This week's Korean Cinema News marks the feature's one-year anniversary! Thank you all so much for visiting the site, I really appreciate your continued support.
Unfortunately this is a rather slow week for Korean cinema news, bar the rumours of big new films premiering at Cannes and a very exciting trailer for Im Sang-soo's latest.
I'm sure there will be much more to chew on next week as the Udine Far East Film Festival (which MKC will be covering on site) lineup is announced and we learn more about these tantalizing Cannes selections.
Thanks again and as always, enjoy!
KOREAN CINEMA NEWS
Son Ye Jin's Next Project is Upcoming Film, Accomplice
After her successful film, Chilling Romance, actress Son Ye Jin has chosen her next project, Accomplice, which will be directed by a rookie director. While Chilling Romance was also shot by a rookie director, Accomplice will be Son Ye Jin's third straight project with a rookie director. People are wondering whether this is mere coincidence or if Son Ye Jin has certain preferences. (soompi, March 28, 2012)
New Hong Sang-soo and Park Chan-wook Films Set For Cannes?
A list has been leaked which purports to be the official selection for the upcoming Cannes Film Festival and features the new oeuvres from both Hong Sang-soo (In Another Country) and Park Chan-wook (Stoker), both Cannes stalwarts. The rest of the picks are equally impressive, all we need now is official confirmation. (cinema-licious, April 2, 2012)
Bollywood Invasion Coming to Seoul
Three Bollywood films are opening in local theaters this month, only about a month after the Indian Film Festival in Seoul, expanding Indian films’ presence in Korea’s movie market. The release of the three films – Stanley’s Tiffin Box, God’s Own Child, and The Robot – comes after a surprisingly successful year for Bollywood pictures in Korea. (The Korea Herald, April 3, 2012)
Hyun Jung Hwa Requested Ha Ji Won to Portray Her for Korea
The table tennis coach and gold medalist, Hyun Jung Hwa (who is being portrayed in the upcoming Korea) revealed that she requested to be portrayed by Ha Ji Won. She joined the actresses Ha Ji Won and Bae Doo Na for a Korea press conference. (soompi, April 3, 2012)
INTERVIEW
Matthew Goode Talks Chan-wook Park’s Stoker
There’s little doubt that Chan-wook Park’s first foray into English-language filmmaking will be of great interest to the many fans the South Korean director has attracted over the years, not least for his brutal and brilliant Vengeance trilogy, and there’s a distinct air of mystery around Stoker. (heyuguys.co.uk, March 6, 2012)
Huh Jong-ho Interview
Last Friday morning, during my coverage of the Fribourg International Film Festival, I had the opportunity to sit down with Huh Jong-ho, the director of Countdown, which was screening in the main competition of the festival. His film was awarded the FIPRESCI award during Saturday's closing ceremony. We covered a range of topics in our long discussion, including film schools, first time directors in Korea, the future of the industry, plans for his next project and much more. (Modern Korean Cinema, April 3, 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.
Business was up this weekend as nearly two million tickets were sold which was almost twice as many as last year's similar frame. The Korean market also share came in at a healthy 52%. Korean films have topped the chart for eleven weeks now but unfortunately this will mark the end of the streak as the season's biggest international blockbuster bows next weekend.
Repeating at number one was Architecture 101 which saw a slight increase to 570,915 admissions. Word of mouth seems strong for this romance pic and it could continue to play well though next weekend will be a difficult test for all the films in the marketplace. In any case it will have no trouble crossing the two million mark but looking at the similar trajectory it has had to Helpless, any further milestone is uncertain for the moment. However, while it does have to compete with Hollywood next weekend, the next major Korean release doesn't open until April 11 so this may work in its favor.
Wrath of the Titans came in a relatively close second with 482,485 which seems strong but was actually about half of what its predecessor Clash of the Titans achieved in 2010. I can't imagine this film will stick around for long and will probably suffer some very sharp declines in the following weeks.
The French film Untouchable, which has been breaking all sorts of records in its native country, dropped one spot and slowed only 20% for a strong 315,940 sophomore frame. This may stick around for a little while and with similar declines it could come close to the two million mark which may be the first time a French film has done so at the Korean box office.
The major Korean opener this weekend was Over My Dead Body, the black comedy starring Ryoo Seung-beom and Lee Beom-su. It's 312,872 debut isn't bad but given how recent films have performed this picture may see an early grave. Strong word of mouth could save it but more than likely it will suffer a sharp decline along with most of the marketplace next week.
Helpless lost about two thirds of its business in its fourth weekend, adding another 110,312. The Three million mark seemed within reach only ten days ago but now it will have to settle for 2.5 million. Still a very strong result but this is also evidence of the volatility of the Korean market as it played very well for two weeks, especially as it increased in its second frame but was then immediately forgotten as another local film captured the public's imagination.
The rest of the marketplace was negligible as the bottom half of the top 10 took a combined 2.2% market share. At no. 6 This Means War dropped 70% for 15,435 and the one million milestone is now out of reach. John Carter, at no. 7, saw an 87% drop for a measly 11,427 weekend as it exits the chart. Space Dogs 3D jumped up one spot to 8 though it actually saw its business cut in half for a 11,167 frame. Chronicle took 6,761 after a 90% for no. 9. Rounding out the chart was Nameless Gangster which reappeared on the chart with 2,394.
The behemoth Hunger Games opens next week and though I am not sure exactly how it will perform in Korea it will certainly barge into first place. The only question is how big it will be, a one million opening is a distinct possibility and would dominate everything else. The next big Korean film will be The Scent which opens on the 11th but this will have some trouble ascending to first place.
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.
Lots of review for Na Hong-jin's The Yellow Sea which was released this past monday on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK by Eureka Entertainment. Also special shout out to refresh_daemon who has been particularly productive this week over on his Init_Scenes site!
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.
Not a huge amount of news this week though my tie to go digging for it is also a bit limited as I'm on site covering the 26th Fribourg International Film Festival.
KOREAN CINEMA NEWS
Certain Seoul Movie Theatres to Add Chinese Subtitles
After English and Japanese, Chinese subtitles will be added to Korean movies in theatres as soon as the latter half of this year. A spokesperson from the city said that "Due to the increasing number of Chinese tourists we are going to have major theatres begin service with Chinese subtitles so that they will be able to easily watch Korean movies." (Page F30, March 22, 2012)
Festival to Bring Films on Women’s Experiences
The Seoul-based women’s film festival is back, with its line-up ever so conscious of the world’s turbulent modern history. From the breast cancer campaign to contemporary racism to women’s sexuality, this year’s IWFFIS (International Women’s Film Festival in Seoul) is filled with diverse themes and socially conscious issues that have been affecting the lives of women worldwide. (The Korea Herald, March 22, 2012)
6 of the Most Distinguished and Extraordinary Movies to Be Expected in 2012
Art theater Cinecube has carefully selected movies that are to be expected this year in 2012 and is presenting fans with a mega-exhibition called "Cinecubes Choice: Movies To Be Expected In 2012". This mega-exhibition will open on the 22nd until the 29th for 8 days with 6 movies that will brightly decorate 2012 with their significant qualities and shocking topics. (hancinema.net, March 22, 2012)
Korea's presence on the world's silver screen has boomed in the last decade, forming the cinematic crest to the cultural phenomena know as the 'Korean Wave'. Along with Korean cuisine and the increasingly popular world of K-pop, Korean cinema and local dramas have managed to capture the international community's interest and imagination. The mysterious force behind this drive is riddled in Korea's unique ability to dramatize conflict in a manner that, not only surprises and delights, but directly challenges, or presentsalternatives to, the audiences' expectations and sensibilities. (hancinema.net, March 24, 2012)
Planet of Snail Invited to Canadian Film Fest
Director Yi Seung-jun’s award-winning documentary Planet of Snail has been invited to yet another major documentary festival overseas, following its invitation to the 11th Tribeca Film Festival earlier this month, according to the movie’s production house. An everyday portrayal of a hearing and visually impaired man and his wife, the film will be featured in the competition section of Hot Docs, North America’s largest documentary film festival held annually in Toronto, Canada. (The Korea Herald, March 25, 2012)
Song Kang-ho's First Historical Fortune
Song Kang-ho is attempting at his first historical movie. According to an official, Song Kang-ho will start making the movie Fortune in July or August after the movie Snow Piercer. Director Han Jae-rim is in charge of this movie and he worked with Song Kang-ho in the 2007 movie The Show Must Go On. To be released in 2013. (hancinema.net, March 26, 2012)
Late Autumn Has Indian Summer
Kim Tae-yong's Late Autumn (2010) was second-placed at the China box office at the weekend, securing bigger numbers for the cross-national romance than on its original South Korean release in Feb 2011. Set in the US, the film stars Tang Wei as a female prisoner, originally from China, who is given 72 hours parole to visit her family in Seattle. On the train, she befriends a man on-the-run, played by South Korea's Hyun Bin. (Film Business Asia, March 27, 2012)
INTERVIEW
With Wit and Wisdom, Rebel Architect Lends His Shine to the Cinema
Director Jeong Jae-eun, who made a grand debut in the local movie scene more than a decade ago with the feature film Take Care of My Cat (2001), comes back with her first documentary, Talking Architect. The 95-minute film follows maverick Korean architect Chung Guyon (1943-2011) during the last year of his life, while he was suffering from colorectal cancer. As with any kind of change, the director admitted the transition from features to documentaries was awkward and nerve-wracking at first. (Joong Ang Daily, March 23, 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.
The dominance of local product at the Korean box office shows no signs of abating as yet another Korean film has topped the chart for the tenth week in a row. It was once again a healthy weekend for this time of year with 1.65 million tickets sold and a 56% indigenous market share, well ahead of last year's 1.1 million and 37%. Local films managed this feat with only three entries in the top ten, in fact, despite holding five of the spots, Hollywood films accounted for a meager 16%.
The new number one this week was the cross-generational romance film Architecture 101, from Lee Yong-ju, the director of the excellent K-horror Possessed (2009). The film took in 565,020 admissions this past weekend and a commanding one third of the total marketplace. Reviews are good so it may stick around but then again that's been the case for most of the recent spat of Korean films so it's hard to predict how this will continue down the line. It will also have a fresh local release to contend with in a few days time.
The surprise opener at number two was the French movie Untouchable, a remarkable little film that has become the most successful in that territory of the past few years. It's 393,639 haul is enormous for a non-US/Korean release although I was told that the marketing push for it was significant. This film has quickly been winning over audiences all around the world so it may catch on here and a week-on-week increase is not out of the question.
Dropping two spots was Helpless as it took a further 324,520 tickets in its third week. It has cleared the two million mark and will now be hoping to take down three before long. I imagine it has a good chance at this but given the last few months, where a number of successful films have suddenly faded away quickly, it will have to remain stable for a few more weeks to secure the milestone.
John Carter dropped one spot but nearly 60% for a 82,464 weekend. Disney has already accepted defeat on this picture as it was announced that they were writing it down to the tune of $200 million earlier this week.
In its sophomore week, Chronicle receded a hefty 70% for a poor 63,475. The high concept picture could still land just north of the half million mark but that's not much to write home about.
This Means War, now in its fourth week, actually went up one spot event though it lost 40% of its business. Its 49,381 weekend brings its total to a respectable 824,206.
After a dismal opening Russian Coffee has crumbled. It was off nearly 80% for a 32,084 take and now the $5 million picture will likely end up with less than 350,000 admissions.
Mark Whalberg's new action/thriller Contraband was a no-show as it debuted at number eight with a puny 30,446 tickets. Meanwhile Russian animation Space Dogs 3D made little impact at number nine with its 22,781 start. Rounding out the top 10 was the second week of The Vow which tumbled 80% after an already poor opening for a 21,712 frame.
The Ryoo Seung-beom and Lee Beom-su black comedy Over My Dead Body opens next week and stands a good chance of taking over the top spot, though Architecture 101 could hold it or Untouchable might sneak in and grab it. Another contender is Wrath of the Titans which follows Clash of the Titans, a sizable hit in Korea during 2010. I don't think that this one will go over as well but it may still be enough. Should be interesting to see which of these four take next week's crown!
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.
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.
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.
March 1
Eighteen and Nineteen
Stateless Things
March 8
Helpless
Romance Joe
Mirage
Taking Architect
The Dearest
Sympathy for Us
Chocked
March 15
Russian Coffee
Fighting Family
Pink
The Beat Goes On
Home Sweet Home
March 22
Planet of Snail
Architecture 101
Hand in Hand
March 29
Over Her Dead Body
Eighteen and Nineteen
Director: Bae Gwang-soo
Cast: Yoo Yeon-seok, Baek Jin-hee
Synopsis: Eighteen and Nineteen chronicles the youthful scandals of Hoya and Seoya, fraternal twins who are going through their last winter before becoming adults.
Release date: March 1
Stateless Things
Director: Kim Kyung-mook
Cast: Lee Paul, Yeom Hyeon-joon, Kim Sae-byeok
Synopsis:Stateless Things crosscuts between the lives of two young men, one an illegal immigrant from North Korea stuck in dead-end jobs, the other the kept boy of a married businessman stifling in a swanky apartment. Release date: March 1
Stateless Things premiered at the Venice Film Festival last September and has received a number of positive notices since that time as well as screenings at many other prestigious events.
Synopsis: When a woman (Kim Min-hee) disappears overnight. Her nervous, cartoonist boyfriend (Lee Sun-gyun) searches for her, only to come across some dark secrets.
Release date: March 8
Judging by the below trailer Helpless could be another solid addition to Korea's crime thriller genre. Based on the Japanese novel Kasha by author Miyuki Miyabe, known as the Queen of Crime Fiction.
Synopsis: Romance Joe is an assistant director but after an actress commits suicide, he quits his job. He returns to his hometown after suicidal thoughts begin to creep into his mind. At home he meet a boy whose mother is in Japan and happens to be his first love.
Release date: March 8
Romance Joe had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival last October during which it won a Citizen Reviewers' Award and has subsequently been featured in the Seoul Independent Film Festival and the International Film Festival of Rotterdam. The film is Lee Kwang-kuk's debut as a feature filmmaker after having worked as an assistant director on a number of Hong Sang-soo films.
Mirage
Director: Jang Jung-ho
Screenplay: Jang Jung-ho
Cast: Mun Jeong-ung, Kim Chang-hwan, Sin Jae-seung, Kim Tae-yoon
Synopsis: One day, Dong-jo wakes up drunk on a subway on his way to his hometown, where he is to receive an award from an annual spring literary contest. But then he soon he's lost his bag. He visits an old friend to borrow money and suddenly his old memories return.
Release date: March 8
Talking Architect
Director: Jeong Jae-eun
Synopsis: A documentary about an architect and his fight to create a better society through architecture.
Release date: March 8
The Dearest
Director: Kim Sun-ah, Park He-sui
Screenplay: Kim Sun-ah, Park He-sui, Shin Hye-jin
Cast: Hwang Eun-jin, Han Hyo-jeong, Jeong Yoo-jeong, Sang Hyeon-joo
Synopsis: In-hye and Sun-mi visit their hometown only to discover that their old friend Eun-sil died while giving birth. While the town is in an uproar over the orphaned child, it is up to In-hye and Sun-mi to look after it.
Release date: March 8
Sympathy for Us
Director: Choi Young-seok
Screenplay: Choi Young-seok
Cast: Lim Joon-sik, Lim Chae-seon, Kim Sang-ho
Synopsis: Three friends play a concert at a restaurant in order to surgically remove a spot on for Yo-da's face. But after messing up the show, Yo-da takes a job at a deep-sea fishing vessel.
Release date: March 8
Choked
Director: Kim Joong-hyun
Synopsis: The story of a family fraying at the seems.
Release date: March 8
Kim Joong-hyun's first film, previously an assistant director on Family Ties (2006), premiered at Busan in 2011 and has since been showcased at the Seoul Independent Film Festival and the Berlin Film Festival.
Russian Coffee
Director: Jang Yoon-hyeon
Cast: Joo Jin-mo, Kim So-yeon, Park Hee-soon, Yoo Seon
Synopsis: A tale of the attempted assassination of the 26th king of the Joseon Dynasty, King Gojong (Park Hee-soon). A Russian rifleman and a beautiful barista are tricked into carrying out the hit.
Release date: March 15
Russian Coffee, which is based on the novel of the same name by Kim Tak-hwan was initially a very big affair, with a 10 billion ₩ budget but after some delays and casting changes the budget was ultimately halved. The film does still boast an all-star cast and was in production for five months across 16 locations on two continents.
Fighting! Family
Director: Hong Ji-young, Kim Seong-ho, Lee Soo-yeon, Shin Su-won
Cast: Kim Ji-young, Seon Woo-seon, Lee Myeong-haeng, Jeong In-gi
Synopsis: An omnibus movie created by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to increase the nation's interest in low birth rates. The four-part story tells us the reality of our society.
Release date: March 15
Fighting! Family is a new omnibus feature which will debut in March.
Pink
Director: Jeon Soo-il
Cast: Lee Seung-yeon, Seo Kap-sook, Kang San-eh, Lee Won-jong
Synopsis: Pink is rundown bar run by Ok-ryun and the film chronicles the characters that come through it.
Release date: March 15
Jeon Soo-il, a festival favorite, returns with his 8th feature.
The Beat Goes On
Director: Byeon Seong-hyeon
Cast: Bong Tae-gyu, Lee Young-hoon
Synopsis: Korea's first hiphop film!
Release date: March 15
Home Sweet Home
Director: Moon Si-hyun
Cast: Kim Young-hoon, Yoo Ae-kyung, Kim Jong-soo
Synopsis: A young man puts his life on the line when he underwrites a friend's debt. Things go from bad to worse as he must escape debt collectors and gets in with the wrong people.
Release date: March 15
Home Sweet Home had its world premiere at last year's Puchon International Film Festival.
Planet of Snail
Director: Yi Seung-jun
Screenwriter: Jo Young-chan
Synopsis: Young-Chan is blind and death and goes about life with the aid of his feeling touch. Soon-Ho suffers from stunted growth after long-ago accident. They see the beauty in each other and help one another achieve their dreams.
Release date: March 22
Documentary Planet of Snail premiered at last year's Jeonju Film Festival and has since played at many others.
Introduction of Architecture
Director: Lee Yong-joo
Screenwriter: Lee Yong-joo
Cast: Uhm Tae-woong, Han Ga-in, Lee Je-hoon, Bae Suzy
Synopsis: An architect (Uhm Tae-woong) is asked to design a house by a former classmate (Han Ga-in). As the house goes up, the pair fall in love.
Release date: March 22
I've been very excited about Lee Yong-joo's follow up to the phenomenal Possessed (2009) since it was announced but upon learning that it was a romance film and looking at the trailer below I admit that I'm not as excited as I was. Lee previously studied architecture which led me to think it might be incorporated in an interesting way here, not sure how it figures in the final product though. However, the presence of Lee Je-hoon, who was remarkable in last year's Bleak Night and The Front Line, is encouraging.
Hand in Hand
Director: Choi Jong-tae
Screenwriter: Choi Jong-tae
Cast: Joo Hyeon, Ye Soo-jeong, Chae Min-hee, Kim Bong-geun
Synopsis: Min-ho (Joo Hyeon) and Hee-jeong (Ye Soo-jeong) have been together for 40 years and one day Min-ho has a heart attack. He survives the crucial moment but the danger is not past.
Release date: March 22
Over My Dead Body
Director: Woo Sun-ho
Cast: Lee Beom-soo, Ryoo Seung-beom
Synopsis: Hyun-Chul (Lee Beom-soo) is a a researcher who fights against a group attempting to steal core technology from an important semiconductor chip. That group uses corpses in their crime. Jin-Woo (Ryoo Seung-beom) is a man who faked a suicide for the insurance money. Hyun-Chul then unintentionally pulls out the body of Jin-Woo who is pretending to be dead. This is how their relationship begins...
Release date: March 29
Filming for Over My Dead Body finished in September and with its high-concept comedy plot and charismatic stars like Lee and Ryoo, could prove to be a springtime hit.
