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Robot Taekwon V (DVD) (2-Disc) (Special Edition) (Limited Edition) (Korea Version)
Animation
In July of 1976 well regarded Korean producer Yu Hyun-Mok released the first ever Korean animated science fiction feature film, Robot Taekwon V. With the Japanese occupation of Korea still fresh in many people's minds, the film was a curious beast, on one level a glaringly obvious knock off of Japan's Mazinger Z, while on another level it actually represents a sort of fierce Korean nationalism. With the Japanese characters in the film portrayed as buck-toothed buffoons and the Japanese-inspired robot battling villains with tae kwon do moves while wearing a replica of the helmet Admiral Yi Sunsin wore in the actual historical battles against Japanese annexation, you can actually argue that... [read more]
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Antique (DVD) (2-Disc) (First Press Limited Edition) (Korea Version)
Ju Ji Hoon (Actor)
| Yu Ah In (Actor)
| Choi Ji Ho (Actor)
| Kim Jae Wook (Actor)
Entertaining and fabulously fruity, Korean film Antique is so deliciously entertaining a moviegoing experience that its flaws are easily excused. Based on the Japanese manga Antique Bakery by Fumi Yoshinaga, Antique was brought to the screen by director Min Kyu-Dong (Memento Mori), and he gives the adaptation a fun and colorful spin perfectly suited to cinema. Min unleashes an array of narrative techniques - split screens, onscreen animation, musical numbers, dream sequences - to tell this fast-paced, sitcom-friendly tale of four impossibly beautiful guys working at the same bakery. Along the way, they change, mature, and help the police catch a child-killing kidnapper. Yeah, you read that... [read more]
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The Divine Weapon (DVD) (2-Disc) (Korea Version)
Jung Jae Young (Actor)
| Han Eun Jung (Actor)
| Ahn Sung Ki (Actor)
| Hur Jun Ho (Actor)
The Korean historical costume epic continues to thrive with The Divine Weapon from director Yoo Jin, previously responsible for Wild Card and acclaimed co-producer Kang Woo Suk of Public Enemy fame. Mining a fascinating historical premise for rousing effect, the film certainly struck a chord with audiences, ranking as one of the biggest hits of 2008 at the domestic box office. The film is set back in the fifteenth century, at a time when Korea was under subjugation by the forces of Ming dynasty China. Matters come to a head when a Chinese ambassador visits with unreasonable demands from the emperor for more lavish tributes, threatening the nation with the promise of military action and... [read more]
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Romantic Island (DVD) (Korea Version)
Yoo Jin (Eugene)
| Lee Seon Gyun
| Lee Min Ki
| Lee Soo Kyung
It's really not hard to see the rationale for making Romantic Island with the premise offering gorgeous, sun-drenched tropical scenery, an eye-candy cast, and plenty of laughter and love - the perfect escapist remedy for the winter blues or financial woes. Certainly, director Kang Chul Woo, here marking his debut after serving as an assistant on light-hearted fare such as My Boss, My Teacher and My Boyfriend is Type B, makes the very most of the setup, and delivers exactly according to plan, making the film a truly amiable viewing experience, despite hitting the odd off-key note. The film follows focuses on 4 young people who are all heading for the island of Boracay in the Philippines for... [read more]
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Portrait of a Beauty (DVD) (2-Disc) (First Press Limited Edition) (Korea Version)
Kim Min Sun
| Choo Ja Hyun
| Kim Nam Gil (Lee Han)
| Jeon Yun Soo (Director)
Portrait of a Beauty sees Le Grand Chef director Jeon Yun Soo offering a fascinating take on the life of Shin Yun Bok, one of the greatest ever Korean artists, based upon the supposition that the painter was actually a woman who disguised herself as a man in order to chase her dreams in the male dominated Confucian society of the Joseon Dynasty. Although the film draws its premise from the same best-selling novel by Lee Jung Myung that inspired the 2008 television drama series Painter in the Wind which featured Moon Geun Young in the lead role, here Jeon ups the stakes somewhat by adding an erotic charge to the proceedings. The film begins as a young girl called Shin Yun Jung from a family... [read more]
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The Accidental Gangster and the Mistaken Courtesan (DVD) (2-Disc) (First Press Limited Edition) (Korea Version)
Lee Jung Jae (Actor)
| Kim Ok Bin (Actor)
| Kim Suk Hoon
| Yeo Gyun Dong (Director)
Riot in a Gibang in 1724 also known by the longer, though no less awkward moniker of The Accidental Gangster and the Mistaken Courtesan sees director Yeo Gyoon Dong trying something very different to his low budget road movie Silk Shoes. Despite its period setting, the film is a kinetic affair, fast paced and frantic, working street fights, comedy and romance together into a wildly entertaining mixture that manages to pull off the impressive feat of offering a fresh take on the usual historic gangster shenanigans. Set in Korea in 1724, the film begins as lowly street brawler Chun Doong (actor Lee Jung Jae, making his first appearance since the 2005 hit Typhoon spots gorgeous courtesan Seol... [read more]
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The Art of Seduction (DVD) (Korea Version)
Son Ye Jin
| Song Il Kook
| Oh Ki Hwan
Han Ji Won (Son Yae Jin - April Snow and A Moment To Remember) is a private banker, always on the prowl and looking to seduce men. She meets Min Joon (Song Il Gook - Red Eye) a man with his own talents in the area of romance and just as equal to the task when it comes to seduction. It looks like Ji Won has finally met her match. The game is afoot and we will see who comes out victorious in the end. The Art of Seduction has all the ingredients of a Hollywood romantic comedy. The lead actress is hot. The lead actor is hot (I guess). The circumstances they find themselves in lend heavily towards comedy and laughs. Director and screenwriter Oh Ki Hwan follows the path of typical Hollywood... [read more]
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Once In A Summer (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version)
Lee Byung Hun (Actor)
| Soo Ae (Actor)
At first glance, Once in a Summer looks like your typical nostalgic tearjerker aimed at mass audiences. Long before it was released, the distribution rights were sold for US$4 million to Japan, where films of the pure love genre have performed very well. The film was also co-written by Kim Eun-Hee and Kim Eun-Sook, who've collaborated on several successful Korean dramas. And the biggest factor of all: it stars Korean heartthrob Lee Byung-Hun as a romantic lead. The film looks like just another another formulaic attempt to cash in on collective nostalgia - a type of film that Korean Cinema already has far too many of. However, despite looking like an obvious product for the masses, Once in a... [read more]
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Crush and Blush (DVD) (First Press Limited Edition) (Korea Version)
Kong Hyo Jin (Actor)
| Park Chan Wook (Producer)
| Lee Jong Hyuk (Actor)
Crush and Blush is exactly the kind of film that the Korean film industry needs more of. A black, harsh though surprisingly moving anti-romantic comedy, it stands head and shoulders above the hordes of cutesy pieces of soulless candy which crowd cinema screens. The film marks the debut of Lee Kyung Mi who deservedly won Best New Director and Best Screenplay at the 29th Blue Dragon Awards, and was produced by none other than Oldboy director Park Chan Wook, who also makes a cameo appearance, along with The Host helmer Bong Joon Ho. However, the real star of the show is lead actress Kong Hyo Jin, who completely transformed herself from her recent and very different roles in Dachimawa Lee and... [read more]
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Action Boys (DVD) (First Press Edition) (Korea Version)
Jung Byun Gil (Director)
| Shin Sung Il
| Kweon Gui Deok
| Kwak Jin Seok
Although the DVD cover art might seem to suggest some kind of over the top martial arts or cop shenanigans, Action Boys actually offers a very different, though arguably far more interesting kind of thrills, being a documentary following the lives and careers of a group of Korean stuntmen. Directed by Jung Byung Gil, it makes for fascinating viewing, offering a rare glimpse behind the scenes on a number of high profile productions, and exploring the mindset of the often invisible men driven to put themselves on the line time and time again in the name of wowing the audience. The film won the Audience Award at the Jeonju International Film Festival, and deservedly so, as it manages to be not... [read more]
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Boys Don't Cry (DVD) (Korea Version)
Bae Hyung Joon (Director)
| Lee Wan
| Song Chang Ui
Boys Don't Cry (a.k.a. Once Upon a Time in Seoul) was directed by Bae Hyung Joon, who previously helmed the romantic comedy Too Beautiful to Lie. For his follow up feature he changes direction entirely, with a tough slice of historic character drama that mixes issues of friendship and brotherhood with the cruel realities of post-war life. The film boasts two up and coming young male leads in the form of the television idols Lee Wan (best known for his roles in Stairway to Heaven and Veronika Decides to Die) and Song Chang Ui (from The Scale of Providence). The film is set in Seoul in 1953, during the harsh times that followed the end of the Korean War. The plot follows the rough and ready... [read more]
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My Friend & His Wife (DVD) (First Press Edition) (Korea Version)
Shin Dong Il (Director)
| Park Hee Soon (Actor)
| Hong So Hee (Actor)
| Jang Hyun Sung (Actor)
Sin Dong-Il may be one of Korea's unluckiest working filmmakers; his darkly funny debut film Host & Guest took two years to reach DVD after its initial release in 2006. His second film, My Friend and His Wife, also took two years to see release in Korean cinemas after traveling the worldwide film festival circuit to critical acclaim. Then again, it's even easy to see why My Friend and His Wife received similar treatment. Despite having more well-known actors than Host & Guest, Sin's second film is more of the same detached life observations that can alienate and possibly bore audiences. Also, My Friend and His Wife lacks the dark humor and exaggerated characters of Sin's first film, making... [read more]
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The ESP Couple (DVD) (Korea Version)
Jin Gu
| Park Bo Young
ESP Couple marks the debut of editor Kim Hyung Joo, who previously worked on the likes of My Dear Enemy, Evil Twin and Don't Look Back. Perhaps unable to choose exactly a genre, Kim instead decided to combines elements from several, and as a result although ostensibly a romantic comedy, the film also works in science fiction and kidnap thriller elements. Although this may sound a little strange, this odd approach actually works in the film's favour, since the last thing viewers really need is yet another cute Korean Sassy Girl clone. The plot follows Su Min (Jin Goo, recently in serial killer thriller Truck), a college student who keeps his psychic powers a secret, living a quiet, lonely... [read more]
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Welcome to Dongmakgol Limited Edition
Shin Ha Kyun
| Jung Jae Young
| Kang Hye Jung
Welcome To Dongmakgol is a nice film. An extremely nice film. It couldn't possibly be nicer even if you put the whole crew on morphine for the duration. And unlike so many of its genre colleagues, it's a very well-made nice movie. The odd thing is, though, that it's a nice movie about the insanity of war. Let me clarify what I mean here. It's not a movie about the pain and suffering of war, and how it traumatizes people, as is, for example, Taegukgi (a.k.a. Brotherhood of War). Nor is it about the brutality that must be enacted on people to allow them to kill easily, as is Silmido. It's a movie about the simple fact that war is a really stupid thing to do. How, you may well ask, does it... [read more]
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Windstruck (Hong Kong Version)
Jeon Ji Hyun
| Jang Hyuk
| Kwak Jae Yong
One of the most eagerly anticipated films of 2004, WINDSTRUCK, saw the reunion of the director and star of MY SASSY GIRL, the huge, huge comedy hit of 2001. WINDSTRUCK sold a ton of tickets and became one of the highest grossers of the year so far, coming in just behind SPIDER-MAN 2. The flick starts with a splat as Jeon Ji-Hyun dives off an office building to her death, then we whip back in time to see what got her teetering on the edge in the first place. She's a police officer, eternally mourning the death of her twin sister when she's not beating down street punks and looking hot in her uniform. She accidentally arrests physics teacher, Jang Hyuk, and, one drug bust gone bad, one street... [read more]
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The Game (DVD) (2-Disc) (Korea Version)
Shin Ha Kyun (Actor)
| Lee Hye Young (Actor)
| Yun In Ho (Director)
| Son Hyun Ju (Actor)
Body swapping has always been a popular cinematic theme, with the idea of being someone else offering the chance for escapist wish fulfilment and fantastic thrills. While The Game from Korean director Yun In Ho (responsible for When I Turned Nine and Mayonnaise, and who also worked on Hollywood films such as Apollo 13 and French Kiss) uses this basic premise, like John Woo's Face Off, it takes things in a darker and more sinister direction. Based upon a Japanese manga called Change, the film certainly proved popular with domestic audiences, managing an impressive 1.5 million admissions during the 2008 Lunar New Year holiday. The drama starts as street artist Hee Do (cult favourite actor Shin... [read more]
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Miss Gold Digger (DVD) (2-Disc) (Korea Version)
Han Ye Seul
| Kwon Oh Joong
| Son Ho Young
| Lee Jong Hyuk
The latest in an ever-growing list of girl power romantic comedies, Miss Gold Digger marks the debut of Korean director Park Yong Jib and is basically a vehicle for popular actress Han Ye Seul. As suggested by its title, the film offers a decidedly materialistic and contemporary take on the usual boy-meets-girl romance, showing again that women are every bit as capable when it comes to playing the field as their male counterparts. The film follows advertising executive Mi Soo (Han Ye Seul, recently in Fantastic Couple), a young woman who knows exactly what she wants, namely a rich and stylish man. Aware that the path to financial security is often fraught with frauds and losers, she gathers... [read more]
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Femme Fatale (DVD) (2-Disc) (Korea Version)
Ye Ji Won
| Park Noh Sik
| Jung Kyung Ho
Proving that the remake process works both ways comes Femme Fatale, a new Korean version of the 1998 French film Serial Lover which marks the debut of director Kang Kyung Hoon. Although updated to work in some distinctly Korean humour, the film is basically the same brand of black comedy, revolving around a raucous night of romance, misunderstandings and accidental homicide. The fun begins as famous actress Ji Won (Ye Ji Won, who recently had a hit with Old Miss Diary) is surprised at her home by a motley bunch of suitors comprised of an overly verbose professor, an insecure gangster, a smarmy Korean American, and the weird director of her latest film. It quickly emerges that she has been... [read more]
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Radio Dayz (DVD) (2-Disc) (Director's Cut) (Korea Version)
Kim Sa Rang
| Ryoo Seung Bum
| Lee Jong Hyuk
| Hwang Bo Ra
Korean cinema produces its first solid film of 2008 with Radio Dayz, a breezy comedy about the first days of Korean radio during the dark period of its Japanese colonial occupation. First-time director Ha Gi Ho, directing from a script by Kim Hyun Jung (Untold Scandal, Public Enemy), delivers a light comedy that possesses plenty of silly humor minus the overwrought melodrama that has plagued the Korean comedy genre for years. Even though some may attack the filmmakers for taking a serious historical subject and turning it into a farce, Radio Dayz is the type of breezy humor Korean cinema needs more of. The cast is led by Ryoo Seung Bum, doing his best imitation of Bae Yong Joon as Lloyd, the... [read more]
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Once Upon a Time In Corea (DVD) (2-Disc) (DTS) (Korea Version)
Park Yong Woo (Actor)
| Lee Bo Young (Actor)
| Jeong Yong Ki (Director)
Once Upon a Time in Corea sees the return of director Jeong Yong Ki, previously responsible for the second and third instalments of the hit comedy series Marrying the Mafia as well as the ghost story The Doll Master. Here, he tries his hand at period set action, with a tale of high adventure mixed with plenty of wacky laughs. Set in the early 1940s during the brutal Japanese colonisation of Korea, the film revolves around the search for a 3000-carat diamond called 'The Light of Dong Bang', a stone of great national importance. Heading up the chase is cunning gentleman thief Bong Ku (Park Yong Woo, also in Love Now), who plans to swipe the jewel before the Japanese can transport it out of the... [read more]
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