Lee Byung Hun 이병헌 Byunghun Lee

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Included in the top 10 news feature on Malaysia's The.Star today. Similar article with Singapore's Her World/Strait Times posted before. Nonetheless, it's great to read this about MJ and BH, that they are working hard on their marriage.

April 12, 2016

A baby, a scandal and two married South Korean actors

BY AGENCY STAR2.com

In the three years South Korean actress Lee Min-jung has been married to A-list actor husband Lee Byung-hun, their union has produced a one-year-old son, but it has also been hit by a blackmail scandal.

Two female entertainers – a model and a member of a now- defunct pop group – were charged last year with threatening to upload a video in which the actor made lewd remarks to them.

Min-jung has kept mum about the controversy, but she alludes to it when sharing her secret to maintaining a loving marriage.

In an e-mail interview, the 34-year-old says: “Every relationship has problems but you don’t throw it away when it’s not working. You fix it, just like how everyone used to fix their telephones and television sets. These days, people just throw them away and buy new ones.”

She was promoting her new drama, Please Come Back, Mister. The fantasy comedy, which also stars singer-actor Rain, is about deceased souls inhabiting the bodies of other people to fulfil their unfinished business.

Min-jung’s marriage seems to be back on track. Talking about the joys of being a first-time parent, she says: “It’s life-changing – our lifestyle, the places we dine at, the time we go to bed. People start talking to you about your child more than the beauty products you are using.

“I’ve always wanted to be fully ready to be a mum, but I realised no matter how much preparation you make, you will never be fully ready. I love it so far, it’s beautiful to wake up to see my son. I don’t remember the days when my life was without him.”

She adds that her husband, who had starred in Hollywood action flicks Red 2 (2013) and G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra and its sequel (2009, 2013), helped out with the diaper-changing when she was busy shooting Please Come Back, Mister, her first drama after becoming a mother.

Another sign that their marriage has not suffered from the scandal came earlier this month, when Byung-hun, 44, thanked his wife and son for “all the love and support through good times and bad” in his acceptance speech for Best Actor at the Asian Film Awards.

She admits that as a working mother, it is hard to be away from her son.

“Work-life balance is a goal that nobody really achieves. You can never stop thinking about something if it matters to you. I think of my son even when I am at work,” she says.

When it comes to parenting, she says she is likely to be the bad cop. “We haven’t talked this through yet, but I think I’ll be the strict mum, although daddy looks fiercer. I’ll answer you again when we get there.” – The Straits Times, Singapore/Asia News Network/Gwendolyn Ng

BHMJ@soompi

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MovieWeb quoted our twiitter post on #MagnificentSeven on their page 

 

April 12, 2016

First Look at ‘The Magnificent Seven’ Remake Cast
The first ‘Magnificent Seven’ banner emerges at CinemaCon giving us a look at Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and the rest of the cast.

BY B. ALAN ORANGE | MOVIEWEB

CinemaCon 2016 is in full swing right now in Las Vegas, where all of the movie studios are showing off their blockbuster releases for the next few years. One of the movies making a splash is The Magnificent Seven remake. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, best known for Training Day and The Equalizer, this big budget Western once again re-teams him with the star of those two movies, Denzel Washington, who can be seen in his full cowboy getup right in the center of a new banner that also shows off the rest of this cast.

The Magnificent Seven reboot script comes from John Lee Hancock, best known for A Perfect World, and Nic Pizzolatto, the writer behind HBO's acclaimed drama series True Detective. The movie hits theaters this September, and boasts quite an ensemble alongside leading man Denzel Washington. It is a remake of the classic 1960 John Sturges Western of the same name, which in turn was a loose remake of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai.

Seen on this wide stretching banner are Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Vasquez, Vincent D'Onofrio as Jack Horne, Chris Pratt as Josh Farraday, Denzel Washington as Sam Chisholm, Ethan Hawke as Goodnight Robicheaux, Byung-hun Lee as Billy Rocks and Martin Sensmeier as Red Harvest. The actors are a little hard to make out. The photo was snapped off the CinemaCon convention floor. Also starring in the movie, but not pictured here are Haley Bennett, Matt Bomer, Luke Grimes, Billy Slaughter, Sean Bridgers, Cam Gigandet, Vinnie Jones, and Peter Sarsgaard who stars as the villain Bartholomew Bogue.

The original The Magnificent Seven starred the legendary line-up of Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, and Charles Bronson. That film spawned a couple of sequels, including Return of the Seven (1966), Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969), and The Magnificent Seven Ride (1972). We're sure that if this reboot is a hit, we can expect remakes of those as well.

In The Magnificent Seven, desperate townspeople hire seven mercenaries (Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke) to battle a ruthless industrialist (Peter Sarsgaard) in the Old West. You can get your first look in the Tweets included below. What do you think? Will this be a massive hit at the box office? Or are we looking at another bland remake in a seas of endless remakes? We think it looks pretty cool!

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Apparently, there's a footage of 'The Magnificent Seven' shown at the CinemaCon but it's not widely released yet. Still looking for it.

April 12, 2016

Denzel Washington, ‘Magnificent Seven’ Trailer Puts Gritty Spin on Westerns

Senior Film Reporter
James Rainey Variety.com

Movie fans will be seeing a bunch of bad richard simmons cowboys coming together to help a woman wronged when “Magnificent Seven” debuts for Sony in September. Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution for Sony, told a CinemaCon audience Tuesday that audiences should be drawn to the film because it is “cool, it’s contemporary, it’s stylish.”

Director Antoine Fuqua told the film exhibitors assembled for Sony’s presentation of its 2016 slate that the film attracted him and an all-star cast including Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke because “it’s about redemption and the pursuit of justice,” adding, “that resonated with all of us.” Whether style or substance, the CinemaCon crowd seemed to be buying: There were whoops of approval and applause for the film.

Pratt made his second appearance on the CinemaCon stage (also in Sony’s “Passengers”) to tout the remake of the 1960 original “Magnificent Seven,” which starred Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen. He said he had been reared on Westerns by his father, who liked the simple truths the films delivered.

The 2016 version of the Magnificent Seven is “really about seven men doing what they say they are going to do,” said Pratt, who plays gambler Josh Farraday, one of the first of a group of honorable rogues who joins with Denzel Washington.

Fuqua, who previously teamed with Washington on “Training Day” and “The Equalizer,” said he chose a diverse group of actors because “I wanted it to look like the world we live in today,” and “I wanted guys who would have a great chemistry and a great time doing it together.”

Pratt offered an outlaw summary of his feelings about the film: “It’s f—ing awesome!”

Also starring are Vincent D’Onofrio, Matt Bomer, Cam Gigandet, Peter Sarsgaard, Vinnie Jones and Byung-hun Lee.

The preview offered by Sony showed the seven macho men – who include a sharpshooter, a Comanche warrior and an assassin – matched up against an army of bad guys many times their number. It appears that the title characters just might have enough guile and brio — not to mention TNT — to prevail over the forces of evil. And that suits the heroine, played by Haley Bennett, just fine. “I seek righteousness,” she tells her heroes, “but I will take revenge.”

When Washington’s character, Sam Chisolm, asks Pratt’s Farraday whether he wants to sign on with the crew for “a job,” Farraday asks: “Is it difficult?” Chisolm answers: “It’s impossible.” The grin on Pratt’s face suggests he likes those odds just fine.

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Both of them call Byunghun as BH. 

Published on April 13, 2016 by ScreenSlam

CinemaCon

The Magnificent Seven: Antoine Fuqua & Chris Pratt Official Premiere Interview

 

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Single Rider filming in Sydney 

Photo credit: yongbro_Pitt Street, Sydney

 

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Have not found the English update, hope this Google gist is not too misleading

April 15, 2016

Chungmuro Big Three: Lee Byung Hun, Kang Dong Won, Kim Woo Bin to start 'Master' on the 21st

Source: Sports Donga

The actors will meet for the first time for the production's prayer ceremony before filming begins.

 

---- So, BH will finish the filming in Sydney by this weekend, presumably. Maybe MJ (who has just concluded her drama) will join him for a few days there before returning to Seoul to start the 'Master' filming. Like they did last year for "Magnificent 7'. Hopefully 'The Magnificent Seven' will also be featured in Cannes this year, similarly like GI Joe Retaliation and T-1000 did.

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April 14, 2016

18th Far East Film Festival to Open with THE TIGER

Udine Takes 15 from Korea

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

  

The 18th edition of the Far East Film Festival (FEFF), which takes place in Udine in Northeast Italy, is set to open with a screening of PARK Hoon-jung’s Colonial Era hunting drama The Tiger. The film, which stars CHOI Min-shik, will be introduced by director PARK when the festival begins on April 22nd. In total, 15 Korean films will screen in Udine.
 
Among the films having their international premieres at FEFF will be YUN Jun-hyeong’s revenge thriller FATAL INTUITION, WOO Min-ho’s Inside Men, which recently won the Best Actor prize at the Asian Film Awards for star LEE Byung-hun, CHO Jin-Mo’s Korea-China co-production Making Family, LEE Han’s Korean War drama A Melody to Remember, LEE Ho-jae’s sci-fi drama SORI: Voice from the Heart and opening film The Tiger.

Films with European premieres include actor CHO Jae-hyun’s directing debut A Break Alone, LEE Hae-young’s Colonial Era horror-thriller The Silenced and KANG Hyo-jin’s family dramedy Wonderful Nightmare.
 
Also screening will be CHOI Dong-hoon’s period hitman action-thriller Assassination, ROH Deok’s media thriller The Exclusive : Beat the Devil's Tattoo, JUNG Ji-woo’s sports drama Fourth Place, JANG Jae-hyun's exorcism thriller The Priests, YOON Ga-eun’s child-led drama The World of Us, which recently debuted at the Berlin International Film Festival, and Korea-Belgium co-produced documentary Reach For The SKY by CHOI Woo-young and Steven Dhoedt.
 
Director guests this year supporting their films include YOON Ga-eun, CHO Jae-hyun, JUNG Ji-woo, YUN Jun-hyeong, LEE Ho-jae and CHOI Dong-hoon, as well as Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan) director CHOI Yong-bae.
 
Udine will close on April 30th with a screening of Sammo HUNG’s China-HK film The Bodyguard. Last year, all three of FEFF’s audience awards were taken by Korean films, JK YOUN’s Ode to My Father, LEE Won-suk’s The Royal Tailor and E J-yong’s My Brilliant Life.

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April 7, 2016

7 Of the Most Frightening Horror Films From the Last Decade

Matt Kim Inverse

I Saw the Devil (2010)

I Saw the Devil, a South Korean film which effectively blurs the line between hero and villain, is an exemplar of the sort of extreme cinema South Korea has become known for in recent years. The identity of the film’s serial killer, and the special agent tasked to find him, are revealed early on.

Where the film twists and turns however is when our hero, Kim Soo-hyun employs sadistic methods to track down the serial killer Kyung-chul. In the realm of violent cinema, rarely do we see the “good guy” go to such lengths to physically and psychologically torture the killer. The game of cat and mouse is really a tug-of-war of who is more evil, killer or the cop.

Photo credit: cak_tepe

 

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April 18, 2016

Korean actress Lee Min-jung wants to be a man

BY CHESTER CHIN Star2.com

South Korean actress Lee Min-jung wants to be a man.

“It’s because I have been a woman. I know women’s mind,” the 34-year-old beauty explains in an exclusive e-mail interview. “I can be popular,” she cheekily adds, alluding to ways to woo the fairer sex.

To put things in perspective, Lee is responding to a question about swapping bodies. Her latest acting project – the K-drama Please Come Back, Mister – revolves around two men who come back from death in the bodies of others.

In the 16-episode fantasy comedy, the actress plays Shin Da-hye, a devoted housewife married to workaholic department store manager Kim Young-soo (played by Kim In-kwon).

Unfortunately, Young-soo dies on the job due to exhaustion. In a bizarre twist of fate, the deceased returns to life – in the body of super good-looking Lee Hae-joon (played by hallyu star Rain) – to tie up some loose ends.

An unresolved problem isn’t something that Lee reckons she would end up regretting. “If you spend your time preciously, your life can be worthwhile,” she says.

“I make decisions carefully whenever it happens, so that I can do my best,” she adds. Coming from a woman who has weathered a major scandal, that statement takes on a graver tone.

Having weathered a blackmail scandal involving her husband, actress Lee Min-jung says she makes decisions carefully. Photos: ONE HD

Lee is married to dashing actor Lee Byung-hun. Two years ago, the Terminator Genisys actor was embroiled in a blackmail scandal with two K-pop girl group members  female celebrities who threatened to release a compromising video of the actor.

Throughout the controversy (the 45-year-old actor subsequently won a legal battle against the women), Lee staunchly stood by her man – maintaining a calm and collected front. That perseverance to keep their union strong paid off when the couple was blessed with a son named Lee Joon-hoo in March last year.

“My baby makes my family bright and warm. I think this stimulates me in a good way. I want to show people that I have been mature,” she opens up, indirectly addressing that bleak chapter in her life.

The granddaughter of renowned painter Park No-soo, Lee is a relatively “late bloomer” in the entertainment scene, having made her debut at 25.

While her contemporaries began chasing after the limelight in their teens, she decided to pursue higher education instead – graduating with a theatre degree from the prestigious Sungkyunkwan University.

Reflecting on her experiences in the industry, Lee says she’s open to the idea of her son following in her footsteps. What advice would she pass on to him then when the time comes?

“I want to tell him to try his best all the time. I would ask him if he really likes acting, and I’ll tell him that he has to put up with some parts,” she muses.

At the moment though, she’s just soaking up her new role as a mother. “I haven’t changed much, but I think I get much more emotional due to my baby,” she says.

Actor Lee Byung-hun is Min-jung’s husband in real life.

That new-found sentimentality is working in her favour. Despite its light and fluffy undercurrent, Lee’s role in Please Come Back, Mister – as a widow coping with the sudden death of her husband – requires her to turn on the waterworks numerous times in the series.

The actress reveals that she was exhausted by the crying scenes in the series. But what made it harder was how sometimes those sad emotions stayed on long after filming wrapped up for the day. The fact that the drama is a comedic offering makes things even more challenging.

“I think acting in comedies is harder than acting in melodramas. Everyone has a different sense of humour,” she offers.

That doesn’t mean she will deliberately avoid the genre though. Ultimately, she wants to build a diverse and impressive body of work.

Lee has appeared in a range of movies and TV series – from frothy romantic comedies (Cyrano Agency, All About My Romance, Cunning Single Lady) to dramatic thrillers (Searching for the Elephant, White Night).

The idea of second chances with loved ones was partly the reason she decided to pursue Please Come Back, Mister. It may sound morbid, but how would she like to be best remembered by her family and friends?

“I hope they remember that I was very precious.”

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Clip credit: yoyolee07

#ByunghunLee #JonMChu #GIJoeRetaliation #SeoulVIP

 

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"Inside Men " will be shown in Hong Kong Cinemas starting April 21, 2016.

Promotional posters and bill boards are seen around town.

Source:  LBH Baidu 

 

 

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LBH and other Korean stars at the CJ Group 60th Anniversary celebrations in New York in 2013.  

 

Source:  http://tofo.me/p/1230267663645167967_329578603  via Angel 70. 

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April 19, 2016

9 Male K-Drama Actors With the Sexiest Voices

Source: Soompi by lahkim 

From the unique story lines to the spot-on soundtracks, in addition to the extremely hot actors, K-dramas have mastered the art of having millions of fans dreaming and fantasizing over their main characters. However, in many Korean dramas, although the main actor’s physical appearance is a point in which many viewers anticipate, their equally wonderful voices often capture the hearts of many fans.

These Korean actors are fully capable of capturing our hearts with a simple “hello,” spoken in their lusciously deep voices. Here are ten male actors with the sexiest voices in no particular order!

Kim Woo Bin

Lee Sun Gyun

Lee Soo Hyuk

Jin Goo

Choi Jin Hyuk

Song Joong Ki

Yeo Jin Goo

Lee Byung Hun

Because I was late to the K-drama scene, Lee Byung Hun was never on my radar until I got to indulge in the bit hit drama “Iris.” Throughout the drama, all I could focus on was how SEXY Lee Byung Hun was. Even during the infamous candy kiss scene, as many girls wanted to become Kim Tae Hee, I wanted to become his vocal chords just so I could show off the rich and deep tone that Lee Byung Hun has!

 

Lee Seo Jin

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Previous interview footage of Jin Goo (mentioning Lee Byung Hun) during his 'Ad Genius Lee Tae Baek' days  Finally this actor is gaining much deserved recognition since 'All In'.

Clip credit: jingoos__

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Good review 

 

April 19, 2016

Now showing in Hong Kong

Film review: Inside Men – slick Korean political corruption thriller
Lee Byung-hun slashes his way through South Korea’s corrupt political landscape in Woo Min-ho’s tense gangster movie

James Marsh South China Morning Post

4/5 stars

Hot on the heels of the excellent Veteran , Inside Men is a similarly slick South Korean thriller exposing high-level corruption in equally brutal and compelling fashion. Koreans have become increasingly frustrated by the cronyism among large family-run corporations, top-tier politicians and even the media. Clearly voting with their feet, they have made both films huge hits at the box office.

The success of Inside Men at home will come as no small relief to leading man Lee Byung-hun, who spent much of 2015 in the tabloid headlines for all the wrong reasons, while his last film, Memories Of The Sword, flopped. Here he’s back in familiar territory, as Ahn, a small gang leader who is double-crossed and disfigured by his political employers, only to orchestrate their downfall in a skilfully engineered revenge plot.

Ahn’s unlikely collaborator comes in the form of Cho Seung-woo’s ambitious young prosecutor, whose own career is suffering due to his lack of high-level connections. Together they aim to expose a secret slush fund that ties Mirae Motors and Hangyul Bank to a political candidate vying for office. Add to the mix the editor-in-chief of a leading newspaper with his own political agenda, and the scandal could bring them all to their knees.

Woo Min-ho’s typically polished direction see events play out closer to a blood-splattered gangster flick. With Lee Byung-hun centre stage, the result is hugely entertaining.

Inside Men opens on April 21

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Lee Byung Hun’s  Interview with TVB Entertainment News

South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun earlier appeared on TVB Entertainment News "Star Talk", to promote his new film “Inside Men”.  Lee Byung-hun revealed that in a scene with Jo Seung-woo, he proposed to the Director to replace the bathroom wall with a glass wall  to increase effectiveness of the scene. As the glass wall is teinted,  the audience can surmise that Lee Byung Hun took off his pants and relieved himself.  When the scene was shot, both actors laughed a lot and there were constant NGs.   With respect to acting in this movie, Lee Byung-hun said because his right hand was “cut off”, acting was rather inconvenient.  At the same time, he has to challenge himself by  speaking in a Korean dialect. Fortunately, he received help from different sources to smooth out  his performance.

Lee Byung-hun became the first Korean actor to present at the Oscars.   With respect to acting in the international arena, he said: "The greatest difficulties are the language and cultural differences, but at the same time can experience new things, this has become the strength for me to carry on.“

Source:    http://hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/entertainment/20160419/bkn-20160419145812701-0419_00862_001.html   

through LBH Baidu.

 

 

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April 19, 2016

Sneak peek: Denzel Washington leads 'Magnificent Seven'

Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY (click to read full article)

'The Magnificent Seven' revealed: Vincent D'Onofrio (from left), Martin Sensmeier, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Ethan Hawke, Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Byung-hun Lee. (Photo: Scott Garfield)

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Source: Ecomlocations on FB 

Its a wrap on the Korean Feature " A Single Rider" .

Been a pleasure working with Lee Byung-Hun and the crew from Perfect Storm and Curious Films.

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April 20, 2016

Incheon sighting: Lee Byung Hun returning from Sydney 

Source: Nate

Spoiler

 

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April 20, 2016

The Magnificent Seven - images and trailer tease

Source: Irish Examiner

Ok so they're remaking The Magnificent Seven, which already seems like a pretty crazy thing to do, but check out who they've got in front of the camera.

The new film will feature Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio and Lee Byung-hun as part of the Seven, and that's a pretty amazing roster by any measure.

What's more it sees Washington reteaming with Antoine Fuqua after the success of Training Day and The Equalizer. And it's a remake of one of the best known Westerns ever, itself a redo of the plot of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. It's even written by the fella who created True Detective.

There's a lot to like already, and the first teaser trailer gives us the tinest sneak peak at how cool the cast look in their very fine hats. The film will also be the final time a James Horner score is heard in the cinema, as the composer managed to finish it before his untimely death last year.

Check out the trailer and images below.

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