Park Hae-Il 박해일 [Movies: “Decision to Leave”, “Hansan: Rising Dragon”]

[melusine]

^

^All the good ones are taken.

A belated chukahamnida to PHI and his wife!

(I'll pretend I don't really want to strangle her, put her panties over her head and dump her in a field somewhere. Or maybe bribe the Host monster into eating her... )

Aww, RSB was best man at his wedding!

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I love Park HaeIl, he's one of my favorite actors. He creeped me out in "Memories of Murder", made me fall hopelessly in love with him in "My Mother the Mermaid", was the sole reason I watched "The Boy Who Went to Heaven" (cringing all the while), wowed me at how smarmy (yet human) he was in "Rules of Dating" and is part of a cast that I'm so excited to see in "The Host."

Hated "Scent of Love" (despite my <3 for him and Jang JinYoung). Haven't seen "Waikiki Brothers" or "Jealousy is My Middle Name" yet. (I hear they're good)

Any movie he's in, you betcha I'll be looking forward to it.

Shooting his new film with Park SolMi and Sung JiRoo

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[Guest inez]

Aaarghhhhhh!!..he's taken!!!

Azura!!!

Hahaha..the reason to watch 'The Host' again..him..Song Kang Ho and The Fish..

Melusine..'Rules Of Dating'...like mj says..you'll hate him in there..

[Guest mj07]

I'm amazed at how "smarmy" he was in "Rules of Dating", yet, you couldn't help but like him! He was really blunt and crude, but refreshingly honest, in a weird sort of way! Such an unusual role, and he performed it fabulously!

Sigh… I've forgotten more of the movies I've seen than I remember, and unfortunately "Jealousy is My Middle Name" is one of them! Guess that means I should watch it again!

[bellaangel012]

Totally stumbled into this thread by accident and wow, another actor whose works i really really enjoyed. I agree with you mj07, his role in Rules of Dating was something else.

He's quirky and i love quirky guys. And who would have thought he married already, im heartbroken now =D LOL

Keep the info coming although his upcoming role will be quite interesting. Im not really into those type of movies but ill sit through it just for him.

[Guest thunderbolt]

I thought Waikiki Brothers was wonderful. Here's a review I wrote recently:

Waikiki Brothers

I bought Waikiki Brothers because I'm a Park Hae-il fan and this is his debut movie. Waikiki Brothers is the name of a dying nightclub band, its members having dwindled from 7 to 4, then 3, then 2... The lead character is Sung-woo and he is played by two actors: Lee-eol as the older taciturn Sung-woo and Park Hae-il as Sung-woo in his teens. As I was watching the movie, I kept thinking: Koreans will love this movie. Strange that I should think that because I'm not Korean and how would I know what Koreans like? But the movie felt so quintessentially Korean somehow.

This movie is about boyhood aspirations, and falling in love, and struggling to survive in a world where money talks, and where dreams are crushed, and you go to sleep thinking, "What is there to look forward to the next day? How do I survive?" But it's also a movie about hope, about holding on to the things that matter. Behind every face is a story waiting to be told, a past you could not have imagined. That ahjuma cook in that rundown restaurant? Why, she could be a cabaret singer with moves so seductive your eyes might pop out. That guy who drives the bus you take to work everyday? Can you picture him behind the drums in a nightclub, his eyes closed in a dreamlike trance as he plays the songs you know so well?

I bought this movie for Park Hae-il but the revelation for me was another actor, a guy with shocking yellow hair. Ryu Seung-beom was mesmerizing in Waikiki Brothers. I loved his enthusiasm and how, when everyone in his right mind wouldn't want a job with such lousy prospects, that he was doing the opposite: begging to learn how to play the drums because he so wanted to be up there on stage, to perform.

When I finished Waikiki Brothers, a song kept playing in my head and it wasn't from the movie. No, it was from Ruler Of Your Own World. I don't know... the movie just made me think of ROYOW, maybe because both are about a struggling band, and about dogged determination... and how if you look hard enough, there's still beauty... and hope... You just got to believe.

Let me end by sharing the lyrics of a song that the Sung-woo character wrote:

Everything in the world

Has its ups and downs

After you grieve and laugh

Roll around and look to the sky

Your life depends on what you think

You shouldn't feel so miserable

Even if everything doesn't go as you want

Just live your life as you please.

Waikiki Brothers review in the koreanfilm.org reviews archives.

credit: hancinema; jisubaddicts.com

Caps by me:

credit: thunderbolt, jisubaddicts.com

[Guest thunderbolt]

My thoughts on The Host which I watched last week:

I don't really know what to say since most people have not watched it and I don't want to give away spoilers. Up to now I'm still thinking about the movie, especially the ending. Was the movie scary? Well, not as much as the horror trailers for other movies that I had to sit through while waiting for the main dish to arrive. But yes, I did scream, I dug my claws into the arm of the person sitting next to me, and my heart was pounding in certain scenes (actually it is still pounding...).

But the movie was also gripping, and beautiful, and heartbreaking. I especially was not expecting the heartbreaking part. The special effects were awesome and the monster seemed both alien-like and human. Guys would be very impressed with the special effects. As for me, I paid more attention to the human drama, to the family comprising an old man, his three children, and a granddaughter. I felt for them, I laughed at the things they did, and my heart broke for what they had to go through. And because of this last part, I really hated the monster.

The main cast was superb, all five of them. I've read some people saying Bae Doo-na's role was quite small but I don't agree. She's rapidly becoming one of my favorite actresses for her ability to become the character she is playing without caring two hoots about her appearance. Song Kang-ho was amazing, just amazing. One moment he seemed like a mental retard, the next moment he was this raging bull. One moment you were laughing hysterically at him, the next you were gasping at his fury. The grandpa, Byung Hee-bong... Why did he have to go so soon? He commanded the screen with his presence. From now on, I will remember his roles in The Host and Barking Dogs Never Bite as my favorite BHB roles.

But my two favorites in the movie were Park Hae-il and Ko A-sung. I was transfixed by PHI. He's such a good actor! I was just so happy to see him. To be honest, The Host would not be as special to me if he wasn't in it; he's the main reason I've been looking forward to the movie all these months. I have such a soft spot for him. I was touched by how much he loved his niece. Sure, he snapped at his hyung (Song Kang-ho) a lot and he swore a lot too but he was so single-minded in his mission to rescue his niece. I was so relieved that he didn't die. As for Ko A-sung, what a stellar performance from this girl. She didn't have that many scenes but she shone in every scene she was in. I was captivated by her in Beating Heart and mesmerized by her here.

Don't miss this movie, everyone.

credit: Jisubaddicts.com

PHI in The Host:

credit: Yahoo; jisubaddcts.com

[Guest mj07]

speaking of Waikiki Brothers, does anyone know a place that might still carry it (online)?? They don't have it at YesAsia or several other places I looked and now I'm REALLY interested to see it!

[Guest thunderbolt]

Did a search for you online and found one place that still has it:

http://www.hkflix.com/xq/asp/filmID.2699/qx/details.htm

I bought my set from a Myeong-dong store when I was in Seoul this summer.

More pics from PHI's wedding:

credit: yahoo; jisubaddicts.com

[Guest inez]

Oh how sweet!! beautiful little girls performed n danced on his wedding day!!

Hmm..MUST get hold of 'Waikiki Brothers'!!..he plays guitar too!! COOL!!

[Guest thunderbolt]

Assorted PHI pics:

credit: yahoo; jisubaddicts.com

[Guest inez]

Aah..gorgeous..!! thanks for sharing thunderbolt..hmm..so much like JiSub the last pic there..

[Guest mj07]

Thanks for the link, thunderbolt, I think I'll buy it as it's so cheap (and no one else seems to have it!) Odd, I can't remember ever buying from them, but for some reason I have a $3 credit…maybe that's some promotional thing? *crossing my fingers they do actually have it!*

[melusine]

Cine21 article

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[Guest thunderbolt]

03-13-2007

Actor Plays Murder Suspect Again

By Kim Tae-jong

Staff Reporter

Does actor Park Hae-il have a thing about being a murderer with a handsome face?

He did an excellent job of playing a suspect in the 2003 hit thriller, "Memories of Murder," about serial murder case that took place in Hwasong, Kyonggi Province. In his new mystery thriller, "Paradise Murdered," Park again plays a man whose name appears on a suspect list in a serial murder case that turns up 17 dead villagers on an island.

Park said the two films share many things in common but the new thriller prompts the audience to jump into a high-stakes mind game.

"I thought that the two films would be similar as they are made in the same genre," Park said Monday during a news conference at the Apkujong CGV theater in Seoul. "But 'Memories of Murder' was based on a real story, whereas 'Paradise Murdered' is fiction based on what the director personally thought up."

The new film will be like a puzzle that the audience wants to solve, which will stir controversy over its reality after release, he said.

Directed by Kim Han-min, "Paradise Murdered" takes place on a fictional island, Kukrakdo, meaning "paradise island," in the late 1980s where 17 villagers suddenly vanish.

In the film, Park plays Che Wu-song, a head doctor at a public health center. His name is put on the suspect list as it turns out he tried to conclude that the first murder was a suicide and didn't have an alibi for the day it was committed.

Since his debut in 2001 with the "Waikiki Brothers," the 29-year-old actor has received acclaim for his impressive performances. He dazzled audiences in a supporting role as a coldhearted murder suspect in "Memories of Murder," a kind and gentle postman that falls in love with an uneducated diver in "My Mother, the Mermaid" (2004) and a weird flirter in "Rules of Dating" (2005).

His superb performances have usually led his films to become box office hits. His most successful film was last year's blockbuster "The Host," which has become the most-viewed film in Korea, selling more than 13 million tickets. The movie is currently showing in China and United States. It came in first at the Chinese box office and earned $320,000 in the U.S. in the first week since its release.

About Park's mysterious charm, the film's female co-star, Park Sol-mi praised him.

"As a huge fan of his, I was so excited to costar with him in the film. He has an adorable face with a refreshing smile. He seems ordinary but is very attractive," she said.

After the film, the actress finds herself still a huge fan of the actor, but her fantasy has changed a little bit, she said.

"I think he tried to relax me. He passed wind and burped really loudly, which was quite amazing. I think I'm going to miss those sounds," she said laughing.

Responding shyly, Park Hae-il said since "The Host" he only does this when he is in a closed room.

"Paradise Murdered" will be released nationwide on April 12.

e3dward@koreatimes.co.kr

Source: The Korea Times, image from Cine21

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/culture/20...16313211700.htm

credit: rubie

[Guest mj07]

ooh, sounds like another interesting project! he was soooo freaky in "Memories of Murder", really, you wanted to believe he was the serial killer b/c he was so scary!

calling him a "weird flirter" in Rules of Dating sounds kind of, well, weird, though! it was a bit more disturbing than that!

[Guest thunderbolt]

Posters of PHI's latest movie, Paradise Murdered:

Caps:

Press conference:

Premiere:

credit: cine21; uploaded by me

[Guest thunderbolt]

PHI's newest movie is No. 1 at the box office. Congrats!!

(bold highlights by me)

Apr 23, 2007

'Paradise' tops South Korean B.O.

Murder mystery holds off competition

By DARCY PAQUET

SEOUL -- MK Pictures' rural thriller "Paradise Murdered" topped the South Korean box office for a second week, bringing its total takings so far to $8.6 million.

Screening on 353 prints, "Paradise" stars Park Hae-il ("The Host") and centers around a string of murders on a remote island. Pic held off competition from new releases, "My Tutor Friend 2" ($1.6 million off 249) and "The Reaping" ($1.3 million off 129).

Lotte Entertainment's high-profile gangster pic "The Show Must Go On" clocked in at No. 5, having grossed a so-so $6.5 million in three weeks.

Meanwhile, it was not a good week for veteran Korean directors, with Park Kwang-su's melodrama "Meet Mr. Daddy" opening to a disappointing $1 million from 246 screens.

Im Kwon-taek's 100th feature, "Beyond the Years," which, contrary to local hopes, was not invited to Cannes' Official Selection this year, fell out of the top 10 in its second week, having earned only $800,000.

Other openers in a generally slow week included Danny Boyle's "Sunshine" ($470,000 off 129 screens), Robert De Niro's "The Good Shepherd" ($350,000 from 90) and "The Robinson Family" ($350,000 off 103).

Source: VARIETY.com

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111796361...yid=19&cs=1

2007-04-23

credit: rubie, soompi

[Guest thunderbolt]

Assorted pics:

credit: yahoo images; jisubaddicts.com

[Guest thunderbolt]

Some Park Hae Il caps from The Host:

credit: thunderbolt, jisubaddicts.com

[Guest etoile]

this man is one of the most handsome but not handsome man in all of korea. i dont even know what it is about him, but hes so friggin attractive! i love him. i really wanna see the movie hes in.