July 2012 Korean Releases

This monthly features previews the coming month's attractions in Korean cinema. All of these monthly posts are available in an archive on the Upcoming Releases page.

July 5

Deranged

July 12

Bloody Fight in Iron-Rock Valley
Dangerously Excited
Sex, Lies and Videotape
Two Moons
Venus in Furs

July 19

Tears of the Antarctic
The 5-Million-Dollar Man
Ukelele Love Together

July 25

The Thieves

July 26

Horror Stories

Click to read more»

NYAFF 2012 Retrospective: A Legend in the Flesh - The Life and Career of Choi Min-sik

Part of MKC's coverage of the 11th New York Asian Film Festival.

Biography

In discussing the life and works of South Korea’s legendary actor Choi Min-sik, who is making a special appearance at this year’s New York Asian Film Festival, I feel the first thing that should be mentioned is how very lucky we are that he was given a chance to make any films at all. Choi was born in 1962 in Seoul and during his early childhood he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. His doctor’s prognosis was that he wouldn’t make it but following a lengthy convalescence in the mountains, he beat the disease. I know that I and many others are very glad that he did!

Click to read more»

Korean Cinema News (06/28-07/04, 2012)

Some good news for the state of Korean box office this week as well as some features on this year's PiFan. In addition, yours truly was interviewed by hancinema.net recently about Korean film and my recent move to Korea!

Ten Questions for the KOREAN CINEPHILE

PIFAN

I'm covering this year's PiFan on MKC and over at Twitch with James Marsh where we're currently breaking down the program for everyone in a series of previews, check out the first two parts below:

PiFan 2012 Preview Part 1: Puchon Choice (Main Competition)
PiFan 2012 Preview Part 2: World Fantastic Cinema

Click to read more»

NYAFF 2012: Honey PuPu (消失打看 - Taiwan, 2011)

Part of MKC's coverage of the 11th New York Asian Film Festival.

Honey PuPu is one of the most singular works to come out of Asia in quite some time.  Its take on the modern world is fiercely original and, by employing a dizzying array of different formats and techniques, it seeks to recount its philosophical and energetic tale of how people’s identities are shaped and disrupted by the world’s aggressive virtualization. Chen Hung-i’s film combines gorgeous and whimsical cinematography with other techniques such as a futuristic platform for social media, photography and a veritable bounty of editing techniques.  It features a terrific soundtrack, quickly oscillating between classical pieces and modern electro music, and is a film unlike any other.

Vicky is a radio hostess who is searching for her lover who has disappeared.  She seeks the help of a number of young people she has encountered through social media with monikers like Cola, Assassin, Money and Playing.  They are all lost souls, seeking answers through the hyperkinetic communication networks of the modern world.

Click to read more»

NYAFF 2012: Couples (커플즈, Keo-peul-jeu) 2011

Part of MKC's coverage of the 11th New York Asian Film Festival.

Mainstream cinema has the potential to demonstrate both the best and the worst that the medium has to offer.  Concerning the latter, any number of criticisms can be leveled at the swill and drivel that the world’s film industries will subjects us to and while they are often besides the point, they are just as frequently justified.  When money is involved projects must inevitably revolve around profit, so at one end of the spectrum you will always find shallow and consumerist works versus the riskier ventures, often from established talents, that you will sometimes witness at the other. 

Between these two extremes there lies an uneasy middle-ground, which is expansive and marked by slippery definitions.  Within this domain, there are filmmakers that strive to make something worthwhile from within the strict confines of commercial filmmaking and they sometimes achieve it, indeed every once in a while they might even make something transcendent.  Then there exists the studio hands who, despite working from a seemingly routine template with the assistance of unexceptional pedigree, every so often happen upon something that works.

Click to read more»

Korea Blog Week IV: Birthday, Meetings and Getting Used to Life in Seoul

Part of an ongoing series about my trip to and discovery of Seoul...

As I near the one-month mark in Korea I can definitely say that I've really begun to settle in and already things seem very familiar. I suppose that in some way this is a testament to my nomadic life up until this point. It was also my birthday this past week and as I reflected for a spell I realized that I have almost been in a different city for my last seven birthdays, going backwards the list goes: Seoul, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Fribourg, Los Angeles, New York, Dublin. Six places in seven years, that's a lot of ground covered and I know that I'm extremely fortunate to have lived and visited so many places and in the process meet such incredible people and have so many wonderful experiences. And yet, I'm tired and perhaps have been so for a while. I came to Korea with the intention of staying for some time and I aim to do just that, I would like to make it at home and so far I feel so welcome here that I don't why I shouldn't.

Click to read more»

Korean Box Office Update (06/29, 07/01, 2012)

An Amazing Start for Spiderman

	Title	Release Date	Market Share	Weekend	Total	Screens
1	The Amazing Spiderman (us)	6/28/12	71.40%	1,417,504	1,694,733	1,114
2	The Emperor's Concubine	6/6/12	5.20%	122,415	2,452,708	318
3	Madascar 3 (us)	6/6/12	4.90%	120,261	1,443,354	396
4	All About My Wife	5/17/12	4.70%	110,905	4,385,425	240
5	Cabin in the Woods (us)	6/28/12	4.30%	99,438	130,929	287
6	Miss GO	6/21/12	3.70%	88,346	551,625	309
7	King of XXX-Kissing	6/21/12	2.80%	68,375	432,192	272
8	Runway Cop	5/30/12	0.80%	21,134	1,325,807	114
9	Lockout (us)	6/14/12	0.30%	6,852	457,060	84
10	Two Weddings and a Funeral	6/21/12	0.20%	5,498	34,608	39

Click to read more»