Apr
29
2008
Dong-won Kang & Su-jeong Lim to star in Action / Fantasy piece “Jeon Woo-chi” (Story of Jeon Woo-chi)
Posted by luna6 | Leave a Comment
Actor Dong-won Kang and actress Su-jeong Lim have signed on to star in a new action/fantasy film “Jeon Woo-chi” (literal title “Story of Jeon Woo-chi”). The film will be directed by Dong-hun Choi ( Tazza: The High Rollers & The Big Swindle ). Other actors cast in the film are Yun-seok Kim (The Chaser) and familiar acting vet Hae-jin Yu.
In the film, Dong-won Kang plays main character Jeon Woo-chi. His character was born over 500 years ago, but became imprisoned in a portrait. To break free and walk the earth again he makes a pact to capture the “manpaseokjeok” (a musical instrument that gives magical powers), before rival Hwa-dam (Yun-seok Kim) is able to do so. Meanwhile, it seems Jeon Woo-chi is more of a lover than a hero and he becomes enraptured with In-kyeong Seo (Su-jeong Lim), a budding actress and possibly someone he loved many centuries ago.
“Jeon Woo-chi” begins filming in August.
Movie News, News |
Apr
28
2008
Lee, Tae-ran
Posted by luna6 | Leave a Comment
Name: Tae-ran Lee | 이태란
DOB: March 25, 1975
POB: South Korea
Height: 170 cm
(1 Votes, User Rating: 10)
Loading …
Movies:
Love Exposure | Eoggaeneomeoeui yeoni (2007) - Yun Hee-su
My Boss, My Teacher (2005)
Story of Man | Namja iyagi (1998) - Hee-kyoung
Apr
28
2008
Lee, Mi-yeon
Posted by luna6 | Leave a Comment
Name: Mi-yeon Lee / 이미연
DOB: September 23, 1971
POB: Seoul, South Korea
Height: 167 cm
(Click The Stars To Rate - if it applies)
Loading …
Movies:
Love Exposure (2007)
Typhoon | Taepung (2005) - Choi Myeong-ju
Addicted | Jungdok (2002) - Eun-su
Fun Movie | Jaemitneun yeonghwa (2002)
The Last Witness | Heugsuseon (2001) - Son Ji-hye
Indian Summer (2001) - Lee, Shin-young
Pisces | Mulgogijari (2000) - Ae-ryun
Love Bakery | Ju No-myeong Bakery (2000) - Lee Hae-suk
Whispering Corridors | Yeogo goedam (1998) - Hur Eun-young
The Harmonium in My Memory | Nae maeumui punggeum (1998) - Yang Eun-hee
No. 3 (1997) - Hyun-Ji
Motel Cactus | Motel Seoninjang (1997) - Min Hee-soo
I Will Survive | Saleolilatda (1993)
Flower in the Snow | Nunggot (1992)
Do You Like Afternoons After a Storm? | Bigaein ohureul johahaseyo (1991)
Well, Let’s Look at the Sky Sometimes | Geurae gaggeum haneuleul boja (1990)
Happiness Has Nothing to Do with Student Records | Haengbokeun seongjeogsunoi anijyanchayo (1989)
Apr
28
2008
Love Exposure
Posted by luna6 | 1 Comment
Movie Review : Love Exposure
Release Date : January 31, 2008
Country : South Korea
Director : Eon-hie Lee
Starring : Mi-yeon Lee, Tae-ran Lee
Runtime : 100 min
Rating : 5.5
(5 Votes, User Rating: 6.4)
Loading …
“Love Exposure” treads familiar territory, its story revolves around upper class urbanites, knocking on the door steps of middle age, dealing with relationships and more relationships. And the manner in which those relationships are pretty familiar … extra-curricular affairs, break-ups and then reconciliations. Certainly there’s nothing that we haven’t seen before, but strangely enough, “Love Exposure” still manages to generate interest in spite of its familiarity. The soundtrack, reflective of the cosmopolitan feel the movie tries to convey, spins songs straight out of the “Lost of Translation” realm. A mixture of shoegazy drone & lighter indie pop, all Asian flavored, which sounded enjoyable enough on its own. But something seemed off kilter. One of the opening scenes even sported a song that sounded like an instrumental version of the Jesus & Mary Chain’s “Just Like Honey.” But there’s still that feeling that something is odd. Then Je-mun Yun makes an appearance and the odd Koreaness of the film rears its big head. Shoegazy music, “ahjuma’s” (albeit very attractive ahjuma’s) acting out like characters from “Sex and the City” and Je-mun Yun not wearing a metallic silver suit or playing a gangster.
In “Love Exposure,” Jeong-wan (Mi-yeon Lee) is a free spirited woman, works during the day as a photographer and by night engages in intimate relationships with married men. Although she’s in her mid 30’s, she has no plans to get married herself. Meanwhile, her best friend Hee-su (Tae-ran Lee) is married. Hee-su, like Jeong-wan, is fashionable, confident, and believes herself to be sophisticated. With that in mind, Hee-su did make the odd decision to marry Hyung-sik, a dopey fellow that’s anything but cosmopolitan. But, Hyung-sik is wealthy, which initially led Hyung-sik to opt for the safe choice. Things now turn out for the unexpected when Hee-su spots her husband walking arm-in-arm with a younger girl into a swanky hotel.
Shortly afterwards, Hee-su tells Jeong-wan that she doesn’t mind if her husband has affairs. In fact, she finds her husband more appealing knowing that younger woman are attracted to him as well. Her perceptions though get shattered when she meets the younger girl face to face. She learns that her husband has been literally begging to have an affair and the girl out of pity finally succumbed to his wishes. Hee-su’s pride has now just taken the ultimate blow.
The way things resolve itself in “Love Exposure,” there’s nothing new shed on the familiar subject of relationships or infidelity. As bawdy as the ladies lived their lives in the beginning of the film, by the end of the film, they’ve all settled into rather ordinary ways. This is akin to watching a movie about bank robbers and by the end of the film learning that robbing banks are wrong. Duh. Do you really need to spend two hours to figure that out? Not really, but than again, there is that dreamy soundtrack, Mi-yeon Lee and Tae-ran Lee sporting sexy outfits, and even Je-mun Yun playing anything but a gangster. Hmm….
buy Love Exposure from YesAsia
Cast:
Mi-yeon Lee - Jeong-wan Seo
Tae-ran Lee - Hee-Su Yun
Jun-seong Kim - Yeong-ho Kwon
Je-mun Yun - Hyung-sik Kim
Byeong-chun Kim - Yong-ho Kim
Hong-pyo Kim - Yong-ju
Hwa-ju Kim - Ae-ri Kim
Hye-sang Lee - Ji-yeon Kim
Yeong-ran Lee - Jeong-wan’s mother
If you like this movie you may enjoy: A Good Day To Have An Affair, Singles
2007 Movie Reviews, Korean Movies, Movies |
Apr
27
2008
Kisaragi
Posted by luna6 | 3 Comments
Movie Review : Kisaragi / キサラギ
Release Date : June 16, 2007
Country : Japan
Director : Yuichi Sato
Starring : Teruyuki Kagawa, Keisuke Koide, Shun Oguri, Yusuke Santamaria
Runtime : 111 min
Rating : 8.0
(6 Votes, User Rating: 7.83)
Loading …
Imagine if you will, Agatha Christie reborn as a geeky male in the Akihabara area of Tokyo. What kind of story would she write? Well, it certainly could be something along the lines of the zany film “Kisaragi” (directed by Yuichi Sato). The film probably cost no more than a cab ride from Narita Airport to Tokyo to make, but regardless of the budget, the movie just oozes with creativity, fun, and a whole lot of surprises.
In Kisargi, five fans gather in a rented Tokyo room to celebrate the year anniversary of Miki Kisaragi’s death. Who is Miki Kisaragi you ask? None other than one of the hottest gravure idols in Japan, who mysteriously committed suicide one year ago. The five fans that have gathered to honor her death are: Mr. Guru, Oda Yuuki, Snake, Yasuo and Strawberry Girl. None of the attendees have met face to face before, but they have all communicated with each other through the Miki Kisaragi website, run by Mr. Guru.
Now that Miki’s most devoted fans have gathered together, they begin to indulge in sweets, beers, and of course their obsession with Miki Kisaragi. They all share their own personal Miki Kisaragi collections and tell their favorite Kisaragi stories. Once the members start to tell their stories, an unattended chain reaction occurs. It seems some of the attendees holds closer ties to Kisaragi than what was first revealed and revelation after revelation soon tilts the perception of Miki Kisaragi’s death from suicide to murder! Was it murder?
For readers that wouldn’t know a gravure idol from a gravatar, gravure idols are a distinct Japanese version of the familiar pin-up girls. The models usually wear skimpy costumes and appear in glossy magazines that lines the magazine racks of convenient stores all over Japan. Generally, the models refrain from nudity, but do partake in fetishes like maids, anime and martial arts characters.
With that backdrop, “Kisaragi” than plays off the fictional character’s suicide and the geeky obsessiveness of her fans for an absolutely unpredictable, but tons of fun, mystery film of the Japanese sort. Spot-on performances were given by all, but Keiseke Kode and Teruyuki Kagawa stood out slightly more than others. Keiseke Kode more so because he usually never stands out in any films and Teruyuki Kagawa because of the pure wackiness of his character. There’s a lot of things to like about “Kisaragi,” from its low-budget indie feel, to the quirky Japanese setting, to the core murder mystery set within the scipt. If you watch this on DVD, call your friends over, pop open a few beers and get ready for a blast.
Cast:
Teruyuki Kagawa - Ichigo Musume
Keisuke Koide - Snake
Shun Oguri - Iemoto
Yusuke Santamaria - Oda Yuji
Muga Tsukaji - Yasuo
Kanako Sakai - Kisaragi Miki
2007 Movie Reviews, Japanese Movies, Movies |
Apr
25
2008
Radio Days
Posted by luna6 | 2 Comments
Movie Review : Radio Days | 라듸오 데이즈
Release Date : January 31, 2008
Country : South Korea
Director : Ki-ho Ha
Starring : Seung-beom Ryoo, Sa-rang Kim, Jong-hyeok Lee, Bo-ra Hwang
Runtime : 111 min
Rating : 5.5
(5 Votes, User Rating: 7.6)
Loading …
South Korea circa 1930’s is the setting for the retro comedy “Radio Days”. In “Radio Days,” the first ever radio station in South Korea is set for its inaugural broadcast. The Japanese government (occupiers of Korea at the time) envisioned the radio station to spur sales of Japanese manufactured radios and as an important propaganda tool to further their own political agenda. With that in mind, the Japanese government hired a bumbling Korean, named Lloyd (Seung-beom Ryu) to run the station. Lloyd is a carefree play-boy, unlikely to cause trouble, which makes him the perfect candidate for the job. During the first week everything goes by uneventfully at the radio station. Then, Lloyd is ordered to create the first ever radio drama show for Korea.
The radio show is named “The Flames of Love,” and is centered around a love triangle. The writer of the show is talented but perpetually suffers from writer’s block whenever he attempts to finish stories. The show also features popular jazz singer, Miss Marie (Sa-rang Kim), performing in the starring role of Arisu. There’s a young gisaeng, named Myung-wol (Bo-ra Hwang), set to play her rival, while the station’s do it all guy, Man-chul (Jeong-se Oh), plays the man caught in the middle. At first, the “The Flames of Love” fails to attract listeners, even station manager Lloyd notices that there’s something missing with the show. Then Lloyd discovers the missing element: sound effects. The station holds an open audition for a performer that can make a variety of sounds. The person that gets hired is named K. None of the employees at the station are aware that K works for the Korean independent movement. Can “The Flames of Love” become the first ever hit radio show in South Korea?
A lot of “Radio Days” should be familiar to folks that have seen “Once Upon A Time”. The peripheral settings like the time frame, the female jazz singer, and the bumbling independent movement members appear in both films interchangeably. But at its core, “Once Upon A Time” is a pure adventure film ala Indiana Jones, while “Radio Days” is a comedy centered on the radio show “The Flames of Love”. Two performers that stood out in “Radio Days” were Seung-beom Ryu and Bora-Hwang. Seung-beom Ryu rarely gives a bad performance and, as par for the course for him, he was very good in the film. Bo-ra Hwang received a lot of attention (including mine) with her impressive supporting role in “Shim’s Family” and she gets to cut loose to provide much needed color in “Radio Days.”
Well, you may wonder by now what didn’t work in the film? Biggest culprits were the independence movement sub-plot, the flat comedic elements provided by those members and the casting of Jong-hyeok Lee as their group leader. Basically, the writers of “Radio Days” provided zero creativity when working in this area of the film, leaving the predictable sub-plot to feel like an afterthought to the original radio show elements. Lastly, Jong-hyeok Lee had all the charisma of a cement block.
“Radio Days” is a likeable film, thanks largely to Seung-beom Ryu , Bora Hwang and portions of the script (the creation of the radio show). Yet, there is a tangible feeling that things should have been funnier, scenes should have been crazier, and the build-up more exciting. A lot of the blame lies with the movie’s screenwriters and the lazy manner in which they resolved the storyline. Like a cliff note rendition of a very good novel, “Radio Days” gives you the gist of a pretty cool story, but told in a strictly pedestrian manner. Heck even the ending felt like a re-hash of the ending scene in “Welcome to Dongmakgol.” If you don’t mind the poor implementation of the movie’s subplot and a few other small quirks, than you’ll still have a good time with “Radio Days.” Likely to appeal to casual fans of Korean cinema.
Cast:
Seung-beom Ryoo - Llyod
Jong-hyeok Lee
Sa-rang Kim - Mary
Bo-ra Hwang
Jeong-se Oh
Roe-ha Kim
Ah-sung Ko
If you like this movie you may enjoy: Once Upon A Time
2008 Movie Reviews, Korean Movies, Movie Reviews |
Apr
18
2008
Miss Gold Digger (Gold Digger Miss Shin)
Posted by luna6 | 1 Comment
Movie: Miss Gold Digger | Gold Digger Miss Shin | Yonguijudo Miseusin
Release Date: December 18, 2007
Country: South Korea
Director: Han Lee
Starring: Ye-seul Han, Jong-hyeok Lee, Oh-jung Kwon
Runtime: 108 Min
Editor Rating: 6.0
(11 Votes, User Rating: 7.27)
Loading …
There’s times when you find yourself enjoying things you don’t normally expect to enjoy. For 3/4th’s of “Miss Gold Digger,” I found myself in such a situation. No doubt about it, “Miss Gold Digger” was written as a star vehicle for California born Kyopo, Ye-seul Han. Similar to what last year’s “Seducing Mrs. Perfect” was for Daniel Henney. Fortunately for viewers, “Miss Gold Digger” is a lot more fun than “Seducing Mr. Perfect” … at least for 3/4th’s of the film. You’ll get plenty of Ye-seul Han, as the camera rarely leaves her sight. This works well mostly, as she flirts with the camera as well as she does with the bachelors in the movie.
In “Miss Gold Digger,” Mi-Su’s (Ye-seul Han) thinks of her boyfriends as investments, the same way money managers view their portfolios. The most prudent of investors usually hedges their bets among several promising companies, waiting patiently for a breakout stock to appear. Just like those investors, Mi-su spreads her time among 3 different boyfriends. Jun-seo comes from a wealthy family, but seems to have a few odd quirks. Yun-cheol is a law-school student, struggling to pass his bar exam. Hyeon-jun is an up and coming b-boy rapper, that seems to have a lot of charms. In reality, Mi-su is waiting for Yun-cheol to pass his bar exam, but if he doesn’t, she has Jun-seo to fall back on. As Mi-su bides her time patiently, a fourth person enters the picture. He’s a grumpy neighbor that seems impervious to Mi-su’s charms. Things turn even more unexpected when her neighbor shows up at her ad agency, as a client for an all important job. Has Mi-su finally met her match?
Character wise, you’ve seen plenty of dainty Korean actresses play roles similar to Mi-su. What does Lee Han Seoul bring to the table that the others haven’t? Nothing really, but that’s not to say you can’t enjoy her performance anyways. She’s attractive, her character’s cute, and the jokes are silly enough where you can laugh along. Story wise, “Miss Gold Digger” recalls “Seducing Mr. Perfect,” mixed in with a variety of familiar K Romantic-Comedies from the past. I didn’t mind the movie’s lack of originality, but I did mind when the comedy wasn’t a comedy.
Rather than laying in the bed they made (a comedy about a gold digger), the filmmakers attempted to justify Mi-su’s shortcomings towards the end of the film. These moments bogged the film down, giving off an unwelcome “the-party’s-over and the-hangover-is-coming” type of feeling. Not really what you want from a comedy is it? Furthermore, the more dramatic events invited the viewer to more closely analyze Mi su’s actions. Not the strongest of areas for a comedy based on a gold digger. Also, for native South Koreans they will probably grimace at the obnoxious placement of KTF cellphones and marketing ploys integrated into the film. For foreign audiences, this is really a non-issue as their unfamiliarity with the company will likely lead them to believe that KTF is a fictional company. I fell in with the latter side.
What there is to like about “Miss Gold Digger” is a handful of genuinely funny moments, along with the film’s mixture of 50’s romance era like feel with its more contemporary elements (gold diggers, rappers etc). What wasn’t as appreciated was the movie’s attempt to kill the party so to speak, with more dramatic and serious moments. Those moments were a drag and felt a bit like the early stages of a soju hangover. At least it was fun for a while.
buy Miss Gold Digger from YesAsia
Cast::
Ye-seul Han - Mi-Su Shin
Jong-hyeok Lee
In-kwon Kim
Oh-jung Kwon
Gyu-su Jeong
Ho-jin Jeon
Ye-jin Lim
Ju-sang Yun
If you like this movie you may enjoy: The Art of Seduction, Seducing Mr. Perfect
2007 Movie Reviews, Korean Movies, Movie Reviews |
Apr
13
2008
Tokyo Serendipity (Koi suru madori)
Posted by luna6 | 3 Comments
Movie: Tokyo Serendipity (Koi suru madori)
Release Date: August, 18 2007
Country: Japan
Director: Akiko Oku
Starring: Yui Aragaki, Ryuhei Matsuda, Rinko Kikuchi
Runtime: 113 min.
Editor Rating: 7.0
(5 Votes, User Rating: 5.2)
Loading …
Gentle, sweet, thoughtful are basic words that describe “Tokyo Serendipity.” The movie’s helmed by newcomer Akiko Oku and features Yui Aragaki, one of the more popular young actresses in Japan today. This would be my first time watching Yui Aragaki in a movie and after the watching “Tokyo Serendipity,” I can better understand why she was chosen as the girl Japanese guys would most like to give a valentine gift to.
In “Tokyo Serendipity,” Yui Aoki (Yui Aragaki) is a young art student, suddenly facing the real world on her own. Her older sister abruptly announced that she would be getting married and moving out of their shared apartment. Yui must now move on and find a place of her own.
Eventually, Yui does find such a place and, with the help of the “Hercules Moving Company,” moves into her new apartment. After she gets settled in, Yui goes door to door, introducing herself to her neighbors and giving them small gifts. There she meets Takashi, a quiet guy that lives directly above her apartment. There paths will cross again.
Yui also goes back to her old apartment to retrieve an item she left behind. There she meets Junda Atsuko, the new tenant of her old apartment. Junda was a former art student herself, now working as an architect. Although Junda just moved into Yui’s old apartment, she’s planning to leave Japan in the coming weeks.
The lives of Yui, Junda, and Takashi are then brought together, as Yui learns firsthand about love and heartbreak.
What the movie does very well, is to give a breezy feel, the kind of feeling you get lounging about in a comfortable chair on a spring afternoon. Dynamics, like the film’s visuals, are muted, but the movie picks up the pace as it draws to its conclusion. A movie that you may recall when watching “Tokyo Serendipity” is Shunji Iwai’s “Hanna & Alice.” The basic elements of friendship, love, rivalry are all there, as well as Yui Aragaki’s performance, which recalls Yui Aoi’s performance in “Hana & Alice.” If anything, “Tokyo Serendipity” would make for a nice opening film, on a double bill night, with Iwai’s “Hana & Alice” reserved for the closing slot.
There’s also Rinko Kikuchi, fresh off of her eye-opening performance in “Babel.” Even though she’s only 26, Rinko excelled as the older, wiser friend, who may not be as wise in other areas. Ryuhei Matsuda rounds out their triangle of sorts, by playing the same type of character that he always plays; a quiet, sullen fellow. Similar to Starbucks coffee, what Ryuhei Matsuda lacks in dynamics, he makes up for in consistency.
Another positive with “Tokyo Serendipity” would be with the film’s ultimate message. Unlike most films of its genre, the movie doesn’t push trite illusions of first love lasting forever or anything of that ilk. Rather, the movie showcases tender moments that are dear to each of the characters, which will likely shape and mold their lives (like the chairs that they build), but those moments are just one of many more moments that are likely waiting for them in the future. Kind of like the message in that other film.
buy Tokyo Serendipity from YesAsia
Cast:
Yui Aragaki - Yui Aoki
Ryuhei Matsuda - Takashi
Rinko Kikuchi - Junda Atsuko
Noriko Eguchi - Yui’s sister
Pierre Taki - Tanaka
Tomona Hirota - Sachi Tokuda
Marie
If you like this movie you may enjoy: Hana & Alice, Heavenly Forest
2007 Movie Reviews, Japanese Movies |
Apr
13
2008
Aragaki, Yui
Posted by luna6 | Leave a Comment
Name : Yui Aragaki
DOB: June 11, 1988
POB: Okinawa, Japan
Height: 160cm
(Click The Stars To Rate - if it applies)
Loading …
Movies :
Fure Fure Shojo (2008)
Waruboro (2007)
Sky of Love | Koizora (2007)
Tokyo Serendipity | Koi suru madori (2007)
