Takes place during the fabled Chosun era, “Shadows in the Palace” succeed to be one of the most acclaimed Korean film of 2007. It’s not by chance either if the film was directed by Kim Mee-jeung, who served on the production team of “The King and The Clown”, one of the most successful Korean films which set in Chosun era. Kim also not mistaken if she was really proud with her first movie directing experience here, because Shadow has bring her to be honored as the Best New Director at the 2007 Korean Film Awards. Her previous work with some skillfully directors to the genre had sharpened her visual sense which intensely heightened the appeal of this lavishness historical visual movie. Differing from Chosun era horror “Evil Twins” which centered on a ghost story to build the tension, Shadow was combined suspense, mystery and murder to its whole plot. What that can be point as the similarity between both films is although it takes place in the histories Chosun dynasty era, the story is purely a fictionalized account of what happened among made up characters on the film. Now, it was able to experiencing again the tense atmosphere of this chilling murder mystery, because “Shadows in the Palace” is now available to order on English subtitled DVD that expected to release on January 4, 2008.
Kim has featured mostly an all female cast to this debut film and cast Park Jin-hee who well-known as the Korean Naomi Watts as the leading lady, Park played as court nurse, Chun-ryung who investigated the mysterious death of maid-in-waiting Wol-ryung who was found hanging in her maid chamber. While Chun-ryung does an autopsy on the corpse, she finds traces of the maid having given birth and that was revealed a scandalous fact because maids are sworn to keep their chastity for the king. Chun-ryung concludes that the maid did not commit suicide, but was actually murdered, meanwhile, her superior order her to cover up the death as a suicide. Determined to get to the bottom of things, Chun-ryung undertakes her own private investigations and begin with her first suspect Jung-ryul, the one who first discovered Wol-ryung. Despite to questioning her, Jung-ryul was appears possessed and tormented by a ghost while the other maids keep their mouths tightly closed. But then step by step, Chun-ryung start to unravel many secrets inside the palace, about the corruption of the ruling class, the discovering of the seduction and exploitation of court maids by an aristocrat, and about a shocking conspiracy that leads her to Hee-bin, the royal concubine who was the mother of the only royal heir. It appears that the king has no heir by his queen and he is on the verge of naming the son of one of his concubines, Hee-bin to be his successor.
Product Details:
Product Title: Shadows In The Palace DVD (Limited Edition) (Korea Version)
Actors: Park Jin-hee, Yoon Sae-ah, Suh Young-hee, Lim Jung-eun, Jeon Hae-jin, Kim Sung-ryung
Directors: Kim Mee-jeung
Format: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1, Color, NTSC
Language: Korean
Subtitle: English, Korean
Audio Specs: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1
Region: Region 3 South East Asia (including Hong Kong, S. Korea and Taiwan)
Number of discs: 2
Country Made: South Korea
Genre: Suspense-Thriller
Feature Film Running Time: 112 Minutes
Distributor: Cinema Service
Release Date: January 4, 2008 (Order your copy now!)
This edition comes with the following special features:
Disc 1
• Feature Presentation: Shadows In The Palace
• Commentary with Director Kim Mi Jung and Jung Seung Hye, CEO of Morning Pictures
Disc 2
• Making Of
• Arts Direction
• Costumes
• Visual Effects: Digital Images, Computer Graphics
• Poster Shoot
• Teaser
• Theatrical Trailer
Movie review from Koreanfilm.org by Darcy Paquet:
The wide cast of characters, most of whom are well-known but not stars in Korea, contain an equally wide spectrum of performances. Most prominent is Park Jin-hee (Love Talk) in the lead role of Chun-ryung. I'm a fan of Park's straightforward, accessible style, though here I wonder if she may have been miscast. Chun-ryung's internal drive -- her need to know the truth, even if it puts her in danger -- is the film's key narrative engine, but here I found it not quite convincing. Still, many of the other performances are quite effective, especially Kim Seong-ryeong as a fearsome supervisor who has adopted completely the ruthless strictures of palace discipline.
As the film moves towards its conclusion, the fantasy/horror elements that were merely hinted at earlier begin to creep out of the closet (and yes, there is long black hair). At the same time, though, the film's broader themes regarding oppression and power begin to come into focus. I'm particularly fond of the last scene, with the palace women all dressed in white mourning robes, witnessing power being taken up by a new set of hands. We've been led to believe that the strict set of rules which govern the palace are an insurmountable force, but events may tell us otherwise.
It may not be possible to ever completely understand what life was like for people who lived in centuries past, given the lack of records and the vast cultural gap between us and them. Films set in the past usually end up telling us more about contemporary society than about the era on the screen. But is there anything wrong with that? Cinema is an act of imagination, and setting a film in a little-understood historical setting allows room for the imagination to extend itself. More than anything, it's the conceptual energy and narrative momentum of Shadows in the Palace that makes it an exciting discovery among this year's Korean films.
Some movies meet with the culture: Evil Twins, Muoi: Legend of the Portrait, The King and The Clown, Hwang Jin Yi
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“Dragon Wars” or D-Wars was the most ambitious Korean movie, break the record as the biggest budget movie in Korea and also the longest time in the production, but almost set and actors are not in and from Korea. Even on the flashback scene it certain included some Korean nature, but the center of the story was set on Los Angeles and the main casts are Hollywood stars such as Jason Behr, Amanda Brooks and Robert Forster. Directed by ambitious Korean director, Shim Hyung-rae who’s marked this movie as his second project after a not to famous monster movie, “Yonggary”. After some great efforts on creating the creature effects that were done for three years in Shim’s Younggu- Art Movies Company, “Dragon Wars” released in South Korea on August 1, 2007 and grossed $20.3 M within 5 days, setting a domestic box-office record as the most watched film on opening week. After the dragon made some chaos within hometown, the movie then released widely in the U.S and also break the record as the highest grossing for Korean movie in U.S Box office, combined the result of the U.S and Korea, “Dragon Wars” succeed taken in more than $ 65 million on its theatrical release. On January 8, 2008, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release the CGI-fest action adventure movie on DVD
, Blu-ray Hi-Def and PSP.
The story begin when a young boy named Ethan Kendrick (Cody Erens) with his father visiting an antique store, not for a long time he was exposed to some radiating light out from an interesting old chest. The store owner, Jack (Robert Forster) witnesses the incident and realizes the significance of the incident. He then told some old story that happened in Korea hundred years ago to the boy. Every 500 years, imoogi(a serpent that wants to morph into dragon) search for magical pearl called Youijoo which is have the power to fulfill its destiny to become a heavenly dragon. But the Youijoo was hiding within the body of a girl who must be sacrificed to the imoogi. Narin, a girl that was possessed by the power unable to sacrifice herself and decided to run away with her lover Haram, a warrior apprentice that supposedly bring the girl to Imoogi, but then fallen to a girl instead. Being chased by the imoogi, they had no choice except kill their self together, which effect to the creature’s destiny left unfulfilled and it would have to wait another five hundred years until the next Youijoo reappears. Jack tells Ethan that he is the reincarnated spirit of Haram and gives him a powerful pendant with a message to find the reincarnated version of Narin that supposedly will be the next target of Imoogi when she reach her 20 birthday. The story move forward to 20 years later, when Ethan (Jason Behr) has become a TV news reporter, he’s reported some mysterious incidents happen in Los Angeles city that might be a sign for another Imoogi return. In a coincidental, he meets Sarah Daniels (Amanda Brooks), a girl he believed as the reincarnation of his love. Together, this couple must fight Imoogi and its army that has returned in modern day Los Angeles and made a big chaos in the city as an effort to fulfill the imminent destiny.
The DVD version of this special effects movie will feature an anamorphic widescreen transfer with 5.1 channel Dolby Digital audio as well as the Featurette “500 Years in the Making.” Also included are Dragon Wars Animatics: from Storyboard to Screen and a Photo Gallery.
The Blu-Ray version of the film will offer up a 1080p transfer and the same extras as the DVD version.
The DRAGON WARS UMD Video for the PlayStation Portable includes the film in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. Audio options include English and French stereo, with subtitles in English, Korean, French, and Spanish.
Product Details:
Product Title: Dragon Wars – D-War (DVD) Region 1
Actors: Jason Behr, Amanda Brooks, Robert Forster, Craig Robinson, Elizabeth Pena, Cody Arens, Aimee Garcia.
Directors: Shim Hyung-rae
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English, Korean
Subtitle: English, Korean, Chinese (Mandarin, Traditional), French, and Spanish.
Audio Specs: English 5.1 and French DS
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 1
Country Made: South Korea
Genre: Monster Action Adventure
Feature Film Running Time: 90 Minutes
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Release Date: January 8, 2008 (Order at Amazon)
Creatures Performances Rate: 8/10
Human Performances Rate: 5/10
Story Performances Rate: 5/10
Video Performances Rate: 7/10
Overall Rate: 7/10
Asian Monster Chaotic Movie Friends: The Host (8,5/10), Godzilla (7/10), Yonggary aka Reptilian (6/10), Garuda (6/10)
Other reviews for “Dragon Wars”:
(By Frank Scheck – Hollywood Reporter)
Unlike his countryman Joon-ho Bong's The Host, which revived the monster movie genre with wit and style, South Korean helmer Hyung-rae Shim applies a strictly grade-Z sensibility to "Dragon Wars." Belatedly receiving a U.S. release after it became a huge hit in its native country (under the title "D-War"), the film boasts superior CGI special effects for a movie of its type. But it's unlikely to erase anyone's fond memories of the original "Godzilla" and its ilk. The film kicks into gear in its second half, with Buraki and its minions laying waste to entire city blocks. Resonances of past films of its type abound, particularly in the drawn-out battle between Buraki and a legion of armed helicopters at the top of a skyscraper that recalls "King Kong." While the CGI effects are undeniably impressive, the laughable story line, risible dialogue and cheap humor (most of it involving a hapless zoo security guard) seriously detract from the fun. Neither Behr (who starred on the WB Network's "Roswell") nor Brooks adds much interest to the proceedings, and Forster delivers what might be the first bad performance of his career. Even such normally reliable supporting players as Chris Mulkey and Elizabeth Pena don't come off well.
(By Irene Nakano - Joong Ang Daily)
Here are some of the reasons it could succeed: First of all, there’s the sheer novelty of having the scariest looking serpent and mini-dinosaurs spill out onto the big screen with incredible spontaneity. D-War is therefore a totally major work, a first for Korea and definitely a work that has inspired many of us who have never lived abroad. Its special effects justify the fact that it’s the most expensive movie ever made in Korea by a Korean, even though some of the scenes in D-War require an appreciation for Shim’s prior background in comedy. Several campy moments actually keep us in the creative loop, so to speak. And even those of us with absolutely no sense of humor are given the chance to make the same loop, thanks to some of the zany characters, like the zookeeper who nearly gets clobbered to death by an elephant carcass. But why should it matter where Shim spent $33 million? It should come as no surprise that it has always been his dream to become a filmmaker and he was willing to pay the price. Secondly, audiences in English-speaking countries will not have to be told in advance that it’s a foreign film with some subtitles, which should help it succeed where others before it have failed, most notably “The Host,” another Korean monster movie that failed theatrically in areas such as the U.K. due to language barriers. In closing, D-War, like all films, is a universal medium; computer special effects give it enough leverage over more traditional methods, like “Godzilla.” So perhaps the main reason some members of the entertainment industry seem to have problems following D-War’s message is due to their limited thinking about monster movies in general. Maybe they ought to try to remake the whole movie more intelligently, using different camera angles or drawings, with different scaling, instead of having the director look so derelict in his duties. Surely he must have something to boast about after six years of being so committed and passionate about this movie. So please note: How you rate D-War shouldn’t be based on whether you agree with such things as the size of its marketing budget or its chances of succeeding as a Korean export.
(By Scooter Thompson – Movieeveryday)
Considered the 'George Lucas' of Korea, Writer / director Hyung-rae Shim's latest film, Dragon Wars: D-War, really does share a lot in common with the Star Wars films. Let's be honest, as much as the Star Wars franchise has become a national treasure and phenomenon, the actual acting, storyline, and dialogue in the original Star Wars film was not that great. It was the special effects that captured people's imaginations. Dragon Wars: D-War falls about 15 steps down into the cellar in this comparison, yet, it does deserve some notice for bringing some new mythology to life as well as for the exceptional CGI work. It's too bad that Mr. Shim didn't get the writers from the year's spectacular Korean creature feature, The Host, though to help him punch this script up to being more worthy of the incredible sums of money that must have been spent on the CGI for this film. Literally, the final 30 minutes is as CGI-driven as Transformers. Nonetheless, there's no reason to rake this film over the coals excessively. The acting, story, and dialogue came out amateurish, no doubt, but give the artisans involved some due and recognize they are a couple of decades behind in these areas, but right at the forefront when it comes to the rest of the technology. There's no question that a random word generator might have written more comprehensible dialogue. Likewise, CGI actors might have delivered more realistic performances than Ms. Brooks and Messers Behr and Forser. But the final battle and Buraki's CGI army marching toward and through downtown Los Angeles was great fun to watch. You've got to give international filmmakers, like Hyung-rae Shim, credit when they attempt to make great movies with huge budgets and special effects. Had this film been released in the late 1970s, it might have been a huge hit.
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"Anesthesia Awareness" is a condition when anesthesia fails during surgery, leaving the patient completely conscious and feeling every incision, but paralyzed and incapable of doing anything about it. More than 60,000 people domestically each year experience this rare phenomenon, which become a central idea to Korean psychothriller “Return” aka “Wide Awake”. “Return” is one of this year summer season K-horror which continue the trend of thrillers that unleashes major twists and turns during the climatic moments of the film like what have been presented in “Black House”, “The Cut” or “The World of Silence”. The debuting director Lee Gyu-man tried to build the suspense from the mind of an Anesthesia Awareness victim who became a psychophat in the way to be rid from his trauma. The script cleverly played on the characters area, keep the audience guessing who’s the real culprit from several characters in the story which will bring us to a smart double twist toward the ending that widely reveals all the suspicions. Korean version region 3 DVD for this labyrinthine plot movie where everyone can becomes a suspect, now is ready for release and suit everybody who’s interested with an unexpected mystery thriller which will keep you guessing right to the very end.
The movie start with an incident in 1982, a 9 year old Sang-woo, expiriences "Anesthesia Awareness" during his own heart surgery, even though he was administered the normal amount of anesthesia. After the operation, he claims that he has been conscious throughout the surgery but can’t move any muscle or scream to tell anyone, he feels the knife slowly cuts open his chest an the doctor rearranges the organ inside him. But no one believes the traumatized little boy, even his own parents. As a result, after the incident, Sang-woo grows with an odd and rude behavior, the child also ends up brutally murdering a young girl who is his schoolmate. His parent who can’t control his weird manner anymore, then have to placed their only son in a mental institution, where several psychiatrists decide to use some radical treatment methods in order to cure him. Twenty years later, a surgeon by the name of Ryu Jae-woo (Kim Myeong-min) notices a series of gruesome murders involving medical personnel.
Even his life was being harassed by threatening phone calls from a former patient of his, Lee Myeong-seok (Kim Roe-ha), who blames him for his wife’s death during an operation and threat to kill Ryu’s wife, Heui-jin (Kim Yu-mi). Next, things are get even more complicated when a closest childhood friend of Ryu’s, the suspicious-looking Gang Uk-hwan (Yu Jun-sang) suddenly returns to Korea from U.S and pays him a visit, Gang seems upset when Ryu can’t remember their childtime vow of blood brotherhood. Ryu also has a trouble with his anesthetist partner, Jang Seok-ho (Jeong Yu-seok), in a different opinion about Ryu’s idea on using hypnosis rather than anesthesia during a difficult surgery, Jang against the idea partly because its been recommended by a strange hypnotherapy speacialist, Oh Chi-hun (Kim Tae-woo) who is seem knows Jang’s past little secret. When Heui-jin becomes suddenly collapses with an inexplicable fever, she was taken to the emergency room and they found a mysterious object in her stomach. It has no choice but perform a surgery to bring out the thing, Ryu who is reluctant to operate on his wife was forced to lead the operation when there isn’t time to get another surgeon, but things go horribly wrong.
Product Details:
Product Title:Return (DVD) (Limited Edition) (Korea Version)
Actors:Kim Myeong-min, Yu Jun-sang, Kim Tae-woo, Jeong Yu-seok, Kim Yu-mi, Kim Roe-ha, Baek Seung-hwan.
Directors: Lee Gyu-man
Format: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1, Color, NTSC
Language: Korean
Subtitle: English, Korean
Audio Specs: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1
Region: Region 3 South East Asia (including Hong Kong, S. Korea and Taiwan)
Number of discs: 2
Country Made:South Korea
Genre: Suspense-Thriller
Feature Film Running Time: 113 Minutes
Distributor: Enter One
Release Date: December 5, 2007 (Order your copy now!)
DVD Special Features:
- Audio Commentary by Director & Casts
- After Audio Commentary
- Behind The Scenes (36 mins)
- Art Design
- Charaters Images
- Costume Design
- Intra-operative Awareness
- Making of Music
- Conti Images
- Music Video
- Deleted Scenes (DD 5.1 Audio + 90 mins)
Operation Rating: 7/10
Other Medical Related Thrilling DVD: The Cut, Epitaph, Black House
A little review for Return:
Script's main trick is to keep the audience guessing as to which of the protags is actually the adult Sang-woo -- especially as it becomes clear through flashbacks that Sang-woo has been murdering everyone connected with his disastrous operation as a boy. Double twist near the end is clever, though its execution is dramatically a tad clumsy. Putative lead Kim Myeong-min is OK as the troubled Ryu, though the supporting thesps grab most of the character honors. Kim Tae-woo ("Woman Is the Future of Man") is especially good as the smoothly confidant shrink. Tech package is clean and chilly, to the usual Korean high standards. Original title translates as "Return," but pic is now being sold internationally as "Wide Awake." (Review by Derek Elley, taken from “Variety”)
Source: YesAsia, Hancinema (Photos)
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No Doubt if Pang Brothers are the productive and busiest filmmakers in Asia right now, just count how many movies they had produced lately. After Danny Pang solo project “Forest of Death” released in the home cinema market, now it’s time for the brother, Oxide Pang, his new movie “The Detective” which has just open widely in Asia last October, now is getting packed to home cinema version and “The Detective Hong Kong Version DVD” has scheduled to release this November 22, 2007. The movie was made a strong opening when its release in Hong Kong and other Asian country cinema, it does also get quite good reviews from some of the film critics. Starred by Hong Kong romantic pop idol for many years, Aaron Kwok, who’s now turn to be a characterize actor, started when he get best actor award for his best performances in “Divergence” and “After This Our Exile”.The story moves around Tam (Aaron Kwok), a broke private detective. One day, a man with nickname Fatty requested Tam to spy on a lady named Sum who wanted to kill him. This guy left Tam a picture of the lady and his offer with less of information. Tam could not refuse to accept the enticement of Fatty’s offer and then he begins the investigation. First Tam tries to collect some clues of Sum’s whereabouts from store keepers where Sum was appeared on the photograph. Tam is told to looking for Sum’s mahjong playmate, which may be able to help him. When he arrives at the first playmate’s home named Ming, Tam is dazed to find out that Ming hung himself at the living room.
In Ming’s cell phone he finds a few photos and recognized Ying, another mahjong playmate in the store. Tam believes Ying is innocent but gather clues that Ming’s business associate, Fong may be involved. Tam goes after the clues and found Fong’s address, but Fong also found dead in his house. Tam’s friend, police officer Jack verifies both deaths are suicide cases due to huge debts. But the most contradicting and puzzling part which Tam has found that large amount of cash are establish at the two victims’ residences. Becomes more intrigued with this complicated case, his investigation finally bring him to Fatty who’s actually the two victims’ common business partner and his real name was Choi.
Choi who strike with panic wanted to kill himself and before he leaps off the building of his apartment, he uttered ‘leave me alone!’ with a frightened face. Tam gathers that all these suicides are not normal with more and more victim falls in the hand of the “invisible murderer”. The detective must run against the time to protect the next target and uncover the mystery or curse behind the recent deaths, with the photo as the only clue.
Product Details:
Product Title: The Detective (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
Actors: Aaron Kwok, Liu Kai Chi, Jo Koo.
Directors: Oxide Pang
Format: Widescreen (Anamorphic), Color, NTSC
Language: Cantonese, Mandarin
Subtitle: English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese
Audio Specs: Digital Surround 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0
Region: Region 3 South East Asia (including Hong Kong, S. Korea and Taiwan)
Number of discs: 1
Country Made: China (Hong Kong)
Genre: Suspense-Thriller
Feature Film Running Time:
Distributor:
Release Date: November 22, 2007 (Order your copy now!)
Another Theory of The Detective:I've said before that the works of the Pang brothers are hit and miss, then again it's not always easy to think up of original creative work to wow an audience each time. I enjoyed their earlier film "Bangkok Dangerous", and in between they did the popular Eye franchise movies. While recent works like "Re-cycle" and "The Messengers" for Hollywood were mediocre at best, I can never forget "Diary" which was below par at best. Sometimes in trying to hard to surprise an audience with smart twists, it ends up backfiring and dragging out the final act, and unfortunately that's what happens to The Detective, essentially an Aaron Kwok vehicle in an almost one man show for the most parts. If you think he didn't deserve his acting award for “Divergence” then this other detective role provided him the necessary platform for him to show off his range of skills in handling dramatic material. Not since Inside Man did the opening credit sequence song got me grooving to the beat. Thai song Me Panda provided the perfect start to The Detective, accentuating the Chinese title that Kwok's character is a C+ grade private investigator at best, as he operates and lives in a grimy home office in the gritty streets of an unnamed Thai city, definitely not having made it big. The introduction plays out like typical detective noir, where potential business comes knocking, and provides the catalyst and spark to everything else that follows in the investigations.
Kwok's Tam is obsessive in his doggedness to get to the bottom of mysteries, though often his theories get debunked through very obvious and superficial logic. And as a reward to the audience, proving these theories is where the fun begins, as you get engaged in this investigative journey with Tam, and through his eyes, sieve through the multitudes of red herrings, courtesy of the numerous supporting acts, that get thrown your way. Most times it involves some pursuit, and I felt that the repetitiveness of it all within the same sequence took away some of its shine. But what was top notch was the building up of anticipation. Here's where the Pang bag of tricks gets dipped into again, with tight camera angles complimenting the gorgeously gritty, dirty surroundings, and punctuated with excellent sound design that builds perfect tension. You might identify these tricks as the usual from their horror movies, but when translated over for a crime thriller, they work just as well, if not better this time round. The mystery that plays out might be just plain straightforward and ordinary, if not for the sound to add an extra dimension. And here's where I found some issue with the billing of the movie as a supernatural thriller. On its own without any supernatural elements, it will probably still work, though that's not what you come to expect from a Pang brother(s) work right? However with the karmic and the spiritual worked in and for the most parts being absent from the narrative, it somehow lent itself to drag the ending a tad too long, and repeated some of the obvious just to reinforce, or in an extreme, force fitted these elements in. Without these references, I felt there were enough nice touches within the development and revelation of the mystery, though it did sag somewhere in the mid section before picking itself up again.
The Detective is still recommended for the visuals, sound design and Kwok's charismatic one man show, and I must add it does have a pretty nifty special effects shot during a revelation which impressed me. It tied up the loose ends pretty much, and while I don't see there being a sequel, there certainly is much potential to the character. (Review by Stefan Shih which taken from Moviexclusive)
Source: YesAsia
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“Someone Behind You” aka “Two People” or “Du Saramida” in its Korean title has released in South Korea last August as one of summer K-horror fest along with “Evil Twin”, “The Cut”, “Black House”, “Muoi” and “Epitaph”. Now this horror thriller which loosely based on a best selling comic book titled “Two People” get its home cinema version release following several K-horror previously which had released before on DVD. The comic that created by popular sci-fi graphic novel artist Kang Kyung Ok, tells a story about an old family curse that marking one person dead at the hands of two people in every generation, did it sound like a good and original plot? The film directed by Oh Ki Hwan (The Art of Seduction) who wants to follow the success of Korean movie which based from comic books like “Tazza” and “200 Pounds Beauty”. Oh tried staying true to comic genre and provide “Someone” as a bloodbath thriller and surprisingly become one brutal movie by its gory visuals and chilling audio effects.
Ga-in (Yoon Jin Suh, A Day For An Affair) is a typical Korean teenage girl with good grades and several friends. Her life couldn’t be happier cause she had a good-looking boyfriend Hyun Joong (Lee Ki Woo, Sad Movie), a sister who's also her best friend and a family that loves her very much. Her beautiful life suddenly turn upside down and it began when she attends her aunts wedding and witnessing she get thrown off from the balcony. The more horrifying is when she come to the hospital and found her youngest aunt cruelly slashed out her almost in a coma aunt in front of her eyes. From that day she began to encounters more series of deadly, unexplainable occurrences in her life.
It seems as if everyone suddenly has an urge to kill her, either from jealousy or by pure hatred.
Her book worm classmate tries to stab her to death with a pair of scissors, her fencing teacher tries to kill her in the girl’s locker room, even her own mother attempt to kill her. By this time, Ga-in realizes that something is just not right and starts to found a fact that she is singled out as the next in line to die from the curse that has one person in each generation die at the hands of two people close to them. Meanwhile, watching her suspicion is Suk Min (Park Ki Woong, My Tutor Friend 2), a mysterious boy rumored to have murdered his own father who seems to know more than he's willing to tell about Ga-in problems. He teaches Ga-in that the only way to survive the odd circumstances is to trust no one and then he try to help her searching for the truth about the bizarre family curse that has marked Ga-in dead by two people in her life. Now all she needs to do is identify the two killers. But who are they?
Someone Behind You (DVD) (Limited Edition) (Korea Version)
Special Features from the two discs:
Disc 1:
- Commentary Track by Director Oh Ki Hwan, Yoon Jin Suh, Lee Ki Woo, Park Ki Woong
- After Commentary
Disc 2:
- Behind The Scenes
- Character Footages
- Making Of Art, Props, Make-Up
- Comparisons between Original Comic and film
- "I Am Marked For Death"
- Deleted Scenes
- Poster Shooting Scenes
- Premiere Night Screening
- Theatrical Trailer
Product Details:
Product Title: Someone Behind You (DVD) (DTS) (Limited Edition) (Korea Version)
Actors: Yoon Jin Suh, Lee Ki Woo, Park Ki Woong.
Directors: Oh Ki Hwan
Format: Widescreen 1.85:1 (Anamorphic), Color, NTSC
Language: Korean
Subtitle: Korean, English
Audio Specs: Digital Surround 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0
Region: Region 3 South East Asia (including Hong Kong, S. Korea and Taiwan)
Number of discs: 2
Country Made: South Korea
Genre: Horror-Thriller
Feature Film Running Time: 84 Minutes
Distributor: KD MEDIA
Release Date: November 15, 2007 (Order your copy now!)
Source: YesAsia, Hancinema (Photos)
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Kim has featured mostly an all female cast to this debut film and cast Park Jin-hee who well-known as the Korean Naomi Watts as the leading lady, Park played as court nurse, Chun-ryung who investigated the mysterious death of maid-in-waiting Wol-ryung who was found hanging in her maid chamber. While Chun-ryung does an autopsy on the corpse, she finds traces of the maid having given birth and that was revealed a scandalous fact because maids are sworn to keep their chastity for the king. Chun-ryung concludes that the maid did not commit suicide, but was actually murdered, meanwhile, her superior order her to cover up the death as a suicide. Determined to get to the bottom of things, Chun-ryung undertakes her own private investigations and begin with her first suspect Jung-ryul, the one who first discovered Wol-ryung. Despite to questioning her, Jung-ryul was appears possessed and tormented by a ghost while the other maids keep their mouths tightly closed. But then step by step, Chun-ryung start to unravel many secrets inside the palace, about the corruption of the ruling class, the discovering of the seduction and exploitation of court maids by an aristocrat, and about a shocking conspiracy that leads her to Hee-bin, the royal concubine who was the mother of the only royal heir. It appears that the king has no heir by his queen and he is on the verge of naming the son of one of his concubines, Hee-bin to be his successor.
Product Details:
This edition comes with the following special features:
Movie review from Koreanfilm.org by Darcy Paquet:
It may not be possible to ever completely understand what life was like for people who lived in centuries past, given the lack of records and the vast cultural gap between us and them. Films set in the past usually end up telling us more about contemporary society than about the era on the screen. But is there anything wrong with that? Cinema is an act of imagination, and setting a film in a little-understood historical setting allows room for the imagination to extend itself. More than anything, it's the conceptual energy and narrative momentum of Shadows in the Palace that makes it an exciting discovery among this year's Korean films.
