Song Kang-Ho 송강호 [“Broker”, “Emergency Declaration”]

[rubie]

January 17, 2017

Song Kang-ho, Son Ye-jin Get Top Nod from Film Reporters

Source: The Chosun Ilbo

Song Kang-ho and Son Ye-jin have been named the best actors of 2016 by the Korea Film Reporters Association.

The association on Monday announced the winners of its 2016 film awards.

Song won the honor for his role in the action film "The Age of Shadows" and Son for starring in the historical drama "The Last Princess."

The thriller "The Wailing" was chosen as the best film, and its director Na Hong-jin won best director.

The winners were selected by 58 reporters of the association's 50 member media companies. The award ceremony is to be held on Wednesday.

[rubie]

January 18, 2017

Source: Sports Chosun

[rubie]

January 18, 2017

'The Wailing' named best film by Korean film reporters

By Shim Sun-ah

SEOUL, Jan. 18 (Yonhap) -- "The Wailing," a supernatural thriller, was named best film of 2016 by an association of South Korean film journalists Wednesday.

Na Hong-jin was chosen best director for the tense drama which features a tranquil rural village embroiled in mysterious serial murders after the arrival of a stranger.

The movie, whose original Korean title is "Goksung," stars Kwak Do-won, Chun Woo-hee and Hwang Jung-min. Since its premiere at last year's Cannes Film Festival, it has been invited to even more international film festivals. In South Korea, it attracted 6.8 million viewers.

The best actor and actress awards went to Song Kang-ho of "The Age of Shadows" and Son Ye-jin of "The Last Princess."

Ma Dong-seok scored best supporting actor for his performance in "Train to Busan," while Ra Mi-ran won best supporting actress for her role in "The Last Princess." Jung Ga-ram of "Fourth Place" and Kim Tae-ri of "The Handmaiden" picked up the best rookie actor and actress awards.

"The World of Us" by director Yoon Ga-eun was named the best independent film of the year. "La La Land," the Hollywood musical that scooped up seven trophies at the 2017 Golden Globes, was chosen the best foreign film.

Director Park Chan-wook of "The Handmaiden" won the title of best film industry figure for his contribution to the Korean film industry.

The awards ceremony was held at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul. The Korea Film Reporters Association, with members from 50 media companies, choose the winners for the "Film of the Year Awards" every January from all the domestic films that opened in the previous year.

sshim@yna.co.kr

[rubie]

January 18, 2017

Song Kang-ho's touching speech, "A movie can change the world"

Source: STARNEWS via Hancinema.net

After actor Song Kang-ho won the 2016 Best Actor award, he said, "A single movie can change the world".

Song Kang-ho won the Best Actor Award at the 8th This Year's Movie Award thanks to the movie "The Age of Shadows" last year. This is his third Best Actor award.

Song Kang-ho made a speech that goes as follows: "It's fortune and a blessing to work with such amazing actors and actresses. Some may ask how a movie can change the world, but I think otherwise. I do think a movie can change the world".

"Limitations of media may allow for the effect to last only a few days, but I feel that causes a change. If this trophy is valuable, it gives us the power to work for something that means something. I am grateful from the bottom of my heart".

This Year's Movie Award is hosted by the Film Reporters Association and nominees are picked out by those involved in this association.

[rubie]

January 19, 2017

KOFRA Film Awards 2017 Winners

Source: Hancinema.net

Yeon Sang-ho, Kim Ho-sung, Na Hong-jin, Park Chan-wook, Kim Tae-ri, Jung Ga-ram, Ma Dong-seok, Son Ye-jin, Song Kang-ho, Yoon Ga-eun, Park Mi-ae and Yang Ji-hye

KOFRA (Korea Film Reporters Association) Film Awards 2017 winners.

Film of the Year

"The Wailing" by Na Hong-jin

Director of the Year

Na Hong-jin ("The Wailing")

Actor of the Year

Song Kang-ho ("The Age of Shadows")

Actress of the Year

Son Ye-jin ("The Last Princess")

Supporting Actor of the Year

Ma Dong-seok ("Train to Busan")

Supporting Actress of the Year

Ra Mi-ran ("The Last Princess")

New Actor of the Year

Jung Ga-ram ("4th Place")

New Actress of the Year

Kim Tae-ri ("The Handmaiden")

Discovery of the Year

Director Yeon Sang-ho ("Train to Busan")

Independent Film of the Year

"The World of Us" by Yoon Ga-eun

Foreign Film of the Year

"La La Land"

Film Personality of the Year

Park Chan-wook

Film Publicist of the Year

NEW team leader Yang Ji-hye

Film Reporter of the Year

edaily Park Mi-ae

[rubie]

January 24, 2017

THE WAILING Triumphs at Korean Film Reporters Association Awards
SONG Kang-ho and SON Ye-jin Take Home Acting Honors

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

The Korean Film Reporters Association handed out their awards for 2016 during their 8th annual ceremony on January 16th. They gave their ‘Film of the Year’ main prize to NA Hong-jin’s THE WAILING, adding to the film’s successful awards run. NA also received the Best Director prize for his Cannes-invited hit, which drew almost seven million viewers to Korean multiplexes during the spring.

Meanwhile, the Best Actor prize went to SONG Kang-ho for his portrayal of a Korean officer working for the Japanese police in KIM Jee-woon’s Colonial Era spy thriller The Age of Shadows and SON Ye-jin received a nod for Best Actress for playing the titular role in HUR Jin-ho’s The Last Princess, another Colonial Era title. 

Don LEE was triumphant in the Best Supporting Actor category for his role in YEON Sang-ho’s zombie hit TRAIN TO BUSAN while SON’s The Last Princess co-star LA Mi-ran took the Best Supporting Actress accolade. The Best New Actor award went to JUNG Ga-ram in JUNG Ji-woo’s Fourth Place and KIM Tae-ri won the Best New Actress prize for her part in PARK Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden. 

YOON Ga-eun’s feature debut The World of Us earned the Best Independent Film prize while Damien Chazelle’s La La Land was recognized as the Best Foreign Film. The Korean Film Reporters Association Awards, which were handed out in the Korean Press Center in Central Seoul, were selected by 50 Korean film journalists.

[rubie]

February 17, 2017

February Film Actor Brand Reputation Rankings Revealed

Source: Soompi by K. Do 

On February 18, the Korea Business Research Institute revealed their brand reputation rankings for film actors based on their findings from 72,745,586 pieces of data gathered from January 16 to February 17.

“Goblin” star Gong Yoo takes first place for the second month in a row with a score of 10,728,767. He enjoyed a 39.24 percent increase from his January score.

Second place goes to Jo In Sung who recently returned with the movie “The King.” As for third place, Yoo Hae Jin got the spot with a brand reputation score of 4,625,614.

The full rankings can be seen below:
1. Gong Yoo
2. Jo In Sung
3. Yoo Hae Jin
4. Kim Soo Hyun
5. Jun Ji Hyun
6. Jung Woo Sung
7. Ha Jung Woo
8. Kang Dong Won
9. Lee Byung Hun
10. Hwang Jung Min
11. Yoo Ah In
12. Han Hyo Joo
13. Sol Kyung Gu
14. Kim Hye Soo
15. Lee Jung Jae
16. Son Ye Jin
17. Song Kang Ho
18. Han Ji Min
19. Cha Seung Won
20. Lee Beom Soo
21. Jeon Do Yeon
22. Choi Min Sik
23. Ryu Seung Ryong
24. Kim Yoon Suk
25. Yoo Ji Tae

Source (1)

[rubie]

March 7, 2017

‘Taxi Driver’ featuring Song Kang-ho, Thomas Kretschmann to open this summer

Source: The Korea Herald 

“Taxi Driver,” a film about the 1980 Gwangju uprising, will hit local theaters this summer, the film’s distributor Showbox said Tuesday. 

The film stars Song Kang-ho as the taxi driver Man-seob who picks up Peter, a German journalist, played by German actor Thomas Kretschmann, and heads to Gwangju, not knowing what will unfold in the city.

The film centers on the historic event also known as the May 18 Democratization Movement, in which more than 100 civilians protesting the authoritarian regime of Chun Doo-hwan were killed by the military. The number of civilian deaths remains under contention.

Song Kang-ho stars in “Taxi Driver.” (Showbox)

“Taxi Driver” is directed by Jang Hun, who last helmed the Korean War film “The Front Line” (2011). 

Acclaimed actor Song starred in the period drama film “The Throne” (2015) and the “The Age of Shadows” (2016), about Korean independence fighters resisting Japanese colonial rule. 

Kretschmann starred in Hollywood blockbusters such as the “King Kong” (2005) and the Marvel film “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015). 

(doo@heraldcorp.com)

[rubie]

March 21, 2017

Survey: 50 reporters select 'Best actor, singer, entertainer' 

Source: Naver news // thanks to the highlight at PlanetBH0712 // ELBH Google-translate

Korean media reporters were asked in a recent survey 'Who is the best actor, singer, entertainer?' 

So, who is the best actor? Which singers are the best singers? Who is the funniest entertainer?

50 veteran journalists from 28 influential entertainment media agencies participated in the questionnaire. Unlike sports and athletic performance, an art performance, song, and acting can not be expressed numerically. Also, there is a great deal of goodness depending on taste. However, the opinion of reporters who encounter with the stars every day in the entertainment world are worthwhile in themselves, and it will also be fun with the question of the general public or industry. It is simple and rough, but I wonder what kind of an actor, singer, or entertainer I would like to hear about the question that anyone can feel. (I did not disclose the name of the journalists for the smooth coverage in the future)

▶ Actor

Choi Min-sik, Song Gang-ho and Lee Byung-hun, who are often referred to as "three great kings" among netizens, are the most frequently asked questions about the best authentic acting actor. Among them, Lee Byung-hun showed the highest liking as he was given the thumb-ups by 13 people. Reporters who chose Lee Byung-hun said, "Synchronization of any genre, any character, creepy synchro rate," "balance of reason and instinct," "talent blessed with natural tone," and "imprint presence even in special appearances." "Overcame the privacy crisis in a short period of time thanks to his overwhelming acting ability," and many commented that the actor himself has enhanced the authenticity of actors toward the fans.

Song Gang-ho followed Lee Byung-hun with eight votes. The actor received comments such as "who always showing something new", "every time looking forward to his new acting, "high score on the creativity of the actor". "There was praise not only of acting but also the messages of the works he had chosen, which must be representative of Korea in the 21st century." On Choi Min-sik, who was selected by four people, was recognized as an actor who showed a broad spectrum, "you would never see the same thing more than once." 

※ Lee Byung Hun 13, Song KangHo 8, Choi Min Sik 4, Kim Min Hee 3, Hwang Jung Min, Cho Jung Woong, Ha Jung Woo, Yang Dong Geun each with 1.

.

☞ Questionnaire given to participating agencies (in alphabetical order)

Sports News, News1, NewsAid, The Star (Chosun Ilbo), The Fact, Donga.com, My Daily, Maeil Business Newspaper, Star News, Sports Trend, Sports Donga, Sports Seoul, Sports World, Sports Korea, Sports Korea TV News, Exports News, Waista, Daily Sports, Joey News 24, Ten Asia, Korea Daily, Herald POP, CJ E & M, enews24, OSEN, SBS funE, TV Report

[rubie]

March 23, 2017

Film review: The Age of Shadows, a spy thriller with a heart and Seoul

****

Source: The National, Scotland

DIRECTOR Kim Jee-woon (I Saw the Devil, A Tale of Two Sisters) is one of the finest, most stylistically assured filmmakers working in his native South Korea today. Now he delves into the complex and fascinating past of his homeland for this gripping espionage thriller, a time in the late 1920s when Korea was still one nation and under the stranglehold of Japanese rule.

Lee Jung-Chool (Song Kang-ho) is a conflicted Korean-born captain in the Japanese police tasked with rooting out members of the Korean Resistance of which he used to be a member. They will stop at nothing to see their country free, including smuggling explosives from Shanghai into Seoul in an attempt to destroy key Japanese facilities.

The head of the Resistance group is Jeong Che-san (Lee Byung-hun), a fiercely determined and calculating leader who sees an opportunity to turn Lee to their side.

This slickly made game of cat-and-mouse is another thrilling and absorbing effort from Kim, a taut guessing game of a film that brilliantly sustains suspense throughout its hefty 140-minute runtime, one that’s heartfelt without ever being sentimental and entirely unafraid of bloodshed in its carefully placed action set-pieces and brutal torture sequences.

There’s skilful method in the chaotic madness of the shootout scenes in particular – a lot may be unfolding on-screen but you’re always completely clear where everyone is, an increasing rarity these days – exhibiting both a disorientating quality and a visceral power that makes you wince as much as you can’t take your eyes off them.

The film benefits massively from its cast, which includes nothing short of two superstars of Korean cinema in Lee Byung-hun and Song Kang-ho, as well as Gong Yoo (last year’s zombie-filled box office smash Train to Busan) as troubled key Resistance fighter Kim Woo-Jin and Han Ji-min as the striking heroine of the Resistance, Yeon Gye-Soon, who holds her own in a male-dominated landscape.

They help make these people caught between country and duty, obligation and principal, national loyalty and survival feel like a genuine part of history with a lot to lose and everything to gain – “I’m a soldier who lost his country,” Jeong remarks at one point – rather than thinly drawn caricatures.

A keen sense of time and place authentically whisks us back into the past and there’s a palpable atmosphere dripping with deception and uncertainty to keep the audience on their toes. It brings to mind Tomas Alfredson’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy in its exploration of deep distrust masked by appeasement while evoking Park Chan-wook’s JSA: Join Security Area – a crime mystery set on the border between the now split nation – in its dense handling of a very complex time in Korean history.

[rubie]

March 24, 2017

Political films to hit local screens

By Jason Bechervaise The Korea Times

A scene from "Taxi Driver" featuring one of Korea's most famous actors, Song Kang-ho / Courtesy of Showbox

Politics has been at the forefront of local news coverage in recent months following the so-called Choi Soon-sil scandal that led to the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye. This is undoubtedly set to continue with presidential elections slated to take place on May 9, possibly ushering in a new era given the likelihood of a liberal candidate being elected.

Over the next few months, a number of political films will hit screens as the political climate continues to evolve. But, in many ways this is not new. The Korean film industry produces an array of films each year and as such many have tackled local politics, including Woo Min-ho's political thriller and smash hit "Inside Men" (2015). Last year Lee Kyoung-mi's daring "The Truth Beneath" approached politics differently looking at the effects political ambitions have on one's family.

Even Yeon Sang-ho's blockbuster hit "Train to Busan" included both social and political critiques. Indeed, Bong Joon-ho is renowned for such an approach to his films such as "The Host" (2006) and "Memories of Murder" (2003).

But it is also smaller independent films that tackle this issue head on. Last October, politically charged documentaries "Spy Nation" that documents North Korean defectors falsely accused of being spies, and "Moo-Hyun, the Story of Two Cities" about the former late President Roh Moo-hyun both struck a chord with audiences accumulating 143,923 and 193,577 admissions, respectively. 

Rather notably, the 1980s is the setting of a number of iconic films dealing with politics including Bong Joon-ho's masterpiece "Memories of Murder" (2003), Park Kwang-su's "Chilsu and Mansu" set in the then-present day of 1988, and Lee Chang-dong's "A Peppermint Candy" (1999), which in reverse chronology goes back to this turbulent decade.

Under the rule of Chun Doo-hwan (1980-88), which followed Park Chung-hee's autocratic presidency (1961-79) that saw Korea's economy grow exponentially, citizens, including a vast number of university students, rallied against Chun's military regime that culminated in mass protests in June 1987. This paved the way for democratic elections in December 1987 when Roh Tae-woo was elected as president.

It is interesting then, although not all that surprising that the 1980s is to form the backdrop of a handful of Korean films to be released over the next year.

 
A scene from "Ordinary Person" starring Son Hyun-joo / Courtesy of Opus Pictures & Trinity Entertainment

"Ordinary Person" directed by Kim Bong-han released on March 23 is set in the spring of 1987 about a detective named Seong-jin (Son Hyun-joo) from a major crimes unit who is ordered by the chief of the Agency of National Security Planning (Jang Hyeok) to fabricate evidence relating to a serial murder case.

Akin to "Memories of Murder" the film reveals how the police during this period were more equipped to use force and suppress than properly investigate.

Meanwhile, Jae-jin (Kim Sang-ho), a journalist and friend of the detective sees himself as an "ordinary person" as he seeks the truth. But he is forced on the run from the authorities and ends up being tortured and then killed.

Underscoring the importance of democracy and freedom of the press, the well-orchestrated film is released close to 30 years after the protests it depicts in the film. Yet audiences will inevitably see close parallels to recent events including the peaceful protests that led to the removal of the nation's former president. 

Released this summer is Jang Hun's "Taxi Driver" starring Song Kang-ho set in May 1980 during the Gwangju uprising when students and civilian protests were brutally suppressed by the Korean military as the city came under martial law.

Song plays a taxi driver who takes a German journalist played by Thomas Kretschmann into Gwangju to cover the uprising and ensure it is covered in the international press.

Next month, Jang Joon-hwan's ("Save the Green Planet") new film titled "1987" is expected to go into production. Featuring an A-list cast including Kim Yun-seok and Ha Jung-woo, the film as the title suggests is set in 1987 and is based on the true story of linguistics student and activist Park Jong-chul who was tortured and killed in January 1987. The film follows how university students and the media attempted to reveal the truth behind his death. The film is likely to be released either towards the end of this year, or in 2018.

Not set in the 1980s, but released in April just weeks prior to the presidential election is Park In-je's "The Mayor" about a Seoul mayor played by Choi Min-sik seeking a third term.

Also starring Kwak Do-won, Shim Eun-kyung, Ra Mi-ran, Moon So-ri and Ryu Hye-young, it has a stellar cast that appears to shed light on electoral politics as citizens themselves will be thinking about who they would like to see as their next president.

J. Bechervaise is a movie columnist for The Korea Times. He can be reached at ase@koreanfilm.org.uk

[rubie]

April 4, 2017

Song Kang-ho cast in Bong Joon-ho’s new film

(Herald DB)

Song Kang-ho has been cast in director Bong Joon-ho’s upcoming Korean film “Parasite,” Song’s agency HODU&U Entertainment confirmed Monday. 

The 50-year-old Korean actor has starred in three other films by Bong -- “Memories of Murder” (2003), “The Host” (2006) and “Snowpiercer” (2013). 

(CJ E&M)

The new film will center on a family disturbance, but other details have not been disclosed yet. Filming will begin in January 2018.

Song stars in “A Taxi Driver,” a film about the May 18 Democratization Movement in Korea, set to hit local theaters this summer. He will film “Drug King” in May.

Meanwhile, Bong’s new fantasy film “Okja” is set for release on Netflix on June 28. 

By Kim So-yeon (syk19372@heraldcorp.com)

[rubie]

April 3, 2017

From Joseon Dynasty Monarch to Cab Driver in the 1980s Korea
Observing the Shadows Drawn over Korean History through Actor SONG Kang-ho’s Filmography

by JO Min-jun / KoBiz

The year 2013 marks a turning point for actor SONG Kang-ho. At the time, he was already a veteran with a 20-year career behind him, yet this was a year when every character he played had the reputation of being the ‘first’ for what it was recognized for. In Snowpiercer, he was a member of the first multi-national cast in a Korean film, while The Face Reader was his first costume drama. But his most noted role was the one based on a real character in the biopic The Attorney. Whether it was by chance or by choice, the next four films SONG Kang-ho starred in were based on true events. 

SONG Kang-ho’s latest four films shed light on turbulent periods in Korean history from the Joseon Dynasty to the Japanese colonial and military dictatorship periods. Likewise, the characters he played in these four films serve as a significant key to understanding the dark side of the times Korean society has gone through. 

1981, An Awakening for Korea’s Future President
The Attorney

The character SONG Kang-ho plays in The Attorney is the dramatized persona of Korea’s 16th president, the late ROH Moo-hyun. However the director YANG Woo-suk, instead of portraying ROH’s political career, focuses on a younger ROH when he opens his eyes to justice. 

1978, ROH in his 30s quits his job as a judge to open an attorney’s office and becomes quite successful as a real estate registration and tax attorney, a field rarely handled by his competitors. He was indifferent to politics. It is said ROH Moo-hyun spent most of his time drinking when Korea was at unrest due to the coup caused by CHUN Doo-hwan’s new military. It was not until 1981 when he visited the victims of the ‘Boorim Case’ that his views of reality totally changed. 

The Boorim Case dealing with the public authorities arresting 22 members of a social science book club consisting of university students, teachers and company employees and torturing them to frame them as communists was what triggered the materialistic ROH into shifting gears as a civil-rights attorney. In spite of his efforts, 6 of the Boorim Case defendants received sentences. It wasn’t until the death of their attorney and the president of Korea, ROH Moo-hyun in 2014, that they were granted a retrial and finally cleared their names after being acquitted.

The Greatest King and the Worst Father of the Joseon Dynasty
The Throne

King Yeongjo played by SONG Kang-ho in The Throne (2015) was a king with a mixed reputation. He is claimed the greatest king of the mid to late Joseon era for his accomplishments in rebuilding the country devastated by continuous Japanese and Chinese invasions, while appointing talented subjects to important political positions regardless of faction. Yet on the other hand, he is also considered the cruelest monarch and father for killing his son, ‘Prince Sado’ with his own hands. 

The actual events in 1762 the film is based on, are claimed as one of the most noted mysteries in Korean political history. From his accession to the throne, Yeongjo’s legitimacy was questioned. His biological mother was not the queen nor royal concubine, but a slave who was at the lowest end of the social class structure. To make matters worse, there were rumors that he poisoned his half brother and predecessor, King Gyeongjong in order to take the throne. 

Among the most popular conspiracy theories is the claim that Yeongjo was in conflict with his son, Prince Sado and the political power which had something on him. And the king’s judgment dampened by his subjects who constantly came between him and his son eventually drove him to murder Prince Sado. 

The widely-accepted opinion blames King Yeongjo’s abnormal obsession toward his son as the reason for this tragedy. Such issue of legitimacy took its toll as Yeongjo was plagued by an inhibition to show any weaknesses to his subjects, resulting in a perfectionist inclination during his entire reign. This continued onto his son, Sado. Yeongjo’s strict disciplinary training brought mental illness upon the prince, and the father and son’s constant emotional clash eventually headed for a bridge of no return. 

Japanese Occupation Era, Only Those Who Stand in the Grey Area Survive
The Age of Shadows

The next real character with a conflicting reputation played by SONG Kang-ho was in The Age of Shadows (2016). Set in the Joseon during the Japanese colonial occupation, this spy film dramatizes the 1923 event whereby the Korean working as a Japanese police officer, HWANG Ok helps the secret freedom fighter organization, ‘Korean Heroic Corps’ to load explosive onto a train back to Korea. 

LEE Jung-chool (played by SONG Kang-ho) inspired by this actual historical figure becomes inadvertently involved with the freedom fighters, but eventually becomes one of them in the film. Nevertheless, it is hard to tell what HWANG Ok’s intentions really were. His superior, the Japanese police officer SHIROKAMI Yukichi testified that HWANG infiltrated the Korean Heroic Corps under his orders to arrest the freedom fighters, while the head of the Korean Heroic Corps, KIM Won-bong claimed that HWANG was an official member. 

He was kidnapped to North Korea during the Korean War and to this day his whereabouts are unknown. This means the truth to his real identity will forever remain a mystery. 

Back to the 1980s, From a Foreigner’s Point-of-View
Taxi Driver

SONG Kang-ho’s filmography based on true characters starting from the 1980s finally returns to this period. The historical background to his latest work, Taxi Driver is the May 18th Gwangju Democratization Movement in 1980 whereby the CHUN Doo-hwan military government massacred the Gwangju people protesting the martial law order. 

This tragedy covered up as a riot with North Korean ties due to the government’s control of the press was disclosed to the world by German TV journalist Jurgen Hinzpeter. A press correspondent based in Tokyo at the time, he flew to Seoul the following day of the news and sneaked into Gwangju on May 20th, fooling the military government into believing he was going down to Gwangju in search of his colleagues and succeeding to capture the images of the massacre. 

Behind his successful journey from Seoul to Gwangju was the help of cab driver, KIM Sa-bok. SONG plays the dramatized role of KIM Sa-bok through his character, Man-sup. It looks like SONG Kang-ho who has continued to play actual characters at the center of historical events is now stepping back as the observer. 

[rubie]

April 6, 2017

BONG Joon-ho and SONG Kang-ho Take on PARASITE
4th Collaboration for Famed Director-Actor Duo

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

Director BONG Joon-ho and star SONG Kang-ho are set to team up once again for the film Parasite, which will kick off production in January of next year. Little is known about the project so far, save that it will be Korean, will focus on a family faced with a grave situation and that it will be distributed by CJ Entertainment, who was behind the last team up between the director-actor combo, 2013’s Snowpiercer, and financed by Barunson E&A Corp.

The pair already have one of the most celebrated professional relationships in Korean cinema, having collaborated on several modern classics, including the mystery-thriller Memories Of Murder (2003), considered by many as one of the greatest Korean films of all time, the monster feature blockbuster The Host (2006), which became the highest grossing Korean film of all time at the time of its release, and the global dystopian sci-fi Snowpiercer.

The film will follow the upcoming Okja for director BONG, a big-budget international film being financed and distributed by online streaming giant Netflix. Starring Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano and more, the film will hit the online service on June 28th.

Meanwhile, SONG, last seen in KIM Jee-woon’s The Age of Shadows, will next appear in JANG Hun’s 1980s-set political drama Taxi Driver, due out in the summer, and will next shoot the crime thriller Drug King for Director WOO Min-ho.

[rubie]

April 10, 2017

BAE Doo-na Partners with DRUG KING SONG Kang-ho
JO Jung-suk Joins Cast of Latest from Director of INSIDE MEN

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

Global star BAE Doo-na has joined the crime drama Drug King as the female lead opposite previously cast male star SONG Kang-ho. JO Jung-suk has also joined the cast of director WOO Min-ho’s follow up to his smash hit political corruption thriller Inside Men (2015). The film takes place in Busan’s crime underworld in the 1970s.

Known to international audiences for her roles in popular Korean films such as PARK Chan-wook’s Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and BONG Joon-ho’s The Host (2006), BAE Doo-na has also forged a career in English-language works by the Wachowski Siblings, such as their sci-fi opus Cloud Atlas (2012) and their Netflix TV show Sense8. Last year she appeared in the hit disaster drama Tunnel from director KIM Seong-hun.

After rising to leading man status in romantic comedy My Love, My Bride in 2014, JO Jung-suk has appeared in a variety of works, most recently the fantasy romantic thriller Time Renegades (2016) and the family comedy MY ANNOYING BROTHER (2016).

Also joining the thriller are LEE Sung-min (Broken, 2014), YOON Je-moon (Mother, 2009), KIM Dae-myeong (The Last Princess, 2016), LEE Hui-joon (SORI: Voice from the Heart, 2016) and JO U-jin (Inside Men). Cameras for Drug King begin rolling on in May. The project is being financed and distributed by Showbox.

[rubie]

Belated update ~

April 7, 2017

53rd Baeksang Arts Awards Nomination:  Movie Category

Source: Naver

The 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards has released the nomination list for this year's award ceremony to be held at the COEX D Hall, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on May 3 (5:00 pm).

MOVIE Category (Source: Kkuljaem)

Best Movie 

The Wailing  

The Age of Shadows 

Train to Busan

The Handmaiden

Asura

Best Director 

Kim Sung Soo (Asura)

Kim Ji Woon (The Age of Shadows) 

Na Hong Jin (The Wailing) 

Park Chan Wook (The Handmaiden),

Hong Sang Soo (On the Beach at Night Alone)

Best New Director

Yeon Sang Ho (Train to Busan)

Yoon Ga Eun (The World of Us)

Lee Yo Seob (The Queen of Crime)

Lee Joo Young (A Single Rider)

Lee Hyun Joo (Our Love Story) 

Best Actor 

Kwak Do Won (The Wailing)

Song Kang Ho (The Age of Shadows)

Yoo Hae Jin (Luck Key)

Lee Byung Hun (Master)

Ha Jung Woo (Tunnel)

Best Actress

Kim Min Hee (The Handmaiden) 

Kim Hye Soo (Familyhood)

Son Ye Jin (The Last Princess) 

Yoon Yeo Jung (The Bacchus Lady)

Han Ye Ri (Worst Woman)

Best Supporting Actor 

Kim Eui Sung (Train to Busan)

Ma Dong Seok (Train to Busan)

Bae Sung Woo (The King)

Eom Tae Gu (The Age of Shadows) 

Jo Jin Woong (The Handmaiden)

Best Supporting Actress

Kim So Jin (The King)

Ra Mi Ran (The Last Princess)

Bae Doo Na (Tunnel)

Chun Woo Hee (The Wailing)

Han Ji Min (The Age of Shadows)

Best New Actor 

Do Kyungsoo (Brother)

Ryu Jun Yeol (The King)

Woo Do Hwan (Master)

Ji Chang Wook (Fabricated City)

Han Jae Young (New Trial)

Best New Actress

Kim Tae Ri (The Handmaiden)

Kim Hwan Hee (The Wailing)

Yoona (Confidential Assignment)

Lee Sang Hee (Our Love Story),

Choi Soo In (The World of Us)

Best Screenplay

The Wailing (Na Hong Jin)

The Age of Shadows (Lee Ji Min /Park Jong Dae)

The Handmaiden (Park Chan Wook/Jung Seo Jung)

Asura (Kim Sung Soo)

The World of Us (Yoon Ga Yoon) 
 

[rubie]

April 13, 2017

Ahn Sung-ki hold special exhibit to celebrate 60 years of acting

Source: Newspim via Hancinema.net

Ahn Sung-ki is celebrating his 60 years of acting and Song Kang-ho, Jang Dong-gun and Go Ara congratulated him.

Ahn Sung-ki's "Korean Movie Personna" was held on the 13th at Sangam, Seoul.

This is a personal exhibit of the actor who has been acting for 60 years since he was a child.

Celebrities such as Song Kang-ho, Jang Dong-gun, Sin Seong-il, Kim Min-jong, Oh Ji-ho, Go Ara, Kwon Yul, Han Ye-ri, Kim Ee-seong, Kang Soo-yeon and others appeared at the exhibit.

Not only that, famous directors like Im Kwon-taek, Lee Myeong-se and other movie officials came by.

Meanwhile, Ahn Sung-ki's anniversary exhibit will continue until the 28th and 27 of his movies will be shown on screen for free.

[rubie]

April 12, 2017

[USA] "The Age of Shadows" Releases Digitally and on Blu-ray/DVD on May 2

Source: Amazon.com via Hancinema.net

"The Best Western Movie of the Year Is a Korean Thriller" - GQ
 
From Iconic Director Kim Jee-woon ("The Last Stand", "A Bittersweet Life", "I Saw the Devil", "The Good, the Bad, the Weird")
 
On May 2, 2017, CJ Entertainment is releasing The Age of Shadows on DVD and Blu-ray-DVD Combo Pack at retailers such as Walmart, Best Buy, and Family Video, and digitally on Amazon, Netflix, iTunes, Google Play, and Sony PlayStation. The first project from Warner Bros. Korea, The Age of Shadows takes place in 1920s Korea and Shanghai during the Japanese occupation. The stylistic espionage-thriller is based on real people and incidents surrounding the dramatic events that transpired between the Korean resistance and their occupiers.
 
Lee Jung-chool (Song Kang-ho), a Korean police captain in the Japanese police force, is given a special mission to infiltrate the armed resistance fighting for the independence of Korea, which is led by an old acquaintance of his, Kim Woo-jin (Gong Yoo). After an intel leak and the death of a resistance leader, pressure on Captain Lee to take down the resistance grows - but as he works deeper into their web, it becomes more unclear who is actually playing who and where true allegiances lie.
 
The Age of Shadows received critical praise at the 73rd Annual Venice International Film Festival and from movie critics across the country. The Washington Post said it was "a stylish and morally complex thriller", while Roger and Ebert wrote that "it's beautifully conceived, framed, and executed". The film was picked as South Korea's contender for the 89th Academy Awards best foreign-language film category.
 
The Age of Shadows is directed by the visionary Kim Jee-woon ("The Last Stand", "I Saw the Devil", "The Good, the Bad, the Weird", "A Bittersweet Life") and stars Song Kang-ho as Lee Jung-chool ("The Throne", "The Attorney", "The Host", "Snowpiercer", "Thirst", "The Good, the Bad, the Weird"), Gong Yoo as Kim Woo-jin ("Train to Busan", "A Man and A Woman", "The Suspect", "The Crucible", "Finding Mr. Destiny") and Han Ji-min as Yeon Gye-soon ("The Fatal Encounter", "Detective K").
 
PRODUCT BASICS
 
Announce Date: 4/12/17
Digital Street Date: 5/2/17
DVD & Blu-ray Street Date: 5/2/17
Run Time: Feature: Approx. 116 minutes
Rating: NR
Genre: Action/Adventure/War
DVD Price: $17.99 SRP
Blu-ray-DVD Combo Pack Price: $22.99 SRP
Language: Korean (5.1), English Dub
Subtitles: English
Presented in 16x9 widescreen format

Pre-order from Amazon

[rubie]

May 3, 2017

“The Handmaiden” And “Goblin” Take Home Grand Prizes At The 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards + Full List Of Winners

Source: Soompi by J. Lim

The 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards were held on May 3 to celebrate the best and brightest of Korean films and dramas. Actors, entertainers, directors, and screenwriters arrived to a dazzling red carpet event before participating in the prestigious awards ceremony. Suzy returned to MC the event and was joined by actor Park Joong Hoon.

The grand award in film was awarded to Park Chan Wook for his movie, “The Handmaiden” while Kim Eun Sook took home the grand award in television for her widely-popular drama, “Goblin.”

Park Chan Wook, like many of the other winners of the night, took his time on stage as an opportunity to make a meaningful statement as South Korea nears its 19th presidential elections. He said, “I think I should be able to say this since I won this award for ‘The Handmaiden.’ I hope that when people are voting for who will be the next president, they will take into consideration whether that candidate will be able to create a society where people are not discriminated against for their gender, sexual identity, and sexual orientation.”

Other notable winners included Song Kang Ho and Son Ye Jin for Best Actor and Actress in film, while Gong Yoo and Seo Hyun Jin won the same award for television. Do Kyung Soo (EXO’s D.O.), girls’ Generation’s YoonA, Park Bo Gum, and Kim Yoo Jung took home the Popularity Award for their respective productions.

The complete list of winners is as follows:

Movie Categories:

Grand Award – Park Chan Wook for “The Handmaiden”
Best Film – “The Wailing”
Best Director -Kim Ji Woon for “The Age of Shadows”
Best New Director – Yeon Sang Ho for “Train to Busan”
Best Actor – Song Kang Ho for “The Age of Shadows”
Best Actress – Son Ye Jin for “The Last Princess”
Best Supporting Actor – Kim Ui Sung for “Train to Busan”
Best Supporting Actress -Kim So Jin for “The King”
Best New Actor – Ryu Jun Yeol for “The King”
Best New Actress – Lee Sang Hee for “Our Love Story”
Best Screenplay – Yoon Ga Eun for “The World of Us”
Male Popularity Award – Do Kyung Soo (EXO’s D.O.) for “My Annoying Brother”
Female Popularity Award – YoonA (Girls’ Generation) for “Confidential Assignment”

Television Categories:

Grand Award – Kim Eun Sook for “Goblin”
Best TV Drama – tvN’s “Dear My Friends”
Best Entertainment Program – SBS’s “My Ugly Duckling”
Best Educational/Cultural Show – JTBC’s “War of Words”
Best Director – Yoo In Sik for “Romantic Doctor Kim”
Best Actor – Gong Yoo for “Goblin”
Best Actress – Seo Hyun Jin for “Another Oh Hae Young”
Best New Actor – Kim Min Suk for “Doctors”
Best New Actress – Lee Se Young for “Laurel Tree Tailors”
Best Screenplay – No Hee Kyung for “Dear My Friends”
Best Variety Star (Male) – Yang Se Hyung for “Moby richard simmons Yang Se Hyung’s Short-erview”
Best Variety Star (Female) – Park Na Rae for “I Live Alone”
Male Popularity Award – Park Bo Gum for “Moonlight Drawn by Clouds”
Female Popularity Award – Kim Yoo Jung for “Moonlight Drawn by Clouds”
Best Style Award – Kim Ha Neul for “On the Way to the Airport”
Lifetime Achievement Award – Kim Young Ae

Congratulations to everyone!

[rubie]

May 3, 2017

53rd Baeksang Arts Awards 2017 Winners in Movies

Source: Hancinema.net

53rd Baeksang Arts Awards 2017 winners in movies.

Grand Prize (Daesang)

"The Handmaiden" - Park Chan-wook

Best Film

"The Wailing" - Na Hong-jin

Best Director

"The Age of Shadows" - Kim Jee-woon

Best Leading Actor

"The Age of Shadows" - Song Kang-ho

Best Leading Actress

"The Last Princess" - Son Ye-jin

Best Supporting Actor

"Train to Busan" - Kim Ee-seong

Best Supporting Actress

"The King" - Kim So-jin

Best New Actor

"The King" - Ryu Jun-yeol

Best New Actress

"Our Love Story" - Lee Sang-hee-II

Best Screenplay

"The World of Us" - Yoon Ga-eun

Best New Director

"Train to Busan" - Yeon Sang-ho

Most Popular Actor

"My Annoying Brother" - Doh Kyung-soo

Most Popular Actress

"Confidential Assignment" - Yoona