[HanCinema's Digest] Cinema Snippets

The Korea Herald spies K-locations that have featured in Hollywood's dream machine, KoBiz reports on the success of female-led thrillers overseas, "A Taxi Driver" is not the first or last film to frame the socio-political conflicts of the 80s, and Dr. Kang Kim Hyewon wonders if K-film could ever be as popular as K-pop in Asia on Forbes.

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"Korean locations spotted in Hollywood films"

Running up to the release of Alexander Payne's critically acclaimed sci-fi comedy-drama "Downsizing", Korea Herald writer Rumy Doo notes how Korea's landmarks are appearing more and more in America's dream machine. "Avengers: Age of Ultron", for example, shot a massive chase scene around Mapo Bridge, and Tony Gilroy's "Bourne Legacy" showcased Seoul's streets and river for a minute and a half. As Korea continues to make the country an attractive option for international filmmakers and producers, expect a rise of images of the Land of the Morning Calm (and its talents) from the outside.

...READ ON THE KOREA HERALD

"Women-Led Thrillers Impress Overseas"

"With precious few major projects featuring lead female characters, the country's bounty of talented women performers was largely sidelined", writes Pierce Conran, reflecting on Korea's film industry in 2017. "Not a single film featuring an actress in a lead role landing in the top 10 local titles of the year". Although local projects with leading ladies were not able to find much of the spotlight at home, international festivals and their audiences did recognise and praise a number of K-lady-led features. In this post on KoBiz, Pierce pulls films featuring lead female protagonists into focus and reveals five of the year's top commercial hits.

...READ ON KOBIZ

"Answer, 1980s!"

The 1980s were a particularly turbulent and uncertain time in Korea. Political assassinations, human rights abuses, political and economic turmoil characterised this pivotal moment in the country's history. The effects of the 80s, however, still remain relevant today, and as KoBiz writer Hwang Hee-yun notes, "The Korean film industry has frequently returned to this turbulent time, releasing movies that try to capture the reality of the political period rather than resorting to cinematic exaggeration". "A Taxi Driver", the highest-grossing film of last year and Korea's official selection for the upcoming Oscars, for example, takes places during the Gwangju Democratization Movement. More recently, Jang Joon-hwan's new feature, "1987: When the Day Comes", released two days after Christmas, has currently claimed more than 4 million admissions ($30.6 million).

...READ ON KOBIZ

"Could K-Film Ever Be As Popular As K-Pop In Asia?"

In this guest post on Forbes, Hyewon Kang Kim, the director of the Cultural Studies Centre of East Asia, wonders if K-films could ever be as popular in Asia as K-pop. "Unlike K-pop, K-films have been produced mainly for the local audience", writes Dr. Kang Kim Hyewon. "[T]he chance for South Korean entertainment films to win Asian audiences seems quite high, as long as Hollywood continues to focus on superheroes and transforming robots".

...READ ON FORBES