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[Movie 2011] Eerie (Chilling) Romance 오싹한 연애

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Review of the film Chilling Romance

Romance lost between spooks and laughs

It starts out promising: a young man falls for a beautiful woman, who turns out to not only be able to see ghosts but causes them to haunt those around her. Creepy lost souls keep interrupting the consummation of what should have been a heart fluttering rather than heart attack-inducing first kiss.

“Spellbound” inventively introduces elements of horror to the typical romantic comedy, presenting frightful apparitions as hurdles the couple must overcome. The spooks and even the somewhat crude jokes work with the effortless charisma of the cast members but at the cost of the actual development of the romance, which loses momentum midway through the film.

The star power of leading lady Son Ye-jin and new kid on the block Lee Min-ki, as well as the appeal of the trailer, makes it a mildly entertaining date movie with some potential resonating effects for pan-Asian audiences, but not enough to enter the ranks among some of the more memorable genre offerings of late such as “Cyrano Agency.”

Son, who seems to have done almost everything onscreen from playing the flirtatious femme fatale to tragic drama queen, experiments anew as Yeo-ri, resigned to a life of pitiful solitude. Even her family has moved abroad to be away from her haunting effects, leaving her to attend to uninvited spirits while camping out in a tent in the living room. Dating is naturally off limits and her only social life entails occasionally calling her best friend, whom she hasn’t seen in the 10 years since acquiring her special skills.

Lee, who is enjoying newly amassed star power following “Haeundae,” plays Jo-gu, a free-spirited magician. While pulling off some tricks on the street, he notices Son’s haunted aura and is inspired to launch a horror magic show. Their business partnership proves to be a huge hit, but Jo-gu can’t stop wondering why Yeo-ri insists on being so antisocial.

Jo-gu soon learns about her abilities, and takes pity on her barren love life. While trying to set up dates for Yeo-ri, he ends up falling for her (no surprise there). But as he begins to experience one freak accident after another, he must decide whether he can fully accept the conditions of loving the woman ― life insurance and becoming used to interacting with the dead.

Son brings a few compelling monologues and inebriated ramblings that provide insight to the psychology of a woman who’s long been ostracized. Yet when the film attempts to dabble in soul-searching ventures such as helping hit-and-run victims using her power or trying to console a dead classmate, they stop short of being cliches. Lee on the other hand is quite charming in his candidly awkward character, which seems to have become his signature persona.

The problem lies in the fact that the two leads never quite make the chemistry sparkle, in spite of the juicy dating advice by Yeo-ri’s goofy girlfriends (Kim Hyeon-suk in particular plays another memorable supporting role after “Cyrano Agency” and “200-Pound Beauty”).

The film brings to mind “To Catch a Virgin Ghost,” which is not surprising since it was penned by director Hwang In-ho. In his directorial debut “Spellbound,” Hwang manages to craft an atmospheric tone but the lack of a well-developed central plotline results in a narrative that is dragged out by bits of episodic humor and fright.

The film does, however, point to positive developments in Korean cinema, for mid-budget films to experiment with more genre mash-ups.

A CJ Entertainment release, “Spellbound” opens in theaters Dec. 1.

By Lee Hyo-won

Korea Times

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Guest opheliamist

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Is there a way to follow this thread or get e-mail updates on this? I've been like a hawk stalking the internet looking for any sign of english subtitles. I really want to watch this movie!!!

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http://10.asiae.co.k...121210292698772

2011.12.12 

"Spellbound" works magic on local box office for 1st win

 Reporter : Lucia Hong.

 Editor : Jessica Kim.

2011121210292698772_1.jpg  

Poster for "Spellbound" [CJ Entertainment]

Korean comedy "Spellbound" worked its magic this past weekend, claiming  its first win on the local box office despite seeing a weaker debut in  the start of the month.

On Monday, KOBIS (Korea Box Office Information System) showed that Son  Ye-jin and Lee Min-ki's movie which opened at second place on the box  office on December 1, attracted 590,232 moviegoers during the weekend of  December 9 to 11 to hand it the top spot.

"Spellbound," helmed by Hwang In-ho, tells the story of how Jo-goo (Lee)  falls in love with Yeo-ri (Son) who can see ghosts and have them haunt  those around her.

In the meantime, Hollywood's 3D blockbuster "The Adventures of Tintin"  by famed director Steven Spielberg made its debut in second place after  moving 407,330 tickets and former No. 1 pic "The Twilight Saga: Breaking  Dawn-Part 1" slipped two spots to third place with 249,656 admits.  

Other movies rounding out on the top ten box office spots included  "Arthur Christmas," "S.I.U (Special Investigation Unit)," "Punch,"  "Blitz," "Punch-line," "Real Steel" and "Moneyball."

~

http://10.asiae.co.k...121210525561849

2011.12.12 

[CHART] Weekend Box Office: Dec 9-11

Reporter : Lucia Hong. icon_mail.gif             

  2011121210525561849_1.jpg   

South Korea's box office estimates for the weekend of December 9-11, 2011 [Korean Box Office Information System (KOBIS)]

※ Any  copying, republication or redistribution of 10Asia's content is  expressly prohibited without prior consent of 10Asia. Copyright  infringement is subject to criminal and civil penalties.

Box Office for 1st Week:

[CHART] Weekend Box Office: Dec 2-4

http://10.asiae.co.kr/Articles/new_view.htm?sec=ent0&a_id=2011120512261756474

http://10.asiae.co.kr/Articles/new_view.htm?sec=ent0&a_id=2011120512171549270

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Guest kdramafanusa

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some recent news articles

http://english.kbs.c...?page=1&No=7996

Sohn Ye Jin: ‘I Do Not Like Similar Appearance’

[2011-11-28]

Actress Sohn Ye Jin, who will play the female protagonist  named Kang Ye Ri in the movie “Chilling Romance,” said, “I would like to  act after abandoning myself. I am more attracted to a new genre, new  character and new story. I think that when I can enjoy it, the audience  can enjoy it. I hate my similar facial expressions. I want to break the  boundary of my acting.” Sohn Ye Jin has appeared in a movie at least once a year since she  appeared in the movie “Lover's Concerto” in 2002 when she was in her  early twenties. She usually appears in melodrama and romantic comedy  movies such as “April Snow” (2005, directed by Heo Jin Ho) and “Crazy  First Love” (2003). “Chilling Romance” (directed by Hwang In Ho), which  will be released on December 1, is not very different from her previous  works, but it has the difference of adding an atmosphere of horror in  the movie.

7996_3365_l.jpg

On  November 24, one week before the movie’s release, Sohn Ye Jin came to a  café located in Samcheongdong to give an interview. She said, “I seem  to have a desire to present different appearances to the audience. And I  happened to see ‘Chilling Romance’ which was very attractive thanks to  its mixed genres of romantic comedy and horror. But I felt worried about  the fact a rookie director would produce this movie. I have worked with  many other rookie directors up to now, but I thought that experienced  directors would be better for finding something new from me. But I could  not give up the attractive storyline only because of the fact that the  director was not yet proven, so I gathered my resolve.” The movie is  about a love story between Yeo Ri (Sohn Ye Jin), who can see ghosts, and  timid magician Jo Goo (Lee Min Ki). The story is very unique as it  mixed all different stories of love, friendship among women, and  revenge. Sohn Ye Jin successfully played a woman who solves problems of  ghosts in the movie. The character has a huge gap in her emotion as she  has to feel gloomy while living together with the ghosts and feel love  from her romance. Sohn said, “I had difficulty controlling my emotion  because I was confused how far I have to be sad, awkward, lovely, and  surprised. I did not know the appropriate level of emotion. In addition,  I first filmed the scene in which I had to feel fear after seeing a  ghost in the movie, and it was also very difficult. But I could learn  new things such as how to look at the camera, how to be suddenly  immersed, and how to control my breathing.” Like the character Yeo Ri,  whose mood dramatically goes up and down, actresses sometimes feel the  same way. Sohn Ye Jin has always been portrayed as a pure and innocent  woman and a dignified woman in her works, but she said, “I often feel  sad in my ordinary life. I sometimes become a positive person, but I  keep sadness in my mind. I have many kinds of thoughts in my head and  those thoughts drive me to feel sad. I would have felt comfortable if I  were a positive person, but I am afraid I am not (laugh).”

7996_3366_l.jpg

Sohn  Ye Jin has played protagonists for nine years since her appearance in  “Lover's Concerto.” She said, “I have an ordinary face as an actress. I  am not pretty nor ugly, but I spent my entire twenties to become a top  notch actor.” She reportedly wanted to develop herself and present  mature acting. Even though her desire to become the best actor is still  the same, she feels that she cannot play the protagonist forever as she  grows older. She said, “In my twenties, I liked my job very much, but I  also felt difficulties because I had to be judged by other people. How  long will I have to keep this job? Do I have to retire in the middle of  my thirties? I have thought like this before.” But she recently changed  her mind while she was filming her recent movie entitled “Tower” (2012).  She began to have a desire to present mature acting on which all the  wisdom of her life reflected. She said, “From some moment, I like the  acting of experienced senior actors. When I filmed ‘Tower,’ there was a  scene in which actor Song Jae Ho stood without action, but his  appearance standing still looked like his acting. His entire life seemed  to be acting and seemed to be an entire work by itself. His wrinkles  and appearance all looked like perfect acting for me, and I want to  present that kind of excellent acting like him.” Sohn Ye Jin emphasized  again that she wanted to break down all the limits in herself that she  has come to have while acting for a long time. She said, “Actors are  different from ordinary office workers because actors can become  specialists when they manage themselves very well.

7996_3367_l.jpg

I  am not afraid of growing older. If I fear aging, I might need to stop  acting pretty soon because the youth will disappear some day. I might  not be able to play the protagonist in the near future. But I do now  think that those are not all about acting. I want to present acting like  what the actor Song Jae Ho and Kim Hye Sook present. I have to manage  myself and try to present acting that fits suitably to my age.” Asked  about her marriage plans, she answered, “I do not want to wed very late.  Due to my desire about acting, it might be difficult to marry right  now, but I will marry when I am prepared to be a good mother and good  wife.” Asked about what kind of movie she wants to pursue, she answered,  “I have thought that an actor will have only one perfect work during  his or her entire life, and I still think the same way. I want to  present a story about love and friendship like the movie ‘Thelma &  Louise’ and a story of romance and sexy dancing like the movie ‘Dirty  Dancing.’ But I ultimately want to present desperate acting in which I  have to abandon myself like the actress Natalie Portman in her movie  ‘Black Swan’ and the actress Isabelle Huppert in her movie ‘Pianist.’”

~

http://english.kbs.c...page=1&No=8004 

Lee Min Ki: 'I Would Like to Come Closer to My Fans'

[2011-12-06]

Actor Lee Min Ki held a fan meeting in Japan, and he had a  conversation with his fans while holding a live performance during the  fan meeting.

Lee Min Ki, who has been spotlighted as a character actor up to now,  held his fan meeting entitled "Minki's Forest" at Omiya Sonic City Hall  in Saitama, Japan on December 4. He presented a short video containing  the edited images of his movies "Quick" (directed by Cho Bum Koo) and  "Chilling Romance" (directed by Hwang In Ho) and shared his recent  stories. In addition, he explained his first photo album with nine  different themes including rock, romance, and memory by saying, "I  wanted to leave my appearance in my twenties and I wanted to contain my  thoughts and my present time in the photo album."

8004_3398_l.jpg

During  the feature of teaching the Korean language, he personally taught the  Korean language to his fans by creating dialogue suitable to various  situations such as a phone call, invitation, and making a confession,  and he also made a Christmas cake and gave a chance to selected fans to  taste the cake. In addition, he attracted the audience by presenting  acoustic live performances, singing John Lennon's hit songs such as  "Love" and "Imagine" after saying that he would like to express his  thoughts with the songs about love. He finished his fan meeting with a  promise, saying, "I would like to come closer to you in 2012 by  appearing in any type of work, whether it is a drama or a movie."

~

english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/12/01/2011120100386.html

Son Ye-jin Eyeing Melodrama After 'Chilling Romance'

  2011120100309_1.jpg

Son Ye-jin

Son Ye-jin's new movie "Chilling Romance," which comes out  later this week, shows how the actress is keen to challenge herself with  new roles in movies that don't fit easily into generic stereotypes.

Although  the film is billed as a romantic comedy, it also features elements of  horror and melodrama. For heroine Son, it marks a departure from the  kind of roles she has been comfortable playing in the past.

"Frankly  speaking, when I first read the script, I doubted whether the role  would suit me," Son said last week, adding that she decided to give it a  shot as she was enchanted by the story and the scope for reinventing  herself.

"Sometimes even I feel tired of looking at my face and  listening to my voice or mannerisms, so I want to ditch [my old image],"  she said. "As an actress, I want to show my versatility, so I continue  to try new things and develop my acting skills."

Having debuted  in a commercial for a cosmetics brand in 1999, Son has starred in about a  dozen films, at a rate of one movie a year. She is now filming a  disaster movie, suggesting how she has added depth to her acting choices  as she matures.

Looking back on her early 20s, she said she felt  she constantly had to do better and often worried about her acting  ability, but she now feels more comfortable with her career and skill.

"Instead  of just trying to achieve my goals, I have a greater sense of  composure," she said. "I can take time to reflect on my life and what I  want to do."

Son said is looking for a moving melodrama for her  next film. "I feel more confident in my acting ability now," she said.  "Now when I play a role, I seem to have a better grasp of analyzing the  character. It makes it more of a challenge, but it's also very  fulfilling."

                                                        

englishnews@chosun.com / Dec. 01, 2011 07:35 KST

~

http://koreajoongang...spx?aid=2944947

Son Ye-jin casts her spell over new romantic comedy

                           

Dec 02,2011

01220403.jpg

Actress  Son Ye-jin returns to the silver screen for the first time in two years  with the romantic comedy “Spellbound.” [JoongAng Ilbo]

Screen  muse Son Ye-jin returns to the silver screen for the first time in two  years with the new romantic comedy “Spellbound” (literal Korean title  “Chilling Romance”), which will be released early next month. In the  film, Son plays Yeo-ri, whose special powers allow her to see ghosts.  Although the film defines itself as a romantic comedy, it also has  touches of horror and melodrama, which Son said required her to broaden  her acting.

Son said she feels more attached to this film than  previous ones because it was her first film after she turned 30. In  addition to that, the film was a transformation for Son, who has up to  this point played characters who are fragile and prim.

Here are excerpts from the JoongAng Ilbo’s interview with Son.

Q. It’s hard to guess the genre of the film based on the title.

A. It’s a romantic comedy with a bit of horror. I think the film should  be  classified as a hair-raising romantic comedy. [Laughs.] I think  the  film is a well-balanced mixture of romantic comedy and horror.

01220426.jpg

A still from “Spellbound”. Provided by CJ Entertainment

Did the mix of genres make the role more difficult to play?

It wasn’t easy, of course. But I tried to find a happy medium between comedy and horror.

This is your second comedic film in six years. What made you decide to do it?

It’s  been a while since I’ve done a romantic comedy. The previous one was  “The Art of Seduction” in 2005. I decided to do another before I got any  older. [Laughs.] To be honest, I wasn’t sure about doing a romantic  comedy before I appeared in “The Art of Seduction” because I’ve been  doing a lot of melodramas. Back then, I wondered if the public would  accept me in a comedic film.

What was it like to work with your co-star, Lee Min-ki?

We  hadn’t worked together before this, but we got along far better than I  expected. He was flexible and quick to respond to any given situation.  Above all, he is open-minded and good-hearted.

It’s been 10 years since you made your debut in the entertainment industry. How do you feel about your career?

I  used to go forward without looking back, but now I want to take a  broader perspective. I also try to enjoy myself more at work.

There  are three romantic comedies, including yours, slated for release this  month and early next. People are already speculating about who the next  queen of the romantic comedy will be, between Kim Ha-neul, Han Ye-seul  and you. What do you think?

Actually, “You Are My Pet”  [starring Kim] and “Penny Pinchers” [starring Han] were released at  around the same time. But I feel some relief because my film will be  released after.

Have you ever watched the recent hit drama series  “Thousand Day Promise” featuring Soo Ae? The plot is very similar to  your previous tearjerker “A Moment to Remember” (2004) in that both of  the female leads are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

I’ve  seen it. But Soo Ae’s character was different from the character I  played. Although the two are suffering from the same disease, “Thousand  Day Promise” tells a realistic story while “A Moment to Remember” tried  its best to romanticize the dementia-struck female character. I think  that’s the difference between the film and the drama series.

You’ve recently told multiple news outlets that you’ve come to have a wide circle of friends these days.

I  used to keep in touch only with actors and actresses that I had worked  with in the past. Back in my school days, I was the type of person who  just had a couple of friends. I was afraid of meeting and getting to  know new people. Above all, I didn’t know that you needed to meet new  people if you are hurt by others.

I’m close friends with Kong  Hyo-jin and Yun Eun-hye even though we’ve never worked together. I got  close to actor Jung Woo-sung through our mutual interest in wine, and I  credit him with teaching me all about it. And I often go out for drinks  with actors from my new film “Tower.”

You used to keep a low  profile when you were between films, but you’ve started to become active  on social networking sites such as Facebook and me2day.

My agency recommended that I do it, but I actually think it’s good because I can communicate with my fans.

What kinds of roles to you hope to have in the future?

I’m interested in human dramas about women. Something like the 1991 film “Thelma & Louise” would be lovely.

By Bae Joong-hyeo [so@joongang.co.kr]

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http://www.cjent.co.kr/eng/lineup/info_detail.asp?MovieNo=309&MovieYear=2011&MovieTitle=Spellbound%20%282011%29

Spellbound (2011)

SYNOPSIS

Jo-gu, a street magician, meets a miserable girl, Yu-ri, during one of his performances, and she winds up the inspiration for his “Horror magic show.” The show becomes wildly popular and Jo-gu is now a successful magician with a model girlfriend. Yu-ri begins working as an extra on the show but the darkness inside her, something her teammates sense, keeps her from truly connecting with anyone else. Jo-gu’s attempt to include her during dinner turns into a disaster when she gets blindingly drunk. Jo-gu calls Yu-ri the next morning, but when the phone disconnects with a weird noise, he starts to worry. When Jo-gu finds her, she confesses the long story behind her gray, wan face. Since surviving a high school car accident Yu-ri has seen the ghosts of dead schoolmates and her one-time best friend Joo-hee. Joo-hee is a ghost, following her everywhere and scaring the people around her, leaving her totally isolated. Even Yu-ri’s family eventually fled, leaving her behind to live alone in a tent, speaking only to a friend on the phone sometimes. During the course of Jo-gu’s failed attempts to find the lonely Yu-ri a boyfriend she resigns herself to the idea of her solitary life is best in the grand scheme of things. And though Jo-gu is sometimes scared witless himself, the pair starts to develop feeling for each other. Now consumed with jealousy, Joo-hee becomes a threat during the show and prompts Yu-ri to head off to join her family to save Jo-gu. Is getting away going to be that easy, or does Joo-hee have more tricks up her sleeve?

CAST & CHARACTERS

son.jpg

LEE(0).jpg

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Guest kdramafanusa

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from KOFIC

Spellbound (2011)

<Ossak-han Yon-ae>

Yu-ri winds up the inspiration for street magician Jo-gu’s horror magic show and the show became a huge success. Yu-ri begins to work with Jo-gu but the darkness inside her keeps herself from connecting with anyone else. Jo-gu invited her to the dinner with team mates turns into a disaster when she gets blindingly drunk and the next morning Jo-gu hears a weird noise when he calls Yu-ri…

Genres : Horror, Romance, Comedy

Running Time : 114min

Production Status : Released

Release Date : Dec 01, 2011

Rating :

Country : South Korea

Language : Korean

Co-Production :

Website : http://www.ossak2011.co.kr , http://twitter.com/ossak2011

Director : HWANG In-ho

Producer : AN Young-jin

Production Co. :

International Sales Co. : CJ E&M

Original :

Copyright :

Cast

SON Ye-jin Yu-ri

LEE Min-ki Jo-gu

SON Ye-jin

Actress                     

SON has the vulnerability of a woman who is in desperate need of  protection. From <Lovers' Concerto> to <A Moment to  Remember>, she had long pandered to her image. She played a tragic  character such as Soun whose ill-fated love ended with her death,  terminally-ill Suin in <Lovers' Concerto>, Jihey in <The  Classic> who missed her first lover, and Sujin in <A Moment to  Remember> who suffered from Alzheimer’s and gradually forgot her  husband, [Jung Woo-sung]’s character. <April Snow> was the movie  that transformed her from an innocent girl to a woman with a complicated  inner world. It was <April Snow> that repositioned her as an  actress who could express rich emotions and <Alone In Love> that  gave her a strong character. <Alone In Love> marked the watershed  momentum in her acting career because she broke her stereotype as a  virtuous woman and started to portray a woman of strong individuality.  SON has expanded her acting range from a sexy pickpocket in <Open  City>, an adulterous but forgivable wife in <My Wife Got  Married>, a mysterious fame fatale in <White Night> who held  the key to a murder. The fall of 2011 saw countless number of romantic  comedies being released in Korea, with the box-office champ among them  being <Spellbound> starring SON. Thanks to her shamelessly cunning  performance including a cutesy drunken behavior, the film gathered more  audiences in its second week than the opening week on its way to become  a box office hit.

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