Action Fest 2010: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE WEIRD Review
[X's review of Kim Jee-woon's The Good, The Bad And The Weird originally appeared all the way back in September of 2008 but with the film now screening at Action Fest in advance of its US release we hereby present...
Louis Koo and Daniel Wu go All OK Corral in Derek Yee's 槍王之王 (Triple Tap)
We previously mentioned Derek Yee's upcoming gun bonanza thriller 槍王之王 (Triple Tap), starring Louis Koo, Daniel W, Charlene Choi and Li Bingbing, which recently completed its shoot in utmost secrecy. And why would you shut yourself off and work a...
[K-FILM REVIEWS] 파주 (Paju)
You'll never fully realize how beautiful fog can be until you see it from a balcony, as it embraces an entire valley in the early morning, like an ocean of white you'd love to swim in; It's as if, for...
Wong Kar-Wai Chooses His Action Lady: Song Hye-Gyo
Ha... Last time we dealt with Miss Song, quite the peculiar shitstorm ensued: we snarkily mentioned a Chinese news report claiming that Song Hye-Gyo and Wentworth Miller would join Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa's 急先锋 (Vanguard), then some Korean "journalists"...
It's Zebra Time with the ゼブラーマン 2 (Zebraman 2) Teaser
Now, if they called martial law "Zebra Time," and the orders came from a mucho kawaii 20 year old girl named "Zebra Queen," maybe we'd even allow evil organizations to fulfill their aspirations of world domination. It's the year 2025,...
[TV REVIEWS] 아이리스 (Iris)
"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" might be one of the most overused mantras you can find, but sometimes you wonder whether that is truly all there is to it, particularly when it comes to the Korean mainstream's peculiar...
Want to Give Mommy a Korean Bluray for Xmas?
I know, I know, horrible pun. But when it's news this welcome, everything goes.The Korean Bluray market has been notoriously lagging, mostly because it's still a niche market and most people don't really feel the need to upgrade (with a...
Seo Woo Joins Jeon Do-Yeon in 하녀 (The Housemaid) Remake
Now that's casting.We've talked at length about the remake of Kim Ki-Young's 60s classic 하녀 (The Housemaid) over the last few months, first going from a sort of cinematic persona non grata helmed by promising director Gina Kim, then pairing...
Lu Chuan Goes Period with 鸿门宴 (The Hongmen Banquet)
With only three films in the can, and three quite varied and eclectic ones at that (a black comedy, a Tibet-themed quasi-documentary, and a gritty and poignant portrait of the Nanjing Massacre), Lu Chuan has quickly become one of the...
Rocket Crossbows and Badass Tattoos, it's the New 錦衣衛 (14 Blades) Trailer!
Not much in the way of new footage, but at least Kate Tsui has managed to escape from being labeled as the "villain with the menacing cleavage," with some action of her own - and since we're there, Tsui plays...
[K-FILM REVIEWS] 호우시절 (A Good Rain Knows)
This peculiar relationship might have literary roots well over a few decades old, what with copious examples like Hwang Sun-Won's 소나기 (Showers) proving the point, but it has now become the perfect opportunity to mock a genre which might be...
Song Kang-Ho and Kang Dong-Won Team Up for 의형제 (Secret Reunion) Teaser
Im Pil-Sung, Jang Joon-Hwan and Na Hong-Jin might still hold the title of best debut directors of this decade, but a young up-and-comer who might fight his way up the Top 10 is certainly Jang Hoon, who helmed the excellent...
전우치 (Woochi) Music Video Brings the Goods!
OK... I know you're heading straight for that play button, but if you want to avoid being scarred for life by listless teenybopper crap surrounding those fine visuals, I advise you turn off your speakers. Or put copious amounts of...
New 孔子 (Confucius) Trailer Hits all the Right Notes
Curious that on the day the casting of Korean singer Lee Jung-Hyun (who's now bigger in China than she's ever been at home) in a new TV series about Confucius was announced, TV mainstay Hu Mei's first film in a...
Gong Li Joining Wong Kar-Wai's 一代宗师 (The Great Master)?
Bit of the good ole Chinese-style publicity stunt today on Chinese news portals, with more casting news concerning Wong Kar-Wai's upcoming Yip Man biopic 一代宗师 (The Great Master). It's not the news most everyone was waiting for - a confirmation...
[MAINLAND REVIEWS] 我的唐朝兄弟 (The Robbers)
Although predictably (or, better, inevitably) replaced by Mao's legacy as the main melody-themed rush towards the 60th anniversary began in full force, for a good while the favorite piece of Chinese historiography of many a film director and TV producer...
Ryu Seung-Wan's Next a Crime Thriller?
It seems like the last few years have been, more than anything, both a transitional period and an opportunity to learn for Ryu Seung-Wan. Transitional because his last feature film 다찌마와리 (Dachimawa Lee) might be considered only a minor work...
More Cast Details on Korean Better Tomorrow Remake
Last word on 무적자 (Invincible), the Korean remake of John Woo's 英雄本色 (A Better Tomorrow), was that Song Hae-Sung of 파이란 (Failan) would direct, and that Korean Wave star Song Seung-Heon and possibly Lee Min-Gi would be cast as the...
TV Action Sageuk 추노 (Slave Hunters) Unveils New Kick Ass Trailer
Ohh... keeps looking better. Still no posters, though.The history of (pardon the pun) historical drama on Korean TV has been marked by pretty distinctive periods and genres, with melodramas based upon chronicles dominating the early years of television well into...
Yoon Je-Gyun and Ha Ji-Won Team Up for SF Blockbuster 7광구 (Sector 7)
Her role in Park Jin-Pyo's 내 사랑 내 곁에 (Closer to Heaven) won her the Best Actress prize at this week's Blue Dragon Awards, but Ha Ji-Won's 2009 will mostly be remembered for the success of disaster flick 해운대 (Haeundae),...
