Korea’s first capital-punishment-themed film Executioners [집행자], which stars Yoon Kye-sang and Jo Jae-hyun as prison guards, has also turned its screenplay (lauded as taut and solidly written) into a novel, which was just released on October 23. The publication precedes the film’s release next month, and to commemorate the occasion, the film’s lead actors appeared at a fan-signing event on the 24th.

[Read more →]

Filed under: Chungmuro/Film by javabeans - 18 Comments →

On October 8, the 14th Pusan International Film Festival, or PIFF, opened in Busan. (Yes, the city takes a different official spelling than the film festival. Blame inconsistent Romanization.)

As the largest film festival in Korea, it drew a large list of attendees, as you can see from the long list of red-carpet walkers. It was definitely a star-studded opening night, and even included one familiar Hollywood face (Josh Hartnett).

This year’s PIFF features its largest lineup to date, screening 355 films from 70 countries, and closes on the 16th.

[Read more →]

Filed under: Chungmuro/Film by javabeans - 81 Comments →

October 6 saw the production press conference for Executioners [집행자], the new film starring Yoon Kye-sang and Jo Jae-hyun as prison guards on death row.

In the film, Yoon Kye-sang plays the role of a new guard who decides to take the job to earn some extra money, but is confronted with the unexpected emotional weight of killing a man for the first time in his life. As you may know, Yoon got his start in the industry as an idol star of the pop/R&B group G.O.D., and is one example of an idol star who has made a successful leap into acting. He addressed the topic of singers turning to acting at the press conference, saying that because of the baggage that comes with attempting a crossover, they end up working even harder.

[Read more →]

Filed under: Chungmuro/Film by javabeans - 13 Comments →

For those of us who were disappointed to see Yoon Kye-sang rather wasted in the drama Triple, thankfully he is coming out with a new movie, and it looks more promising. Executioners [집행자] is a dramatic film that takes the look at two men who work on death row at a prison.

The film takes a look at capital punishment and condemned criminals, a topic not oft-explored in Korean cinema, and stars Yoon Kye-sang playing the newbie guard to Jo Jae-hyun’s (New Heart) veteran. Despite the grim subject, the film is said to tackle the conflict felt by these prison guards, who must prepare their inmates for death, with a provocative but poignant and even humorous touch.

[Read more →]

Filed under: Chungmuro/Film by javabeans - 23 Comments →

Jang Nara arrives with father and brother

For the next ten days, the city of Bucheon, not far from Seoul in Kyunggi (Gyeonggi) province, is hosting the 13th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival, or PiFan. (Like Pusan International Film Festival, the film festival has kept the old spelling and acronym although the city names are now romanized with the “B” instead of the “P.”)

PiFan is a genre film festival, focusing on thriller, mystery, horror, and fantasy selections. This year the festival screens more than 200 films in eight categories that include Family Fanta (fantastic genre films appropriate for families), Ani Fanta (animation, one of the festival’s main categories), World Fantastic Cinema, and Fantastic Shorts. The Retrospectives portion comprises a “City of Romance” subcategory, screening Hong Kong movies from the ’80s, as well as “Eroticscape,” featuring Korean urban erotica from the ’80s.

The festival opened on July 16, its red carpet walked by celebs like Jang Nara, Lee Jong-hyuk, and Gu Hye-sun. PiFan will close on July 26.

[Read more →]

Filed under: Chungmuro/Film by javabeans - 27 Comments →