On August 30, Rain attended the wedding of a rep for his company, JTune Entertainment, at Lotte Hotel, so naturally the press took the chance to ask him about his career plans. Rain spoke of his second Hollywood outing (having previously acknowledged that the first try, Speed Racer, was “a failure”): “Ninja Assassin has been set for a worldwide release in March 2009.”

The reporters picking up this story note that this is the “first concrete news of its release date.” Which isn’t exactly true. Sorry to tell you, Rain, but the Interwebs has already known for a while, and it contradicts you: Various other sites (Imdb, Wikipedia) list the film for a January 16, 2009, premiere. (If you Google for yourselves, every English-language source lists that January date, although I’m sure it only takes one person getting it wrong to spread misinformation.) And it’s not that Korea gets a different premiere date; the film is slated for a simultaneous worldwide release, according to Rain.

So which is it, January or March? Uh, someone want to get his new Hollywood agents to put in a call and make sure they’re on the same page with their star?

In any case, Rain is busy at work on his full-length “Asia special” album, as well as planning a “comeback show” to air on MBC. He leaves for the U.S. in September to do post-production ADR (recording) work on Ninja Assassin, and there have even been rumors he’s considering a new drama role. (For a while, there were whisperings that he’d co-star in a drama with Jeon Ji-hyun, but those are mere rumors.)

Via Star News, Sports Khan

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Um. I know it’s hardly accurate to judge a movie based on a 30-second trailer, much less a few photo stills. But, erm, based on these stills of the upcoming action flick G.I. Joe… it looks kinda lame.

Which is too bad, since, as usual, Korean fans are excited about the inclusion of another big-name star (this time actor Lee Byung Heon) in a Hollywood production. And G.I. Joe does boast some well-known Hollywood names, starting with director Stephen Sommers (The Mummy, Van Helsing) and actors Dennis Quaid, Sienna Miller, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jonathan Pryce, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Marlon Wayans.

I was more optimistic about Lee’s chances being cast as Storm Shadow (a ninja assassin with dual loyalties to both Cobra Commander and G.I. Joe) than, say, Rain’s criticized performance in Speed Racer, because Lee Byung Heon has at least distinguished himself more as an actor than Rain. But Rain will get another chance to redeem himself, playing (sigh) a ninja assassin in the upcoming Wachowski brothers production of the same name. Yeah, I know Lee’s role was supposedly changed from Japanese to Korean, but that’s just something to appease the Koreans — to the rest of the world, a ninja is a ninja.

Well, fingers crossed for more successful Hollywood crossovers for Jeon Ji Hyun (Blood: The Last Vampire) as a vampire-hunting warrior and Jang Dong Gun (Laundry Warrior) as an “Asian warrior assassin.”

(Seriously, Hollywood? Are you running down the Asian Stereotype Checklist and all just happened to get stuck in the “warrior assassin” mode? What next? A slew of movies about nerdy Asian scientists who speak Kong-Ching-Japlish (hey, they all sound the same, right?) who decide to engage the world in a new Red Terror and revitalize communism with the help of their doll-faced, subservient women? While acing the SAT, running convenience stores and bemoaning their lesser-endowed sexy parts? ‘Cause… yeah, we are not impressed. And by “we” I mean “me,” but I’m pretty sure also “we.”)

Filming began in February in L.A., and G.I. Joe plans to release in Summer 2009.

Via Star News

SONG OF THE DAY

8eight - “물어봅니다” (I ask) [ Download ]

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Hm, maybe there’s hope after all.

Prominent Hallyu star Lee Byung Heon is also gearing up for his Hollywood debut in the film G.I. Joe, in which he was cast as a Japanese ninja. But before you can gripe, “What the fuck, Hollywood?” — the role has been amended to that of a Korean warrior instead. A source explained that the role had been written as a Japanese ninja (the script includes one Western warrior, one Eastern), but at the time of casting, the primary condition on Lee Byung Heon’s side was that the character be altered to a Korean one.

Not meaning to sound excessively ethnocentric, which is unlikely of me since (1) I’m 100% American, although my Korean background is important to me, and (2) I’m incredibly critical of many things Korean, not least the Korean tendency to overdo the nationalistic pride bit. But can I say that this move — although it probably seems so minor on the surface — gives me a tiny bit of hope amidst the skepticism (and there’s plenty of that, too). I don’t expect all of America or the Western world to know much or even care about the nuances of Korean culture, but a little respect is always appreciated. The reason many Koreans knee-jerk in excessive patriotism is, in my opinion, largely because we’ve/they’ve been required to demand respect, so little has it been freely given.

And I’ve done enough race-related ranting this week so I’ll leave it there.

Lee Byung Heon’s Hollywood debut is actually twofold — he also appears with Josh Hartnett (so pretty, so dull) in I Come With the Rain, and with Sienna Miller (ditto on the pretty-dull combo) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (cute! and so talented) in G.I. Joe.

(What do you think? Is there hope for Rain, too?)

Via Newsen

SONG OF THE DAY

Epik High - “Love Love Love.” I know, I know. It’s Valentine’s Day — how obvious, right? Well, nobody could ever accuse Valentine’s Day of subtlety, so what the hell. [ zShare download ]

Eternal Morning - “Love Is.” I’m still struck with how similar-yet-totally-different both groups (Epik High and Eternal Morning) are, which I suppose is a credit to Tablo’s contribution to both. [ zShare download ]

 
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Well, this is an interesting new look for Rain… I mean, I think he looks pretty. But is now really the time to be feminizing his look further?

Okay, the details of his Wednesday afternoon press conference:

Rain, newly of the William Morris Agency, has been cast as the lead in a film to be produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers, titled Ninja Assassin. Regarding the possibility that both his first and second Hollywood roles seem to be Japanese characters (he plays a Japanese racecar driver in Speed Racer, also directed by the Wachowskis), Rain explains: “I haven’t received the script for Ninja Assassin so I’m not positive, but it’s my understanding that the character is not Japanese.”

Way to give a vague non-answer, but I can see how it could be problematic for both his Hollywood roles to be Japanese. Sure, he’s done some crossover promotion in Japan (with average, or perhaps slightly disappointing, results), but I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that the Korea-Japan relationship is still very much love-hate. (Love? Japanese dramas, pop music, anime. Hate? Well, just say “Dokdo” and prepare yourself for lengthy ethnocentric tirades — on both sides of the aisle.)

He continues: “I’ve been learning English and taking dance lessons and doing lots of preparations in the States. Although more than anything my music and recording work is most important to me, because I’ve been cast in Ninja Assasssin in my first leading Hollywood role, I’ll be debuting first as an actor.”

He hasn’t read the script. (CAN he read the script? Will he have it translated for him, and then translate it back?) He’s playing a ninja. He’s participating on the OST for an animated film, Kung Fu Panda. He’s got his Beijing Olympics single. He wants to produce a “worldwide album” this year. And debut two new artists who are trainees with his own label. RAIN! There is only one of you! Pick a side and stick to it until it’s complete! So many reservations about all this.

Via Hankyung, Sports Seoul, Mk.co.kr

SONG OF THE DAY

Rain - “Move On” (Japanese version). There’s a Korean version of this song too, but it came out first on his Japanese album so this is the version I’m more used to. [ zShare download ]

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