Lee Seo Jin 이서진 (3MAD Guest)

[rubie]

November 12, 2018

 

'Intimate Strangers' reigns atop box office for second consecutive weekend

By Shim Sun-ah

 

SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- Korean comedy-drama "Intimate Strangers" continued to outperform expectations at the box office, delivering a second weekend at No. 1, while "Bohemian Rhapsody" continued to shine.

 

As for the weekend's two new Korean releases, actor Ma Dong-seok's "Ordinary People" led the way, beating out "The Wrath" for third place on the weekend chart, data from the Korean Film Council showed Monday.

 

With 999,623 admissions, "Intimate Strangers" directed by Lee Jae-kyoo dropped just 14.8 percent in its second weekend as the film's 12-day cumulative total now stands at 3.37 million.

 

The Lotte Entertainment release starring Yoo Hae-jin, Cho Jin-woong and Lee Seo-jin centers on a circle of friends who decide to lay bare all their secrets at a dinner via a game of sharing all incoming messages. It is a Korean remake of the smash hit Italian movie "Perfect Strangers."

   

In the runner-up position for the second weekend in a row was "Bohemian Rhapsody," which gained 49.8 percent more views in its sophomore frame for 784,104 admissions. The Queen biopic's domestic cumulative total is now more than 1.8 million after 12 days in theaters.

 

Coming in third was "Ordinary People," seen by 242,005 people. The thriller tells the story of a former boxing coach searching for a missing high school girl as a physical education teacher at a school.

 

The local horror flick "The Wrath" was fourth with 42,934 admissions.

 

Set in the Joseon period (1392-1910), the movie is about a girl named Ok-bun who happens to stumble into a cursed mansion inhabited by a mysterious lady. It is a remake of the 1986 hit period mystery-horror film "Woman's Wail."

   

The biblical drama "Paul, Apostle of Christ" ranked fifth with 36,524 views. The American independent film has attracted a total audience of 109,107 since its release on Oct. 31.

 

sshim@yna.co.kr

[katakwasabi]

5 hours ago, rubie said:

November 12, 2018

 

'Intimate Strangers' reigns atop box office for second consecutive weekend

By Shim Sun-ah

 

SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- Korean comedy-drama "Intimate Strangers" continued to outperform expectations at the box office, delivering a second weekend at No. 1, while "Bohemian Rhapsody" continued to shine.

 

As for the weekend's two new Korean releases, actor Ma Dong-seok's "Ordinary People" led the way, beating out "The Wrath" for third place on the weekend chart, data from the Korean Film Council showed Monday.

 

With 999,623 admissions, "Intimate Strangers" directed by Lee Jae-kyoo dropped just 14.8 percent in its second weekend as the film's 12-day cumulative total now stands at 3.37 million.

 

The Lotte Entertainment release starring Yoo Hae-jin, Cho Jin-woong and Lee Seo-jin centers on a circle of friends who decide to lay bare all their secrets at a dinner via a game of sharing all incoming messages. It is a Korean remake of the smash hit Italian movie "Perfect Strangers."

   

 

 

I hope it reachs 10million views and LSJ needs to eats his own words 

 

Scroll to vid no 4 for his pledge if the movie reaches 10mill viewers . His interview is as usual savage~ hahaha

 

 

 

 

[rubie]

November 13, 2018

 

‘Intimate Strangers’ continues run atop box office: Freddie Mercury biopic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ held on to second place

 

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

 

Lee Seo-jin, left, and Cho Jin-woong in a scene from “Intimate Strangers,” which dominated Korea’s weekend box office for two weekends straight. [LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT]

 

Despite tough competition from new releases starring popular celebrities, “Intimate Strangers” stayed atop the weekend box office for its second straight weekend, and was again followed by “Bohemian Rhapsody” in second place spot. 

 

Actor Ma Dong-seok’s “The Villagers” debuted at third while the singer-turned-actor Son Na-eun’s “The Wrath” arrived at fourth. 

 

From Friday to Sunday, “Intimate Strangers,” a remake of the 2016 Italian film “Perfect Strangers,” sold almost a million tickets at 1,324 screens, making up 43.2 percent of the nation’s weekend’s ticket sales.

 

In its second weekend, the comedy drama sold a total of 3.37 million tickets, with its total sales nearing 30 billion won ($27 million). 

 

Featuring stars Yoo Hae-jin, Cho Jin-woong, Lee Seo-jin and Yum Jung-ah, the movie unfolds as a group of childhood friends and their spouses gather one night for a dinner, and play a strange game of revealing every text, phone call and social media notification that pop up on their smartphones throughout the time they are spending together.

 

Though the game starts off exciting, it leaves everyone feeling disappointed and betrayed by the end of the night. 

 

Like last weekend, Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” came in at second, but had a stronger performance than the previous weekend. 

 

The story of British rock band Queen sold 784,000 admissions at 1,098 screens over the weekend. The film has sold a total of 1.84 million tickets since its release on Oct. 31, despite critical reviews.

 

The movie depicts the band’s rise to fame and popularity, as well as the struggles Freddie had with drug use and revealing his sexuality. 

 

Ma’s “The Villagers” debuted in third, with 352,000 admissions sold at 730 screens. Co-starring Kim Sae-ron as a high school girl whose friend has suddenly gone missing, the movie depicts Ma as a physical education teacher hired at a high school in a small town.

 

Together, the duo digs into the case of the missing girl, which the rest of the town seems to be negligent of. 

 

Coming in at a distant fourth was “The Wrath,” a remake of the 1986 historical horror masterpiece “Woman’s Wail.” Released on Thursday, the film sold 43,000 admissions in its first weekend.

 

Set in the Joseon Dynasty (1392,1910), the movie follows a girl named Ok-bun (Son), who happens to stumble into a cursed house, where a series of mysterious killings occur. Seo Young-hee of “Shadows in the Palace” (2007) co-stars in the movie.

The biblical drama film, “Paul, Apostle of Christ” rounded out the top five, with 36,000 tickets sold.

 

The period zombie thriller “Rampant,” starring Hyunbin and Jang Dong-gun appear, which was sold to 74 markets at the American Film Market, continued its poor performance in Korea. In its third weekend, it fell to seventh after receiving bad reviews from critics and viewers alike. 

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

[rubie]

November 17, 2018

 

If a movie concept ain’t broke, don’t fix it: Film companies are finding success by remaking foreign flicks

 

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

 

Clockwise from the top are scenes from “Intimate Strangers,” “Be With You,” “Little Forest” and “Believer.” Based on popular foreign titles, the Korean adaptations of these movies performed successfully at the local box office. [LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT, NEXT ENTERTAINMENT WORLD, MEGABOX PLUS M]

 

After eight days in theaters, “Intimate Strangers,” a relatively small movie that cost just six billion won ($5.38 million) to make, sold more than 2.2 million tickets. In order to break even, the film only needed to sell 1.8 million. 

 

A remake of the 2016 Italian flick “Perfect Strangers,” the Korean adaptation begins with a group of childhood friends gathering at the fancy home of plastic surgeon Seok-ho (Cho Jin-woong) and his psychologist wife Ye-jin (Kim Ji-soo). Once Seok-ho’s friends and their spouses gather at a large table to enjoy a homecooked dinner, Ye-jin suggests playing a game that requires everyone to reveal every text, phone call and social media notification that pops up on their smartphone during dinner.

 

This puts everybody in an uncomfortable spot, but their desire to not be accused of having secrets - especially by their spouses - eventually leads them all to agree to play. 

 

Directed by Lee Jae-kyu of “The Fatal Encounter” (2014), the film co-stars Lee Seo-jin, Yoo Hai-jin, Yum Jung-ah and Yoon Kyung-ho. It defied expectations and topped Korea’s box office for two weekends, though the streak is likely to be broken this week by new releases like “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.”

 

“Intimate Strangers” is the latest in the trend of Korean remakes of foreign films, many of which have proven to be box office successes.

 

“Believer,” based on the 2014 Hong Kong title “Drug War,” sold 5.06 million tickets, while the heart-wrenching romance title “Be With You,” released in March and based on the 2005 Japanese hit film of the same name, sold 2.6 million admissions. 

 

“Believer” stars Cho and Ryu Jun-yeol, while “Be With You” pairs Son Ye-jin with So Ji-sub as a loving couple with a heartbreaking story.

 

“Little Forest,” starring actors Kim Tae-ri, Ryu and Jin Ki-joo, sold 1.5 million tickets when it was released earlier this year. The film was originally a novel and a cartoon in Japan. 

 

These locally remade movies all broke even.

 

Remakes, of course, are nothing new. The 2012 film “All About My Wife” was a remake of the Argentine movie, “A Boyfriend for My Wife” (2008). The Korean version, starring Im Soo-jung and Lee Sun-kyun, sold 4.59 million tickets. The frequency of remakes being produced in Korea, however, has recently increased.

 

This sudden spike in remakes was not intentional, according to industry insiders.

 

“Rather than paying attention to finding content to remake, we are searching for an interesting story - whether it be original content or a remake,” said Lim Seung-yong, the head of production company Yong Film, which was behind “Believer” and director Park Chan-wook’s acclaimed “Oldboy” (2003). 

 

“That was what led us to work on ‘Oldboy,’ [which is based on a Japanese manga series], and [the 2010 feature] “The Servant,” [based on a famous Korean folktale].” 

 

Lim’s other successful remakes include “The Target” (2014), which was based on a French movie, and “Luck-Key” (2016), which originally comes from Japan. 

 

Producer Park Cheol-su, who co-runs production firm Film Monster, which was behind “Intimate Strangers,” had a similar opinion.

 

“Whether the story originates from a movie, webtoon or is original content does not make much difference to producers,” said Park. “There are two things we consider - Do I wish to deliver this story and is it commercially viable?

 

“After watching the original version of ‘Intimate Strangers,’ I got to question myself on human nature, human relationships and secrets, which are told through the means of cell phones. I was also attracted to the cinematic expression of a series of dream-like events taking place while the lunar eclipse occurs.”

 

Despite the success stories, producing a remake does not guarantee an easier path to a box office hit because of the heightened expectation.

 

Sci-fi action title “Illang: The Wolf Brigade,” based on the legendary Japanese animation “Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade,” flopped at the box office in July. The film cost 16 billion won to make and sold less than a million tickets. 

 

“The strategy of producing local movies, which are often inspired by and reflect reality or history, seems to be gradually changing,” said film critic Kim Hyung-seok. “I think local filmmakers have built up [sufficient] understanding of how to reinterpret foreign movies that fit into the Korean context. Remake films could contribute in solidifying the film industry in Korea.”

 

Some experts see a more negative impact.

 

Kang Yoo-jung, a film critic, described the rise in remakes in Korea as a “phenomenon that has stemmed from the depletion of ideas.” 

 

According to Kang, working on remakes likely alleviates the concerns of producers and investors because the original content has proven its commercial viability. 

 

“Only when new stories are born … will Korean cinema grow,” said Kang.    

 

BY LEE HOO-NAM [jin.minji@joongang.co.kr]

[rubie]

November 18, 2018

 

Film opens Pandora's Box of dirty secrets 

'Intimate Strangers' attracts over 4 million viewers

 

"Intimate Strangers" revolves around four old friends in their 40s and their wives at a house-warming party hosted by Seok-ho and his spouse. / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment

 

By Kang Hyun-kyung The Korea Times

 

Are you sure you know your spouse well? 

 

Director Lee Jae-kyoo asks this provocative question to married couples in his latest box-office hit "Intimate Strangers" which has attracted over 4 million as of Sunday since it hit local theaters on Oct. 31. 

 

The film revolves around four old friends in their 40s and their wives at a house-warming dinner party hosted by Seok-ho and his spouse. The four old friends are Tae-soo, a practiced lawyer; Seok-ho, a successful plastic surgeon; Joon-mo, a restaurant owner who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth but failed to manage his inherited wealth; and Young-bae, an unemployed teacher who is unaccompanied.

 

Amid the cozy atmosphere, one of the four friends suggests playing a truth game_ everyone sharing their text and KakaoTalk messages, or phone calls each of them receive that evening. In the game, the seven are supposed to read their messages out loud and turn their smartphones onto speaker mode when they answer calls so others can hear their conversation. 

 

Upon the suggestion, some members hesitate but soon change their minds to join in the game because they don't want to cause their spouses to harbor unwanted suspicions about them.

 

Few know the game will turn out to be a disaster for all. Things get out of control from the beginning ― their smartphones have too much information about them, including their dirty secrets which they don't want to share with their friends or even spouses.

 

Tae-soo played by Yoo Hae-jin has a secret. He had an affair with a woman 12 years older than him for a year, and she has since sent him X-rated photos of her body at 10 p.m. every night. 

 

Worried about the public disclosure of this to his wife and friends, Tae-soo makes a secretive deal with his divorced friend Young-bae played by Yoon Kyung-ho that the two switch their smartphones. Young-bae is the only single there. At 10 o'clock, Young-bae's smartphone receives an image of the unnamed woman's voluptuous body parts. Everybody in Seok-ho couple's living room makes fun of his girlfriend's weird hobby. 

 

Things go out of control when Tae-soo's smartphone gives an alert that he has received a KakaoTalk message from a man named Min-soo who is actually Young-bae's homosexual partner. All of a sudden, the uptight and meticulous Tae-soo is revealed as being in the closet homosexual. His wife played by Yum Jung-ah is upset and forces him to tell the truth. "I thought I knew everything about you. But it turned out you are a complete stranger," she shouts in despair. 

 

Newly-wed Joon-mo also has secrets. He cheated on his young wife by having extramarital affairs, including the one with the female manager of his restaurant. Her pregnancy was made public. Joon-mo also had an affair with his friend's wife. 

 

In "Intimate Strangers," released four years after his 2014 award-winning film "The Fatal Encounter" starring hallyu heartthrob Hyun-bin, director Lee tries to "educate" his audience that in marriage, there are no fairy tales.

 

He brutally breaks the fantasy about marital relationships and says no relationship is perfect. 

 

The director's message is clear in Seok-ho's conversation with his unfaithful wife Ye-jin. "Marriage works only when husband and wife understand that they are different and try to acknowledge and respect their differences. But many people don't do that and hurt their counterparts by describing their way is wrong and thus needs to be fixed," Seok-ho says. 

 

"Intimate Strangers" addresses a social taboo ― homosexuality ― and concludes Korean society is still not tolerant about sexual diversity. 

 

During the party, Young-bae comes out of the closet and tells his friends and their wives that he is gay and Min-soo is his partner. 

 

"I was fired because my school came to know that I am gay. Some ask me why I didn't take legal action against the school. You know what? If I did that, everybody was going to know I am gay which terrified me," says Young-bae. "If I brought Min-soo here and introduced him as my partner, you would have been surprised at first and would try to treat him nicely. But I know you'll try to judge my sexual preference. I know this. And that's why I didn't bring him here because we are in love and I don't want him to get hurt."

 

The movie about the hectic two-hour party shows that some people brace for their imperfect marriage.

 

The ending credit sums up director Lee's message: "People lead three different lives ― a public life, a private one and a secretive one." 

hkang@koreatimes.co.kr 

[rubie]

Photo: Lotte Entertainment

 

INTIMATE STRANGERS 4 million admission breakthrough (currently at 4.3 million)

 

[rubie]

November 24, 2018

 

HanCinema's Film Review: "Intimate Strangers"

 

By William Schwartz HanCinema.net

 

 

Seok-ho (played by Cho Jin-woong) and his wife Ye-jin (played by Kim Ji-soo) have dinner parties with their five friends every so often. This time around Ye-jin finally has the gumption to suggest a game that will, for one night only, destroy all their privacy. "Intimate Strangers" is as much about secrets between partners as it is secrets between friends. Observe how Se-kyeong (played by Song Ha-yoon) is always jokingly ribbing her older more experienced husband Joon-mo (played by Lee Seo-jin) about his past womanizing.

 

"Intimate Strangers" somewhat betrays its own premise in that we know full well there has to be something more complex and sinister going on under the surface, or else we'd be left with a movie completely lacking in conflict. The main underlying question is what exact form the explosions will take. That all seven party-goers are harboring one major secret of some kind is obvious. What matters is the severity of the secret and more critically, the timing.

 

"Intimate Strangers" is structured and even filmed mostly like a stage play. All the action takes place in the apartment, save for brief sections at the beginning and end that work to frame the story properly. Information is withheld from us in the prologue scenes. The epilogue allows us access to furtive background secrets of a less dramatic trip home from the dinner party, complete with a bonus scene of what the most emotionally healthy couple of the group does when they get home.

 

The main fun to be had during the middle portion is trying to guess which moments are fake-outs, which ones are just set-ups for later twists, and which are actually big horrible secrets. There's a lot of ambiguous middle ground between the three because all of them, even the film's most outrageous bits of drama, are always played for comedy. Sometimes the mockery is gentle, other times farcical, and other times it feels like the universe is playing a horrific joke that only seems funny to us because we know the situation isn't as bad as it looks.

 

An extremely strong cast is necessary to make this concept work. Though billed as a comedy, in context, it's necessary that the performers are always at an impasse when it comes to what emotion they have to do next. The element of surprise is critical. It forces the viewer to emphathize with other blindsided characters, even if our superior knowledge gleaned from a few key scenes allows for a sense of detachment.

 

Ah who am I kidding. It's a movie, of course everything is detached. But "Intimate Strangers" goes a step farther than that by giving cameo appearances to famous voices in the South Korean entertainment industry, which really just goes to show how the movie is an all-star production. "Intimate Strangers" is, to take a break from all these complicated and fancy words, quite funny. That's also the main critical narrative thrust. Even without all the fancy subterfuge necessary to maintain a secret life, there is still substance in friendship.

 

Review by William Schwartz

[rubie]

 

November 29, 2018

 

INTIMATE STRANGERS exceeds 5 million audience admission 

 

Source: Lotte Entertainment

[rubie]

November 30, 2018

 

November Strong Month at Box Office Thanks to 2 Hit Films
 

Source: The Chosun Ilbo

 

A Korean comedy and a Queen bio-pic have made November a strong month at the box office here by drawing more than 5 million viewers over about a month after their release on the same day.

 

As of Wednesday, some 5.12 million people watched "Bohemian Rhapsody," which opened on Oct. 31, according to the Korean Film Council.

 

The film is on track to beat "Les Misérables" (5.92 million) to become the most successful music film ever released in Korea.

 

 

"Intimate Strangers" also reached the 5-million milestone in a month since its release.

 

The comedy revolves around a group of close friends who gather for a housewarming dinner and play a game in which they must share all their incoming messages and calls.

 

[rubie]

December 18, 2018

Top 10 Korean Movies Of 2018 That You Should Watch Before The Year Ends

BY JESSICA RAPIR / Korea Portal
       
Top 10 Korean movies of 2018 that you should watch before the year ends.

K-pop and K-drama are not the one one that gaining attention right now across the globe. Even Korean movies are breaking the international market as well. Here are some of the top 10 Korean movies 2018 that you have caught the hearts of moviegoers.

 

1. Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days

 

2. Believer

 

3. Intimate Strangers

 

This 2018 South Korean comedy-drama is about a couple, plastic surgeon Seok Ho (Cho Jin Woong) and psychiatrist Ye Jin (Kim Ji Soo), who invited their friend over for dinner. They end up playing a game where they must share all their incoming messages and calls from their cell phones. Initially the game started lightly but it gets more uncomfortable as hidden truths start to surface.

 

The film was released in South Korea on October 31, 2018. It recorded a gross of US$39 million.

 

4. Keys to the Heart

 

5. The Accidental Detective 2

 

6. Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum

 

7. Be With You

 

8. Detective K: Secret of the Bloodsucking Demon

 

9. Little Forest

 

10. Golden Slumber

[rubie]

December 24, 2018

 

OCN Holds First Script Read-Through For New Thriller Drama “Trap”

 

By Nicole Caluag | HELLOKPOP
 

VERSATILE SEASONED ACTORS LEAD OCN’S NEWEST GRIPPING OFFERING — TRAP!

 

 

Headlined by Lee Seo Jin who will portray the role of a veteran anchor with a perfect life until a tragic situation that befalls him. The rest of the cast, Sung Dong Il, Im Hwa Young, Seo Young Hee, Jang Won Hyung, Lee Joo Bin were in attendance.

 

 

Known for his remarkable performances across wide variety of genres, veteran actor Sung Dong Il raises expectations for this thriller. The two actors greeted each other brightly, but completely transformed into their characters once the script reading started. Lee Seo Jin portrays a character well-loved by the nation. He is already scheduled to enter politics when something unexpected happens to him. Kong Do Kook (Sung Dong Il) will be the detective who takes on the anchor’s case.

 

OCN introduces the format of film and drama and Trap will utilize it. Viewers should look forward to well-made stories that are done with a lot of dignity and hard work. The production crew was satisfied with the table-read because they witnessed the tension coming from the actors.

 

Under the direction of Park Shin Woo, Trap, penned by Nam Sang Wook will premiere in the first half of 2019.

 

Source: HanCinema.net

 

[rubie]

From full article HERE

 

December 4, 2018

 

2018 Korean Film Industry Yearly Report

 

by SONG Soon-jin KOFIC

 

It’s safe to say that the Korean film box office this year has been dominated by low-budget high-concept movies. Most representative among them are JUNG Bum-shik’s mystery horror GONJIAM: Haunted Asylum, released last March, YIM Soon-rye’s feel-good drama Little Forest, released in February, and LEE Jae-kyoo’s Intimate Strangers, released in October.First, GONJIAM: Haunted Asylum is a low-budget mockumentary about seven urban explorers visiting the abandoned Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital, a real location. Produced with a budget of KRW 1.05 billion (USD 940,000), the film was a success in Korea, with 2.67 million total admissions, paving a new way for the stagnating Korean horror cinema. It is also a title that was terribly effective in CGV’s multi-screen format ScreenX, and has become the fifth most successful film in ScreenX, behind TRAIN TO BUSAN, The Himalayas (2015), Black Panther and Operation Chromite (2016). Considering that all the other films are blockbusters emphasizing spectacle, the decent success of GONJIAM: Haunted Asylum is all the more meaningful. This film demonstrated what synergies can be achieved when a high-concept film meets the right technology. 

 

 

Helmed by YIM Soon-rye and starring KIM Tae-ri, Little Forest also became a success with its low budget of KRW 1.5 billion (USD 1.35 million). A Korean adaptation of the Japanese manga of the same name, the film is a feel-good movie following Hye-won (KIM Tae-ri), a young woman tired with city life, as she goes back to her home village and starts farming and cooking her own meals. With a strong support within the female audience and more than 1.5 million admissions, Little Forest elicited a demand from audiences for more films with woman-centered narratives and female protagonists. 

 

Produced with KRW 3.8 billion (USD 3.43 million), Intimate Strangers has now broken past the 5 million admissions threshold and ranks among the most successful Korean films of 2018. Distributed by Lotte Entertainment and produced by Film Monster with the help of Drama House, Intimate Strangers tells the fascinating chaos experienced by six characters – YUM Jung-ah, KIM Ji-soo, LEE Seo-jin, CHO Jin-woong, YOO Hae-jin, SONG Ha-yoon and YOON Kyung-ho – in a confined space over a limited time span. The PR company reported, “Despite the expectations that Intimate Strangers would have an older audience fitting the mid-forties average age of the main cast, it appears that demographics from 10 to 29 make up a large percentage of the spectators and also expressed high appreciation for the film.” The importance of concepts within the Korean film industry is expected to be stressed by these successes.

[irilight]

@rubie, thank you for all the updates.

I was lucky enough to see "Intimate Strangers" at the theater here. I could not get it out of my mind. It is for me, one of the best films of the year.

Sadly, Netflix came up with their own French production of same material, so it may be unlikely they will carry Intimate Strangers as well.

I did watch their version, and in my opinion - it is not half as good as the Korean version... but my friends who had not seen the Korean version, thought it was very good.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee Seo Jin Transforms Into A Perfect News Anchor For Upcoming Thriller “Trap”

A first look into Lee Seo Jin’s role as perfect news anchor Kang Woo Hyun in OCN’s upcoming drama “Trap” has been released.


 

“Trap” will be the first of OCN’s “Dramatic Cinema” project. The project combines drama and film formats, using the keen production of a film and the high quality stories of a drama. OCN will collaborate with movie producers to produce the investigative thriller, which will tell the shocking tale of Kang Woo Hyun, who has fallen into an unknown trap.

In the midst of viewers showing interest for “Trap,” OCN has released the first stills of Lee Seo Jin. The drama is garnering attention for its innovative methods and stellar cast, including Lee Seo Jin, who has returned to filming a drama after a long time.



Lee Seo Jin is taking on the role of Kang Woo Hyun, who has been the nation’s most credible anchor for many years. However, when Kang Woo Hyun, who appears to have everything in the world, goes on vacation with his family, he suddenly experiences a tragedy and loses everything.



 

Viewers are anxiously waiting for the first episode to discover the trap that lies in Kang Woo Hyun’s path, even though he appears to be in the golden age of his life with a successful career and a loving family. It will also be exciting to see how Lee Seo Jin will portray a man who has hit rock bottom after being a national producer that pursued the truth.

“Trap” will be directed by Park Shin Woo, who previously directed “Into the White Night,” and will be written by Nam Sang Wook, who previously penned “TEN.” The overall production will be overseen by director Lee Jae Kyu, who directed “The Fatal Encounter,” “Beethoven Virus,” “Damo,” and more.

OCN’s first Dramatic Cinema “Trap” will broadcast in the first half of 2019.


source

[rubie]

December 26, 2018

 

This year’s trends in Korean film:

Women, word-of-mouth define 2018 at the cinema

 

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

 

Spoiler

“Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days,” the second in the “Along with the Gods” fantasy blockbuster franchise, was the highest-grossing movie of 2018. [LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT]

 

The growing prevalence of movie streaming giants like Netflix is worrying many cinema chains, but these new filmmaking giants actually had a limited impact on Korean cinema this year.

 

Local cinemas sold more than 200 million tickets this year for the sixth consecutive year since 2013, according to the data provided by the Korean Film Council. 

 

The highest-grossing movie this year was the fantasy blockbuster “Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days,” which sold 12.27 million tickets upon its release in August. This was less than the first in the popular webtoon-based franchise, “Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds” (2017), which sold 14.41 million tickets.

 

“Avengers: Infinity War” was the second-best performing movie this year, selling 11.21 million tickets. It was also the second Marvel title to sell more than 10 million tickets in Korea after 2015’s “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” (10.49 million tickets).

 

Apart from ticket sales, several key characteristics that defined this year’s Korean cinema trend are the growing importance of word-of-mouth, stronger female characters and the success of smaller-budget movies over blockbusters. 

 

One of the biggest beneficiaries of strong word-of-mouth was “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the film about the British rock band Queen and its lead singer Freddie Mercury. The film debuted on Oct. 31 to moderate success. 

 

But it received positive word-of-mouth and reviews. Thanks also to the popularity of sing-along screenings, the film climbed up the box office ladder and managed to stay strong despite the unleash of new releases. In its eighth weekend, its total ticket sales amounted to 8.5 million.

 

“‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was also popular among younger audiences, who did not grow up listening to Queen’s music,” said Hwang Jae-hyun, a spokesman for CGV. He also pointed to “strong word-of-mouth” as the key to the film’s success in attracting younger viewers into theaters.

Relatively low-budget movies like the horror flick “Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum,” top, and comedy-drama “Intimate Strangers” succeeded in the box office thanks to positive reviews and strong word-of-mouth from audience members. [SHOWBOX, LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT]

 

Other movies that received an unexpected boost from the public buzz include the horror mystery flick “Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum,” comedy drama feature “Intimate Strangers” and the drama “Searching.”

 

“Gonjiam,” which tells the story of a group of seven people going on an adventure to the abandoned Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital and filming their experience along the way, far exceeded break-even ticket sales of 600,000. Despite being made for less than half of the average production cost of Korean movies, “Gonjiam” managed to sell 2.67 million tickets. This is particularly surprising, as the entire cast was made up of rookie actors.

 

“Intimate Strangers,” which cost 5.8 billion won ($5.16 million) to make, sold 5.2 million tickets, a little less than three times its 1.8 million break-even-point. 

 

The movie depicts a group of childhood friends and their spouses playing a game that requires them to reveal all their text and phone calls. It received a positive response from viewers. Despite film journalists’ criticisms of the plot’s simplicity, “Intimate Strangers” received a rating higher than nine stars out of 10 on portal site Naver’s film rating system, far higher than the critics’ rating of 6.13.

 

“Searching,” starring Korean-American actor John Cho, is another movie that succeeded through positive word-of-mouth. The film is about a single father desperately attempting to find his missing teenage daughter, and it was moderately successfully after its Aug. 29 release. But after viewers praised the film for taking an unconventional approach to storytelling - the film takes place entirely on computer screens - the movie topped the box office for a couple of weeks, selling a total of 2.95 million tickets.

 

Another notable trend this year is the growing significance of strong female characters. 

 

Period epic “Herstory,” about the struggles of women who were forced into sexual slavery by the imperial Japanese army during its colonial rule in Korea (1910-45), depicts independent and strong-willed women trying to speak up for women’s rights. 

 

Kim Hee-ae plays the head of a Busan-based tour agency who helps comfort women launch their court case against the Japanese government. 

Though the number still remains fairly low, films featuring strong-willed and independent women were notable this year, including “Miss Baek,” top,” and “Herstory.” [LITTLE BIG PICTURES, NEXT ENTERTAINMENT WORLD]

 

“Miss Baek” is another notable film with a strong female lead. The movie explores child abuse through the eyes of a socially excluded female character. It received a lot of support from audience members welcoming a rare movie that places a female character at the center. Its main star Han Ji-min won a number of awards, including the Blue Dragon Awards, for her role in the film. 

 

Rookie actor Kim Da-mi was also at the center of attention this year for her charismatic role in “The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion.” In the action-packed movie, Kim plays a mysterious high school student with superpowers who struggles to live a normal life.

 

Films like “Illang: The Wolf Brigade,” “Rampant” and “Psychokinesis” proved that high production costs is no longer a prerequisite for a movie to hit the jackpot. 

 

“Illang,” which cost around 16 billion won to make, sold less than a million tickets. This comes especially as a surprise due to its strong star cast, including popular actors Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo and Jung Woo-sung, and the involvement of Kim Jee-woon (“The Age of Shadows”) in the director’s chair. Fantasy period title “Rampant,” starring Hyunbin and Jang Dong-gun, was another highly anticipated big-budget flick. 

 

Spoiler

“Illang: The Wolf Brigade,” top, and “Psychokinesis,” proved that big-budget movies with superstar actors are not guaranteed success. [WARNER BROS. KOREA, NEXT ENTERTAINMENT WORLD]

 

However, it sold only 1.59 million tickets, which was a huge disappointment due its production costs of 17 billion won. Yeon Sang-ho’s new feature “Psychokinesis,” which followed the massive success of zombie thriller “Train to Busan,” also fell short at the box office. Despite costing more than 13 billion won to make, it attracted less than a million moviegoers.

 

In contrast, movies like “Dark Figure of Crime,” “The Witness” and “Little Forest” also proved that films with smaller budgets could be strong enough to become box office hits.

 

“Dark Figure of Crime” cost around 8 billion won to make, but sold nearly twice the tickets (3.78 million) necessary to break even. Despite fierce competition coming from summer blockbusters like the second “Along with the Gods” film, horror title “The Witness” sold 2.5 million tickets and was made for just 4.5 billion won. The low-budget drama “Little Forest” sold an impressive 1.5 million tickets and cost only 1.5 billion won. 

 

“The success of a movie is no longer decided by high production costs or strong star power,” said film critic Kim Heon-sik. “Audience members have started to look for a trendy and unique story that does not repeat what they have seen in the past.” 

 

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

[rubie]

 TRAP soompi thread

 

 

February 1, 2019

 

CJ ENM’s OCN Lines Up Trap Premiere

 

Kristin Brzoznowski  WorldScreen

 

CJ ENM’s OCN channel has slated the premiere of Trap, the first of its “dramatic cinema” projects, for February 6.

 

The seven-episode thriller stars Lee Seo-jin (Youn’s Kitchen) and Sung Dong-il (Live). Trap tells the story of a famous news presenter, Kang (Seo-jin), who gets trapped by human hunters in a suburban forest. Detective Ko (Dong-il) sets out to solve the crime.

 

OCN, which started as a channel for blockbuster movies, this year is focusing on “dramatic cinema” pieces, which blend the elements of drama series and films to create an intense story that includes “dramatic amusement, tension, clash of characters and social meanings.”

[rubie]

February 11, 2019

 

OCN thriller 'Trap' off to good start 

 

OCN's TV series "Trap" has grabbed viewers' attention. Courtesy of OCN

 

By Dong Sun-hwa The Korea Times

 

Movie channel OCN's new seven-episode thriller "Trap" is off to a good start with its second episode scoring 3.6 percent viewership, according to Nielsen Korea, Monday. The show beat all other programs aired in the same time slot thanks to its exciting storyline. 

 

The series, starring A-list actor Lee Seo-jin, revolves around a prominent TV news anchorman who falls into an enigmatic trap.

 

"I have trust in director Lee Jae-kyu and wanted to do what I am doing," said Lee explaining in a press release why he took the role. "The drama will display unexpected twists that some viewers might find shocking." 

 

Lee teamed with the director in the MBC TV series "Damo" in 2003 and in the film "Intimate Strangers" in 2018.

 

"Trap" is the first part of OCN's "Dramatic Cinema Project" that aims to combine the format of movie and drama.

 

It airs every Saturday and Sunday at 10:20 p.m. (KST). 

sunhwadong@koreatimes.co.kr 

[peonie]

March 13, 2019

 

Lee Seo Jin in the movie "Intimate Strangers" was featured in the "Creating the Face of Cinema Exhibition",  which exhibited the work of Cho Tae Hee, an amazing makeup artist. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ivyrocha]

Any new shows for him?

[rubie]

On 4/27/2019 at 12:51 AM, Ivyrocha said:

Any new shows for him?

 

May 28, 2019

 

Lee Seung Gi And Lee Seo Jin Confirmed For SBS’s First Monday-Tuesday Variety Show

Source: Soompi by D. S.kim

 

 

Lee Seung Gi and Lee Seo Jin will be uniting for a variety show!

 

On May 28, it was confirmed that Lee Seung Gi and Lee Seo Jin will appear on the upcoming variety show “Little Forest” (tentative title), SBS’s first Monday-Tuesday variety show.

 

The program will follow Lee Seung Gi and Lee Seo Jin as they run an environmentally friendly daycare center, where children are allowed to play while enjoying fresh air and nature.

 

Lee Seung Gi and Lee Seo Jin are known for their close friendship, which they have previously talked about on various shows and interviews. The production team of “Little Forest” said, “Please look forward to the never-seen-before chemistry of ‘Lee Brothers’ Lee Seo Jin and Lee Seung Gi on a variety show and the daycare center that is operated by the two.”

 

“Little Forest” is set to premiere in the summer.

 

Source (1)

Top Photo Credit: Xportsnews

[rubie]

June 10, 2019

 

Lee Seo Jin Shares His Philosophy On Fame And Marriage

Source: Soompi by S. Cho

 

 

On the June 9 episode of “Master in the House,” Lee Seo Jin went on vacation to Aomori, Japan, along with Lee Seung Gi, Lee Sang Yoon, Yook Sung Jae, and Yang Se Hyung.

 

While relaxing in the hot springs, the actor and four cast members made a bet to decide on who would get to use a room by themselves. In the end, Lee Seo Jin won and got his own room.

 

Once back in their rooms, they had a conversation about various topics including dating and exercise. Lee Seo Jin then began to speak about fame, explaining, “Celebrities are people who live off of the love of the public. They need to be that much more modest and restrained. In Korea, people have extremely close relationships. They say people know all of their neighbors. That’s why you have to be even more careful. You have to be sensitive to how others view you.”

 

Later in the episode, Lee Seo Jin was sitting in a restaurant with Lee Seung Gi when the latter commented on the couples taking pictures together outside. Lee Seo Jin nonchalantly responded, “They’re going to break up soon,” to which Lee Seung Gi said, “I can’t believe I don’t feel mad at you when you say stuff like that. I’m jealous. You can say stuff like that without receiving hate.” However, Lee Seo Jin responded, “There are lots of people who dislike me. It’s tiring to try getting everyone to like you. Even if they don’t like me, it’s better not to get stressed. It would also be weird for me to suddenly be really nice like Lee Seung Gi. I get jealous of people who are good at expressing themselves.”

 

Lee Seung Gi also asked him if he was picky and cold when dating too, to which he shyly replied, “No.” As the conversation naturally headed to the topic of marriage, Lee Seo Jin shared, “I’m not getting married because I have no plans to do so. That’s why I’m still not familiar with the feeling of happiness you receive from your own children. People who have kids look so happy. I try not to take on the role of a father because I don’t think I’d be able to portray it properly.”

 

When asked, “What do you think love is?” Lee Seo Jin answered, “Love is three months. Getting along like friends lasts the longest.”

 

Source (1) (2)

 

Lee Seo Jin Is Apologetically Clueless About Idols And Fails To Recognize BTOB’s Yook Sungjae