Director Kim Jee Woon 김지운 Kim Ji Woon

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December 11, 2013
2013 Entertainment/Movies through keyword : Butterfly effects caused by love

Source: Nate
Article mentioned more names and movies, etc but in the pics only a few examples --

Top: Rain-Kim Tae Hee, Jo In Sung-Kim Min Hee, Won Bin-Lee Na Young, Lee Byung Hun-Lee Min JungSecond Row: Kim Jo Kwang Soo-Kim Seung Hwan, Song Hye Kyo, Crayon Pop, Choi Min SikThird Row: Miracle at Cell #7, Snowpiercer, Dir. Park Chan Wook, Dir. Bong Joon HoBottom: Not sure, Moebius, The Lawyer, Dir. Kim Ji Woon

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December 20, 2013
‘Dredd’ Producer Lands Remake Rights to Acclaimed Serial Killer Thriller ‘I Saw the Devil’
By Jeff Sneider | The Wrap l Nate ++


In a competitive situation, Adi Shankar and Spencer Silna’s 1984 Private Defense Contractors has acquired English-language remake rights to Kim Jee-Woon’s 2010 South Korean serial-killer thriller “I Saw the Devil,” TheWrap has learned.
The original film was a classic tale of revenge that followed an elite special agent (Lee Byung-hun, “G.I. Joe”) whose pregnant fiancé is murdered by an evil madman (Choi Min-sik, “Oldboy”), prompting him to lure the killer into an increasingly violent and twisted game of cat-and-mouse. Like Denis Villeneuve’s “Prisoners,” the premise of “I Saw the Devil” basically asks the question, “what happens when the hero becomes a monster himself?”
“I Saw the Devil” is character-driven rather than plot-driven, as the mystery of the killer’s identity is revealed early on. As the lines between good and evil become blurred, the film pushes the concept of revenge to its most extreme limits, effectively transcending the police procedural and serial killer genres in surprising and thrilling new ways.
“Kim Jee-Woon’s ’I Saw the Devil’ is perfect in so many ways. The intention is not to remake the film per se, but rather to “port” it for international audiences,” said Shankar.
Shankar and Silna’s 1984 Private Defense Contractors has made a name for itself by producing a string of violent, filmmaker-driven action movies and crime thrillers. The company’s credits include the instant cult classic “Dredd,” Joe Carnahan’s critical and commercial hit “The Grey,” Marc Forster’s “Machine Gun Preacher” and the Brad Pitt gangster drama “Killing Them Softly.” The company also has a relationship with Mark Wahlberg, having worked with him on “Lone Survivor” and “Broken City.”
The production company’s upcoming releases include Scott Frank’s crime drama “A Walk Among the Tombstones” starring Liam Neeson and Marjane Satrapi’s crime thriller “The Voices,” which stars Ryan Reynolds. The company is also developing a female-driven action movie in the vein of “The Expendables” that has Gina Carano and Katee Sackhoff attached to star.
Kim Jee-Woon, meanwhile, is the acclaimed director behind “The Good, the Bad, the Weird,” “A Tale of Two Sisters” and “A Bittersweet Life” who recently made his English-language debut with the Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle “The Last Stand.”

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Good points by CinemaBlend
December 19, 2013
I Saw The Devil Getting An English-Language Remake
Author: Gabe Toro | CinemaBlend.com
Kim Jee Woon’s I Saw The Devil is a really intense, unique film, one that seems to straddle many genres. Lee Byung-Hun ( G.I. Joe: Retaliation ) plays a special agent on the trail of a serial killer who murders with glee. But when he lets the murderer go, (the excellent Choi Min-sink of Oldboy fame, plays the killer) the mystery is why he’s done it, and how this unpredictable psycho will react. Deadly serious, bitter payback: you shouldn’t have to guess if this was a recent Korean movie, with its emphasis on hard-boiled revenge and moral ambiguity. But it’s more than that: the plot feels like serial killer potboiler stuff, but some moments seem like genuine horror, some like a steroidal version of early 90’s American thrillers, and a few scenes are out-and-out action spectaculars. It’s the only movie that feels like a sort of action slasher, and each stab on the soundtrack genuinely feels like a punch. 
So now the question remains: why hasn’t subtitle-wary America remade this yet? Thanks to Adi Shankar and Spencer Silna of the pretty creepy-sounding production company 1984 Private Defense Contractors (huh?), an American version is headed our way. According to ComingSoon, there’s no writer or director attached yet, but Kim Jee Woon recently made his English-language debut with the tongue-in-cheek western The Last Stand so maybe they’ll give him another crack at it. It is a surprise to see another remake of a recent Asian revenge picture so soon after Oldboy just rolled into America with the force of a lone tumbleweed. 
In an official statement about the project, Shankar was quoted as saying, "Kim Jee Woon’s I Saw The Devil is perfect in so many ways. The intention is not to remake the film per se but rather to ‘port’ it console-style for international audiences." Hoo boy, so much to unpack, Mr. Shankar. First of all, you could have stopped after that first sentence. Secondly, you don’t have to remake it, you can actually port it over, by attaining the DVD and placing it in your player. If you order by mail, a postal worker will port it over, and then you can port it into your DVD player. And those are just the port highlights! But seriously, please don’t try to remake a movie by making the original sound like a household appliance. 
Getting Kim Jee Woon to return to the director’s chair might be the best move, but why have him do the same story again? Of course, it’s not a mark against the original film, but you kind of lose the whole thrust of the film without him. The filmmaker behind the delirious The Good, The Bad & The Weird specializes in the kind of onscreen chaos that just can’t be mimicked. I Saw The Devil has a pretty derivative plot, and it’s elevated due to the filmmaker's woozy direction. Imagining this in the hands of a dullard like Shawn Levy, with Jake Gyllenhaal and Paul Giamatti or some other paycheck-chasing American stars instead of the perfect pair from the first film? It’s just kind of depressing, really. Catch the trailer to the original film below. 

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December 20, 2013
Korean Thriller ‘I Saw the Devil’ Optioned for Hollywood Dilution
By Rob Hunter FilmSchoolRejects
Hollywood remaking foreign-language films isn’t anything new, and countries as diverse as France, Japan, and Iceland have all seen their movies adapted, for better or worse, through an American lens. South Korea is a relatively new inductee into the bunch with only a handful of their films getting the Hollywood treatment leading up to this year’s much maligned Spike Lee redo of Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy.
2006′s The Lake House was the first U.S. remake of a Korean film (based on Il Mare), and it was followed by a forgettable romantic comedy (My Sassy Girl) and a trio of horror films including Mirrors (Into the Mirror), The Uninvited (A Tale of Two Sisters), and Possession (Addicted). And that’s it… for now.
Per The Wrap, the latest Korean film to be slated for Hollywood reincarnation is Kim Jee-woon‘s brutally uncompromising and wickedly good I Saw the Devil (my review). Remake rights have been acquired by 1984 Private Defense Contractors which is headed up by Adi Shankar and Spencer Silna. The production company’s past films include The Grey, Dredd, Killing Them Softly, and others, which is a bit of a confidence booster, but what to make of the following comment from Shankar?

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Kim Jee-Woon’s ’I Saw the Devil’ is perfect in so many ways. The intention is not to remake the film per se, but rather to “port” it for international audiences.”

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December 24, 2013
I SAW THE DEVIL Remake in the WorksKim Jee-woon’s Revenge Thriller Gets Hollywood Treatment
 by Pierce Conran KOBIZ

Hollywood continues to show an interest in original works from Korea as KIM Jee-woon’s violent 2012 revenge thriller I Saw the Devil becomes the latest in a series of Korean films to be optioned for American remake. The revamped version will come courtesy of 1984 Private Defense Contractors, the production company behind such genre fare as Dredd, The Grey and Killing Them Softly. KIM’s sixth film was not a huge hit in Korea as it only attracted 1.82 million viewers but the ultra-violent cat and mouse revenge saga exported quite strongly, becoming one of the most visible Korean films of the last few years. I Saw the Devil starred CHOI Min-shik(New World, Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time) as a deranged serial killer who murders the wife of an intelligence agent, played by LEE Byung-hun(Masquerade, The Good, the Bad, and the Weird), who decides to exact gruesome revenge. Recent updates of Korean films include Spike Lee’s version of PARK Chan-wook’s Old boy (2003), while retoolings of PARK’s Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005) are in the works as well. KIM’s A Bittersweet Life (2005) was also optioned for remake last year. No word yet on who will write, direct or star in the project.

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December 25, 2013
CJ CGV Becomes World’s Top 5 for Number of Admissions
Also the Fifth in the World to Exceed 100 million Viewers

by Song Soon-jin KOBIZ
 

The multiplex CJ CGV became world’s fifth brand theatre to have sold more than 100 million tickets this year. On December 22nd, CGV has announced that “The accumulated admissions this year has exceeded 100 million, the fifth in the world to have reached this number after Regal Cinemas, Cinemark of U.S., AMC Theatres (acquired by Dalian Wanda of China in 2012) and Cinepolis of Mexico.” This growth came after 15 years since CGV had brought a new concept to Korean cinemas in 1998, when it began Korea’s first multiplex theatres. 
The company has contributed immensely to the development of Korean film industry, both in quality and in quantity. As of December this year, the company operates 876 screens in 111 theatres in South Korea. By actively investing and participating in productions, it had raised issues of being vertically affiliated, but CGV definitely had a great effect on raising the average number of movie sought by a person to the highest level. This year, a Korean person watched an average of 4.12 films, which is more than the U.S. with 3.88, 3.75 for Australians and 3.44 films for France. CGV also turned its interests to foreign markets. It has a total of 296 screens in 40 theatres in China, the U.S. and Vietnam as of December, increasing its overseas screens ratio to 24.6%. In 4DX cinemas, CGV maintains an unrivaled position in the world by adding 90 more screens in 22 countries this year to an already dominant 87% market share. It plans to carry out more aggressive approach in expanding global business by taking over a Vietnamese multiplex company, Megastar Cinema and expanding the Chinese market with a plan to make its way into 60 nations by year 2020. 
CGV also plans to showcase the world’s first ‘Screen X’ technology of installing three screens in a room; on left, middle and right walls. KIM Jee-woon, the director of The Good, The Bad And the Weird and The Last Stand, is preparing a 30-minute action thriller, The X, to be the first to on the ‘Screen X’.
CGV has revealed its strategy to “be more active in overseas markets through ‘investing in cinemas of the future’ such as opening a cultureplex, the next step after multiplex, by establishing a solid foothold with the world’s first 4DX and Screen X.”
“As one of the top five theatres in the world, CGV will accelerate its move into other countries, to spread Korean style cultureplex facilities in every part of the world,“ said Seo Jung, the CEO of CJ CGV.

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새해 복 많이 받으세요 

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March 25, 2014
12th Florence Korean Film Fest Screens Over 30 FeaturesIncludes Special Retrospective CHOI Min-sik by Pierce Conran KOFIC
The longest running celebration of Korean cinema in Europe, the Florence Korean Film Festival is now in its 12th year. The festival kicked off last Friday (March 21st) with a screening of opening film Hide and Seek, with director HUH Jung in attendance. The hit thriller also served as the opening film for the London Korean Film Festival last November. Over 30 features are peppered throughout the program this year, which includes current commercial and indie flims, various classic works and an eight films retrospective dedicated to actor CHOI Min-sik. Among festival favorites, LEE Su-jin’s Han Gong-ju, YEON Sangho’s The Fake, NOH Young-seok’s Intruders, KIM Ki-duk’s Moebius and HONG Sangsoo’s Our Sunhi will all be screened. Commercial favorites include Bong Joon Ho’s Snowpiercer and JANG Cheol-su’s Secretly Greatly. The sidebar on CHOI Min-sik, who will be present in Florence, stretches from SONG Hae-sung’s Failan (2001) and IM Kwon-taek’s Chihwaseon (2002) all the way to last year’s New World from director PARK Hoon-jung. Late night screenings will feature horror and strong genre films such as LEE Yong-ju’s Possessed (2009), the omnibus Horror Stories 2, JANG Cheol-su’s Bedevilled (2010) and KIM Jee-woon’s I Saw the Devil. Closing the festival on March 30th will be a screening of SONG Hae-sung’s family dramedy Boomerang Family.

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March 28, 2014
The ‘Why?’ in Korea’s Revenge ThrillersExploring the Roots of Korean Cinema’s Genre Staple
by Pierce Conran KOFIC
 
 ‘Revenge is a confession of pain’ – Latin Proverb As the unofficial hub for modern revenge narratives, the Korean film industry has, unintentionally, cultivated an image of itself as a national cinema fixated on stylish bloodletting. While true that Korea is the most prolific producer of revenge films, and that they often operate within the theater of the grotesque, such a reading is shortsighted and ignores the social mores that have led to this profligate meting out of payback. The obvious question raised by the prevalence of revenge in Korean cinema is, why? While a seemingly simple query, it has no straightforward answer and can be approached from any number of aesthetic, sociological or historical angles. Revenge as a narrative device stretches as far back as the birth of storytelling. Straightforward, easy to follow and emotionally charged, it is an effective way of relaying an engaging story to a receptive audience. Following its popularity in Greek mythology and literature through the ages, revenge was embraced by filmmakers, who were seduced by its simplicity and the way it easily lends itself to genre cinema. Films like Death Wish (1974) were able to fetishize violence with narratives that required the frequent, and often bloody, dispatch of antagonists. 

When revenge caught on in Korea cinema, shortly after its resurgence in the late 1990s, buoyed by the international success of PARK Chan-wook’s revenge trilogy (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, 2002; Oldboy, 2003; Lady Vengeance, 2005), it wasn’t long before the industry developed a reputation as a purveyor of vengeful cinematic fare. The embrace of revenge thrillers in Korea may have been an unconscious attempt to develop a recognizable genre brand for the country’s film industry in the wake of Oldboy’s global recognition, much like the way that Hong Kong is known for its kung fu films or Japan has spent years churning samurai flicks. However, in a technically advanced industry that has proven adept at producing a kaleidoscopic array of commercial and independent cinema, this branding never quite came to fruition. Considering the theme’s enduring popularity in Korean cinema, evidenced by hits such as The Man from Nowhere (2010), it’s no surprise that local filmmakers have returned to revenge again and again. But even early on it was suggested that there was more at play than mere aesthetic appeal. Academic studies have suggested that revenge is used as a means of post-traumatic recovery. Psychological scars inflicted by the colonial era, the Korean War, the separation of the peninsula and the subsequent military regimes run deep and offer numerous incentives to employ revenge as a metaphorical device for the recuperation of a lost national identity. In his book ‘Virtual Hallyu: Korean Cinema of the Global Era,’ Kyung Hyun KIM refers to the colonial era as an ‘enigmatic but seductive little kernel.’ Korean filmmakers are caught between the need to remember and forget. The fear of forgetting the past undergirds many of contemporary Korean cinema’s narratives, while the need to forget it has hidden Korea’s difficult history in allegorical tales. This has also led Korean filmmakers to develop a fascination with amnesia. In Oldboy, CHOI Min-sik’s character OH Dal-su is forgotten by society following a 15-year incarceration and, following the film’s twist climax, he deliberately employs a hypnotist to ride him of his memories. Similarly, at the end of JANG Cheol-soo’s Bedevilled (2010), the antihero KIM Bok-nam loses her mind and presumably her memory, having completed her cycle of revenge. These quests for revenge can be read as privatized analogies of national trauma, but, since fixing the past is not an option, there is nothing left to do but die, go crazy or forget.  Revenge in Korean films is typically initiated when characters become marginalized from the status quo. When a loved one is taken from them (I Saw the Devil, 2010) or they are betrayed by those they have put their faith in (A Bittersweet Life, 2005), they lose the link to their ordinary lives, and, dislocated and shunned by society, they go on the rampage. However, echoing the Count of Monte Cristo’s lifelong scheme, revenge is seldom spontaneous in Korean films. Those wishing to get even go to great lengths to carry out their retribution. OH Dal-su’s tormentor spends 15 years setting his plan in motion while Lady Vengeance’s Geum-ja concocts her meticulous plan during her years in prison. In last year’s The Fives, Eun-a enrolls four co-conspirators into an elaborate scheme. Characters in Korean films, having lost their raison d’être, become consumed with revenge and devote all their energies towards exacting it. 
Characters in Korean films often harbor past traumas and the result is a special feeling or emotion known as ‘han,’ which is notoriously hard to translate. Theologian SUH Nam-dong describes ‘han’ as:  “a feeling of unresolved resentment against injustices suffered, a sense of  helplessness because of the overwhelming odds against one, a feeling of acute pain in one's guts and bowels, making the whole body writhe and squirm, and an obstinate urge to take revenge and to right the wrong—all these combined.” Revenge, as executed in Korean cinema, seems to both embody this notion of ‘han’ and directly contradict it. It’s as though the pent-up trauma, which has remained ebbing below the surface is suddenly unleashed in a flurry of violence. Again, once this energy is spent, even if the actions are justified (as they frequently are), it is impossible to lead a normal life again. Another way one could look at revenge in Korean cinema is that following the democratization of South Korea in 1988 (it’s not accident that Oldboy begins that year) Korean citizen experienced freedom from oppression for the first time. No longer shackled to the whims of an authoritarian regime, Koreans could go about beginning to right the wrongs they had been dealt. Of course, mistrust of authority leads these activities down the vigilantism route rather than legal means. What’s more, Korean films (not just revenge thrillers) tend to depict Korea’s judiciary as corrupt and its enforcement branches as hapless, with police officers frequently winding up as the butt of jokes. Over time, the theme of revenge has also evolved along with the local film industry. Though traditionally fixating on private cases of vengeance (whether metaphorical or not), of late Korean films have been more direct, aligning revenge directly with historical traumas. 2012’s 26 Years, a crowdfunded work based on a web comic, boldly featured a group of descendants of Gwangju massacre victims who seek to assassinate the former president CHUN Doo-hwan. Also, in a field mostly dominated by men, Korean cinema has increasingly made space for women-driven revenge narratives. Films like Lady Vengeance and Princess Aurora (both 2005) already explored slightly different preoccupations, mining genre roles, both recent fare such as Azooma, Don’t Cry Mommy and Fatal (all 2012) have sought to redress issues concerning sexual abuse, frequently carried out against teenage girls. The above observations merely illustrate just how complex the theme of revenge has become in Korean cinema. With more titles appearing every year and many of those furthering the boundaries of revenge as a narrative device and thematic tool, the question of why in Korea’s revenge cinema is likely to lead to even more complicated answers down the road. As the old Latin proverb goes, revenge may well be a confession of pain but if we the audience continue to seek it out as means of entertainment, then what does that say about us? By Pierce Conran

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Related excerpt from full article at Hancinema, a great read on Darcy Paquet
March 29, 2014
American critic creates award for Korean indie films
http://www.hancinema.net/american-critic-creates-award-for-korean-indie-films-67589.html#disqus_thread

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What are your favorite Korean films and directors, and why? 

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- I like "Memories of Murder" by Bong Joon-ho. It is really interesting and a well-made film. I can watch it again and again. I always discover something new. I also like the fact that it looks like a police detective story in the beginning, but the ending is very different from what is expected. It is experimenting with genre. 

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There are low-budget independent directors I like, such as Lee Yoon-ki. One of his films is "My Dear Enemy". It has Jeon Do-yeon and Ha Jeong-woo in it, but it is still a low-budget film. The story is simple, but it is a well made interesting film. 

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There are new directors who continue to make interesting films, too. There is Jang Kun-jae. He is one of the directors who received a nomination this year. He made a movie called "Sleepless Night". 

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I like both indie and many mainstream films, as well. I like director Kim Jee-woon. One of my favorite films of his is "A Bittersweet Life" starring Lee Byeong-Heon. I like the mood of the film. It is a very elegant and classy film in many ways. When I teach Korean cinema classes, I show my students the beginning of the film. It is very well directed. It has an impressive opening.

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April 21, 2014
Seoul's rising cinematic profile
By Jason Bechervaise The Korea Times
Seoul has recently come under the cinematic spotlight.
The upcoming Marvel blockbuster, “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” just wrapped up its shoot in the Korean capital. The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) announced last month that Seoul will become the focus of its “City to City” program for this year’s event in September.
While these developments took some by surprise, it could be argued that they represent a natural progression of Seoul’s growing influence in cinema.
In an interview with The Korea Times, Cameron Bailey, TIFF’s artistic director and co-programmer of the City to City section, said Seoul is significant as the heart of the Korean movie sector that has been producing a “ vast range of exciting, innovative films for decades now.” What’s equally important is that such progress has manifested into box office receipts.
“One of the most impressive things about South Korea as a film nation has been how its insisted on maintaining a strong audience for Korean films. Whether through film education, government policy or the sheer strength of the films, the Korean film industry has kept drawing Koreans to movie theaters,” said Bailey.
Last year, the local film industry exceeded even the more ambitious expectations to become the most successful year on record, with the tickets for Korean films surpassing 200 million admissions. While Hollywood films were forced to the sidelines, Korea proved a lucrative market for certain American films such as “Iron Man 3,” which amassed 9 million sales.
The fact that numerous Hollywood icons came to Seoul last year to promote their films reflects this conscious endeavor by the studios to capitalize on Korea’s remunerative box office market. Although this didn’t necessarily always pay dividends, visits byRobert Downey Jr., Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and other stars appeared to convey Korea’s increasing stature.
Last year also signified Korea’s growing influence in other ways with three of the country’s most prolific directors — Park Chan-wook, Kim Jee-woon and Bong Joon-ho — who released their respective English-language film debuts and, while they met varying degrees of commercial success, they all demonstrated that they could expand their scope into international projects.
Of course, it’s not just Korea Hollywood studios are playing closer attention to, but Asia as a whole, especially China. But if there was ever a confirmation of Korea and, more specifically, Seoul’s increasingly palpable place in the world in terms of its film industry, itcame when Marvel decided to shoot“significant elements” for the highly anticipated Avengers sequel.
Incentives, no doubt, played a part: the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism reimbursed up to 30 percent of the total cost of the production in Korea, which is estimated at around 10 billion won ($9.37 million). However, this is true of any of foreign location shoot where tax breaks are crucial in attracting major studio productions.
Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios and producer of the film, said in a news release “South Korea is the perfect location for a movie of this magnitude because it features cutting edge technology, beautiful landscapes and spectacular architecture,” reflecting Seoul’s technical prowess.
Needless to say, with the first Avengers film having amassed over 7 million admissions in Korea in 2012, an almost certain boost in box office revenue was undoubtedly another factor in the decision to shoot in the capital.
“We can all see the enthusiasm, the sophistication and the buying power of the Korean film audience, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see many more foreign productions looking to film in Seoul,” said Bailey from TIFF.
Bailey who announced in March that Seoul will become the focus of this year’s City to City program said, “We’ve always looked for cities where the quality of production is high, and where we can find new innovations in cinema. Seoul has all that.”
The program now in its sixth edition — which has concentrated on cities such as Tel Aviv, Istanbul and Mumbai in previous years — is an opportunity for festival goers, journalists and industry personnel to see a range of Korean films at this year’s festival.
“We’re looking for eight feature-length films — mostly fiction, but we’re also interested in feature documentaries,” said Bailey.
“The films can be commercial or independent, so long as they have a strong filmmaking voice; we’re looking for great filmmaking with distinctive perspectives.
“Compared to previous editions, the difference this year is the depth of production. There are so many well-made, interesting films from Seoul’s filmmakers every year. It’s simply a bigger industry than anyplace we’ve been with City to City, except Mumbai.
“Even with Mumbai, the independent sector is gaining new footing now, while in Seoul it’s been thriving for years. This should give us the luxury of choice.”
While it is unclear what films are to feature in this year’s program that takes place from Sept. 4 to 14, it seems certain that Seoul is set to be put in the spotlight even further.
And with the new Avengers film due for release in May 2015, the portrayed capital will likely signify its technological advancement and growing cinematic influence.
 Jason Bechervaise is a movie columnist of The Korea Times. 

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April 30, 2014  15 Great South Korean Crime Films That Are Worth Your Time
BY EMILIO SANTONI Taste of Cinema
When it comes to bleak stylish thrillers and crime films, it’s hard to beat the South Koreans nowadays and all the movies listed below are fine examples of that statement. Whereas the South Korean film industry had been heavily state-regulated until the late eighties, the first fully non-government funded film, Marriage Story, appeared in 1992. Although films started to suffer less from censorship, the state still placed strict limits on the number of foreign films which were allowed to be shown in the country which made the local film industry thrive.
In 1999 Shiri was released, a spy thriller which did so well that it sold more tickets than Titanic in South Korea that year. Due to this movie’s success, larger budget films started being produced and crime thrillers gained enormously in popularity. Two years later, the gangster coming-of-age drama Friend eclipsed Shiri’s earlier sales records but it wasn’t until Chan-Wook Park’s Oldboy in 2003 that the stylish South Korean crime thriller really came of age and that critics in the West started paying attention.
Ever since, South Korea has been the undisputed champion of the genre as a plethora of films with intricate twist-filled screenplays, stunning production design and cinematography, dark themes, powerhouse performances and edge-of-your-seat storylines have found their way to the screen. Whilst it should be noted that South Korea cinema produces far more than just crime films and thrillers, there’s no denying that the nation has a real knack for the genre and that it’s these movies which have gathered most attention abroad. If there have been two defining features of these films, they would have to be their über-stylish visuals and downbeat bleak themes. All the movies listed below are prime examples of at least one, if not both, of these qualities and are essential viewing for those with a serious interest in thrillers or crime dramas.
15. The Berlin File (Seung-Wan Ryoo, 2013)With its non-Korean setting (Berlin as you might have guessed from the title of the movie) and sweeping action set pieces, The Berlin File revolves around Jong-Seong, a North Korean agent who becomes exposed when an illegal arms deal goes wrong. In the aftermath no one is sure whose side Jong-Seong and his wife, who is a translator at the North Korean embassy, belong to and soon the CIA as well as the North and South Korean intelligence agencies are all after them. Forced into a corner, Jong-Seong will need to make a decision as to where his royalties lie: his wife or his country.
Probably the most straight-forward action movie on this list, The Berlin File is maybe easiest described as a South Korean Jason Bourne film. A spy thriller with a clear emphasis on action setpieces and not so much the bleak thematic undercurrent of virtually all other films on this list,
The Berlin File is a great and easy introduction to Korean crime thrillers for Western audiences who might not be familiar with any of the films in this article yet. A clear commercial genre film, The Berlin File looks, feels and sounds great. The only thing letting this one down a bit is the convoluted plot and the sense that you have seen most of this before. Still, it’s well done and if you like spy thrillers, chances are you will not be disappointed by this action-packed spy flick.
14. Montage (Jeong Geun-Seop, 2013)15 years ago a girl was kidnapped and never found. Just days before the case’s statute of limitations expires, someone places a flower at the scene of the crime, a location which was only known to the girl’s mother, the detective that took on the case and the kidnapper himself. Then, a few days later, another kidnapping occurs which bears striking resemblances to the 15 year old unsolved case. Three people now all get involved in this new kidnapping, desperately trying to solve it: the grandfather whose grandchild was taken right from under his nose, the mother of the girl who was kidnapped 15 years ago and has never stopped looking for her and the detective who has been haunted by the 15 year old case which he has never been able to solve.
Montage starts out as your average suspense thriller and takes its time getting to the second part of the movie, tricking the audience into thinking that this is just your standard pot-boiler. But once the screenplay starts revealing more and some of the character’s motivations are brought to light, the film becomes a whole different beast and some of the events in the first half take on a totally different meaning. A more quiet and pondering mystery than most of the other entries on this list, Montage is a well directed tense thriller with a lot more to say than one might initially expect.
13. I Saw The Devil (Kim Jee-Woon, 2010)


When Kyung-Chul, a serial killer, murders Joo-Yun on a snowy night and scatters her body parts, he doesn’t realise he couldn’t have selected a worse victim. Not only is her father a police squad leader, her boyfriend, Soo-Hyun, is a secret service agent of the National Intelligence Service, who becomes determined to track down the killer and make him pay. Given leads on some suspects by his father-in-law, Soo-Hyun soon manages to locate the killer. But instead of bringing him to justice, he places a tracking device on him and keeps tormenting the killer, in the process even capturing a vicious cannibal and his girlfriend who Kyung-Chul has been supplying with victimes. But once the killer finds out how Soo-Hyun is tracing him and why, he decides to go after Joo-Yun’s family to exact revenge.
You know that things are going to get nasty when South Korea decided to censor I Saw The Devil for its extreme graphic violence. Kim Jee-Woon’s answer to Chan-Wook Park Vengeance Trilogy, the film suffers in comparison and never manages to reach the same heights. But if stylish brutal films are your cup of tea than there’s plenty to like here. Violent, disturbing and with two of Korea’s greatest stars doing what they do best, I Saw The Devil is another noteworthy South Korean entry in the revenge movie genre and well worth seeing for lovers of these types of film, even though at times the story really doesn’t make all that much sense.
12. Mother (Joon-Ho Bong, 2009)Do-Joon is a shy and mentally slow young man in his twenties who is looked after by his over-protective mother. Do-Joon hangs out with Jin-Tae a lot, who the mother sees as a potential bad influence on this easily swayed Do-Joon. One day a girl is found murdered and circumstantial evidence leads the police to Do-Joon. The boy is arrested and easily convinced into signing a confession even though he doesn’t seem to recall having anything to do with the crime. His mother, convinced that her son could never have committed such a terrible act and that he might in fact be covering for Jin-Tae, starts trying to prove her son’s innocence but the deeper she digs, the more complicated the truth seems to become.
Jooh-Ho Bong’s follow-up to his international breakthrough hit, The Host, is a mystery crime drama in which the director once again manages to give his own personal twist to genre he’s working in. Featuring great performances from all involved and controlled direction by Bong, the film is filled with ambiguity and at times genuinely heartfelt. The movie was nominated for and went on to win a whole slate of awards at various international film festivals.
11. Breathless (Ik-Joon Yang, 2008)Song-Hoon is an enforcer for a local loan shark. And as the man is basically rage personified, he’s damn good at his job. Violent, brutal, obnoxious, swearing incessantly and intimidating as hell, Song-Hoon is not to be messed with and will take down anyone for very little reason. One day he accidentally spits on a schoolgirl, who tells him to get lost, and true to his nature he proceeds to knock her out. Sensing that he might have overreacted, he stays around till she wakes up and then offers to buy the still deviant girl a beer. From here on in the two develop a cautionary friendship and slowly but surely the girl manages to awake a gentler side in Sang-Hoon, which leads him to reconsider his life choices.
Breathless is without a doubt the most low-key and low-budget entry on this list. Directed, produced, written and edited by Jang Ik-June, who on top of all those duties also manages to star in the movie, Breathless is a triumph of independent and low-budget filmmaking. Grim as hell and just as bleak as the larger productions found in this article, the movie refuses to give easy or crowd pleasing answers. Another festival favourite, the film managed to take home more than twenty awards at various international festivals.
10. Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (Chan-Wook Park, 2005)Lee Geum-Ja was in her early twenties when she was convicted for the kidnapping and murder of a young boy. Because of her age and innocent looks the case became a media circus and her story has been followed by many, even during her reduced 13 year prison sentence in which she became a model prisoner and made many friends on the inside. As she leaves jail, a fan procession is awaiting her outside but Lee Geum-Ja pays them no mind and immediately starts working on a plan she has been preparing for the last 13 years: revenge.
The closing chapter of Chan-Wook Park’s critically acclaimed Vengeance Trilogy, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is possibly the lightest entry in the series, which doesn’t mean we are not dealing with some serious sick subject matter here. The film has a much brighter colour palette then the previous two entries in the trilogy and tones down the visceral and brutal violence but also feels like the most personal entry in the series. If Lady Vengeance seems to fall slightly short, it’s only because it lacks the intensity of the first two films. Taken on its own merits, this is a stunning and unique vision from a director at the top of his game.
9. Memories of Murder (Joon-Ho Bong, 2003)A series of rapes and murders are occurring in a rural area in South Korea in 1986. The local small town cop assigned to the case, Park Doo-Man, has no idea how to handle the situation. After he arrests the wrong person an expert from Seoul , Seo Tae-Yoon, is sent over to help with the investigation. Both men’s styles couldn’t be more different as the local cop is used to beating confessions out of his suspects whilst Seo takes a more pragmatic investigative approach. Initially Park isn’t even convinced he is dealing with a serial killer until Seo’s predictions come true and another woman is found raped and murdered. But as the investigation is not providing any results, both men seem to slowly be reaching the end of their tether.
Based on a real case which took place between 1986 and 1991 and which constituted the country’s first recorded serial killings, Memories of Murder was a huge critical as well as commercial success upon its release. It was also one of the films that really upped the ante for South Korean filmmaking at the time. The film clearly deals with the rapidly changing political situation in South Korea in the late eighties as the country was emerging from a dictatorship as exemplified by the local police force’s brutal tactics. But despite the dark subject matter, the film also manages to be darkly humorous and it put its director, Jooh-Ho Bong, clearly on the map.
8. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (Chan-Wook Park, 2002)Ryu is a deaf-mute who is working in a factory to support his ill sister who is in dire need of a kidney transplant. Unfortunately Ryu is not a match so he can’t donate one of his kidneys to her and on top of that he also loses his job. He decides to get a kidney of the black organ-trading market with his pay-out but the gangsters he deals with end up screwing him over and steal his money and kidney without giving him another kidney in return.
Only then is he contacted by the hospital as a suitable transplant has been found but now he lacks the money to pay for the operation. Ryu’s radical terrorist girlfriend than convinces him to kidnap a girl from a rich industrialist to pay for the operation. But things do not go according to plan and soon every single character in the movie is out for revenge on one another.
The first film in Chan-Wook Park’s acclaimed Vengeance Trilogy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is the perfect date film if you want to ensure that you never go on a second one. Taking depressing and bleakness to whole new heights, the movie can be hard to sit through, especially for those who go to the movies to forget about their daily worries with some escapist entertainment.
This is also not an action film so if that’s what you like about Korean thrillers, this might not be the best selection on this list. But after all those warnings, let it be known that Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is a masterpiece in stylish pessimism and disturbing darkness. A nihilistic masterpiece.
7. The Yellow Sea (Hong-Jin Na, 2010)Gu-Nam is a cab driver in Yanji city, located near the borders of China, Russia and North Korea and home to a great number of Chinese-Koreans known as Joseonjok. His wife left for Korea over six months ago to make some extra money but he hasn’t heard from her since and on top of this he also has some serious gambling debts. So when the opportunity arises to go to Korea to carry out a well-paid hit for a local gangster, Gu-Nam grabs the opportunity, figuring he will also be able to look for his wife whilst he’s there. Upon arrival however it turns out that it’s all an elaborate set-up and soon the lonely Korean finds himself chased by the police, the South Korean mob, Chinese triads and a cold-blooded assassin.
After The Chaser (which we’ll find further down this list), director Hong-Jin Na delivered another action-packed thriller with The Yellow Sea. Whilst not as intricately plotted and tight as his previous effort, The Yellow Sea is a two-hour-plus gritty drama with some incredible suspense and action sequences.
Well choreographed and with stunning and moody cinematography, the movie captures the viewer in the first half as it sets up the plot and characters, only to go completely overboard during the second half, which seems to be one long violent outburst of endless fights and mayhem with handheld weapons due to South Korea’s extremely tough gun laws. Bleak, gritty, kinetic and intense, The Yellow Sea is an action thriller of the highest order.
6. New World (Hoon-Jung Park, 2013)After having been undercover in South Korea’s largest crime syndicate, Ja-Sung has found himself in the position of being the right-hand man of the organisation’s second in charge, Jung Chung. But when the big boss is suddenly killed in a car accident, a power struggle develops between the second and third in charge and Ja-Sung, who has been desperate to leave his undercover life behind and start afresh with his pregnant wife, finds himself forced to stay as his commanding chief sees this as a prime opportunity for the police to gain full control of the organisation. And to make matters worse it’s abundantly clear that Jung Chung sees him as a genuine friend whereas his commanding officer is treating him like mere bait.
Basically the South Korean version of Infernal Affairs/The Departed, New World manages to present its often seen story of the deep-undercover cop in a criminal organisation, torn between loyalties between his gangster friends and police buddies, in such a confident and inspired manner that it still feels fresh.
If you liked Infernal Affairs or it’s American remake The Departed, New World is an absolute must-see movie. Director Hoon-Jung Park keeps building the tension masterfully as the film progresses but also manges to inject the proceedings with genuine emotional depth, even going for straight-up melodrama at times, without ever feeling forced. Whilst not the most original storyline, New World manages to be one of the best films in its genre and should not be missed.
5. The Man from Nowhere (Jeong-beom Lee, 2010)Cha Tae-Sik used to be a special forces agent until his wife and child were violently taken from him. Nowadays he lives a solitary life as a pawnshop owner, shut off from the world and seemingly not very interested in ever rejoining society. That’s until he meets the young girl who lives next door. Clearly neglected by her drug addicted mother, the two strike up an unlikely friendship. But when the mother makes the vital mistake of stealing drugs from a powerful crime lord, she and her daughter are taken by gangsters and it’s up to Cha Tae-Sik to set things straight. Initially striking a deal with the mob, Cha Tae-Sik soon finds himself besieged from all sides as both the police and various underworld figures are on his trail.
Bleak as hell and dealing with horrific themes like child abuse, organ trafficking, drug addiction, kidnapping and murder, The Man from Nowhere still manages to find a lot of heart and package the whole as a kinetic action thriller. If you like your action dark and violent and you haven’t seen this The Man from Nowhere, this movie should be on the top of your list.
4. A Dirty Carnival (Ha Yoo, 2006)A Dirty Carnival tells the story of Byeong-Du, a small-time enforcer in a local triad, who seems to solely be in the business out of necessity to support his family. With no father around, a bunch of younger siblings and a mother who is terminally ill, all of them are on the brink of being evicted and it’s up to Byeong-Du to make sure this doesn’t happen.
When he sees a chance of climbing the ranks in his organisation by killing a corrupt prosecutor for his big boss, Byeong-Du grabs the opportunity but by doing so he also invokes the ire of his direct superior, who he bypassed by working directly for their organisation’s president. Additionally he runs into an old friend from his high school days who is now a film director and who would love to get inside information on the triads in order to invigorate his film career. When Byeong-Du does so he further complicates matters for himself and his family.
A slick neo-noir and poignant melodrama, A Dirty Carnival does not glamorise the gangster lifestyle and clearly shows how for many it’s simply a dead-end career path. Just like in the previously mentioned The Yellow Sea, the action scenes are sudden and brutal as strict South Korean gun laws have made baseball bats, knives and axes the weapons of choice for small-time gangsters. A dark and sparse gangster film, A Dirty Carnival is a superior example of South Korean genre dominance.
3. A Bittersweet Life (Kim Jee-Woon, 2005)


A Bittersweet Life is basically the embodiment of a super stylish gangster flick. This fantastic film manages to go effortlessly from dramatic to violent to contemplative without ever skipping a beat. The story involves a gangster’s right-hand man, who is given the seemingly simple task to look after the gangster’s younger lover in his absence, who he suspects is having an affair with a younger man. The normally cold and collected enforcer however starts to develop feelings for the young lady whilst at the same time getting in trouble with a rival gang.
Wonderfully shot and edited and featuring a great performance from the lead, Lee Byeong-Heon, whom western audiences might know from those awful GI Joe movies, A Bittersweet Life is yet another prime example of how Korea is completely on top of the crime film genre. The film also has a fantastic score which often offsets the brutality on screen. If you like gangster films, this is simply compulsory viewing.
2. The Chaser (Hong-Jin Na, 2008)Jung-ho is a ex-policeman who has turned to pimping. Lately two of his girls have disappeared without clearing their debts and he is starting to suspect foul play. When he gets a call for another girl, he sends off Mi-jin but realises too late that the number belongs to the same man who hired the last girl who disappeared. His old detective skills kick in and he goes to investigate and actually manages to catch the suspect after a lengthy chase but both men are arrested and taken to the police station. There the killer admits to murdering the women but police can’t hold him due to lack of any physical evidence. Now Jung-ho only has twelve hours to find Mi-jin, who might still be alive somewhere.
The Chaser was the debut for director Hong-jin Na, who delivered a very tense and elaborately plotted thrill-ride with his very first movie. The film took home a whole bunch of various Korean film awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Editing. Although it’s not as well known as Park Chan-Wook’s Vengeance Trilogy, this movie comes just as highly recommended.
1. Oldboy (Chan-Wook Park, 2003)The film deals with Oh Dae-su, a husband and father, who on the day of his daughter’s birthday is kidnapped and placed in solitary confinement in a hotel-like prison for reasons which remain unknown to him nor is he told how long he will be imprisoned. During his stay in the cell, he learns through the television in his cell that his wife has been murdered and that he is the prime suspect although his whereabouts are unknown to the police.
Then suddenly, after 15 years, he is released. He receives a cellphone from a stranger and then a call from his captor. When Oh Dae-su asks who he is talking to, the captor answers that the who is not important but that he should be thinking about the why instead. From there on in, it becomes a race against the clock to find his tormentor and exact revenge as he is only given a day to solve the mystery.
Oldboy is the middle film in Korean director Park Chan-Wook’s Vengeance Trilogy, preceded by Sympathy for Mr Vengeance and followed by Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. The films are thematically linked but not narratively, so there is no need to see the other movies to be able to enjoy Oldboy (although I still highly recommend to see all three of them, otherwise they wouldn’t all be on this list).
If there is one thing the Korean are good at, it’s making dark depressing and tense thrillers and amongst those Oldboy is probably the very best. It certainly is the film that got the West’s attention focused on the booming Korean film industry as Oldboy won the Special Jury Prize at Cannes and a whole other string of nominations and awards worldwide. An obvious but deserving choice for the number one spot on this list, Oldboy is a modern classic.
Laugh and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone.
Author Bio: Emilio has been a movie buff for as long as he can remember and holds a Masters Degree in Cinema Studies from the University of Amsterdam. Critical and eclectic in taste, he has been described to “love film but hate all movies”. For daily suggestions on what to watch, check out his Just Good Movies Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/goodmoviesuggestions.

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June 28, 2014
Primer: 10 Essential Films Of The Korean New Wave
FEATURES BY THE PLAYLIST STAFF (full description at original source)
This weekend, after what seems like roughly a decade of delays, rumors, teases, announcements, retractions and general bloviating, Bong Joon-ho’s anxiously awaited “Snowpiercer” hits screens. Of course it seems like years, but it was in fact “only” last October, after its South Korean August bow, that the film snuck out in France (from where we reviewed it), after which it rolled out in Asia, Western and Eastern Europe, and you know, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Pakistan before finally coming to the U.S., marking one of the stranger international release strategies for a genre picture starring a recognizable American action star in recent memory. Might it be the only Chris Evans film ever to open in Mongolia three months before the U.S.?
Of course, we’re being a little facetious: “Snowpiercer” may indeed feature Captain America (along with Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton, Octavia Spencer and John Hurt among the more familiar faces), but it’s hardly a Chris Evans vehicle. In fact, it’s probable that its surface similarity to an easy-to-market popcorn flick (Hollywood star, comic book provenance, high-concept sci-fi) proved one of the contributing factors to the confusion and prevarication around its release: as any of us who’ve seen it can attest, it is definitively not a straight-up popcorn flick, and it’s possible that the Weinsteins envisaged flaming torches and pitchforks from irate moviegoers raging that they’d been sold an arthouse experiment under the guise of a sci-fi blockbuster. Because it really is very weird — in a way that will delight cinephiles, but that may well leave more mainstream audiences scratching their heads. So it is probably about right that it’s opening limited (and thankfully — or perhaps not — uncut), that “Transformers: Bombastic Subtitle” will siphon off the majority of of the “WTF dude?” brigade and that the name above the marquee is most definitely that of its Korean director, Bong Joon-ho.
Bong already has an international profile, mainly based on the breakout arthouse success of the equally odd, genre-fusing mindfuck that was “The Host” (not to be confused with last year’s terrible Saoirse Ronan YA adaptation unless joyless timesucks are your thing). But he is also part of a generation of Korean directors (at this point almost exclusively male, at least those who have found a measure of international distribution, though 2013's Busan Film Festival did spotlight several first-time female directors so hopefully some green shoots there) who came of age just as newly democratic South Korea started to blossom culturally and artistically. Bringing both a broad appreciation of genre cinema and a uniquely Korean perspective, along with poster child Park Chan-wook (“Oldboy”), Lee Chang-dong, Hong Sang-soo, Kim Ki-duk and Kim Ji-woon, Bong is at the forefront of the so-called Korean New Wave (which also spawned adorable neologism “Hallyuwood” with “Hallyu” roughly translating as “flow from Korea”), which was seeded in the mid-90s but really started to thrive, and to gain international recognition in the 00s. More recently, as “Snowpiercer,” Park Chan-wook’s “Stoker” Kim Ji-woon's English-language debut "The Last Stand" and last year’s “Oldboy” remake prove, Hollywood has caught the K-wave bug, so for those of you who are wondering where to begin, here’s a handy starter pack of 10 films, featuring all the aforementioned directors, and those titles of theirs we feel can give the best overview of the thriving and ever-expanding Korean New Wave. And if you're in New York, here's five movies to check out at the upcoming Asian Film Festival.
“Joint Security Area” (2000)
“Save The Green Planet” (2003)
"Memories of Murder" (2003)
“A Tale Of Two Sisters” (2003)
“Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...And Spring” (2003)
Park Chan-Wook's "Vengeance Trilogy" (2002, 2003 & 2005)
“The Host” (2006)
"I Saw The Devil" (2010)
"Poetry" (2010)l
“Nobody’s Daughter Haewon” (2013)
Also Worth Checking Out: Rounding out the leading pack of the Korean New Wave is one director we haven't covered above: Im Sang-soo whose 2010 film "The Housemaid," a loose remake of the recently rediscovered 1960 film from veteran director Kim Ki-young played In Competition in Cannes and was widely distributed on the arthouse and festival circuit. An interesting inversion of the social dynamic of the original, in which a conniving unbalanced female servant seduces, blackmails and ultimately destroys a family man, Im's film switches that around to become a pointed indictment of bourgeois family values in which the housemaid is the innocent and the family her tormentors. Notorious also for its explicit sex scenes and undercurrents of sado-masochism, the lurid and at times overwrought melodrama does reveal Im's ongoing preoccupation with class and Korean society, which he explored to lesser effect in 2012's "The Taste of Money" and which got him into hot water back in 2005 when his film "The President's Last Bang" was the subject of a lawsuit due to its scathing serio-comic portrayal of the real-life 1979 assassination of President Park Chung-hee by his Korean CIA chief.
As we mentioned this is all just a taster of a movement that is growing expanding and travelling further with each year, even spawning its own subgenres and imitators. And there are some major titles we didn't cover here which are good suggestions for further viewing if this has given you a taste. Other names to look out for include Kang Je-kyu, especially his 2004 brothers-divided-by-war epic "The Brotherhood of War," Na Hong-jin's slick, nasty cop thriller "The Chaser" from 2008, frenetic 1999 action thriller "Nowhere to Hide" from Lee Myung-se, 2001 romance "Failan" from Song Hae-sung, which shows a softer, subtler side to Korean superstar Choi Min-sik ("Oldboy" himself), and Korea's own biggest homegrown blockbuster 2001's "My Sassy Girl" from Kwak Jae-wong which has already spawned the ultimate Hollywood compliment in the form of an awful remake starring Elisha Cuthbert.
And of the directors we have covered, there will no doubt be those aghast that we didn't include Kim Ji-woon's entertainingly gonzo but wildly uneven "The Good The Bad & The Weird" or 2005's terrific mob crime film "A Bittersweet Life," (a U.S. remake of which is currently in the works from Allen Hughes), Hong Sang-soo's "In Another Country," "The Woman on the Beach" or "Turning Gate," and Park Chan-wook's vampire priest yarn "Thirst," while Lee Chang-dong's "Peppermint Candy" (mentioned above) and Bong Joon-ho's "Mother" and "Barking Dogs Never Bite" are both strong early entries to the canon, the latter starring Bong regular and "Cloud Atlas" standout Bae Doona.
But seriously, this list could be about five times as long and not run out of interesting titles, so let us know if which Korean New Wave films have made the deepest impression on you, and which you'd recommend most as entry-level movies for the neophyte, in the comments section. --Jessica Kiang & Oli Lyttelton

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Clip highlighted at PlanetBH0712.. not too sure what the occasion .. or just because ^^
Published on Jul 2, 2014 by ETN

At that time that the expression: The Good, The Bad, The Weird

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June 26, 2014
Director Kim Ji Woon 10th Anniversary plan to release 'The Good The Weird' Extended version
Source: JoyNews l thanks to mistymorning for the translation


Film maker and director Kim Ji Woon plans to release a director's (expanded) cut on the 10th anniversary of 'The Good, The Bad and The Weird'. The current screening version is a 139-minute length movie but the director wanted to release a longer duration going up to 3 hours or 3 hours and a half version
Dir. Kim has contacted the production company and they said they'll check whether they still have the resources.
If this plan materializes, it'll probably be released around 2018?

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Source: PiFan 부천국제판타스틱영화제
[#PiFan Daily No.04]

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August 11, 2014
10th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival Confirms Its Jurors5 Selectied to Judge Trends in World Music’ Film Today
 by PARK You-young KOBIZ

The 10th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival confirmed five jurors including director KIM Jee-woon and actress LIM Soo-jung to judge ‘World Music Film Today’s films, the only competition section of the film jubilee. The Korean judges include KIM Jee-woon, a leading director of the film noir genre Korean cinema with The Last Stand, I Saw the Devil (2010), The Good, the Bad, and the Weird (2008), and A Bittersweet Life (2004). Actress Actress LIM Soo-jung who showed stellar performances through All About My Wife (2012) and Come Rain, Come Shine (2011) is also part of the team, along with OH Jung-wan, President of Bom Film Productions who made Untold Scandal (2003) and The Foul King (2000).  
The foreign judges are Petri VARIS, chairman of the Organizing Committee for Rockumentti Rock Film Festival which is the largest music-focused documentary festival in Finland and Norman WANG, a highly active Hong Kong-born media consultant and film publicist who works as an advisor for the Berlin and Shanghai International Film Festivals. The five jurors will take part in the opening ceremony and select two films as the grand prize and the special prize winners among six films during the festival. The grand prize winner will be screened as the closing film. The 10th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival will run for six days from August 14 to 19, with the screening of Golden Chariot in the Sky by O Muel as its opening film at an outdoor stage near Cheongpung Lake. The festival features 87 music films from 31 countries and musical performances by 30 teams in Jecheon, a city famous for its lakes.

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September 15, 2014
‘The Guest's’ Adam Wingard, Simon Barrett to Tackle ‘I Saw the Devil’ Remake (Exclusive)
ByJeff Sneider The Wrap
Just days before their latest genre film “The Guest” hits theaters, Simon Barrett and Adam Wingard are nearing a deal to write and direct an English-language remake of Kim Jee-Woon's 2010 South Korean serial killer thriller “I Saw the Devil,” TheWrap has learned.
Snoot Entertainment, the company behind “The Guest” and “You're Next,” has also boarded the project. Snoot's Keith Calder and Jessica Calder will produce with Adi Shankar (“Dredd”) and Spencer Silna.
The original “I Saw the Devil” is a classic revenge tale about an elite special agent (“G.I. Joe's” Lee Byung-hun) whose pregnant fiancé is murdered by an evil madman (“Oldboy's'” Choi Min-sik), prompting him to lure the killer into an increasingly violent and twisted game of cat-and-mouse.
Like Denis Villeneuve‘s “Prisoners,” the premise of “I Saw the Devil” basically asks the question, “what happens when the hero becomes a monster himself?”
“I Saw the Devil” is character-driven rather than plot-driven, as the mystery of the killer's identity is revealed early on. As the lines between good and evil become blurred, the film pushes the concept of revenge to its most extreme limits, effectively transcending the police procedural and serial killer genres in surprising and thrilling new ways.
The deal has been in the works for some time now, as Barrett has already started writing the script and director Wingard has begun meeting with actors, an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap.
CAA will represent domestic rights to the “I Saw the Devil” remake, having packaged the project and set up the rights with Shankar and Silna's production company.
Wingard and Barrett previously collaborated on “A Horrible Way to Die,” “V/H/S” and “You're Next,” which made them darlings of the genre community.
Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Leland Orser and Lance Reddick star in “The Guest,” which Picturehouse opens on Wednesday, Sept. 17. The thriller earned strong reviews at both Sundance and Toronto.
Snoot Entertainment's upcoming releases include the Mary Elizabeth Winstead thriller “Faults,” which Screen Media Films will release on March 6, 2015.
Wingard is represented by CAA, Jeremy Platt Management and attorney Ryan Pastorek, the latter of whom also represents Barrett along with WME.

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September 15, 2014
I Saw The Devil Remake Lands You’re Next And The Guest Duo Adam Wingard And Simon Barrett
Isaac Feldberg We Got This Covered

Last December, we heard that producers Adi Shankar and Spencer Silna had picked up English-language rights to Kim Ji-woon’s cult thriller I Saw The Devil, with intentions to mount an American redo, and now that project is coming together with director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett, the wildly talented duo behind You’re Next and The Guest.

The pair, whose past efforts have earned them a significant fan following, will both write and direct the remake, and reports indicate that they’ve been quietly working on the project for some time. Wingard has started meeting with actors, while Barrett is apparently deep into scripting.
Keith Calder, who is producing the project with Snoot Entertainment, confirmed the news via Twitter:
It’s expected that the original film’s basic premise will remain intact. In the twisted thriller, an elite special agent (Lee Byung-hun) goes on the warpath after his pregnant fiancé is murdered by an evil maniac (Choi Min-sik). Desperate for revenge, the agent lures the killer into a violent game of cat-and-mouse. However, as he crosses all sorts of lines to take down his target, it becomes clear that, to catch a monster, the agent may have to become one himself.
Wingard and Barrett have delivered two phenomenal, stylish and deliciously twisted thrillers in a row, and their skillset makes me think they’ll be perfect for I Saw the Devil. Though the original film is brilliant and definitely worth seeing as soon as humanly possible if you haven’t already, this is one remake that I’m finding myself very excited for.
Source: TheWrap

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Source: Flicks and Bits