[movie 2009] Haeundae 해운대 (7/23/2009)

[Guest kdramafanusa]

Helena, what about the box office? I guess nothing has changed...

There are finally changes to the ranking, but the numbers for the new releases are just so-so...

Daily Box Office - Friday 2009-09-11 (Preliminary Figures)

1. Aeja (South Korea)

Admission / Total Admission : 58,896 / 146,487

Share : 24.2%

2. Itaewon Murder Case (South Korea)

Admission / Total Admission : 43,580 / 111,590

Share : 17.9%

3. Take Off (South Korea)

Admission / Total Admission : 37,946 / 7,150,732

Share : 15.6%

4. Haeundae (South Korea)

Admission / Total Admission : 18,535 / 11,089,683

Share : 7.6%

5. Black (India)

Admission / Total Admission : 16,643 / 618,343

Share : 6.8%

Source: KOBIS

[Guest Morty]

Thanks for the update. Yeah, finally some fresh new films to look at!

This week, two other Korean movies are shown, namely "The Sword with no Name" and "Closer to Heaven". I guess that both will surpass "Aeja", which would mean in the best way that we have 6 Korean movies in the top 10. That would be great.

So, I think the total admissions for "Haeundae" will end at ~11,2 million - number 4 of the all-time top 10.

Now let's wait for the DVD to be released next year.

[Guest kdramafanusa]

Weekend Box Office - 2009-09/11 ~ 2009-09-13 (Preliminary Figures)

1. Aeja (South Korea)

3-Day Admission / Total Admission : 301,818 / 389,409

Share : 22.6%

2. Take Off (South Korea)

3-Day Admission / Total Admission : 258,651 / 7,371,459

Share : 19.4%

3. The Case of Itaewon Homicide (South Korea)

3-Day Admission / Total Admission : 214,799 / 282,809

Share : 16.1%

4. Haeundae (South Korea)

3-Day Admission / Total Admission : 115,276 / 11,186,452

Share : 8.6% 841,984,000

5. Black (India)

3-Day Admission / Total Admission : 99,429 / 701,129

Share : 7.4%

All-Time Domestic Films

1) The Host (2006) 13,019,740

- director Bong Joon-Ho; Song Kang-Ho, Byun Hee-Bong, Park Hae-Il, Bae Doo-Na

2) The King and the Clown (2005) 12,302,831

- director Lee Joon-Ik; Gam Woo-Sung, Jung Jin-Young, Kang Sung-Yeon, Lee Joon-Ki

3) Taegukgi (2004) 11,746,135

- director Kang Je-Gyu; Jang Dong-Gun, Won Bin

4) Haeundae (2009) 11,186,452

- Seol Kyung-Gu, Ha Ji-Won

5) Silmido (2003) 11,074,000

- director Kang Woo-Seok; Seol Kyung-Gu, Ahn Sung-Ki, Jung Jae-Young

6) D-War (2007) 8,420,000

7) Speed Scandal (2008) 8,201,275

- Cha Tae-Hyun, Lee Bo-Young

8) Friend (2001) 8,134,500

- director Kwak Kyung-Taek; Yoo Oh-Sung, Jang Dong-Gun

9) Welcome to Dongmakgol (2005) 8,008,622

- director Park Kwang-Hyun; Jung Jae-Young, Shin Ha-Gyun, Kang Hye-Jung

10) Take Off (2009) 7,371,459

- director Kim Yong-Hwa; Ha Jung-Woo

11) May 18 (2007) 7,280,000

- director Kim Ji-Hoon; Kim Sang-Kyung, Ahn Sung-Ki

[Photogeek]

I really want to watch this movie, but I dont know where I can watch!!!!!!!!!!

I looked for it everywhere. hahahaha...><

[Guest Morty]

It's very easy to watch the movie: Buy the DVD when it's released.

(I really enjoy it to make fun of all those downloader-people. I think they should get higher punishments...)

[Guest jiwoneex3]

It's very easy to watch the movie: Buy the DVD when it's released.

(I really enjoy it to make fun of all those downloader-people. I think they should get higher punishments...)

I'm definitely going to go searching to buy this DVD,

one of the best korean movies i have ever seen.

the beginning, i could not stop laughing in my seat, the ending, i couldn't stop crying.

the Busan accent definitely rubbed off on me. hahahahaha i imitate it with my friends.

and i've began to adore Lee Minki after this. he was really handsome here.

i wish Americans would give this movie and chance and go watch it. When I went to the theaters, the room was only filled with Koreans only.

i really want to see this again <3 i was really lucky to have a movie theater closeby showing this.

[Guest jelly_pudding]

i don't remember if i posted in here before or not.. lol

anyways..

i saw haeundae in korea and it was a really really good movie!!

i suggest people to buy the dvd when it comes out in korea!!

i'm probably going to buy the movie when it comes out too.

[Guest kdramafanusa]

Source: Yonhap News

State-run S. Korean film contest announces lineup

SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Yonhap) -- Organizers of the Daejong Film Awards, South Korea's only state-funded film contest, announced 54 candidates Wednesday including the Cannes-invited "Mother" and box-office smash "Haeundae."

The 46th Daejong awards ceremony, one of the oldest and the most prestigious in Korea, will be held on Nov. 6 after a 10-member jury chooses winners in 28 categories including best film, director, actor and actress, the event's organizing committee said.

Fifty people, chosen among applicants aged 18 and older, will be taking part in choosing the awards for leading and supporting actors and actresses.

Established in 1961, the first Daejong awards ceremony was held in 1962. The state-run Motion Pictures Association of Korea currently organizes the event.

Last year's top honor, the Grand Bell Award, went to director Na Hong-jin's thriller "The Chaser."

hayney@yna.co.kr

(END)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Source: SCREEN DAILY

Hindi film Black scores at Korean box office

15 September, 2009 | By Jean Noh

South Korea’s box office is seeing a new phenomenon with Hindi film Black clocking up over 700,000 admissions and staying ahead of all other foreign releases in its third week.

Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and starring Rani Mukherjee and Amitabh Bachchan, the four-year-old Bollywood picture is based on the life of Helen Keller.

In a territory which predominantly trends toward local and Hollywood fare, then turns to European, Japanese and Chinese films before anything Hindi, Black opened Aug 27 at number three, behind local blockbusters Take Off and Haeundae, and ahead of Hollywood’s G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra.

Local distributor N.E.W. took a solid 316 screens for the film in its first weekend.

This past weekend, the film stayed on 252 screens to take in another 100,794 admissions. The film ranked number five, still ahead of all other foreign films.

It was followed by the extended version of ski jump hit Take Off, Sandra Bullock’s rom-com The Proposal, My Sister’s Keeper, and French action thriller Vertige (a.k.a. High Lane).

Box office was topped by Cynergy’s local mother-daughter drama Aeja, clocking up 305,877 admissions on 431 screens in its first weekend, followed by ski jump hit Take Off with 259,431. The action film also made it into the all-time Top 10 and totalled over 7.4 million admissions.

Based on a true story, Showbox Mediaplex’s The Case Of Itaewon Homicide took third place this weekend, followed by CJ Entertainment’s tsunami blockbuster Haeundae.

The latter has also taken over 11.2 million admissions, putting it in the top four record-breaking admissions category for Korean films after The Host, King And The Clown and Taegukgi.

[Guest kdramafanusa]

Source: The Korea Herald 2009.09.17

Korean blockbuster pirated by movie maker

A producer of audio descriptive movies for the visually impaired led the illegal file-sharing of Korean summer blockbuster "Haeundae," police said Thursday, taking into custody three people on charges of digital piracy, Yonhap News reported.

An illegal copy of the big-budget disaster flick was uploaded onto a local file-sharing site earlier this month and downloaded by hundreds of thousands of people within minutes, causing massive damage to the film's creators and distributors ahead of its overseas release.

"Haeundae," about a tsunami that hits a popular beach in the Korean port city of Busan, has drawn more than 10 million viewers at home, becoming the fifth Korean movie to reach the milestone. Released last month at home, the movie has been sold to 24 countries including China and the United States.

On July 17, the film's producer CJ Entertainment handed over the file to an official of the Korean Blind Union for production of an audio descriptive version. The official, in his 30s, passed the file over to his friend who later uploaded it on the Internet, according to the police. The official has been arrested.

Opening investigations early September under the request of CJ Entertainment, the film's largest investor and distributor, the Cyber Terror Response Bureau of the National Police Agency has been questioning owners of 24 local Web sites and related Internet users.

Korean filmmakers and investors fear the case may tarnish the reputation of the cinema industry of Korea, the world's most wired country where digital theft is blamed for an annual loss of more than 2 trillion won ($ 1.6 billion).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Source: Yonhap News

Korean blockbuster pirated by audio technician: police

By Shin Hae-in

SEOUL, Sept. 17 (Yonhap) -- An audio technician for films adapted for the visually impaired began illegal file-sharing of the South Korean summer blockbuster "Haeundae," police said Thursday, taking three people into custody on charges of digital piracy.

An illegal copy of the big-budget disaster flick was uploaded onto a local file-sharing site on Aug. 29 and downloaded hundreds of thousands of times within minutes, causing massive losses for the film's creators and distributors ahead of its overseas release.

Data picture

"Haeundae," about a tsunami that hits a popular beach in the Korean port city of Busan, has drawn more than 10 million viewers at home, becoming the fifth South Korean movie to reach the milestone. Released locally last month, the movie has been sold to 24 countries including China and the United States.

On July 17, the film's producer CJ Entertainment handed over a copy of the movie to an official from the Korean Blind Union for production of an audio descriptive version, police said.

The audio technician, in his 30s, passed the file over to a friend who later uploaded it on the Internet, according to the police. The technician said he only intended for his friend to watch the film, adding he never meant to cause "so much damage."

Opening an investigation in late August at the request of CJ Entertainment, the film's largest investor and distributor, the Cyber Terror Response Bureau of the National Police Agency has been questioning owners of 24 local Web sites and related Internet users.

Local filmmakers and investors fear the case may tarnish the reputation of the cinema industry in South Korea, the world's most wired country where digital theft is blamed for an annual loss of more than 2 trillion won (US$ 1.6 billion).

With a majority of households connected to broadband Internet here, technology has made it easy for anyone to duplicate and distribute copyrighted creative works including movies, books, music and broadcast programs.

"Haeundae" is among the few South Korean films that held up well among a deluge of Hollywood blockbusters this summer, venturing into the disaster genre normally dominated by U.S. films. South Korean movies saw their worst sales figures in eight years in 2008, falling by more than 20 percent from the previous year.

The size of the legal downloading market shrank by nearly 60 percent last year from 2005 in Korea, with nearly 20,000 files of copyrighted content circulating illegally last year alone, according to government data.

In February, a court sentenced the chiefs of the country's four top Web portals to one year in prison and a fine of 30 million won on conviction of facilitating illegal distribution of copyrighted content. It was the first criminal case involving illegal on-line activity.

hayney@yna.co.kr

(END)

[Guest kdramafanusa]

Source: KOFIC September 18, 2009

Chaw and Haeundae Get More International Exposure

Both Chaw and Haeundae are to be released overseas, respectively to the U.K and Canada.

Optimum Releasing who also handled BONG Joon-ho’s Memories of Murder (2003) will be releasing wild pig movie Chaw to British audiences. The film, which features the aforementioned pig terrorizing a small sleepy village scored 1.8 admissions at the Korean box office. Haeundae did even better at the box office pulling in 1,546,976 viewers alone in its opening weekend. Canada based distributer Cine-Asia will be harnessing the titanic film planning theatrical releases in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver followed by a DVD release. The film was previously sold to a number of territories at the Hong Kong Film Mart and more recently to China on a revenue-sharing basis.

David Oxenbridge (KOFIC)

[Guest rochinipark]

just saw this movie in a cinema in Malaysia.can't believe it,this is my 1st kmovie seen in a cinema in malaysia.

i liked this movie though i did hope for more heroics from Seol Kyung Gu's character rather than just saving the girl.Lee minki's character the best,rescuers is sad is suppose to be like this.also the special effects is super awesome,even compared to the other special effect movies like The Host.the action and the people is core of this movie.

though is it really likely the world or any country in this world could experience such tsunami heights in this era?

[Guest piano_lady]

watched this film at Myeongdong CGV today -- without subs since they already stopped screening the english subbed version

was a bit disappointed though that they didn't give enough screentime to HJW and SKG

[Guest elly80]

Hi All, does anyone here know where to download the OST? Please help? Thanks...

[Guest kdramafanusa]

2009-09-25 09:00 연합뉴스

(Yonhap Feature) For better or worse, Korean cinema audience is changing

(Yonhap Feature) Korean audience change

By Shin Hae-in

SEOUL, Sept. 25 (Yonhap) -- There were two surprising incidents in South Korean cinema this year, indicating slow but clear changes in the trends of South Korea's moviegoers.

First, works of two of the most popular and powerful directors in the country drew lackluster responses from local fans, in contrast to the rave reviews they garnered from professional critics at home and abroad.

On the other hand, some rather more straightforward movies, clearly belonging to the entertainment category, recorded huge ticket sales, surprising cinema experts who were convinced South Korean audiences are somewhat highbrow and sophisticated.

"From mid-1990s through early 2000s, Korean cinema was dominated by so-called 'populace vanity' with people keen to try understanding even the most abstruse films. Strictly 'for festival' movies, I call them," film critic Lee Dong-jin said. "But audiences nowadays clearly know what they want and no longer rave over a film just for the director's brand power. They are just too tired to do that anymore."

Koreans have long been noted for their special affection and pride for their own cinema. Unlike some other countries, they have regarded domestic movies as "first-grade products" and defended the country's controversial screen quota system which is largely disadvantageous to foreign movies.

More importantly, they were passionate and willing enough to appreciate creations of some of the most esoteric filmmakers in the country, an aspect that many overseas filmmakers and experts envied. As a result, the country's film industry expanded both in quantity and quality at an overwhelming speed, nurturing several top name filmmakers whose fame reached far and wide outside the country.

"In many countries, Hollywood is (regarded) the best and national product is way below in people's minds, but Korean audiences will go to Korean films and don't think of them as second-grade product," Australian film critic Adrian Martin said during an interview with Yonhap News Agency earlier this year. "In that sense, Korean cinema is ahead of a lot of cinemas in the world."

This spring, "Thirst" and "Mother," works of two of the most influential South Korean auteurs Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho, respectively, were released in high anticipation.

Both films recorded rather meager ticket sales however -- 2.3 million for "Thirst" and 3 million for "Mother" -- a startling result especially considering the directors' name power. Bong's previous feature "The Host (2006)" had topped the 10 million viewer mark, considered a milestone in the country with a population of 48 million.

"The movie left me with an unpleasant feeling," said one blogger after watching "Thirst," which received the third-highest award at the Cannes film festival in May. "I am frankly worn out from trying to understand the director's intentions."

"I think I can no longer call myself a Park Chan-wook fan," the blogger on naver.com, one of South Korea's largest web portals, went on. "I am craving something lighter and easier to comprehend."

The incident indicates a critical shift that movie directors and producers will inevitably have to pay attention to, film critic Heo Mun-yeong said.

"What personally surprised me was the fact that both directors chose not to compromise with the audience and created works that most strongly represent their characters and genres," he said. "Mega-hit directors who have, until now, been relatively successful in the box office with films that stand in between the boundaries of art and entertainment cinema will now be forced to make some adjustments."

"The current environment can be said to be more hostile to directors with clear color," he added.

In the summer, two domestic movies stormed the box office despite the flood of blockbusters from Hollywood.

Mixing drama with a right amount of comedy and tragedy, the two movies "Haeundae" and "Take Off" dominated the local box office for months, with the former becoming the first South Korean movie to exceed the 10 million viewer mark in three years. As a result, domestic movies took up 67 percent of the domestic film market last month, an overwhelming increase of 15.9 percentage points from July.

"I was laughing and crying at the same time watching it," blogger IMURS said after watching "Haeundae." "It was better than any Hollywood disaster movies I have seen."

Most professional film reviewers, however, were reluctant to laud the two, mostly criticizing the lack of logic and depth in their respective plots.

Others focused on "why" South Korean moviegoers, once touted for their sophisticated cinematic taste, had been drawn to movies that were entertaining enough but shallow compared to past box office successes.

"The success of these movies shows audiences will no longer follow the cue of the movie itself. It is now the filmmakers who have to obey the audience's taste for success," critic Lee said. "The increased audience power is fine enough, but what worries me is the fact that while people might want some lighter fun now, that will bore them very soon."

Critic Yoon Young-il also raised concerns about the missing "essence" in the two movies.

"They are without doubt very clever and entertaining, but also very quasi-Hollywood and pro-commercial. Frankly speaking, I could not see the director's ambition in the movies," he said.

Romantic comedies "My Girlfriend is an Agent," "Scandal Makers" and "Running Turtle" also did well in the box office, by "keeping to the new rules," an expression used by critics.

Films that Korean fans currently appear to favor are those based on somewhat corny and easy-to-comprehend plots, feature "good people," are light enough to watch with children and mix several different genres with a touch of comedy.

Film experts, including Darcy Paquet, a U.S. film critic who has been running the Korean film site koreanfilm.org since 1999, worried that the current audience propensity may ruin the diversity of Korean cinema, one of its key elements of strength.

For example, some of the "best works of the year" were being cold-shouldered by local fans, Paquet said.

Critic Yoon agreed.

"The real issue here is not whether the two films are high quality or not, but what it really means to the future of Korean film industry," he said. "Should all directors choose to go the easy way...Let's just say it will deal a very blow to our cinema."

Critics added filmmakers must not overlook the small successes low-budget independent movies "Old Partner," "Breathless" and "Daytime Drinking" made this year.

The fact that these indie films did better than high-budget creations by some of the most well-known directors in the country shows that at least some people are seeking new names and new genres, Yoon said.

"This tells us that the audience could just be tired of seeing works by the same big name directors over and over again, but still crave for something different," he added.

hayney@yna.co.kr

(END)

[Guest kazenai]

Confirmed info for us, Canadians :

HAEUNDAE will open on October 9, 2009 at the AMC Forum 22 (2313 rue Ste-Catherine O.) in Montreal and AMC Yonge & Dundas (10 Dundas St. E.) in Toronto. As per an agreement reached at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival, the film is being released by Montreal-based distribution and co-production company Cine-Asie Creatives, in cooperation with CJ Entertainment America.

Source : Cine-Asie

No details on the Vancouver release yet.

[Guest Morty]

What do you think about this?

http://www.optimumreleasing.com/dvd.php?id=1176

That would be very early... and before the Korean DVD? I don't know...

[amareally]

I Watched Haeundae .. and i think it's pretty good .. the story was too long in the front and abrupt at the end.. as other disaster movies there are casualties ... and I cried like hell when Lee Min Ki died after he cuts the rope to save that idiot guy...I can't seem to forget his face as he float and waved to his GF and the washed away by the tide. It really touched me to see Uhm Jung Hwa's character and her ex husband saved their little girl and braced their death together in pure heart and bravery...

[Guest rainbowfull.]

this movie was AMAZING i cried my eyes out.

LEE MINKI <3 loved the little boy & ha ji won was super pretty as always.

[Guest ripgal]

The movie was quite good for a natural-disaster first timer in Korean cinema. Thought the special effects were quite real...

I agree that they spent quite a lot of time in the beginning on the characters and such. The whole breakout of the tsunami and its aftermath took up like only half an hour of the movie? Towards the end?

[Guest mikanishi]

i just saw this tonight at the theaters with my family...

its one of the best korean movies ive seen.

it was so sad when EOM and PJH was separated with their daughter...i cried at that part...

i was expecting a room full of koreans (when i went to watch taegukki, it was ONLY koreans..no joke),

but there was a lot of caucasians, japanese, and chinese ppl...

it was showing in the biggest room, and it was packed! btw, i live in hawaii

cant wait for the dvd!!