Director Kim Jee Woon 김지운 Kim Ji Woon

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October 3, 2013
Kim Jee-woon Directing Ed Brubaker’s ‘Coward’
by Russ Fischer SlashFilm.com

The English-language debut of South Korean director Kim Ji-woon (I Saw the Devil; The Good, the Bad, the Weird) didn’t land with much impact. But the piffle of a reception given The Last Stand hasn’t frightened the director off making films outside his native country. And now Kim has latched on to a project that perhaps suits his own proclivities much better than did the Arnold Schwarzenegger action film.
Kim will next make Coward, based on the first storyline from the much-praised comic book series Criminal written by Ed Brubaker and drawn by Sean Phillips. Brubaker also adapted the script. Coward is a lean and very mean story of robbery big and small, of double-crosses, and best intentions that are blown all to hell.
Variety reports that Kim is now on board the project, in place of David Slade, and frankly that’s a pretty thrilling development. (No disrespect intended towards Slade, but I’m very interested to see how the man who made I Saw the Devil will approach this story.)
Coward revolves around Leo Patterson, a lifetime criminal who is the son of a famed robber. Leo is known as both a perceptive heist man and coward who will bail at the first sign of trouble in order to preserve his own skin. It’s cowardice in the eyes of others, but a simple set of rules for Leo. The story sees Leo recruited by a one-time partner and a crooked cop who have an armored truck heist in mind. There are many angles to the story, which involve aspects of Leo’s family and his own personal history, as well as the hidden aspects of Leo’s true nature.
Coward isn’t the best of Brubaker’s Criminal story arcs, but that only means that Coward is a damn fine crime tale rather than a stone cold classic of the genre. It is a tightly-written and compelling story that cuts out every bit of fat. My only concern here is that Kim isn’t a guy known for brevity; all of his films have left me feeling that there’s a tighter, more effective cut still lurking in the corner of the edit bay. Coward needs to be devoid of all excess; hopefully having Brubaker script will ensure that the film keeps the tightly-wound core intact, and gives Kim a chance to bring it to compelling visual life.

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October 4, 2013
Director Kim Jee Woon at 18th BIFF with The X
Source: Nate

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October 4, 2012
'ScreenX' to provide stronger audience immersion than Imax: Director Kim Jee-woon
Source: Yonhapnews
BUSAN, Oct. 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's star director Kim Jee-woon who made the first film using the country's new, multi-projection technology said Friday that the technology has a stronger merit than Imax to maximize audience immersion.
After his Hollywood debuting film "The Last Stand" (2013) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kim returned with a homegrown film titled "The X," a new experimental short commissioned by CGV, Korea's largest multiplex cinema chain run by the food and entertainment conglomerate CJ.

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October 4, 2013
KIM Jee-woon to Helm Ed Brubaker’s COWARDSecond English-Language Outing for Korean Genre Auteur

by Pierce Conran KOFIC

 Following his Hollywood debut earlier this year, the Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle The Last Stand, Korean genre auteur KIM Jee-woon has been offered a new directing gig in tinseltown. This time, the revered filmmaker will tackle Coward, an adaptation of the first entry in Ed Brubaker’s comic book crime story compilation ‘Criminal’, which earned an Eisner award for best new series in 2007.
 The project was originally being prepped with David Slade in director’s chair back in 2011 but was put on hold when the filmmaker bowed out. Brubaker adapted his own work and now that the project is back on track, he’s on board again to tweak his script for the new director. The writer, in an interview for MTV, expressed his surprise and pleasure when KIM’s name came up on a list of potential directors for the project. In particular, he singled out the filmmaker’s 2005 work A Bittersweet Life, which he felt is a great stylistic match for his comic book series. Brubaker and KIM have already had several meetings and the film will be produced by Jamie Patricof and Lynette Howel (previous works include Blue Valentine) from Electric City Entertainment. KIM is currently at the Busan International Film Festival to promote his new film The X and to take part in the Asian Project Market with Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, another project he’s working on.

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Kim Jee Woo's experimental film "The X"
By: ChocoshrekSource: Word from the R.O.K
“The X“, a film created by KIM Jee Woon is by no means a ‘made to please the masses’ piece. Instead it is a short experimental film, made to showcase ‘Cinema X‘, a movie going experience that utilize’s the side walls of the cinema to diversify your movie going experience.

Like ’3D’ at it’s inception (and in too many cases, 3D now) it’s going to take further work, experience and vision from filmmakers for it to translate well with movie goers. In saying that, it would be fair to say that this experiment showcases both the good and bad of Cinema X.

The Good

• From a filmmakers point of view, I can see how Cinema X can create a feeling of depth to a scene. As the whole wall can be used from front to back, it would be possible to extend walls in a scene, to surround a viewer as was shown in some scenes of The X.
• It’s possible to visualize that a ‘fantasy dream like state’ could be emphasised using theCinema X experience.One scene in particular from The X had the reflections from a glitter ball shining all around us and the fireworks scene where sky rockets exploded all around were put to good use (though higher definition would have been better).
• Action sequences had new dimensions in The X and perhaps this was one of its stronger points, especially with the motorcycle chase sequence.

The Bad

• During The X the side walls weren’t used continuously, so when the scenes did utilize the wall, it was at times jarring to have the walls suddenly light up.
• Not being in a true Cinema X theater, the walls were the original theater walls, rather than the white of the traditional silver screen. As expected this dulled the lighting of the film.
• I’m not convinced that all the scenes which used the walls were at all necessary to make those scenes work that is to say “enhance a scene”.

Missed Opportunities.

• With Cinema X, there are now corners to the screen (Where the front facing wall meets the side walls). It would have been brilliant to see someone run around a corner, that is from the front screen onto the wall and continue running along the wall. Imagine a Tron motorcycle scene where a vehicle takes a sharp turn on a corner and you get the P.O.V of the corner itself.
• With the screen extending along the side walls, it would have been interesting to see a horror segment where a monster creeps in from the walls behind you. Picture the “Death” character from Peter Jackson’s 1996 film Frighteners and you’ll understand what I’m saying.

I’m sure with more time and greater creative minds than mine, there are more opportunities and uses for Cinema X and it will be interesting to see whether CJ entertainment continue to fund directors to use Cinema X. Other than a different format of presenting film, as director KIM points out it’s a different way of filming and requires a different mindset to the filming approach. It’s something that directors will have to learn to deal with. The Xdid showcase KIM Jee Woon’s ability to film across genres if nothing else. Something a smart producer would recognise. The X truly is an experimental film that isn’t likely to revolutionise cinema but certainly a worthy exploration zone for future films.

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October 10, 2013
Kim Jee-woon’s ‘The X’ has wall-to-wall-to-wall actionScreenX presents movies in 270 degrees, covering the side walls, too.  
By CARLA SUNWOO Korea JoongAng Daily


Kim Jee-woon’s “The X” is the first film made specifically for CGV’s new ScreenX projection system. Provided by CJ E&M
There were some confused looks at the press screening of Kim Jee-woon’s latest project, “The X,” unveiled last week at the Busan International Film Festival.
Heads were twisting furiously to the left and right throughout the 30-minute, action-filled romp, which featured top actors Kang Dong-won and Shin Min-a.
The reason for the craning and confusion was that this was no ordinary movie - it was the screening of the first movie made specifically for the new “ScreenX” projection system, a theater system that puts the movie, not only on the screen in front of the seats, but also on the walls, wrapping the film completely around the audience.
The system was developed by the science and engineering university Kaist and funded by owner of the CGV theater chain and CJ E&M, Korea’s largest media conglomerate.
As for the plot, well, there’s not much of one in the 1 billion won ($932,000) short. There are explosions, betrayal and suspense aplenty, as a spy is foiled by his girlfriend, but there’s no originality to the plot. However, that’s exactly how Kim wanted it.
“Normally filmmakers use technology to tell a story,” said Kim. “But I was capitalizing on the technology, and the plot had to be subdued.”
Even with the linear narrative, it’s clear that there would be some adjustment issues for the audience, dealing with the 270-degree viewing range. 
Following the screening, most of the questions directed at Kim by reporters had to do with whether this “experience” would catch on.
But even Kim admitted that he didn’t know what to make of it at first. 
Kim was working on post-production for “The Last Stand” in Hollywood when CGV approached him. As an artist, Kim said he was intrigued about charting new territory in cinema technology.
“I thought of it as a horizontal IMAX rather than a panorama,” said Kim.
But soon enough he learned that to fully capitalize on the technology meant that he had to think outside the IMAX box. 
“It’s actually different. … This technology makes the frame feel a lot fuller,” said Kim, adding that viewers would be best served by looking forward and not worrying about the distractions on the sides. 
“Side projections are more like extras that enhance the visual experience,” he said.
He also recommended sitting at the back of the theater, if possible. 
“The further back you sit, the more like a panorama it is,” he said.
For people at the front of the theater, the side projection is totally lost unless you turn your head around constantly.
Despite this, Noh Jun-hyung, the associate professor at Kaist who has been heavily involved in developing ScreenX, said he was confident that the “X” experience would trump both 3-D and 4-D in time.
“Some viewers don’t like wearing glasses, and ScreenX does away with them completely,” he said. “At first, of course, it takes time for people to get used to it, but we have no doubt it’ll catch on.”
CGV officials also said they think ScreenX will win out with viewers.
“We expect that, over time, we will figure out how to work it efficiently,” said An Goo-choul, CGV’s chief strategy officer. “We’ve had visits from movie personnel from overseas, and it won’t be long before we are exporting the technology.”
A full-length feature film made for ScreenX is still about two years away, as developers continue to work out the kinks. 
In the meantime, CGV said it would utilize the screen for other things, like music videos and ads. Already, the theater chain has 40 screens in Korea set up for ScreenX.
“So far, most movie technology advances have come from Hollywood,” said Noh. “But this time, it’s a Korean-made technology, and it could go global.” 
For the director, he said it was an exciting new way to tell stories. 
“I paved the way,” Kim said. “I hope that other storytellers will follow suit.”.

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Trash Cinema Club Review
A Bittersweet Life – From A Small Spark…
Country: KoreaGenre: Action/DramaDirector: Ji-woon KimYear: 2005
Rating: ★★★½☆
TRASH CINEMA RECOMMENDED MOVIE
The first image in A Bittersweet Life is the swaying of tree limbs in the wind. On the soundtrack, a narrator tells us of a disciple who asked his master, “Which is moving, the wind or the trees?” The master answers, “Neither. It’s your heart and head which are moving.” Is the master implying that a greater intelligence caused the wind? That visible events begin in the heart and mind?
Sun-woo (Byung-hun Lee) is an enforcer for President Kang (Yeong-cheol Kim). He watches over Kang’s empire, surrounded by wealth but not of it.
One day, President Kang gives Sun-woo a special mission. Kang has a young girlfriend, Hee-soo (Min-a Shin), but he suspects that she is cheating on him. Kang wants Sun-woo to watch her while he’s out of town. If she cheats on him, Sun-woo has a choice. He can either kill the couple himself, or if his tender sensibilities won’t allow that, he can simply call Kang with the news.
You can probably guess where this is going, and you’re partly right.
There are however, a few satisfying twists in the story, which I’ll let you discover for yourself.
Most of the heavy lifting in this melodrama is done by writer/director Ji-woon Kim. For example, in one scene, a flunky goes to Sun-woo to tell him there is trouble. The actor who plays the flunky is almost expressionless. Ji-woon Kim communicates the character’s panic by means of a sweeping tracking shot that rapidly moves ahead of the actor. Elsewhere, Ji-woon Kim implies a sense of dislocation by mounting a camera on a car in a shot that would ordinarily be from the character’s point of view. It’s the same strategy that Spike Lee uses with his infamous dolly-cam in almost every movie he makes, but much more subtle.
Through canny camera placement and movement, Ji-woon Kim tells us what his deadpan stars (Byung-hun Lee and Yeong-cheol Kim) are thinking. However, Ji-woon Kim also supplies contrast with chewy character roles for actors such as Jeong-min Hwang, who plays a rival high level gangster, President Baek, and Ku Jin, who plays Baek’s second in command. I especially enjoyed Roe-ha Kim’s spectacularly hateful performance as one of Sun-woo’s colleagues.
The humor in A Bittersweet Life is mostly subtle and bitter, which is good news. In one sequence, a badly beaten man hangs from the ceiling while a middle aged cleaning lady mops up the blood coagulating beneath him. It’s a riot–you’ll see. That sequence also pays off later. On the other hand, the depiction of the arms dealers in the picture is overly broad, even silly, which is out of place considering the overall melancholy tone of the picture.
Alas, writer/director Ji-woon Kim overplays his hand here, too, dragging out moments beyond their useful duration and indulging in achingly sentimental gestures which aren’t necessary or justified. The strain shows.
Still, I found A Bittersweet Life entertaining. I especially enjoyed the exciting heavy artillery action blowout at the end.
Action fans should keep an eye on director Ji-woon Kim. He stages violence with plenty of style and impact. He also utilizes CGI well, not a common virtue among modern Asian directors (or American ones, for that matter).
In short, A Bittersweet Life is no masterpiece, but it’s yet another solid genre effort from Korea.

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Big Names Hog Asian Project Market Awards Kim Jee-woon, Wayne Wang, Wang Wei-ming among Busan funding winners

By: Patrick Frater (Asia Bureau Chief)Source: Variety


Prizes at the Busan festival’s Asian Project Market were largely kept close to Korean home turf.
Announced on Thursday evening, the top prize, The Busan Award, went to “Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade” by top local director Kim Jee-woon (pictured). Kim recently directed Arnold Schwarzenegger comeback vehicle “The Last Stand” and previously made “A Bittersweet Life,” “Two Sisters” and last year’s black hit “I Saw The Devil.” Jin Roh is understood to be fully funded by local Korean major CJ Entertainment.
Three of the other eight prizes also went to Korean projects. A fourth, the KOCCA Award went to Australia’s Eron Sheean for “End of Animal,” an English-language remake of a Korean drama.
European cultural TV channel Arte gave its prize to Indonesian director Edwin for his raunchy “Exotic Pictures.”
U.S.-based Wayne Wang claimed the ‘Creative Director’ award for his mystery about honeymoon murders “While The Women Are Sleeping.”
With Jin Roh green-lighted and another winner “Sex Appeal” set to shoot next week, there is bound to be debate over the usefulness of official awards at project funding markets.
“Sex Appeal” to be made on a $2 million budget, by experienced Taiwan-born director and producer Wang Wei-ming, is the story of four women involved in a rape trial. It stars Vivian Hsu, Leon Dai and Amber Kou and has prize-winning cinematographer Mark Lee behind the camera. Mainland Chinese distribution is already assured through Stellar Megamedia.
Market organizers said that the main Asian Film Market grew by 16% compared with last year.
It claimed the participation of 733 companies and 1,272 market badge holders, compared 2012’s 690 companies and 1,098 badge holders. Including the BIFCOM locations market there was a total of 92 booths from 198 companies and 32 countries.
Market screenings also increased, with 100 screenings of 87 completed films, compared with 71 films last year.
Asian Project Market — 2013 winnersBusan Award “Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade” (South Korea) KIM Jee-woonCJ Entertainment Award “Samuel Over the Rainbow” (Philippines) Benito BAUTISTALOTTE Award “OTS Virus Project” (South Korea) KANG Yi-kwanPanStar Cruise Award “Have a Nice Trip!” (South Korea, China) LEE SeoKOCCA Award “End of Animal” (Australia) Eron SHEEANTechnicolor Asia Award “Sex Appeal” (Taiwan, Hong Kong) WANG Wei-mingARTE International Prize “Exotic Pictures” (Indonesia, Netherlands, Germany) EdwinFunding 21 Award “Gyeongju” (South Korea) ZHANG LuCreative Director Award “While The Women Are Sleeping” (Japan, U.S.) Wayne WANG

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October 10, 2013
BIFF's Asian Film Market Wraps, APM Hands Out AwardsKIM Jee-woon’s JIN-ROH Grabs Top Prize by Pierce Conran KOBIZ

The Asian Project Market wrapped up its 2013 edition by recording a 16% rise in market badge holders (1,272) while a record 4,000 industry professionals visited the market floor. 198 companies were represented in 92 booths, each conducting 50 meetings on average. A total of 10,000 meetings took place with an estimated 150 of those expected to wind up with deals. Meanwhile the Asian Project Market also came to an end by handing out nine sponsored awards (up from seven last year) during the Asian Film Market’s closing ceremony on Thursday, October 10th. Earning the top award (the Busan Prize) was KIM Jee-woon’s much-talked about Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, a Korea-set remake of the 1999 Japanese anime of the same name by OKIURA Hiroyuki. The project, which was presented by KIM’s producer Lewis KIM, of Lewis Pictures Inc., in the market was awarded a USD 20,000 cash prize. Following the top prize were the CJ Entertainment and Lotte Awards (both worth USD 10,000), which went to Benito Bautista’s Samuel Over the Rainbow and KANG Yi-kwan’s new project OTS Virus Project, respectively. The PanStar Cruise Award, KOCCA Award and Creative Director Award (from BIFF), each Development Fund prizes worth USD 10,000 were handed out to LEE Seo’s Have a Nice Trip!, Eron Sheean’s Australian End of Animal remake and Wayne WANG’s While the Women Are Sleeping, respectively. A USD 25,000 post-production award from Technicolor Asia went to WANG Wei-ming’s Sex Appeal and ARTE International’s USD 6,000 development funding support prize was won by Edwin’s Exotic Pictures. Finally, the Funding 21 award, which selects a project for crowdfunding, went to Zhang LU’s Gyeongju.

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October 16, 2013
Movies with a 270-degree view to hit Korean cinemas
The Korea Herald

A scene from Kim Ji-woon’s Screen X flick “The X.” (CJ Entertainment)
BUSAN (AFP) ― A new format that gives moviegoers a panoramic 270 degree view will be rolled out by Korea’s biggest cinema chain this month, using the walls of theaters as additional screens. 
Screen X, developed by cinema chain CJ CGV, was on show at the Busan International Film Festival last week in the premiere of a 30-minute spy thriller “The X,” directed by Kim Jee-woon, a film commissioned to showcase the expanded three-screen format. 
Kim, who directed this year’s Arnold Schwarzenegger action adventure “The Last Stand,” said the technology brought a more immersive experience to the cinema. 
He likened it to a “horizontal” version of IMAX, a format that offers greater size and resolution than conventional film. 
Screen X requires filmmakers to use three cameras to shoot the same scene simultaneously from different angles to create the wider “surround” effect.
“The space in front of you is filled up completely,” said Kim. “It provides a new depth for viewers.”
“The X” showed off the capabilities of the format in a chase sequence and a dream sequence that seemed to envelop the cinema.
Audiences at Busan watching “The X” seemed at first confused whether to look left, right or straight ahead before settling in to the experience.
“It was really fun. I personally don’t like 3-D or 4-D films but this made me feel like I was inside the film,” 19-year-old student Jung Gwang-soo told AFP.
CJ CGV, which also has interests in China, Hong Kong and the United States, has been testing the technology on advertisements, but has remained tight-lipped on installation costs ― reportedly between $139,300 and $185,800 per screening room, according to Dow Jones Newswires. 
Installation will not be without logistical challenges, given that the effect is lessened in seats positioned to the sides of the cinema.
By the end of October the system will be available in 31 cinemas around South Korea in readiness for a series of planned feature-length productions to be rolled out over the next 12 months. 
While Kim said he was excited to be able to explore the possibilities of the new technology ― and freely admitted he was more concerned with effects than plot in his first production with it ― other directors showcased technology they believe allows the audience to focus more on the stories they are telling.
The Israeli-French production “Ana Arabia,” which looks at life in a Jewish-Arabic community, was one of a number of new films screening in Busan that used advanced steady-cameras to enable directors to shoot in one single take.
In “Ana Arabia’s” case, that was for 74 constant minutes while the Iranian film “Fish & Cat” managed to a single take of 134 minutes.
“Ana Arabia’s” veteran director Amos Gitai said the technology helped filmmakers engage with their audiences through providing a sense of intimacy not available when using multiple cameras and edits.
“This method is a way of concentrating the audience’s focus,” he said.
“Filmmakers are always looking for new ways to tell our stories and I am trying to find ways to encourage dialogue through my films.”

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October 16, 2013
London Korean Film Festival Reveals Packed ProgramMany Guests Scheduled for 8th Edition by Pierce Conran KOBIZ l LKFF 2013 Facebook



In recent years, the British capital has become a veritable hub for Korean cinema, with weekly screenings, special events and guests, all courtesy of the Korean Cultural Center UK. The lynchpin of their cinema-related activities, the London Korean Film Festival, is set to return for its 8th edition next month from November 7-15. Opening the proceedings this year will be the European premiere of the surprise hit thriller Hide and Seek, which scored over 5.5 million admissions in Korea following its release in mid-August. Closing the proceedings eight days later will be another European premiere, SONG Hae-sun’s character drama Boomerang Family. Programs this year will include a KANG Woo-suk retrospective, featuring the producer/director’s Public Enemy (2002) among others, some classic screenings marking the 60-year anniversary of the Korean War armistice, and a selection of short films curated by director KIM Jee-woon. Numerous other recent Korean films will fill out the program, include genre fare such as The Flu, Secretly Greatly and Montage, the dramas South Bound and Mai Ratima, the animation Pororo: The Racing Adventure and the comedy How to Use Guys with Secret Tips. Following its stint in London, the LKFF will go on tour with select films in Oxford, Bradford and St. Andrews over November 16-22

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October 22, 2013
'Hide and Seek' to open Korean film fest in London
YonhapNews
SEOUL, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) -- The annual London Korean Film Festival (LKFF) will open next month with the European premiere of "Hide and Seek," a home invasion thriller that was an unexpected box-office hit upon its release in August, organizers said Tuesday.
Hosted by the Korean Cultural Center in Britain, the film festival has showcased both established and emerging talents in the Korean film industry.
This year's event will be held from Nov. 7 to Nov. 22 at several venues across London, including the Odeon West End, Odeon Covent Garden and Odeon Paton St.
For fans of Korean cinema who are not in London, a selection of LKFF program highlights will travel to Oxford, Bradford and St. Andrews from Nov. 16 for a week, according to the organizers.
First-time director Huh Jung's "Hide and Seek" is the first of about 40 films to be shown in the festival, they said.
Released in local theaters in August, the film starring actor Son Hyun-joo topped the box office in the opening weekend and reached 5.6 million in ticket sales.
The thriller is about two household heads struggling to safeguard their family members from strangers hiding in their homes.
Other films to be shown include "Montage," "Miracle in Cell No. 7," "The Flu" and "Secretly, Greatly."
   The festival will offer a retrospective of master director Kang Woo-suk, who has been an influential figure in the Korean film industry since the 1990s, presenting five of his best known works such as "Public Enemy" (2002), "Silmido" (2003) and "Fists of Legend" (2013).
There will also be a special screening of short films by talented filmmaker Kim Jee-woon, best known in Britain for "The Good, the Bad and the Weird" (2008) and "I Saw the Devil" (2010) and most recently his Hollywood debut, "The Last Stand" with Arnold Schwarzenegger, organizers said.
sshim@yna.co.kr

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October 21, 2013
K-Ranking – Expensive Korean films TOP 10
by Admin KOFAN.com
10th – The Yellow Sea (황해) / 2010 / Director Na Hong-jinProduction Cost – $ 12 million / Number of tickets sold – 2,279,596
9th – The Restless (중천) / 2006 / Director: Jo Dong-ohProduction cost – $12.5 million / Number of tickets sold – 1,550,000
8th – The Host (괴물) / 2006 / Director: Bong Joon-hoProduction cost – $13 million / Number of tickets sold – 13,019,740 7th – Woochi (전우치) / 2009 / Director: Choi Dong-hoonProduction cost – $14 million / Number of tickets sold – 6,108,849
6th – Tidal Wave (해운대) / 2009 / Director: Yoo Je-gyunProduction cost – $15 million / Number of tickets sold – 11,476,379 5th – The Last Godfather (더 라스트 갓파더) / 2010 / Director: Shim Hyeong-raeProduction cost – $16 million / Number of tickets sold – 2,560,595 4th – Taeguki (태극기 휘날리며) / 2004 / Director: Kang Je-gyuProduction cost – $18 million / Number of tickets sold – 11,746,235
3rd – Typhoon (태풍) / 2005 / Director: Kwak Gyeong-taekProduction cost – $19 million / Number of tickets sold – 4,094,325 

2nd – The Good, the Bad, the Weird (좋은놈 나쁜놈 이상한놈) / 2008 / Director: Kim Jee-woonProduction cost – $19.5 million / Number of tickets sold – 6,686,920

<<Main Casts>>Lee Byung-hun as Park Chang-yiSong Kang-ho as Yoon Tae-gooJung Woo-sung as Park Do-wonOh Dal-su as Messenger for Kim Pan-jooUhm Ji-won as Na-yeon

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November 7, 2013
KOLON Sports’ Short Films to Participate in London Korean Film Festival
BNTNews

[by Cho Suyoun] Two short Korean films ‘Day Trip’ and ‘One Perfect Day’ made by KOLON Sports will be played at London Korean Film Festival. From November 7 to 22, London Korean Film Festival is going to be held in London, U.K. This festival has begun since 2006 and it greets 8th anniversary this year. As the film festival introduces Korea’s latest and classic films to Europeans, it has become one of the leading K-wave cultural events in U.K.
In this year, two short films ‘Day Trip’ and ‘One Perfect Day’ have been invited as special movies to be played in the short film section. These two movies were made by KOLON Sports in early this year as the brand celebrated its 40th anniversary and wished to commemorate by creating special projects. To talk about the film, the first one ‘Day Trip’ was directed by Park Chan Wook, Chan Kyung brothers and starred actor Song Kang Ho. The 19-minute film was about a special day that a girl and her mentor spent to practice realization of sound at a mountain.
On the other hand , the second film ‘One Perfect Day’ was directed by Kim Ji Woon and it was his first romantic comedy movie, starring Yoon Kye Sang and Park Shin Hye. Regarding this short film, director Kim previously told that this 35-minute movie is about how to reach love, people and nature.  The two films are currently available on the official webpage of KOLON Sports and they will be aired at London Korean Film Festival from November 7 to 22. (photo by KOLON Sports)

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November 11, 2013
Movie Review: The Quiet Family by refresh_daemon  http://www.dramabeans.com/2013/11/movie-review-the-quiet-family/

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Full article and youtube features at the original link
November 16, 2013
The 8 Best Serial Killer Movies Since SEVEN
Terek Puckett HorrorMovies.ca
Director David Fincher and screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker created a milestone with their 1995 masterpiece Seven, a film that turned the conventional approach to the serial killer film on its ear.In the wake of Seven, the standard procedural plot of detective characters piecing together clues, identifying, pursuing and eventually capturing or killing the psychotic murderer would no longer be satisfying for admirers of this horror subgenre.
The following 8 films made around the world in the years following Seven successfully created fresh takes on the horror genre’s most modern and human monster.
The films are in chronological order by year of release.
1. Cure (1997, Japan)
2. The Crimson Rivers (2000, France)
3. H (2002, South Korea)
4. Tattoo (2002, Germany)
5. Empire of the Wolves (2005, France)
6. The Killing Gene (aka Waz, 2007, UK)
7. I Saw the Devil (2010, South Korea)
Director Kim Jee-woon and screenwriter Park Hoon-jung inject real freshness into the serial killer subgenre by crafting a tale of revenge with unique twists in the vicious and brutal I Saw the Devil.Lee Byung-hun plays a government agent in pursuit of a serial murderer superbly played by Choi Min-sik of Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy fame.The director and screenwriter may have originally intended the film to portray Lee Byung-hun’s character drifting toward becoming the kind of soulless monster he’s pursuing as indicated by the famous Nietzche quote about fighting monsters shown onscreen at the beginning of the film.Despite this intention, I Saw the Devil is not Friedrich Nietzche, it’s pure Charles Darwin as two killing machines go head to head in the ultimate game of survival of the fittest highlighted by some incredible, nerve-shredding fight sequences.A gripping film that goes in unexpected directions, I Saw the Devil is a must-see.
8. A Horrible Way to Die (2010, USA)

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November 26, 2013
‘Korean movies need universal storylines for U.S. success’Hollywood executives discuss potential for Korean collaboration with U.S. film industry
By Julie Jackson The Korea Herald

This year alone, the Korean film industry has made leaps and bounds in its attempts to capture a more global audience with Korean-directed, English-speaking international films such as “Stoker,” “The Last Stand” and “Snowpiercer.” 
Last week, the 2013 Dicon International Content Conference ― hosted by the Korea Creative Contents Agency ― conducted the “Korean Americans in Hollywood Mentor Seminar,” in which a number of Hollywood executives and U.S. entertainment industry leaders gathered to share their knowledge and advice on how to increase the presence of Korean films in the world’s most famous motion picture market ― Hollywood. 
“I think the overarching reason why we are all here is, ‘How do we become closer?’” said Helen Lee-Kim of Good Universe, a Hollywood entertainment company. “How do the East and the West become closer so that we can work together, better and more frequently?” 

Kymber Lim (left), CEO of 8282 Entertainment and Helen Lee-Kim of Good Universe speak at the 2013 Dicon International Content Conference on Nov. 21 at Coex in Seoul. (KOCCA)
Members of the Korean film industry, from talent agency representatives to independent film makers, attended the seminar on Thursday in hopes of gaining new insight on the state of Korean content in the U.S. film industry as well as how their Korean content could penetrate the Hollywood market.
“I’m definitely a fan of Korean content,” said Kymber Lim, CEO of 8282 Entertainment. “There is definitely a lot more exposure to these (Korean) actors, performers, filmmakers now and they are becoming a much bigger presence in the States. I’ve become more aware of that living in Los Angeles than I ever have before in the past.” 
As two Korean-Americans working in the highly competitive L.A. entertainment market, Lim and Lee-Kim are both confident that Korean content and films have what it takes to break into the international movie market, making their presence felt in the U.S. beyond the typical Asian martial arts flicks. 
Using the films “Stoker,” “The Last Stand” and “Snowpiercer” as their primary examples, the two executives claimed that Korean directors were now slowly becoming a force in the international film world. 
Renowned local directors Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho and Kim Ji-woon all made their English directorial debuts this year. Park’s “Stoker” is a psychological thriller starring Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode and Mia Wasikowska. Kim made his American directorial debut with his action film starring Hollywood stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker and Johnny Knoxville.
Director Bong was named as this year’s Best Director at the annual Blue Dragon Film Awards for his sci-fi thriller “Snowpiercer,” starring Song Kang-ho alongside an international cast of Chris Evans, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton and Ed Harris. The film was the most expensive film in Korean movie history and was sold to 167 countries even before its world premiere in August, a first for a film by a Korean director. “Snowpiercer” is also soon expected to make its Hollywood debut sometime next year.
“I think ... years of building up their profile and the success of their movies in Korea led them to making an English speaking film,” said Lee-Kim. “But I think that there are a lot more of them to come; so it all did happen kind of ‘boom, boom, boom’ with the three, but I think that was just the beginning.” 
Lee-Kim went on to add that she feels that global audiences are very interested in international talent, “I just don’t think those borders are so relevant anymore.” 
Both Lee-Kim and Lim noted that one of the key elements necessary to export more traditional and cultural Korean films to Hollywood is not to alter the content in order to tailor it to a more Western audience, but rather to present a storyline that an audience can relate to universally. This was the case for the Hollywood box office hit Chinese co-production films “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Hero.” 
“I think when you’re exporting any culture outside of its original country, you have to give the audience something that they can relate to,” said Lee-Kim. “So the question is, if you are going to export some very traditional Korean drama, what is it that a non-Korean can look at and say, ‘Okay, I understand’ ... or can at least appreciate what the story is.”

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November 15, 2013
Source: Nate 1 l 2 

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December 4, 2013
Switch in film technology spells end for age of analogue films in S. Korea
Source: YonhapNews
SEOUL, Dec. 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korean moviegoers will no longer be able to watch analogue movies as the last of the local theaters replaced their analogue projectors for up-to-date digital equipment, business sources said Wednesday.
"We recently replaced all of our analogue film projectors with digital ones," Cinecube, a theater for screening art films in central Seoul, said in a press release.
Cinecube was the last remaining movie theater to show analogue movies in the country, where related businesses have been closing due to the lack of demand.
The latest decision is expected to affect the operations of Cinemate, a film processing laboratory and the country's last remaining company that creates subtitles for analogue films. The subtitle firm says it will wrap up its analogue business early next year and shift its focus to digital movie subtitles and movie post-production work.
"We decided to end our business of inserting English subtitles on analogue Korean films after January," said Son Sang-gyun, a board member of the company. "Local film fans will no longer be able to see new films made in analogue."
   The Seoul Film Laboratory that has developed such noted Korean films as "The Good, the Bad and the Weird" (2008) by director Kim Ji-woon and "Thirst" (2009) directed by Park Chan-wook, will follow several other major film laboratories that permanently closed their doors in the past two years.
This decline in the analogue film business began in the 2000s when South Korea's multiplex movie theater chains started replacing their screening method from analogue to digital one screen at a time.
CJ CGV had changed all of its analogue projection equipment in its chain cinemas around the country to digital by April of this year. Lotte Cinema and Megabox were quicker in adapting to the change by completing the work in 2010 and 2012, respectively.