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July 25, 2013
'Snowpiercer' amazes visually but story falls short
By CARLA SUNWOO Korea JoongAng Daily
Left: Rich children study in a classroom train car in “Snowpiercer.” Right: Song Kang-ho plays a security expert. Provided by CJ Entertainment
With opening day looming for Bong Joon-ho’s hotly anticipated “Snowpiercer,” Korean cinephiles are anxiously wondering how the big-concept, big-budget blockbuster will be received, both in Korea and abroad.
Bong is one of Korea’s top directors, and his last attempt at science fiction, the 2006 creature feature “The Host,” rewrote nearly all the country’s box office records.
Bong’s colleagues have recently tried their hands at Hollywood - Kim Jee-woon with “The Last Stand” and Park Chan-wook with “Stoker” - to lukewarm results, so many wonder how Bong compares.
“Snowpiercer” certainly has more substance than the projects of Kim and Park. Taken from the French graphic novel “Le Transperceneige,” Bong has spent nine years bringing this story to the big screen, and his dedication shows.
It is a postapocalyptic tale, set after an ill-fated attempt to prevent global warming, turns Earth to ice. All that is left alive on the frozen planet are the people traveling on a huge train circling the continents on a gigantic track, continually running to prevent it from freezing over.
The train is divided rigidly by class, with the rich and pampered in the front, and the poor and hopeless in the filthy back carriages.
The $40 million movie is also Bong’s “least Korean” work to date, and, while not an art-house movie, it’s not really your typical blockbuster either, which puts the film in a peculiar position.
“Snowpiercer” begins 17 years after the train started its endless journey. A team of heroic upstarts in the back - headed by Curtis (Chris Evans), who is joined by his friend Edgar (Jamie Bell) and desperate mom Tanya (Octavia Spencer) - have grown tired of being treated like dirt, so make a bid to meet the enigmatic commander of the train, Wilford (Ed Harris), to change things.
To help them on their difficult quest across compartments, they enlist the train’s security engineer, Namgoong Minsoo (Song Kang-ho), who’s been imprisoned in a coffin-like cell.
Opposing them is the pure-evil spokeswoman for the rich, Mason (Tilda Swinton).
As the group passes through each compartment toward the front, the film paints a clear picture of the ridiculousness of humanity, demanding class hierarchy even on a journey without an end, in a world that’s already ended. In some ways, the class divisions compare to “The Hunger Games,” with the filthy poor and the absurd flamboyance of the rich.
To be sure, the film’s criticisms of the divide between those with power and those without is a theme we’ve all seen before and can relate to.
But the high point of “Snowpiercer” is definitely its set design, which is incredibly detailed and just amazing. Each class on the train is a totally different world, from the dazzling opulence of first class - with its greenhouse, sauna and parties - to the “tail,” where people are treated like rats, are fed disgusting “protein bars” and have no showers.
The biggest problem with the movie is that the main characters just don’t come together as an ensemble. Character development is definitely not the film’s strong suit. Each bizarre individual sticks out and feels as disjointed as the carriages they are trekking through.
You do have to give props, though, for Bong’s choice of actors. Combining actors from around the world really helps give the sense that this train contains the last bits of humanity. However, given the material, it is frustrating that so much potential lies untapped.
The scenes between Song, who only speaks in Korean, and Evans, speaking in English, inject some humor into the story. But with their communications coming through Google’s Babel Fish-esque translations, it’s hard to feel empathy for or solidarity with the characters.
Both actors are excellent leads, but together with Evans’ melodramatic urgency and Song’s distanced attitude, they just don’t mesh.
Ironically, Bong’s portrayal of the two Korean characters in the story sometimes veers into Hollywood-like cliche - unintelligible, kooky Asians, who are far too much one-note characters.
The movie definitely has the power to draw viewers in with its display of strange and bizarre visuals, but as the characters move from one compartment to the next, the characters seem to act more like spectators than real people that you understand and feel for.
There is sense of urgency in all films like this that comes from focusing on the task at hand; the mystery that drives the story to its conclusion. But in “Snowpiercer,” this is where Bong comes up short. There are so many characters and events that could have benefited from a deeper examination, and movie leaves you with more questions than when you entered.
But even mediocre Bong Joon-ho is still Bong Joon-ho. And this is some visionary science fiction. Between those two elements, “Snowpiercer” is guaranteed to find itself a cult following around the world. Box office domination, however, is another matter.
The film opens Thursday all across Korea. |
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July 25, 2013
Will 'Knee Drop Guru' end?
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Nine months after being brought back to the small screen, the MBC talk show “Knee Drop Guru” may be canceled, according to local media reports yesterday. The show came back as its original host, Kang Ho-dong, returned to the entertainment industry after it was revealed that he evaded paying taxes.
The rumors about the show’s cancellation rose after the broadcaster scheduled a pilot entertainment program, “Story Show Hwasubun,” in the same time slot when “Knee Drop Guru” airs on Thursday evenings.
An MBC official was quoted as saying that the talk show is provisionally decided to be canceled, although it has already recorded some interviews with local celebrities and athletes that have not been aired. The official added that the program was given until August to improve its ratings when it returned to the small screen in November.
The show, which began its run in 2007, was once one of the nation’s most popular talk shows, but it struggled after its revival due to fierce competition with other entertainment shows. |
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July 25, 2013
Court: Lee must pay agency
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
The Supreme Court of Korea ordered actress Lee Mi-sook of the KBS drama “You’re the Best, Lee Soon Shin” to pay 120 million won ($107,512) to her former management agency yesterday.
The Contents Media sued Lee, claiming that she breached her four-year contract that she signed in January 2006 by moving to another agency without any consent in January 2009. The Contents Media sought 200 million won in compensation.
The ruling settled Lee’s dispute with the agency. While the lawsuit was ongoing, the actress and the agency were also in hot water over Lee’s previous romantic involvement with a man 17 years her junior when the agency revealed the story. It was presumed that the agency paid a large amount of compensation to a young man to keep him quiet about the secret affair. |
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July 26, 2013
'The Terror Live' offers ample entertainment
Actor Ha Jung-woo impressive as TV news anchor facing a terrorist threat
By Claire Lee The Korea Herald
After roles as a dorky man in “Love Fiction” and a hapless North Korean agent in “The Berlin File,” Ha Jung-woo returns as a driven, selfish news anchor who receives a terrorist threat during his live radio show in his latest film “The Terror Live.”
The film is an ambitious, thorough and highly entertaining project ― arguably one of the best local thrillers so far this year ― created by up-and-coming director Kim Byeong-woo.
Ha, whose previous collaborations with emerging directors including Na Hong-jin’s “The Chaser” and Yoon Jong-bin’s “Nameless Gangster” brought the filmmakers into prominence, once again proved his acting caliber.
A scene from “The Terror Live.” (Lotte Entertainment)
The film will likely prove his commercial viability as well, once it hits the local theaters next week. On top of his performance, the disaster flick is complemented by plausible, solid CG effects and a socially conscious script that touches on the issues of power, commercialization of journalism, and the socially marginalized.
The film’s protagonist, Yoon Young-hwa (played by Ha), is a highly flawed character. The former primetime TV news anchor has been demoted, and is now the bitter host of a current affairs radio show. While on air, he gets a call from a terrorist minutes before he blows up Mapo Bridge ― the bridge that connects Mapo and Yeouido, Seoul’s main business and investment banking district, just outside his studio building.
Thinking that doing an exclusive phone interview with the terrorist on television would help him regain his former position, he purposely does not call the police. Instead, he negotiates with his boss, Cha Dae-eun (played by Lee Kyung-young) and strikes a dangerous, unethical deal with the terrorist to talk with him on the phone on TV, live.
It is apparent that both Yoon and his boss don’t really care about the victims. For Yoon, whose previous marriage to a fellow reporter ended in a bitter divorce, the attack is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rise back to the top. His boss’ main interests, on the other hand, are ratings and commercial profit.
“Use words such as ‘TERROR’ and ‘SHOCKING’ as many times as possible,” Cha advises Yoon through the teleprompter.
As the live show progresses, Yoon faces a series of unexpected and terrifying situations. The terrorist, who claims to be a 50-something construction worker who lost his coworkers in a senseless industrial accident, reveals to Yoon only that he has set a bomb in the anchor’s earphone for the show. He threatens Yoon that the bomb will explode in his ear, live on air, if he does not get what he wants: a public apology from the president for the deaths of his colleagues.
Not knowing what is in Yoon’s ear, Cha advises him not to talk about the president on air. The newsroom is a scene of chaos as the police force joins the broadcasters. All those involved ― Yoon, Cha, the police, other broadcasters and the Blue House ― exploit terrorism for their own interests. The police want to chase down the terrorist as soon as possible, while the broadcasters want the opposite to maximize its profits.
The only exception is Yoon’s ex-wife and reporter Ji-soo, who volunteers to report from the site of the terrorist attack despite the obvious dangers. Meanwhile, the president doesn’t appear at all in the film.
As the movie progresses, Yoon’s illegal deeds committed in the past are revealed. Viewers learn more about the terrorist toward the end of the film ― why he chose Yoon to be his messenger. By the end of the film, Yoon’s world view is completely shattered by the horrific experience.
Actor Ha’s performance of the character’s transformation ― a bitter, ambitious man to the disillusioned, regretting soul ― is deeply nuanced, vulnerable and well crafted.
“The Terror Live” is a well-made commercial film that thoroughly entertains the audience from the beginning to the end.
A Lotte Entertainment release, “The Terror Live” opens in local theaters on Aug. 1. |
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July 26, 2013
Hallyu Line
Jung, Oh to join 'Medical Top Team'
The Korea Times
Jung Ryeo-won
Oh Yeon-seo
Actress Jung Ryeo-won will team up with hallyu star Kwon Sang-woo in the upcoming drama series “Medical Top Team.”Directed by Kim Do-hoon, who shot the popular epic “The Moon Embracing the Sun,” the drama will be aired in October on MBC.
Renowned for her supporting role in “My Lovely Samsoon” in 2005, Jung will take the lead role of Seo Ju-young, a cardiothoracic doctor, with a strong charisma and humanity.
“The character Jung will play is a perfectionist who overcomes difficult situations and finally becomes a top cardiothoracic surgeon. She has decided to take the role as she can learn many things from the character,” her agency said.
Also, Oh Yeon-seo will join the drama in the role of Choi Ah-jin, the youngest cardiothoracic surgeon in the hospital.
Meanwhile, Kwon will play the role of Park Tae-shin, a lead character who is a specialist in cancer surgery. |
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July 26, 2013
Hwang, Ji may join drama
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Will actress Hwang Jung-eum of the MBC drama “Golden Time“ and actor Ji Sung of MBC drama “Royal Family” work together in a drama?
After the two celebrities showed great harmony in a commercial for a local retailer last year, many are excited to hear that they are now considering roles in the upcoming KBS drama, tentatively named “Secret.”
If they take the offer from the broadcaster, Hwang will play a cheerful character who takes the blame for a hit-and-run accident that was caused by her boyfriend in the drama scheduled to start in September.
The boyfriend, a designated heir of a local conglomerate, may be played by Ji, who later leaves Hwang despite her courageous act.
The drama will replace “The Blade and Petal,” in which actors Uhm Tae-woong and Kim Ok-bin play roles, when it ends its run in September. |
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July 26, 2013
Shinhwa keeps leading way
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
The boy group Shinhwa has been introduced in the monthly magazine The Atlantic as an example of an idol group with lasting power.
In the story titled What the Backstreet Boys Could Learn from K-Pop, the magazine said each and every member of Shinhwa is still active in the entertainment scene in their 30s - 15 years after their debut - unlike members of the Backstreet Boys, who have not been active in the scene or popular among the younger generation since the group debuted in 1993.
It said there is hope for the American idol group, saying, “Luckily, they have a model to imitate: Shinhwa, the Korean equivalent of the Backstreet Boys.”
Shinhwa, which debuted five years after the American group, released its 11th album, “The Classic” in May to show they can still coordinate a powerful and serious performance while each member shows a more comical or down-to-earth character on talk shows or other programs.
“What the Backstreet Boys can learn from Sinhwa is to get over the awkwardness of being grown men in a boy band and embrace the jokes thrown their way,” said the magazine.
“They over-rely on puns that only older fans would get, or worse yet, puns that will only serve to trigger sneers from younger pop fans.”
The group is scheduled to perform at the 2013 Shinhwa Grand Finale “The Classic” concert in Seoul for two days starting Aug. 3 at Seoul Olympic Park in Songpa, southern Seoul. |
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July 26, 2013
7 celebrity soldiers jailed
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
The Ministry of National Defense has ordered singer Se7en, whose real name is Choi Dong-wook, Sangchu, whose real name is Lee Sang-chul, and five other celebrity soldiers who were serving their military duty in a special entertainment unit to confinement in a military jail.
Se7en and Sangchu have been given 10 days as they were caught visiting a massage parlor late at night in June, as reported by SBS TV channel’s program “Scene 21.”
The other five, who had been carrying unapproved cell phones at the military unit, received four days in prison.
Many netizens have criticized the punishment imposed on the soldiers for being too light. They say that the ministry are just trying to prove that they are taking some action regarding the issue.
However, others argue that the punishment carries some significance as it is the first time the ministry has acknowledged the problems surrounding entertainment soldiers.
After the controversial media report, the ministry announced last week that it will dissolve the Defense Media Agency’s public relations support unit, which is composed of 15 celebrity soldiers, by Thursday. |
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July 26, 2013
Show focuses on Lee's roles
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
The recent works of actor Lee Byung-hun, who became a Hollywood star after acting in movies produced in the United States, including the “G.I. Joe” series and “Red 2,” will be shown in a documentary explaining how he was able to become a world star and how this opened the door for other domestic celebrities to participate in overseas movie production.
Broadcaster SBS produced the documentary about Lee and will air the show tomorrow on “SBS Special” at 11:15 p.m.
The actor, who became popular across Asia after the 2003 drama “All In,” did not settle for being a Hallyu (Korean wave) star, instead aiming for Hollywood and receiving a role in 2009 movie “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.”
After achieving fame in this role, he was cast for the movie’s sequel, and later “Red 2,” acting alongside big-name stars Bruce Willis and Catherine Zeta-Jones in the film that opened in Korea last week.
Lee was also able to get his roles in the movies, which were originally set as Japanese or Chinese, changed to characters of Korean heritage so that global movie fans could discover more about Korea and its culture.
Meanwhile, the broadcaster has also made a special documentary on veteran singer Cho Yong-pil, who recently created a buzz when he came back to the entertainment scene. It will be aired on Aug. 4. |
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July 26, 2013
Celebrity Soldiers to Be Put in Brig
The Chosun Ilbo
Seven celebrity soldiers will be put in brig for going AWOL to visit an adult massage parlor and bringing private mobile phones into barracks.
The Defense Ministry on Thursday announced the findings of a special investigation of the entertainment corps that had been started early this month.
Sangchu (left) and Se7en Sangchu (left) and Se7en
Lee Sang-cheol, known as Sangchu, and Choi Dong-wook, the pop star more commonly known as Se7en, will be locked up in brig for 10 days for leaving their motel to visit an adult massage parlor after a performance in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province on June 21.
Five others will be put in brig for four days for illegally bringing their mobile phones into barracks. And a corporal will be confined to his barracks for 10 days for going AWOL to watch a movie after the same performance in Chuncheon.
The soldiers will be taken into custody after a court procedure and their period of military service extended in proportion to the number of days in custody. But their penalties will not be recorded as criminal offenses on their military service documents.
The measure is widely seen as a sap to growing public discontent with the coddled existence of the entertainment corps.
Earlier, Jung Ji-hoon, better known by his stage name Rain, was released from the military on July 10. He had been confined to barracks for seven days for going on dates with his girlfriend, actress Kim Tae-hee (33), while on official duty.
The ministry on July 18 abruptly announced it is shutting down the entertainment corps, which was established for singers and actors drafted into mandatory service. Of the current 15 celebrity soldiers, three who have fewer than three months to serve will be allowed to finish their service with ordinary soldiers in the ministry compound. The others will be reassigned to frontline units in Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces. |
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July 29, 2013
'Grandpas Over Flowers' a ratings hit
By Moon Gwang-lip Korea JoongAng Daily
A reality show about four veteran actors has emerged as a surprising hit in this country obsessed with good-looking youths.
According to Nielsen Korea on Saturday, the fourth episode of “Grandpas Over Flowers” on Friday recorded a 5.3 percent average viewing rate. The rate for the hour-long show on tvN peaked at 7.3 percent at one time on Friday. In Seoul and the metropolitan area only, the viewing rate of the show hit 8.9 percent at one time.
This amounts to a blockbuster for Korean cable channels, where the threshold rate to be a popular program is 1 percent. Most of hits on cable channels record a viewing rate of between 1 percent and 3 percent.
Aired at 8:50 p.m. every Friday, “Grandpas Over Flowers” features four actors whose average age is nearly 74 - Lee Soon-jae (77), Shin Gu (76), Park Geun-hyung (73) and Baek Il-seob (69). On the show, the four television fixtures, who often play austere family patriarchs on television dramas, elicit humor with their self-inflicted troubles during their group backpack trip overseas. In the first season, they went to France and many of the episodes are about their tolerance, or lack thereof, of foreign foods.
During Friday’s episode, they visited a French restaurant in Paris known for fig trotters, a dish that is also popular in Korea. They tasted it, but obviously it was a different taste from what they expected, and they had to “detox” with budae jjigae, or a Korean style spicy meat stew, along with a cup of soju as well as Korean cups of noodles. |
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July 29, 2013
Minho to star in new medical drama
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Minho of the boy group SHINee will be taking on an acting role in the MBC drama “Medical Top Team.”
He will play a cardiovascular surgeon named Kim Sung-woo, the youngest member of the medical team.
The character is set to be loved by other team members because he pays attention to things that happen to them.
Minho’s character will try to steal the hearts of young women, and he will play a guardian angel to one fellow doctor who is played by actress Oh Yeon-seo, best known from her work in the MBC drama “Oh Ja-ryeong is Coming.”
“It is an honor to work with other actors and actresses,” he said, according to local media reports.
“I’ll do my best to learn a lot, so that I can show a more mature side of myself through this drama.”
The drama is scheduled to be aired in October. |
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July 29, 2013
Girls' Generation roots for baseball players in LA
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Members of Girls’ Generation visited Los Angeles to cheer on two Korean baseball players having a match against one another with their respected Major League teams on Sunday.
Korea’s Ryu Hyun-jin from the LA Dodgers played against Choo Shin-soo of the Cincinnati Reds in Dodger Stadium in California, and Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Sunny visited the stadium to cheer for the players.
Prior to the game’s start, Tiffany sung the U.S. national anthem, while Taeyeon sung the Korean one. Sunny threw the ceremonial first pitch.
Other Korean celebrities came out to the game to support the two players, who are working in the U.S.
Singer Psy and actor Song Seung-hun of the MBC drama “When A Man Loves” were caught watching the game by local broadcasters’ cameras.
LA Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds four to one. |
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July 29, 2013
'Cold Eyes' Hits 5-Million Mark in Cinema Attendance
The Chosun Ilbo
"Cold Eyes," which was released on July 3, drew 5.07 million moviegoers as of Saturday, according to the Korean Film Council.
Expectations are building that it could become one of a select group in Korean cinematic history to draw 10 million viewers.
"Red 2" topped the daily box office on the same day, followed by "The Wolverine" and "Turbo."
"Cold Eyes" is an action movie that revolves around a group of detectives who track down high-profile criminals. |
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July 29, 2013
Shinhwa's longevity introduced in US magazine
By Huh Yoon-jin The Korea Times
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Longest-surviving K-pop group Shinhwa
“The Atlantic,” an American literary and cultural commentary magazine, has introduced K-pop band Shinhwa as a representative example for its longest-lasting popularity in Korea.
Titled “What the Backstreet Boys Could Learn From K-Pop Two Decades Old,” the article compared and analyzed the two-decades-old bands, Backstreet Boys and Shinhwa in its online edition on Tuesday.
Backstreet Boys is a five-member American boy band that is also known as the best-selling boy band in history, which sold over 130 million records worldwide since their debut in 1993.
Shinhwa is a six-member Korean boy band which made its debut in 1998 and is still enjoying popularity both at home and abroad.
The magazine pointed out one of the biggest reasons for the decline of the Backstreet Boy’s popularity was a failure to adapt to a new music market. It claimed, “to attract new fans, the boy group of yesteryear (Backstreet Boys) may need to readjust its strategy” and suggested Shinhwa, the Korean equivalent of the Backstreet Boys, as a model to imitate.
The article introduced a couple of secrets on Shinhwa’s long-lasting popularity. It wrote “an integral part to the group's longevity is smart self-awareness” and gave an example of the group coming out on a TV program, SNL Korea, in which they poked fun at themselves.
In one episode, the group sarcastically described how ridiculous it is for people of their age to be performing synchronized routines to pop songs aimed at teens. Here, they recalled the importance of self-awareness as a senior group in the Korean hierarchical music industry.
The article also suggested that the Backstreet Boys should overcome the awkwardness of being grown men in a boy band and embrace the jokes thrown their way, which Shinhwa has done successfully.
After Shinhwa’s successful comeback with their 11th studio album, the group is holding “2013 Shinhwa Grand Finale: The Classic in Seoul” concert at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena, Seoul, Songpa-gu in Aug. 3-4.
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July 30, 3013
T-ara to Release Summer-Themed Single
The Chosun Ilbo
Girl group T-ara is hoping to continue its fame with the digital single "Bikini," an upbeat summer song that will be released on Aug. 1.
T-ara /Courtesy of Core Contents Media T-ara /Courtesy of Core Contents Media
Due to the band's scheduled promotional tour of Hong Kong and Japan, the girls won't be able to appear on TV programs in Korea, but will instead promote the song through fun-loving music videos. |
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July 29, 2013
Psy's latest project in works
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Global star Psy is getting ready to surprise the world once again. He is aiming to release another album in September, said his agency, YG Entertainment, according to local media reports.
The singer is working with composer Yoo Gun-hyung, whom he collaborated with on with his global hit song “Gangnam Style” and “Gentleman.”
One of the officials at the agency was quoted as saying that he will put together multiple songs together instead of releasing just a single song, according to reports.
“As far as I understand, [Psy] already has some songs that he likes,” said the official.
It has been said that it is about time for him to produce an album for a solo performance as he needs more songs to perform at the major events he gets invited to across the world. |
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July 29, 2013
Tilda Swinton: Making 'Snowpiercer' was like 'being in kindergarten'
British actress shares her experience starring in Korean director Bong’s latest thriller
By Claire Lee The Korea Herald
What was it like to work with Korean director Bong Joon-ho in making a dystopian sci-fi thriller?
According to famed British actress Tilda Swinton, it was like “being in a kindergarten.”
“What made me decide to be in a Bong Joon-ho film? Bong Joon-ho,” the actress said in a press conference promoting their latest collaboration, “Snowpiercer,” in Seoul, Monday.
“Not only his work, but really, the person. We met maybe two years ago and we became friends instantly. And we wanted to play together. I can’t say anything more complicated than that. We wanted to play together like a pair of children and it was like a kindergarten for us.”
Tilda Swinton (left) and Chris Evans look at each other during a press conference to promote their sci-fi thriller “Snowpiercer” in Seoul on Monday. ( Yonhap News)
This is Swinton’s (“I Am Love,” “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “We Need to Talk about Kevin”) first time working with Bong ― who jokingly called her an “elf” during the press conference ― and her respect for the director was obvious.
“He knows exactly what he wants,” the 52-year-old actress said when asked about Bong’s directing style.
“But what’s really surprising is that (Bong is) someone who knows so clearly what he wants and yet in the heart of the working process, he remains free. So he has everything planned, but there is still some possibility of free range for the actors. And that I think is really original. And that’s why his films have the human heart in middle of all the complex things in this film; the action sequences, this very precise mise-en-scene, the credible cinematic frame. There is always this possibility in the heart of it.”
Director Bong’s (“Mother,” “The Host”) latest work takes place in a post-apocalyptic world after a failed attempt to halt global warming. The manmade failure precipitates another Ice Age that kills every living thing on the planet, except those who live on the Snowpiercer, a train powered by a perpetual motion engine.
Each of the train’s cabins is labeled by social class. The farther away from the “eternal” and “sacred” engine ― which is located at the very front of the train ― the more dire the poverty and the more harrowing the living conditions. The plot of the film develops as the destitute inhabitants of the last railcar organize a revolution for a dignified life.
In the film, Swinton plays Mason, the dictatorial prime minister of the ruling front section of the train. The character is abusive and controlling in the beginning, and gradually becomes disturbingly obsequious to the angry working-class revolutionaries. For the role, whose gender is, according to Swinton, ambiguous ― “who is it to say Mason is female? Maybe Mason is an elf,” she said ― the actress put on some funky makeup. In the film, she wears a prosthetic nose, a set of false, crooked teeth and artificially-protruding lips. In fact, creating Mason was one of the most fun parts of their “kindergarten,” it seems.
“When I first met director Bong, which was in Cannes, I had decided I didn’t want to make any more films,” the actress said.
“This is the decision that I make after every single film that I make. And I said to director Bong, well, of course, I’d love to work with you, but I don’t want to make any films. And that one (and only) condition in which I will make another film is that I will have some fun. So we started to play with the idea of what would amuse us about this.
“And honestly, practically, I’ve always had this fantasy of playing a character who has a nose like Mason’s,” she continued. “And I shared this with director Bong, expecting him to may be saying, ‘Well, this would be inappropriate for this character.’ But he said, ‘No, let’s do it, let’s go for it.’ And then I continued with my fantasies. The fantasy about his teeth and the fantasy about his voice. We played like children. It was no more sophisticated than a 6-year-old dressing up as an old lady or a dog. It was unsophisticated and sophisticated as that.”
The actress seemed rather weary of the series of questions asking about her experience working with the film’s international cast and crew.
“It’s very curious for me to hear constantly the references to the nationality of filmmakers,” she said. ‘I am personally a great respecter of the idea of nationality in art. I believe that cinema, in particular, is kind of a free range opportunity for all of us to be human. So in that spirit, this particular crew of people was a family. They were under the leadership of Bong, who is the big child, and it was a family of really inspired and playful individuals. For me, it felt really, really natural. Let’s face it. It felt like I was in Scotland. That’s enough of nationality conversation.” |
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July 30, 2013
Culture Ministry introduces standard contract for entertainment industry
By Claire Lee The Korea Herald
TV actors should be given their script at least two days before shooting an episode, cast and crew must not shoot for more than 18 hours a day, and broadcasters should pay the cast and crew if their outsourcing production company be unable.
These are some of the clauses included in the suggested standard contract between the nation’s broadcasters and outsourcing producers, drawn up by the Culture Ministry and unveiled on Tuesday.
“While Korea’s popular culture is a major driving force for hallyu, there are a lot of problems in the local TV industry’s work environment, including the long working hours and industrial accidents,” said Park Young-goog, the director general of media policy bureau of the ministry.
“Actors and actresses get their scripts on the day of their shoots, and many of them don’t get paid. We are introducing this standard contract to improve such conditions and for the betterment of the local entertainment industry.”
While the contract is not legally binding, it can be used as a standard when two parties are involved in a legal dispute or a conflict, said Park.
“Introducing this standard form of contract is practically all that the government can offer,” he said. “It is up to the broadcasters and outsourcing firms to follow it. But we expect most of the public broadcasters will follow it, should there be a legal dispute.”
Other terms in the contract include paying actors and actresses for the portions that have been cut during the editing process, providing staff members with a rest area for long-term productions, and providing accident insurance during production.
Once the shoot is over, the producer can’t ask for more than a total of seven working days from the cast and crew for re-shoots. Should the producer need more days for additional changes, it should pay extra.
Last week, famed TV drama producer Kim Jong-hak was found dead in an apparent suicide, after suffering from legal and financial problems linked with the “outsourced production system” in which the purchasing broadcasters only paid half of the production cost, leaving the rest up to the independent producers.
Kim’s most recent series, “Faith,” which aired on SBS, did not do well and a group of actors filed a complaint in February against the producer for not paying them even after the show ended late last year. |
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July 30, 2013
For 'Snowpiercer' cast, it's all about craft
BY CARLA SUNWOO Korea JoongAng Daily
From left: Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Go A-sung and Song Kang-ho star in the film “Snowpiercer,” which opens Thursday. [REUTERS/NEWS1]
One week after their movie “Snowpiercer” was unveiled to the press in Korea, Tilda Swinton and Chris Evans flew to Seoul to talk about what it was like working with Bong Joon-ho, Song Kang-ho and Go A-sung.
Although all five were present at the press conference yesterday, it was clear to see that all eyes were on the willowy Swinton, who Bong referred to as “an elf.”
“I’ve been waiting to come here with this film since I met Director Bong,” said Swinton, remembering the time in Cannes, two years ago, when the two first crossed paths.
Although Swinton said that she met Bong at a time when she vowed to never make a film, “a decision I make after every film,” she told Bong that there was one condition to her participation: “I wanted to have fun.”
“I always had a fantasy playing a character with a nose like this,” she said, pushing up on her nostrils.
Describing her collaboration with Bong as “not more sophisticated than a 6-year-old playing dress up,” the 52-year-old British actress said that it was “his person” that drew her to the project.
She suggested that although visibly female, her character Mason is open to interpretation.
“The subordinates call Mason, ‘Sir.’ Who’s to say Mason is female? I’m not saying that.”
Upon first seeing Swinton on set in Europe, Song said he had a moment where he stared at her walking toward him and all he could think was, “That is an actor.”
Meanwhile, the youngest member Go professed that she enjoyed gazing into her co-star - famed for playing Captain America - Evans’s “deep” eyes.
And for his part, the American heartthrob said that he loved getting away from Hollywood for a while.
“It was so refreshing to work with artists outside of America. Even if you are talented, unfortunately they don’t make it on our radar,” said Evans, while emphasizing that he learnt a lot from watching actors who approached the craft differently from him.
But when all’s said and done, Swinton set the record straight.
“It sounds a little strange to hear them (Korean actors) speak about working with such an international cast. For us, we felt like we were working with the international stars.”
And as for what she thought of Bong, she said the he was a “person at the pinnacle of world cinema.”
The film opens Thursday. |
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