kanryu in Japanese) in Japan over the past ten years, pinpointing the highs and lows.  (Korean Cinema Today, March 6, 2012)

Why Can't Korean Films Ever Break Into the Academy Awards?
On February 27, The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film went to an Iranian film, A Separation.  The Academy Awards started giving out Best Foreign Language Film awards in 1956.  South Korea has been submitting films for nomination every year since 1963.  Korea's first submission was Mother and the Houseguest by director Shin Sang Ok.  However, Korea has been unlucky all those years as no Korean films have ever been a final nominee for the Academy awards.  (soompi.com, March 7, 2012)

Cha Tae-hyeon Attempts at Historical Gone With the Wind
Cha Tae-hyeon has completed 5 months or so of making the movie The Grand Heist, the film will be released within the year.  The Grand Heist is the story of thieves who get together to plot and break into an ice storeroom in the Chosun times.  The cast of this movie includes: Cheon Bo-geun, Kim Hyang-ki, Min Hyo-rin, Lee Chae-yeong, Oh Ji-ho, Seong Dong-il, Ko Chang-seok and more.  (hancinema.com/daum.net, March 8, 2012)

New Lee Hae-jun, Jeon Soo-il and Kim Baek-jun projects get Financing in Hong Kong
Carrying on a tradition that includes directors such as Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook and Im Sang-soo, this year three Korean projects will be participating in the 10th Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF).  The three Korean projects - Jeon Soo-il’s Another Country, Kim Baek-jun’s Monsters and Lee Hae-jun’s My Dictator, will be at HAF looking for co-producers, financiers, sales agents and pre-sales.  (Korean Cinema Today, March 8, 2012)

Kwak Jae-yong Fired From Yang Gui Fei
The film production team of Yang Gui Fei has fired South Korean director Kwak Jae-yong (My Sassy Girl, 2001), confirming earlier media speculation about his departure during the filming of the historical drama, Sina Entertainment reports.  (china.org.cn, March 9, 2012)

Korean Film The Man From Nowhere To Get American Remake
Remaking foreign films for the American market is no new dance, and it continues with the announcement by Dimension Films that they will be remaking the South Korean hit The Man From Nowhere (2010).  The movie tells the story of a quiet, reclusive pawn shop owner with a dark, painful past.  (Geeks of Doom, March 10, 2012)

Korean Indie Films Beckon Fans
Local independent cinema has not seen many blockbuster hits like 2009’s Old Partner lately but smaller films have slowly yet surely been receiving wider exposure.  This month sees a particularly strong lineup of low-budget movies in theaters across the country, including international film fest-verified pictures.  Indie flick enthusiasts and moviegoers looking for alternatives to mainstream fare can appreciate this genre, not only in local arthouses, but also at larger venues.  (The Korea Times, March 12, 2012)

Out of Jail, Ex-Professor and His Crossbow Fight South Korea’s Judiciary
On Monday, Kim Myung-ho, holding his book, revisited the scene of the 2007 crossbow shooting that landed him in prison: the judge’s apartment building.  Judge Park Hong-woo emerged from the elevator, and the two shared eye contact for a second.  Mr. Kim’s outrage has resonated with South Koreans, with a movie about his dispute with the South Korean judicial system selling more than 3.5 million tickets since it was released in January.  (The New York Times, March 12, 2012)

Silent Film Narrator Returns to Modern Stage
What would it have been like to watch a silent film with live narration and music?  Today’s moviegoers were given an opportunity to watch Korea’s oldest surviving silent film, Crossroads of Youth, last week, accompanied by live music and narration – all in the 1930s style.  Just like the “silent era” in the 20s and 30s, they saw and heard a “byeonsa” – Korean term for silent-film narrator – “performing” each and every action of the histrionic piece first released in 1934.  (The Korea Herald, March 12, 2012)

Emma Watson Picks a Korean Film Among Her Favorites
Harry Potter actress Emma Watson recently named a 2008 Korean film as one of her favorite movies.  According to reports from local news agencies, the actress best known for playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films picked Breathless as one of her favorites in an interview with Vogue Magazine.  (soompi.com, March 13, 2012)

Tribeca Film Festival Takes Planet of Snail
The 8th Tribeca Film Festival has announced its upcoming selection to include South Korean director Yi Seung-jun’s Planet of Snail, a documentary about a deaf and blind man, his wife with a spinal disability, and their unique story.  Planet of Snail has been selected to Tribeca’s World Documentary Feature Competition.  The film will be making its North American premiere there.  The festival will be held in New York City, April 18 – 29, 2012.  (KoBiZ, March 14, 2012)

Finecut Dials Up Love 911
Seoul-based sales company Finecut has announced it will be selling the upcoming film Love 911 starting at the Hong Kong Filmart next week.  Starring Ko Soo and Han Hyo-joo, the film is about an unlikely romance between a dedicated firefighter with a painful past and a cold-hearted emergency room (ER) doctor who is solely focused on her career.  (KoBiZ, March 14, 2012)

Kang Woo-suk Returns with Legend Punch
Director Kang Woo-suk is prepping a new film, his first since last year's GLove.   Legend Punch is based on a webcomic and follows a man who enters a reality fighting show. Him and other conttestants vie for the 20 million won prize.  Filming is scheduled to commence in July and this likely means that the next installment in the Public Enemy franchise will be delayed until 2014 unless Kang hands the reigns of the franchise to someone else.  In any case Sol Kyeong-gu is busy shooting Lee Myung-se's new film Mister K. (Asian Wiki, March 2012)


INTERVIEWS

Planet of Snail Director Yi Seung-jun
Top prize winner at the 24th International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), director Yi Seung-jun’s Planet of Snail is a documentary about deaf and blind husband Cho Young-chan and his wife Kim Soon-ho, who has a spinal impediment.  The film will soon be screened at the Tribeca Film Festival and head of its March 22 release in Korea, Kim Seong-hoon met with Yi to talk about Planet of Snail for Korean Cinema Today (KCT).  (Korean Cinema Today, March 7, 2012)

HAF Feature Interview with Lee Hae-jun, My Dictator
Set to participate in the 10th Hong Kong – Asian Film Financing Forum (HAF), director Lee Hae-jun’s My Dictator is about three dictators.  One is Park Chung-hee in the South and the other is Kim Il-sung in the North – the two dictators who ruled the split Korean peninsula in the 1970s; the other dictator is a father and the main character of this film.  Lee's previous film was Castaway on the Moon (2009).  (Korean Cinema Today, March 8, 2012)

HAF Feature Interview with Jeon Soo-il, Another Country
Director Jeon Soo-il is due to participate in the upcoming Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) with the project Another Country.  At the time of writing, he was shooting his latest film El Condor Pasa in Busan and Peru.  Another Country will be his next film after El Condor Pasa.  Produced by Dongnyuk Film, Jeon’s Another Country has a budget of KW1 billion (US$889,000), with plans for half of that to come from Korea and half from a foreign partner.  (Korean Cinema Today, March 8, 2012)

HAF Feature Interview with Kim Baek-jun, Monsters
Director Kim Baek-jun (born in 1970) is preparing his third film Monsters with production company JK Film (Haeundae).  The project’s budget is set at about KW 800 million (US$711,000).  He made his directorial debut with My Dear Diary, which was invited to the Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) competition.  Monsters will be taking part in the 10th Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) this month.  (Korean Cinema Today, March 8, 2012)


TRAILERS

Home Sweet Home


My Way


The Scent



POSTERS

As One

Home Sweet Home


My Way

The Grand Heist

The Scent


BOX OFFICE


(Modern Korean Cinema, March 11, 2012)

Domestic movies dominated the South Korean box office last month.  The Korean Film Council said domestically produced films captured a 75-point-nine percent market share in February, up 26-point-four percentage points from 49-point-five percent in January.  (KBS, March 7, 2012)


Korean Cinema News is a weekly feature which provides wide-ranging news coverage on Korean cinema, including but not limited to: features; festival news; interviews; industry news; trailers; posters; and box office. It appears every Wednesday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at the Korean Box Office Update and the Weekly Review Round-up. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site. 

To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

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Sunday, March 11, 2012

2012 Korean Cinema Blogathon


Modern Korean Cinema is very proud to be involved with this year's Korean Cinema Blogathon.  All of the event's links will be mirrored here throughout the week.

This post will remained stickied to the top during the week and can also be found as a tab in the above menu.

Hope you all enjoy this great event and please submit your own content!

This year's Blogathon is run by Rufus over at cineAWESOME! and all of the event's links can also be found at at KOFFIA, VCinema, Hangul Celluloid, New Korean Cinema, HanCinema and Far East Films.

Link Submissions Rules (from host cineAWESOME!):
-Please submit links with the author of the article, the title/topic of the article and the link to that article.  If in another language please indicate that in the submission as well!
-Submit links to [email protected], or on our Facebook page.



March 5, 2012

Richard Gray writes “Korean First: Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance” over at KOFFIA!

Cho Seongyong reconsiders The Yellow Sea over at his blog!

Amy watches Spring Bears Love (with cineAWESOME! favorite Bae Doona) over at YAM Magazine.

Paul Bramhall writes about his first experiences with Korean cinema in the article Hammer & Tooth: My First Encounter with Korean Cinema over at KOFFIA.

Our very own Jeff Wildman takes on one of the strangest romantic comedies in years: I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Okay.

Sarah Ward writes about one of the best actors in the industry today with her article Song Kang-ho: An adaptable icon over at KOFFIA

Giacomo Lee reviews highschool indie drama Bleak Night and our first tumblr entry!

DBBorroughs watches the war film 71-Into the Fire over at Unseen Films.

Martin Cleary starts a great list with Film Recommendations – Fifteen Films of the New Korean Cinema (Part One) over at New Korean Cinema.

Pierce Conran gives us the skinny on Korean ticket sales with Korean Box Office Update (03/2-03/4, 2012) over at Modern Korean Cinema.

Wildgrounds takes us on a tour of Korea with South Korean Film Locations.

Milo writes Mighty South Korean Thrillers: The Yellow Sea and The Chaser over at Blog of the Northstar

Connor McMorran contributes three! Hong Sang-soo articles Woman is the Future of Man HaHaHa and The Day He Arrivesover at Rainy Day Movies.

Pierce Conran reviews Song Il-gon’s latest film Always over at Modern Korean Cinema.

Ghost writes KOREAN FILMS: WE AREN’T ALL ABOUT VENGEANCE over at Yam Magazine! (So true)

Orion looks at sci-fi omnibus film Doomsday Book in Doomsday Book-Where is your Sci-fi Korea? over at Orion’s Ramblings.

Alua writes Korean Cinema…Outside of London over on the blog Otherwhere.

Dini R. takes a look at Bleak Night over at We Eat Lemon.

James Schergen reviews Come Rain, Come Shine over at Flying Guillotine.

Ki Mun reviews Helpless over at Scene in Korea.

Kenneth Brorsson, Rufus de Rham, Paul Quinn begin What’s Korean Cinema Season 2 with Castaway on the Moon over at the Podcast on Fire network.

Kenneth Brorsson reviews Oasis at Podcast on Fire Network.

Adam D. looks at the classic North/South feud in the form of kaiju films YONGARY and PULGASARI over at VCinema Show.

Pierce Conran reviews Countdown for the fine folks at VCinema.

Christopher Wheeler takes a look at Xtreme Korea with The Man From Nowhere over at KOFFIA.

Colleen Wanglund looks back at A TALE OF TWO SISTERS over at VCinema.

James Brown looks at his own experience with Korean cinema with Audacious and Refreshing: Discovering Korean Cinemaover at KOFFIA.

Julyssa continues from last year with MY LOVE FOR KOREAN CINEMA PART. 2 – SUNNY SIDE UP over at Yam Magazine.

Jimi reviews Kim Ki-duk classic The Isle over at Oriental Film House

Anna reviews Drifting Away over at Korean Indie (one of my favorite Korean music blogs)

Jacob Feltner reviews Bleak Night in an episode of Podcast Without Honor and Humanity.

Brad Gullickson watches The Good, The Bad and The Weird right here on cineAWESOME!

Wasim Hossain writes four! reviews: I’m a Cyborg, But That’s Okay, Poetry, Feather, and A Dirty Carnival.

Rufus talks about how he got started in the Korean film scene with The Beginnings: or how a joke changed Rufus’ life right here on cineAWESOME!

"The Emergence and Growth of Sexual Content in Korean Cinema" essay/paper that formed the basis for Hangulcelluloid's talk at the 'East Winds' symposium (Coventry university) in March 2012.

"Love, Loss and Laughter" essay/paper that formed the basis of Hangul Celluloid's talk at the 'Asian Exposure' symposium at CUEAFS last year.


March 6, 2012

Lynn Shipp reviews Bichunmoo over at Wolves In Winter.

Mark talks about The Problem of Movie Soundtracks over at Korean Indie!

Sung Moon reviews Take Care of My Cat for Yam Magazine.

Julian Buckeridge takes a look at Director Ryoo Seung-wan’s career with More Than Just an Action Kid over at KOFFIA.

Hieu Chau finds Korean film in Cinema with a Vengeance at KOFFIA.

Paul Bramhall writes Going International: A Look at ‘Ninja Assassin’ & ‘The Warrior’s Way’ for KOFFIA.

Martin Cleary continues his Film Recommendations – Fifteen Films of the New Korean Cinema (Part Two) over at New Korean Cinema.

DB Borroughs reviews Showdown over at Unseen Films.

Pierce Conran gives us his Top 10 Korean Films of 2010 over at Modern Korean Cinema.

Andrew Saroch reviews War of The Arrows for Far East Films.

Phil Mills reviews Death Bell for Far East Films.

Andrew Skeates reviews The Front Line for Far East Films.

Dini R. reviews 2011′s smash hit Sunny over at We Eat Lemons.

Orion writes Hollywood Invasion: the End of Korean Cinema? over at Orion’s Ramblings.

Mr. C reviews Miss, Please Be Patient (1981) over at Planet Chocko.

Marc Raymond gives us a “A Hong Sang-soo Primer” over at Cinephile Foreigner in Korea.

Rebo Luistro reviews Hello Ghost over at Rebzombie Reviews.

Marc Saint-Cyr reviews Lee Chang-dong’s Green Fish at VCinema.

Kimchi Soul talks about DVD Bang Experience over at, well, her blog Kimchi Soul.

Connor McMorran graces us with three reviews of Ryu Seung-wan films: No Blood, No Tears, Crying Fist, and The City of Violence over at Rainy Day Movies.

Pierce Conran reviews Champ at VCinema.

Dr. Stan Glick highlights the Hong Sang-soo retrospective at MoMI, and points to older reviews of Secret Reunion, Aachi and Ssipak, Poetry, and Secret Sunshine. As well as linking to an interview with Lee Chang-dong, and highlighting a very special issue of Asian Cult Cinema.

Alua reviews Crossroads of Youth over at Otherwhere.

Colleen Wanglund reviews Phone for VCinema.

Samson Kwok writes A Special Film: Bong Joon-ho’s Mother for KOFFIA.

Richard Grey talks Violence Meets Violence: I Saw The Devil over at KOFFIA.

Raelene L. talks about Discovering Korean Cinema: Redefining Storytelling and Kim Ki-duk’s 3-Iron for KOFFIA.

Mini Mini Movie Review posts a piece on an E J-Yong interview.


March 7, 2012

Dini R. Starts the day with a review of indie coming of age story Eighteen on We Eat Lemons.

Matthew J. Constantine returns to review the Blade Runner rip-off Natural City right here on cineAWESOME!

DB Borroughs reviews Children at Unseen Films.

Pierce Conran gives us the Korean Cinema News from 3/1-3/7 over at Modern Korean Cinema.

Paul Quinn posts two of his essays on Korean film done for the East Winds Symposiums over at Hangul Celluloid.

Amy writes about her love for Bae Doona (we love her too) over at Yam Magazine.

Paul Bramhall writes Hollywood Bound: Korea’s Trio of Talent Head West for KOFFIA.

Orion reviews Jeon Woochi over at Orion’s Ramblings.

Kimchi Soul reviews Crossroads of Youth and Handphone over at Kimchi Soul.

Ki Mun gives an overview of Korean cinema for March 2012 over at Scene in Korea.

Mr. C. reviews Armless Swordsman over at Planet Chocko. (I keep wondering where he gets all these great classic films!)

FilmPuff reviews Haunted Village aka Arang over at Not A Film Critic (in Portuguese but you should all be using Google Chrome which will translate)

Christopher Bourne reviews Tale of Cinema (part of the Love Will Tear Us Apart series at Japan Society NYC) over at The Bourne Cinema Conspiracy.

Pierce Conran reviews one of my favorite films Chilsu and Mansu over at Modern Korean Cinema.

DB Borroughs reviews The Man Who Was Superman over at Unseen Films.

Our own Jeff Wildman reviews Oasis and The Chaser right here on cineAWESOME!

Alua reviews Treeless Mountain at Otherwhere.

John Berra covers Dream for VCinema.

Rebo Luistro reviews Black Dress over at Rebzombie Reviews.

VCinema drops Episode 40 covering Saving My Hubby over at VCinema.

James Brown takes a Time Out: An appreciative stroll through Promenade over at KOFFIA.

Tim Milfull talks about How Oldboy Changed the Way I view Asian Cinema for KOFFIA.


March 8, 2012

Pierce Conran comes back strong with a review of 2011′s Penny Pinchers over at Modern Korean Cinema.

Over at Unseen Films, DB Borroughs reviews the funny Hi Dharma 2.

Dini R. is back from We Eat Lemon, this time with a look at the ‘sugar, spice and everything nice’ Antique.

Richard Gray over at KOFFIA gives us a look at Lee Young-ae’s career.

Peter Nellhaus gives us a review of Blood Rain at Coffee Coffee and More Coffee.

At Laxante Cultural, Pedro Alfonso takes a look at Chan-wook Park’s controversial Thirst. (In Portuguese)

Over at Robot x Robot, Lynn Shipp compares the good, the bad and the ugly of Korean Comedies in My Sassy Girlfriend Vs. Crazy First Love.

The one and only Dr. Stan Glick writes about Tale of Cinema over at AsianCineFest.

Guest contributor Adam Hartzell writes about two of Martin Scorsese’s favorite films, Park Ki-young’s Camels and Park Chan-ok’s Jealousy Is My Middle Name over at VCinema.

Over at Genkina hito’s J-Film Review, Jason Maher takes a look at Kim Jee-woon’s directorial debut The Quiet Family.

Yogi reviews Joong-Hyun Kim’s Choked over at Yogi’s Movie Consumption Blog.

Pierce Conran reviews Jo Beom-goo’s Quick over at VCinema.

Orion gives us The Promotional Weaknesses of Korean Films (Abroad) over at Orion’s Ramblings.

DB Borroughs of Unseen Films has written a review for the film Cyrano Agency. (If you live in NYC, this coming Tuesday to see it for free)

Over at Life As Fiction, Rahat Ahmed reviews Lee Han’s Punch.

Kim Ki-duk’s 3-Iron is reviewed by L over at La Troisième Chambre. (In French, but you can translate it with Google Chrome)

Christopher Wheeler discusses Revenge: Korean Style over at KOFFIA.

Charles Heidel reviews Kim Jee-woon’s The Good, The Bad, The Weird over at Greetings From Movie City USA.

Jacob Feltner from the fantastic Podcast Without Honor and Humanity has recorded three more episodes, Oishii Man,Marathon and In Between Days.

Colleen Wanglund writes about Epitaph over at VCinema.

Over at our friends at KOFFIA, Sarah Ward is Delving Into the Darkness of Park Chan-wook.


March 9, 2012

Jaime Grijalba reviews I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Okay over at Exodus 8:2 in Spanish.

Paul Bramhall writes yet another great piece for KOFFIA, titled Hwang Jang-lee: King of the Leg Fighters, Hwang Jang-lee is generally awesome so you guys should really read this one.

Michel Boléchala reviews The Cat for our first French entry over at SHINE.

Samson Kwok talks about how he discovered Korean cinema in Original and Incredibly Fun: Discovering Korean Cinema over at KOFFIA.

Pierce Conran gives us the Weekly Review Roundup for 3/5-3/9 over at Modern Korean Cinema.

Ki Mun reviews Eighteen, Nineteen over at Scene in Korea.

DB Borroughs reviews Truck over at Unseen Films.

Antoniya Petkova reviews the DVD of Front Line at Cine Vue and Midnight FM and The Man from Nowhere over at iCov both from Coventry University East Asian Film Society.

Coventry University East Asian Film Society also gives us Spencer Murphy’s interview with Lee Jeong-beom, Sabina Pasaniuc’s review of Bedevilled, and Mihnea Gheorghita’s review of Yellow Sea all at Cine Vue.

Josh Samford reviews Yellow Sea over at Varied Celluloid.

Israel Serralvo writes about Il Asian Cinema Awards in Spanish over at Hola Corea.

Tom Kent-Williams over at VCinema writes about the Korean animation Sky Blue.

Pierce Conran, again from our friends at VCinema, gives us a ‘look’ at the Korean thriller Blind.


March 10, 2012

Jon Jung, head honcho of VCinema, reviews Metamorphosis.

Jimi reviews Power of Kangwon Province over at Oriental Film House.

Dini R. reviews both Christmas in August and Cyrano Agency over at We Eat Lemon.

DB Borroughs reviews Life is Cool and Little Pond over at Unseen Film.

Gail Kavanagh gives us 10 Reasons to Become A Korean Cinema Addict over at Asian Cinema Cafe.

Kimchi Soul reviews The Day He Arrives at Kimchi Soul.

Refresh Daemon reviews Marathon over at Init_Scenes.

James Schergen reviews Ad-Lib Night over at Flying Guillotine.

Mr. C reviews Tigresses over at Planet Chocko.

Paul Bramhall takes a walk In the Footsteps of the Stars: My Trip to the KOFIC Namyangju Studios over at KOFFIA.

Kieran Tully writes about Korean film down under: accessibility for Australian audiences over at KOFFIA

Joseph Sampson gives us 3 Korean Movies for all Seasons at KOFFIA.

Sarah Ward gives us Complex and Compelling: The Yellow Sea over at KOFFIA.

Orion gives us Promotional Weaknesses of Korean Movies (Domestic) over at Orion’s Ramblings.

Ki Mun reviews Stateless Things over at Scene in Korea.


March 11, 2012

Elwood Jones writes An Introduction To Korean Cinema over at From the Depths of DVD Hell.

Kimchi Soul gives us the Top 5 Korean Cinema Events in London over at Kimchi Soul.

Bruno Zunino reviews Il Mare over at Asiaphile (in French).

Marc Saint-Cyr reviews A Bittersweet Life for VCinema.

Refresh Deamon writes Commentary: My Korean Cinema Story about his own personal experience with Korean film over at Init_Scenes.

DB Borroughs reviews Quick and Oki’s Movie over at Unseen Films.

Paul Quinn reviews The Crucible (aka Silenced) over at Hangul Celluloid.

FilmPuff reviews Doll Master over at Not A Film Critic in Portuguese.

Pierce Conran reviews War of the Arrows over at Modern Korean Cinema.

Dini R. writes Impressionable and Recommendable Korean Movies over at We Eat Lemon.

Mondocurry reviews Quick at Unseen Films.

Andrew Saroch reviews Penny Pinchers and Blind over at Far East Films.

Orion reviews Hansel and Gretel over at Orion’s Ramblings.

James McCormick reviews Invasion of Alien Bikini right here on cineAWESOME!

Kieran Tully writes Busan Film Festival 2011: The Reviews over at Tully’s Recall. (can also be found on KOFFIA)

THE BIG KOFFIA CATCH UP UPDATE:

Paul Bramhall writes Kim Ji-woon: International or Korean?…Take Your Pick.

Raelene Loong writes Discovering Korean Cinema: J.S.A. Joint Security Area.

Hugo Ozman write about The Won and Only Won Bin.

Christopher Wheeler muses on Poetry: Discover how film can truly be a beautiful creature.

Paul Bramhall wrote Lights, Camera, ACTION! – My visit to the Seoul Action School (posted on the 8th and I missed it!)

Kieran Tully writes So you want to run a Korean Film Festival: The KOFFIA Story. (also posted on the 8th).

Pierce goes over the fortunes of Korean box office in this week's Korean Box Office Update at Modern Korean Cinema.

Brad takes Gullickson a look at The Warrior’s Way for cineAWESOME!.

Refresh Daemon reviews A Moment to Remember and gives us Commentary: Memorable Music Moments in Korean Film over at his blogs init_scenes and init_music.

mondocurry reviews My Dear Enemy for Unseen Films.

Pierce Conran looks at Upcoming Releases over at Modern Korean Cinema!

John Kreng reviews A Bittersweet Life for his self named blog!

Jenna reviews 200 Pound Beauty for Yam Magazine.

Amy and Julyssa LOVE Sunny over at Yam Magazine…seriously. They really love this film.

Colleen Wanglund gives us her 10 Favorite Korean Horror films over at VCinema.

Josh Samford grapples with the biopic RIKIDOZAN: A HERO EXTRAORDINAIRE at VCinema.


Reviews and features on Korean film appear regularly on Modern Korean Cinema.  For film news, external reviews, and box office analysis, take a look at the Korean Box Office Update, Korean Cinema News and the Weekly Review Round-up, which appear weekly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings (GMT+1).

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