Here’s a look at Cha Tae-hyun (Hello Ghost, Speed Scandal) in his first historical costume for a role, looking every bit the Joseon-era fool. It’s hard to believe that this is the funnyman’s first foray into the sageuk biz, since he looks right at home, and perfectly suited for the transformation. In fact, I think he should do period pieces more often, since this is the first time he doesn’t look like he’s just playing himself (the one downside to being such a known face/persona).

(...)
Read the rest of Cha Tae-hyun in period costume for Gone With the Wind (320 words)

© girlfriday for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 19 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cha Tae-hyun

October 17 was the night of the 48th Grand Bell Awards (or, per its Korean name, Daejong Awards), and it was a big event for a few films in particular. And while the Joseon-era David-versus-Goliath action sageuk Bow: The Ultimate Weapon didn’t sweep the categories, it did take home a nice chunk of them.

But Best Picture (and a few others) went to the Korean War film The Front Line (which is probably a good thing, since it’s this year’s entry to the Academy Awards — not that I expect it’ll win or even make final cut. Korean films rarely — never? — do).

A couple of other notable winners: bright, touching comedy Sunny, and the moody, pensive Bleak Night. All are on my Must Watch ASAP list.

(...)
Read the rest of 48th Grand Bell Awards (1,343 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 102 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: awards, Bae Jong-ok, Cha Tae-hyun, Choi Kang-hee, Daniel Choi, Go Chang-seok, Jang Seo-hee, Jang Young-nam, Jo Hee-bong, Jo Sung-ha, Jung Soo-young, Kang So-ra, Kim Haneul, Kim Hye-soo, Kim Sumi, Lee Je-hoon, Lee Min-jung, Moon Chae-won, Park Hae-il, Park Hyo-joo, Seo Young-hee, Shin Hyun-bin, Shin Hyun-joon, Song Sae-byuk, Won Bin, Yoon Kye-sang

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Rating: 9/10

What a brilliant surprise! I was so expecting a clichéd romantic comedy but My Sassy Girl is definitely anything but clichéd, for the most part. Quirky, funny, outrageous, unconventional and above all sassy, My Sassy Girl really hits all of the right notes for me. I can definitely see why it is a Korean classic and even why so many other countries have tried, with little luck, to reproduce this hilarious and sentimental movie. YOU MUST WATCH THIS! It will change your perspective on modern-day rom-coms. So let me “build a bridge of chance” for you to explore this really great movie (if you watch the movie you will understand the whole play of phrase I just used here, hehe).

(...)
Read the rest of Movie Review: My Sassy Girl (2,501 words)

© Tony for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 85 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cha Tae-hyun, featured, Jeon Ji-hyun

Last week’s episode was all about brawn and this week is all about brain. It’s a battle of wits where the stakes are high. Who will be the ultimate victor?

EPISODE 58. Broadcast on August 28, 2011.

After a grueling all-day Jeju Race Part 1, everyone is told to hold on to their remaining Running Man Currency (RMC) for the next day.  In the evening, the staff visits each cast member’s rooms to deliver the morning mission: arrive at the hotel restaurant by 9 AM.

(...)
Read the rest of Running Man: Episode 58 (1,872 words)

© gummimochi for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 24 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cha Tae-hyun, featured, Haha, Ji Suk-jin, Kang Gary, Kim Jong-kook, Lee Kwang-soo, Running Man, Shin Se-kyung, Song Ji-hyo, Yoo Jae-suk

It’s never too late to take a summer vay-cay and our cast is in Jeju Island for a well-deserved break. Wait a second…a break for Running Man? Hold on, this is no ordinary laid-back trip – it’s a hectic, adventure-driven ride filled with bribery, mischief, and thievery. Let’s get going already!

EPISODE 57. Broadcast August 21, 2011

(...)
Read the rest of Running Man: Episode 57 (1,832 words)

© gummimochi for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 29 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cha Tae-hyun, featured, Haha, Ji Suk-jin, Kang Gary, Kim Jong-kook, Lee Kwang-soo, Running Man, Shin Se-kyung, Song Ji-hyo, Yoo Jae-suk

The period heist comedy Gone With the Wind has completed its round-up of Joseon-era thieves: Min Hyo-rin (Romance Town, Triple) joins the star-studded cast.

The movie stars Cha Tae-hyun (Speedy Scandal) as its ringleader of ice thieves (heh). It boasts premium supporting actors Kim Jung-tae (Miss Ripley) and Sung Dong-il (Chuno), and is a mini-reunion of Hello Ghost’s cast with teddy-bear ajusshi Go Chang-seok and young Chun Bo-geun.

(...)
Read the rest of Min Hyo-rin joins the thieves in Gone With the Wind (277 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 19 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cha Tae-hyun, Min Hyo-rin

Before we get to see Cha Tae-hyun as a Joseon-era thief, his heartwarming family comedy Champ hits theaters first, just in time for the Chuseok holiday. I wasn’t initially interested in this movie, but now that the stills and trailer are out, I’m totally swept up in the underdog tale of triumph. Listen, say what you want, but Seabiscuit made me cry. There’s nothing better than a perfectly executed underdog story to tug at hearts in the best way. Bring on the tears, horsey!

Cha Tae-hyun plays a has-been jockey who suffered a car accident at the height of his career, injuring his eyes and killing his wife. He puts his dreams of trophies and ribbons away and raises his daughter on his own. And then he meets a horse with a bum leg, and the two rehabilitate each other as they dream big and ride to win.

A near-blind jockey with a limping horse, plus a cute little girl to cheer them on? Can’t you just feel the tears welling already?

(...)
Read the rest of Cha Tae-hyun rides to win in Champ (200 words)

© girlfriday for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 38 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cha Tae-hyun

It’s a star-studded lineup for period film Gone With the Wind, but even before we get to the big names attached, I’m already loving the premise: It’s a comic sageuk that’s Joseon-meets-Ocean’s Eleven centering around a team of thieves that works to steal…ice? Fastest. Heist. Ever. (With that plot, shouldn’t it really be titled Gone with the Sun?)

Backing up, let’s take a look at the cast. This will be comic actor Cha Tae-hyun’s (Hello Ghost, Speedy Scandal) first foray into the sageuk world as the leader of the gang who gathers all of the top specialists of the time to carry out their scheme. Considering there’s already a modern-day “Korean Ocean’s Eleven” in the works, does this make Cha the comic equivalent of Lee Jung-jae?

(...)
Read the rest of Gone With the Wind, a Joseon-era Ocean’s Eleven (361 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 57 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cha Tae-hyun, Chun Bo-geun, Go Chang-seok, Kim Jung-tae, Lee Moon-shik, Oh Ji-ho, Seo Shin-ae, Sung Dong-il

It’s too bad that Hyun Bin was missing from the 47th Baeksang Arts Awards, since he and his drama picked up a bunch of awards. (Alas, there’s that whole mandatory military thing.)

Not only did he grab a Daesang in the TV portion (film Daesang went to Lee Byung-heon for his thriller I Saw the Devil), both his projects won awards as well: Tang Wei for film Late Autumn, who’s pictured above with Ha Ji-won, his co-star in Secret Garden, which won top honors for the drama category. Looks like he’s on a roll, even in absentia. Do the Marines allow celebratory Baeksang parties for their celeb enlistees? Surely he earned a drink or two, at least.

The awards were held on the evening of May 26 in Seoul, and hosted by actors Ryu Shi-won (Style) and Kim Ah-joong (Sign).

WINNERS LIST

FILM SECTION

Daesang: Lee Byung-heon (I Saw the Devil)
Best Picture: Ajusshi (The Man From Nowhere)
Director: Lee Chang-dong (Poetry)
Top Excellence, Actor: Ha Jung-woo (The Yellow Sea)
Top Excellence, Actress: Tang Wei (Late Autumn)
New Actor: Choi Seung-hyun (TOP) (Into the Fire)
New Actress: Shin Hyun-bin (He’s On Duty)
New Director: Kim Young-taek (Hello Ghost)
Screenplay: Yook Sang-hyo (He’s On Duty)
Popularity Award, Actor: Choi Seung-hyun (TOP) (Into the Fire)
Popularity Award, Actress: Park Shin-hye (Cyrano Dating Agency)

TV SECTION (...)
Read the rest of 47th Baeksang Arts Awards (1,697 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 195 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: awards, Cha Tae-hyun, Go Hyun-jung, Ha Ji-won, Ha Jung-woo, Han Hyo-joo, Hong Su-ah, Hwang Jung-eum, Hyun Bin, Ji Chang-wook, Jo Ahn, Jo Hyun-jae, Jo Yeo-jung, Jung Bo-seok, Jung Il-woo, Jung Yong-hwa, JYP, Kim Ah-joong, Kim Nam-joo, Kim Sae-ron, Kim Soo-hyun, Lee Byung-heon, Lee Min-jung, Lee Shi-young, Lee Su-geun, Micky Yoochun, Min Hyo-rin, Moon Geun-young, Nam Gyuri, Park Ha-sun, Park Min-young, Park Shin-hye, Ryu Shi-won, Seo Young-hee, Shin Hyun-bin, Song Joong-ki, Suzy, Taecyeon, TOP, Yoo Inna, Yoon Shi-yoon

Box office megastar Cha Tae-hyun is considering taking on his first sageuk, described as a Joseon-era Ocean’s Eleven. Interesting. But, um, why’s everything gotta be crossed with Ocean’s Eleven? It’s a romantic comedy, but crossed with Ocean’s Eleven! It’s Star Trek-meets-Zoolander-meets-Ocean’s Eleven! Okay, wait. I might actually be excited if they made that one.

Is it the new Pulp Fiction of homage-land? I once took a film class where literally every single project’s pitch was: Pulp Fiction-meets-True Romance-meets-Third Equally Ubiquitous Film Here. Not that I’m not excited at the prospect of a Joseon-era heist movie with eleven hot guys in silken robes. That actually DOES sound kinda awesome.

(...)
Read the rest of Cha Tae-hyun considers his first historical film (219 words)

© girlfriday for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 26 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cha Tae-hyun