Director Kim Jee Woon 김지운 Kim Ji Woon

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January 30, 2010

Review: The Quiet Family (Kim Ji-woon / 1998)

The directorial debut for Kim Ji-woon, THE QUIET FAMILY is possibly the least known of his films in the West, however this black comedy was a hit on it’s release in Korea and was remade by Takashi Miike into THE HAPPINESS OF THE KATAKURIS – a film that might be more widely known by the average western film fan. While HAPPINESS took the backbone of Kim Ji-woon’s flick, Miike also injected all sorts of bizarreness into proceedings, including animation and full blown musical sequences. In comparison THE QUIET FAMILY seems a lot more reserved, but once it gets into it’s swing it becomes clear that THE QUIET FAMILY has all sorts of its own cleverness – its a playful comedy that carefully walks the line between drama, horror and fully blown farce.

THE QUIET FAMILY starts gently – although slickly – enough with its hip-hop opening credits and gentle panning around the family hotel before focusing down on Go Ho-kyung as Min-na, the youngest daughter in the Kang family. These few minutes alone give us a clue as to the style of film that Kim Ji-woon will give us – and indeed has continued to give us throughout his career – as he demonstrates a sharp knack for showcasing technical abilities within his films (cinematography and editing are fantastic and razor sharp) along with an acute awareness of space (the house is as much a character as any of the family within the film, as are the surrounding mountainous areas) – and this is even before we meet the family. As sharp as the script for THE QUIET FAMILY is (and it’s tightly plotted and evenly filled with all sorts of ironic, clever and even not-so clever humour) it’s the casting that really compliments everything that has been done right behind the camera. Alongside Go Ho-kyung, the rest of the family consist of Park In-hwan and Na Mun-hee as Mr and Mrs Kang, Lee Yun-seong as the eldest daughter Mi-su, Song Kang-ho as their older brother Yeong-min and Choi Min-sik as bumbling uncle Chang-ku. That’s one hell of a cast right there.

Alongside the dark story (of which I won’t go into details because part of the fun of THE QUIET FAMILY is the twists and turns that fall upon this unlucky lot), there’s a lot of laughs. If dead bodies and family tension don’t sound like a comedy goldmine, then it highlights how well the script is constructed that there’s always something funny about what is happening, even while it may be simultaneously threatening or nasty. All too many of these types of films struggle with the comedy / horror balance and often fall into the pit of trying to push the horror at the expense of the comedy for the second half of the film in order to reach a conclusion. THE QUIET FAMILY makes none of these mistakes and actually manages to push the comedy quota as the plot gets murkier and murkier.

Song Kang-ho (looking very young, yet this was made just two years before his authoritative performance in the amazing J.S.A.) gets some excellent, and the most slapstick, of the comedy scenes – not to mention a fight scene that, well, could go better for him. Alongside him is Choi Min-sik who gets to play a slightly simple and bumbling uncle (OLDBOY this is not!) and the two provide the broadest comedy for the film – and manage to get pretty broad – but never feel like they may topple it over into the plain daft. Kim Ji-woon somehow manages to play the rest of the cast and plot pretty straight as the more bizarre the comedy elements evolve with the increasingly dark plot structure is. With several sub-plots working together the QUIET FAMILY is never too clever but instead keeps on pushing and nudging its way towards an inevitable conclusion. What this conclusion is likely to be is never clear until we finally get there and although it seems to be a bone of contention for some viewers it absolutely fits with the rest of the film.

While Song Kang-ho and Choi Min-sik get some of the wider comedy in the film, its fairly safe to say that at the core of the piece it’s Park In-hwan and Na Mun-hee as the mother and father of the family that anchor the story. Increasingly willing to do whatever is necessary to keep the family together and make a success of their business, they both play the whole thing completely straight – and Na Mun-hee in particular gets to wring some poignant laughs out of the increasingly uncomfortable situation..

The rest of the cast – Go Ho-kyung and Lee Yun-seong as the argumentative sisters are strong although get less to do than everyone else, and there’s an enjoyable appearance from Jeong Woong-in who plays a visiting developer who stays at the lodge and shows more than a casual interest in Mi-su.

If there’s any complaints directed toward THE QUIET FAMILY, they can only be that the clever plot, comedy and drama don’t allow for too much in the way of characterisation. The family largely remains the same even as all sorts of bad luck falls on them. While the intention may be to show the bond of this family unit in the face of large obstacles (but who argue over the small things) individually they’re underdeveloped, almost as if they’re unaware of the bigger picture. This is referenced at least once – Yeong-min is congratulated in his speed of digging holes – but a little more would have been welcome. Still, this is a small criticism in what never aspires to be a character piece but an ensemble black comedy.

It won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but THE QUIET FAMILY really is a minor classic. Mixing laugh out loud moments with a very dark plot, it’s slick and surprisingly involving with great performances from its cast who make the most of its beautifully crafted script.

Source: newkoreancinema.com

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Thanks to the highlight & capture at GBW cafe.daum 5664

March 12, 2010

The Warlords

The Good, The Bad, The Weird finally getting US release

Houston Movie Examiner Chris Sawin

The US movie poster for The Warlords and an international poster for The Good, The Bad, The Weird

Images property of Magnet Releasing (Magnolia Pictures) & IFC Films

Two rather spectacular foreign films are finally seeing US distribution after both were originally released over two years ago. The first is the Chinese war epic The Warlords starring Jet Li, Andy Lau, and Takeshi Kaneshiro. The film tells the story of three blood brothers, the war they find themselves thrown into, and their struggle during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The other film is a Korean western called The Good, The Bad, The Weird. A small time train thief finds himself in possession of the most saught after treasure map in all of 1930s Manchuria. The top bandit in all of Manchuria is also after this map while a bounty hunter is after anyone with a decent bounty on their head. Meanwhile, the Japanese army and a group of Chinese bandits catch word of who has the map and set out to get it for themselves.

Full reviews for both films can be found at the bottom of the article. The Warlords is set to be released theatrically April 2nd, but is currently available to watch on Video-On-Demand (and has been since March 3rd). IFC Films is listing an April 9th theatrical release date for The Good, The Bad, The Weird, but ComingSoon.net lists April 23rd. The Good, The Bad, The Weird will be hitting Video-On-Demand services on March 31st. The theatrical runs will be limited for both films, but hopefully this means DVD/Blu-ray releases are in the near future. No word yet on if either film will be coming to the Houston area. I highly recommend checking out both films, especially since they're available to watch on VOD. Both are excellent films that not many (outside of the foreign film fanbase) have heard of.

Source: examiner.com

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I Saw the Devil movie banner copied from PlanetBH0712

March 18, 2010

Select Filmart titles

A selection of Korean films headed for Hong Kong event

By VARIETY STAFF

"I Saw the Devil"

Director: Kim Jee-woon

Producers: Kim Hyun-woo, Cho Sung-won

Stars: Choi Min-sik, Lee Byung-hun

"The Good, the Bad, the Weird" helmer meets heroes from "Oldboy" and "G.I. Joe" in a thriller of bloody vengeance by a top secret agent against a psychopathic serial killer.

Sales: Finecut

More at variety.com

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March 25, 2010

Chungmuro Sure-Success Director-Actor Combination

Based on the current reigning movie at the Korean box-office 'Shutter Island' (Martin Scorsese - Leonardo DiCaprio) a survey by prominent movie site CINE21 recently concluded the top combination of Korea's own acclaimed auteurs-thespians silmilar to the Scorsese-DiCaprio collaboration that will surely be a sure hit for the movie industry as well as assuring a high international anticipation of excellent movie work.

Top three combo are:

1. Director Park Chan Wook - Song Kang Ho (68%) - Thirst, JSA

2. Director Lee Chang Dong - Sol Kyung-gu (14.1%) - Peppermint Candy, Oasis

3. Director Kim Jee Woon - Lee Byung Hun (10.7%) - A Bittersweet Life, NomNomNom, I Saw The Devil

Source: news.nate.com / gist by EverythingLBH

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April 2, 2010

The Good, the Bad and the Weird Receives U.S. Release

KIM Jee-woon's The Good, the Bad and the Weird is to finally get its U.S release. Caught up in a lawsuit, reportedly with MGM over its name, the film is due to hit American audiences April 23. The genre bending film was so successful it spawned its own genre the 'Kimchi Western' and ranked number 2 at the Korean box office in 2008, pulling in 6,719,000 admissions. The movie’s name is an homage to Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Western The Good, the Ugly and the Bad (1996).

The genre director KIM Jee-woon has already become known as a leading film maker since the release of his first film The Quiet Family in 1998. Known for never staying in the safe confines of one genre, he has delved in such extremes as the revenge/gangster genre in A Bittersweet Life (2005), horror with A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) and comedy with the Quiet Family. The Good, the Bad and the Weird stars SONG Kang-ho, Korea's hardest working actor who recently starred in the spy thriller Secret Reunion, played in some of Korea's biggest movies such as BONG Joong-ho's The Host (2006) and also appeared in director KIM's The Quiet Family. LEE Byung-hun who appears in the film has also worked with KIM before playing the anti hero in A Bittersweet Life. LEE is currently starring in IRIS: The Movie and is fast becoming popular overseas in Japan and the U.S. The Good, the Bad and the Weird also stars JUNG Woo-sung who appeared in A Moment to Remember (2004), Mutt Boy (2003) and more recently in A Season of Good Rain (2009).

The three each play the respective good, bad and weird roles as they are taken on an action packed journey across the Manchurian desert in search of treasure. Set during the 1930's, the three not only have to compete amongst themselves, they also have the Japanese army in hot pursuit.

David Oxenbridge <KOFIC>

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April 21, 2010

Cinematheque Forever

The May 2010 edition of Harper's Bazaar Korea will be boosting a special feature of 26 Korea's top filmmakers and actors for an ongoing project sponsored by Cinematheque Seoul Art Cinema.

Most noted is the the appearance of the dynamic director-actor duo, Kim Ji Woon and Lee Byung Hun currently working together in the upcoming summer thriller noir "I Saw The Devil."

Source: news.nate.com l news.nate.com l kr.news.yahoo.com

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Thanks to the fan-sharing at DC, highlighted by veve111 at EverythingLBH thread

BTS from the Harper's Bazaar Pictorial cool men *ahem!*

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Harper's Bazaar May 2010, fan-scans copied from GBW cafe daum 5823

So love the BH-KJW combo

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Thanks to melusine at The Housemaid thread for the highlight

'Housemaid' VIP Premiere - May 3, 2010

Director Kim Ji-Woon

I didn't know that Dir. KJW attended the 'Housemaid' VIP premiere on Monday but not with his buddy, actor LBH. They must be taking turns leaving the filming 'I Saw the Devil' since Byunghun took Sunday off to attend the JDG-GSY wedding.

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May 6, 2010

[10LINE] Actress Moon Geun-young

Senior Reporter.Kang Myoung-Seok Editor.Lee Ji-Hye, Lucia Hong

Her co-star from the movie "A Tale of Two Sisters." Lim Soo-jung described Moon as “a vigorous and cheerful child-adult" who would “send a lot of text messages at the start of the month but fewer by the end because her mobile phone plan only allowed her to send 500 a month.” Like Lim said, Moon has the face of a child which also contains expressions which might be felt by a grown-up feeling complex emotions. Director of "Two Sisters" Kim Ji-woon called her "the kind of actress who is able to make those around her feel guilty with the deep sadness in her eyes." For Moon Geun-young, who likes “the kind of acting which gives off a certain odd, unexplainable feeling,” “Two Sisters" was the perfect film where she was able to show her unique style as an actress. And Moon Geun-young started to gain attention as a new kind of teenage actress.

Senior Reporter : Kang Myoung-Seok two@ Editor : Lee Ji-Hye seven@, Lucia Hong luciahong@ <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10.asiae.co.kr

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May 7, 2010

An Interview With Kim Ji-woon,

director of The Good, the Bad, the Weird

Author: KoreAm Posted: May 7th, 2010

His lawless Manchurian terrain makes its way to American theaters

Nearly two years after Kim Ji-woon’s The Good, the Bad, the Weird became a hit at the Korean box office, the multi-genre-weaving director’s kimchi western has earned a United States release. An homage to Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone’s classic, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Kim’s action flick follows the quest of three resolute gunslingers on the hunt for hidden treasure in the lawless terrains of 1930s Manchuria. Starring Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun and Jung Woo-sung, it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008.

At the moment, director Kim is busy with two new projects: a thriller starring Choi Min-sik and Lee Byung-hun called I Saw a Devil (to be released in the summer) and his American debut, Max, a French noir-influenced crime picture that will begin shooting in Philadelphia this winter. While on set for I Saw a Devil in Korea, Kim spoke to KoreAm (in Korean) about his past and present works.

Your 2003 film, A Tale of Two Sisters, is both the highest-grossing Korean horror film and the first to be screened in American theaters. What were your thoughts on its 2009 American remake?

Uninvited was made in a very American way. It still attempted to achieve some sort of a twist, making it stand out compared to other teen horror films. The only problem I had was how the portrayal of ghosts was interpreted. I don’t think that’s the production’s fault, but there’s just a difference in the general public’s perceptions on a subject.

What’s I Saw a Devil about?

It’s a thriller about a serial killer (Choi Min-sik) murdering a man’s (Lee Byung-hun) fiancée. A character chases after a devil-like figure, and he himself ends up somewhat like the devil. Choi Min-sik first brought up the idea last summer, and asked me if I could direct it.

The vibe sounds different from The Good, the Bad, the Weird.

My films, more often than not, emphasize a genre’s characteristics. The Good, the Bad, the Weird, for example, covers a sub-genre of Western films popularly known as “spaghetti westerns,” which was uncommon in Korean cinema.

Were there other Korean versions of Western films in the past?

When the genre was popular in the ’60s and ’70s, every country had its own interpretation. In Korea, there were a couple films that were set in Manchuria with Western features. One of the films that inspired me the most was Break The Chain by Lee Man-hui. The Good, the Bad, the Weird is a mix between Sergio Leone’s spaghetti western style and early-’70s Korean action films.

Lee Byung-hun plays “The Bad.” I thought your work with him for A Bittersweet Life was amazing. The stylized gun scenes in that film reminded me of John Woo flicks.

Thank you. In Korea, it’s uncommon to have that much usage of guns in films. As a result, many actors from Korea romanticize roles that stylishly use guns. And for A Bittersweet Life, instead of Hong Kong noir, French noir influenced me. It was interesting because many French people, after they saw the film, said that Lee Byung-hun reminded them of the French actor Alain Delon.

What was the atmosphere like on the set?

Since Song Kang-ho was the sunbae (senior), he displayed leadership and other actors followed. On the sets of Korean films, there are these familial bonds among the actors and staff. We did face some tough conditions in the Gobi Desert though. We were hit by several giant sandstorms. Remember the sandstorms in [American 1999 film] The Mummy? We were hit with the real-life versions of those.

The American release of The Good, the Bad, The Weird, from IFC Films, will roll out in cities nationwide throughout May. For screening dates and times, please visit www.ifcfilms.com.

Credits: iamkoream.com

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May 13, 2010

Finecut sells I Saw The Devil to France's ARP

By Liz Shackleton

The film is currently in production and scheduled for Korean release in summer

this year. Finecut is showing 12 minutes footage of the film here at Cannes

Seoul-based sales agent Finecut has scored a major pre-sale on Kim Jee-woon’s highly-anticipated thriller I Saw The Devil, which has gone to ARP for France.

Starring Lee Byung-hun (A Bittersweet Life) and Choi Min-sik (Old Boy), the film is a hide-and-seek revenge story played out between two men – one a psychopathic serial killer and the other a top secret agent whose fiancee has become one of the serial killers’ victims.

The film is currently in production and scheduled for Korean release in summer this year. Finecut is showing 12 minutes footage of the film here at Cannes. ARP previously released Kim’s last film, The Good, The Bad, The Weird, which premiered in an out of competition slot at Cannes in 2008. Kim’s credits also include The Foul King, A Tale Of Two Sisters and A Bittersweet Life, which also starred Lee Byung-hun.

Meanwhile, Finecut has also sold espionage action thriller IRIS: The Movie, also starring Lee, to Mirius Tuck for ex-Yugoslavia, while Ounie Lecomte’s A Brand New Life has gone to Golden Village for Singapore. Both deals are mop-up sales as the films were widely sold last year. A Brand New Life premiered in Cannes official selection in the special screenings section last year.

Finecut has also sealed a package deal with Taiwanese distributor Waysen International which has acquired Min Kyu-dong’s drama Antique, creature feature Chaw and horror film Blood Pledge.

Source: screendaily.com

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May 14, 2010

Korean thriller "I Saw the Devil" pre-sold to France's ARP

Reporter.Lucia Hong Editor.Jessica Kim

Still cut of "I Saw the Devil" [showBox]

Upcoming Korean thriller "I Saw the Devil" has been pre-sold to France's largest distribution company ARP, according to the film's promoter on Friday. The overseas sales representative for Finecut explained through a press release that the publication rights for "Devil" was sold over to ARP France on May 13, the first day of the Film Market at the Cannes Film Festival.

ARP bought the rights for the movie, which is still in production, after receiving information on the director, cast and synopsis for "Devil." "We trust in the film because of how director Kim Jee-woon is able to show his own style of work through various genres like in his previous work 'The Good, The Bad, The Weird,'" ARP C.E.O Michele Halberstadt was quoted as saying.

He also added,"The moviegoers in France are big fans of Lee Byung-hun and Choi Min-sik so we have high expectations for this film."

The promotional video of "Devil" is scheduled to be shown in theaters at Cannes today and Sunday.

"Devil," helmed by famed director Kim Jee-woon, is about the revenge between a psychopathic serial killer (Choi) and a top secret agent (Lee) whose fiancee becomes one of the killer's victims.

The movie is set to premiere in Korea this summer.

Reporter: Lucia Hong luciahong@ Editor: Jessica Kim jesskim@ <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10.asiae.co.kr

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Upcoming Films (by Tom Giammarco and Darcy Paquet)

Waiting for Release

INRYU-YEOLMANG BOGOSEO. An omnibus by directors Kim Jee-woon (Tale of Two Sisters, Quiet Family), Im Pil-seong (Antarctic Journal, Show Me), and Han Jae-rim(Rules of Dating). The first tale Cheonsangui Pijomul (Kim Jee-woon) is being described as a 'nonsense' story about a robot who wants to attain Buddhist enlightenment. Im Pil-sung's story is about an innocent young man who is turned into a zombie in Meotjin Shinsegi and in director Han's film, Christmas Seonmul, is a musical sci-fi based on the O. Henry short story Gift Of The Magi. Kim Kang-woo (Beast and the Beauty, The Aggressives), Kim Min-seon (Memento Mori, Low Life), Jo Yoon-hee (Taegukgi) and Kim Seo-hyeon (Sweet Sex and Love, Over the Rainbow) will all be appearing in different chapters of the film. No release date has been set as yet for this Lucy Film.

Source: koreanfilm.org

May 14, 2010

ARP sees Kim's 'Devil' at Cannes

French company picks up thriller from top Korean director

By Park Soo-mee

SEOUL – Kim Ji-woon’s “I Saw the Devil,” a hard-boiled thriller starring top Korean actors Choi Min-shik (“OldBoy”) and Lee Byung-hun (“GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra”), was picked by France’s ARP in a presale at Cannes Thursday, according to a Seoul-based sales company Finecut.

ARP bought the director’s previous kimchi-western “The Good, The Bad, The Weird” at Cannes in 2007 for a wide release in France along with other Asian arthouse films, including Wong Kar-wai’s “Happy Together.”

“Kim has a unique style for variation of genres including comedy, horror and film-noire,” said Michelle Halberstadt, the head of ARP. "'The Good, The Bad, The Weird’ was an unseen western. We expect that his new thriller will show something new.”

Kim’s promo film will be screened in a theater in Cannes on May 14 and 16. “I Saw The Devil” is the story of a man chasing a killer who murdered his fiancée. The film will be released in Korea this summer.

Source: hollywoodreporter.com

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Thanks to the fan-sharing and highlight at PlanetBH

Album Compilation: My life's a movie musical back in 2004??

(direct online translation)

1. Gabriel's Oboe (Mission) - Film director Gam Woo-seung - Ennio Morricone

2. Love Theme (Cinema Paradiso) - Movie actor Lee Byung-hun - Ennio Morricone

3. Non, Je Ne Regrett Rien (Fanny Fink) - movie star Jang - Edith Piaf

4. Quizas, Quizas, Quizas - Movie actor Ahn Sung-ki - Nat King Cole

5. Fly Me To The Moon (Evangelion) - Screen Actors Jo Seung-soo - Julie London

6. I Wish You Love (varnish and pursuant) - Movie actress Kim Hee-sun - Lisa Ono

7. Once Upon A Time In America - Chairman of younghwainhoe Cine 2000, representing yichunyeon - Ennio Morricone

8. Jazz Suit No.2 Waltz - Dimitri Shostakovich - Film director Jang Yun-hyun

9. Sweet Jane (Natural Born Killers) - Film director Kim Ji-woon - Cowboy Junkies

10. Your hand (buses, bus stop) - President myeongpilreum simjaemyeong - Lucid Paul (LUCID FALL)

11. Super Humanism (Humanism) - film director Park Chan-wook - eoeobu

12. Moon River (Breakfast at Tiffany's) - Film actress Lee Young-ae - Nancy Wilson

13. Nocturnes No.13 En Ut Mineur In C Minor, Op.48 No.1 - Frederic Chopin (piano) - Movie actor Lee Jeong-jae

14. You Will Come - Zbigniew Preisner (The Double Life of Veronica) - Cine 21 Antigenotoxicity editor

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Malick, Coppola could lead strong crop at Venice 2010

19 May, 2010 | By Screen staff

Terrence Malick’s The Tree Of Life and Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere are among a raft of strong titles that could be bound for this year’s Venice or Toronto. Terrence Malick’s The Tree Of Life — which had been hoped for as a cornerstone of the festival here — was not ready in time for the Croisette, so it now appears Venice-bound. In fact, a slew of high-profile films could herald an especially hot year in Venice — and/or Toronto.

Other titles tipped for the Lido include Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere, Clint Eastwood’s Hereafter, Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech, Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, Anton Corbijn’s The American, Julian Schnabel’s Miral, Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours, John Cameron Mitchell’s Rabbit Hole, Bruce Robinson’s The Rum Diary, Robert Rodriguez’s Machete and Julie Taymor’s The Tempest.

From the continent, Vallanzasca seems like a strong contender from Italy and Benedek Fliegauf’s Womb could be ready from Germany-Hungary-France. Bela Tarr’s The Turin Horse is also believed to be ready to unspool. Scandinavian titles could include Susanne Bier’s In A Better World and Bent Hamer’s Home For Christmas. Middle Eastern selections ready in time for Venice could include Maryam Keshavarz’s Circumstance and Dover Kosashvili’s The Duel.

Asian selections could include Takashi Miike’s Thirteen Assassins, Sion Sono’s Cold Fish, Kim Jee-woon’s I Saw The Devil, Tran Anh Hung’s Norwegian Wood, Su Chao-pin’s Reign Of Assassins, Chen Kaige’s Zhao’s Orphan and Wayne Wang’s Snow Flower And The Secret Fan.

The UK could be represented by David Mackenzie’s The Last Word, Cary Joji Fukunaga’s update of Jane Eyre, Nigel Cole’s Made In Dagenham, Kevin Macdonald’s The Eagle Of The Ninth, Peter Mullan’s Neds and Rowan Joffé’s Brighton Rock.

Source: screendaily.com

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I SAW THE DEVIL cafe naver.com l soompi thread

May 25, 2010

Choi Min-Sik. Lee Byung-Hun. Kim Ji-Woon. I SAW THE DEVIL Teaser Arrives.

by Todd Brown, May 25, 2010 8:37 PM

Though Murderer - the sophomore feature from Chaser director Na Hong-Jin - will certainly make its share of noise there is no doubt what the event movie of the year in Korea is. After all, can anything else really be in the running when the director of The Good The Bad And The Weird teams up with the stars of Oldboy and A Bittersweet Life? Yes, Kim Ji-Woon's dark crime thriller hits screens this summer and he's brought Lee Byung-Hun and Choi Min-Sik along for the ride.

The film is Oldboy star Choi's first major role since returning from a self imposed exile begun in protest over changes to the Korean screen quota system and marks the duo's first time working together. Lee and Kim, however, go back now over several films and their collaborations have always been stellar. This is also the first time Lee and Choi - two of the nation's biggest and most recognizable stars - have ever appeared together.

Story? Lee plays a cop driven to take vengeance after Choi's character kills his fiance. Stylish this will certainly be with Kim at the helm but pretty? No way. Check the teaser below.

Related Links wildgrounds.com l twitchfilm.net

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Excerpt from a long 10Asia interview with Taewon CEO, posted here is related Dir. KJW mention only. For full article please refer the original source or the News thread. Thanks.

May 31, 2010

[iNTERVIEW] Producer Chung Taewon - Part 1-3

Editor in Chief.Beck Una Editor.Lee Ji-Hye , Jang Kyung-Jin, Jessica Kim

Producer Chung Tae-won [beck Una/10Asia]

Some say he is a ruthless producer. Some evaluate him as an intelligent businessman. Some consider him as a brother who knows what being loyal is about. After fearlessly stepping into Chungmuro [where the history of Korean film started] in his early twenties as a film importer, he later placed his name on the power list of commercial film producers. He also was the chief of an entertainment company which sees large profits from importing major films such as "The Lord of the Ring" series by utilizing his innate business mindset and close relationship with Hollywood's major film studios.

Then he successfully wrapped up production of blockbuster drama "IRIS" last year and in June is set to start filming "Athena," a 20-billion won spin-off of the series starring top Korean actors Cha Seung-won and Jung Woo-sung. He is a hard core workaholic who said that even on the day of his interview with 10Asia, he watched the final edit version of film "Into Fire" which is awaiting release in June after taking care of several lawsuits and contracts regarding "IRIS." People may have mixed feelings about this fast-moving mass of energy, especially in the Korean entertainment business where sensitive artists are held in high esteem and numbers and size are dismissed. But put aside the fact that he is a successful producer, nobody will be able to deny his passion for films based on how he has walked a single career path. He is Chung Tae-won, the CEO of Taewon Entertainment.

Beck: You said you dream of becoming a producer like Harvey Weinstein but he has a director like Martin Scorcese. So far you have worked mostly on films where the producer plays a big part but don't you dream of working with a strong director like Scorcese?

Chung: Of course I do. Like director Kim Ji-woon. But I think I'm not worthy of working with him. Why would he work with me? You've probably heard why through rumor. (laugh) My nickname is 'Kim Il-sung.' Because I get everything done my own way.

Beck: Could such active interference and participation possibly mean that you may become a director one day?

Chung: No, not really. Not that I can guarantee it but for now, I like being a producer. I always say this to directors. that I'm not an enemy but to just consider me as a strong-willed and experienced assistant director. That the director is there to do art and that I'm someone who needs to find the point where people will find satisfaction. I persuade them by showing them the results of how I have done so far. And when I still can't persuade them, I become Kim Il-sung. (laugh)

Beck: What is at the core of what you produce, or do you have a philosophy?

Chung: There are various types of producers right? Some work around the director and some work around the producers but I don't think it's correct to say which is right or wrong. Apparently, I'm the latter. But I think commercial films and dramas is what I'm good at. I have some know-hows that I have gained in both Korea and overseas so rather than teaching or interfering, I believe I'm an assistant who can give tips. And some directors will be good at accepting that while others won't. I don't think I'm treating the directors badly. I'm also not overstepping my bounds because I'm greedy to be the director. I just think that I am a producer who is extremely devoted to balancing the artistic and commercial aspects to a movie. And I have no intention of changing my style. Of course, I do think I could soften up a bit because I'm quite rigid. (laugh) But I think I'll continue to live as this kind of producer and believe that producers like me need to exist.

Editor in Chief: Beck Una one@ Editor: Jessica Kim jesskim@, Jang Kyung-Jin three@, Lee Ji-Hye seven@ <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10.asia 1 l 2 l 3

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I SAW THE DEVIL Official website isawthedevil.co.kr

Capture copied from PlanetBH0712, courtesy ISTD cafe naver

May 31, 2010

Optimum picks up 'Devil' for UK

Kim Jee-woon thriller also picked up for France, Turkey

By Park Soo-mee

SEOUL – “I Saw the Devil,” the director Kim Jee-woon’s highly-anticipated thriller currently in production, was picked up by U.K. distributor Optimum Releasing during the Cannes Market, according to a Seoul-based sales company Finecut.

The U.K. film company has previously handled Korean films including “The Host” and “Chaw.”

“Kim Jee-woon’s beautifully crafted footage crept into our subconscious like a dark force,” said Berenice Fugard, the head of acquisitions at Optimum Releasing. “We're sure he will deliver one of the most exquisite, disquieting films for a long time.”

Aside from the U.K. deal, the film was also picked up by ARP for French-speaking territories, Catchplay for Taiwan and Bir Film for Turkey, which distributed “A Tale of Two Sisters,” Kim’s earlier film.

“I Saw the Devil” is a hard-boiled thriller about a top secret agent whose fiancée was murdered by a serial killer. The twisted revenge story between two men will be played by a veteran ensemble of Lee Byung-hun (“A Bittersweet Life”) and Choi Min-sik (“OldBoy”).

The film is scheduled to be released in the summer.

Source: hollywoodreporter.com

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June 1, 2010

Korean film "I Saw The Devil" pre-sold to four countries

Reporter.Lynn Kim Editor.Jessica Kim

Korean actor Lee Byung-hun in a scene from the film "I Saw The Devil" [showbox]

Korean thriller film "I Saw The Devil," which was pre-sold to France during Cannes film market last month, has been picked up by three more countries -- namely England, Taiwan and Turkey.

According to a press release by Finecut, which handles overseas sales for the pic, U.K.-based film distribution company Optimum Releasing bought the overseas rights for the Korean thriller which is still in production with noted filmmaker Kim Ji-woon directing top actors Lee Byung-hun and Choi Min-sik.

"Director Kim Jee-woon's unique and beautiful style has a powerful force that touches a deep spot in one's subconscious," explained Berenice Fugard, President of Optimum, on why he bought the film. He went onto say that he is "convinced director Kim Ji-woon will make one of the most intense, breathtaking films that will be remembered for a long time."

Optimum had previously bought and distributed several Korean films, including "The Host" and "Chaw," in the U.K.

Taiwanese distributor Catchplay and Turkey's Bir Film also picked up the film from Finecut. "Devil" is about a secret agent (played by Lee) plotting revenge against a serial killer (Choi) who killed his fiancee.

The film is scheduled for release in Korea this summer.

Reporter : Lynn Kim lynn2878@ Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@ <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10.asiae.co.kr