Korea's hottest leading heartthrobs, Kwon Sang Woo (My Tutor Friend) and Song Seung Heon (He Was Cool) is back on the big screen, especially for Song who return to acting after recently completing his military service. “Fate” is gathered these real-life pals to fight and kick each other in plenty of heart-pumping action sequences package. For Kwon, this thrilling action noir also marks as his first stab at playing a malicious character, but for sure, he seems more realistic and believable than ever in this role. Directed by Kim Hae Gon (Between Love and Hate) who delivers a powerhouse action drama with ace performances from his actors. From highly difficult and grand scaled action to spur of the moment scenes with no set story boards, Song Seung Heon and Kwon Sang Woo did most the scenes themselves without stunt doubles. Their passion and dedication to delivering real, emotional actions now can be witnessed in the DVD version of the film that already available for your home cinema collection.
The film tells the story about four Inseparable friends Woo Min (Song Seung Heon), Cheol Joong (Kwon Sang Woo), Do Wan (Kim In Kwon), and Young Hwan (Ji Seong) who plot to steal money meant for the rival gang leader with hope of starting new lives. They follow through and succeed in taking the money but eventually get caught by the gang when one of the friends betrays. An arrangement is made so that the leader of the four goes to prison for the rest. Playing a scapegoat, Woo-min serves a two-year prison term, showcasing his willingness to sacrifice for his friends. Once out of prison, however, he realizes that something is amiss. His closet buddy Do Wan has become a drug addict, his girlfriend is stuck in a shady trap, and his friend-turned-enemy Cheol Joong is cruising at high speed as a ringleader who commands numerous thugs and juggles up cash to get a construction project done. He wants to forget about the past and move on but finds himself left with no choice but to revenge. Events snowball into a climactic point of no return and a ruthless game of greed and revenge begins between the betrayer and the betrayed, with only fate left to determine the outcome of the battle.Product Detail: Audio Format: DD 5.1, DTS Video Format: Widescreen 2.35:1 (Anamorphic) Languages: Korean Subtitles: English, Korean Region Code: 3 - South East Asia (including Hong Kong, S. Korea and Taiwan) Year Made: 2008 Running Time: 123 Minutes Release Date: 2008-07-07 (Order the DVD) DVD Publisher: Planis Number of Discs: 2 (Bonus 4 Postcard)
Special Features: -Making Of Fate -Behind-the-Scenes -Behind the Photo Shoot of Kwon Sang Woo and Song Seung Heon -Bloopers -Music Video: Jo Kwan Woo's Ban Jjok Sarang ("Half Love") -Sneak Preview -Theatrical TrailerBehind the Scenes: The 6 lane roads in front of City Hall were blocked off during the month long location shoots in Jeju Island, to capture a blockbuster scaled thrilling car chase scene. And the harbor front illegal trading climax scene was shot at Soo-young Yachting Bay in Busan and took a week to perfect. The scene, where the main characters all confront each other for different reasons, was shot on a yacht, the docks, with motorcycles and cars, along with dozens of extras in true blockbuster scale. With powerful and dynamic camera movement, the sharp images promise the audience will be breath-taken and blown away like never before in other films.Other Recent Release: GP506, The Chaser, L Change the World, Tale of Two Sisters, Rainbow Eyes
Before we see how Hollywood finished their attempt to remake the cult Korean horror classic “Tale of Two Sisters,” it’s very worthy to look the original version of this film on Blu-ray disc that will comes out on July 28th, 2008. As a proud one for the Asian horror film, “Tale of Two Sisters” not only success to deliver an eerie fell ghost story, but more than that it’s a character or mental study and a festive of somewhat brightfullness acting talent. With it gloomy nuance along the film, surprisingly, it becomes a very good looking movie thanks to the nice cinematography and the effective score, which in some parts were very useful to make you jump. This absolutely isn't a simple tale, as it begins you out feeling a little deranged and induces you to find out what is really going on as reality and fantasy begin to smudge and might be could make confusion at more than one point. But then, once you've think you already know what’s really going on, the film continues to pull you down dark, twisted paths. This is truly an unforgettable film that virtually compels you to watch it through a second time. When it released on the cinema, “Two Sisters” opened powerfully in South Korea dislodging "The Matrix Reloaded" from its top spot. In its first three weeks, it's racked up more than 2 million admissions (around $14.5 million), with a final tally of 3 million-plus admissions likely. This third feature of writer-director Kim Jee-woon is very different in tone from his previous movies, the black horror-comedy "The Quiet Family" and charming romantic fantasia "The Foul King." Once again, “Two Sisters” is a film that succeeds not so much through its supernatural aspects, but rather its fascinating psychological examination of grief and sadness.
In a pristine sanatorium, a doctor interviews a silent young woman about her memories of "that day." Dissolve to a car journeying through summertime landscape and three people getting out when they reach a wooden house in an idyllic, lakeside setting: father Mu-hyeon (Kim Gab-su) and daughters Su-mi (Im Su-jeong) and Su-yeon (Mun Geun-yeong). Waiting inside with a greeting as warm as a prison warden's is young stepmom Eun-ju (Jung-ah Yeom), who welcomes the two sisters who come back home after recovering their health, but Su-mi, the elder sister, intentionally avoids her and Su-yeon, the younger sister, shows a smack of fear for her stepmother. On their first night, Su-yeon sneaks in Su-mi's room confessing there is someone in her room and Su-mi sees a ghost of her late mother who hung herself in Su-yeon's closet. Strange things begin to happen since then; a ghost haunts the house and stepmother's birds are poisoned to death. Assuming Su-yeon is behind the inauspicious incidents, the stepmother locks her in the closet, and when Su-mi learns about the cruel punishment, conflict between the stepmother and two sisters gets bitter than ever. One day, Mu-hyun, the father goes to town and Su-mi finds there is no sign of her younger sister, Su-yeon and Su-mi sports Eun-joo dragging a big bag through the dark corridor leaving bloody stains behind her. Su-mi follows bloody trace of the bag and she confronts with Eun-joo on her way of tracking. They starts to fight vehemently and Su-mi falls down struck by Eun-joo in the end... A while later, Mu-hyun comes back to the house and founds Su-mi fallen on the floor alone and enraged Mu-hyun exclaims that Su-yeon was already dead??| His exclamation awakes a series of memories and hidden secrets buried deep inside of Su-mi...
Ji-woon pays great attention to details, and uses the film’s visuals not only for aesthetic value, but to carry much of the meaning and underlying themes. Although viewers may not catch all of the clues and symbolism upon first watching the film, there are a great many hints to the plot and the psychology of the characters embedded within each frame. Ji-woon directs with a deliberate, confident pace, concentrating on character and plot rather than action, and there are only a handful of obvious scare scenes in the film. However, this gives the proceedings a richness and depth that truly sets it apart from similar films. The plot is genuinely fascinating, and without relying on the easy option of a ‘big twist’ style ending, it captivates and keeps the viewer trying to work out exactly what is going on, and from which character’s perspective we are seeing events. Even after the film has ended, it is not exactly clear what has happened, and there are a number of different possible interpretations, especially regarding the supernatural elements.
Overall-Score: 4,5 stars out of 5
Product statistics: Product Title :Tale of Two Sister Blu-ray Disc Director :Kim Jee-woon Artist Name(s) :Im Su-jeong | Mun Geun-yeong | Jung-ah Yeom | Release Date :July 28, 2008 (Order your copy here) Language :Korean Subtitle :Korean, English Publisher :Tartan Video Run Time :110 Minutes Number of Discs :1
Other Asian horror titles on Region 1 DVD: “Black House” BLACK HOUSE (aka. Geomeun Jip, 2007) is a South Korean thriller that masquerades as an Asian horror film; in truth the film is more psychological than "horror" although the film's main premise is somewhat horrifying and quite disturbing. Based on the novel by Yusuke Kishi and directed by Shin Tae-Ra, the film is a definitely a relief from the usual "vengeful ghost" theme that have plagued most South Korean horror films. "Black House" definitely feels more influenced by Hollywood-style filmmaking than the traditional Korean thriller. Connection: Region 3 DVD Article
“Wide Awake” Wide Awake takes one of the real-life medical mysteries -- patients who remain fully conscious (and responsive to pain) but paralyzed during operations, called "intraoperative awareness" -- and weaves a revenge-motivated mystery plot around it. Connection: Region 3 DVD Article
Get yourself ready for a two-hour tense military horror “GP506” or The Guard Post 506 that will revolves around an unexplained mass killing of a whole squad of soldiers stationed at Guard Post 506 inside the demilitarized zone. Isolating the audience in the restricted area of no man's land at the border of North and South Korea, writer/director Kong Su Chang's begin his second feature film following his acclaimed horror “R-Point,” which was the highest-grossing Korean horror film of 2004. “GP506” also made a pretty good result when it’s debuting at #1 spot at the Korean box office on its opening week. Technically, “GP506” is not classified as a horror film but a mystery instead. But I dare you to watch it and then say that it isn’t a horror one. Just don’t go into it expecting to find any a long-haired ghost with vengeance on her mind like many Asian horrors out there–there is nary a one. Nor will you find any other conventions that plague the horror movie genre. But you will be horrified by what is happening–there were some sequences that will makes your eyes almost closed–afraid of what was coming but unable to look away. No man's land since July 27, 1953, the demilitarized zone (DMZ) remains unspoiled by humans, where rare _ and probably many unknown ― flora and fauna flourish. It's a haven for endangered wildlife, but it's also where unique viruses like the hantavirus are found. It's a real place but is shrouded with so much mystery that it allows room for fictional fantasies to take flight. While “GP506” begins like a typical Agatha Christie thriller, it has a touch of ``Alien 4'' or ``Silent Hill'' as it solely takes place within the claustrophobic labyrinth of “GP506.” Once again, this film is not recommended for weak stomachs: be prepared for lots of gore and explosive sound effects complete with an actual K2 grenade launcher.
On the 38th parallel, between the two Koreas, lies the last remnant of the Cold War. "Demilitarized" zone is perhaps the most improper name for one of the most heavily fortified places on Earth. On the south side is the tightly contained Guard Post 506 (GP506), where armed soldiers stay alert for possible aggressions from the North. One rainy evening, sergeant major Noh Seong-gyu is called to attend to an emergency. A massacre has occurred within GP506, leaving 20 dead and one unconscious. The 30-year veteran and 20 others are dispatched to investigate the bloodbath. It's a messy situation. There are no signs of external attack and the corpses are mostly unidentifiable. The entire Defense Ministry is on fire because the commander of GP506, first lieutenant Yu Jeong-u, happens to be the army chief's son. They have less than 10 hours to wrap up the case and bring back Yu's body. Corporeal Gang Jin-won, found with an axe in hand and now lying in a coma, is naturally the prime suspect. "I will now kill our entire unit. We must all be dead by the time this is discovered," says a disturbed-looking Gang in a self-taped video. It seems like another spur of the moment act by a soldier gone mad. Due to the downpour, the investigation team too becomes trapped in the GP. Noh, however, realizes that there are only 19 dead bodies. The soldiers search the maze-like GP and find lieutenant Yu, alive and traumatized. The 6 a.m. deadline draws near, but Yu refuses to break his silence and tries to escape, violently and to no avail. Yet, as Noh looks into the case, it becomes clear that there is more to it than what appears on the surface. Bizarre happenings had crippled GP506 long before the killings, but critical files have been destroyed and Yu does everything in his power to keep things hidden. Deeper into the night, one ominous secret unravels after another and the 21 investigative soldiers are doomed to face a similar fate.
Indicator Stars: 3,5 stars out of 5
DVD statistics: Product Title :The Guard Post 506 (AKA: GP506) (DVD) (Limited Edition) (Korea Version) Region Code :Region 3 Picture Format :NTSC Artist Name(s) :Cho Hyun Jae | Kong Su Chang | Cheon Ho Jin Release Date :July 5, 2008 ( Order your copy here ) Language :Korean Subtitle :Korean, English Package Weight :200 g Publisher :KD MEDIA Number of Discs :2 DVDs
This edition comes with the following special features: • Commentaries by Director Kong Su Chang, Producer Kim Wan Sik, Cheon Ho Jin, Cho Hyun Jae • Making of The Guard Post 506 • Arts and Settings • Costumes, Props, Special Effects • Making of Storyline • Theatrical Trailer • Sneak Preview • Photo Gallery
Behind The Film: "I served in the army under Korea's military regime", Kong said. "During that time, the government was in total control". Kong was a Korean language and literature major who enjoyed keeping a diary while in the military service. The government constantly inspected that diary. Kong wanted to share his observations of social irregularities in the army on the big screen. "Young soldiers are pushed to the limit in the army", Kong said. "These are stories that go behind the extremes". Kong wanted the film to look as real as possible. "That's why no female characters were cast — there are no women at the guard posts", Kong said. The film's studio set was created to look as realistic as possible. Since The Guard Post is an isolated area, the film crew couldn't even visit the zone for the film. But Kong had once visited the post while serving in the military. His assistant director and several members of the film crew had also served in the military at guard posts. To supplement their memories, Kong arranged an interview with a former guard post sergeant and collected information from photos. "Above all, the scenes had to look real, but I also wanted them to be grotesque and artistic", Kong said. Though the film is a mystery thriller the focus isn't on finding the killer. Before rehearsals at the studio, the actors fell in two rows, just as in the military. True to the strict, regimented nature of the military, the film focuses instead on how people respond to life's limits. "When writing the screenplay, I wanted Jo [the actor] to be like French actor Alain Delon's character from 'Purple Noon'," Kong said, referring to the 1960 film. In Purple Noon, which was remade as the 1999 American film "The Talented Mr. Ripley", Delon's character Tom Ripley kills his friend, suffers intense mental delusions and begins to take on the Dead Friend's persona. Jo had to similarly delude himself. Apart from characters and studio setting, Kong was aware of the historic significance of The Guard Post, which symbolizes the tragic division of South and North Korea. Kong noted a cut scene from The Guard Post that talked about "a rabbit in a submarine". "In the past, people put a rabbit inside a submarine to check how dense the air was", Kong said. Rabbits are more sensitive to oxygen than people. Thus if the rabbit died, it meant there wasn't enough oxygen in the submarine. Kong explained that the submarine symbolizes the country, and The Guard Post, a rabbit. In a way, a rabbit in a submarine is like society, according to Kong. "It could be a logical leap but I wanted to bring out how The Guard Post is isolated today". For Korean youngsters, Kong says, the army is like The Guard Post. "It [serving in the army] is a bitter experience. It places a wall between members of society". So what's next on his to-do list? Kong says he's involved in a story about the secret service in Southeast Asia. "There's no special reason — it [the secret service] has always been a subject I dreamt to depict", he said.
Product Detail:
Behind the Scenes:
Other Recent Release: GP506, The Chaser, L Change the World, Tale of Two Sisters, Rainbow Eyes
Product Detail:
Behind the Scenes:
Other Recent Release: GP506, The Chaser, L Change the World, Tale of Two Sisters, Rainbow Eyes
that will comes out on July 28th, 2008. As a proud one for the Asian horror film, “Tale of Two Sisters” not only success to deliver an eerie fell ghost story, but more than that it’s a character or mental study and a festive of somewhat brightfullness acting talent. With it gloomy nuance along the film, surprisingly, it becomes a very good looking movie thanks to the nice cinematography and the effective score, which in some parts were very useful to make you jump. This absolutely isn't a simple tale, as it begins you out feeling a little deranged and induces you to find out what is really going on as reality and fantasy begin to smudge and might be could make confusion at more than one point. But then, once you've think you already know what’s really going on, the film continues to pull you down dark, twisted paths. This is truly an unforgettable film that virtually compels you to watch it through a second time. When it released on the cinema, “Two Sisters” opened powerfully in South Korea dislodging "The Matrix Reloaded" from its top spot. In its first three weeks, it's racked up more than 2 million admissions (around $14.5 million), with a final tally of 3 million-plus admissions likely. This third feature of writer-director Kim Jee-woon is very different in tone from his previous movies, the black horror-comedy "The Quiet Family" and charming romantic fantasia "The Foul King." Once again, “Two Sisters” is a film that succeeds not so much through its supernatural aspects, but rather its fascinating psychological examination of grief and sadness.
