Category: Entertainment Files

Korea's First Playboy Model?

The Chosun is proclaiming Lee Pani as Korea’s first Playboy Model, even though two years ago Lee Sabi was proclaimed as Playboy’s first Korean model as well by the Chosun.

In the article Lee Pani claims she has never had any cosmetic surgery:

Lee insists she has had no cosmetic surgery and doesn’t want to. I want to do many things, but I’ll focus on living up to my title for the time being, she adds. Later if I have a chance, I want to show another side of me.

Anyone believe her?

On another note who thinks Lee Pani or Lee Sabi is a better Playboy model. Judging by this photo I would have to say Lee Pani looks hotter than Lee Sabi. Any other opinions?

Foreign Film Quotas Reduced in South Korea

In an anticipated move, South Korea has agreed to reduce it’s movie quota system for foreign films:

Finance Minister Han Duck-soo said during a weekly briefing South Korea would halve the quota requiring cinemas to show local films for 146 days of the year to 73 days.

The United States, South Korea’s second-largest trading partner, has pressed Seoul to open the film market more, saying the quota system was a major impediment for negotiating a bilateral free trade agreement.

“The government has decided to take measures needed for the goal of reducing the screen quota to 73 days starting on July 1, after considering such quotas in other countries,” Han said.

Can we put a quota system on Hollywood films in America? Hollywood movies is recent years for the most part have sucked. If the Korean film industry continues to produce high quality domestic movies I see no reason why they should fear Hollywood.

I still can’t get over the money I wasted watching the Fantastic Four and other crap Hollywood movies this past summer.

Jackie Chan Denies He is Anti-Korean

Remember the good old days when Jackie Chan was considered pro-Korean? Well now even the guy that everyone loves to like is now feeling the heat disgruntled Korean pride as Chan is now accused of being anti-Korean:

Jackie Chan hit back at reports he is anti-South Korea, and accused the media of distorting his comments, according to reports.

Speaking at a promotional event in South Korea for his latest movie “The Myth,” Chan said remarks attributed to him about the country’s film industry were incorrect, the Apple Daily newspaper reported Saturday.

“I have lived in Korea for two years … here, no one would believe that I am anti-Korea,” Chan told the paper.

Chan denies he said South Korean stars were feted in the Chinese media, but the same could not be said for Chinese stars in South Korea. He also denies saying the success of South Korean productions was due less to their quality and more to their support from audiences at home.

Could it be that the Korean media fabricated a story to slime Jackie Chan? The Korean media would never do that would they?

Nicolas Cage and Alice Kim to Split? Should We Be Surprised?

Speculation is mounting that Nicolas Cage may have dumped Alice Kim and moved on to the next woman half his age:

On Wednesday, someone posted pictures of Cage on a date on a yacht with another young lady on an Internet site with the Korean portal site Daum. The picture was entitled, “Nicolas Cage’s New Girlfirend.”

 

The picture, which is drawing an explosive amount of Internet attention, has no further explanation other than its title, so there is debate as to the authenticity of the photo.

The woman in the photo however may belong to someone else on the boat though since there was other people present:

Besides the woman indicated as Cage’s new love, there are two boys also on board the boat; all are brightly smiling as they enjoy sun tanning and swimming.

Even if the photo does confirm that Cage has split from Kim, why is anybody surprised by this? Why is this making headlines in major South Korean newspapers? Who cares, we all knew this was coming sooner or later. Save it for the tabloids.

Movie Review: Hero

I am going to start doing reviews of movies I saw recently here in Korea. I’m going to concentrate on Korean cinema but I am also going to slip in some Japanese and Chinese movies also. With that a great movie I saw last night was Hero. This movie was actually released in China two years ago but was released this year stateside because the publisher did not want to release the movie to soon after 2001 hit movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Well I’m glad the movie has finally been released. The movie has a great story line based on actual historical events. However, some fast, furious, and artistic fighting sequences are thrown in to add a fantasy element to the movie. The movie takes place 2000 years ago during the warring states period in acient China. Ying Zheng (played by Cheng Daoming), King of the state of Qin, brutal and ruthless, was the target of many assassination attempts by his rivals. Among them, Broken Sword, (played by Tony Leung Chiu-Wai), Flying Snow, (played by Maggie Cheung) and Sky (played by Donnie Yen) play the top assassins trying to kill the King of Qin. However, their plan was challenged by No-name (played by Jet Li)who is a minor Qin official. He spoke little and no one really knew what he was up to. No-name told the king that the assassins had been wiped out by his hand and he explained his story, but the king wisely did not trust him. The events after this would lead the divided country into unification for the first time under one emperor and the building of the Great Wall of China.

The movie is a thinking mans action movie. Just like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon you really need to pay attention to the plot line. This is just not mindless action. However, as great as this movie is I do have to say I liked Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon better. Crouching Tiger had better all around characters with Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeo, and Zhang Ziyi all playing well developed characters with distinct personalities. While in Hero, Jet Li’s character is the only one with any substance. Zhang Ziyi also plays a part in this movie but it is only a minor part. But the action and storyline help make up for the unexplored characters and I highly recommend this movie. I give it a 8 out of 10.