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April 27, 2008
Rain joins in 慡peed Racer |
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April 27, 2008
Korean Films to See at Cannes
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
1. 揟he Good, the Bad, the Weird |
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April 28, 2008
Name Mix-Up Dampens Rain's Hollywood Debut
Actor and musician Rain arrives at the premiere of 'Speed Racer'
at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California on Saturday.
The movie follows the adventures of a young race car driver Speed (Emile Hirsch)
in his quest for glory in his thunderous Mach 5. /AFP
Singer and actor Rain had an embarrassing moment at the premier of his Hollywood debut film "Speed Racer" at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday. The 26-year-old Korean superstar was introduced as Taejo Togokhan, the name of his character in the movie, instead of his real name Jung Ji-hoon, or his better-known stage name.
The premier drew reporters from around the world, come to see the latest work by directors Andy and Larry Wachowski, the creators of the worldwide blockbuster "The Matrix." Several Hollywood luminaries also turned out, including Jodie Foster, Tim Robbins and Jon Voight.
The first Wachowski movie in five years, "Speed Racer" is based on a Japanese animation called "Mach GoGoGo" about aspiring young car racers. Anticipation is building among movie lovers eager to see how the innovative directors, known for the revolutionary visual style they pioneered with the "Matrix" series, will use the latest computer technology to tell the tale.
Rain's name mix-up wasn't limited to just the announcements -- he was also listed as "actor Taejo Togokhan" in the caption of a photograph of him with costar Susan Sarandon. The mistake would be like writing Sarandon's name as "Mom Racer."
The publicists managed to get the name of Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada, who also appears in the movie, printed correctly. Having spotted the error, the foreign press corrected the Korean actor's name.
Meanwhile, Rain is set to tour to Asia, the U.S. and Europe to promote the film, kicking off with a stop here at home where the movie is slated to open on May 8.
Source: englishnews@chosun.com
http://english.chosun.com/w21dat ... 4/200804280012.html |
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S. Korean actor runs in Beijing Olympic torch relay
April 28, SEOUL, South Korea -- Popular South Korean actor Song Il-kook runs in the Beijing Olympic torch relay in Seoul on April 27. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)(END)
Source: Yonhap News
http://app.yonhapnews.co.kr/YNA/ ... ticlePhotoMain.aspx |
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April 28, 2008
Star Struck Ads Not Always Good
By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
Jang Dong-kun starring in a Nintendo TV ad, left, and an SK Telecom commercial,
both featuring a similar home setting
Heartthrob Jang Dong-kun recently won a monthly advertisers popularity poll as the most sought out commercial model. It wasn't the first time his recognition and refined looks crowned him with the honor, but consumers are starting to find him and other local celebrities'"excessive endorsements" confusing.
"The fundamental idea of a one-star/one-brand is already long gone in Korea because it is common for local celebrities to endorse multiple products at once," said Park Moon-ki of Brand38, a Seoul-based brand consulting agency.
Mega movie star Jang is currently starring in at least seven television commercials, including those promoting POSCO's "The # (Sharp)" apartments, Hite beer, SK Telecom's T brand, Chung Jung-won's food products, Nintendo and Samsung digital camera VLUU.
"His style (hair and clothes) and even the setting is similar in several of them, so it's natural for consumers to get confused over which product Jang is advertising until the clip is half-way through," said Kim Jin-sook, a member of the Seoul YMCA College Consumers Association.
Other celebrities including Kim Tae-hee, Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Young-ae are also drawing similar criticism. Kim is currently endorsing seven, and Jun and Lee are backing four each.
Despite the negative perception, however, advertisers keep going after the same stars, as the celebrities keep getting paid more.
"Even though there are drawbacks of 'sharing stars' with others, companies don't want to take the risk of using a less recognized model in their commercials," said marketing consultant Lee Hyo-taek.
He said, however, that a growing number of advertisers are reaching out to Hollywood stars, as many local celebrities charge more than world-famous faces.
Korean casual clothing brand GGPX recently replaced its front model from sexy pop star Lee Hyo-lee to world-renowned British supermodel Kate Moss.
Moss definitely takes the lead in terms of global recognition, but figures released by GGPX show that Moss signed a six-month contract for 200 million won, far less than what Lee charges. Industry sources say her "rate" is, on average, around 700 million won a year.
"Many of the top local star models don't show up at corporate events or use the products they endorse, so there isn't that much of a benefit from hiring a Korean celebrity," said an industry insider, adding that hiring Hollywood stars will become more common.
Among some of those overseas stars endorsing local products include Wentworth Miller for French Cafe, and Pierce Brosnan for suit brand Galaxy.
Credits: jhan@koreatimes.co.kr
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2008/04/123_23274.html |
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April 22, 2008
Oh Yeon-soo, Kiss scene in the snow with 10-year-younger Lee Dong-wook
Oh Yeon-soo plays Hye-jin in the new weekend special "Bittersweet Life", who leaves for Japan by herself after seeing the dishonesty of her husband. Joon-su (Lee Dong-wook), who saw her from the airport, has the same plans as her, and their feelings grow and continue to a kiss.
Filming in Japan started in February for a month in Japan's Hokkaido and Sapporo Otaru, where Hye-jin goes after her husband's betrayal and Joon-su after the death of a friend. Despite Oh Yeon-soo(37) and Lee Dong-wook(27)'s ten-year age difference, they acted like real lovers and created a romantic and passionate atmosphere.
Oh Yeon-soo also had a kiss scene with Oh Ji-ho, also ten years younger, four years ago in KBS "A Second Proposal". Oh Yeon-soo and Lee Dong-wook said, "It was so cold that we wanted the kiss scene, and all the other filming, to end quickly".
The mystery melodrama "Bittersweet Life" will air May 3, and aims to show the dangers of a 15-year married couple and the brutality of youth.
Original article at kr.news.yahoo.com
English translation from hancinema.net |
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Actor, actress win awards
April 28, SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korean actor Cho Seung-woo (right) and actress Ok Joo-hyun pose for a photo after respectively winning the Best Musical Actor award and the Best Musical Actress award at the 2nd Musical Awards held at The National Theater of Korea in Seoul on April 28. (Photo courtesy of JoongAng Daily) (Yonhap)(END)
Source: Yonhap News
http://app.yonhapnews.co.kr/YNA/ ... ticlePhotoMain.aspx |
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April 29, 2008
Actor Goes From Killer to Professional Casanova
Actor Ha Jeong-woo has gone from cold-blooded murderer to a professional Casanova whom women pay to be with.
In his new movie, 揟he Moonlight of Seoul |
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April 29, 2008
[MOVIE REVIEW] 'Legendary Libido' twists Korean sex folklore
"A Tale of Legendary Libido (Garoojigi)," directed by Shin Han-sol, is loosely based on "Byeon Gang-soe Tale," one of the most notoriously decadent and sexually provocative theatrical songs which took its current form in the late 19th century.
Byeon Gang-soe is a Joseon-era version of Austen Powers, as he has an amazing sexual energy. The original tale, transmitted by word of mouth, was documented and extensively edited by Shin Jae-hyo (1812-1884). Many of the explicit sexual descriptions were cut out in the process; nevertheless, the extant version contains imagery and expressions that are shockingly frank about sexuality, even by today's standards.
The challenges facing director Shin were obvious. First, the highly inflated and exaggerated metaphors throughout the risque story could not be easily revised for mainstream moviegoers, including adults not familiar with the sex-comedy genre. Second, the theme has been adapted for the big screen several times, with ho-hum responses even from the targeted B-movie audiences who are only after cheap laughs, plenty of nudity, and meaningless sex.
"A Tale of Legendary Libido (Garoojigi)"
Despite the enormous challenges to such a project, director Shin can be credited for impressive casting. Not only the top-notch talent Bong Tae-gyu, but also veteran actors such as Oh Dal-soo and Yoon Yeo-jeong signed on to the movie for some reason - a far more intriguing mystery than the overflowing sexual energy of the film's central character. Bong Tae-gyu plays Byeon Gang-soe, a loner in an obscure mountainous village in the Joseon period. He makes a living, barely, by selling Korean cakes on the street, but wherever he goes, he is jeered by scantily clad village women. Byeon, it turns out, has become a laughing stock because he lacks sexual energy.
He has a dedicated and understanding brother, Gang-mok (Oh Dal-soo), but their ties are disrupted when they encounter a seemingly disoriented beauty who has no qualms about swimming naked in the river and dancing voluptuously on a bridge.
A string of events push the depressed Gang-soe to look for some solution. From this point on, the movie charges ahead with its trademark sex scenes, some of which seem to be borrowed from famous comic strips.
But the relentless presentation of luscious female bodies cannot fix the movie's characterization problem, especially when it comes to the movie's supposed superhero, Gang-seo. Bong Tae-kyu is mostly sullen throughout the film, rarely showing off his renowned talent in fleshing out a realistic and likable character.
In an earlier movie adaptation of this story, veteran actor and sex symbol Lee Dae-geun created a unique character who was at times entertaining and amusing. In contrast, Bong Tae-kyu seems out of place amid a horde of lusty women in a village where desirable men are in short supply.
In this film, the matter of clothing is also problematic. The costume designer apparently opted for a hybrid fashion that resulted in revealing clothes for most actresses, but its effect is, at best gaudy, and at worst, unbearable.
"A Tale of Legendary Libido," to be released on April 30, has taken the peculiar subject of unabashed sexuality in conservative Joseon times, but it might have provided the sorely lacking mojo of the supposed sex symbol if it had taken some cues from the purely comical approach of the Austen Powers franchise.
By Yang Sung-jin (insight@heraldm.com)
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ |
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April 30, 2008
Colbert Report Traduces Rain, Again
Popular U.S. comedian Stephen Colbert has proclaimed he will become an active member of a club of enemies of the K-pop superstar Rain. In his recent program, the Colbert Report, the comedian said his spoof of a Rain video aimed to take him to the top of the 2008 Time 100 online poll, but for second time in a row, he was beaten by his 搉emesis |
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News Index PAGE 3
April 30: Korean B-boys to star in Hollywood film
30 April: Choi and Lee fly with Korean super hero movie
April 29: Singer Jang Nara Carries Olympic Flame
April 30: TVXQ Tops Japanese Oricon Chart
April 30: Shinhan Group Selects Bae Yong-joon, Yoo Jae-seok as Ad Models
May 1: MovieWeek's Annual '25 Beautiful Faces'
May 1: New drama rides on toy boy plotline
May 1: Jeonju unveils studio and production incentives
May 1: Oh says Hello to Fox Korea
April 23: Park Jae-jeong, Yoon Ah, Main roles in drama after "Likable or Not"
April 23: The three who made Rain an actor
April 29: Yoo Seung-ho, Recent pictures of him grown to 171 centimeters
April 28: Park Sol-mi, same company as Oh Ji-ho, 'Ignite Korea-Japan activities'
April 28: Park Jeong-ah's movie comes out in two years thanks to popularity of Jewelry
April 29: Kang Dong-won, Kim Yoon-seok, Im Soo-jeong, Meet through "Jeon Woo-chi Story"
April 29: "Only for reality |
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Thanks to the highlight by kdramafanusa at soompi.com
April 30, 2008
Korean B-boys to star in Hollywood film
Members of Gambler pose with Teddy Riley (far right) in Seoul on Apr. 28.
One of the top Korean B-boy dance teams, Gambler, is to star in a Hollywood dance movie.
At a press conference held in Seoul on Monday (Apr. 28), U.S.-based Paramount Pictures said that it is to produce a dance movie called "Hype Nation," which will follow dance battles between the Korean group Gambler and the American R&B group B2K, having teamed up with U.S. music producer and rapper Teddy Riley.
Whoopi Goldberg, an Academy Award-winning American actress and comedian, will also appear in the $25-million picture to be released worldwide in early 2009.
Young Lee, the Korean-American producer who has previously partnered with American hip-hop artists, said he has been planning the movie for a year and production will begin in the United States. on July 15 and in Korea from August, with 60% of the total to be shot in Korea.
Alex Calzatti, who directed the movie 慖 Am Cuba,' will direct the part to be produced in the United States and a Korean director will be in charge of the portion to be shot here.
Gambler
Eight members of Gambler will leave for the United States on June 1 to design dance movements with B2K for movie scenes.
Teddy Riley will be music director for the film. He has produced numerous albums by acts including Michael Jackson and Bobby Brown.
The Korean B-boy dance crew Gambler has won competitions, including the 2004 Battle of the Year in Germany, the 2005 U.K. Championship and the B-Boy Hodown in the United States.
By Han Aran
Korea.net Staff Writer
Source: KOREA.net |
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Wednesday, 30 April 2008
Choi and Lee fly with Korean super hero movie
Written by Han Sunhee
SEOUL |
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April 29, 2008
Singer Jang Nara Carries Olympic Flame
Singer and actress Jang Nara, 27, carried the Olympic flame in Seoul.
Jang's management agency said although it had been informed of Jang's selection earlier, it refrained from publicizing the affair to allow the singer to carry the torch without any unnecessary complications. Jang carried the torch from the Jongno area on the afternoon of April 27.
Some 80 citizens, including celebrities, took turns carrying the Olympic flame through 80 districts in Seoul before it arrived at Seoul City Plaza at 7:00 p.m. The torch left for the North Korean capital Pyeongyang at 11:00 p.m. Sunday.
Singers Rain and Bada were among the celebrities who carried the torch.
Source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/mcontents/entertainment/1521308_11692.html |
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April 30, 2008
TVXQ Tops Japanese Oricon Chart
Popular male vocal group TVXQ recently reached the top of the Japanese Oricon Chart.
The group's 22nd single "Beautiful You" ranked number one on the Oricon daily chart the day it was released on April 23. The song also ranked number one on the May 5 weekly chart.
With "Beautiful You" topping the Japanese Oricon Chart, TVXQ has become the first Asian group to do so in the 24 years and five months since "Love is Over," sung by a Taiwanese female artist, topped the chart in December, 1983.
TVXQ is currently on a nationwide tour in Japan, performing in a total of 17 concerts in front of 150,000 fans. The grand finale of TVXQ's "TVXQ 3rd Live Tour 2008-T" will take place at the Super Arena in Saitama on May 6.
Asian and even European fans are expected to flock to the final performance which will be held over Japan's long weekend.
Source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/mcontents/entertainment/1521713_11692.html |
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Thanks to kdramafanusa at soompi.com for the highlight
April 30, 2008
Shinhan Group Selects Bae Yong-joon, Yoo Jae-seok as Ad Models
Shinhan Financial Group says it has chosen top celebrities, including actor Bae Yong-joon and popular TV personality Yoo Jae-suk, to star in the second part of its TV advertisement series entitled "My Financial Brand, Shinhan."
The brand new TV ad will feature a comic scene between the two male stars at a high profile fashion show. In the ad, Yoo will ask Bae how he manages his funds, to which Bae will reply "With Shinhan."
In the first part of the ad series, Yoo starred with top actress Lee Young-ae. Shinhan Group said it hoped to further promote its brand image by featuring top star Bae in its new ad.
Bae and Yoo were both born in 1972. The new ad will be the first time the two will appear together on screen.
Source: KBS Global |
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Thanks to kdramafanusa at soompi.com
May 1, 2008
MovieWeek's Annual '25 Beautiful Faces'
(chosen by 52 photographers & journalists)
 
^ Ha Jeong-woo, Kim Hye-soo [images=Yonhap]
MALE
1. Ha Jeong-woo 하정우
2. Jang Dong-gun 장동건
3. Jo In-seong 조인성
4. Cha Seung-won 차승원
5. Jo Seung-woo 조승우
6. Won Bin 원빈
7. Kang Dong-won 강동원
8. Ryoo Seung-beom 류승범
9. Jeong woo-seong 정우성
9. Lee Byeong-heon 이병헌
Hwang Jeong-min 황정민
Kim Kang-woo 김강우
FEMALE
1. Kim Hye-soo 김혜수
2. Jeong Ryeo-won 정려원
3. Jeon Do-yeon 전도연
4. Lim Soo-jeong 임수정
5. Kim Min-hee 김민희
6. Han Ye-seul 한예슬
7. Kim Min-seon 김민선
7. Han Ji-min 한지민
9. Han Chae-yeong 한채영
10. Lee Yeon-hee 이연희
Bae Doo-na 배두나
Son Ye-jin 손예진
Kim Tae-hee 김태희
'25 Beautiful Faces' will be featured in Issue #326.
Source: ISPLUS 2008.05.01 09:20, MyDaily 2008-05-01 15:40:10, Yonhap 2008-05-01 14:22 |
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May 1, 2008
New drama rides on toy boy plotline
MBC's new weekend drama "Bittersweet Life" will debut tomorrow. Following on the heels of the romantic comedy "The Last Scandal of My Life," this 24-episode miniseries plans to capitalize on a winning plotline: Young man falls for older woman.
Actress Oh Yun-soo, who starred in the popular MBC drama "Jumong" (2006), will be playing the older woman. Actor Lee Dong-wook, who won women over in the romantic comedy "The Perfect Couple" (2007) and the hit SBS drama "My Girl" (2005), will be her young lover.
In anticipation of the forthcoming drama, one domestic viewer wrote on the drama's official bulletin board, "I am so sad that 'The Last Scandal of My Life' is over. I have not seen the new drama yet, so I cannot say much about it. But I hope that it is not sad like 'Winter Bird.'"
Judging from the title and the tagline on the official website, which reads "Love, temptation, desire, mystery," the miniseries promises to follow in the footsteps of the MBC melodrama "Winter Bird" (2007). So those who are expecting yet another lighthearted comedy are in for a surprise.
The drama opens with Lee Dong-wook's character, Lee Joon-soo, plummeting from the 18th floor to his death. Not exactly fodder for a comedy, but a perfect start for a mystery.
The series then fast tracks back six months. Viewers get to tune into a spicy love quadrangle between Lee Joon-soo, Oh's character Yoon Hye-jin, Hong Da-ae (played by Park Si-yeon) and Ha Dong-won, who is played by veteran actor Jung Bo-seog.
Yoon Hye-jin is a housewife trapped in a bad marriage. Her husband, Ha Dong-won, is a wealthy but unfaithful fund manager. And his latest fling is turning into something more.
Deeply involved with Lee Joon-soo's sweetheart Hong Da-ae, Ha is so busy that he doesn't notice his wife.
Yoon, well aware of her husband's affair, decides to commit suicide. She journeys out to Japan to do the fatal deed only to fall for a young man -- Lee Joon-soo himself.
As the foursome get tangled in a deep web of lies and seduction, the situation gets out of hand. But viewers will have to tune in to see who did what to whom.
"Bittersweet Life" will air on Saturdays and Sundays on MBC at 9:40 p.m. starting tomorrow.
By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldm.com)
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ |
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May 1, 2008
Jeonju unveils studio and production incentives
Written by Han Sunhee
The Jeonju Film Commission has opened a new film studio in Jeonju city. Facility in the Western part of South Korea comes complete with various services and financial incentives intended to attract international as well as local production companies.
Jeonju Cinema Studio covers an area of 56,000㎡ (over half a million sq ft) including indoor and outdoor studios, with facilities that provide one-stop production system. Biggest sound stage covering 2,067m2, which with prop rooms, dressing rooms and AV facilities.
Though the country is not known for winning large numbers of footloose int'l movies, the JFC has devised a wide range of Cine Incentive Programs. These are intended to attract local production companies to shift production from the dominant Seoul and to a lesser extent Pusan.
Jeonju already boasts Korea's number two festival which starts today (May 1-9) and municipal authorities would like to see the film industry establish deeper roots in Jeonju city and Jeollabuk-do province. The program offers discounts on studio rental fees and various supports in-kind, which run from $30,000 to a maximum $80,000.
The first film to lense in Jeonju Cinema Studio is "A Frozen Flower", a historical drama by helmer Yoo-ha ("A Dirty Carnival".) Production got underway April 16. Pic depicts a triangular love affair of a king, his wife and a bodyguard.
JFC also announced that CJ Entertainment's newly unveiled project "The Aerialist" (working title) will be lensed at the studio's outdoor lot. Produced by Yoo Il-han of CJ Entertainment, pic tells a story of two men who follow a mysterious murder case which happened in Kyung-sung (old name of Seoul), right before the period of Japanese colonization.
Hwang Jung-min ("A Man who was Superman") and Ryu Duk-whan ("Like a Virgin") join the $5 million pic helmed by new scripter-director Park Dae-min. Hwang plays a private detective who just wants to earn money and go to U.S., while Ryu portrays a medical student who is wrongly accused of a murderer.
The production team will recreate the street of old Seoul with the JFC will provide support in kind worth $30,000 including antique props. Pic will be released later this year by distributor CJ Entertainment.
Source: Variety Asia Online
http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/6010/ |
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May 1, 2008
Oh says Hello to Fox Korea
Written by Han Sunhee
SEOUL |
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Author
