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PREVIEW: OnStyle Kilometer (KM) feat. Lee Byung Hun & Jude Law on YOUTUBE
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May 11, 2012
Lee Byung Hun to star on 'Red 2' with Bruce Willis
By JJ kpopfever.com
Actor Lee Byung Hun will continue working in Hollywood.
Lee Byung Hun’s agency BH Entertainment announced on the 10th, “Lee Byung Hun will star in ‘Red 2′.” ‘Red 2′ will continue the plot from the first film of retired CIA operatives using their old-school tactics to fight their enemies. The movie makes the 2nd project Lee Byung Hun will be starring alongside Bruce Willis, a co-star in the film ‘G.I. Joe Retaliation.’
Lee Byung Hun will be joining the star studded cast of ‘Red 2′ which includes actors such as Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Catherine Zeta Jones, and Marie Louise Parker. The producer of ‘G.I. Joe’ Lorenzo di Bonaventura is also producing ‘Red 2′, so it looks as though Lee Byung Hun has made quite an impression on the producer.
Lee Byung Hun is transforming himself from a Hallyu star to a world star with series of roles on blockbuster films. ‘Red 2′ is slated to premier in August of 2013.
Source: Money Today via Nate |
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Source: Nate (3 Joes + 1 Cobra)
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May 18, 2012
I Saw The Devil
Credit: cinefemale.com
South Korean cinema has increased in popularity in North American due it’s highly cinematic take on the thriller, (Oldboy, Park Chan-wook, 2003), and the monster movie (The Host, Bong Joon-ho, 2006). These two blockbusters and their perspective directors set the bar high in terms of creating a national cinema known for it’s delicate balance between beautiful cinematography and gruesome/brutal imagery. Kim Ji-woon added to the growing discourse with his 2010 blockbuster, I Saw The Devil, and by all means, he continues to portray a national allegory throughout a vengeance plot filled to the brim with violence. A national SK cinema is not what I want to discuss, however. What’s of interest to me with this particular film–and something I noticed while re-watching it the other day–is it’s portrayal of violence. It’s not necessarily innovative and new, but extremely raw and effective. It does what Hollywood’s torture porn franchises (Saw, Hostel) only dream they could. That is, make a movie that is physically and emotionally affective.
If this isn’t your first foray into the world of Korean cinema, you’ll immediately recognize the main players. The killer appears as Choi Min-sik, the actor formally known as Oh Dae-su, as well as the child killer in Chan-wook’s Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. He’s a masterful actor, known for his gritty roles as much as his bold acting style that has since deemed him as critical acclamation… (you can thank Quentin Tarantino for making this guy a namesake in North America). The other lead, Lee Byung-hun, is a familiar face as well, known for his role in A Bittersweet Life, although I must admit I only know him previously from the short film Cut (which is f ucking spectacular, by the way). He’s has a very sweet quality to his acting style, and besides being really handsome this guy will bring you to tears when you see him cry over the loss of his pregnant wife.
What makes I Saw The Devil so spectacular is how it consistently breaks filmic taboos in a way that should not, but does work. For instance, the film is almost three hours long, but you won’t for a second be bored. As well, the excessive violence towards women connotes a fairly misogynistic text, but it isn’t. Min-sik’s character starts off as a serious sicko. Whereas Byung-hun begins as the heroic lead, protecting his wife’s honor through the commonly-used Korean revenge plot. The gore should be excessive because it’s non-stop. There’s everything in this film from a direct snuff reference to Flower of Flesh and Blood to torture porn money shots such as achilles tendons being cut. My fav! I do love me some gore, so be warned this movie is not for the faint of heart. However, Ji-woon manages to create a film so formally dynamic that the violence is downplayed by the storyline and the visuals. The torture stops being excessive because it loses importance in the light of the narrative.
What’s really fascinating is the game of cat and mouse both actors plays, where the definitive roles of villain and hero become muddled. Byung-hun is so poisoned by crime committed to his wife that he nearly forgets his moralistic goals in light of exacting a cold hearted revenge. Min-sik too is degraded through Byung-hun’s constant torture and torment, so much so that the audience almost cringes and feels bad when his wrist is broken and his ass beat. But the second our emotions are manipulated one way, Min-sik is shown trying to sexually assault a nurse and we’re back to where we started. And then we want to see his ass beat again. The audience’s desire to see the on-screen torture is almost as cruel as the physical torture itself. It feels good, man.
Character dynamics are not the only absorbing aspect of this film. The cinematography sucks you right in. For a film that boasts over two hours long, which I understand may be too long for casual viewers to sit through, I Saw The Devil does not stall or lag. You can tell off the bat that this film is artistically defined by it’s opening windshield shot. I love these shot set-ups; they’re reminiscent of Tarantino and even a tinge of Hitchcockian influence. I wonder if it’s a required trait of Korean blockbusters to utilize the “floating camera” because muchlike Chan-wook’s films, the camerawork in I Saw The Devil floats seamlessly through the landscape and between characters. The close-ups as well are relentless; closing in on the emotional and physical torture the characters endure. South Korea has never seemed so beautiful and simultaneously disturbing.
As a horror-driven thriller, the focus of the plot is really about family and the most important aspect of human relationships… love. As cheesy as it sounds, I Saw The Devil uses the family trope appropriately. Not as a means to provoke tears from it’s audience, but to lessen the gap between characters and audiences. Byung-hun’s pain is evident, and the desperation he feels from the failure to protect his wife must be due to the actor at hand. Anyone else may have made the role too cliche and tacky to be relatable, but Byung-hun has it down. The familial aspect is symptomatic of the Korean blockbuster, but I still wouldn’t recommend letting your twelve year-old sister watch this movie just yet.
I don’t want to talk about the ending because it’s better if you’re left thinking, “what the hell happens?” Just see it. Unlike a lot of films that claim to be “thrilling”, I Saw The Devil is a thriller that actually thrills. I haven’t said that about a Hollywood thriller since, ugh, Se7en (hate to admit it), or better yet, Silence of the Lambs.
Catch this film. |
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December 20, 2011
Lee Byung Hun and Shin Hyun Joon enjoy a wine party
By JJ kpopfever.com
Actor Shin Hyun Joon (Shin Hyun Jun) revealed a photo taken at a wine party he’s had recently, with actor Lee Byung Hun.
Shin Hyun Joon tweeted on the 20th, “About this time of the year last year, I had a wonderful time thanks to Park Joong Hoon sunbae. I am always thankful for the good sunbaes, good hoobaes, and good donsengs. With that said, I really want to see this gentleman more often. In truth, he’s more of a funnyman and a soft hearted person than the charismatic man he’s known for”. (Sunbae: Senior colleague, Hoobae: Junior colleague, Dongseng: A gender-neutral way of calling a younger family member or a close acquaintance who is younger)
Lee Byung Hun and Shin Hyun Joon can be seen smiling brightly with wine glasses in their hands. What is an average party moment for most, for these two fine looking actors it’s nearly a pictorial.
After seeing the photo the netizens commented, “It’s like the meeting of the two big minds of film”, “Lee Byung Hun the funnyman?”, “I feel the pressure just imagining being at a wine party with Lee Byung Hun and Shin Hyun Joon”, “I love the way Lee Byung Hun is dressed”, and so on.
Source: Newsen via Nate |
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G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra on TV2 Sabtu ni
.. May 26 pukul 10.30 malam  Storm Shadow! |
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May 22, 2012
RED 2 Lee Byung Hun's influence in the 2012 Cannes Film Market
Source: Nate, translation by Barbara at EverythingLBH.com. Chinese text courtesy LBH-Baidu.com
Owing to the economic crisis in Greece and the weather conditions, this year’s Cannes Film Market is lethargic. However, there is an excitement over Lee Byung Hun. While the movie “Red” only attracted an audience of 800,000 and generated a profit of USD500,000, the movie “ Red 2 “ sold for an astonishing USD1.8 Million. The buyer from Korea believed that with Lee Byung Hun’s participation, the Korean box office for this movie is guaranteed.
The producer of Red 2 chose to announce the participation of Lee Byung Hun in Red 2 ten days prior to the opening of the Cannes film festival to target buyers in the Cannes film market. |
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May 23, 2012 / Source: Nate
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May 24, 2012
Lee Byung Hun's 'G.I. Joe 2' Delayed by Nine Months to 2013
Source: CJ E&M enewsWorld Stewart Ho
With just five weeks to go before its original premiere date, G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation has suddenly had its global premiere date pushed back to March of next year.
The surprising news of the movie’s delay came on May 24 when it was revealed the Hollywood action film premiere date had been pushed back from its original June 29 premiere date to a tentatively scheduled March 29, 2013 premiere.
Additionally, the scheduled press conference for the movie in Korea on June 14, which the movie’s director and actors such as Dwayne Johnson had planned to attend, was cancelled as well.
The reason for the delay was the sudden decision by the movie’s producer, Paramount, to convert and release the movie in 3-D as well.
Though the reasons behind the last-minute decision for the conversion weren′t revealed, many movie insiders speculate the underwhelming performance of some of this summer’s blockbuster movies such as Battleship is giving concern to the studio that it may not be able to recover its investment into the film.
As 3-D movies guarantee higher ticket prices, many movie studios are opting for 3-D releases, in order to make up the profit from lower ticket sales.
Photo credit: CJ E&M |
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May 28, 2012
Korean actors set to cast hand- and footprints in Hollywood
By Catherine Deen | oK Pop
Lee Byung Hun (LookEast Festival photo)
There is no stopping the Hallyu phenomenon. Korean pop culture including music, movies, drama, and fashion has infiltrated not just Korea's neighboring Asian countries but has also entered the Western market.
On June 23, another historic event for the Korean entertainment industry is set to happen. Action superstar Lee Byung Hun and veteran actor Ahn Sung-ki are scheduled to cast their hand- and footprints in front of the historic Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. So far, only more than 200 imprints have been cast on the forecourt of the theater since the ceremony began 85 years ago.
Lee Byung Hun is an award winning international star who recently appeared as Storm Shadow in "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra." He will be seen in the upcoming sequel "G.I. Joe 2: The Retaliation" with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson. Lee Byung Hun is also a top actor in Korean movies and dramas, having starred in crossover hits like "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" and "IRIS".
Ahn Sung Ki is a veteran actor who has made nearly 100 movies including hits like "The Housemaid," "The Romantic President" and "Sector 7."
As part of this celebration, The Look East Korean Film Festival will also be held that weekend from June 23 to 24 at Grauman's Chinese Theater. The event, sponsored by Hyundai Motors, will feature top Korean films including those by recognized directors Im Kwon Taek Im, Kim Jae Woon and Lee Chang Dong. The detailed schedule of activities will be released through the official festival website.
Congratulations to Lee Byung Hun and Ahn Sung Ki!
Catherine Deen blogs for Yahoo! Philippines OMG! She lives, eats and breathes Korean music, cuisine, telenovelas and pop culture. Follow her on Twitter @cathsdeen. |
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