[Korean DVD Roundup] February 2006

Note: Budget Re-Releases are not included (everybody and their dog is doing them nowadays, it would take years). Scores are out of 10, and the 'Overall' score counts the film rating twice. 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 '1DVD' (or more if available) link on every film.

Read the previous Roundups:

Korean DVD Roundup - July~October 2005 Part 1
Korean DVD Roundup - July~October 2005 Part 2
Korean DVD Roundup - July~October 2005 Part 3
Korean DVD Roundup - March 2006

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HB Entertainment - 2006/02/22
새드무비 (Sad Movie)
2005 - 2DVD
Director: 권종관 (Kwon Jong-Kwan)
Cast: 정우성 (Jung Woo-Sung) as Lee Jin-Woo, 임수정 (Im Soo-Jung) as Ahn Soo-Jung, 차태현 (Cha Tae-Hyun) as Jung Ha-Seok, 손태영 (Son Tae-Young) as Choi Sook-Hyeon, 염정아 (Yeom Jung-Ah) as Yeom Ju-Young, 여진구 (Yeo Jin-Goo) as Park Hwi-Chan, 신민아 (Shin Min-Ah) as Ahn Su-Eun, 이기우 (Lee Gi-Woo) as Sang-Gyu, 김승철 (Kim Seung-Cheol), 임현경 (Im Hyun-Kyung), 김우철 (Kim Woo-Cheol)
CAMEO: 안길강 (Ahn Gil-Gang), 박광범 (Park Gwang-Beom), 윤현진 (Yoon Hyun-Jin), 홍서연 (Hong Seo-Yeon), 조성현 (Jo Sung-Hyun)
OAR 2.35:1/16:9, Dts/DD5.1, NTSC DVD-9, Region 3, English/Korean Subtitles
FILM: 5
What could possibly be sadder than love? Breaking up. But the idea behind Kwon Jong-Kwan's second feature 새드무비 (Sad Movie) was to paint 'beautiful' (or beautifully sad) break ups, using once again the Love Actually format, covering more couples at once. The format created gems like last year's 내 생애 가장 아름다운 일주일 (All For Love) and Noh Hee-Kyung's wonderful Drama 굿바이 솔로 (Goodbye Solo), but those focused on opposite feelings -- finding love the former, saying goodbye to loneliness the latter. Trying to stir up things a little, Director Kwon focused on a group of couples breaking up for once, 'breaking' the stigma that every time two people in love part, things have to end like a late 90s K-Pop Music Video... in tragedy. Now whether we should consider this a producer-driven star vehicle or a tentative to do something different with the most tired genre in Korean Cinema depends on how you look at the film. But even though Kwon did write the script, it's hard to see it as something very personal, especially considering no character shows any life of his of her own.

The best thing about All For Love was that, even within the limited running time, Director Min Gyu-Dong was able to make all the little episodes feel real, no matter how obvious the outline was. That 사람냄새 (smell of people) is completely absent here, and if we set aside the look of the film -- very polished, so much it often feels like a 2 hour Music Video -- you never really see the hand of the director. Kwon commented on various interviews that he tried to give equal weight to all the couples, but at the end of the day it's difficult to fall for any of the characters. Take, for instance, the Im Soo-Jung/Jung Woo-Sung couple: you get the feeling they could have their own film, thanks to the chemistry the two show -- I never thought I'd say this, but Jung Woo-Sung in melodrama mode is growing on me. But the story is so obvious, and it lacks any fire, anything grabbing you and telling you 'this time it'll be different'. That, really, is the biggest problem of the film. We know straight from the beginning the film is about breaking up in a beautiful way, but instead of cherishing the moments the characters spend together, the two hours that we spend getting to inevitable and predictable end feel like filler, where the only beautiful thing is the actors themselves, and the way they've been filmed.

The moment Cha Tae-Hyun finds his new 'job', you know how his relationship with Son Tae-Young will end; the first time we see Im Soo-Jung in her working environment, and how Jung Woo-Sung's character makes a living, you know how they'll end up parting. There's nothing wrong in following conventions, and even becoming predictable, if you make the journey worthwhile. That was the magic of All for Love, or what makes 시한부 (time-limited life) Dramas like 네 멋대로 해라 (Ruler of Your Own World) and 장밋빛 인생 (Life in Pink) worth watching. But Sad Movie never really makes an attempt to give colour to their characters, which is disappointing considering Kwon's past works. After some acclaimed short films, including 1979년 10월 28일 일요일 맑음 (28th October 1979, A Sunny Sunday) and a half decade of work as assistant producer on works like 여고괴담 (Whispering Corridors) and 산전수전 (Weathering The Storm), Kwon found success with his first feature, the Kim Seon-Ah romcom S 다이어리 (S-Diary).

Despite being clearly a star vehicle, the film featured interesting characters, perhaps thanks to the actors themselves (Kim Soo-Ro, Kim Seon-Ah and Lee Hyun-Woo in particular), but there's nothing particularly stimulating about this film. If anything, the fact Kwon was able to get so many stars in this film shows if the concept is right then big stars can 'sacrifice' a little for the good of the film. Sadly, Sad Movie is only that: a good concept. Its execution -- if what you care about in a film like this is interesting characters and a story that feels real despite the contrivances -- never goes beyond Music Video aesthetics, and that ultimately is the fatal flaw of the film. So much talent assembled in a single film, just to end up with flashy, predictable, and uninvolving melodrama? Sad indeed.
VIDEO: 7.5
There's a little too much grain, but very good, especially when the film goes all close-ups in the second half. No major faults with the print, nice colours and rather natural skin tones -- the few instances with 'burdensome' whites aren't the transfer's fault.
AUDIO: 7
Don't expect much in the way of surround activity, but nice audio tracks, especially the Dts one. Perhaps this is one of those rare instances when I actually bought the OST of a film I didn't like much, but I guess I have to blame Jang Pil-Soon's wicked talent for that.
SUBTITLES: 7
All the on-screen text (messages, signs) plus the sign language (which isn't subtitled with the Korean subtitles, so if you don't have a huge screen you're left trying to read them on screen) are subtitled, which is quite nice -- and important in this film's case. As for the rest, while there's a few rough spots where translation could have been better, and things are a little too obvious, the subtitles do a good job overall. No major grammar or spelling mistakes, timing is good, and the font is clear and easily readable. Nothing amazing, but no major complaints either.
EXTRA FEATURES: 8
Disc 1
We get two Audio Commentaries: one with with Director Kwon Jong-Kwan, Cha Tae-Hyun, Son Tae-Young, Shim Min-Ah, Lee Gi-Woo, Yeom Jung-Ah, Yeo Jin-Goo (this is actually more entertaining than the film itself, thanks to Cha Tae-Hyun's talent as 'MC' -- maybe he should change jobs? -- but the rest hold up pretty well. Not incredibly informative, but lots of fun), and another, more 'tech-heavy' one with Director Kwon, Lighting Director Shin Sang-Yeol, DP Kim Byeong-Seo (this is a little less fun, even though the visual aspects of the film were surprisingly important here -- you see, they wanted to make this look 'pretty' before it made you 'sad'. Maybe a commentary with the Music Director would have been better. Lots of mildly interesting info, but it's merely a more in depth look at what's said in the extra features).
Disc 2
Page 1 features an Introduction about the film [8:48. Director Kwon starts talking about how the film came into fruition, then the cast talks about the script and their characters] Making Documentary [34:02. This is truly good. It's the usual mix of interviews and behind the scenes footage, but it's well produced, it focuses on the important things, and offers plenty of interesting material to understand the making of the film right from the mouth of the people involved. Most importantly, it's fun], An Ensemble [10:16. All the different couples interviewed, commenting about each other's characters. Nice], and finally Jung Woo-Sung & Im Soo-Jung's 8 Scenes [10:00. 8 Scenes from the film with Jung Woo-Sung and Im Soo-Jung giving a few comments. This is quite fun, a sort of more relaxed 'video commentary' about those particular scenes].

Page 2 features 8 Minutes of Deleted Scenes [Director's Commentary ON/OFF. First is rather interesting, with Shin Min-Ah talking over a collection of stills, which was supposed to be the first scene -- this was actually restored into the film for the Japanese release. Rest is pretty much filler, except one scene showing Jung Woo-Sung's character at work], a Behind The Scenes clip [5:55. Sort of a NG collection, with several outtakes. Im Soo-Jung and Jung Woo-Sung show great chemistry on the set. Pretty fun] and a 'Staff M/V' [4:32. Jang Pil-Soon! The best husky voice in Korean music sings the background for this clip. And of course this is about the various staff members. You probably know by now I like this kind of clips, those hard working folks who help create the Chungmuro we enjoy today deserve more recognition]. Finally, Promotion includes a Photo Shoot [4:36. I thought this would be a simple Still Gallery, but it's actually a photo shoot for the film, a sort of costume fitting posted on the net. Im Soo-Jung looks great here. OK, she always does, but here in particular. Also features Yeom Jung-Ah, Son Tae-Young, Shin Min-Ah (with a slightly sexier concept than in the film. 'Slightly') and finally all four dressed in white. Sorry ladies, no guys in here], Poster Shoot [7:01. Includes Teaser and Theatrical Posters, separating the various couples of the film], a VIP Screening Clip [2:28. Really quick and mostly with only background soundtrack.

We see the usual array of stars coming in -- Oh Ju-Eun, Kim Min-Sun, Jo In-Sung, Hwang Jung-Min, Gong Yoo, Song Yoon-Ah, Kim Min-Jong are only a few -- then the cast is introduced. Kim Young-Ho comments that, as a father himself, he really related to the Yeo Jin-Goo/Yeom Jung-Ah part, and 사랑과 야망 (Love & Ambition)'s Lee Hoon 'runs away afraid he'll start crying'. Yeah, me too], Theatrical Trailer [2:50. Not bad, but the Trailer's director must be a fan of 70s Shinpa tearjerkers, it's edited to maximum effect in that sense. But, hey, it's a sad movie after all], and two Music Videos [9:10, Cha Tae-Hyun's 내 손을 놓치 마요 and AI's 기억해줘. They're tied together, so you can't choose one or the other. Always thought Cha was pretty annoying as a singer, just a slightly 'softer' variation on all the Jo Sung-Mo of the world, and he doesn't change my views too much here -- at least this one fits the tone of the film. Second video is a little better, but still not too good. They had FOUR Jang Pil-Soon songs in the soundtrack, and nothing in the Music Videos? I guess Sidus HQ called the shots here].
VALUE FOR MONEY: 7
New label HB Entertainment (Tube Entertainment's Home Video outfit) has entered the industry with quality products (setting aside the actual films). In most cases, they're all well produced DVDs, with often good subtitles -- in particular the 나의 결혼원정기 (Wedding Campaign) DVD -- interesting extra features, and very nice, creative packaging -- this one is particularly beautiful. The actual films are not that great (again, except Wedding Campaign, which is a pleasant, underrated little film), but seeing another potential 'big' in the scene can only be good for the market. Frankly I didn't expect much from this film, despite the huge cast, and after watching nothing really changed my mind. It's a decent date movie I guess, but there's nothing here raising above par, with the exception of a few interesting touches. Nice DVD, average film. The choice is yours: like the leads, don't mind pretty films with very little to say? Then this is worth a rent. Otherwise you can avoid this, and live happily without ever seeing it.
OVERALL: 6.64

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Spectrum - 2006/02/16
태백산맥 (太白山脈, The Taebaek Mountains)
1994 - 1DVD (Part of the Taeheung Pictures Collection)
Director: 임권택 (Im Kwon-Taek)
Cast: 안성기 (Ahn Sung-Gi) as Kim Beom-Woo, 김명곤 (Kim Myung-Gon) as Yeom Sang-Jin, 김갑수 (Kim Gab-Soo) as Yeom Sang-Goo, 오정해 (Oh Jung-Hae) as So-Hwa, 신현준 (Shin Hyun-Joon) as Jung Ha-Seop, 최동준 (Choi Dong-Joon) as Shim Jae-Mo, 정경순 (Jung Kyung-Soon), 방은진 (Bang Eun-Jin), 이호재 (Lee Ho-Jae), 안석환 (Ahn Seok-Hwan), 양택조 (Yang Taek-Jo), 윤주상 (Yoon Joo-Sang), 최종원 (Choi Jong-Won), 박정규 (Park Jung-Gyu), 오지혜 (Oh Ji-Hye), 윤혜영 (Yoon Hye-Young)
CAMEO: 이창세 (Lee Chang-Se), 김병재 (Kim Byung-Jae), 배장수 (Bae Jang-Soo), 송용덕 (Song Yong-Deok)
OAR 1.85:1/16:9, DD2.0, NTSC DVD-9, Region 3, English Subtitles
FILM: 9
While writing it, he rarely met anyone, talked with anyone, he would just focus on it, the book of his life, or at least one of the most
important. When Jo Jung-Rae started publishing his masterpiece 태백산맥 (The Taebaek Mountains) as part of 현대문학 (Modern Literature) in 1983, it was just the start of a 6 year long journey, selling a total of over 5 Million copies, and becoming one of the representative Korean novelists tackling the 분단, the North/South Divide. Plenty of other novels dealing with similar periods, like Lee Byung-Joo's 지리산 (Mt. Jiri), Jung Ji-Ah's 빨치산의 딸 (The Partisan's Daughter), and Lee Tae's 남부군 (Southern Guerrilla Forces) became the foundation of films and TV Dramas, but perhaps the most memorable of them all was Im Kwon-Taek's 태백산맥 (The Taebaek Mountains).

Adapted by Song Neung-Han, who would go on to direct the classic gangster comedy 넘버 3 (No. 3) three years later, The Taebaek Mountains had to deal with the novel's 4 parts and 10 volumes in a space of 2 hours and 40 Minutes, not exactly an easy task, and perhaps the only flaw of the film -- having too much to pack in and forgetting a few important elements on the way. Focusing on the Yeosun Accident in October 1948 up to 9/28/1950, the fight between Communist forces and Anti-Communists and how it influenced a village in Jeolla Province, the best thing the film does -- just like the novel -- is not taking sides, allowing 'unaffiliated' nationalist Kim Beom-Woo (Ahn Sung-Gi) to be the centerpiece that connects all the episodes. Going from a respected landlord to a 'wobbler' and finally a nihilist depending on the situation and the faction accusing him, Kim perfectly exemplifies the dilemma of intellectuals in the period, almost forced to take sides even when they didn't want to. It also puts the blame where it should be, pointing this regionalism and war of ideology reborn in modern Korean history down to the relationship between landlords, tenants and the way land was used as a pawn to manipulate power figures (especially during Japanese occupation).

Just like the novel -- which was accused by some spheres of criticism, especially involving those in the 386 generation, of using cheap humanism to create nationalistic sentimentalism -- the film became an instant topic of debate, especially when protest groups tried to stop its shooting, ending up on the evening news. The film, which took a long 10 months to shoot, involved over 150 actors and close to 7,000 extras, ended up selling only 220,000 tickets, not bad for a Korean film in the mid 90s, but certainly nothing compared to Im's past hits, especially the 장군의 아들 (The General's Son) trilogy and 서편제 (Sopyonje). And one could say that humanism is what elevates the film from a simple adaptation (the novel kept Yeom Sang-Jin's strong ideology intact until the end, unlike the film), and allows it to become one of Im's finest films. Just about everyone involved does an excellent job, but it's Kim Gab-Soo who particularly stands out, giving life to Yeom Sang-Goo just as you'd imagine it reading the original.

Kim won all the three major Awards for Best supporting actor (Grand Bell, Baeksang, Blue Dragon), just a few of the many accolades the film won. Perhaps if there's any flaw to point out -- other than the aforementioned problems with pacing and taking the right elements from the novel, just like the omission of characters like Kim Beom-Joon -- it's the usual treatment of female characters in Im Kwon-Taek films. Of course Jo did the same in the book, so Im shouldn't really be the one to blame, but the veteran director never tries to distance himself from what Jo presented, and confirms the usual male-centered view of women within the cinematic world he showed in his past films. Perhaps books like these better fit the TV format -- and sure enough, MBC will produce a Drama based on Jo's novel in 2007 -- but given the limitations in terms of running time, The Taebaek Mountains is an impressive film, with a fantastic score by Kim Su-Cheol -- yes, one of the leads in 고래사냥 (Whale Hunting) -- top notch acting, and Im's usual humanism. Perhaps Im's last great film, although 취화선 (Chihwaseon) and especially 축제 (Festival) are excellent works. Hoping, obviously, that 천년학 (Thousand Year Crane) will change that...
VIDEO: 7.5
A huge improvement not only over the various old-gen releases in Korea, but also the Japanese DVD. Vivid colours, and despite the grain the print is in good condition. Very good, and at this point as good as it'll get. I don't see any Korean company doing another re-master, let alone anyone like Criterion picking this up.
AUDIO: 6
Usual problem with older films like this, as there's noise, especially noticeable during particularly quiet scenes. It's not too bad, but clearly could be better.
SUBTITLES: 7
Although there are a few rough spots of translation, generally a good job. Satisfactory translation, especially in the most difficult moments, most of the signs and on-screen text is subtitled, and there's no excessive grammar/spelling mistakes.
EXTRA FEATURES: 4
We get a couple of stills, a Poster, incomplete filmographies for Director Im and the major cast, and then a really great Trailer (presenting all the characters via on screen text, while moving with a single pan through the entire major cast).
VALUE FOR MONEY: 7
Other than Sopyonje, perhaps Im Kwon-Taek's best film of the 90s. I tend to prefer his works in the 80s, but you won't find too many films dealing with the insanity of ideology that are this powerful without resorting to the usual tricks (intense war scenes, heavy-handed melodrama). Forms a perfect trait d'union with Jung Ji-Young's 남부군 (Partisans of South Korea), which deals with the Peninsula's situation between 1950~1954 and is adapted from a famous novel as well. DVD is the usual Taeheung Pictures release, with a very nice transfer, serviceable subtitles and very little else. But, as always, these films are way too good to let them gather dust on the shelves, just because they don't have extras. And for that price...
OVERALL: 7.07

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Spectrum - 2006/02/16
경마장 가는 길 (The Road To The Racetrack)
1991 - 1DVD (Part of the Taeheung Pictures Collection)
Director: 장선우 (Jang Sun-Woo)
Cast: 문성근 (Moon Sung-Geun) as R, 강수연 (Kang Su-Yeon) as J, 김보연 (Kim Bo-Yeon) as R's wife, 윤일주 (Yoon Il-Joo) as R's father, 권일정 (Kwon Il-Jung) as R's mother, 이인옥 (Lee In-Ok) as R's sister, 김선경 (Kim Seon-Kyung) as Young-Ja, 임정미 (Im Jung-Mi) as Soon-Ja, 임은경 (Im Eun-Kyung) as R'ss daughter
OAR 1.85:1/16:9, DD2.0, NTSC DVD-9, Region 3, English Subtitles
FILM: 8
The way to find that escape valve from everyday life's circle of repression, the path to that oasis in the desert, the road to the racetrack. The moment Ha Il-Ji, the 'Godfather of Korean post-modernism' published his 1990 novel 경마장 가는길 (The Road to The Racetrack), it instantly became a subject of heated debate, polarizing critics and shocking audiences used to the tropes of realist literature. And it wasn't just the way he depicted his characters, but also how he represented the fallacy of faux bourgeois like R (Moon Sung-Geun in the film), who acquired his new status despite his working class roots, but finds himself completely alienated from Korean Society the moment he returns, after completing his studies in France. R enjoyed a sexually active relationship with J (Kang Su-Yeon in the film) in Europe, but the moment he returns home, he finds J has changed.

He desires sex with her more than anything else, perhaps because it was the only thing that gave him a sense of connection to the place he was living in now. Remove even that, and he has nothing that reminds him of the place he left five years earlier: he can barely talk with his wife (a predictably wonderful Kim Bo-Yeon), as shown by the pathetic 'reunion' they have, complete with hand shake in front of his family. He wants divorce but she doesn't want to give up that relationship, knowing what it would mean for her socially. And then, completely exasperated by the hypocrisy of it all, he abandons himself to the pursuit of Eldorado, that racetrack of the title. Problem, of course, is that J doesn't seem to share his views, she's already planning marriage with another man. Writing the script together with Ha himself, this was the first real big controversy Jang created in his illustrious career.

Born Jang Man-Cheol, he changed his name to Jang Sun-Woo in honour of his good friend and director Seon Woo-Wan, with whom he worked in 서울 황제 (The Emperor of Seoul) -- the situation was in some ways similar to big name soccer players debuting on the bench as coaches even without licenses, with an 'assistant' professional next to them to maintain legality. But Jang was slated for controversy right from the beginning, when legendary writer Hwang Seok-Young introduced him to Lee Jang-Ho, and he started working as assistant director for him. Jang, jailed in his college days for participating in the student movement, kept a relatively low-profile until Racetrack, as his 1991 masterpiece 우목배미의 사랑 (The Lovers of WoomookBaemi) will look like a fish out of water for those used to his later films.

Going from the extreme realism of Lovers to the post-modernism of Racetrack proved to be the first of many controversial works. Moon Sung-Geun and Kang Su-Yeon won several awards for their performances here, which are excellent, and the dialogue is constantly intriguing, always balancing that mix of provocation and irony. Yet, in a sense, I always felt this film was a little overrated, especially compared to Jang's later works. At times it feels like a Eric Rohmer film about sex, and although the complexity and directness of the dialogue from the original source is maintained, it's often devoid of the 사람냄새 (smell of people) of similarly post-modernist but more approachable works, like the films of Hong Sang-Soo. Nonetheless, an excellent film with top notch performances, which didn't age as well as I expected, but clearly earns its reputation as one of the most controversial works of the early 90s.
VIDEO: 7
Considering the state of prints from this period, the film looks great. Really nice colours, and no particular problems with the print.
AUDIO: 6
Could obviously be better, but doesn't suffer the kind of hiss which plagued most other Taeheung releases.
SUBTITLES: 7
A bit rough around the edges, but they get through the difficult dialogue with satisfactory results. Some dubious translation spots, but overall a good job.
EXTRA FEATURES: 4
We get an interesting Trailer, some stills, a Poster, and the usual incomplete filmographies. Hearing what Director Jang has to say about the film would make this a priceless release, but sadly no commentary or even a few comments.
VALUE FOR MONEY: 7
I tend to like Jang Sun-Woo a lot, but this is not one of my favourites, despite being considered a masterpiece of post-modern Korean Cinema by many influential critics. Sure, its dialogue is really smart, and its irreverent post-modernism is always interesting to watch. But there's always a preachiness within its subtext, a sort of smarmy pretentiousness absent from similarly post-modernist films like those of Hong Sang-Soo. Despite those little problems, the usual very good film from one of 90s Chungmuro's best directors, and worth checking out for fans -- but if you're looking for an introduction to Jang Sun-Woo, 꽃잎 (A Petal) would always be my first pick, alas its lack of subtitled (or even unsubtitled) releases on DVD leaves us with this and the interestingly flawed 거짓말 (Lies). DVD is in line with Taeheung's other releases, with a good presentation (or, better, the best available) but very little in the way of extra features.
OVERALL: 6.71

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Cinema Service - 2006/02/14
오로라 공주 (Princess Aurora)
2005 - 2DVD
Director: 방은진 (Bang Eun-Jin)
Cast: 엄정화 (Eom Jung-Hwa), 문성근 (Moon Sung-Geun), 권오중 (Kwon Oh-Joong), 최종원 (Choi Jong-Won), 현영 (Hyun Young), 김용건 (Kim Yong-Geon), 김익태 (Kim Ik-Tae), 박효준 (Park Hyo-Joon), 장현성 (Jang Hyun-Sung), 박성빈 (Park Sung-Bin), 이지수 (Lee Ji-Soo), 최예진 (Choi Ye-Jin), 이대연 (Lee Dae-Yeon)
CAMEO: 박광정 (Park Gwang-Jung), 정은표 (Jung Eun-Pyo), 김연재 (Kim Yeon-Jae), 유혜정 (Yoo Hye-Jung), 김선화 (Kim Seon-Hwa), 정성화 (Jung Sung-Hwa)
OAR 2.35:1/16:9, Dts, DD5.1, NTSC DVD-9, Region 3, English/Korean Subtitles
Complete Review + Extra Features Breakdown here
FILM: 8
Excerpt from the Review: "Eom Jung-Hwa's performance is excellent, transforming herself once again in a vortex of emotion, from the scary intensity of her killing ways, to the playful irreverence of her games against her 'predators', to the almost disarming display of emotions in the film's climax. But personally the real winner is Moon Sung-Geun's performance. I felt Moon fell into a sort of mannerism with his role in Hong Sang-Soo's 오!수정 (Virgin Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors), playing similarly cynical and cold characters in two consecutive films, but his Sung-Ho here feels like a huge u-turn in his career. His mix of melancholic nothingness and his gradual opening in the second half marks one of the most hard hitting performances of the year, and is his best work since Lee Chang-Dong's 초록 물고기 (Green Fish). But then again if the film works the way it does, it's all thanks to Bang Eun-Jin. Debuting with a film like this, set up like a big project with a burdensome cast, marketed by a major in a way which partially betrayed the intentions of the film, wasn't going to be easy for anyone, let alone a female director in Chungmuro. But she did it, scoring decently with the public (almost a Million tickets), and impressively well with the majority of Korean critics. Princess Aurora is a very accomplished debut, something which allowed Bang to enter Chungmuro with a bang, and makes me crave for more. It took many years to get here, but we have a potentially impressive directing career in the making. Director Bang Eun-Jin. I like the sound of that already..."
VIDEO: 8
AUDIO: 8.5
SUBTITLES: 7.5
EXTRA FEATURES: 8
VALUE FOR MONEY: 8.5
OVERALL: 8.07

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Fantom Entertainment - 2006/02/02
6월의 일기 (Bystanders)
2005 - 2DVD
Director: 임경수 (Im Kyung-Soo)
Cast: 신은경 (Shin Eun-Kyung), 김윤진 (Kim Yoon-Jin), 문정혁 (Eric Moon), 윤주상 (Yoon Joo-Sang), 맹세창 (Maeng Se-Chang), 김진호 (Kim Jin-Ho), 조연호 (Jo Yeon-Ho), 손민석 (Son Min-Seok), 김성은 (Kim Sung-Eun)
OAR 2.35:1/16:9, Dts, DD5.1, NTSC DVD-9, Region 3, English/Korean Subtitles
FILM: 6
That of the 왕따 (outcasts) has been a problem in Korean schools for years, although it took a while before it made its way into popular acceptance -- unlike Japan's equivalent. From horror franchises like 여고괴담 (Whispering Corridors) to coming of age Dramas like 품행제로 (Conduct Zero), it's pretty clear the issue is not just a quick fix for cheap thrills anymore. And Im Kyung-Soo's 6월의 일기 (Bystanders), promising this time to mix the matter with thriller and buddy movie tropes, looked quite interesting on the surface. First was the cast: Shin Eun-Kyung, who seems to be trying different things after her marriage and becoming a mother, Chungmuro's 'hottest new talent' Eric Moon, who might still be very green, but his charisma certainly shows; and, last but not least, Kim Yoon-Jin of Lost, who was able to star in the film between shoots, but this is not just a throwaway cameo.

The film, thanks to several problems, went from being called 10월의 일기 (October's Diary) to 12월의 일기 (December's Diary) to the current title, which translates into 'June's Diary'. And the concept is mostly what saves the film, as the actors are good enough to live up to the initial structure: the 'buddy movie' elements mostly work, despite the awkward comedy, because Shin and Moon show good chemistry (Moon doesn't start too well, but improves with time, and Shin is her usual wonderful self, playing a tough 노처녀 - old broad - but still looking fit for the detective role); the thriller parts lack in detail and are even a little preposterous (especially when the excellent prosthetics come into play), but veteran Yoo Joon-Sang and the Shin/Moon duo handle things well enough.

And, finally, the 'outcast' parts hit home, thanks to a good performance from Kim Yoon-Jin. But the biggest problem is that this feels like three films loosely tied together, and I'm not talking about different genre elements clashing with each other. Since there's no flow, this exercise in genre blending loses any impact, so you only end up with ups and downs. It's not so much the script's fault, but more of Director Im (A Sogang alumni just like Park Chan-Wook and Lee Jung-Hyang), who doesn't seem able to balance and pace this mix of genres which has become the norm for Chungmuro's commercial Cinema. There's a few brilliant scenes, like the finale with Kim Yoon-Jin (with some of her best acting ever), but we're mostly dealing with a disappointment.
VIDEO: 7.5
Quite a good job, despite skin tones not looking exactly natural, but that could have more to do with cinematography and D.I. work than anything else.
AUDIO: 7.5
Similarly very good, taking full advantage of Iwashiro Taro's wonderfully trippy soundtrack (especially the main theme).
SUBTITLES: 8.5
For once, an excellent job. No awkward translation or spots with too many 'liberties' taken. Just simple, to the point and with no translation problems, maintaining the same level of detail of the original language.
EXTRA FEATURES: 7.5
Disc 1
A good commentary with Director Im and the DP (but you could say it's Director Im only, as the DP rarely comments), not too scene specific and with some interesting additional Info.
Disc 2
Divided into two parts: 영화밖으로 (Outside the Film) and 영화속으로 (Inside The Film). The former features a message from Grand National Party member Han Seon-Gyo (6:46, mostly deals with the school bullying/outcast problems and the screening at the Government. Han and Director Im knew each other before, so this film was even more meaningful to him), a little featurette about the Outcast problem (11:38, quite interesting, deals with all the psycho/sociological issues related to the issue), an excellent featurette about Art Direction (21:10, we go from the tone of the film to the prosthetics and sets), and finally a clip about the Digital Intermediate/Color Correction work in the film (13:20, a little boring if you don't know what they're talking about, especially since it's just them talking with very little examples of what they're referring to. Mostly concerns the blue green tone of the film). The latter features a 32:40 Making Of (Excellent, combines interviews with behind the scenes footage), a 17:05 Interview with Director Im (goes from the issues in the film to the shooting style and more. Quite good), a deleted scene (4:20, the Kim Yoon-Jin scene at the end. Looks like this wasn't shown in the Theatrical version), a Music Video (4:07, Sweet Sound by Shinhwa member M [Lee Min-Woo]. Fits with a thriller like chocolate fits with Chicken soup), and a Trailer (2:13, pushes the thriller elements a little too much, but otherwise it's good).
VALUE FOR MONEY: 7.5
Film could have been a lot better, as there have been quite a few examples in the past of thrillers taking a genre blending approach and working well within those boundaries -- last in line Bang Eun-Jin's 오로라 공주 (Princess Aurora). The problem really is not genre tropes, but the lack of flow and focus. You can jump from silly to deadly serious in a minute and not lose your viewers -- ask Lee Myung-Se -- but when you don't have an overall flow guiding the film, then it all just feels like a collection of episodical tone-shifting. DVD on the other hand is quite good, with top notch subs and a good amount of extras. Worth a look, especially if you like the leads, but lower your expectations considerably.
OVERALL: 7.21

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Max Entertainment - 2006/02/02
이프 (If)
2000 - 1DVD
Director: 한덕전 (Han Deok-Jeon)
Cast: 이혜영 (Lee Hye-Young), 유태웅 (Yoo Tae-Woong), 진재영 (Jin Jae-Young), 김의성 (Kim Ui-Seong), 김성수 (Kim Sung-Soo), 강민경 (Kang Min-Kyung), 김일우 (Kim Il-Woo)
P&S 1.33:1/4:3, DD2.0, NTSC DVD-9, Region All, English/Korean Subtitles
FILM: 1.5
Poor Lee Hye-Young. It seemed like the mid 90s would crown a new star, when the former Coco (a crappy k-pop band everyone pretty much forgot) member debuted in the TV Drama world with a bang, winning the Best New Actress at the Baeksang Awards for her role in 첫사랑 (First Love). After her marriage with RooRa member Lee Sang-Min (recently ended with a divorce), Lee got a few leading roles on TV and small supporting ones on the big screen, but her acting career never really amounted to anything. The 1999 film 이프 (If) was going to mark her first big foray into leading roles in Chungmuro, but it didn't exactly go well. Who's to blame then? Probably director Han Deok-Jeon, who worked as assistant director for directors like Jung Ji-Young and Kim Ho-Seon, and for his directing debut decided to throw some controversy inside a post-결혼 이야기 (Marriage Story) romcom structure handled like a cheap 70s tearjerker.

The controversy would be artificial insemination, which was an hot debate issue back then, but Han handles it with so much superficiality it feels like a low rent version of Park Chul-Soo's 'feminist' films. Add to the mix a live birth a la Mo' Better Blues, a full-shot Circumcision and some Cinemax-level voyeuristic sex and you've got the perfect formula to peak the interest of the ratings board. This film suffered the same fate as 노랑머리 (Yellow Hair) and 거짓말 (Lies) getting the boot from theaters, but after cutting 3 seconds of the Circumcision scene, it was accepted a week later (this version on DVD is uncut, including the live birth). But If flopped anyway, as those few scenes (which stick out like a sore thumb, including horrible CGI) weren't really the problem.

The biggest 'issue' here is that there's no chemistry whatsoever between Lee and Yoo Tae-Woong, as they keep arguing like a couple from a mid-90s Trendy Drama, but other than seeing his new prey suffering because of her pregnancy and a scene inside an elevator, we never really see how and why the two warm up to each other. But who cares, right? After all if you mix third-rate, knee-jerk feminism with T&A, add a 'sassy' lead to the mix and the usual ridiculous playboy-turned nice guy, then you've got a success. At least in the makers' mind. Wonder why this film was quickly forgotten despite the controversy? Here's why: it's pathetic. As If they thought they could make a great film out of that...
VIDEO: 5
Fullscreen, but doesn't look too bad. The film's visuals aren't that special either, so except the obvious annoyance in terms of composition created by the 4:3 framing, you can 'enjoy' the film without too many annoyances.
AUDIO: 5
There's a little background noise, but otherwise decent.
SUBTITLES: 7
Surprisingly good, with an above average translation and a welcome lack of grammar and/or spelling mistakes. Good job.
EXTRA FEATURES: 4
There's only one feature, a 20 Minutes Production Meeting which is pretty bland. The top cast is introduced, and the director talks a little about his intentions. Then we get to see the opening ceremony, and that's about it.
VALUE FOR MONEY: 2
Although the DVD costs less than the usual Korean release, don't touch this even with a ten foot pole. It's the kind of 90s commercial mentality trying to approach things with 00s technology, which always created a huge mess. The acting is putrid, chemistry between the leads non-existent, and the touches of T&A, hilariously bad sex and 'realistic' scenes (live birth, circumcision) just feel out of place. Horrible.
OVERALL: 3.71

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TOP 10 KOREAN DVDs REVIEWED
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2005/07/01~2006/03/31

01. 9.36 - 형사 Duelist - 3DVD - enterOne
02. 8.78 - 주먹이 운다 (Crying Fist) - 2DVD - enterOne
03. 8.77 - 친절한 금자씨 (Sympathy For Lady Vengeance) - 2DVD - CJ Entertainment
04. 8.64 - 남극일기 (Antarctic Journal) - 2DVD - enterOne
04. 8.64 - 웰컴 투 동막골 (Welcome To Dongmakgol) - 2DVD - KD Media
06. 8.50 - 달콤한 인생 (A Bittersweet Life) - 2DVD Director's Cut - CJ Entertainment
07. 8.36 - 청연 (Blue Swallow) - 2DVD Limited Edition - Bitwin
08. 8.29 - 그때 그사람들 (The President's Last Bang) - 2DVD - KD Media
09. 8.21 - 음란서생 (Forbidden Quest) - 2DVD - enterOne
09. 8.21 - 말아톤 (Marathon) - 3DVD Director's Cut - KD Media