[Movie 2014] Mad Sad Bad 신촌좀비만화

[ecs707a]

A long (but pretty favorable) review from the JIFF screening:
Mad Sad Bad 3D (Sinchon zombi manhwa 3D): Jeonju Review
6:11 PM PDT 5/5/2014 by Clarence Tsui

The Bottom Line
A successful and significant showcase of stereoscopic imagery augmenting non-action, driven drama.
Venue
Opening film, Jeonju International Film Festival, May 3, 2014
Directors
Ryoo Seung-wan, Han Ji-seung, Kim Tae-yong
Cast
David Lee, Park Jung-min, Park Ki-woong, Nam Gyu-ri, Kim Soo-an

Three A-list Korean filmmakers join forces for a 3D omnibus debuting at the Jeonju festival.
Nearly a year after the pan-European portmanteau 3X3D bowed and wowed cinephiles at Cannes, a trio of Asian -- or to be specific, South Korean -- filmmakers have offered their riposte: a more mainstream and narrative-based version of the premise, Mad Sad Bad has proved to be a beguiling take on what could easily be the emerging subgenre of the stereoscopic omnibus film.

While their European counterparts have used their vehicle to mull over the possibilities and pitfalls of 3D, Ryoo Seung-wan, Han Ji-seung and Kim Tae-yong embarked on a more immersive embrace on the format. It's a statement that the extra dimension could be used to heighten the alienation of characters in both urban and rural environments.

With Mad Sad Bad, the three filmmakers seem to be saying how it's the stories and the characters that matter. Driven by full-fledged stories and nuanced characters -- well, at least two-thirds of it, but more on that later -- Mad Sad Bad could easily have worked without the stereoscopy. That's perhaps why the Jeonju International Film Festival actually elected to screen the 2D version as its opening film May 1, before unfurling the 3D version in later shows.

As the curtain-raiser for an event seeking to reposition itself after last year's much-maligned swerve toward glitz and glamor, Mad Sad Bad has provided the Jeonju festival (and also the film's producers, Korean Academy of Film Arts, and the studio backer, CJ Entertainment) with a winner. While the two-hour omnibus is not exactly festival bait like 3X3D, it could easily find a berth in more mainstream, perhaps nation-based showcases. Success at home in South Korea, where it will open May 15, should be assured.

Indeed, the directors could be said to have emerged from this experiment with their reputation intact, if not enhanced: Ryoo, Kim and -- to a lesser degree -- Han have shown themselves flexible in adapting to different lengths and formats and being able to tell a full-fledged story in a reduced amount of time, while also blending the latest technological contraptions into their authorial imprint.

Ryoo's Ghost, which begins Mad Sad Bad, is an effective case in point. Based on a real-life incident of online obsession gone horribly awry, the story revolves around Seung-ho aka "Snow-wolf" (David Lee), whose willingness to bond only with his 'net friends leads him to a plan to free a girl supposedly being confined by a violent boyfriend who disapproves of her "loony" obsession with online games (hence the episode falling under "Mad"). Here, 3D works wonders in bringing vividly to the screen the ethereal nature of these virtually circulated half-truths -- whether the victims' pleas for help or the other netizens' cursory and morally unmoored expressions of sympathy and support.

The stereoscopy, which is used to heighten depths of field in scenes involving factory conveyor belts, highways and supermarket aisles, is just one of Ghost's multiple strengths. Ryoo has cannily transformed this revenge of the nerds into a twisted take on an actioner: As Seung-ho and his sickly, thickly spectacled comrade-in-arms "B-gen" (Park Jung-min) "go out to the world" with their code names, conspiracies and a murderous mission, Ghost could easily be a miniature variation of, say, Ryoo's 2013 espionage thriller The Berlin File. And the fatalism on show here is all the same, with the comical touches in the beginning gradually dissipating as Seung-ho and his friend become both victims and perpetrators in an unjust city of violence.

The gripping, edge-of-seat tension slackens somewhat with the second entry. At least on paper, Han's Saw You promises to be a spine tingler, what with its ominous title and the premise of a dystopia in which the hordes of undead -- whose marauding instincts were tamed by medication and segregation -- toil as slave labor under the tyrannical whims of untainted human beings.

But while Ryoo adapts a teen drama into a cracking 3D suspense thriller, Han has gone the other way by transforming his part into "zombie melodrama." It's actually a term coined within the story by protagonist Yeo-wul (Park Ki-woong), a cruel factory manager who spits at the sight of the weak, melancholic (hence its entry as the "Sad" segment) and impossibly photogenic zombie Si-wa (Nam Gyu-ri), who's desperately refusing the advances of a fellow worker.

But as Yeo-wul does this and also chides advertising selling plastic surgery and memory-forgetting pills for zombies, the Big Reveal is hardly that much of a surprise -- what's startling, perhaps, is how the episode descends all the way into the cliche scenes of slow-motion self-sacrifice. Whatever symbolism there is -- human manipulation of the undead as a metaphor for capitalists trudging the working class underfoot, Yeo-wul's arrogance and amnesia representing the self-denial of the plummeting middle class -- is all but lost amidst the soap-like narrative and mise-en-scene.

Luckily, Kim's installment arrives to save the day. Featuring a nuanced and refreshingly endearing turn from child actor Kim Soo-an, Picnic explores the tribulations and trauma of elementary school pupil Soo-min, whose advanced-beyond-her-age demeanor is the result of her growing up with a busy (and economically struggling) single mother and a seemingly autistic younger brother; the situation at home leads to wishes unfulfilled or even extinguished, and a possibly constrained future life.

Despite such unforgiving circumstances, Soo-min maintains a remarkable steeled will about her own agency in life -- and it's because of this personality trait that she embarks on the titular excursion, which, somehow, reveals her own complex humanity (she would readily admit -- and then be punished for -- being a "bad" girl) and also something about her sibling. While star-in-the-making Soo-an offers a near-perfect portrayal of Soo-min's contradicting emotions, Kim pulls off a masterstroke by setting all this to 3D: by separating the girl from the background, the director manages to heighten her loneliness from people and things around her.

Meanwhile, the same could be said of Kim's decision to move the story to the country, which would see Soo-min (and her brother) set against dauntingly vast rural landscapes. With such a sturdy mix of fine-tuned story (courtesy of screenwriters Andrea Yoon and Min Ye-ji) and validly employed stereoscopy, Picnic offers not just a grand finale to the omnibus, but also an answer to the question about the significance of 3D or any other advance in filmmaking technology. It's all about moving the heart and the mind -- and Mad Sad Bad ticked those boxes with its well-crafted bookending chapters and maybe a lightweight filler in between.

Venue: Opening film, Jeonju International Film Festival, May 3, 2014
Production Company: KAFA Films in association with CJ Entertainment
Directors: Ryoo Seung-wan (Ghost); Han Ji-seung (I Saw You); Kim Tae-yong (Picnic)
Producers: Kim Jung-min (Ghost), Han Ho-jung (I Saw You), Kim Hung-min and Park Kwan-su (Picnic)
Cast: David Lee, Park Jung-min, Sohn Suh-yun (Ghost); Park Ki-woong, Nam Kyu-ri (I Saw You); Kim Soo-an, Park Mi-hyen, Yu Gi-seong (Picnic)
Screenwriters: Kim Tae-yong, Ryoo Seung-wan (Ghost); Han Ji-seung (I Saw You); Andrea Yoon, Min Ye-ji (Picnic)
Directors of photography: Lee Jae-hyuk (Ghost); Choi Sung-won (I Saw You); Kim Woo-hyung (Picnic)
source: Hollywood Reporter

[ecs707a]

New on set photos of Park Ki Woong:

source

And...

The movie is officially released today, May 15!

[dr25]

) The bar codes...Dunno why I felt there might be an expiry date in the matter..
These two reminded me of the characters from Waiting for Godot, Lucky and Pozzo. The trailer gave the impression of dark horror. Seeing this makes me like the movie better. Methinks it'll has some Master Sun moments in it *.*

[ecs707a]

Another (crankier) review:

[HanCinema's Film Review] "MAD SAD BAD"

The first portion of "MAD SAD BAD" is a story about high school in the modern age. Seung-ho (played by Lee David) is a fairly lonely and pathetic teenage boy. He socializes mainly through a chatting cell phone function. The monotony of his life is given a sudden shock by a text message from Woo-bi (played by Son Soo-hyeon), who claims that she's suffering from abuse and singles Seung-ho out of the chatting group for aid.

This segment plays like a mystery, except there's not really any invesigation. Everyone just takes Woo-bi's claims at face value, eventually leading up to a final confrontation. The overall moral of the piece appears to be that nerds who are incapable of standing up for themselves or others can undergo a major attitude shift if the safety of a pretty girl is on the line. Also this is not necessarily a good thing.

The next tale concerns Yeo-wool (played by Park Ki-woong) who lives in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse working as an overseer for a labor team of tame zombies. The social class narrative of zombie is pretty pronounced here. Yeo-wool makes his living off of zombies and yet is completely repulsed by them, playing zombie killing video games in his spare time.

Then it turns into a love story and this portion of the film just gets really weird. Don't get me wrong- it's an interesting enough idea and resolution. The risk of love here works very well as a metaphor for the risk of destroying civilization as we know it. And there's plenty of weirdly compelling comedy bits here, too, like the whole deal with the fingers. The two ideas just don't really go together.

The final segment is about Soo-min (played by Kim Soo-an), a little girl who's frustrated by her autistic younger brother, who's even more annoying than a regular younger brother. This is a pretty typical story about siblings overcoming differences and just making an effort to love without the expectation of reciprocation. And then surprise! Reciprocation comes along anyway. It's predictable, but cute enough that I didn't care too much. I'm still not sure what was going on with that fantastic bit at the end though. I guess it's something from the comic?

Really, if there's any succinct way to describe the whole of "MAD SAD BAD", it's that I'm not really sure what was going on with the final product. Usually omnibus films have some sort of linking theme to justify showing several short films at once. There is not any such theme here that I can find. They're all about love, kind of, except they're all different kinds of love that can't really be compared. Manipulation maybe? All three films involve characters who are being manipulated, but only two of them are protagonists.

Even the title "MAD SAD BAD" is a bit of a mystery. I guess it works in vague terms. The central emotional moment of each segment can be described in terms of those emotions. The Korean title doesn't use rhyming though- it's just each story summed up in a single word. That's probably the best way to really appreciate "MAD SAD BAD"- it's a set of forty minute films that just are. Decent enough to watch I suppose, but not great, and you shouldn't feel compelled to see all three in the same sitting.

Review by William Schwartz

credit: Hancinema

[ecs707a]

dr25 said:
) The bar codes...Dunno why I felt there might be an expiry date in the matter..
These two reminded me of the characters from Waiting for Godot, Lucky and Pozzo. The trailer gave the impression of dark horror. Seeing this makes me like the movie better. Methinks it'll has some Master Sun moments in it *.*

That poor seeing eye zombie...lol.

Yeah, clearly there's some comedy in I Saw You that wasn't even hinted at in the trailers.  Reviews so far seem fairly good, but everyone seems a little confused about the apparently huge tonal differences between the three parts.  Maybe a side effect of expecting one thing based on the trailers, and getting something completely different in the final product?  I don't know, but I agree with you, dr25. I feel like I'm even more likely to like it now that I'm sure it's not just a horror melodrama (um...3D musical zombie horror melodrama, that is).  I'm all for weird and dark humor.

And now I'm curious what the "deal with the fingers" is (see Hancinema review above)...

[ecs707a]

Nam Gyuri was Cast as Zombie in ‘Mad Sad Bad’ Because She is Pretty

2014.05.09 14:31 | CJ E&M enewsWorld An So Hyoun | Translation Credit : Yeawon Jung

Director Han Ji Seung shared the story behind casting Nam Gyuri as a zombie.

During the press conference for film Mad Sad Bad, held on May 9 at the Wangshimni CGV, director Han Ji Seung said, “I wondered which actress could still be pretty even with the zombie make-up on.” Nam Gyuri acted as zombie ‘Siwa’ in the part directed by Han Ji Seung in the three-part omnibus movie.

Director Han said, “I needed an actress who has an innocent image and can still show off her features even with the thick make up, an actress who has pretty eyes. Putting all these together, I thought Nam Gyuri was the most fit for the role.”

He also added, “She also transformed into a robot in director Chang’s music video and her artificial, yet humanist image added to the reason behind the casting.”

Nam Gyuri said, “I was more worried about acting itself rather than having to put on zombie make up. But I had my trust in the director after talking with him and was able to film satisfactorily.”

Meanwhile, Mad Sad Bad is an omnibus movie with three parts called ‘Ghost,’ ‘I saw you,’ and ‘Picnic.’ The film will premiere on May 15.

credit: enewsworld

[ecs707a]

CJ Entertainment is screening the movie at Cannes Market:

Leading Korean Studios Bring Enticing Market Offerings

May 15, 2014 | 11:31AM PT | Nemo Kim

In contrast to South Korea’s anemic festival presence, things are much brighter on the market side. The big three — CJ, Lotte and Showbox — have plenty to shout about.

CJ E&M brings Un Certain Regard screener “A Girl at My Door,” helmed by July Jung and produced by Lee Chang-dong, and “The Target,” a remake of French “Point Blank” by helmer Chang, to the Croisette. CJ is also screening “No Tears for the Dead,” helmed by Lee Jeong-beom (“The Man From Nowhere”), and historical maritime epic “Roaring Currents,” directed by Kim Han-min. CJ will also show a 3D omnibus film “Mad, Sad, Bad” by three well-known names in the Korean industry, Ryoo Seung-wan (“No Blood, No Tears”), Han Ji-seung (“Papa”) and Kim Tae-yong (“Late Autumn”).

Lotte’s Cannes lineup includes “The Pirates,” an epic set in 14th century Korea; another historical piece, “The Fatal Encounter,” about a murderous plot in the royal palace during the Joseon Dynasty; “Memories of the Sword,” a Joseon period drama about revenge; “Man on High Heels,” about a cold-blooded detective who secretly desires a sex change; and “Manhole,” which features a serial killer who uses the sewer system to abduct his victims.

Showbox’s lineup includes: “A Hard Day,” a thriller about a detective who buries his car accident victim in the same coffin as his mother; historical epic “Kundo: Age of the Rampant”; “Gangnam Blues,” introduced at the Hong Kong FilMart; “The Divine Move,” a noir actioner about professional gamblers; and “We Are Brothers,” a comedy about a Korean-born American adoptee who finds his biological family.

On the independent side, Finecut has a pair of new titles backed by distributor NEW, and Indiestory has short film “Breath” in the Cinefondation section.

credit: Variety

[ecs707a]

Another review:

Mad Sad Bad
22 May, 2014 | By Jason Bechervaise

Dirs: Ryoo Seung-wan, Han Ji-Seung, Kim Tae-yong. South Korea. 2014. 120mins

Featuring three compelling and distinctive shorts in 3D helmed by three well-established directors (Ryoo Seung-wan (The Berlin File), Han Ji-seung (Venus and Mars) & Kim Tae-yong (Late Autumn), Mad Sad Bad, demonstrates that when put in the right hands, a stereoscopic 3-part narrative-based omnibus can actually work well, and though, inevitably, some segments work better than others, it nevertheless remains worthy of attention both locally and overseas.

After premiering as the opening film at the 15th Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) (May 1-10), it should further boost its profile in international territories along with its home market of South Korea where it’s released on May 15, while much like the European 3D omnibus 3X3D (2013), its star power lies with the filmmakers themselves, especially Ryoo Seung-wan and Kim Tae-yong, which will be the film’s biggest selling point.

Action-maverick auteur Ryoo Seung-wan kicks things off with his short Ghost that’s based on a real life incident where it follows a young student called Seung-ho (Lee David) who spends much of him time in digital chat rooms and playing computer games, teams up with another student, Bi-Jen (Park Jeong-min), to help an attractive young teenager, Woo-bi (Son Soo-hyeon) who claims her boyfriend is abusing her.

Ryoo explores the disastrous consequences this all leads to in an engaging manner, and while its use of dark humour could be seen as insensitive as the two boys begin their murderous endeavor, the film’s sour conclusion drums home the severity of going to such cruel and wholly misguided lengths.

Although Ryoo doesn’t really exploit his talent at staging spectacular set-pieces evident in The Berlin File, it’s refreshing to see him focus on a drama that for the most part remains intriguing owing in part to David Lee’s absorbing leading performance together with Ryoo’s script that he co-wrote with director Kim Tae-yong.

I Saw You directed by Han Ji-seung is the weakest of the three films, but it nevertheless remains an alluring experience set in the not-too-distant future where zombies have been causing havoc, but are put under control through medication, segregation and ultimately exploitation. The film’s protagonist, Yeo-wool (Park Ki-woong), is a callous factory manager who relentlessly pushes the zombie workers to their limits, but at the heart of the film isn’t a necessarily a critique of capitalism, but a melodrama once a zombie called Si-wa (Nam Gyoo-ri) attempts to form a connection with Yeo-wool, and while he initially rejects her advances, he begins to understand what ties them together.

Full of clichés, I Saw You, therefore fails to reach its potential, and while the mise-en-scène sometimes comes across as over-stylised and the acting perhaps suffers from being overly theatrical, Han’s short remains endearing even if it feels a bit forced.

Kim Tae-yong’s stupendous Picnic concludes Mad Sad Bad in perfect fashion reflecting the sensibility and mastery Kim is always able to convey and exhibit in his films, which serves to become Mad Sad Bad’s masterstroke.

Scripted by Andrea Yoon and Min Ye-ji, Picnic follows a young girl, Su-min, (Kim Su-an) who lives with her seamstress mother and younger brother who appears to suffer from autism. Su-min is often asked by her mother to take care of her younger sibling when she runs errands, but she finds respite in her imagination and a comic book that she borrows. After her brother damages the book, Su-min decides to travel for a picnic where she can briefly escape from her demanding childhood.

Every frame is meticulously crafted by Kim to tell this beautiful story about a girl and her quest to find comfort in her imagination with so much elegance that when shown in 3D, it demonstrates that such a film, which wonderfully captures Korea’s rural landscape, can also successfully and innovatively exploit the medium.

What also makes this short standout is Kim Su-an enchanting performance as the adorable 8-year old conveying the necessary innocence and layered emotions demanded by her character, illustrating the raw potential she is capable of going ahead as she’s bound to be picked up for further roles.

As a whole, Mad Sad Bad produced by the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA) – the training ground for directors such as Bong Joon ho (Snowpiercer ) and Im Sang-soo (The Taste Of Money) - hits most of the right notes and in the right order, and though not every segment utilises the stereoscopic medium in the same way as Picnic nor deliver equal amounts of strong craftsmanship, this omnibus feature remains an impressive collection of shorts that should be a promising addition to festivals, especially Asia or Korea specific.

source: screendaily

[ecs707a]

The movie was in competition at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain last month, in the Focus Asia section.  It won the Best Feature Length Film Award in its section.

'I Origins', 'The Babadook' and 'Cub' win at a Sitges Film Festival that's been more fantastic than ever

Focus Àsia
Best Feature Length Film Award: MAD SAD BAD, by Han Ji-seung, Kim Tae-yong and Ryoo Seung-wan.
Special Mention: HWAYI: A MONSTER BOY, by Jang Joon-hwan.

source: Sitges Film Festival


Japan's Koji Yakusho Wins Best Actor at Sitges Fest
9:56 PM PST 10/13/2014 by Gavin J. Blair

Mike Cahill's 'I Origins' takes best pic, while Korean films land four awards at the genre fest

South Korea was represented with wins in the best animation category for Chang Hyung-yun for The Satellite Girl and Milk Cow, and best feature in the Focus Asia category with Mad Sad Bad by Han Ji-seung, Kim Tae-yong and Ryoo Seung-wan. In addition, in the New Visions section, Lee Su-jin won best feature for Han Gong-Ju, while Jung Yoon-suk won the non-fiction award with the appropriately titled Non-Fiction Diary.

source: Hollywood Reporter

Korean Films Nab 5 Awards from Sitges
by Pierce Conran / Oct 13, 2014

Taking the top award in the Focus Asia category was the 3D omnibus Mad Sad Bad. The film, which debuted at the Jeonju International Film Festival and was produced by the Korean Academy of Film Arts, features works by directors RYOO Seung-wan, HAN Ji-seung and KIM Tae-yong. Picking up Focus Asia’s Special Mention accolade was Hwayi: A Monster Boy, the long-awaited sophomore work of Save the Green Planet (2003) director JANG Joon-hwan.

source: kobiz

[ecs707a]

I don't think this version of the poster was ever posted here.  I guess this is the international version:

source: CJ Entertainment International facebook

[ecs707a]

Mad Sad Bad has been included in the lineup for the KAFA+ Next D “3D, Once Again” section at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.  A little about the program:

The Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA) of the Korean Film Council (Chairman: KIM Se Hun) will hold a variety of events that examine new possibilities of the Korean 3D movies and the next-generation visual industry during the period of the 19th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival with the opening ceremony being held on July 16, 2015. The KAFA will look back at the achievements made in 3D film production project during the past 3 years, which has been implemented since 2012. Also, there is time set aside to review various issues related to new film formats, contributing to the Korean film industry for the future.

This event carefully selected new films and major works from the 8th and 9th ‘KAFA+Next D’ project, which is KAFA’s educational program for 3D film production. Under the title of ‘3D & BEYOND’, we provided various events as follows: the ‘Forum’ where we invited experts from various fields to look at technical and industrial issues related to new films and video formats, including 3D movies, ScreenX, VR, etc.; the ‘Mega Talk’ where the production staff of a full-length omnibus film from the 8th ‘KAFA+Next D’ project, One Night Dream, is being disclosed for the first time at this year’s BiFan to share their experiences and aesthetic concerns from making 3D films; and the ‘Mega Party’ where the participants of the ‘KAFA+Next D’ project with a total of 25 films made during the past 3 years will gather together.

And here's an excerpt from an article about its inclusion in the festival:

S. Korea's largest genre film fest announces lineup for 19th edition

2015/06/16 14:55 | By Shim Sun-ah

SEOUL, June 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's largest genre film fest will open its 19th edition next month with more focus on fantasy films and a larger number of world premiers than in previous years, organizers said Tuesday.

This year's Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan) will screen 235 features and shorts from 45 countries around the world under the theme "Love, fantasy and adventure," they said. The lineup included 64 world premiers, far more than the annual average of 45.

In order to enhance its identity as a "fantastic film festival," the festival authorities focused the programming on films from horror, sci-fi, thiller, suspense, action genres dealing with stories that rarely happen in the real world.

Also drawing attention is the event's inclusion of several commercial films such as "Coin Locker Girl," a homegrown crime drama starring Kim Hye-soo and Kim Go-eun, and "Mad Sad Bad," an omnibus film co-directed by Ryu Seung-wan, Kim Tae-yong and Han Ji-seung that opened the Jeonju International Film Festival in 2014.

Read the rest here

[ecs707a]

Now available subbed on dramafever, in case anyone's been waiting for a good subbed version: HERE

Nice to finally watch it subbed   Also glad it's as good or better than I remembered it from when I watched it raw forever ago.