You’d think things like these happened only on silly, pseudo-“drama vérité” like 온에어 (On Air). After Choi Dong-Hoon’s film version a few years ago, Heo Young-Man’s bestseller manhwa 타짜 (War of Flowers) will get its TV treatment on SBS later this summer, but the bone of contention right now is casting. Most of the casting for the show, which will go against MBC’s blockbuster 에덴의 동쪽 (East of Eden), has been completed, with the real problem being the role of Madam Jung, played by Kim Hye-Soo in the film. Sung Hyun-Ah was cast first, apparently, but yesterday Olive9 announced the casting of Gang Sung-Yeon, who played Jang Nok-Su in 왕의 남자 (The King & The Clown). Was it just a case of the good old switcheroo? Sung Hyun-Ah learned of this all on the net.
Now, who would give justice to the role, that’s up to debate (although both would be just fine). But a sort of war of words started raging today: Sung Hyun-Ah complained on her blog of unfair practices by Olive9, who just abandoned her and her efforts the last few months to cast one of their actors. And of course Gang Sung-Yeon replied on her site that she was originally cast in the role, and when the writer had to change and her role got a little smaller, producers might have misunderstood her intentions and cast someone else in the role. But she never stole anything from anybody, and the role belongs to her.
Although netizens are already casting the blame on one or the other party, the only parties to blame are really the producers Olive9, who allowed this to get out in the open so overtly, and the system itself. With producing companies also playing the part of talent agencies, the practice of what we could call “block casting” has become increasingly popular. Last year’s 고맙습니다 (Thank You) was filled to the brim with actors contracted under producers Sidus HQ, and since containing the spiraling costs of casting has become more and more important, it’s no surprise such practice is on the rise. It wouldn’t be so outrageous, then, if Gang Sung—Yeon (who’s under Olive9’s wings) was chosen over Sung Hyun-Ah for the same exact reason, although who’s feigning and who’s telling the truth is something we can only endlessly speculate.
War of Flowers starts airing in September, ironically right after another drama adapted from a Heo Young-Man manhwa, 식객 (Gourmet).
SOURCES
[Daum News]. [Daum News]
Everything seems to say “young” about this project.
Young is the protagonist Cha Su-Yeon, one of the most exciting new talents in Korea, as her choice of projects shows; young is fellow lead Yoo Ha-Joon, headlining an interesting cast featuring Lee Eol, Kim Byeong-Ok and even music director Bang Jun-Seok; young is the director, Lee Seung-Young, who after working on the interesting cable sageuk 별순검 (Byeolsungeom) and writing the script for the film 소녀X소녀 (Girl by Girl) makes his debut here.
Film stars Cha as a musician-wannabe who tries to make enough money for her trip to England, where she’ll learn the tricks of the trade. On the way, as you can expect, her plains are derailed, even if for a brief moment. Indiestory will release this on August 21 (very limited release, as always), and after that its Festival run should start, hopefully with a DVD release down the line.
Trailer is below the break.
Continue Reading "Cha Su-Yeon Goes 여기보다 어딘가에 (Somewhere Over Here)"...
When discussing any industry’s output, be it on a yearly or seasonal basis, the most over-used cliche might just be the good old “best of times, worst of times” mantra. After all, any mature business environment will eventually have to deal with both ends of the spectrum sooner or later. For instance, the incredible boom Korean films went through during those fantastic ten years, 1996 to 2006, was fueled by a generation of filmmakers who replaced Kellogg’s and milk with molotov cocktails, Playboy with Cahiers du Cinema, and the smoking sessions inside putrid school bathrooms with editing short films. Or maybe they did both?
The result was new blood who changed the landscape of Korean cinema in ways few people could ever imagine. Chungmuro became one of the few remaining Gaul villages fighting against the mighty Roman Empire of filmmaking with their magic potion. But then, all of a sudden, the potion was stolen under their noses, sold off to the enemy along with their fighting spirit. In no time, the whole village had turned into a collection of youngsters and old farts who didn’t know how to direct their punches, with the occasional Obelix still hanging around with his magnificent menhirs. Chungmuro’s current crisis might have been a predictable outcome, a sort of post dot-com bubble burst going at 24 frames per second, but with a few adjustments things could get better. Alas, when it comes to TV Dramas in the first half of 2008, bringing out that old cliche wouldn’t be just optimistic. It would be a mere illusion, as it was the worst of times. Let’s find out why.
Continue Reading "[2008 K-DRAMA] First Half Wrapup"...
Now, first, the predictable.
Kim Ji-Woon’s 좋은 놈, 나쁜 놈, 이상한 놈 (The Good, The Bad, and The Weird) had a great opening as expected, given the insanely wide release (650 screens, with digital prints used by various theaters bringing the total to 700 by the weekend). There’s around 2,100 screens in Korea, so you can do the math pretty easily. The Midnight screening the film had on July 16 was seen by over 75,000 people, with the totally tally for the opening day touching the 400,000. But let’s forget about money, they’ll make enough of it.
What we really should be interested in is that Kim Ji-Woon won the attention of Warner Bros., who sent him a script for a Western, and offered him to direct. Kim still hasn’t decided anything, because this is not the only International offer on the table. Back in Cannes, he was approached by StudioCanal with an offer to direct a noir thriller starring Hollywood talent, as we previously reported consiting of a remake of Claude Sautet’s 1971 heist film Max et les Férrailleurs entitled Max. It’s quite likely his next project might take place outside Korean shores then, since the French-US coproduction is slated to start shooting in late 2008. The French thriller will go first, so there could be something of a smaller scale shot in Korea in between, but it looks like there’s a very good chance we might get a US western with a distinct kimchi flavor pretty soon.
SOURCES
[Daum News], [Daum News], [Daum News], [Daum News], [Asia Economy]
Continue Reading "Warner Bros. Want their Taste of Kimchi Western"...
This fell a little under the radar, but looks to be well worth picking up.
If you’ve read comparisons between director Jeon Jae-Hong and Kim Ki-Duk, when the film was invited to Berlin in the Panorama section, there is a reason. Jeon grew under Kim’s wings, working as scripter in 시간 (Time) and on the production team for 숨 (Breath). Whether that means resembling the early, rugged and powerful Kim Ki-Duk of 나쁜 남자 (Bad Guy) or the insipid Festival-friendly version of his last five years, we’ll have to see. Story sounds like 미녀는 괴로워 (200 Pounds Beauty) all gone wrong, with a beautiful lady getting into a world of trouble because of her beauty, and the stalker who falls in love with her. The real interesting point is the young cast: Cha Su-Yeon might be nearly unknown, but she’s among the most interesting new talents in Korea. She was excellent as the decadent temptress in 개와 늑대의 시간 (Time Between Dog & Wolf), and in a completely different role in last year’s fabulous 별빛 속으로 (For Eternal Hearts). On the other side we have Lee Cheon-Hee, who found his footing in the masterpiece 한성별곡 正 (Conspiracy in the Court), and is currently starring in 대왕세종 (Sejong the Great) on TV. Among the interesting special features on the DVD set coming out on July 29 is a short film by director Jeon, Calling You. More info on this whenever preorders are available.
One could argue half of the merit (or blame) for starting the Korean Wave, the one which made money anyway, goes to Bae Yong-Joon and his 겨울연가 (Winter Sonata). It sent a nation of okasan into Showa nostalgia, purging their wallets at the first sight of anything Yonsama-related, be it films or accessories like Pantene Pro-V or white scarves. But the other half goes certainly to Lee Byung-Hoon’s sageuk 대장금 (Dae Jang Geum). This jewel in the palace not only recorded humongous ratings of over 50% at home, it traveled anywhere from Asia (a huge hit in Japan and Hong Kong), the US and now even Europe and Iran, where the guy reading the Quran on TV is complaining of unfair competition from Lee Young-Ae and Co. But they couldn’t stop there, could they? Oh yes. A film will be made.
Studio999, the Korean company who bought the rights to turn the popular TV Drama into a film, is currently under negotiations for funding, but that’s not all. It appears they also approached director Zhang Yimou about the possibility of directing the film. Zhang and his production company are currently examining the script, and according to Korean media are showing strong interest in the project. Zhang, who will produce the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, is said to be a fan of the show, and if he indeed accepts, it certainly would be a killer ap in the Asian market. Still, we should consider this an informed rumor for the time being, as sources close to Zhang say the director is now fully immersed into preparing the Olympics Ceremony, and any future project will have to be discussed after that. We’ll stay tuned on this in the coming months.
SOURCES
[Star News], [DongA News], [163.com], [News Open World]
Ever since, when was it, 1998? It felt like a tradition, the summer onslaught of Korean horror flicks, with their shiny shells and often dubious genre sensibilities. If anything, it was a great training farm for young actors, especially female ones. If you just look at the High School Horror Series which started from 여고괴담 (Whispering Corridors) in 1998 and went all the way to 목소리 (Voice), the amount of fresh new talent emerging through those films is staggering. But, save for the occasional highlight a la 장화, 홍련 (A Tale of Two Sisters), the genre had become a mere training farm for new directors, a proving ground that replaced the wear and tear of short films. The results were a lot of good looking but ordinary projects, and box office prospects vanishing into thin air.
But not all hope is lost. Although horror will surprisingly come back to TV, in the form of 전설의 고향 (Hometown of Legends), the lone horror film of this summer season is Yoon Hong-Seung (a.k.a. Chang)‘s 고死 (Gosa - Bloody Midterms). So we’re mixing the gosa, the traditionally crucial midterms that mean just about everything to Korean high schoolers, and the character for death. Young blood will be spilled, methinks. Casting is a little on the thin side, with Lee Beom-Soo carrying the torch, but the rest is interesting as well, at least in a business sense. Tv starlet Yoon Jung-Hee, singer Nam Gyu-Ri of See Ya, and young Kim Beom of 커피프린스 1호점 (Coffee Prince No.1) also star in what looks to be a potentially interesting premise. The subtitle? “For every wrong answer, one student dies. Let the test begin.”
Films opens this August. Trailer below the break.
Continue Reading "Lone Summer Korean Horror 고死 (Gosa - Bloody Midterms) Begins the Test"...
Good news for our friends in the States. Kim Ji-Woon’s 좋은 놈, 나쁜 놈, 이상한 놈 (The Good, The Bad, and The Weird) is coming to the US next year, courtesy of IFC Entertainment, as CJ Entertainment just announced. The release is slated for first half 2009, and will start off with the five biggest markets for a total in between fifty and a hundred screens nationwide. The release scope might eventually improve if the film is successful. This adds another export to the list, which already included the UK, France, China, Singapore and more. CJ Ent. is currently negotiating with Japanese, Italian, Spanish and Scandinavian buyers for what look like pretty decent International prospects. What’s even more interesting is that, depending on the film’s domestic performance, CJ Entertainment looks to be open to the possibility of offering a more advantageous price for our three heroes’ head. So foreign distributors, just pray this will do well. Film is already monopolizing online ticket pre-orders, with a very healthy 80% ahead of its July 17 release.
[Daum News]
Continue Reading "Kim Ji-Woon’s Kimchi Western Coming to US Shores"...
War is never easy to erase from your system, and even when the horror is starting to vanish (if it ever does), the guilt keeps lingering, like an old man’s rheumatism prying its way into your subconscious every time the weather falls into mood swings. How painful and dreary that experience can be will change depending on one’s personality, but it usually doesn’t take long before a sort of cultural consensus about such events starts to find its way to the small or big screen.
That Korea never really had a solid output of cinematic guilt trips about ‘Nam is not so surprising, but it’s nonetheless peculiar. Over 300,000 Koreans participated in the war, support which His Eminence Park Jung-Hee wanted at all costs, as it would mean more dinero for his bulldozer policies. Korean soldiers were deemed extremely efficient, with an impressive kill ratio of 25 to 1, even more than US troops. But, at least for what concerned Vietnamese people, they tended to be a little too efficient on occasions, with many atrocities still dominating the minds of many ‘Nam veterans on both sides of the fence. Although this lack of “cultural guilt” doesn’t necessarily deserve finger pointing, the fact Lee Joon-Ik chose Vietnam as the stage for his 님은 먼 곳에 (Sunny) is telling.
Continue Reading "[K-FILM SUMMER SPECIAL - Part 2] Lee Joon-Ik’s 님은 먼곳에 (Sunny)"...
You’ve likely seen it, at least in one of the many sageuk airing on Korean Tv. The Shingijeon of the (Korean) title was a rocket-propelled arrow launcher able to shoot multiple arrows at once. After Choi Mu-Seon brought gunpowder to the Korean peninsula during the late Goryeo Dynasty, near the end of his rule Sejong the Great tried to improve Joseon’s military power through this and many innovations. This fueled one of Sejong’s dreams, that of making Joseon a much more feared nation (his other obsession, as you probably know, was creating hangeul, the Korean alphabet). Aaallright. Boring lesson over, now the fun. Producer Kang Woo Suk has decided to spend some of his hard (?) earned cash on a project which sounds a little meatier than the usual flag-waving, Japan-doesn’t-scare-me-anymore-Bubba bonanza which plagued his past works like 실미도 (Silmido) or 한반도 (Hanbando), with a film about the making of such cabalistic weaponry. Then again, it’s Kang Woo-Suk…
But the good news continue: although at first Kang was supposed to direct, veteran director Kim Yoo-Jin of 와일드 카드 (Wild Card) is helming this instead, which should help smoothen things considerably. And then, the cast. Ahn Sung-Gi plays a role he was probably born for, although it took 50 years to see it… King Sejong. Oh mama. And then we have plenty of sageuk veterans, including Hur Joon-Ho, Jung Sung-Mo and Kim Myung-Guk, with Jung Jae-Young and Han Eun-Jung leading the list. The clip just shows some of the battles with interviews sandwiched in between, but a trailer should be out in no time. This one, too, is slated for September. Clip below the break.
Continue Reading "A Closer Look at 신기전 (The Divine Weapon)"...
The career of director Choi Ho is quite a peculiar one, if anything because of the variety of his projects. The man first debuted in 1998 with the gritty teen angst flick 바이준 (Bye June) , right when the genre was being carried by director Kim Seong-Su of 비트 (Beat) and 무사 (Musa - The Warrior). Then he disappeared until 2003, when his 후아유 (Who R. U.) came out right as the “Korea as IT megapower” syndrome was being used as a slogan, more than simple statistics. It was short on things to say all right, but it was cute, well shot and with a great indie-rock flavored soundtrack, not to mention Jo Seung-Woo and Lee Na-Young. His best film is probably 2006’s 사생결단 (Bloody Tie), the no-bullshit, sink-the-silly-jopok-comedy-Titanic angst-ridden pulp extravaganza with Ryu Seung-Beom and a magnificent Hwang Jung-Min.
Now he’s back with…. rock. In the Seventies, to be precise. The idea is a gogo band during the military dictatorship of the Seventies, with all the promising entanglements you can expect. Leading the cast is Jo Seung-Woo, who not only already worked with director Choi, but has paid his dues in the musical world as well (and one could argue it’s musicals like Hedwig and the Angry Inch, not necessarily films, which jumped up his popularity). But also Shin Min-Ah, who keeps choosing good projects lately. Release is set for September, but we’ll talk about this a lot more before then. The interesting trailer, as always, is below the break.
Continue Reading "Jo Seung-Woo Rocks in 고고70 (Go Go 70)"...
Oh oh, the action kid is back. If you remember, right after Ryu Seung-Wan released 죽거나 혹은 나쁘거나 (Die Bad) in 2000, he joined an Internet project along with Jang Jin and Kim Ji-Woon. The idea was to make one short film each, and exclusively distribute them online, even though eventually they found their way to DVD. The other two were a success as well, and Kim Ji-Woon’s 커밍아웃 (Coming Out) in particular is quite good. But Ryu’s 다찌마와 리 (Dachimawa Lee) was just straight up cult material, right from the beginning. A parody of just about everything Ryu grew up watching (the machismo kitsch of 70s Korean action films, Jackie Chan, Shaw Brothers, etc.) the little short film is now getting the feature treatment, courtesy of our good old action kid, who’s apparently shelving 야차 (Yacha) for the time being. And looking at the cast, it seems Ryu has signed some of the most interesting youngsters in the biz, including Gong Hyo-Jin, Hwang Bo-Ra, and the shockingly improved Park Si-Yeon. Wrapping up the cast are obviously the Ryu Seung-Wan regulars, Im Won-Hee, Ahn Gil-Gang and Ryu Seung-Beom on top. This trailer finally shows some footage, and it looks deliriously over the top, with some badass action.
Film will release on August 14. You can find the trailer below the break. And you can bet this will get monster coverage.
Continue Reading "Finally Some Action from Ryu Seung-Wan’s 다찌마와 리 (Dachimawa Lee)"...
Ah, it’s good to be back.
Just as a brief introduction, I had a short but intense stint here at Twitch a couple of years ago, and while old regulars of the site (hi!) might remember me already, those who don’t can head to the search engine and input “ridiculously long tomes punctuated by endless rambling” to find out what they can expect. What happened in Korea during the last two years? A new president was elected; cattle got mad; and, sad to hear, Chungmuro has turned into a producer of refrigerators for mass consumption disguised as movies. They’re shiny, sexy, and you can even send e-mails to your dog through the center console. But they’re almost all similar, devoid of passion and creativity. Our mission, should you decide to accept it, is to dig through that endless array of frozen creative fluids from the Land of the Morning Calm and Slightly Noisy Afternoon and bring you the non-smelly and particularly the good. Just for today only, the bad and weird as well. This message will self-destruct in five seconds. Unless you keep reading…
Continue Reading "[K-FILM SUMMER SPECIAL - Part 1] Kim Ji-Woon’s 놈놈놈 (The Good, The Bad, and The Weird)"...
