Lee Byung Hun 이병헌 Byunghun Lee

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On 12/14/2017 at 8:17 PM, peonie said:

December 14, 2017.

 

Lee Byung Hun in California 

 

 

Source :  Instagram  pomie82

 

The video follow-up, coming soon! #CaliforniaTourism

 

Source: B o r a m C e c i l i a Y o o@pomie82

Also, tomorrow 1/3 would be the Press Preview Event & New Year Showcase for MY WORLD ONLY. Really hope the movie will be favorably received and positively reviewed by the Korean media & movie critics. 

 

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January 3, 2018

 

New movie 'It's Only My World'

 

 

South Korea actor Lee Byung-hun, who stars in the new movie "It's Only My World," speaks during a showcase in Seoul on Jan. 3, 2018, to promote the film about a washed-up boxer and his pianist brother with a disability. The flick will be screened in South Korean on Jan. 17. (Yonhap) 

 

South Korea actor Lee Byung-hun (R) and Park Jung-min and actress Yun Yuh-jung, who star in the new movie "It's Only My World," pose during a showcase in Seoul on Jan. 3, 2018, to promote the film about a washed-up boxer and his pianist brother with a disability. The flick will be screened in South Korean on Jan. 17. (Yonhap) (END)

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I was out all day today, so the Preview & Press Conference compilation may take longer than the usual lateness.  No English articles but a lot of photos, as always.  Twitter reviews (in Korean) are very encouraging. One message saying that he/she laughed and laughed watching the movie. Others said that it's most enjoyable, impressive acting and a must-watch movie. That's what we want to hear, right! 

 

 

 

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January 3, 2018

 

Lee Byung Hun at MY WORLD ONLY Showcase

 

 

 

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 Park Jung Min plays the piano and Lee Byung Hun sings at the movie showcase!   Talented brothers. Clip credit as stated.

 

[peonie]

January 3, 2018

 

Lee Byung Hun praised Park Jung Min.  His acting is very seasoned. (A translation) 

 

 

On 3rd January, “It’s Only My World ” held a screen preview for the press.  Lee Byung Hun praised hoobae Park Jung min.

 

At the event, Lee Byung Hun said:  “ Last year, when I took the prize with the movie  <The Inside Men>  Park won a lot of New Actor awards.  At that time I felt like we were in a movie together.” 

 

Lee Byung Hun followed:  “ At that time, I have not seen any of his work, so I am not familiar with his acting.  After I have seen all of his movies, I was shocked.  He does not act like a newcomer with immature acting. His acting is very seasoned.  While I admired his acting,  acting together in a movie is a completely different matter.  I reminded myself that <I have to act conscientiously>.  His acting will be much anticipated in the future.”  Praising his hoobae’s acting skills 

 

In addition, the movie “It’s Only My World” depicts a washed-up boxer elder brother Jo Ha ( Lee Byung Hun) and a physically handicap genius pianist younger brother Jin Tae (Park Jung Min. ) Through their mother, they renconciliated.  This movie which will move the audience and make them smile will be released on the 17th.  

 

Source: http://www.allthatstar.com/view.php?action=304&postID=383014

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MY WORLD ONLY cute clip highlight #JoHa #JinTae #Brothers #EyeContact #LBH #PJM #TalentedActors

 

Source: CJ Entertainment@cjenmmovie

 

JinTae Loves JoHa 

 

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Photos: highcutstar

 

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January 3, 2018

 

Big-name stars return to TV via new dramas in 2018

 

Surging into 2018, dramas featuring returning stars and rising rookies are coming to light up viewers’ lives. 

 

Singer and actress IU will be the leading actress of upcoming tvN drama “My Ajeossi.” Lee Sun-kyun will be IU’s “ajeossi,” meaning middle aged man in Korea. The two will play a couple with a 20-year age-gap, that learns to heal each other’s old wounds. The drama will air in the first half of 2018 and Nara of K-pop act Hello Venus will be joining the cast. 
 

Jang Dong-gun is looking forward to returning to the small screen through “Suits,” a remake of the popular US drama series. Playing the role of a successful lawyer, played by Harvey Spector in the US series, Jang is to be joined by emerging star Park Hyung-sik. Set to air in the first half of the year on KBS2, the drama aims to continue the current courtroom drama trend. 
 

Seo Kang-joon will be a robot with artificial intelligence who falls in love with a human being, in a pre-produced sci-fi drama “Are You Human, Too?” on KBS2. As the robot is the stand-in for the son of a wealthy family who is in a coma, Seo plays the role of both the robot and the son.
 

Lee Byung-hun is to star alongside rising actress Kim Tae-ri in tvN’s “Mister Sunshine,” which will air in the summer. He is to play a man who travels to America in the 1870s and returns to Joseon as a US soldier. Writer Kim Eun-sook and director Lee Eung-bok, who have proven their teamwork through “Descendants of the Sun” and “Guardian: Lonely and Great God,” will pair up for the star-studded series.

 

Red Velvet’s Joy and Woo Do-hwan have been confirmed as the leads of MBC’s “Great Temptation,” set to air in the first half of the year. In the drama, Woo will try to seduce Joy, who doesn’t believe in love. The storyline is based on the French novel “Dangerous Liaisons.” 

 

International star Bae Doo-na, who has established a firm position in Hollywood, will star in local drama “Kingdom,” set for release through Netflix in the latter half of the year. The global streaming service’s first original Korean drama, the eight-episode series will revolve around an epic story of Joseon-era zombies. 

 

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com) 

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It's that PROMOS time again  time to be super busy busy busy! 

 

We've got two events (yesterday) to compile and now the interviews & photos are storming in 

 

Photos from BH Entertainment via STARNEWS / Joynews / Newsen / News1

 

 

[peonie]

January 4, 2018

 

“It’s Only My World”  will be released on 17th.   Lee Byung Hun: “Comedy is actually my favourite genre.” (A translation)

 

 

 

 

On January 3, CJ Entertainment released a group of photos from the movie “It’s Only My

World,” starring Lee Byung Hun.  In the photos, Lee Byung Hun displayed perfectly a friendly and funny brother image. It is impossible to link him with the images he portrayed in the movies:  “Gwanghae: The Man who became King,” “Inside Men,” and Master. ” etc.  In an interview, Lee Byung Hun repeatedly said comedy is actually his strength.  As the first comedy movie of 2018, more than 80 percent of the funny scenes were prepared by Lee Byung Hun.  With improvisation and flashes on the film scene, it was funny and resulted in NG constantly while filming.  

 

In the movie, Lee Byung Hun plays the elder brother, a washed-up boxer Jo Ha and Park Jung Min plays the younger brother Jin Tae with savant syndrome.  Two people with different strengths, different interests and different names are far more distant as brothers than strangers who are meeting for the first time.  Jo Ha who previously survived using his fists is only left with self esteem.  Jin Tae likes to play the piano, play games and is quite happy with just instant noodles. 

 

Furthermore, “It’s Only My World” is the “The Final Encounter’s ” screen writer Choi Sung Hyun’s director debut.  The movie’s main actors are : Lee Byung Hun, Park Jung Min, Yoo Yuh Jung, Han Ji Min, and Kim Sung Ryong.  The movie tells the story of a washed-up boxer brother Jo Ha and a physically handicap genius pianist brother Jin Tae who renconciled through their mother’s intervention.  The movie which will move the audience and make them smile will be released on January 17. 

 

Source: http://www.allthatstar.com/view.php?action=4161&postID=382817

 

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More photos: BH Entertainment via Sports Chosun / IS Plus  / TV Report / OSEN

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, peonie said:

January 4, 2018

 

“It’s Only My World”  will be released on 17th.   Lee Byung Hun: “Comedy is actually my favourite genre.” (A translation)

 

On January 3, CJ Entertainment released a group of photos from the movie “It’s Only My World,” starring Lee Byung Hun.  In the photos, Lee Byung Hun displayed perfectly a friendly and funny brother image. It is impossible to link him with the images he portrayed in the movies:  “Gwanghae: The Man who became King,” “Inside Men,” and Master. ” etc.  In an interview, Lee Byung Hun repeatedly said comedy is actually his strength.  As the first comedy movie of 2018, more than 80 percent of the funny scenes were prepared by Lee Byung Hun.  With improvisation and flashes on the film scene, it was funny and resulted in NG constantly while filming.  

 

Thanks so much Barbara for finding the article, translating and sharing it with us. Definitely a treat to have at the thread, that is actually getting to know the content of the Korean interviews. We really can't thank you enough!

 

Coincidentally, the article fits perfectly with the video clip highlighted at PlanetBH0712, showing the past (serious) characters played by LBH and featuring the behind-the-scenes of MY WORLD ONLY. From the initial word of mouth, the movie is looking good as it's made for the whole family to enjoy and many have written that they will watch it again with their families once it's released in 2 weeks' time.

 

Source: Channel SCREEN

 

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Published on January 3, 2018 by Movie-bee
 

Lee Byung Hun & Park Jung Min performing the OST for MY WORLD ONLY (?)

 

 

Photo: CJ Entertainment @cjenmmovie

 

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Apparently, there's a breakdancing scene by Lee Byung Hun in MY WORLD ONLY.  Obviously the fans attending the showcase yesterday as well as the MC wanted him to show some of his moves. MC Park Kyung Lim was also the host during Masquerade live talk 6 years ago that LBH showed his dancing skills as well. Both times she had to nudge him a little. 

 

Clip: kyi8243

 

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Here's one positive review in English. The reviewer (like us) may wanted to see more from the movie and expected much more considering the ensemble of cast. We'll have to see how the moviegoers respond to this.. at the box-office..

 

Glad to read notably good words for Lee Byung Hun. 

 

January 4, 2018

 

[Herald Review] ‘Keys to the Heart’ delivers predictable, but likeable comedy and drama

 

By Yoon Min-sik The Korea Herald

The strong chin, sleek look and deep voice of Lee Byung-hun immediately make him a charismatic figure. Whether he is slinging guns in “The Magnificent Seven” or breathing down the neck of Kyle Reese in “Terminator Genisys,” Lee’s character traits in films have mostly been like his image: a man you do not want to mess with.

This aura is shattered immediately in “Keys to the Heart” -- co-starring Youn Yuh-jung and Park Jung-min -- where Lee plays a washed-up former boxer who gets by day to day.

 

“Keys to the Heart” (CJ Entertainment)

 

Director Choi Sung-hyun takes Lee and Youn, two of the heaviest hitters in Korean cinema, and creates a comedy flick that viewers can enjoy without a care in the world.

 

The plot revolves around two brothers who are estranged from their mother, In-suk, who ran away from her abusive husband nearly three decades ago. Jo-hwa --- played by Lee -- is the older brother who holds a grudge against his mother for leaving him with his violent father, and Jin-tae -- Park’s character -- the musical savant younger brother.

 

Right off the bat, the movie sounds like a cheap knock-off of Oscar-winning 1988 classic “Rain Man.” But the film does have its own merits.

The transformation of Jo-hwa -- initially painted as a jerk -- is painfully obvious and predictable. He is the pinnacle of the “loveable loser”; misunderstood, abandoned by mom, has a violent side, but also good-hearted. Of course, his conflict with his mother can be reconciled, her sins can be forgiven and anyone watching their first five minutes together can guess that they will end up loving each other again.

 

Jin-tae is the loveable doofus in the picture. He behaves like a child, but has a brilliant side to him. He is annoying to no end, but you cannot help but root for him.

 

The characters are generic, the plot is predictable and there are virtually no surprises coming around the corner.

 

The film’s charm comes from the acting. Lee‘s brilliance is that he shines even when portraying a rubber-stamp character. 

 

“Laughter and tears is one of the most obvious ‘formulas’ that has continued from the birth of the very first movie. Our film follows the formula, but I think people still seek out these movies because the depth and details (of the film) stands out,” Lee said at the premiere of the movie, held Wednesday in Seoul.

 

Youn, who jokingly said Lee never felt like her son because of his sheer presence, commended the chemistry of Lee and Park and said she was disappointed with her own performance. Her brilliance as an elderly prostitute in last year’s award-winning “The Bacchus Lady” is missing, but her presence plays a critical role in holding the plot together.

 

The directing, while passable, does not stand out. The story is very much one-dimensional and virtually all of the characters -- with the exception of Jo-hwa -- are static throughout the film. The landlady and her daughter, even the former piano prodigy who supports the brothers, are all mere plot devices. This is particularly disappointing as the latter is played by Han Ji-min, one of the biggest names in the credits.

 

To ensure that all the heroes are likeable, the movie inserts an almost comic book-like villain, Jo-hwa’s father, to stand on the other side of the spectrum. His sinister looks, voice, exaggerated expression and utterly unremorseful attitude show he exists for the sole purpose of evil. The character fails to add any depth to the story, in stark contrast to the abusive father in Yang Ik-jun’s brilliant 2008 film “Breathless,” who was there to provoke thoughts on inherited violence.

 

While Park Jung-min shows his talent in playing the musical savant, he is grossly underused in that Jin-tae is merely a subject of the other characters’ conflict. The chemistry between the brothers -- who are featured heavily in the promotion -- is smaller than that between the mother and son. This is partly why it feels much different from “Rain Man”; it is essentially a mother-son story, not one of brotherly love.

 

The flick is by no means a masterpiece, and is hardly comedy gold. But it does deserve a place in the hearts of people who seek that warm, fuzzy feeling from a family picture, standing on some good acting.

 

The film hits local theaters on Jan. 17.

By Yoon Min-sik 
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)

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January 5, 2018

 

Under one roof, brothers learn how to live together

 

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

 

The beginning of a new year is usually when movie theaters are filled with heartwarming comedies, and this month one of the films that aims to make audiences both laugh and cry is “Keys to the Heart.”

 

Directed by rookie filmmaker Choi Seong-hyeon, the upcoming comedy drama revolves around a washed-up boxer (Lee Byung-hun), who accidentally encounters his mother (Youn Yuh-jung), who left him with his abusive father when he was a teenager. 

 

Though filled with a lot of anger and resentment, the boxer’s financial difficulties force him to move into his mother’s place, where he learns that he has a younger brother (Park Jung-min) who has a savant syndrome that makes him exceptionally talented at playing the piano.

 

As one might guess, the film relies on the evolving relationship of the three main characters to elicit emotion while focusing on the brothers’ seemingly incompatible relationship to add humor. 

 

“Though it may be small, I believe [the film] delivers a meaningful message to audiences who now live in a world where people are becoming more and more individualized and don’t hold as many conversations with others as before,” said Lee during a press event held on Wednesday in central Seoul, while acknowledging the story’s predictability.

 

To depict a man with savant syndrome in detail, but without exaggeration, Park volunteered to work with savant teenagers. 

 

“At the [specialized] high school where I volunteered, there were five students in their first year. I knew just observing and imitating their traits would be wrong, so I [did additional] research [about people with the syndrome] through books and videos. I only tried to feature the general characteristics,” said Park.

 

Since Park’s character is incredibly talented at playing the piano, the actor also put tremendous effort into practicing piano in order to shoot scenes without needing to add CGI, which he managed to pull off to the surprise of the cast and crew. 

 

“Before this movie, I had never played the piano. Right after having a meeting with the director, I signed up for a piano class, and invested quite a lot of time practicing. The director even bought me a piano so I could practice at home,” said Park.

 

CJ Entertainment’s first release of the year will open on Jan. 17. It is rated 12 and above.

 

BY JIN MIN-JI [jin.minji@joongang.co.kr]

 

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January 5, 2018

 

Ambitious slate of movies ahead in 2018:

Local film industry looks to build on the success of December’s releases

 

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

 

Movie distributors are brimming with films that will excite moviegoers throughout the year.  Clockwise from top left are “Psychokinesis,” “Keys to the Heart,” “Downsizing” and “Black Panther.” [NEW, CJ ENTERTAINMENT, LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT, WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

 

Bucking expectations, the number of movie tickets sold last year jumped by 2.84 million year-on-year. Thanks to three Korean blockbusters unveiled in December - “Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds,” “1987: When the Day Comes,” “Steel Rain” - last year’s seemingly bleak box office performance surged to a total 219.86 million, the highest in record. Among the three, the ticket sales for “Along With the Gods” was particularly surprising after having reached 10 million only two weeks after its release.

 

With hopes of becoming the next box office success, major distributors are preparing to release ambitious lineups of films this year. 

 

(Many of the film titles listed are direct translations of their Korean names. When released, the movies may have different English titles.)

 

CJ Entertainment

 

The first film from the nation’s largest distributor CJ Entertainment is “Keys to the Heart.” The comedy, starring Lee Byung-hun, Park Jung-min and Youn Yuh-jung, centers on a washed-up boxer (Lee) who one day learns that he has a younger brother (Park) with savant syndrome. The film opens on Jan. 17. 

 

CJ’s lineup also includes “Golden Slumber,” a Japanese novel adaptation revolving around a parcel delivery man (Gang Dong-won) who is falsely framed as the person behind the assassination of a presidential candidate; an espionage film titled “Operation,” about a South Korean spy agent (Hwang Jung-min) in the mid-1990s who infiltrates North Korea to learn about its nuclear development; and “Marital Harmony,” which tells the story of Princess Songhwa (Shim Eun-kyung), who refuses to marry a man her family has chosen, and a matchmaker (Lee Seung-gi) who connects potential partners based on their compatibility. 

 

Spoiler

 

Showbox

 

Coming off the success of 2017’s biggest-selling film, “A Taxi Driver,” Showbox will release the third part of the “Detective K” franchise in February. Set in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), Kim Myung-min will once again play Detective K and Oh Dal-su will play his sidekick. 

Showbox will also release “Inside Men” director Woo Min-ho’s next feature “Drug King.” One of the most anticipated films of the year, the crime drama is based on a drug dealer (Song Kang-ho) in Busan and a lobbyist (Bae Doo-na). It will be the first time for the two actors to work together since “The Host” (2006). Other releases on Showbox’s slate include “Money,” about an aspiring young stockbroker (Ryu Jun-yeol) who finds himself caught up in a stock market scam, as well as the thriller “Murder of Man or Woman.” It follows the face-off between a detective (Kim Yun-seok) and a serial killer (Ju Ji-hoon) who confesses to committing seven murders while imprisoned. 

 

NEW

 

Next Entertainment World (NEW), which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, will begin the year with “Psychokinesis,” coming later this month. Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, who was behind the box office hit “Train to Busan” (2016), the comedy centers around a father (Ryu Seung-ryong) who sets out to save his daughter (Shim Eun-kyung) and others around him with his newly-discovered superpowers. The film has been picked up by the streaming giant Netflix.

 

NEW will also release “Drug War,” which explores the story of a drug ring boss (Kim Joo-hyuk) who gets chased down by a detective (Cho Jin-woong) that teams up with a gang member (Ryu Jun-yeol). It stars the late actor Kim Joo-hyuk, who died in a car crash in October. Another film, “Herstory,” depicts the true story of the 10 female plaintiffs during the trials of Shimonoseki, from 1992 to 1998, which ended in a partial victory against the Japanese government. It stars Kim Hee-ae and Kim Hae-sook. Period epic “Ansi Fortress” will be NEW’s tent-pole movie of the year. Starring Zo In-sung and Nam Joo-hyuk, the big budget movie depicts the Siege of Ansi, the 88-day war between Goguryeo and the 500,000-member army of Tang who attempted to take over the Ansi Fortress.

 

Lotte Entertainment 

 

Lotte Entertainment, which is currently relishing in the success of “Along with the Gods,” has filled up this year’s lineup with “Heungbu,” which revisits the Korean traditional folktale “Heungbujeon,” and the comedy “Wrestler,” which centers on a former wrestler (Yoo Hai-jin) and his son (Kim Min-jae), a rising star. “Heungbu” will arrive in theaters during the Lunar New Year holidays on Feb. 15-17. The film also features Kim Joo-hyuk.

 

Romantic drama “I’m on My Way to Meet You,” an adaptation of a Japanese novel of the same title, will diversify Lotte’s lineup. The movie is about a woman (Son Ye-jin) who makes the seemingly impossible promise to her husband (So Ji-sub) before she passes away to return a year later on a rainy day. 

 

Above all, the second part of “Along With the Gods” will be one of the year’s most anticipated releases.

 

Megabox Plus M

 

Thanks to the surprise performances of crime movie “The Outlaws” and historical period “Anarchist from Colony,” Megabox Plus M had a strong 2017. This year, the distributor aims to take a bigger leap with director Lee Joon-ik’s “Byeon San,” about a rapper (Park Jung-min) who returns to his hometown and reunites with his elementary schoolmate (Kim Go-eun), and “Little Forest,” about a woman (Kim Tae-ri) who returns to the countryside after feeling exhausted by city life.

 

Foreign releases

 

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel will present “Black Panther” in February and “Avengers: Infinity War” in the spring. Other superhero movies on the calendar include “The New Mutants” (April), “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” “Deadpool 2” and “Aquaman.”

 

Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi flick “Ready Player One,” Tom Cruise’s action classic “Mission: Impossible 6” as well as Matt Damon’s comedy drama “Downsizing” and Disney-Pixar’s heartwarming “Coco,” both of which are set to arrive in theaters on Thursday, are a few other movies that will hopefully diversify genres offered to local audiences this year.

 

 

BY JIN MIN-JI [jin.minji@joongang.co.kr]
 

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Source: CINE21

 

Cover Star: Lee Byung Hun x Park Jung Min

NO.1138      2018-01-09 ~ 2018-01-16

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

[rubie]

Another good review to read! 

 

January 5, 2018

 

(Movie Review) 'Keys to the Heart': an entertaining family drama

By Shim Sun-ah

 

SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Yonhap) -- The plot of "Keys to the Heart," about two half-brothers who meet for the first time and develop an unlikely relationship, is far from novel.

 

It also relies on the conventional Korean comedy principle of mixing comical episodes with a moving family drama. And then there are the familiar character tropes that the film follows: a former boxing champion who struggles to eke out a living and an autistic child with a devoted mother, who is sick.

 

But the way the director handles these timeworn themes is quite impressive. Writer-director Choi Seong-hyeon has this enormous capacity to handle family relationships with the utmost sensitivity, and he draws good performances out of his actors.

 

 

A former Asian boxing champion, Jo-ha (played by Lee Byung-hun) now lives hand-to-mouth with no stable job or home.

 

One day, he comes across his mother (played by Yoon Yeo-jeong) for the first time since she left home 17 years earlier to flee from the violence of her alcoholic husband, she proposes that Jo-ha live together with her new family. There he meets his younger half-brother Jin-tae (played by Park Jung-min), who suffers from savant syndrome but is a genius piano player. As their mother is far off working in Busan, the brothers begin an uncomfortable cohabitation.

 

Lee delivers excellent stuff as a man who pretends to be strong but who, underneath, is a weak child with mixed feelings of resentment and love toward a mother who abandoned him when he was a middle school student. 

A still from "Keys to the Heart" released by CJ Entertainment (Yonhap)

 

Equally impressive is rising rookie star Park's portrayal of Jin-tae. He gives new variations to the timeworn character of the autistic genius with savant syndrome, employing his own facial expressions, hand gestures and way of speaking. As an actor who had never learned piano before, he almost perfectly performed the masterful performance by the genius pianist without the help of CGI or a double.

 

The CJ Entertainment release is set to open in local theaters on Jan. 17.

 

A still from "Keys to the Heart" released by CJ Entertainment (Yonhap)

 

sshim@yna.co.kr