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

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January 16, 2016

Prolific Actor Hwang Jung-min Proves Box-Office Draw

Source: The Chosun Ilbo

Actor Hwang Jung-min attracted over 30 million moviegoers just last year alone with the string of films he appeared in.

Hwang starred in nine movies over the last five years, including hits "Ode to My Father" (2014), "Veteran" (2015) and "The Himalayas" (2015), attracting altogether 47.36 million moviegoers.

Yoon Je-kyoon, who directed "Ode to My Father" and produced "The Himalayas," said, "He looks like someone next door, giving familiar impressions to everyone. Separated from his great acting skills, he can fit both good and evil characters perfectly well, allowing viewers to be immersed in his cinematic roles on screen."

He is also one of a few actors in their mid-40s who suits a melodramatic role.

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January 16, 2016

Main roles cast for ‘Gunhamdo’ film

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

Actor Hwang Jung-min of last year’s hit film “The Himalayas,” So Ji-sub of the drama series “Oh My Venus” (2015-16) and Song Joong-ki of “A Werewolf Boy” (2012) have finalized their appearances in the upcoming historical film “Gunhamdo,” according to the production company for the film. 

“Gunhamdo” is set in the Japanese colonial era (1910-45) and it depicts the story of about 400 Koreans who are forced into labor but later attempt to escape Gunhamdo, a remote island located in the Sea of Japan.

The film will be directed by Ryu Seung-wan, who took the helm of “Veteran” (2015), which attracted more than 10 million moviegoers after it was released in August last year. 

Hwang will play the role of a father who goes to any lengths for his daughter while So will take on the part of a gangster. Song will depict an independence fighter. 

The film is in the preparation stage and will be released sometime next year. 

By Sung So-young 

January 15, 2016

Hwang Jung-min, So Ji-sub, Song Joong-ki team up for prison break

by girlfriday | Dramabeans.com

Hit writer-director Ryu Seung-wan (Veteran, Berlin) is re-teaming with Hwang Jung-min (Himalaya, Veteran) for his next project, an occupation-era film about an attempted prison break from a forced labor camp on Hashima Island. With these two involved, it’s pretty much a guaranteed box office success. The movie, called Battleship Island, has also cast twice the pretty, just in case: So Ji-sub (Oh My Venus) and Song Joong-ki (Nice Guy) will co-star.

For complete article, please read more at DB

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January 17, 2016

Hwang Jung-min, Song Joong-ki and So Ji-sub to headline new flick

Actors Hwang Jung-min, Song Joong-ki and So Ji-sub have been confirmed to star in a periodic flick with the working title “Battleship,” the production company announced Friday. 

The film, helmed by star director Ryu Seung-wan of “Veteran,” centers on 400 Korean people who are forced to board a Japanese battleship during the time when Korea was a colony of Japan. 

From left: So Ji-sub, Song Joong-ki and Hwang Jung-min

Hwang (“Ode to My Father,” “Veteran”) plays Lee Kang-ok, who was tricked into boarding the ship, believing that he would be going to Japan so he could protect his daughter. So (“Oh My Venus,” “Master’s Sun”) takes on the role of Choi Chil-sung, known for his fierce fighting skills. Song, who is returning to the small screen with much-anticipated TV drama “Descendants of the Sun” in February, plays Park Moo-young, an independence fighter. 

“Battleship” will be filmed this year and is slated to premiere next year. 

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com) 

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Published on January 18, 2016 by K STAR 한류스타 리포트 & 생방송 스타뉴스

[STAR NEWS]

Hwang Jung Min, So Ji Sub & Song Joong ki in Ryoo Seung Wan's new film

 

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January 20, 2016

RYOO Seung-wan and HWANG Jung-min Team Up Again for BATTLESHIP ISLAND
Period Escape Action-Drama Co-Stars SO Ji-sub and SONG Joong-ki

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

 

Word first got out about director RYOO Seung-wan’s follow-up project to Veteran last August and now the action maestro has confirmed his main cast for the film, which is called Battleship Island. HWANG Jung-min, SO Ji-sub and SONG Joong-ki will headline the period action drama which is currently in pre-production and eyeing a 2017 release.

Set during World War II, RYOO’s latest takes place on Japan’s Hashima Island (nicknamed Battleship Island), which became a forced labor camp in the 1930s for many Korean and Chinese civilians or prisoners of war, and follows the story of 400 Korean workers who attempt to escape. HWANG is on board to play a hotel worker who tries to bring his daughter to Japan to keep her safe, only to be rerouted to Hashima, where he does everything he can to protect her. Meanwhile, SO was cast as a tough streetfighter living on the island while SONG will be an independence fighter who sneaks onto Hashima to save a member of the independence movement.

Battleship Island will mark the third collaboration for RYOO and HWANG, following 2010’s The Unjust and last year’s phenomenally successful Veteran, which, with 13.41 million viewers (USD 86.9 million), is the third most highest-grossing Korean film of all time. HWANG is currently on a hot streak, having also appeared in Ode to My Father (2014) and The Himalayas (2015) recently.

A major TV presence, SO hasn’t had a lead role in a film since 2012’s A Company Man, though he did have a cameo in the hit period drama The Throne last fall. After starring in the smash hit A Werewolf Boy (2012), SONG had to enlist for his obligatory military service. Battleship Island marks the young star’s return to the big screen.

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Source: CINE21

CINE21 No.1040 2016-01-26~2016-02-02

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Source: 씨네21

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January 25, 2016

3 hot new films for February

Movies “A Violent Prosecutor,” “Bad Guys Always Die” and “Like for Likes,“ will stir up the local cinemas in February, with anticipation already building for the new films. 

Coming out on Feb. 3, “A Violent Prosecutor” portrays Byun Jae-wook (Hwang Jung-min), who after being falsely accused of murder helps a career criminal, Han Chi-won (Kang Dong-won), be acquitted of his charges, while using Han to clear his own false charge.

Poster of "A Violent Prosecutor"

Director Kang Je-kyu’s comic-action film “Bad Guys Always Die” is set to be released the next day on Feb. 4 and stars Son Ye-jin, Shin Hyun-jun and Taiwanese actor Bolin Chen. 

Poster of "Bad Guys Always Die"

As the movie begins, a group of friends encounters Jiyeon, played by Son, during their trip on Jejudo Island. The movie has been the subject of much attention from the public, largely due to boy band CNBLUE appearing on the soundrack.

Finally, comic romance “Like for Likes” premieres on Feb. 18, starring Lee Mi-yeon, Yoo Ah-in, Choi Ji-woo, Kim Joo-hyuk, E Som, and Kang Ha-neul.

Poster of "Like for Likes"

The omnibus movie deals with the phenomenon of self-expression via social networks, which serve as the bridge for the main characters to fall in love.

By Kim Soo-hyang (shkim@heraldcorp.com)

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January 25, 2016

Hwang Jung Min Raises Two Thumbs Up

Source: BNTNews

[by Woorim Ahn, photo by Hwang Ji Eun] Movie ‘A Violent Prosecutor’ held its press premiere at Megabox COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on January 25.

‘A Violent Prosecutor’ is about a prosecutor (Hwang Jung Min) with a false charge of homicide and a good-looking swindler (Kang Dong Won) that the prosecutor helps the swindler getting out of the jail to veil his false charge.

Meanwhile, ‘A Violent Prosecutor’ will premiere on February 4. (photo by bntnews DB)

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January 26, 2016

[Herald Review] ‘Violent Prosecutor’ both grim and comedic

A prosecutor overly reliant on using his fists in the name of justice and a corrupt politician looking to take advantage of that hot temperament -- the underlying premise of director Lee Il-hyeong’s newest flick, “A Violent Prosecutor,” may appear grim on the surface, but do not be fooled. The prison comedy doles out its fair share of laugh-out-loud moments.

The film stars the contrasting combo of the stoic-faced Hwang Jung-min as Seoul district prosecutor Byun Jae-uk and Gang Dong-won as sly, young con artist Han Chi-won.

Byun is known to his friends and colleagues as a no-nonsense prosecutor, but he has an Achilles heel -- he resorts to violence to intimidate and nail criminal suspects. In order to cover up his secret life as a crime boss, political candidate Woo Jong-gil, who is played by Lee Sung-min, takes advantage of Byun‘s violent reputation and frames him for murder. 

Gang Dong-won (Showbox)

Sentenced to 15 years in prison, Byun’s introduction to prison life is anything but pleasant. Reminiscent of the storyline of American movie “The Shawshank Redemption,” Byun uses his knowledge of the law to make good with the guards, which in turn earns him respect in the prison yard. 

Five years go by and he is still desperately looking to overturn his wrongful conviction. He then meets Han -- an oddly likeable con man whose lies run so deep that even he has trouble keeping his stories straight. The two men form an unlikely friendship and forge an alliance to prove Byun’s innocence. 

“While the friendship between two people coming together to get themselves out of a jam is not an unusual movie plot, I wanted to emphasize that fact that Jae-uk is in prison and Chi-won is on the outside, making it difficult for them to meet,” said director Lee during a press conference at Coex Megabox theater on Monday. 

“Even though the two characters were unable to meet in person, they formed a unique bond, and it’s this bond that I really wanted to focus on,” said Lee, who also added that he has been racked with nerves as this movie marks his debut as lead director.

Despite Lee’s goal to portray a special personal relationship between the two main characters, in the end it’s Hwang’s solo portrayal of a regretful, yet revenge-fueled, prosecutor that comes away as the most memorable feature of the film.

Gang Dong-won and Hwang Jung-min (Yonhap)

“I started filming this movie after ‘The Himalayas,’ so actually I found the role to be a lot more comfortable physically since there was not a lot of moving around involved,” said Hwang. “But definitely the most difficult aspect of playing the role of a prosecutor was learning all the legal jargon. I approached this role the way I would approach a play, memorizing all the lines and trying to pronounce everything as naturally as I could.“

Gang’s laid-back pretty-boy persona ably counteracts Hwang’s veteran, method-style of acting. However, he was no doubt used more as eye candy in the film, as well as for comedic relief. Nevertheless, the actor‘s presence was still a key factor in keeping the film lighthearted. 

Although Gang adequately portrayed a sleazy con artist -- one who creates fake personas to sleep with women and to scam his way out of sticky situations, his character lacked depth and the audience is left doubting whether his actions to help free the prosecutor were out of dedicated friendship or his own selfish need to prove his conning abilities.

While this new prison buddy flick is a comedy, as the title suggests, there are a number of pretty violent scenes that don’t quite cross the line of being unwatchable.

“A Violent Prosecutor” will open in theaters on Feb. 3.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)
 

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January 28, 2016

‘Veteran’ shares profit with actors and staffs

The biggest box office success in 2015, “Veteran” will share profits with the cast and staff.

“The production company Filmmaker R&K announced that they will pay a bonus after revenue calculations are done,” said one of the officials Thursday.

(CJ Entertainment)

The move is notable since some hit movies have been embroiled in conflicts over their profits.

Released in August 2015, the film was a massive hit, surpassing over 13 million admissions at local box offices.

Now it ranks at No. 3 for the all-time box office record, following “Roaring Currents” (2014) and “Ode to My Father” (2014).

It had earned about 100 billion won ($82.7 million) as of Thursday, according to the database of Korean Film Council.

Director Ryu Seung-wan is currently working on a new flick with the working title “Battleship” -- a 1940s story of Korean draftees who try to escape from Hashima Island in Japan. 

By Kim Soo-hyang (shkim@heraldcorp.com)

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January 28, 2016

"A Violent Prosecutor" Hwang Jung-min, "Kang Dong-won is the best partner I ever had"

Source: OSEN via Hancinema.net

Actor Hwang Jung-min claimed Kang Dong-won is the best partner he ever had. This was the result of a lie detector.

Hwang Jung-min put his hands on a lie detector and answered questions at the show case of the movie "A Violent Prosecutor" on the 28th.

The first question was if he couldn't stand injustice like lawyer Byeon Jae-wook and Hwang answered, 'Yes'. It was true.

The second question was if Kang Dong-won was his best partner ever and Hwang answered the truth again.

The last question was if he thought he looked better in the prison uniform than Kang Dong-won and he answered the truth once again.

Hwang Jung-min takes on the role of a lawyer named Byeon Jae-wook who is framed for murder and Kang Dong-won is a pretty-boy con man named Chi-won.

Meanwhile, "A Violent Prosecutor" is a criminal movie about a lawyer framed for murder joins hands with a con man he meets inside prison and frees him first in order to get out himself. The movie will be released on the 3rd of February.

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January 29, 2016

Hwang Jung Min Signs for His Fans

Source: BNTNews

[by Woorim Ahn, photo by Baek Soo Yeon] Movie ‘A Violent Prosecutor’ held its red carpet and showcase event at Times Square in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul on January 28.

‘A Violent Prosecutor’ is about a prosecutor (Hwang Jung Min) with a false charge of homicide and a good-looking swindler (Kang Dong Won) that the prosecutor helps the swindler getting out of the jail to veil his false charge.

Meanwhile, ‘A Violent Prosecutor’ will premiere on February 3. (photo by bntnews DB)

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January 29, 2016

‘A Violent Prosecutor’ picked as must-see movie

The upcoming film “A Violent Prosecutor” was selected as the movie most people want to watch, according to a recent poll.

The online research company PMI surveyed 5,000 people in their 20s to 50s, and 28.4 percent (1,420) picked it as the movie they most wanted to see this weekend.

Poster of "A Violent Prosecutor"

“Kung Fu Panda 3” was in second place being selected by 700 people.

The research company noted that two out of five women in their twenties are interested in the Korean movie. 

Byun Jae-wook (Hwang Jung-min) is a prosecutor who has been falsely accused of murder, and meets a career criminal, Han Chi-won (Kang Dong-won) in a jail. Byun helps Han to be acquitted of his charges, and then uses him to clear his own false charge.

The movie opens in theaters on Feb. 3. 

By Kim Soo-hyang (shkim@heraldcorp.com)

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January 29, 2016

Jung Woo Seong, Hwang Jung Min and Joo Ji Hoon, finished shooting of film 'Asura'

Source: Innolife.com

'Asura' finished shooting with actor Jeong Woo-Seong, Hwang Jeong-Min and Joo Ji-Hoon.

Film 'Asura' is a criminal action film of bad guys fighting to survive in the hell.

Even from the casting stage, film Asura drew attention with actors like Jeong Woo-Seong, Hwang Jeong-Min, Joo Ji-Hoon, Gwak Do-Won, Jeong Man-Shik, Yoon Ji-Hye Kim Hae-Gon, Kim Won-Hae, Oh Yeon-Ah and Yoon Je-Moon, who have been showing unique acting charms.

Film 'Asura' will be released in 2016. [Photo=CJ Entertainment]

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January 29, 2016

Hwang Jung-min says, "From Kang Dong-won to Jung Woo-sung, handsome boys are also good at doing their work"

Source: OSEN via Hancinema.net

Actor Hwang Jeong-min mentioned about his partners, Kang Dong-won in movie 'A Violent Prosecutor' and Jeong Woo-seong in movie "Asura". While Hwang Jeong-min was doing his interview with OSEN at a café in Samcehong-dong, Seoul in the morning on January 29th, he made reporters laugh when he said, "Good-looking boys also do work very well".

He said, "I liked Kang Dong-won very much. He is a good-natured guy and not someone who is mischievous or playful. But I'm always happy to see someone who plays his role well" and "Since we meet to work together, I like it as far as work is done well".

He continued on, "He is basically down to earth. While he is such a handsome actor, he is dsimple and humble. I liked him even more when I found out about his rustic side" and "He wasn't picky and knows how to take care of things flexibly".

Hwang Jeong-min also mentioned about Jeong Woo-seong, "I think Jeong Woo-seong's really cool. These good-looking people are also very cool. They do their work very well" and "I got to see Jeong Woo-seong differently this time. He's an attractive person. This is my first time to work with him. He's considerate, a very cool friend".

Meanwhile, Hwang Jeong-min and Kang Dong-won's 'A Violent Prosecutor' is open on February 3rd.

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January 31, 2016

'Revenant' bores many Koreans

Source: The Korea Times

Increasing numbers of Korean theater-goers are saying online that the Hollywood movie "Revenant" is a disappointment because its vapid storyline lacks action.

Comments include, "Don't be fooled by the movie's preview because that's all the action there is," "It's hard to say the movie was enjoyable . . . the three hours certainly felt like they would never end" and "I cried out to my boyfriend that the Discovery channel movie ruined our Friday night."

Online daily OhmyStar said the movie, despite its great screenplay, "was too simple" for Korean viewers.

"Koreans tend to like movies with an extremely dramatic plot or elements of a drastic conflict," the report said. "TV dramas like MBC's ‘My Daughter, Geum Sa-wol,' SBS's ‘Remember' and movies such as ‘The Chaser' (2008), ‘New World' (2012) and ‘Veteran' (2015) are good examples. The movie is well made but it failed to click with general Korean viewers."

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy, the American epic western adventure film depicts the ordeal of Hugh Glass (DiCaprio), a trapper who is attacked by a bear and left for dead by his hunting team.

Aiming for vengeance, Glass uses his survival skills to track down the others.

aoshima11@ktimes.com

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February 2, 2016

Black Movie Film Festival Screens 8 Korean Films
Prize for KIM Bo-young’s IMPERSONATION in Geneva

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

 Wrapping up on January 31st last month, the 17th edition of Black Movie International Independent Film Festival in Geneva welcomed eight Korean films this year, including five shorts and three features. In addition, the animated short Impersonation, one of two films by KIM Bo-young screened this year, received a special mention for the RTS Kids: Fair Winds Prize. Impersonation premiered at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan) in 2014.
 
Among this year’s invited features were HONG Sang-soo’s award-winning Right Now, Wrong Then, which already screened in Switzerland last August, when it picked up the Golden Leopard and Best Actor Awards at the Locarno International Film Festival. Also screening were RYOO Seung-wan’s chart-topping action-thriller Veteran, with HWANG Jung-min and YOO Ah-in, and CHO Chang-ho’s indie drama Another Way, which debuted at the Busan International Film Festival last October and will next be seen in competition at the Vesoul International Festival of Asian Cinema.
 
Other shorts included Prey, the second of KIM Bo-young’s films at the festival and OH Seo-ro’s Afternoon Class. Meanwhile, including Impersonation, three Korean animated shorts played in the Little Black Movie festival, special program designed for younger viewers. The other were KIM Myung-eun’s Colors In The Subway and The Mitten, by LEE Jong-hyuk, BAE Byeong-jun, LEE Mi-sun, KIM Bo-ra and KIM Hee-yeon.

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February 2, 2016

8 Korean Titles to Keep an Eye Out for in 2016
Star Directors Return while Fresh Names Poise Themselves for Breakthroughs

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

 Fresh from recording one of its biggest years ever, which included two new additions to the ten million viewer club (Assassination, Veteran), Korean cinema is gearing up from another big year in 2016, with some of the country’s star directors returning to the fold after working in Hollywood, a few major blockbusters from rising names, and a number of smaller projects poised to make waves internationally.
 
To usher in 2016, KoBiz takes a look at some of the most exciting projects to expect from Korean cinema in 2016.

 

Secret Agent
 
Following his stint in Hollywood, where he directed Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Last Stand (2013), his first role following two terms as the governor of California, KIM Jee-woon is currently filming the action-thriller Secret Agent. Reuniting with his The Quiet Family (1998), The Foul King (2000) and The Good, The Bad, And The Weird (2008) star SONG Kang-ho, director KIM will return with a story of Korean independence fighters during the country’s occupation by Japan in the early 20th century.
 
Co-starring GONG Yoo, the film focuses on the violent exploits of a branch of Korea’s resistance movement and is being financed by Hollywood major Warner Bros., marking their first venture in local Korean production. The film began shooting in late October in China and has since shifted production to Korea.
 
Tunnel
 
After an eight-year absence, director KIM Seong-hun triumphantly returned with the blackly comic action-thriller A Hard Day, which bowed to rave reviews in the Directors’ Fortnight program of the Cannes Film Festival in 2014. For his third film, KIM is teaming up with stars HA Jung-woo (Assassination), BAE Doo-na (Cloud Atlas, 2012) and OH Dal-su (Veteran) for the disaster drama Tunnel, which will be financed and distributed by Showbox.
 
Based on a novel by SO Jae-won, the film features HA as man trapped inside a poorly constructed tunnel when it caves in. BAE features his wife while OH plays a rescue worker on site. The film reminds us of modern Korean history, which has been plagued with disasters resulting from infrastructure failures that led to major death tolls, such as the collapses of the Sampoong Department Store and the Seongsu Bridge.
 
Goksung
 
NA Hong-jin exploded onto the scene with The Chaser in 2008, a critically-acclaimed thriller that instantly put him on the global map. Two years later, The Yellow Sea confirmed his status as one of the country’s most promising new filmmakers. This year, NA returns with another dark thriller, working with a new cadre of stars (replacing the effective teaming of HA Jung-woo and KIM Yun-seok in his earlier works) on the rural-set Goksung.
 
The film stars KWAK Do-won, SONG Kang-ho’s award-winning co-star in The Attorney (2013), as a police officer investigating a series of mysterious and grisly murders in the countryside following the arrival of a mysterious stranger. Box office heavyweight HWANG Jung-min (Veteran) co-stars along with HAN Gong-ju (2014) lead CHUN Woo-hee. The film is the third fully-financed local production for Fox International Productions, who previously part-financed The Yellow Sea.

Home Sweet Home
 
Another director who hasn’t been seen in some time, LEE Kyoung-mi worked as a writer and assistant director on PARK Chan-wook’s Sympathy For Lady Vengeance (2005) before debuting to acclaim with the off-kilter high school comedy-drama Crush And Blush (2008), co-written and produced by PARK.
 
In 2016, LEE will unveil her sophomore film Home Sweet Home (working title). The dark political thriller features SON Ye-jin (The Pirates, 2014) as the wife of a politician played by KIM Joo-hyuk (The Servant, 2010). During his campaign for the National Assembly, she uncovers a terrible secret after their daughter goes missing just 15 days before election day. Previously co-stars in My Wife Got Married (2008), SON and KIM will surely present a very different kind of chemistry in the CJ Entertainment thriller.
 
Train Via Busan
 
Already known for the gritty indie animated features The King of Pigs (2011) and The Fake (2013), YEON Sang-ho makes his live action debut with the high-speed thriller Train via Busan (working title). GONG Yoo stars as a father who boards the KTX train from Seoul to Busan with his daughter. However, another passenger on the train has brought on a dangerous infection that is quickly infecting fellow riders and driving them crazy.
 
The events of Train via Busan follow the initial outbreak depicted in YEON’s completed but unreleased animation Seoul Station. Co-starring with GONG is JUNG Yu-Mi (Our Sunhi, 2013).
 
The Handmaiden
 
Director PARK Chan-wook returns home with The Handmaiden, his first film in Korea since Thirst (2009), after he made the American gothic tale Stoker (2013). Based on Sarah Waters’ novel Fingersmith, the film stars HA Jung-woo as a con man who teams up with a young pickpocket (newcomer KIM Tae-ri) who he installs as the maid of a wealthy socialite, played by KIM Min-hee (Right Now, Wrong Then, 2015).
 
Switching out the Victorian England setting of the original book with Korea and Japan in the 1930s, when the former was colonized by the latter, PARK’s latest promises the engrossing visuals he has become known for, as it was shot by his frequent collaborator JEONG Jeong-hun, who has been actively working in Hollywood after gaining notice there for his work on Stoker. The Handmaiden also features CHO Jin-woong (A Hard Day, 2014), KIM Hae-sook (The Thieves, 2012) and MOON So-ri(Oasis, 2002).

Our Love Story
 
After their more commercially-oriented titles Socialphobia (2015) and Alice In Earnestland (2015), both of which were hits at the Korean box office, the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA) will debut the low-key drama Our Love Story this year.
 
At a time when gay rights are becoming an increasingly important, and hotly contested, issue in Korean society, Our Love Story presents the burgeoning relationship of a diffident art student and a carefree bartender. LEE Hyun-ju’s debut is one of the rare works to present a lesbian story in Korean cinema. Our Love Story follows the KAFA works Girl on the Edge and The Boys Who Cried Wolf, both of which debuted at the Busan International Film Festival last October.
 
Karaoke Crazies
 
A genre piece taking place almost entirely in a surreal karaoke bar, Karaoke Crazies sees director KIM Sang-chan return nine years after Highway Star. LEE Mun-sik (A Bloody Aria, 2006) stars as the owner of an isolated karaoke bar in the countryside with precious few guests. He hires a strange girl, played by BAE So-eun (Doctor, 2012), as a helper and though unpopular at first, she soon becomes a favorite with customers. The owner hires another woman when business improves, all the while keeping his eye out for a serial killer on the loose.
 
With an intricate set and an interesting mix of genres, Karaoke Crazies calls to mind some of the polymorphic genre hits that Korea became known for around the world.

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February 3, 2016

Asian Film Awards: 'The Assassin' leads with Nine Nominations

by Karen Chu  THR

'Mountains May Depart, 'Veteran' and 'Mr. Six' each received four nominations.

While it may have missed out on an Oscar foreign-language nomination, The Assassin has emerged as frontrunner at the Asian Film Awards. Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien's martial-arts film picked up nine nominations, followed by Mountains May Depart, Veteran and Mr. Six, each with four.

The Assassin was nominated in the best film, director, actress, supporting actress, cinematography, original music, costume design, production design, and sound categories. The film bowed in competition at the Cannes Film Festival last year.

The best film race consists of The Assassin, Chinese co-production Mountains May Depart, India's Bajirao Mastani, Japan's Three Stories of Love, China's Mr. Six, and South Korea's Veteran.

Donnie Yen of Hong Kong box office hit Ip Man 3 is nominated for a best actor gong, with Nagase Masatoshi of Japan's An, Feng Xiaogang of China's Mr. Six, Lee Byung-Hun of South Korea's Inside Men, and John Arcilla of The Philippine's Heneral Luna also in contention.

The best actress category is a contest between Zhao Tao of Mountains May Depart, Shu Qi of The Assassin, Ayase Haruka of Japan's Our Little Sister, Kim Hye-soo of South Korea's Coin Locker Girl, and Karena Lam of Taiwan's Zinnia Flower.

The nominations included thirty-six films from nine countries. Twenty-two films from China or Chinese co-productions were nominated for awards in fifteen categories, followed by sixteen from Japan.

A new category, best sound, was introduced this year.

The fifteen-member jury will be presided by Hong Kong auteur Johnnie To this year, with jury members including Hong Kong actor Sean Lau and Chinese actress Gao Yuanyuan.

Marking the tenth edition of the Asian Film Awards, organized by the Asian Film Awards Academy, the awards ceremony will be held on March 17 at the Venetian Theater in Macau.

  

Asian Film Awards Nominations

Best Film

Mountains May Depart (France, Japan, China)

The Assassin (Hong Kong, China, Taiwan)

Bajirao Mastani (India)

Three Stories of Love (Japan)

Mr. Six (China)

Veteran (South Korea)

Best Director

Jia Zhang-Ke, Mountains May Depart

Hou Hsiao-Hsien, The Assassin

Kore-Eda Hirokazu, Our Little Sister

Guan Hu, Mr. Six

Ryoo Seung-wan, Veteran

Best Actor

Donnie Yen, Ip Man 3

Nagase Masatoshi, An

Feng Xiao-gang, Mr. Six

Lee Byung-Hun, Inside Men

John Arcilla, Heneral Luna

Best Actress

Zhao Tao, Mountains May Depart

Shu Qi, The Assassin

Ayase Haruka, Our Little Sister

Kim Hye-soo, Coin Locker Girl

Karena Lam, Zinnia Flower

Best Supporting Actor

Max Zhang, Ip Man 3

Michael Ning, Port of Call

Asano Tadanobu, Journey to the Shore

Oh Dal-soo, Assassination

Cheng Jen Shuo, Thanatos, Drunk

Best Supporting Actress

Zhuo Yun, The Assassin

Tsuchiya Anna, Gonin Saga

Cherry Ngan, Mojin – The Lost Legend

Ueno Juri, The Beauty Inside

Park So-dam, The Priests