Kwon Sang Woo 권상우

[willenette]

*** Hi TY, thanks for posting the photos for Cosmopolitan - June issue. He looks so tough on those pictures, very manly, so very like KSW. Wahhh.......... Asian James Dean........... Also, thanks for posting more photos during the presscon event. I'm sure he enjoyed filming this movie with all the cast. Surely, a star-studded film!

[Guest viry yin]

Waaaa I can't wait to see the new movie.

Thanks for your pics dear friends.

[willenette]

(Movie Review) As bullets fly, '71 Into the Fire' loses steam

By Kim Hyun

SEOUL, June 4 (Yonhap) -- This month marks the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War (1950-1953), giving gravitas to Lee Jae-han's timely new film, "71 Into the Fire," which pays homage to the 71 students who became bullet sponges in the early days of the conflict when trained soldiers ran low.

Audiences probably expect to learn from the non-fiction story what was going through the minds of the teenage boys as they were transformed into reckless shooters during a 12-hour standoff at a frontline base.

But the film does not take enough time to develop the characters, and viewers are told to satisfy themselves with shallow portrayals of their naivete, internal rivalry and helplessness.

The drama also tries to portray North Koreans in human terms, but the results are not so touching. The central character on the enemy side, played by Cha Seung-won, comes off as an unblended, detached mix of good and evil as he tries to balance his stone-faced belligerence with occasional moments of humor and humanity.

The story opens with an order for Kang Seok-dae (Kim Seung-woo) that he leave a frontline base to the youth squadron and hurry to the Nakdong River with his regular troops to fend off infiltrating North Koreans. The only boy in the squadron with battle experience, Jang-beom (Choi Seung-hyun, also known as T.O.P of the idol group Big Bang) is named commander.

The only training they receive is a single shooting round. Jang-beom becomes a subject of scorn to some of the uncontrollable bad boys, like Gap-su (Kwon Sang-woo), who otherwise would be in prison on an attempted murder charge.

Horror descends unexpectedly one night as Park Mu-rang's North Korean army lands on their base instead of heading through the expected route over the Nakdong River on the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula. The boys, scantily armed, are left to fight the North Koreans and their rolling tanks until the regular troops return.

The director's own take of the Korean War occasionally shows in the lines of the characters, particularly in a letter from Jang-beom to his mother. Recalling a dying North Korean soldier he had shot for the first time, he says, "The North Korean puppet army that I knew was the monster with horns on its head. But the North Korean soldier that I saw today was a human being whose last word was 'O-ma-ni' (mother)."

The movie works in conflicting thoughts about the meaning of the war, which still hold today across the inter-Korean border. "Aren't you the bullet shields of the U.S. imperialists and their minion, Rhee Syngman?" the North Korean commander says to the boys. "Are you going to let the communists take our nation?" one boy says to others in the squadron.

As the North Korean army commander, Cha Seung-won plays perhaps the most interesting and complex character, but still falls flat. He is rigid, merciless and forcefully charismatic on the battlegrounds but goes soft in front of the piteous unarmed boys. But his inner conflicts do not come shining through.

In his screen debut, Choi Seung-hyun is one of the more poignant characters, delivering a range of emotions from fear and despair to triumph and joy without relying on many words.

The 11.3 billion won (US$9.4 billion) blockbuster, produced by Taewon Entertainment, will arrive at local theaters on June 16.

hkim@yna.co.kr

(END)

Credit : Yonhap News

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/culturespo...002800315F.HTML

[Guest TY_KSW]

Yoohaw!!

Finally we got the official news, at least, by official media news.hankooki.com

Daemul will start shooting in July 1

What is that day? let me see, in Thursday.. yes!!

Our man now is learning jitterbug, blues steps... kekekkeke! poor man, he did get all steps last 2 years before delay...

Source: http://news.hankooki.com/lpage/culture/201...81430111780.htm

[Guest TY_KSW]

New poster of Natural Tears

MR TEARS.. so handsome, deadly handsom ..

[moi]

Kwon Sang Woo "Asian James Dean"

（2010-06-03 17:27　　tvreport）

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/1672/0d...6ad4c75c148.jpg

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/9544/00...824e869b870.jpg

"Asian James Dean" is the nickname commented by audiens and media to actor Kwon Sang woo during the movie "Into The Fire" was introducing in Stanford University, USA.

A Press premiere was held on June 3 in Lotte Cinema, Konkuk University - Seoul participated by Kim Seung Woo, Cha Seung Won, Kwon Sang Woo, Top and director Lee John. Actor Kim Seung Woo conveyed "I got impressive of foreign critics 'Asian James Dean' to Kwon Sang Woo."

methinks Sangwoo should not feel flattered about being some "Asian" James Dean -- this smacks of Western paternalism! ...... he should be just Kwon Sang Woo and be proud of it!

[Guest TY_KSW]

methinks Sangwoo should not feel flattered about being some "Asian" James Dean -- this smacks of Western paternalism! ...... he should be just Kwon Sang Woo and be proud of it!

agreed^^ he should be just KWON SANG WOO .. we love that!!

actually Western tend to bump something up to the sky.. like case of Lilo ^^

Hey my friend, where have you been these days?

i almost assumed you were in South Africa to see the FIFA Worldcup opening in the coming days..

although, i know, you didn't know much about this games... uh? 11 players in the yard that included goalkeeper or ? muahhahahha!

[willenette]

Hi TY, thanks for sharing the news about Daemul. Finally.......... it will start filming soon.......... Also, thanks for posting the new pics of the Natural Tears. He looks so fine.

[Guest TY_KSW]

The FOUR at the VIP premiere on June 8

Time: 20:00

Location: Seoul Gwangjin Lotte Cinema

Konkuk University

Credit as stated

[willenette]

The FOUR at the VIP premiere on June 8

Time: 20:00

Location: Seoul Gwangjin Lotte Cinema

Konkuk University

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/2360/d2...654091e87e5.jpg

http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/4343/a6...1e2fa6ce9a1.jpg

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/6187/b4f75a...fcd472b6c75.jpg

Credit as stated

Hi TY, thanks for posting the photos. Supporting KSW here. He looks amazing in casual attire - he looks super HOT! Oh, many celebrities who attended. I'm sure this movie is good. Good luck to them! Fighting!

________________________

Stars attend 71-Into the Fire movie premiere

After numerous press conferences, hype and drama stirred up by North Korea’s sinking of the Cheonan, the war movie 71-Into the Fire was finally set to open in movie theatres on June 16th amidst tension on the Korean peninsula.

Ahead of the public opening, a special VIP premiere was held this evening on June 8th at Lotte Cinema near Konkuk University. With a stellar movie cast including the likes of Kwon Sang Woo, Cha Seung Won, Kim Seung Woo, Big Bang’s T.O.P. and many more, you can certainly expect a lot of stars to grace the event.

The list of stars who attended the premiere include Yoon Do Hyun, Kim Jae Dong, Kim Nam Joo, Son Tae Young, Jung Woo Sung, Lee Ji Ah, Soo Ae, Yoo In Na, Park Bom, Kim Sun Ah, Jung So Min, Jung Joon Ho, Oh Man Suk, Lee Tae Sung, Lee Hyuk Soo, Kim Min Jong, Kim Tae Woo, Gong Hyung Jin, etc.

Source : allkpop

[willenette]

At the movie premier of Into The Gunfire

The leading cast of Into The Gunfire held a VIP premiere on June 8th at Lotte Cinema.

And the cast of Athena are out in full force.

Jung Woo-Sung and Mr Spy (Kim Min-Jong – gosh … he looks younger here)

Su-Ae and Lee Ji-Ah. I was expecting to see either one of them to undergo a major transformation ala Kim So-Yeon (IRIS).

Of course the wives are out to support their hubby. Son Tae-Yong and Kim Nam-Joo

Credit : KoreanDiorama'sBlog

[willenette]

71: Into The Fire to open June 16

John H. Lee’s big-budget war drama 71: Into The Fire is to have its local release nationwide on June 16, according to Taewon Entertainment, the film’s producer. High anticipation for the film resulted in moving its scheduled June 25 opening ahead to the 16th. The film has drawn much hype both at home and abroad for its production values, powerful historical narrative, and A-list casting.

The film is inspired by the true-life story of 71 student soldiers who fought a fierce and impossible battle to protect a support line along the Nakdong River during the Korean War. It stars top actors CHA Seung-won, KIM Seung-woo, KWON Sang-woo and CHOI Seung-hyeon (known also as T.O.P from the pop idol group Big Bang.) The film’s release pays tribute to the 60th Anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War on June 25, 1950.

South Korean sales agent Finecut recently did brisk sales of the film at the Cannes Film Festival’s film market, selling it to Ascot Elite for German-speaking Europe and Benelux, to UK’s Showbox for the United Kingdom, as well as Singapore and Russia.

Nigel D’Sa (KOFIC)

http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/KOFIC/Channel?...esimul_SNO=1453

[willenette]

Big Bang, 2NE1, BoA and Jang Dong Gun spotted at 71-Into the Fire premiere

Yesterday, we reported about the movie premiere of 71-Into the Fire starring Kwon Sang Woo, Cha Seung Won, Kim Seung Woo, Big Bang’s T.O.P. and many more.

Other than the many stars who attended, there were some like Big Bang, 2NE1, Jang Dong Gun and BoA who were also there but had evaded the press photographers lying in wait outside the cinema doors.

Check out the belated press pictures and video.

Source : allkpop

[willenette]

June 10, 2010

'71' sheds light on young soldiers

By Lee Hyo-won

Staff reporter

A star-studded, big budget war movie comes in time for the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War on June 25, 1950, leading the array of anticipated summer blockbusters.

``71 ­ Into the Fire’’ was inspired by a true incident in which boy soldiers perished during the conflict, and their tragic story comes to life through a film with impressive production values. Though it suffers some critical flaws and at times feels Hollywood manufactured, performances by hallyu stars, particularly the gripping big screen debut by pop star T.O.P, will ensure ticket sales in Asia.

In the summer of 1950, North Korea crossed the 38th Parallel and seized Seoul in just three days. The Communist troops continued their way down toward Busan, and South Korean soldiers had to defend the southernmost port city while awaiting the arrival of additional U.N. forces.

On Aug. 10, several hundred South Korean soldiers and 71 boys drafted for the national emergency were on standby in Pohang, located two hours away from Nakdong River, a critical frontier. Due to the shortage of men, the small city was left in the hands of the teens.

The boys were each equipped with nothing but an M1 rifle and 250 bullets. But by engaging in four battles they were able to prolong the North’s march south for 11 hours, during which some 200,000 civilians were able to flee to safety and the South Korean and U.N. forces were able to better prepare for combat.

Some 60 North Korean soldiers lost their lives while 48 of the 71 boys died. One of the fallen heroes, 16-year-old Lee U-geun, left behind letters addressed to his mother that testify to the horrors of war. The film was inspired by the words of the young hero, who is played by Choi Seung-hyun, better known as T.O.P of the pop group Big Bang.

The first major production after the 2004 blockbuster ``Tae-guk-gi’’ to shed light on the inter-Korean conflict, ``71’’ was directed by John H. Lee. He has displayed his flair for orchestrating human emotions in the melodrama ``A Moment to Remember,’’ and smartly sticks to human drama.

The film is first and foremost a coming-of-age story. Choi shines as Oh Jang-beom, a timid young student who suddenly finds himself thrown into a skirmish for survival ― ``Mother I might die today… I’m not afraid of death, but I’m afraid I might never see you or my brothers again. I wish the war would end soon so I may return to your arms,’’ he writes after the sun sets.

When he is ordered to head the group of 71 untrained boy soldiers, he must overcome self-doubts about his leadership. This becomes increasingly difficult when Gu Gap-jo, a thuggish orphan, constantly challenges his authority (Kwon Sang-woo displays some more of his ``Spirit of Jeet Keun Do ­ Once Upon a Time in High School’’-style acting that is all-too-familiar, but it works).

While the warm-hearted South Korean officer Gang Seok-dae (a rather anticlimactic performance by Kim Seung-woo) tries his best to return for the boys, a faceoff is inevitable with the North Korean soldiers led by the ruthless and charismatic General Park Mu-rang (played Cha Seung-won, who unfortunately still seems to confuse the movie set for a fashion magazine shoot with his feigned expressions).

It’s a polished war film _ the explosions, dummy corpses and crumbling buildings take viewers straight into the heart of a blood-splattered battlefield, and flashes of red Communist flags in particular provide for a visually striking mise-en-scene amid the gritty, earthy color palette. Grand orchestral melodies crown climactic moments.

Motion pictures however must establish a unique sense of time and space, and a critical flaw is that it fails to plot the drama with the appropriate ebb and flow. ``71’’ creates a convincing physical world: the sight of gun-toting students defending an abandoned school building highlights the fact that they are just helpless little boys.

The film loses its dramatic edge because it does not establish a sense of time; the boys are given but two hours until a big showdown with the Northerners, which could have provided for some pulsating sequences, particularly since Jang-beom is wearing a watch, symbolically given to him by Gang.

In theaters June 16. Distributed by Lotte Entertainment.

Credit : Korea Times

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2010/06/141_67415.html

[Guest TY_KSW]

Show case on Jun 12

taken by fans.

Credit as stated

[willenette]

[CHART] Weekend Box Office: June 11-13

Reporter : Lucia Hong luciahong@

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

http://10.asiae.co.kr/Articles/new_view.htm?sec=ent0&a_id=2010061410230955817

[Guest TY_KSW]

[CHART] Weekend Box Office: June 11-13

Reporter : Lucia Hong luciahong@

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

http://10.asiae.co.k...061410230955817

Wait, is it an estimated?

since our movie will be on screen Jun 25, right?

what is jun 11-13?? lol

[Guest ghada44]

I like this

[Guest ghada44]

[Guest ghada44]