Hwang Jung-Min 황정민 [Upcoming Movies: “12.12: The Day”, “Mission Cross”, “Veteran 2”, “Hope”]

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November 21, 2008

Play 'College of Laughter' to be Staged for Extended Period

Stage production entitled 'College of Laughter', starring actors Hwang Jeong-min and Song Yeong-chang will be staged for an extended period of two weeks until December 14 at the Dongsoong Art Center in Seoul.

The play which opened on October 24 is the ninth in a series of productions entitled 'A Festival of Plays' being staged at the art center. So far, the play has recorded an average ticket sales of 94% and has attracted a total of 16,000 audience members since its opening.

The play is portrays a seven-hour conflict between a comedy playwright who is trying to maintain the humor in stage productions during a period when comedy was banned during the Second World War and a play censor trying to eliminate all humor from the works.

Following the closing of 'College of Laughter', the art center will re-stage 'Taming Rita'.

Source: KBS Global

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December 1, 2008

Daehangno turns to two-man shows

The run of "University of Laughs," a play starring popular film actor Hwang Jung-min and veteran actor Song Young-chang, has been extended to Dec. 14.

The show, which opened last month, has far exceeded expectations, drawing more than 16,000 people to the theater and outperforming large-scale musicals. Two-person productions like "University of Laughs," are an increasing presence in Seoul's theater mecca, Daehangno. Production companies explain that two-people shows are proving a strategy to survive the current rocky economic conditions that has kept theatergoers away from the box office.

They say that production costs can be greatly cut while maximizing the allure if they are made well. "Through the combination of good script, actors and production system like those of our work, we discovered that even in harsh conditions we can draw people to theater," said the spokesperson for the venture theater group Yeongeukyeoljeon, the creator of "University of Laughs."

The particular scheme is not bad for actors either. Starring in two-people theater pieces can be a chance for actors who wish to prove their acting abilities, since the success of the show is highly dependent on their performance.

For example, Hwang had nothing to lose by appearing in "University of Laughs." The play has given Hwang, who is known mostly as a screen actor, to prove that he can do as well in a more spontaneous theater setting. "Milky Way," which is directed by former Culture minister and veteran actor-cum-director Kim Myung-gon, is another example of a two-people show garnering positive attention.

"University of Laughs" Yeongeukyeoljeon

An adaptation of "Do You Know the Milky Way?" by German playwright Karl Wittlinger, the play portrays a Vietnam War veteran who finds the meaning of truth and beauty through suffering. "Casting, in plays like this one, determines whether a play is going to be successful or not," said the spokesperson for Doorae Theater Company, which created the piece.

"But it is hard to find actors who have both the star power and acting ability." "Milky way" stars Chung Eun-pyo, a supporting actor in the recently finished SBS hit drama "Tazza (The War of Flowers)," who skillfully portrays six different characters.

Two-person shows may also become a trend in the musical industry, where producers have been suffering due to large production costs incurred from building sets and providing music. "Cafe In" opened last month, becoming the first homemade two-person show in the country. The romantic comedy musical tells a story about a female barista who learns about love from a wayward sommelier.

"Cafe In" is a collaboration between producer Sung Jae-jun and musical director Won Mi-sol duo who together have created numerous hit musicals, including "Polaroid" and "Music In My Heart." Tripro, the show's creator, hopes that the duo's proven teamwork along with the show's characters, a barista and sommelier -- two of the trendiest jobs among young people these days -- will appeal to the public.

"University of Laughs" is playing at Dongsoong Arts Center in Daehangno, Seoul. Tickets run from 25,000 won to 45,000 won. For more information, call (02) 766-6007 or go to www.idartcenter.co.kr

"Milky Way" will be staged through Jan. 4, 2009 at Doorae 2 Hall in Daehangno, Seoul. Tickets are 15,000 won and 30,000 won. For details, call (02) 741-5978.

"Cafe In" will run through Feb. 28, 2009 at Live Theater in Daehangno, Seoul. Tickets are 25,000 won and 45,000 won. For details, call (02) 3448-4340.

By Koh Young-aah (youngaah@heraldm.com)

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/

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StagePlay - 'University of Laughter' VODS and Random Pics

View Streaming ! Download clip from news.empas.com

View Streaming ! Download clip from news.empas.com

Copied from empas.com

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August 29, 2008

Jeonju, North Jeolla Province

[The Aerialist] Hwang Jung-min, Look forward to the birth of a new movie genre

Korean Media News ! News ! News ! News ! News ! News ! News ! News ! News ! News

[Guest valley girl]

wow thanks for info rubie

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The Aerialist

Source: empas.com

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HJM's new movie The Aerialist in news-mention, posted by Huangsy at Bakjwi/Thirst movie thread. Thanks!

Bakjwi was in the news on 10 Dec 2008.

http://kr.news.yahoo.com/service/news/shel...;newssetid=1352

In the context of movies to look forward to in 2009, there are Bakjwi, Insadong Scandal, Public Enemy Returns, Mother, etc

[Guest huangsy]

attending wake of actor, Park Kwang Jung 16 Dec 2008

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December 9, 2008

3rd French-Korean Film Festival in Paris

The third edition of the French-Korean Film Festival will take place in Paris, Dec 17 – 23, at Cinema Action Christine. This year’s selection includes NA Hong-jin’s hit thriller <The Chaser> and KIM Dong-won’s documentary of Japan’s forcible conscription of ‘comfort women’ during the wars, <63 Years On>

A special retrospective will be held on female director LIM Soon-rye, showcasing four of her films. Her 2008 hit <Forever the Moment> will screen along with previous gem <Waikiki Brothers> (2001), and two shorts, <The ‘Weight’ of Her> from 2003 omnibus <If You Were Me>, and <Keeping the Vision Alive>, a 2002 documentary.

Other highlights include SONG Il-gon’s one-take no-cut drama <The Magicians>, YOON Seong-ho’s debut comedy, <Milky Way Liberation Front>, HWANG Qu-dok’s fantasy-drama <For Eternal Hearts>, MIN Boung-hun’s clerical drama <Pruning the Grapevine> and PARK Joon-bum’s <Dodari>.

A total of 16 Korean films will screen during the event. Director SONG Il-gon will attend the festival from Dec 19 and will hold a Q & A for his film <The Magicians>.

Credits: Nigel D’Sa (KOFIC)

http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/KOFIC/Channel?...esimul_SNO=1154

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Thanks to highlight by melusine at the News thread (for the complete set of images)

JUN Ji-hyun and SUL Kyung-gu portrayed greatest characters

--Yi Ch'ang-ho (KOFIC)

Major Korean film magazine Movieweek polled to find out who Koreans regard as the ten greatest screen personas. JUN Ji-hyun's role in My Sassy Girl claimed the top spot for greatest female character with 21% of the votes. 25% votes for SUL Kyung-gu's character in the Public Enemy trilogy secured SUL the greatest male character title.

In close pursuit of SUL is CHOI Min-sik's Old Boy character (20%). SONG Kang-ho's Memories of Murder character came in third (11%).

The top three for women is completed by second placed LIM Soo-jung (19%) for her role in I'm a Cyborg, but That's Ok, and third seed LEE Young-ae. LEE's performance in Sympathy for Lady Vengeance earned her 13% of the votes.

Movieweek compiled another Korea's greatest characters list by itself. This unranked list consists of: SHIN Ha-kyun (Save the Green Planet), LIM Won-hee (Dachimawa Lee), KIM Jung-eun (Marrying the Mafia), KONG Hyo-jin (Crush and Blush), MOON So-ri (A Good Lawyer's Wife), LEE Jun-ki (King and the Clown), JANG Jin-young (Singles), and YEA Ji-won (Old Miss Diary).

Source:

http://www.movieweek.co.kr/article/article.html?aid=17861

http://www.movieweek.co.kr/article/article.html?aid=17862

http://www.movieweek.co.kr/article/article.html?aid=17863

http://www.movieweek.co.kr/article/article.html?aid=17864

1. Kang Cheol-Jung 25%

<Public Enemy series> Seol Kyung-Gu

2. Oh Dae-Soo 20%

<Old Boy> Choi Min-Shik

3. Park Du-Man 11%

<Memories of Murder> Song Kang-Ho

4. Yun Tae-Gu 10%

<The Good, The Bad, The Weird> Song Kang-Ho

5. Jo Pil-Jung 8%

<No. 3> Song Kang-Ho

6. Cho-Won 6.5%

<Marathon> Jo Seung-woo

7. Mr. Kim 6%

<My Teacher Mr. Kim> Cha Seung-Won

8. Seok-Joong 5.5%

<You Are My Sunshine> Hwang Jung-Min

9. Pyung Gyung-Jang 5%

<Tazza> Baek Yoon-Shik

10. Dong Chi-Sung 3%

<Someone Special> Jung Jae-Young

1. Her 21%

<My Sassy Girl> Jeon Ji-Hyun

2. Young-Gun 19%

<I'm a Cyborg, But That's Okay> Im Soo-Jung

3. Geum-Ja 13%

<Sympathy for Lady Vengeance> Lee Young-Ae

4. Madam Jung 11%

<Tazza> Kim Hye-Soo

5. Eun-Ha 7%

<You Are My Sunshine> Jeon Do-Yeon

6. Han Yi-Yeon 6.5%

<Someone Special> Lee Na-Young

7. Hanna 6.2%

<200 Pound Beauty> Kim Ah-Joong

8. Cha Eun-Jin 6%

<My Wife is a Gangster> Shin Eun-Kyung

9. Mina 5.8%

<My Scary Girl> Choi Kang-Hee

10. Yeo-Il 4.5%

<Welcome to Dongmakgol> Kang Hye-Jung

Byung-Gu <Save the Green Planet!> | Shin Ha-Kyun

Dachimawa Lee <Dachimawa Lee> | Im Won-Hee

Jin-Kyung <Marrying the Mafia> | Kim Jung-Eun

Yang Mi-Sook <Crush & Blush> | Gong Hyo-Jin

Ho-Jung <A Good Lawyer's Wife> | Moon So-Ri

Gong-Gil <The King and the Clown> | Lee Jun-Ki

Na-Nan <Singles> | Jang Jin-Young

Mi-Ja <Old Miss Diary> | Yeh Ji-Won

Oh Dong-Gu <Like a Virgin> | Ryu Deok-Hwan

Yoo Tae-Hee <Take Care of My Cat> | Bae Doo-Na

Park Joong-Pil <Conduct Zero> | Ryu Seung-Beom

Jang Eun-Shik <Sex is Zero> | Im Chang-Jung

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Golden Cinematography Awards names its winners

December 21st, 2008 // by javabeans

More awards! Now it’s the Golden Cinematography Award, given by the Korean Society of Cinematographers, who have chosen Ha Jung-woo and Park Jin-hee for top acting honors, for their respective performances in The Chaser and Shadows in the Palace. While the winners have been announced, the actual awards ceremony will take place on the 23rd.

The best new actor awards will be handed over to Daniel Henney for My Father (which pretty much ruins any credibility the award holds for me), Han Ye-seul for Miss Gold Digger, and Lee Yeon-hee for M. Popularity awards go to Su Ae and Jung Jin-young for You’re Far Away.

Happiness (which stars Im Soo-jung and Hwang Jung-min) was designated Best Picture, while its director Kim Hyung-gu takes the top prize, the gold cinematography award; Once Upon a Time’s director Moon Yong-shik takes silver; and Open City’s Shin Ok-hyun the bronze.

Best new cinematographer goes to Miss Gold Digger’s Kim Hak-soo; The Chaser’s Na Hong-jin wins yet another award for best new director.

Via Chosun, copied from dramabeans.com

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Wishing everyone

happiness in 2009

Thanks to the original fan-sharing for the cutest capture

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January 8, 2009

Top Performance of 2008 'Mamma Mia'

In a "ticket power" survey held by online reservation portal Interpark ENT, the musical "Mamma Mia" has ranked as the top performance of 2008.

Interpark said the survey was based on Interpark ticket sales of performances staged last year and a poll of 15,000 netizens. The musical was chosen as the performance with the highest ticket power of all genres combined.

"Liar 1" ranked atop the drama section, "Pizzi Opera Festival Aida-Turandot" by the Korea Opera Group led the way in classical music, and the American Ballet Theater's "Don Quixote" ranked number one in dance/traditional art.

As for popular music concerts, veteran singer Cho Yong-pil's 40th anniversary nationwide tour and Celine Dion's Korean concert were polled as the best Korean and foreign concert, respectively.

In a survey on individual artists, Seong Gi-yoon and Choi Jeong-won, who starred both in "Mamma Mia" and "Chicago," were picked as the musical actors with the highest ticket power, while Kim Jin-woo was polled as the most promising musical talent.

In theater, Hwang Jeong-min (Laugh University) and Lee Ji-ha (who starred in 3 plays) were the top male and female performer, respectively. Violist Richard Yongjae O'neill was number one in dance/classical music and Cho Yong-pil and Celine Dion ranked atop the pop music field.

Source: KBS Global

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January 26, 2009

Lunar New Year Best Wishes

to Hwang Jung Min-ssi

and to

all our Chinese & Korean friends

A truly wonderful celebration all the way!

[Guest huangsy]

He attended the VIP screening today for movie, Handphone.

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February 26, 2009

Hwang Jeong-min as the Korean 'Holmes'

Award-winning actor Hwang Jeong-min will star as seedy a private detective in the upcoming "Shadow Murders."

The film's early April release was announced at a press conference yesterday at the Apgujeong CGV Multiplex in Seoul. In it, Hwang's character Hong Jin-ho becomes entangled in a web of serial killings.

The film also stars newcomer Ryu Deok-hwan as Jang Gwang-soo, a medical student who assists Hong in much the way Arthur Hastings did Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie's mystery novels.

Statuesque actress Eom Ji-won rounds out the starring roles of the film as Soon Deok, an inventor who provides Hong with the investigative tools needed to solve the murders. "I wanted to make a fun mystery yarn with a quirky private detective character in the same vein as Sherlock Holmes, which had never been portrayed in feature films in Korea," said director Park Dae-min.

"Shadow Murders" is Park's first film, and his entry into the industry came after his script for the film won the 7th annual Makdong Screenwriting Contest in 2005.

Set during the Joseon period at the turn-of-the-century, the film follows Hong's exploits as he struggles to make a living selling incriminating photographs of high-profile government officials and affluent figures engaged in scandalous activities. When Jang seeks his help in solving the murder of a local magistrate's son, the two find themselves drawn deep into the opium underworld.

"My character may come across as somewhat of a money-grubbing simpleton, but he has a lot of inner pain that he hides through this sort of resigned tomfoolery and indifference," Hwang said. "But the more he becomes involved in the mysterious killings, the more emotionally involved he becomes throughout the film."

Hwang is known as an actor's actor who immerses himself in his roles in both film and theater. The 38-year-old has tackled versatile roles from murderous sociopaths ("Bittersweet Life"), to romantic leads ("You are My Sunshine") to hardened tough guys ("Bloody Tie").

Despite his a lengthy resume and cabinet full of Korea's top acting awards, the 21-year-old Ryu said Hwang is "very thoughtful and considerate of younger actors just coming up. "He really put me at ease on the set during both rehearsals and shooting because he knew I would be nervous and intimidated, Ryu said.

"So instead of telling me how to do things, he asked me how I wanted to approach our scenes together and if he had a different take, he would suggest something else. I really admire that way of guiding younger actors -- I learned a lot from him throughout the shoot."

Hwang, who did most of his own stunts for the film, may also have taught his young costar something through example. "During the rickshaw chase sequence, the carriage became very unstable and I fell off of it and got banged up a bit," Hwang said. "What's funny and embarrassing is that I told Deok-hwan to be careful before shooting took place for that sequence and I ended up being the one getting hurt. "Getting hurt during action sequences is always a possibility," he added. "It comes with the territory."

The film is part detective procedural and part who-done-it, Park said, citing American films such as Curtis Hanson's "L.A. Confidential" and Roman Polansky's noir masterpiece "Chinatown" as films that inspired him during production.

The film opens nationwide April 2.

By Song Woong-ki (kws@heraldm.com) via koreaherald.co.kr

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Captures from innolife.net

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Shadow Murders from CINE21

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Uhm + Hwang + Ryu: Dream team?

March 4th, 2009 // by javabeans

The actors: Uhm Tae-woong (Cell Phone, Devil), Hwang Jung-min (Happiness, Black House) and Ryu Seung-beom (Bloody Tie, Crying Fist).

The director: Lee Joon-ik (The King and the Clown, Shadows in the Palace).

The movie: Like a Moon Escapes From Clouds [구름을 벗어난 달처럼; a working title].

(Is this gonna be intense or what?)

For this latest project, Hwang Jung-min and Ryu Seung-beom, who have been friends since both were unknowns, are teaming up again three years after sharing the screen in Bloody Tie. Uhm Tae-woong rejoins Lee after having worked together on the Vietnam War-era You’re Far Away, aka Sunny (for which lead actress Su Ae won a bunch of awards last year).

The film is actually based on a manhwa of the same name by Park Heung-yong, and takes place following the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592. Bringing on three such strong actors to work with director Lee makes this a highly anticipated project for the coming year — I don’t know about the plot, but the casting sure raises some expectations — and the film is scheduled to begin filming at the end of March.

Via DongA - credits to dramabeans.com