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Slumdog Millionaire
So You Wanna Be an Action Star, Korean Style?
Posted by X at 1:29pm.
Posted in Trailer Alerts , Documentary, Martial Arts, Action, Asia.
It was about five years ago, reading an interview Film2.0 did with veteran director Lee Du-Yong, that it became clear. Why doesn’t Korea produce action stars? Lack of talent? Of course not. Any look at things like 짝패 (The City of Violence), or even upcoming flicks like 스페어 (Spare) will show. There’s a more important, more or less structural reason why people like Kim Hyo-Seon or Han Jung-Soo have all the reasons in the world to move their attention to “more serious fare.” You could be the most talented performer in the world, and have the potential to become an action star, but to Chungmuro you’re just a glorified stuntman. Underpaid, overworked, rarely becoming the talk of the town unless things end up in tragedy.
It’s somehow fitting, then, that something like 우린 액션 배우다 (Action Boys) was produced. This is not your usual made-for-tv documentary a la 인간극장 (Human Theater), showing the struggles and harsh life of those stuntmen, treating their suffering with the sensibility of a dead elephant. No, it’s a documentary about what it is like to be a stuntman (or, as the Korean title suggests, “action actor”) in Chungmuro, how people got there, the crazy things they have to do for the little money they get. It has action from films like The City of Violence, 놈놈놈 (The Good, The Bad, The Weird), 괴물 (The Host), which instantly makes it interesting. Film won the audience award at Jeonju, and was recently screened at the NYAFF. Release is set for August 28, and you can find the trailer below the break.
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Al Young 08/13/2008 @ 2:45pm
Stunt performers are the unsung heroes of the film industry in my book. I personally have a strong appreciation for what they do. Whenever they get hurt for the sake of our entertainment, I feel bad for them. This documentary seems really interesting as it shed some light on the trails and tribulation of a stuntmen working in Korea. As an action fan, I wish them all the best and I want to see Korea produce a talent that will domestically elevate the action genre.