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Registered: 05-2004
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MISC. ARTICLES RELATED TO MOVIE/DRAMA/PRODUCTION


A review published in KOREAM April/2005

Note: Just exactly what is Donnie Kwak referring to in term "lame-brained American audiences"? Does Donnie think all Americans are lame-brained while other countries do not have lame-brained audiences? Or, is Donnie implying Asian-American audiences in America are lame-brained while Asians in other countries are not? It's nice to give an opinion, but this is stepping over the line and is an insult to all Americans. I think the Editor of KOREAM owes Americans an apology!

pics omitted, also page 2 of review -- go to http://www.koreamjournal.com/Magazine/index.php

Check it out -- lots of interesting features -- I did not notice any name-calling in any other department emoticon



Fear Factor
K-horror lives in “Phone” and “Memento Mori”
 
Review by Donnie Kwak

What is it with Asians and horror movies? We’ve already seen the impact of the Japanese horror invasion, with the popularity of the original “Ringu” and “Ju-on” — and, of course, the inevitable remakes, “The Ring” and “The Grudge,” for lame-brained American audiences. But while the Japanese may be leading the way, Koreans are quickly making ground. Perhaps the biggest K-horror movie to date has been “A Tale of Two Sisters” (2003), which had a limited U.S. theatrical release and is currently available in the United States on DVD (which means, catch it now before the Olsen twins’ version).

To prepare for the next flood of K-horror flicks, here’s a look at two of Korea’s better-known horror films — “Phone” (2002) and “Memento Mori” (1999). Both are available domestically on DVD as part of Tartan Video’s Asia Extreme series.

DEAD RINGER

Imagine a highly contagious virus transmitted through cellular phones that turns people into disgusting, flesh-eating zombies. The entire population of Seoul would be infected within minutes! Text messages alone would eliminate South Korea’s youth, all slaves to the han-deu-pon. That would be a pretty cool movie. But that’s not “Phone.”

If you’ve seen any J-horror films — or any horror movie, for that matter — then you should know what to expect from “Phone.” There’s a harried-yet-resilient heroine, an eerie house, a freaky little kid, a slew of nightmares and a nebulous plot involving an angry ghost.

“Phone” is about the travails of Ji Won, an investigative journalist who begins receiving harassing phone calls after writing a scandalous exposé article (true to the film’s title, a phone rings in almost every sequence). Ji Won changes her number, but the calls persist until one day, her young niece picks up a call and starts freaking out. Ji Won’s Geraldo senses are piqued, and she starts to uncover the mystery of the cursed phone. Aha! The original owner of Ji Won’s phone number is … DEAD. Uh-oh. The rest of the convoluted story unfolds as we learn why the dead girl is messing with Ji Won and her extended family. Pretty, it ain’t.

Though “Phone” is undoubtedly stupid, it does have unintentional comedic value with some truly ridiculous scenes. It is predictable, it is corny, but it could be fun after a few beers with some friends. In the end, it’s way more silly than scary.

 
 
(Funny subtitle note: When a female character says the man of her dreams is “My Sassy Girl” star Cha Tae Hyun, the English translation reads: “Leonardo DiCaprio.” An upgrade, I’d say.)

REMEMBER THE DEAD

The high school alienation theme is by now a cliché in Korean film, but in “Memento Mori,” it’s really done to death. Rimshot! Seriously, though, this isn’t your typical horror movie — it’s more of a creepy, unsettling drama. Set at an all-girls high school, the story begins when Min Ah stumbles across an elaborate diary that is the shared journal of two of her outcast classmates. As Min Ah reads each diary page (inventively crafted together in typical Korean fashion), she unlocks the secrets of the relationship between strange beauty Hyo Shin and stone-faced athlete Shi Eun. They are the type of girls who skip class to muse about death in secret hideaways and on school rooftops. Through the diary and several flashbacks, we learn that Hyo Shin and Shi Eun are pursuing a forbidden love (most of the physical interaction between the two was cut by censors, but it was probably unnecessary in the first place). When Hyo Shin is found dead from an apparent suicide, Min Ah begins to feel a weird connection with Shi Eun, and the whole school is turned upside down … literally, pretty much.
 
    


Last edited by star1, 5/20/2005, 7:15 pm
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Today I recd MAY issue of KOREAM Journal; many interesting features..

See article entitled "TRAGIC ENDING - Life Imitating art in the films of Lee Eun Joo" who's tragic death shocked the world. Author of article (Donnie Kwak) does not include Phoenix among Lee's credits, a shame since her performance was outstanding.

Also, very informative feature on Korean Filmmaker Kim Ki Duk -- if you don't read anything else, this is a must! It is an extremely candid interview and he speaks very frankly where he says he doesn't care about box office revenues in Korea.

Kim Ki Duk's "3-Iron" (titled "Empty House" in Korea) stars Jae Hee and Lee Seung Yeon. He said 90% of Koreans don't golf, so they wouldn't get it, thinking "Empty House" would be easier title for Koreans to grasp . Story of a guy who breaks into empty houses accompanied by married woman.
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... lame-brained American audiences.... Hey, ignorance is bliss! At least we‛re all happier than that writer, who sounds rather sorely vexed in his profound knowledge! emoticon

One good thing came out of that article for me. I‛ve learned something new and wonderful! Text messages alone would eliminate South Korea’s youth, all slaves to the han-deu-pon. Han-deu-pon? Konglish!


Last edited by nchristi, 5/22/2005, 11:37 am
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