Dramabeans.com’s inaugural giveaway is now closed: Congratulations to winners smiley6yrl, Pickles, KTX, and Rokku!

I’ve emailed the winners; if you are the person named and didn’t get the email, let me know. (smiley6yrl, I think your email bounced.)

For those of you who didn’t win but would still like an album of your own, you can buy the album here.

Also, I’ve already got a list of artists I’d like to cover in the future, but feel free to pass along suggestions and requests.

Until next time!

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• Artist profile and free giveaway: OLDFISH: Pro

Now, this sounds like a movie I’d watch:

Jung Ryeo Won, 26, (My Name Is Kim Samsoon, What Star Did You Come From) has been cast opposite Jung Jae Young (My Son, Welcome to Dongmakgol), 37, in the upcoming film Wandering Mr. Kim.

The film has attached Kang Woo Seok, described as a “Midas touch director” (Shadows in the Palace, I Like it Hot, Hwang Jini, Sarangni) as a producer. It will be directed by Lee Hae Joon, who made a splash and won Best Director at the Blue Dragon Awards with his 2006 film Like A Virgin.

In the film, a man (Jung Jae Young) attempts suicide by throwing himself into the Han River, but instead winds up on Bamseom, a small uninhabited island in the Han River. After failing attempts to escape the island, he gradually realizes there’s hope to life as he grows accustomed to island life; the “help” he scrawls into the sand changes to “hello.”

Jung Ryeo Won plays the socially isolated woman whom he meets while on Bamseom, and while he wanders the island alone, she wanders her small room alone, using the Internet as her sole portal to the outside world in a kind of “digital xenophobia.”

The movie films later this year and plans for a release early next year, but first Jung Jae Young will be promoting his next release, Kang Chul Joong: Public Enemy 1-1 (in which he plays an unbalanced cop), which comes out on June 19. Meanwhile, this will be Jung Ryeo Won’s second movie after last year’s My Girlfriend Has Two Faces.

Mk.co.kr, Hankyung

SONG OF THE DAY

Misty Blue - “한쪽 뺨으로 웃는 여자” (The girl who laughs out of one side of her mouth)
[ Download ]

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• Jung Ryeo Won’s Sketchbook

I pretty much feel this every time an Open Thread rolls around, but thank god it’s Friday, yeah?

Have you entered my free Oldfish CD giveaway yet? I’ll be closing the giveaway in a few hours — noon PST, to be exact — so I can pick winners and get those posted.

So while I do that, go on and talk amongst yourselves.

SONG OF THE DAY

Mando Diao - “God Knows.” Swedish garage rock. [ Download ]

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• Open Thread #29
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New (old) show!

I just recently saw that Imaginasian TV just started showing the first season of Korean reality show I Am a Model, and tuned in out of curiosity. Originally aired on Korean cable channel Mnet, I Am a Model was pretty successful and has aired multiple seasons (three, I think). I never caught it, because I don’t watch Korean cable or reality/variety programs that much.

In the absence of AZN, Imaginasian’s got some decent programming (check your cable listings!), and I found myself liking I Am a Model. The episodes are subbed in English and similar to America’s Next Top Model, minus the shenanigans. If you’re like me, you watch America’s Next Top Model despite yourself — you know it’s predictable and most likely rigged and way too loaded down with exaggerated “drama.” Plus Tyra’s getting crazier and crazier, and not in a good way. But the premise is interesting, and you fast-forward through all the humdrum boring parts to get to the actual point — the photo shoots and judging. (There’s just no way to watch ANTM live, because the filler stuff will make you want to slap somebody.)

I Am a Model is less conflict and more about actual modeling (who’d'a thunk?). For that reason, it might be a dry watch for some viewers, but I liked it much more. It’s only up to the second episode so far and I know nothing about the model-contestants, but I kind of like it that way. I’d rather just see how they’re judged based on their evaluations and photo shoots.

Model-contestants Park Hee Hyun, Han Boram, Kim So Young, Kang Suji, Yoon Jihye, Park Eun Hye

SONG OF THE DAY

Humming Urban Stereo - “Delight Disco” [ Download ]

 
I AM A MODEL >>

• Tablo addressed erroneous rumors that he’s retiring from the music biz by posting a message on his homepage: “I’m not retiring.” He’s not happy with the state of the industry and its focus on singles over albums, but he assures his fans, “I’ll make music forever.”
• Ha Jiwon was invited to the New Zealand embassy in Seoul to welcome Prime Minister Helen Clark on the 15th. She’s been active in promoting films from New Zealand in Korea, and vice versa (Korean films in NZ). She also films her next movie in New Zealand at the end of the year.
• First it was a Girls Generation song (sung here); now figure skater Kim Yuna says she’ll be performing Jewelry’s “ET dance” next, using their chart-topping hit “One More Time” (song here) in one of her skating routines at the KCC Switzen Festa on Ice. Maybe she just really wants to be a pop star.
• MBC’s popular variety show We Got Married has brought several stars into the limelight, including Shinhwa’s Andy, dubbed “top husband material.” But did you know he’d already gone on a formal “seon” (marriage set-up date) years ago at the tender age of 25? His mother tricked him into going, saying it was merely dinner with a friend, but when he showed up the woman was there with a “young girl” — and the mothers quickly got up and left the couple behind.
• And with SBS gearing up to launch two new series, the promotion blitz sure is kicking in. All of a sudden, everything is about Iljimae (Lee Junki, Han Hyo Joo) and Gourmet (Kim Rae Won, Nam Sang Mi). Seriously, Lee Junki is everywhere.

 
SONG OF THE DAY

Andy - “Love Song” [ Download ]

RELATED POSTS

• News bites: May 11, 2008
• Kim Yuna in a rare off-the-ice performance
• SBS’s Iljimae preview trailer
• News bites: April 26, 2008

How cute is Jae Bin, right?

The best thing about him, I think, is that even though he’s often impetuous and hot-headed, and nags Sun Hee to get her attention, he’s totally attuned to her emotions. He really hates to see her cry, but it’s not because he’s uncomfortable with tears; it’s that he can’t stand to see her hurting, so he’ll use whatever means he can to distract her. And, so far, it’s worked.

SONG OF THE DAY

Choi Jin Yi - “눈부신 날” (shining days). The new solo single from the lead singer of rock band Rumble Fish. This isn’t my favorite track, but it’s the one that’s popular now. [ Download ]

 
THE LAST SCANDAL OF MY LIFE Episode 10 >>

First, a disclaimer: This movie is probably going to suck.

But, I’m just glad to see Park Jinwoo acting in something again. Not that he’s been completely out of work — he apparently had a role in the sageuk drama Bichunmu, although that series was actually shot four years ago.

But I really liked him in the funny and heartwarming comedy Bad Family (Arrested Development, kdrama-style, sorta), the teen sex romp Dasepo Naughty Girls (even though the movie was kinda meh), and 2004’s My Little Bride as Moon Geun Young’s age-appropriate boyfriend. Oh, and can’t forget him in Nonstop 5. His projects haven’t exactly been artistically challenging, but I’ve always thought he was better than his roles. His comic sense is pretty decent for a guy who could coast by as a mere heartthrob if he wanted; he’s got a willingness to make a fool of himself that I dig (Bad Family). (Although, I’d like to see him take the Kim Hye Sung route and really push himself).

This time he’s starring in a romantic-comedy movie with Park Jung Ah of sexed-up kpop girl group Jewelry, Nal-na-ri jong-bu-jeon [날나리 종부전] (I don’t know a good translation for the title, but it basically means a party girl becoming devoted housewife).

The story involves a materialistic wild child (Park Jung Ah) who’s never met a man whose head she couldn’t turn with her flirty good looks. Then she meets one whose indifference stings her pride (Park Jinwoo) and before you know it, they’re married. One problem: He’s the only son from a rigidly traditional family. Hijinks ensue. (Sounds kind of like Vineyard Man and Bad Couple given the farce treatment.)

The movie had its press conference on May 14 in Seoul and releases on May 22.

SONG OF THE DAY

Jewelry - “One More Time.” I almost feel the need to apologize for posting this overplayed song… but it’s a Park Jung Ah movie and the song’s used in the trailer so… [ Download ]