Category Archives: Korean

Gangnam Blues (2015) Review

"Gangnam Blues" Korean Theatrical Poster

AKA: Gangnam 1970 Director: Yu Ha (aka Yoo Ha) Cast: Lee Min-Ho, Kim Rae-Won, Jung Jin-Young, Seol Hyun, Kim Ji-Su, Lee Yeon-Doo, Jung Ho-Bin, Eom Hyo-Seop, Yoo Seung-Mok, Lee Suk, Choi Jin-Ho Running Time: 135 min. By Paul Bramhall Former poet turned director and script writer Yoo Ha makes his long overdue return to the gangster genre with Gangnam Blues. Ha, whose 2006 movie A Dirty Carnival is considered a … Continue reading →

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Strike of Thunderkick Tiger (1981) Review

"Strike of Thunderkick Tiger" Korean Theatrical Poster

AKA: My Name is Twin Legs Director: Park Woo Sang Cast: Charles Han, Casanova Wong, Bak Min Wong, Han Jee Ha, Peggy Min, Lisa Lee, Billy Yuen, Alfred Ma, Chan Taiyun, Dragon Lee, Phillip Leung, David Kao Running Time: 85 min. By Paul Bramhall The Korean old-school kung fu movie is without doubt the most bastardized genre out there. To this day, the number of legitimate releases of old school … Continue reading →

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Girl at My Door, A (2014) Review

"A Girl at My Door" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Jeong Joo-ri Producer: Lee Jun-Dong Cast: Bae Doo-Na, Kim Sae-Ron, Song Sae-Byuk, Kim Jin-Gu, Son Jong-Hak, Na Jong-Min Running Time: 119 min. By Paul Bramhall Korea has arguably been producing the best movies to come out of Asia for the last 15 years, however one criticism of the industry has always been the lack of lead roles for women, outside of romantic comedies and flower vase roles in male … Continue reading →

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Target, The (2014) Review

"The Target" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Yoon Hong-seung Cast: Ryu Seung-Ryong, Yu Jun-Sang, Lee Jin-Wook, Kim Seong-Ryeong, Jo Yeo-Jeong, Jo Eun-Ji, Kim Dae-Myung, Jang Jun-Nyung, Yeom Ji-Young Running Time: 98 min. By oneleaf Life is good for medical resident Lee Tae-joon (Jin Wook-Lee). He’s expecting his first child with his beautiful wife, Jung Hee-joo (Yeo-jeong Jo), a psychiatrist, who works at the same hospital. Also, the two have just moved into a new apartment together. … Continue reading →

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Pirates, The (2014) Review

"The Pirates" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Seok-Hun Cast: Kim Nam-Gil, Son Ye-Jin, Yu Hae-Jin, Lee Kyung-Young, Oh Dal-Su, Kim Tae-Woo, Park Cheol-Min, Shin Jeong-Geun, Kim Won-Hae, Jo Dal-Hwan, Jo Hee-Bong, Jeong Seong-Hwa, Sully, Lee Yi-Kyung Running Time: 130 min. By Kelly Warner Sometimes a movie surprises you. As I sat down to watch the South Korean adventure The Pirates, I expected a silly headache of a movie that existed just to cash-in on the … Continue reading →

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Divine Move, The (2014) Review

The Divine Move | Blu-ray & DVD (CJ Entertainment)

Director: Jo Beom-Goo Cast: Jeong Woo-Sung, Lee Bum-Soo, Ahn Seong-Gi, Kim In-Kwon, Lee Si-Young, Ahn Gil-Gang, Lee Do-Kyung, Choi Jin-Hyuk, Jeong Hae-Gyun Running Time: 118 min. By Paul Bramhall The gambling genre seems to come in and out of fashion in Asian cinema. The early 80’s gave us Shaw Brothers gambling flicks such as Challenge of the Gamesters, by the early 90’s we had Chow Yun Fat doing his thing … Continue reading →

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Hard Day, A (2014) Review

"A Hard Day" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Kim Seong-Hun Cast: Lee Seon-Gyun, Jo Jin-Woong, Shin Jeong-Geun, Jeong Man-Sik, Kim Gang-Hyun Running Time: 111 min. By oneleaf Nothing is going right for ill-tempered, single parent Detective Go today. Driving to his mother’s funeral, he receives a call from a colleague informing him that the precinct is being raided by agents from Internal Affairs who are armed with ledgers of corrupt officers taking bribes. Fazed and distracted by … Continue reading →

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Man on High Heels (2014) Review

"Man on High Heels" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Jang Jin Cast: Cha Seung-Won, Oh Jeong-Se, Lee Som, Go Kyung-Pyo, Shin Sung-Hun, Jo Bok-Rae Running Time: 125 min. By Paul Bramhall In many ways the gangster genre is to the Korean movie industry what the heroic bloodshed genre was to the Hong Kong movie industry of the 90’s. Ever since Korean cinema gained international recognition in the late 90’s, every year we can be guaranteed a hard hitting … Continue reading →

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Traffickers (2012) Review

AKA: Traffikers Director: Kim Hong-Sun Producer: Won Hyun-Jae Cast: Im Chang-Jung, Daniel Choi, Jo Yoon-Hee, Oh Dal-Su, Jo Dal-Hwan, Jung Ji-Yoon Running Time: 111 min. By Kelly Warner They say that truth is stranger than fiction because fiction has to make sense. What they left out is that films based on a true story also have to make sense, regardless of whether that ruins the truthiness of the tale (my … Continue reading →

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No Tears for the Dead (2014) Review

"No Tears for the Dead" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Jeong-beom Cast: Jang Dong-Gun, Kim Min-Hee, Kim Hee-Won, Kim Jun-Sung, Go Woo-Lim, Ju Young-Ho, Jang In-Seop, Lee Seung-Chan, Park Sang-Hun, Brian Tee Running Time: 116 min. By Paul Bramhaull Director and writer Lee Jeong-beom quickly came to the attention of action movie aficionado’s in 2010 with the release of The Man from Nowhere. A Korean movie starring Won Bin as a mopish pawn shop attendant with a tragic … Continue reading →

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Kundo: Age of the Rampant (2014) Review

Director: Yun Jong-Bin Cast: Ha Jung-Woo, Kang Dong-Won, Lee Kyung-Young, Lee Sung-Min, Jo Jin-Woong, Ma Dong-Seok, Yun Ji-Hye, Ju Jin-Mo, Song Young-Chang, Jeong Man-Sik, Kim Byung-Ok, Kim Jong-Gu, Kim Seong-Gyun Running Time: 137 min. By Kelly Warner I went into Kundo: Age of the Rampant expecting something like a Korean take on the Robin Hood tale. What I got was a Tarantino-infused post-modern historical action movie that tries to be … Continue reading →

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Snowpiercer (2013) Review

"Snowpiercer" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Bong Joon-ho Cast: Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt, Ed Harris, Ko Ah-Sung, Luke Pasqualino, Alison Pill, Adnan Haskovic Running Time: 126 min. By Kelly Warner In 2013, three of South Korea’s top directors stepped onto a bigger stage with their English-language feature film debuts. Jee-woon Kim (I Saw the Devil) went the big studio route with the Arnold Schwarzenegger comeback actioner The … Continue reading →

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Flu, The (2013) Review

"The Flu" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Kim Sung-Soo Cast: Jang Hyuk, Soo Ae, Park Min-ha, Yoo Hae-jin, Ma Dong-seok, Lee Hee-joon, Kim Ki-hyeon Running Time: 121 min. By Kyle Warner Films about deadly outbreaks are cinema’s new favorite kind of disaster movie. I guess it’s easy to understand why. Movies about floods and tsunamis remind us too much of the recent disasters in New Orleans and Japan. Earthquakes make for grim stories, not blockbuster entertainment, … Continue reading →

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Moebius (2013) Review

Moebius | DVD (RAM Releasing)

Director: Kim Ki-Duk Writer: Kim Ki-Duk Producer: Kim Ki-Duk, Kim Woo-Taek, Kim Soon-Mo Cast: Cho Jae-Hyu, Seo Young-Joo, Lee Eun-Woo, Lee Eun-Woo, Kim Jae-Rok and Kim Jae-Hong Running Time: 88 min. By Paul Bramhall Kim Ki-duk has remained one of Korea’s most discussed and controversial directors over the last 15 years. His movies usually portray the dark side of human nature with tales dictated by the sex and violence that … Continue reading →

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Suspect, The (2013) Review

The Suspect | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Director: Won Shin-yun Writer: Lim Sang-Yoon Cast: Gong Yoo, Park Hee-Soon, You Da-In, Cho Seong-Ha, Jo Jae-Yun, Kim Sung-Kyun Running Time: 137 min. By HKFanatic When The Bourne Supremacy first hit theaters back in 2005, the close-quarters handheld camerawork and rapid editing during action sequences had some film-goers claiming they experienced motion sickness rather than popcorn thrills. Soon afterwards, the term ‘shaky cam’ began popping up in critical reviews, and … Continue reading →

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