[Movie 2015] INSIDE MEN 내부자들 - Lee Byung Hun, Jo Seung Woo, Baek Yoon Sik

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December 27, 2016

INSIDE MEN Tops Korean Film Producers Association Awards
NA Hong-jin, LEE Byung-hun & SON Ye-jin Awarded at 3rd KFPAs

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

WOO Min-ho’s Inside Men was named the film of the year at the Korean Film Producers Association Awards. The KFPAs were held for the third time on December 20th at the Myung Films Art Center. 

Inside Men also picked up the Best Actor prize, which went to LEE Byung-hun and Best Editing for KIM Sang-bum and KIM Jae-bum. Meanwhile, Best Actress was won by SON Ye-jin for her parts in LEE Kyoung-mi’s The Truth Beneath and HUR Jin-ho’s The Last Princess. NA Hong-jin picked up yet another Best Director prize for THE WAILING, while his film also won Best Cinematography for HONG Kyeong-pyo and Best Lighting for KIM Chang-ho.

TRAIN TO BUSAN also picked up three awards, winning Best Supporting Actor for KIM Eui-sung, as well as Best Screenplay for PARK Joo-seok and the Best Technical Award for JUNG Do-ahn. Other winners included The Priests’ Park So-dam, who picked up the Best Supporting Actress prize, Best Music winner Mowg of The Age of Shadows and Best Sound honoree KIM Suk-won, who worked on several films this year.

Producer HWANG Ki-sung, whose credits also include Splendid Outing (1977), Whale Hunting (1984) and Say Yes (2001), was also on hand to pick up the honorary award.

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December 27, 2016

'Inside Men' sweeps five prizes at Daejong Film Awards

By Shim Sun-ah

SEOUL, Dec. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korean crime thriller "Inside Men" swept the board at this year's Daejong Film Awards, one of the nation's top film honors, on Tuesday.

Woo Min-ho's movie won best film, best director and best screenwriter for himself; best actor for its male lead Lee Byung-hun; and best planning for its producer Kim Won-guk.

Also starring Cho Seung-woo and Baek Yun-shik, the movie portrays the complicated relationships between politicians, the press, the rich, law enforcement authorities and organized crime in South Korea.

Lee was honored for his lead role as the vengeful political henchman Ahn Sang-gu in the movie.

Actor Lee Byung-hun poses for photographers during the 53th Daejong Film Awards in Seoul's Sejong University on Dec. 27, 2016. (Yonhap)

Son Ye-jin of "The Last Princess" was named best actress, while the best supporting actor and actress awards went to Uhm Tae-gu and Ra Mi-ran of "The Age of Shadows" and "The Last Princess," respectively.

Actor Jung Ga-ram and actress Kim Hwan-hee of "Fourth Place" and "The Wailing" won best rookie prizes, while Cho Jung-rae of "Spirits' Homecoming" was named the best rookie director.

As South Korea's equivalent of the Academy Awards, the Daejong Film Awards was launched in 1962 to boost the quality of Korean films and to support the industry.

But the longest-running and once the most prestigious film event in Korea lost luster when none of the candidates in major categories showed up at the 52nd edition of the awards last year in protest of the way the awards are managed.

Things were no different at this year's event, with most of the winners staying away from the awards ceremony citing busy schedules.

"It's a pleasure to win a prize, but at this very moment I feel heavy-hearted above all," Lee said in his acceptance speech during the ceremony in Seoul's Sejong University. "I don't think that the dishonorable disappearance of the 53-year-old and once honorable event could be a solution to this problem. Changes can begin at the very moment when we're united in one mind and make efforts to bring them."

   

This photo shows the entrance to the Convention Center of Sejong University, the venue of the 53rd Daejong Film Awards, on Dec. 27, 2016. (Yonhap)

sshim@yna.co.kr

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December 27, 2016

Winners Of The 53rd Grand Bell Awards Revealed

Source: Soompi by E. Kang

On December 27, the 53rd Grand Bell Awards -also known as Daejong Film Awards- were held at Sejong University’s Convention Center and honored several of this year’s biggest films.

“Inside Men” and “The Wailing” were the big winners of the night, each taking home five awards in various categories. “Inside Men” particularly was once again awarded “Best Picture,” while Lee Byung Hun won “Best Male Actor” for his role in the movie.

The actor directly touched on the still-existing controversy surrounding the awards ceremony in his acceptance speech.

“I’m happy to receive this award, but my heavy heart takes precedence. There’s been a lot of talk about and problems with the Grand Bell Awards, and I feel like these problems have still not been addressed,” he said.  He called for action to be taken, and hopes that the industry will eventually come to an understanding.

The ceremony has been criticized for its fee-based voting system, poor accounting practices, and was supposedly boycotted last year for saying that only attendees could win awards. Similar to last year, many of the nominees and subsequent winners were not in attendance.

See the full list of winners below!

Best Picture: “Inside Men”
Best Director: Woo Min Ho (“Inside Men”)
Best Male Actor: Lee Byung Hun (“Inside Men”)
Best Female Actor: Son Ye Jin (“The Last Princess”)
Best Supporting Male Actor: Uhm Tae Goo (“The Age of Shadows”)
Best Supporting Female Actor: Ra Mi Ran (“The Last Princess”)
Best New Actor: Jung Ga Ram (“4th Place”)
Best New Actress: Kim Hwan Hee (“The Wailing”)
Popularity Award: Lee Beom Soo (“Operation Chromite”)
New Rising Star: Kim Hee Jin (“Operation Chromite”) and Choi Ri (“Homecoming”)
Best New Director: Jo Jung Rae (“Homecoming”)
Best Cinematography: Hong Kyung Pyo (“The Wailing”)
Best Original Score: Choi Yong Rak, Jo Sung Woo (“The Last Princess”)
Best Art Direction: Jo Hwa Sung (“The Age of Shadows”)
Best Film Editing: Kim Sun Min (“The Wailing”)
Best Screenplay: Woo Min Ho (“Inside Men”)
Best Costume Design: Kwon Yoo Jin, Im Seung Hee (“The Last Princess”)
Best Lighting: Kim Chan Ho (“The Wailing”)
Best Planning: Kim Won Guk (“Inside Men”)
Best Sound Recording: Kim Shin Yong, Park Yong Ki (“The Wailing”)
Special Prize for Cutting Edge Technology: Jo Yong Suk, Hwang Hyo Kyun, Kwak Tae Yong, Kim Tae Eui (“The Tiger: An Old Hunter’s Tale”)
Lifetime achievement Award: Director Yoon Sam Yook

Source (1) (2)

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December 28, 2016

Lee Byung-hun Wins Best Actor at Daejong Film Awards

By Lee Tae-hoon The Chosun Ilbo

Lee Byung-hun took home the award for best actor for his role in the crime flick "Inside Men" at this year's Daejong Film Awards in Seoul on Tuesday.

The film, directed by Woo Min-ho, collected four more awards out of 23 categories -- best film, best production, best director and best scriptwriter.

But what was touted as Korea's most prestigious movie awards has turned into a farce in recent years over its bureaucracy and unscrupulousness.

Last year, the organizing committee was criticized as it warned actors that they would have to attend the awards ceremony if they wanted to win the award, but none of the nominees for best actor and actress showed up. Also this year, many winners and nominees including Son Ye-jin, who won best actress, were absent.

Lee Byung-hun

Lee appealed for efforts to solve problems together in his acceptance speech.

"I was excited and honored when I won the new actor award 20 years ago," Lee said. "In order for young actors to feel the same 20 years later, I hope all of us make efforts to keep the honorable awards that our seniors created more than 50 years ago."

What should be a grand festival in the film business ended quietly without getting much attention but at least there was little controversy over the winners this year.

"I think the Daejong Film Awards are still the most prestigious film awards," said Jeong Jung-hun, chairman of the organizing committee. "Seventeen judges tried to be as strict and impartial as possible in selection, watching all the submitted films for eight days."

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December 28, 2016

'Inside Men' sweeps five prizes at Daejong Film Awards

South Korean crime thriller "Inside Men" swept the board at this year's Daejong Film Awards, one of the nation's top film honors, on Tuesday.

Woo Min-ho's movie won best film, best director and best screenwriter for himself; best actor for its male lead Lee Byung-hun; and best planning for its producer Kim Won-guk.

Also starring Cho Seung-woo and Baek Yun-shik, the movie portrays the complicated relationships between politicians, the press, the rich, law enforcement authorities and organized crime in South Korea.

(YouTube capture)

Lee was honored for his lead role as the vengeful political henchman Ahn Sang-gu in the movie.

Son Ye-jin of "The Last Princess" was named best actress, while the best supporting actor and actress awards went to Uhm Tae-gu and Ra Mi-ran of "The Age of Shadows" and "The Last Princess," respectively.

Actor Jung Ga-ram and actress Kim Hwan-hee of "Fourth Place" and "The Wailing" won best rookie prizes, while Cho Jung-rae of "Spirits' Homecoming" was named the best rookie director.

As South Korea's equivalent of the Academy Awards, the Daejong Film Awards was launched in 1962 to boost the quality of Korean films and to support the industry. 

But the longest-running and once the most prestigious film event in Korea lost luster when none of the candidates in major categories showed up at the 52nd edition of the awards last year in protest of the way the awards are managed.

Things were no different at this year's event, with most of the winners staying away from the awards ceremony citing busy schedules.

"It's a pleasure to win a prize, but at this very moment I feel heavy-hearted above all," Lee said in his acceptance speech during the ceremony in Seoul's Sejong University. "I don't think that the dishonorable disappearance of the 53-year-old and once honorable event could be a solution to this problem. Changes can begin at the very moment when we're united in one mind and make efforts to bring them." (Yonhap)

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December 28, 2016

INSIDE MEN Takes Film, Director and Actor Awards in 5-Prize Daejong Sweep
THE WAILING Goes Home with 5 Technical Prizes

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

Held a little later than usual this year, the 53rd Daejong Film Awards took place on December 27th with both WOO Min-ho’s Inside Men and NA Hong-jin’s THE WAILING triumphing with five prizes a piece. Not far behind was HUR Jin-ho’s The Last Princess with four awards. 

However, it was Inside Men which dominated the night, taking home the Best Film and Best Director prizes, as well as Best Actor for LEE Byung-hun, Best Screenplay for WOO Min-ho and Best Planning for William KIM.

THE WAILING was recognized largely in technical categories, with HONG Kyeong-pyo winning Best Cinematography, KIM Sin-yong taking Best Sound, KIM Chang-ho earning Best Lighting, KIM Sun-min’s triumphing in Best Editing and young performer KIM Hwan-hee beating out the competition in the Best New Actress category.

The Last Princess won SON Ye-jin yet another Best Actress prize this year, as well as Best Supporting Actress for LA Mi-ran, Best Costume Design for KWON Yoo-jin and Best Music for CHOI Yong-rak.

Elsewhere in the main sections, UM Tae-goo won the Best Supporting Actor prize for The Age of Shadows, CHO Jung-rae took Best New Director for Spirits’ Homecoming and JUNG Ga-ram was the Best New Actor winner for Fourth Place. KIM Jee-woon’s The Age of Shadows also took home Best Art Direction for CHO Hwa-sung and CHO Yong-seok won the Best Technical prize for his work on The Tiger. 

Operation Chromite star LEE Beom-su was the night’s Popularity Award winner while the New Rising Awards went to KIM Hee-jin of Operation Chromite and CHOI Ri of Spirits' Homecoming and classic film writer YOON Sam-yook was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

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January 2, 2017

 

StarHub TV to Launch 1st Korean-only Movie Channel in Singapore
tvN Movies HD to Feature 200 Films a Year

 

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

 

 

StarHub TV in Singapore has announced that they will launch the first channel to exclusively screen Korean films in Asia outside of their home nation. Set to feature 200 titles a year, tvN Movies HD will launch on January 11th. Some of the titles that will feature on the service include recent hits such as A Violent Prosecutor, Inside Men, Time Renegades and The Age of Shadows.

 

The Singaporean broadcaster has patterned with top Korean content producer CJ E&M. StarHub’s Head of Content & TV LEE Soo-hui remarked that “We are glad to partner CJ E&M for the launch of tvN Movies and tvN Movies VOD, which will enable StarHub TV customers to be the first in Asia to catch the premiere of these two highly-anticipated channels. As the parent company of tvN network, CJ E&M is renowned for its quality movie productions and distributions.”

 

Samey LEE, CEO of CJ E&M HK stated that “The introduction of tvN Movies in Asia is a strategic move for CJ E&M to broaden its market reach by tapping on the rising trend of Korean movies, which is in high demand in the Southeast Asian region. Starting with Singapore, we expect to launch in other major Southeast Asian territories including Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Indonesia in 2017.”

 

He went on to say that “By launching the world’s first & only Korean Blockbuster channel with StarHub TV in Singapore, we hope to expand our service offerings and, at the same time, deliver a unique and sophisticated Korean home-cinema experience to StarHub TV customers.”

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January 8, 2017

[HanCinema Awards] Conclusion of the First Annual HanCinema Awards

Source: Hancinema.net

The First Annual HanCinema Awards has concluded successfully thank to you, HanCinema Readers! With over half a million votes in fifteen categories, you let your voices be heard and we couldn't be more pleased! Thank you so much for joining us on this great adventure into film and drama!

Let's take another look at all of the amazing winners that you chose!

Best Actor in a Film: Lee Byung-hun for "Inside Men"

Best Actress in a Film: Kim Min-hee for "The Handmaiden"

Best Actor in a Drama: Song Joong-ki for "Descendants of the Sun"

Best Actress in a Drama: Song Hye-kyo for "Descendants of the Sun"

Best Up-and-Coming Actor: Nam Joo-hyeok

Best Foreign Actor: Jasper Cho

Best Webtoon Adaptation: "Bring It On, Ghost"

Scene Stealer: Jo Jeong-seok in "Incarnation of Jealousy"

Best Villain: Hong Jong-hyeon for "Scarlet Heart: Ryeo"

Best Sageuk: "Scarlet Heart: Ryeo"

Best Ajussi/Ajumma Actress: Kim Mi-kyeong for "Oh Hae-Young Again"

Best Couple in a Drama: Ji Chang-wook and Yoona for "The K2"

Best Film: "Train to Busan"

Best Drama: "The K2"

Best Kiss in a Drama: Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo in "Descendants of the Sun"   

 
Until the Second Annual HanCinema Awards, happy drama and film watching! We're so excited to have you with us for 2017!

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A recent upload of an 'intro' clip from Cine21, for INSIDE MEN almost 2 years later. Hopefully there will be the full filming clip posted soon.

Published on January 11, 2017 by cine 21

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Art by art_bigpic

 

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Art by 9527moon #AhnSangGoo

 

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INSIDE MEN: Deleted scenes different ending 

Clip: moviebangwool

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July 3, 2016

NYAFF ’16: Inside Men

It is the same old story. Government is colluding with big business and big media. At least, journalistic hypocrisy gets a good going over this time around. The man who links them all together is naturally a gangster. Crossing him is a bad idea but they do it anyway in Woo Min-ho’s Inside Men (trailer here), starring Star Asia Award Recipient Lee Byung-hung, which screens during the 2016 New York Asian Film Festival.

Not only is Lee an award recipient at this year’s festival, he has also just been invited to join the Academy, along with cinematic luminaries, such as White Chicks co-star Marlon Wayans and Melrose Place mainstay Daphne Zuniga. At least Lee makes big movies and An Sang-goo is the sort of role he can finally sink his teeth into. An built his criminal syndicate doing the dirty work of the longtime majority party. He was recruited by Lee Gang-hee, the editor of a national newspaper of selective-record.

Lately, An has been busier than ever cleaning up the messes made by Congressman Jang Pil-woo, the party’s consensus favorite to be their next presidential candidate. When called to dispose of evidence of a slash fund secretly funding Jang’s campaign, An keeps a copy for himself. Unfortunately, he lets Lee in on his game, assuming the duplicitous journalist has his back. This is a terrible mistake that will cost An a hand (literally severed old school Yakuza-style), but it will take time for the disgraced gangster to realize and accept the truth regarding his mentor.

In the meantime, An will launch a revenge plot with the remnants of his gang that will inadvertently compliment the investigation of Woo Jang-hoon, perhaps the last honest prosecutor in Korea. He has a passion for justice, but without family connections or powerful patrons, he will need to score some game-changing convictions to advance. Jang and the automotive company funding him would perfectly suit the bill.

Frankly, this is the Lee Byung-hun film we have been waiting for. Unlike the Western productions that never fully utilize his talents, Inside Men shows off his action chops as well as the seething intensity probably last fully seen in Kim Jee-woon’s bracing I Saw the Devil. Yet, An is also a flamboyant character, who lives large, which makes him fun to watch.

Lee owns the film, but Cho Seung-woo holds up his end as the violently uptight prosecutor. Lee Kyoung-young chews the scenery with abandon as Congressman Jang, but he is so conspicuously sleazy, it is hard to fathom anyone ever voting for him (unless he ran against Clinton and Trump, in which case he would be the clear lesser of evils). As the sanctimonious Lee Gang-hee, Baek Yoon-sik is more understated, but equally loathable. It is too bad Lee El does not have more screen time, because she stands out as An’s loyally accomplice, Joo Eun-hye, while Bae Sung-woo also adds heft as An’s not so loyal henchman, Park Jong-pal.

But wait, there is even more to this story. Woo has added another fifty minutes for his theatrically re-released director’s cut. It is a little surprising NYAFF did not screen the big enchilada, but the one hundred and thirty-minute version never feels incomplete or rushed. It is all totally slick and cynical, but it purrs along quite smoothly thanks in great measure to Lee Byung-hun. Recommended for fans of Lee and gangster-political thrillers, Inside Men screens this Tuesday (7/5) at the Walter Reade, as part of 2016’s NYAFF.

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July 23, 2017

Casting these actors and actresses would guarantee success at the box office!
Korean investment companies in the film industry have selected the 2017 version of [magic potions at the B.O.] or box office champions ~

Source: Korea Star Daily, translated by Barbara at LBH soompi via EverythingLBH.com



Who are the big time actors in the 2017 “Chungmuro” edition that guaranteed box office success? There exists a galaxy of stars in the movie circle that would induce audiences to voluntarily purchase movie tickets. They are named “box office guaranteed success”, “trustworthy actors” or “ magic potions at the box office”. They are the darlings of movie producers and distributors, and they attract large capital investments. Movie Investors like these stars and cast them in their movies because they can assure the investors that they can get back their investments. These major producers: CJ E&M, Lotte Entertaiment, Mega Box Plus M, Showbox and New Entertainment have voted and selected the 2017 edition of “Chugmiro box office magic potions”. The total scores are based on their votes.

Leading the pack among actors is Song Kang Ho absolutely. 



The number 1 “Box Office Magic Potion” is Song Kang Ho. Four out of the 5 giant production companies selected him and the remaining company voted him second. He is the current highest paid Korean actor, commanding KRW1,000,000,000 per movie. This high salary reflects his popularity, To put it bluntly, he is the first “go to guy” for all scripts that require an actor over 40 years oid. Investors said: “Song Kang Ho remains number one over many years because he possesses all the qualities that the Korean audience like in an actor: humor, sensitivity, dominance and acting skills that no one can match. 



Comprehensive ranking for the runner-up is Ha Jung Woo. Among the five giant production companies, one even voted him for the first place. His biggest attraction is his affinity with the audience. Investors said: “No matter what role he is given, he is able to portray the character is his own distinctive style. In addition, he has a special relationship with the audience. His success in the movies ”Terror Live” and “The Tunnel” which were adapted from webtoons elevated even more the trust audience has in him.



Comprehensive ranking for third place is Lee Byung Hun. With “Inside Men” , he earned the investors’ trust. They feel that “Lee Byung Hun has amazing acting skills which are very attractive. Whenever a Lee Byung Hun movie is mentioned, everyone looks forward to it. Furthermore, he has uncanny vision in choosing scripts. Therefore whether it is the script or his acting are worthy of trust.”



Comprehensive ranking for 4th place is Hwang Jung Min. He acts at least in one movie per year. By virtue of “Ode to My Father” and “Veteran” he became an actor with audience surpassing 10,000,000 in each of the two movies. Furthermore, most of his works return easily the capital to his investors, making him naturally the darling of investors. 



Comprehensive ranking for fifth place is Gang Don Won. Among actors in their 30s, his appearance, acting and box office strengths are the most balanced. His work ethic is serious and his crew loves him. Professional revealed: "Although his box office results have not been good lately, but he possesses a distinctive aura and is widely accepted as an actor by the film industry.



The number 1 female actress “Box Office Magic Potion” is Son Ye Jin. 

The Leading lady that guarantees success at the box office is absolutely Son Ye Jin. Her appearance in “The Last Princess” last year gave her a big hand. Two of the five giant production companies voted her number one. The remaining three companies voted her in second place. She received a total of 22 points. Although there is a big price gap between actors and actresses, Son Ye Jin is the highest paid actress. Investors said: “ Let us say that Son Ye Jin has very few failures in her works; her work ethic is great, her image is good. If you take into account her looks and acting skills, she is absolutely the champion.” 

Kim Hye Soo received comprehensive ranking for the runner up. She is a very balanced actress. Most of the professionals in the business considered that her dominance in acting is what attracts her to her audience. They praised her: “From the moment Kim Hye Soo decided to act in a movie, the value of the movie rises.” 



Comprehensive ranking for third place is Jun Ji Hyun. As her works are not numerous, there is a huge ripple effect whenever there is an announcement that she will act in a movie. Professionals analyzed as follows: “She does not act in too many movies, but every appearance is enough to release public curiosity. Her popularity will rise to heated levels. However what is uncertain is whether the movie would be successful, unlike Son Ye Jin who has been proven in her works. Her image and popularity are really good, but the feeling of stability is lacking. 



Han Hyo Joo ranks fourth. Although investors put a lot of emphasis on the age and sex on their analysis, but strictly from the acting point of view, Han Hyo Joo is trusted by her audience. Investors said: “Whenever Han Hyo Joo is casted in a lead role, there is never any objection. She is steadfast, and steady actress. Her looks, acting skills, friendliness, positively striving image are very balanced. 



Comprehensive ranking for fifth place is Jeon Do Yeon who received Best Actress in the Cannes Film Festival. Professionals have this to say: “ Although her acting skills are very solid, but her choice of scripts are very different. Rating for her works has wide margins. She received praises for her acting, but her box office disappoints and is regretful. 

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Published on October 19, 2017 by K STAR 생방송 스타뉴스
 

From INSIDE MEN to THE FORTRESS

Lee Byung Hun-Cho Woo Jin's 'Nemesis' destiny?

 

 

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November 6, 2017

 

SONG Kang-ho and BAE Doo-na Wrap DRUG KING in Busan
WOO Min-ho’s INSIDE MEN Follow-up also Features JO Jung-suk

 

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

 

Spoiler

 

Production on DRUG KING, one of next year’s most anticipated releases, concluded on October 10th in Busan. Starring SONG Kang-ho, BAE Doo-na and JO Jung-suk, the crime thriller is director WOO Min-ho’s follow-up to his 2015 hit Inside Men with LEE Byung-hun.

 

Set in the southern port city Busan during the 1970s, DRUG KING chronicles the rise of real life drug dealer LEE Doo-sam, to be played by SONG, while BAE plays an influential government lobbyist. 

 

Lead SONG is fresh off the year’s biggest hit, after starring in JANG Hun’s Gwangju drama A Taxi Driver, which drove post 12 million viewers at the box office this summer. BAE most recently appeared in last year’s hit disaster film Tunnel alongside HA Jung-woo, as well as this year’s popular TV show Strangers. She is currently preparing for the two-hour series finale of Netflix show Sense8. SONG and BAE have appeared together before, both in PARK Chan-wook’s Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and BONG Joon-ho’s The Host (2006).

 

Meanwhile JO has been busy graduating to leading man status since 2014’s My Love, My Bride, having starred in Time Renegades and My Annoying Brother last year, while also being active on the small screen.

 

Following his earlier films Man of Vendetta (2010) and The Spies (2012), director WOO struck box office gold with Inside Men, which was released in two versions in late 2015. Combined, the releases welcomed 9.16 million spectators (USD 65.2 million) and bagged several prizes from the Blue Dragon, Daejong, Korean Film Critics and Asian Film Awards, among others.

 

Distributor Showbox will release the film at some point next year.

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December 13, 2017

 

(Yonhap Feature) Korean cinema: Where are all the melodramas?

By Shim Sun-ah

 

SEOUL, Dec. 13 (Yonhap) -- If there's one category of film that Korean cinemagoers loved in the late '90s and early 2000s, it's melodramas.

 

A number of well-made domestic films, such as "The Contact" (1997), "The Letter" (1997), "Christmas in August" (1998), "Ditto" (2000), "The Classic" (2003) and "A Moment To Remember" (2004), dominated the Korean film market at that time.

 

This trend seemed to remain strong in the early 2010s with the release of two box office sensations -- "Architecture 101" (2012) and "A Werewolf Boy" (2012).

 

But that isn't the case in recent years, with many romance films failing to score big at the box office.

 

Of the 50 most-watched Korean releases this year, only two were from the category, according to data from the Korean Film Council, the official market tracker, on Nov. 30. They were "Because I Love You," a romantic comedy starring Cha Tae-hyun and Kim You-jung, and the romance film "Oneday" led by Kim Nam-gil and Chun Woo-hee. Not only were their box-office numbers small, but their performance was not that impressive: "Because of I Love You" was the 39th most-viewed film with 324,526 in attendance, while "Oneday" came in 44th with 234,829.

 

Instead, male-centric thriller, crime, action and period drama films, such as "Roaring Currents" (2014), "Veteran" (2015), "Inside Men" (2015), "The Throne" (2015), "The Age of Shadows" (2016), "A Taxi Driver" (2017) and "Confidential Assignment" (2017) have thrived. As a result, great movie actresses have increasingly looked toward television for interesting roles.

 

Industry insiders attribute the decline in melodrama films to the audiences' preference for consuming action blockbusters in theaters. And the low demand again leads to less investment in melodrama films, they say.

 

 

"When we make a film, we usually aim to attract more than 1 million viewers. But for melodramas, such a success can hardly be expected even if it has a famous actor among its main cast," a well-informed source of the film industry said, asking not to be named.

 

For instance, "Remember You," featuring a romance between Korean heartthrob Jung Woo-sung and Kim Ha-neul, managed to draw only about 430,000 people when it opened in local theaters in January 2016. The following month, "A Man and A Woman," led by Cannes-winning actress Jeon Do-yeon and Gong Yoo, also a Korean heartthrob, opened and sold only about 200,000 tickets.

 

"Since there are so many melodramas on television, I don't want to pay to watch similar dramas at theaters," Lee Hyun-joo, 32, said. She then hurried into a theater in CJ CGV's Myeongdong location with her friend to see "The Swindlers," a crime-action flick that has been atop the local box office since its release on Nov. 22. The movie starring Hyunbin and Yoo Ji-tae exceeded 3 million in cumulative attendance last Monday.

 

Kim Myeong-seop, a college student whom this reporter met at the same theater, agreed, saying, "Because ticket prices went up much recently, I only go to see movies worthy of big-screen treatment these days. I can see melodramas any time on TV, you know."

 

There also is a more profound reason for melodrama films' recent unpopularity in South Korea, according to Jeon Chan-il, a film critic.

 

"A major theme penetrating the Korean cinema in recent years is the gravity of the times," he said in a recent media interview. "We have consumed so many political thrillers and historical flicks because melodramas couldn't carry the weight of the times."

  

Actually, movies that have scored big in the past few years like "The Attorney," "Inside Men," "Veteran" and "A Taxi Driver" sensitively reflected the present political and social situations of Korean society, addressing such themes of social injustice, and corrupt political power and capital.

 

As television stations took advantage of the public's desire for melodramas, releasing more diverse and larger-scale projects, the film industry has increasingly veered more into "strong films" fraught with violent scenes and four-letter words.

 

What's interesting is that new Japanese and re-released films have filled the vacancy of Korean films.

 

The number of new Japanese releases is rising rapidly each year. It increased from 171 in 2013 to 529 to date this year. Japanese titles have taken up 3.9 percent of all tickets sold in South Korean theaters so far this year, up from 0.9 to 1.6 percent in the past five years.

 

In the first half of the year, the animated high-teen romance film "Your Name" sold 3.63 million tickets, becoming the most-viewed Japanese movie of the genre in Korea. In the second half, "Let Me Eat Your Pancreas," also a school romance, drew about 460,000 views, the largest for Japanese live-action films that have opened in Korea in the past decade.

 

Watching re-released classical romance films was also an option for many Korean moviegoers who don't like action blockbusters.

 

Last month alone, seven of about 60 titles that opened in local theaters were re-released ones. They include the acclaimed 2008 movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," John Carney's 2007 Tony Award-winning musical "Once," the 2007 romantic comedy "Music & Lyrics" with Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant, and the 2004 fantasy-romance "If Only."

   

Lotte Cinema, a large cinema chain, gave a special screening of Korean romance films for two weeks last month in its chain theaters around the country. Shown were six select domestic films, including "Bungee Jumping Of Their Own" (2001), "A Moment To Remember" (2004) and "Architecture 101" (2012), which were received well among Korean audiences when they first opened.

 

"When we reviewed the lineup for new Korean releases early this year, there were almost no titles from the romance-melodrama genre," said Kang Dong-yeong, who heads Lotte Cinema's movie business unit. "So, we have targeted the season when the demand for romance films is high."

   

sshim@yna.co.kr

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HAHAHAA.. this is so funny! An INSIDE MEN appearance in the promo teaser for the upcoming 2018 movie, KEYS TO THE HEART starring Lee Byung Hun & Park Jung Min.  Watch the trailer till the end, the cameo part is absolutely hilarious! 

 

Cartoon by CJ Entertainment @cjenmmovie

 

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Source: Jason Bechervaise‏ @Jasebechervaise (DRUG KING soompi thread)

 

 

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Source: Rhythm @thisgenius

 

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