Korean DVD Roundup Pt. 1

Note: Budget Re-Releases are not included (everybody and their dog is doing them nowadays, it would take years). I also missed the Kim Ki-Duk boxset, because all the DVDs except the one for 파란대문 (Birdcage Inn) were older versions. But since 'Birdcage Inn' released alone once again last November 17, it will go on the next Roundup. Scores are out of 10, and the 'Overall' score counts the film rating twice. TV Dramas are not listed as we'll continue to cover them weekly in our TV Drama Reviews. Ratings are not an exact science (especially mine!), but, generally, if I did my job correctly, the little average you find at the end of every mini-review should tell you:

8.00~10.00 MUST BUY
7.00~7.99 WORTH BUYING
6.00~6.99 RENT FIRST/WORTH A LOOK
5.00~5.99 ONLY IF YOU LOVE THE FILM
0.00~4.99 AVOID

To buy the DVD, click the '1 Disc' (or more if available) link on every film.

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Spectrum - 10/28/2005
장군의 아들 (The General`s Son)
1990 - 1 Disc
Director: 임권택 (Im Kwon-Taek)
Starring: 박상민 (Park Sang-Min), 신현준 (Shin Hyun-Joon), 김승우 (Kim Seung-Woo), 방은희 (Bang Eun-Hee)
FILM: 8
Often called the Korean 'Godfather', Im Kwon-Taek's 'General's Son' trilogy is one of the best examples of early 90s Korean commercial Cinema. Telling the story of Kim Doo-Han, the legendary folk hero who made a name for himself during the colonial period, the three films are closely connected, so watching them together would be best. Still, this film can perfectly stand on its own - with the possible exception of that surprise cliffhanger finale, which the second film will directly pick up from. The story of Kim Doo-Han has been told countless times in Korean Cinema and TV Dramas, from the series of films in the 70s starring Lee Dae-Geun to the TV Drama 야인시대 (The Rustic Era) with Ahn Jae-Mo. But Im's films are not simple action flicks with the colonial period as a vague background, they're chock full of sights and sound from the era: starting from the recreation of Jong-Ro to the lobby cards for Kino Dramas and films of the period, from the 술집 (Room Salon) to the Woomi Theater. It's just a joy to watch, and that's not the only fascinating thing about this film. There's a good mixture of that rough, realistic streetfight style action you'd see later in Jung Doo-Hong's work (who, by the way, is part of the action team for this film. He doubled Park Sang-Min quite a few times here) with taekwondo, judo, boxing, fights with knives and katanas. While those fights cannot be compared to HK action from the period, it's still plenty of fun, and superbly shot by master Jung Il-Sung. Although dialogue and acting are a bit on the stiff side, and machismo abounds, the charisma and screen presence of the actors carries the film effectively. And finally, if you pay attention, you might spot a few stars of today making their first step into filmmaking, like a very young Hwang Jung-Min who's on screen for about 15 seconds, getting beat up. While Im's 하류인생 (Raging Years) might be compared to this film in some ways, the two have a clearly distinctive style. The 2003 film is certainly more polished, with better acting (and actors, I'd argue) and a more balanced storyline. But this, and the following two films of the trilogy, is such fun, sometimes in a campy way, that it shouldn't be missed. Pure adrenaline and entertainment, with Im's visual style not suffering in the process.
VIDEO: 8
The remastering process reaped good results: the film looks great. Finally realistic skin tones, no concerto of compression artifacts during the fights, and nice detail (although it can't be compared to today's transfers, for obvious reasons). Just a very pleasant way to watch this film. Very good job.
AUDIO: 6
Although not as problematic as the 'Sopyonje' audio track, there's still that slight hiss and background noise which might make it annoying. Most of the films from the era have the same problem so I've gotten used to it, but don't expect the audio quality of a 90s film from Hollywood.
SUBTITLES: 6.5
Better than in the 'Sopyonje' DVD, but still sloppy, with varying degrees of translation 'liberties' - how does 장화홍련전 (The Tale of Jang-Hwa and Hong-Ryeon) become 'Cinderella'? -, and some grammar mistakes. Still, you can easily follow the film, at least.
EXTRA FEATURES: 3.5
Barebones as it can be. A poster, a few nice still shots from the film and incomplete filmographies for the director and main cast. I'm not expecting three commentaries and 2 hours of supplements, but it's Im Kwon-Taek! How can you release DVDs of one of the most important figures in Korean Cinema without even a small essay, an interview with the director, or similar things?
VALUE FOR MONEY: 7
There's a possibility they'll release a boxset of the entire trilogy once the three parts are released separately, so unless you're a collector or crazy about Korean film, I'd wait a little and see if the boxset comes out. Certainly the film is worth the (very cheap) price, and the transfer is excellent. But if you have a limited budget, of the three recent Im Kwon-Taek releases I'd focus on 'Sopyonje' first.
OVERALL: 6.71

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Spectrum - 10/25/2005
서편제 (Sopyonje)
1993 - 1 Disc
Director: 임권택 (Im Kwon-Taek)
Starring: 오정해 (Oh Jung-Hae), 김명곤 (Kim Myung-Gon), 김규철 (Kim Gyu-Cheol)
FILM: 10
A timeless masterpiece I wouldn't hesitate to list amongst my favourite 50 Korean films of all time. It shows the passage of time, the changing of Korean culture affected by Western influences, the painful lives of Pansori performers around that time, and tells one of those classic stories that will convey the same feelings even 60 years from now. I'd argue director Im has made better films, especially in the 80s, but this is still one of the best Korean films of all time. Subtle and powerful at the same time, touching and intelligent, with an incredible performance by Oh Jung-Hae, and Im's usual touch, aided by DP Jung Il-Sung's masterful vision. If you want to see your first 'old' Korean film, this could be one of your best choices.
VIDEO: 9
Simply put, this film has never looked so good. The remastered telecine offers a transfer which not only is an incredible improvement over the VHS versions (obviously), but also goes beyond any expectation. Great colours, great details, and compression artifacts are almost absent (even though there's an occasional scratch here and there, but that's mostly down to the lousy preservation of older prints). Magnificent transfer.
AUDIO: 5
Considering they spent so long remastering the video, a little audio remastering wouldn't have hurt. There's always that 'vinyl record' effect which plagues most films' mono tracks from the 50s up to the early 90s, and a little hiss which will be more noticeable if you have a good surround system. You can still watch the film comfortably, but the audio is just plain average.
SUBTITLES: 5
Lots of grammar mistakes, translation is quite ordinary, especially when it comes to culturally-specific elements of the dialogue, and in most places the subtitles are just sloppy. Not a good job.
EXTRA FEATURES: 3
Just a poster and a couple of incomplete filmographies. I understand there's very little in the way of material for extra features when it comes to old(er) films like this one, but taking KOFA's releases as an example, a few essays and interviews with leading critics and people involved in the film wouldn't have been that hard.
VALUE FOR MONEY: 8
You get one of Im Kwon-Taek's greatest works for 2/3 of what you'd usually pay for a Korean film, and it looks absolutely great. Shame about the audio, subtitles and extra features, but for now this is a must buy. Hopefully someone will release a better version in the near future, putting the film in the right context with the help of extra features.
OVERALL: 7.14

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Spectrum - 10/25/2005
춘향뎐 (Chunhyang)
2000 - 1 Disc
Director: 임권택 (Im Kwon-Taek)
Starring: 조승우 (Jo Seung-Woo), 이효정 (Lee Hyo-Jung), 이정헌 (Lee Jung-Heon)
FILM: 7
The west has Romeo & Juliet, Korea Sung Chun-Hyang and Lee Mong-Ryong. The story of Chunhyang has been told countless times, from novels to comics, from Kino Dramas to Films, TV Dramas and even adult films. But Im Kwon-Taek's version is a little different: he didn't merely use the most famous folk tale in Korean culture, but wrapped it around the quintessential traditional musical form in Korea: pansori. The film starts with people going to a pansori performance, wondering if they'll be able to sit through 5 hours of a man singing a story they knew since they were little - bit which was taken off the International Version of the film, either because it didn't fit with the exoticism the rest of the film oozes, or they were afraid people would misinterpret that '5 hours' comment and would run out of the theater in droves. For that reason alone, Im Kwon-Taek's 'Chunhyang' is much different from all the other versions of the story on the big screen (of the 4 I've seen anyway). The film often follows the rhythm imposed by Master Jo Sang-Hyun, almost acting on command, hearing his great and thunderous voice. But Im wanted to use this film to reconnect the new audience (read: teenagers) so in love with Western culture with Korean customs and traditions. And that becomes the problem. Not certainly for the noble intention of re-acquainting young Koreans with their roots, but because every single cliche in the book is followed to a T, almost forced on the story. It seems we're simply looking at walking icons, instead of characters, and it all becomes a collection of 'in Korea, we used to do like this' pillow shots. The story drags on for too long, and loses most of the impact when the pansori is absent, in part because youngsters Jo Seung-Woo and Lee Hyo-Jung weren't up to the task of carrying such roles. Jo improved by leaps and bounds in just five years, but Lee (acting in her first and only film so far) is incredibly awkward and unnatural. It might be because I've been jaded by watching too many Historical Dramas, but if we forget for a moment the amazing pansori performance, Chunhyang feels too much like a 'Joseon for Dummies' instruction book. Still, it's definitely one of Im's prettiest films, and certainly an important work which opened Korean Cinema to more acceptance in the eye of Western critics and viewers.
VIDEO: 8
Can't complain, really. The remastered telecine gives us a pretty stunning transfer, with vivid colours and great details. But there's an exception: the image shakes when you look at it in depth. I don't know what's the technical term, but it's as if someone was shaking the camera in a barely noticeable way while shooting. It's not really that annoying, but it's weird nonetheless. Otherwise, great transfer.
AUDIO: 6.5
Shame films that are five years old have audio tracks in this condition. No, it's not that bad, and you won't notice a thing unless there's a relatively silent scene. But there's a slight hiss in the background which continues throughout the entire film, a surprising thing to find in such a young film.
SUBTITLES: 6.5
I would have given an 8 for these subtitles, if not for a peculiar thing: whenever characters use 'I' (as in 'I am'), the subtitles take off that 'I' and jump down one line, a weird formatting problem. But you'll get used to (or irritated by) it quickly, and the rest of the subtitles are quite fine.
EXTRA FEATURES: 4.5
There's a nice 2 minutes video feature from the shooting, with Im shown getting angry with the young actors, and even jokingly asking Jo Seung-Woo if he ever had sex before his first bed scene with Lee Hyo-Jung. But sadly that's just about everything we get. There's a poster, the usual nice photo gallery and incomplete filmographies, and that's it.
VALUE FOR MONEY: 7
Let's see it from this perspective: this is the first complete version of the film on DVD, which should instantly disqualify the French and American DVDs from contention. Plus it's cheap, it has a good transfer, and the film is likely to have a lot of fans. So it's worth buying. But then again, there's no extras, the subtitles are weird, sound is nothing special, and you could feel for such a young film, for something so important in opening Korean Cinema to a Western audience, at least a bit of supplement material could have been there.
OVERALL: 6.64

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Midas Entertainment - 07/20 and 10/14/2005
Note: This was released on two parts, but I'm putting them together here.
이공 (異共: Twentidentity)
2005 Digital Short Project, 20 Short Films from 20 Directors - 2+2 Discs
FILMS (Average of all Shorts): 6.8
- 1. 異共 (Under a Big Tree) - 7.5
Directed by Park Kyung-Hee [미소 (A Smile, 2004)] - Starring Hwang Jung-Min, Chu Sang-Mi
A delightful little 'date movie', or is it? Hwang and Chu prepare their lines, then start talking to each other about their personal lives, in bizarre and charming fashion. Reminds of Park Joong-Hoon and Choi Jin-Shil's date at the park in Lee Myung-Se's 나의 사랑, 나의 신부 (My Love, My Bride). Look out for the hilarious cameo by Director Im Soon-Rye!
- 2. 섰다 (Sutda) - 7
Directed by Kim Ui-Seok [청풍명월 (Sword in The Moon, 2003)] - Starring Kim Soo-Hyun
'Sutda' is one of the many games you can play with Hwatoo, Korean cards. It's a pretty strong film about the addictive nature of gambling. Kim Soo-Hyun, a veteran of Ryu Seung-Wan films, plays a young man addicted to the card game, trying to win back all the money he lost. Feels a bit forced, but really funny and the acting is good.
- 3. 20mm 두꺼운 (Twenty Millimeter Thick) - 8
Directed By Lee Hyun-Seung [시월애 (Il Mare, 2000)] - Starring Yeom Jung-Ah
Yeom Jung-Ah is talking with her friend inside a cafe, and while they mimic another couple outside who seems to be fighting, they talk about their love lives. Very natural acting, very ironic and charming. Yeom, as always, is fantastic, offering a mix of sexy charisma and down to earth personality.
- 4. 순수 (Innocence) - 7
Directed by Oh Byung-Cheol [숲속의 방 (The Room in the Forest, 1992)] - Starring Jo Eun-Sook
Sort of a feminist Miike Takashi meets Jang Jin, it stars Jo as a woman going through several marriages, using her cruel and calculating attitude to get the best out of each and every one of them. Very dark black comedy, with the right amount of fun, and Jo is quite good.
- 5 스무 켤레 (Fucked Up Shoes) - 8
Directed by Yoo Young-Shik [아나키스트 (Anarchists, 2000)] - Starring Kim In-Kwon
Hilarious, crazy little short about the shoe culture in Korea. Or better, the custom of taking off your shoes when you enter a Korean restaurant, just like they do at home. A sort of 'tell me what you wear, I'll tell you how you live' comedy, with a final twist. One of the most enjoyable of the bunch.
- 6. 스무고개 (20 Questions) - 8.5
Directed by Lee Soo-Yeon [4인용 식탁 (The Uninvited, 2003)] - Starring Cheon Jung-Myung, Choi Deok-Moon
Ever played one of those '20 Questions' games? You keep asking questions to guess what the answer is. This time, Cheon Jung-Myung's life is on the line, in this delirious little black comedy. Incredibly simple, but the absurdity of the whole thing will make your jaw hit the floor. One of the most entertaining and creative of the collection.
- 7. 이십세법 (Twenty's Law) - 5
Directed by Jo Min-Ho [정글쥬스 (Jungle Juice, 2002)] - Starring Bong Tae-Gyu
Tries really hard to be funny and creative, using a mix of Martial Arts, post-atomic styled SF and wild comedy. But it only feels cheap, cliched, and annoying. A few funny and creative ideas, but it's no 다찌마와 리 (Dajjimawa Lee).
- 8. To The 21st - 5
Directed by Jang Hyun-Soo [누구나 비밀은 있다 (Everybody Has Secrets, 2004)]
Has interesting ideas, about a woman taking revenge on all the men who did... uhm... 'bad deeds' to her (I'm trying to avoid spoilers here). But very flat and uninspired.
- 9. 이 공을 받아줘 (Pass Me) - 7
Directed by Kim Tae-Yong [가족의 탄생 (The Birth of a Family, 2006)] - Starring Jeon Hye-Jin
Quite creative short starring Jeon as a young girl trying to forget her breakup. In the middle, it ventures into abstract images, and that's when things get interesting. Visually very well done, but lacks energy.
- 10 따로 또 같이 (Alone Together) - 9
Directed by Hur Jin-Ho [외출 (April Snow, 2005)] - Starring Yoon Jin-Seo
Ladies and gents, this is one incredible little short. It manages, in under 10 minutes, to be as touching and intelligent as Hur's feature films. With longer hair, Yoon looks a lot like a younger version of Shim Eun-Ha, and the film has a similar tone to Hur's older films. Just a fantastic little film, with great natural acting from Yoon and Kim Young-Jae. I'd track down this release for Hur's short alone. It's that good.
- 11. 스무살 (Twenty) - 3
Directed by Park Gi-Yong [낙타(들) (Camel(s), 2004]
Ahhh... Park Gi-Yong. What can I say, I detested all his movies so far. The titles of his short and feature films have always something to do with desert (Motel Cactus, Desert, Camel...), which is the kind of emotional and psychological response I usually have after watching his work. He's a respected professor, and has good ideas. But I don't exactly have a high opinion of directors who try to represent realism by tossing some empty pretentious moments in the mix. There's scenes in this short that virtually anyone could shoot. And even though it's supposed to highlight a young man's psychological state when reaching the age of 20, and show how his depression is affecting him, it does so with such blandness, it just feels like a bunch of high school students having fun with a camera. Terrible.
- 12 비밀과 거짓말 (Secrets and Lies) - 8.5
Directed by Min Gyu-Dong [내 생애 가장 아름다운 일주일 (All For Love, 2005)] - Starring Ryu Seung-Beom
Probably the funniest short of the entire collection. Ryu Seung-Beom plays a young man who, before marriage, gets to 'know better' his mother-in-law. Then he gets to know some secrets, and tell some lies. Sexy, funny, with Ryu's usual charisma and great little touches of black comedy. Another nice work by Min, who's quickly becoming one of the most interesting directors in Chungmuro. Plus anything using 3rd Line Butterfly (by far the best indie rock band in Korea) songs earns extra points.
- 13. 사랑을 찾아서 (Looking for Sex) - 6.5
Directed by Lee Yong-Bae [소나기 (The Shower, 1995)] ANIMATION
The only animated short of the collection. Very abstract and quite creative (also, the most explicit of all the shorts, in a way). Characters morph into different forms (sexual or not) to guitar riffs. Interesting.
- 14. Race - 8
Directed by Kwon Chil-In [싱글즈 (Singles, 2003)]
The sexiest, most ironic of all comedies in the collection, no surprise coming from the director of 'Singles'. A weird encounter between a woman looking for money, and a man looking for a quick one night stand. Hilarious and smart, it takes every rule of 신파 (shinpa, tacky melodrama) and makes fun of them.
- 15. 질주 환상 (A Runner’s High) - 7
Directed by Kim So-Young [황홀경 (I'll Be Seeing Her, 2002)]
Directed by documentarist, critic and sometimes director Kim So-Young, this is probably the most experimental of all works. A woman returns from what looks to be a very meaningful trip, then she tries to piece her thoughts together with images, sounds, and written words. Then the short moves outside, and it loses most of its power. But still an interesting work.
- 16. 네이버후드 (Neighborhood) - 6
Directed by Hwang Gyu-Deok [철수♡영희 (Chulsoo & Younghee, 2005)]
A Fantasy looking like a Modern Dance performance. Visually beautiful and with interesting editing, but very flat. And... boring?
- 17. 내겐 너무나 이쁜 당신 (Oh My Baby) - 6
Directed by Jung Byung-Gak [코르셋 (Corset, 1996)]
A short about the difficulties of people with handicaps in dealing with city life. Has a few interesting ideas, but lacks energy, and its themes would fit something like the 'If You Were Me' series, especially if expanded from this under 10 Minutes format.
- 18. 스무살의 모바일퀸 (With Mobile Queen It's Different) - 7
Directed by Lee Young-Jae [내 마음의 풍금 (The Harmonium In My Memory, 1999)] - Starring Kim Hye-Na
A satire of the 'mobile phone culture' in Korea, mixed with other themes, set to a trippy soundtrack. Kim Hye-Na is always lovely, and the film has a nice rhythm, with a few really fun situations.
- 19. 편의점 2시 (2 O'clock) - 4
Directed by Kim Tae-Gyun [늑대의 유혹 (Romance of Their Own, 2004)] - Starring Lee Cheong-Ah
Sounds and look like your average 순정만화 (those comics read by teenager girls in Korea). And it's as lame as most of those comics, as well. No surprise, from the director of one of last year's trendy net-novels turned film, the annoying 늑대의 유혹 (Romance of Their Own).
- 20. Sink & Rise - 8
Directed by Bong Joon-Ho [괴물 (The Host, 2006)] - Starring Byun Hee-Bong, Yoon Je-Moon
Byun plays a street vendor doing business near the Han River (preview of his role in 괴물 (The Host)?). A man and his daughter approach him, and they propose an intriguing bet: if the boiled egg he'll throw in the river sinks, he'll give him his daughter. If not, they'll take all the junk food they want without paying. Bong could shoot a great movie in his sleep, and this little short proves that. Nothing sticks out particularly, but it has such a weirdly charming atmosphere I watched it twice.
VIDEO: 6.5
Sadly only letterboxed widescreen, but I guess being Digital Films you won't lose incredibly. The video quality varies, but is generally pretty good.
AUDIO: 6.5
Again, varies wildly, and DD2.0 won't use your surround system too much, but at least dialogue is clear.
SUBTITLES: 8
A few spelling mistakes, and they also wrongly count money (it's 10 times less what they mention) in 'Sutda', but overall quite good.
EXTRA FEATURES: 7.5
Extras are similar for both releases: there's a short Trailer, a Music Video using Jo Gyu-Chan's beautiful 'Single Note', then the rest of the features differ between the two discs. One has a 20 Minute clip from the Opening Ceremony of the Korean Film Academy's 20th Anniversary, the other a tribute to late director Hwang Byung-Gak, along with the Closing Ceremony. There's also short interviews with all the directors (2 minutes each), and about 20 minutes of behind the scene footage.
VALUE FOR MONEY: 8
This was a collection of shorts commissioned by the Korean Film Academy (to alumni directors) to celebrate its 20th Anniversary. Of course it would be better to get the whole collection, but if you must only buy one, pick the first part. The Hur Jin-Ho short is worth the price of the set alone, and the extras are good enough.
OVERALL: 7.16

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10/14/2005 - Daewon Entertainment
신암행어사 (新暗行御史, The Phantom Master)
2004 - Korea/Japan Co-Production - 1 Disc
Director: 안태근 (Ahn Tae-Geun)
Voices: 구자형 (Gu Ja-Hyung), 배정미 (Bae Jung-Mi), 전광주 (Jeon Gwang-Joo)
FILM: 7
Based on Yoon In-Hwan and Yang Kyung-Il's manhwa of the same title (Korean, that is), 'The Phantom Master' is the first co-production in the animation field between Korea and Japan. In the Joseon Dynasty, 암행어사 (暗行御史, Amhaengeosa) were secret emissaries of the King, sent around the country to right wrongs undercover. You can see the role played out in YMCA 야구단 (YMCA Baseball Team) and 춘향뎐 (Chunhyang), both by Jo Seung-Woo. But this secret agent of the King was also used on several older films, like Lee Gyu-Woong's 1967 film 암행어사 (The Secret Emissary). This co-production takes the role of those emissaries and gives it a fantasy spin, with our 'New' Secret Emissaries (hence the -- Korean and Japanese -- titles) able to command hordes of phantom warriors (hence the English title) just with the powers hidden inside his amulet, holding it and saying '암행어사 출두야! (Secret Emissaries... Appear!). So by employing parts of Korean customs with the kind of sci-fi action associated with Japanese Anime, here's the best of both worlds: something appealing to both Koreans and Japanese, but also feeling fresh to them (respectively). Essentially, the story takes elements from several Korean folk tales -- Chunhyang itself, 바보 온달과 평강 공주 (Princess Pyung-Gang and On-Dal the fool), and more -- and gives it a new spin in the form of Japanese-styled Sci-Fi. This in itself is quite interesting, taking the POV of Non-Koreans. But if you've been exposed to those tales before, most of the story will seem a little predictable, at least at the beginning. But then the film completely turns those stories over their head, presenting new plot developments. It's all pretty intriguing, and it's certainly a well produced, interesting Animation film. But there is none of the sense of humanity you could see in Korean animation films like 마리 이야기 (My Beautiful Girl, Mari) and 원더풀 데이즈 (Wonderful Days). And, also, the excitement and creativity of the best Japanese Anime features of the last few years is mostly absent. It al feels like something you've already seen before, done better. Which, in itself, is what makes 'The Phantom Master' a mildly entertaining, well produced, but ultimately flat film.
VIDEO: 6.5
Disappointing, considering the Japanese version is supposedly really good, and all they needed was a port. Transfer is too bright, it has booming whites, and several little problems with anti-aliasing, edge enhancement, and fine detail. Turning down the brightness a little helps things, but it's not a good transfer at all.
AUDIO: 7.5
Good track. Loud, clear dialogue, and the surround effects get involved during action scenes.
SUBTITLES: 3
Korean subtitles only. And they differ a little from the dialogue in the Korean version, used mostly to translate the Japanese version (which is very similar anyway).
EXTRA FEATURES: 6.5
A pretty decent amount of extras. There's a collection of Japanese and Korean trailers (including TV spots), a 16 Minutes featurette about the dubbing process, interviewing the Korean voice actors. There's also a 13 Minutes CG Making of (in Japanese with Korean Subs) where some of the animators show us the steps the film goes through before the end result. A little dry, but quite interesting.
VALUE FOR MONEY: 6
I'd expect this film to get a decent release in the International market, given the involvement of big Anime players from Japan. So I'd wait a little, wait if a US or UK release pops up. Of course this DVD has no English subtitles, so this could be the major reason why you should wait.
OVERALL: 6.21

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enterOne - 10/14/2005
댄서의 순정 (Innocent Steps)
2005 - 2 Disc DIRECTOR'S CUT
Director: 박영훈 (Park Young-Hoon)
Starring: 문근영 (Moon Geun-Young), 박건형 (Park Geon-Hyung), 박원상 (Park Won-Sang), 윤찬 (Yoon Chan, 김기수 (Kim Gi-Soo), 정유미 (Jung Yoo-Mi), 이대연 (Lee Dae-Yeon), 김지영 (Kim Ji-Young)
FILM: 5
Fact: Moon Geun-Young is a box office machine, collecting more hits in three years than people twice her age do all over their careers. Fact: Park Geon-Hyung is one of the country's most popular musical actors, in an era when musicals have hit the Million viewers and are even helping movie stars become, well... stars? Just look at Jo Seung-Woo's popularity before and after his musicals 'Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hide' and 'Hedwig'. Possibility: this is nothing more than a star vehicle made to bank on the popularity of its two young stars, without pretending to be more than the sum of its parts. And if you look at the film that way, with lower expectations, you might even enjoy it. But let's face, this film is of, for and about Moon Geun-Young, the most famous 18 year old in the country, as adorable and natural as smart and mature compared to many starlets who take fame for granted. Yes, mature, because Miss Moon only works on a film per year, not to interfere with her studies, and while her roles don't seem to change too much (always romantic comedies or melodramas with touches of comedy), she's slowly evolving under our eyes. If you look at her role here and in her latest work 어린신부 (My Little Bride), there's a certain air of newfound maturity, both sexual and psychological, in Moon's character. Sure, she can still do films like this one for the next 3-4 years and nobody will complain, but I'd expect something even more mature in her next project. She's not jumping the ball and becoming the next Lee Hyo-Ri, she's just showing through her films that... Hey, 'I'm growing up too.' Which brings us to this Director's Cut version. How do you fit another 15-20 minutes into a film which was already overstaying its welcome by a good 15 Minutes? I have no idea, but I'd say while it's the same film more or less, some things are a little more fleshed out, like the hilarious performance of Lee Dae-Yeon and Kim Ji-Young (welcome back!), and more dance. Yet, it's still a cliched and tired exercise in melodramatic shenanigans and little more. I can't say it stressed or even challenged Moon's considerable acting talent, but if you're part of the target demographic (45 Million Koreans), you won't complain too much. Unless you're looking for a strong script, subtlety and great character development in a film like this, which would be the equivalent of going to a Kimchi Festival to look for Nouvelle Cuisine.
VIDEO: 8
Predictably a really pretty transfer from enterOne. I'd say it's better than the transfer on the Theatrical Cut, which had some problems. Nice colours and details, skin tones look natural, and there's no excessive egde enhancement or compression artifacts. Good job.
AUDIO: 7
Not a film for the surround obsessed, what you get is loud and clear dialogue and solid use of the surround system for the dance scenes. Nothing else.
SUBTITLES: 6.5
I would have given 7 or even more to these subs... but. The basic translation is good, when things aren't too difficult, and you'll probably follow the story with no major problem. But any time the dialogue gets a little culturally-specific (Moon Geun-Young's Yeonbyeon dialect, the little Quiz Game they play with Important Korean books) it all goes to hell. Reading the subs, not realizing the difference between Korean spoken in Seoul and in Yeonbyeon is extreme, you'd think Moon was talking like a geek. But even though during the course of the film they do make fun of her accent, it's not because she's speaking some weird gibberish. And as always cultural appropriation is one of my pet peeves. What's the point of making up famous English books when Park Geon-Hyung is asking Moon about questions she will be asked to gain KOREAN Citizenship? Do they ask people if they know Cinderella?
EXTRA FEATURES: 8
enterOne's usual excellent job. If this were a more interesting film, they'd probably go up to 9. But there's plenty to watch here: a 22 Minutes interview with Cast and Director (very funny), 8 Minutes of Deleted Scenes, a 32 Minutes Making Of, 20 Minutes of Teaser Trailer Making with Director Yong Yi, an 18 Minutes Poster Shoot Video from Yeonbyeon, and finally a great 'Dance Lesson' from the Dance Directors of the film. Thanks to this DVD, you'll learn the basics of Rumba and Cha Cha Cha, and dance like the stars in the film. Pretty cool supplements.
VALUE FOR MONEY: 7
The film is just average, but let's not kid ourselves: it's not art, it's a commercial machine. It's like Hollywood, only Moon Geun-Young is adorable for real, not pretending to be so. So lower your expectations and watch as she grows as an actress and a person right under our eyes. Expecting more than that would be silly. Let's allow Moon to take her 'innocent steps' now, there's plenty of time for things to get a little less innocent in the future...
OVERALL: 6.64

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enterOne - 10/13/2005
이대로 죽을 순 없다 (Short Time)
2005 - 2 Disc
Director: 이영은 (Lee Young-Eun)
Starring: 이범수 (Lee Beom-Soo), 최성국 (Choi Sung-Guk), 변주연 (Byun Joo-Yeon), 손현주 (Son Hyun-Joo), 강성연 (Kang Sung-Yeon), 조민기 (Jo Min-Gi)
FILM: 5.5
Essentially, a mix of the 투캅스 (Two Cops) type comedy with melodramas like Im Chang-Jung's latest 파송송 계란탁 (Cracked Eggs & Noodles). Although it doesn't pound on the dramatic antics, it doesn't fully take advantage of the comic talents of its stars either. Choi Sung-Gook is hilarious as always, but both Lee Beom-Soo's bizarre style and Son Hyun-Joo's ad-lib prowess seems to always fall into second place. Byun Joo-Yeon is cute as a button, as always, but the film seems to care more about developing the central McGuffin (which becomes repetitive after a while) of the film than entertaining the public with comedy. Bland and uninspired direction, Kang Sung-Yeon -- who can be quite good when she wants -- is completely wasted, and most of the film seems like a low key mix of comedy and drama, which ends up being more a 'jack of all trades, master of none' than effectively morphing from one to the other like so many of Chungmuro's most successful comedies.
VIDEO: 7
Nice colours and no particular damage to the print, but lacks in fine detail and blacks are not the best. Nothing sticking out negatively, but nothing on the other side of the coin either.
AUDIO: 7
Nice, clear dialogue, and the music pumps during the chase scenes, but not much surround activity otherwise.
SUBTITLES: 7
Good translation for 'normal' dialogue, but completely fails to capture the various comic elements, making the film less funny than it really is.
EXTRA FEATURES: 7.5
Quite a good Audio Commentary with the Director and Lee Beom-Soo, who discuss several elements of filmmaking. One interesting thing I got to know from this was that Director Lee is actually Oh Ji-Hye's husband, and all his family (from Oh herself to her mother and father - the great theater actor Oh Hyun-Kyung) worked in the film. The rest is mostly filler with a few nice interviews thrown in, but there's a good amount of material to be enjoyed.
VALUE FOR MONEY: 6.5
A disappointing comedy, considering the talent involved. After a few hits -- in every sense -- in the last few years, Lee Beom-Soo could have done better. DVD is not bad.
OVERALL: 6.57

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enterOne - 10/07/2005
첼로 Cello)
2005 - 1 Disc + OST
Director: 이우철 (Lee Woo-Cheol)
Starring: 성현아 (Sung Hyun-Ah), 박다안 (Park Da-An), 정호빈 (Jung Ho-Bin)
FILM: 5
They live a perfect life, but... ahhh, something is up, right? It seems 2 out of 3 Korean horror films tend to criticize the emotional emptiness you frequently find in the upper/elite class. But the sole fact 'Cello' isn't another illegitimate child of the 'Deadly McGuffin' tribe elevates it a notch from the rest. Sadly, the film shoots itself in the foot with its absence of any kind of rhythm and energy. Sure, Sung Hyung-Ah does an admirable job (unlike most of the other cast members), but this film's script doesn't even deserve a good actress like her. Take the most interesting elements of all the better K-horror films that transcend genre and come closer to the psychological thriller, add a few bad examples from lesser fare, mix it all in a couple of months and serve it cold... very cold. Sung's performance aside, Jung Ho-Bin is too stiff to create any interest around, and Jin Ji-Hee (playing Yoon-Hye, Sung's younger daughter in the film) overacts like there's no tomorrow. You might say.. cruel! She's only a kid. But believe me, I've seen her act in a 170 Episodes Daily TV Drama, and there's some kids who should just study and play at her age, acting is not for everybody. 'Cello' has some interesting moments, and the usual superb production design (Director Lee was formerly involved in CF and worked as visual effects supervisor on many films and TV Dramas). But, essentially, it's another producer driven vehicle, employing a first time director who would probably do something entirely different if given the chance. If you take off Sung and the soundtrack, not much remains. My biggest problem with the film is that, even with such a silly script, it could make something interesting. Show me some fire, give space to Sung Hyun-Ah to flesh her acting muscles, make events a little more striking and focus less on how good the lighting is for a particular scene. This is... nothing. It's like a CF: pretty, shiny, without major shortcomings, but something you'll forget about five minutes after it's over.
VIDEO: 7.5
Quite a good transfer, with a few exceptions. The 'wobbly' scene changes are a bit extreme sometimes, more so than on most recent Korean releases. There's also a few white spots, and the occasional compression artifacts. But overall, quite good.
AUDIO: 7
Surrounds are used smartly, but not much action anyway. Dialogue is clear and loud, and the beautiful soundtrack comes through effectively. Good job.
SUBTITLES: 7
Strange subtitles. For the first 60-70 Minutes, nothing seems to be wrong, really. The grammar is good, translation is decent (with the usual cultural problems popping up), timing is satisfactory, even though some lines flash by a little too fast. Then, the last 20 minutes become a collection of almost incomprehensible spelling and grammar mistakes. It looks like the main subtitler said: "I'm going out to buy cigarettes", never coming back. So his 10 year old kid took over, and had to work with his rudimentary English language skills to complete things. Or maybe the curse of the deadly Cello hit him...
EXTRA FEATURES: 7
Thought this would be a barebones release, given the film's failure at the box office. But it's actually a decent purchase, when you consider the beautiful OST is included (mostly famous classical pieces). There's a commentary, but it's as deadly boring as the film, so much I had a hard time staying awake while listening to it. Rest of the extra features are the usual trailers/music videos, and a good 35 Minutes Making of Documentary.
VALUE FOR MONEY: 7
I can't say I'm in love with horror films to begin with (I'm more a 'psychological thriller' type, perhaps because I think sometimes people are scarier than any supernatural being), but I'm getting tired of the continued producer-driven, soulless, trite fare Chungmuro is producing every Summer. Was 2003 a flash in the pan? Only one horror film made decent money this Summer, so perhaps things will change in the coming years.
OVERALL: 6.57

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Spectrum - 09/28/2005
홍상수 콜렉션 (Hong Sang-Soo Collection)
1996/1998/2000 - 3 Disc
Director: 홍상수 (Hong Sang-Soo)
FILM 1 - 돼지가 우물에 빠진 날 (The Day a Pig Fell Into The Well) - 8.5
Films taught us that villains populate the planet, in different shades of black. You have the completely black, the egregious baddie from cartoonish Hollywood flicks and Korean TV Dramas, or the charismatic anti-heroes and villains that often show up in today's Cinema. But Hong Sang-Soo's characters are a bit more difficult to label, and that's probably the reason why I love his films. The decadence of his characters has none of that pseudo-intellectual, self-important 'pathos' some arthouse gurus fill their films with. They're not straight out villains, they're definitely not 'good guys', but something draws you to them. Hong's characters are 친절한 괴물 (Gentle Monsters), they're not comfortable to watch at first, because sometimes they're too close to home. They're not selfish for any particular reason other than their own self-imposed isolation, they don't exploit other people because they were victim of a bad upbringing, or society wronged them. They're simply... human? Full of flaws, some bigger than others, some more explicit. They lie, they talk behind people's backs, they scheme to get what they want, they exploit other people any chance they get, if that means achieving their goals. There's no modus operandi, really. It's just human weakness. And Hong is always able to find a certain bizarre beauty in that, simple as that might turn out to be. This, Hong's debut, is probably his most strikingly dark and powerful. Using the ennui of his 'gentle monsters', Hong paints an incredibly realistic potrait of mid 90s Korea, some of its inhabitants stuck in a limbo between past and present, seemingly unable -- unwilling? -- to move forward. Hong's most intelligent work, free from the nervous introspection his later films would often fall into, with an almost ironic savagery at play which is quite entertaining to watch, once you've become accustomed to Hong's rhythm, or when you strip yourself from the reaction that 'proper' social behavior almost dictates. Also, this is Song Kang-Ho's debut, although in a small role.
VIDEO: 6.5
Incredibly grainy, and don't tell me that's because of the film. Colours and contrast are generally fine, although there's really not much detail, and this film needs a remastering pretty badly (wonder why they didn't bother with it, after remastering the other two.)
AUDIO: 6
Nothing out of the ordinary. No major problems, but there's a slight touch of hiss, which might annoy those with very sophisticated surround systems.
SUBTITLES: 4
Ouch. A collection of grammar, spelling, translation mistakes. You'll understand the story, more or less, but really a lazy job here.
EXTRA FEATURES: 6
That's the average of 8 (if you speak Korean) and 4 (if you don't). There isn't much, and it's not that long, but extremely interesting. My two favorite critics, Oh Dong-Jin and Kim Young-Jin, review the film, talking about how Hong was one of the leading voices in the renaissance of Korean Cinema. Only about 13 Minutes, but great material, as always with Oh and Kim.
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FILM 2 - 강원도의 힘 (The Power of Kangwon Province) - 8
Ever been on a school or work MT, a trip to a place far away from what you call home? And what if you go away from a physical place, trying to find what your mind considers 'home'. And, again, what if when you get there, you just feel lonely, even more than before? Hong makes Kangwon Province look like heaven, without resorting to exotica (like... some other famous Korean director would do?). Using Kim Yoo-Seok and Baek Jong-Hak's characters, Hong offers us another chapter of his 'Gentle Monster' decalogue, this time showing how attitudes of men change depending on whom they deal with. Using the utopia of Kangwon Province -- next to Jeju Island, the most popular tourist spot in Korea - as a place where you can strip yourself of the social chains 'home' forces on you. But once this liberating trip is made, once the characters free themselves from the hypocrisy they have to hide behind in the city, they find out nothing has changed. That they're still weak human beings, prey of their instincts, of their selfishness, of their human weaknesses, their inability to communicate, and their loneliness. Compared to Hong's debut, 'Kangwon' is clearly more ironic, or at least acknowledges how ridiculous and surreal some of its situations turn out to be. Oh Yoon-Hong, Kim Yoo-Seok and Baek Jong-Hak's performances are so natural I'd even feel bad calling it acting. And, perhaps, one of the reasons why Hong polarizes opinions so wildly is that his films force you to think about yourself. Not in a pretentious way, not trying to ape 'cinema verite' aesthetics or other flagbearers of the arthouse world. But simply by showing what often is hidden behind the facade men put in front of people. And once you get past that initial embarrassment, awkwardness and inaccessibility, you'll have fun. Because, deep inside, we're all 'gentle monsters'. It's just that some of us are better than others at hiding it.
VIDEO: 7.5
Again, lots of grain, but this time it's the good one! Transfer looks wonderful, a vast improvement over the previous DVD. And, of course, this is the original aspect ratio, so no boom mikes on display. Awww... I already miss it.
AUDIO: 6.5
Again, nothing particularly special. Clear dialogue, and since there's almost no soundtrack (just like in most Hong films), there's almost no surround activity.
SUBTITLES: 7
Jumps some lines (some of which are important), some spelling mistakes and the usual translation issues. But overall a good job.
EXTRA FEATURES: 3
Just a little trailer.
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FILM 3 - 오! 수정 (Virgin Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors) - 8
I remember the first time I watched this film, I was asking myself why Jung Bo-Seok was so whiny and aggressive. 'You have to come!'. Why? Of course, he wanted to have sex! The most unsympathetic characters in all of Hong's work appear in this film, but then again he's never tried to make a character 'anything' on purpose. Moon Sung-Geun's great performance as the older, more experienced filmmaker trying to attract Soo-Jung (Lee Eun-Joo) is a definite highlight, but I still enjoy Jung's performance a lot more. It's so much like all of Hong's other memorable characters. Before sex, he checks the room for 몰카 (Hidden Camera), he whines like a kid when he doesn't get what he wants, and generally acts like an ass for the entire film, nervous and hesitant when things don't go his way, almost lost in his excitement when it's the other way around. Perhaps the most pathetic facet of Hong's 'Gentle Monster' symphony, with the possible exception of Kim Sang-Kyung in 극장전 (Tale of Cinema). But the most interesting aspect of this film is the different takes on the same event, seen from different perspectives. This puts a whole new spotlight on his search for the many embarrassing moments our weak psyche creates. And, of course, it's always wonderful seeing Eun-Joo on the screen. Wherever she is, I'm sure she's still stealing the spotlight.
VIDEO: 7
Again, much improved over the older version. Might be the black and white, but there's much more detail, and none of that anti-aliasing nightmare which plagued the older version.
AUDIO: 6.5
Not much activity, but clear dialogue.
SUBTITLES: 7.5
Save for a few spelling mistakes, there's nothing to complain about here. Subs are a little 'simple', lacking in detail, but they work well enough.
EXTRA FEATURES: 7
There's a 10 Minutes making Of with small interviews, then the main course: one of those "영화보다 재밌는 영화 이야기 (Film Story More Entertaining than the Film)", a 45:00 Minutes Making Of Documentary from TV, with just about everything: behind the scenes, interviews, clips from the film, and more.
VALUE FOR MONEY: 8
You get three excellent films for the price of a R1. Shame there aren't too many extra features, and they could have completed remastering for the first film too, but this is one of the big no brainer releases of the year. If you like Hong Sang-Soo, you MUST get this.
OVERALL: 6.91

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CJ Entertainment - 09/24/2005
가발 (The Wig)
2005 - 1 Disc
Director: 원신연 (Won Shin-Yeon)
Starring: 채민서 (Chae Min-Seo), 유선 (Yoo Seon), 문수 (Moon Soo), 소이 (Soy)
FILM: 7
Killer wigs attack! Was there a sillier concept in all of 2005? Probably not, but the fact this film is not silly at all is already a big conquest. Hell, you could call this a 'sad' horror film. And short of two films which weren't really part of the horror emisphere -- 여고괴담 4: 목소리 (Voice) and the DVD Cut of 분홍신 (The Red Shoes) -- I'd safely say this is the best Korean horror of the Summer. Not much competition, you say? I'd agree with that too, but at least Director Won shows he cares a little about the genre, which doesn't seem the case with the other contenders. There's a 'classic horror' feel to this film, not so much because it sticks to the basic formulae of the genre, but because it respects the viewer in spite of its ridiculous turns of events. Sure, like almost every other Korean horror, it falls into the 'explain everything' syndrome, but this time it sounds at least a little plausible. And, again, the script is not as bad as it first might seem. Then again, perhaps this tendency of trying to rationalize every single supernatural event in Korean films boilds down to the viewers' preference for realism over everything else. Is that why fantasy and sci-fi rarely works, or even pop up at all in Korean Cinema? What really elevates the film from the other competitors is the acting: both Chae Min-Seo and especially Yoo Seon give very convincing performances. Chae is confirming herself as quite the good actress, and she shows range in this film, going from the weak patient on the verge of death to the sexy, sultry femme fatale under the influence of the killer wig. But although I saw Yoo Seon on TV before, and always thought she was a good actress, she impressed me here. Uttering just a few lines of the film's slightly hackneyed dialogue, she effectively portrays her role with the kind of humanism and fragile psyche a person in her condition should show. Well produced as usual, I was relieved the film didn't focus just on the deadly McGuffin, but also put forward a kind of message: that people who are pushed to the point of losing what's dearest to them -- their lives? -- do things they wouldn't imagine. And, in my book, that's enough to cancel out any hairy blob walking up and down a row of stairs...
VIDEO: 7.5
As it's generally the case with CJ Entertainment release, a very good job. There's nothing particularly wrong with this transfer, even though nothing is really great either. Just very solid colours, natural skin tones, no problems of edge enhancement or similar things.
AUDIO: 7
Similarly, nothing to complain about. If anything, the sound design of the film itself is not particularly responsive, so the 'horror' scenes aren't as effective as they should. But the rest, from the dialogue to the soundtrack, is well done.
SUBTITLES: 8
Good! No huge problems with translation, very little in the way of spelling/grammar mistakes, a nice and easily readable font, and timing is good.
EXTRA FEATURES: 7.5
The commentary with Director and cast is not as informative as one would like, but it's pretty good. The four discuss several aspects of the film, including some interesting infos about the shooting. You have the usual promotion material (trailer, tv spot, etc.), and then the main course: Won's short film 세탁기 (Washing Machine). After the short introduction from the director, the 16:00 short is shown. It's actually similar in tone to the film, with similar issues (and scenes). But it's more about abuse and all its repercussions than desire and greed. Nice symbolism at the end, too. The rest of the extra features focus on quality over quantity, with a really nice 9:00 Behind the Scene clip, showing all the various set pieces, a 10:00 Special FX featurette that's quite interesting (Chae actually used prosthetics for the shower scene), and finally a good 20:00 Making of documentary. There's even an easter egg (look at the portrait on top of the special features menu, should be easy to find), running around 5:00 Minutes. Nothing special (about the various stunts in the film), but nice to see an easter egg popping up once again on a Korean DVD.
VALUE FOR MONEY: 7.5
No, it's not a great film, but it's a good one. Which, given the premise, I'd say is already a satisfying result. There aren't many extra features, but what's there is quality. Presentation is good as usual with CJ DVDs, and the subtitles, for once, don't annoy. Won is quite an interesting director, we'll be following him more in the future -- especially his new film with Han Suk-Gyu, which looks quite fun.
OVERALL: 7.36

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Cinema Service - 09/23/2005
여고괴담 4 : 목소리 (Voice)
2005 - 2 Disc
Director: 최익환 (Choi Ik-Hwan)
Starring: 김옥빈 (Kim Ok-Bin), 서지혜 (Seo Ji-Hye), 차예련 (Cha Ye-Ryun), 김서형 (Kim Seo-Hyung)
FILM: 7
The 여고괴담 (Girls' High School Horror) series always had a few things in common, other than the obvious genre similarities: that of presenting new faces both in front and behind the camera. From Park Ki-Hyung in 1998, when the series debuted, to Kim Tae-Yong and Min Gyu-Dong a year later. But the series has also distanced itself from the tropes often found in Korean -- and generally Asian -- horror films, exploring different sentiments populating the microcosmos of female high schools in Korea. Of the four films, 'Voice' seems to be the first to aim higher than simply showing dynamics at play in the high school environment, saying something deeper about death, loneliness, and the slow erosion of friendship. There's some really interesting concepts played out, like using voice as a sort of metaphor for the relationship between friends. And, quite unique for a horror film, it also follows the perspective of the 'ghost', rather than those who are threatened by it. The usual outstanding art direction, sets and lighting make their welcome presence, and the muted and delicate soundtrack is a nice change of pace from the screechy, intentionally 'atmospheric' scores of most films in this genre. New faces Kim Ok-Bin and Seo Ji-Hye show potential, and they've already featured on a few TV Dramas and upcoming films. Seo is doing pretty well in 신돈 (Shin Don), the Historical Drama with Son Chang-Min, while Kim has shown she can handle dramatic roles in 하노이 신부 (The Bride From Hanoi) -- despite having a hard time with the language. Good script, almost faultless production values, but I feel something's missing. Might be the inexperience of a first time director, but while the film is never really dull, it's not as affecting as 여고괴담 두번째 이야기 (Memento Mori). Still, the second best of the series so far.
VIDEO: 7
Generally a good transfer, but too many marks and spots, for such a new film. Also, there seems to be some compression artifacts, especially evident during the day scenes.
AUDIO: 7.5
Following the tone of the film, the audio tracks are more sophisticated and muted than in other horror films, but when things get a little hectic, the surround channels will respond really well. The soundtrack and the parts where the characters sing are particularly clear.
SUBTITLES: 8
Save for a few grammar and spelling mistakes, a very good job. Translation is satisfactory, timing is excellent, and the font is easy to read. It does subtitle some signs and SMS messages, but not all of them.
EXTRA FEATURES: 9
Two commentaries are housed on Disc 1. First is mostly technical, with the director, DP and other crew members. Reveals a lot about the film in terms of production, but tends to be a little dry. The second is much better, with one of the producers and all the girls (including Kim Seo-Hyung). Not incredibly informative, but it's quite fun and, despite featuring many people, never gets confusing. Disc 2 is a treat for fans of the film: we start with an excellent 42 Minutes Making Of documentary, covering different parts of the shoot (behind the scenes, set preparation, CG, interviews with cast and crew, etc.), then there's an illuminating 15 Minutes interview with the director, and a 18 Minutes interview with all the women in the film, including really cute clips from the audition; closing this first part are a theatrical trailer and tv spot. Second half of the Disc features a 45 Minutes featurette about sound design, soundtrack, sound effects... everything regarding sound, essentially, and it's fantastic stuff. There's a 16 Minutes interview with CG supervisor Kim Ryang-Jin, showing a lot of before/after moving scenes, and more. There's also a 19 Minutes featurette about digital correction and all the other processes. Closing the second part are a 12 Minutes interview with Music Director Lee Byung-Hoon, and the Music Video (sung by Kim Ok-Bin!).
VALUE FOR MONEY: 8.5
I'm not the best judge of horror films, since my favorite Korean horrors are those that distance themselves from horror tropes. But I can say this is the best horror of the Summer -- the DVD Cut of 분홍신 (The Red Shoes) is a little better, but technically it would be out of the race, since it's never been released in theaters. Like all the other films of the series, 'Voice' uses the horror foundation to develop something a little deeper, and does it with admirable technical proficiency. Shame it's not as involving as one would like it to be, but nonetheless a good film. The DVD is your usual Cinema Service mid-sized release: a little lacking in video quality, but making it up with fantastic extra features (some of the best of the year, around 7 hours including commentaries).
OVERALL: 7.71

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CONTINUES ON PART 2...