Archive for the 'DVDs: New Releases' Category

It has been more than a year since I purchased some new DVDs for my collection. The biggest reason for this is because I can see many movies, both new and old, via my internet TV provider. While I have not missed buying the newest releases, there have been numerous older films appearing on DVD that I wanted to get my hands on and that BTV did not carry. When the Kim Kee-duk Collection came out this month, I could not resist any longer. I ordered it…along with a dozen or so other DVDs I had my eye on but resisted buying over the past few months. Here is a picture of what arrived in my office Monday afternoon:

At the top we have the Kim Kee-duk Collection which consists of The Five Marines (1961), which I think I reviewed on this site this past spring as it was on EBS TV, Barefoot Youth (1964)– which I already owned as a separate DVD but I can donate that copy to the school or give to a friend– North and South (1965), a movie that I saw long ago on television and loved, and Horse-Year Bride (1968) which I have never seen.
The second row primarily consists of the three volumes of a set called The International Awards Short Film Winners (various years). I love short films and I will be excited to view them. Next to them is March of Fools (1975), a film that has been a long time coming to DVD– However, don’t get your hopes up. This DVD has no subtitles.
What DOES have subs are three of the four DVDs in the next row. Tosuni: The Birth of Happiness (1963) received the royal treatment from the Korean FIlm Archives. They included a book explaining about the film and the state of Korean cinema in relation to the government at the time the film was made. Next to it, is the unsubtitled Come Down to a Lower Place (1982) followed by Come to Me (1996) and Rehearsal (1995). I was happy to see both of these films again. At one point I had them on VHS but gave them all up when I switched to DVDs. I have no memory of the stories despite writing about them on the original Koreanfilm.org message boards. I had got my start writing about Korean movies by posting on the forums about pre-Shiri films and these were among the films I introduced.
The final row consists first of Blazing Sun (1986)– no subs- and then the Im Kwon-taek Collection (Wangsimni-1976, Genealogy-1978, Jagko-1980, and Mandala-1981). I had held off buying Im’s collection but now seemed as good a time as any. Finally there is Maria and the Inn (1997) and Fire Bird (1996). Both have subtitles. I have clear memories of writing about Maria and the Inn and I remember really liking it. I wonder if time has changed my opinions.

So.. have you purchased any DVDs lately?
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Click here to view the complete list of DVDs I own

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There will be five movies available for purchase, although the first of the films pictured above can hardly be called a new movie and was likely released a decade ago. However, Pisces will be available once again. The other movies you can buy this week are all smaller, indie films. If I were able to only choose one, my pick this week would be torn between Perfect Number and Paradox Circle. It may be worth your while to check out this film. The details for each DVD are listed below– not all the films available this time have English subtitles..

Pisces– directed by Kim Hyeong-tae and starring Lee Mi-yeon and Choi Woo-je. Number of discs: 1/ Subtitles: Korean, English and Japanese/ Rating: suitable for ages 15+/ Format: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/ Running Time: 98 minutes/ Suggested Retail Price: 9,900 KRW/ Available: February 13

Dirty Blood– directed by Kang Hyo-jin & starring Yoon Joo and Im Dae-il. Number of Discs: 1/ Subtitles: None/ Rating: for mature viewers/ Format: 16:9 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0/ Running Time: 133 minutes/ Suggested Retail Price: 22,000 KRW/ Available: February 14

Paradox Circle– directed by Kim Seong-hoon, starring Kim Jeong-hak and Jeong Wook. Number of Discs: 1/ Subtitles: Korean and English/ Rating: suitable for ages 15+/ Format: 16:9 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/ Running Time: 102 minutes/ Available: Febuary 14

Peach Tree– directed by Ku Hye-seon and starring Jo Seung-woo and Ryu Deok-hwan. Number of discs: 1/ Subtitles: Korean/ Rating: suitable for ages 15+/ Format: 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/ Running Time: 106 minutes/ Available: February 15

Perfect Number– directed by Bang Eun-jin, starring Ryu Seung-beom and Lee Yo-won/ Number of discs: 1/ Subtitles: Korean and English/ Rating: suitable for ages 15+/ Format: 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/ Running Time: 119 minutes/ Available: February 15

There are a total a five movies being released on DVD this week. They are listed below.

Both of the movies in the image above are documentaries. The one pictured left is The Forgotten Bag by director Kim Sang-cheol and features Kwon Oh-joong and Lee Hyeon-woo. Number of discs: 1/ Subtitles: None/ Rating: suitable for all ages/ Format: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0/ Running Time: 70 minutes/ Available: January 29

The second film in that image is Red Maria directed by Kyeong Soon and features ‘Grace’ and ‘Rita’ Number of discs: 1/ Subtitles: Korean and English/ Format: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0/ Running Time: 98 minutes/ Available: January 29

A Company Man was directed by Im Sang-yoon and starred So Ji-seob and Lee Mi-yeon. Number of Discs: 2/ Subtitles: Korean and English/ Rating: suitable for mature audiences/ Format: 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/ Running Time: 96 minutes plus 56 minutes on the second disc/ Available: January 30

Spy stars Kim Myeong-min and Yoo Hae-jin. It was directed by Woo Min-ho. Number of discs: 1/ Subtitles: Korean and English/ Rating: suitable for ages 15+/ Format: 2.35:1 anamorophic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/ Running Time: 115 minutes plus 82 minutes of extras/ Available: January 30

The last Korean movie on DVD this week is Traffickers starring Im Chang-jeong and Daniel Choi. Number of discs: 2/ Subtitles: Korean and English/ Rating: suitable for mature audiences/ Format: 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/ Running Time: 111 minutes plus 40 minutes of extras/ Available: February 1

There are four Korean movies being released on DVD this coming week. One is the horror movie Two Moons and the other three are films that have not received releases outside of film festivals and are all products of director Kwon Soon-do.

Two Moons– directed by Kim Dong-bin and starring Park Han-byeol and Kim Ji-seok.  Number of discs: 1/ Rating: suitable for ages 15+/ Subtitles: Korean and English/ Format: 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/ Running Time: 86 minutes/ Suggested Retail Price: 22,000 KRW/ Available: Januayr 23.

Confession of a Son– documentary directed by Kwon Soon-do.  Number of discs: 1/ Rating: Suitable for all ages/ Subtitles: Korean and English/ Format: 16:9 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: 2.0 CH/ Running Time: 51 minutes/ Suggested Retail Price: 12,000 KRW/ Available: January 24

One Step Forward– directed by Kwon Soon-do starring Jang Dae-shik and Song Hyo-bin.  Number of discs: 1/ Rating: Suitable for ages 12+/ Subtitles: None/ Format: 16:9 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: 2.0 CH/ Running Time: 80 minutes/ Suggested Retail Price: 15,000KRW/ Available: January 24.

Engaged– directed by Kwon Soon-do and starring Ha Kyeong-hee and Jo Yeong-joo. Number of discs: 2/ Rating: Suitable for mature viewers only/ Subtitles: English/ Format: 16:9 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: 2.0 CH/ Running Time: 68 movies <info about the second disc is not listed in the promo>/ Suggested Retail Price: 20,000 KRW/ Available: January 24

Well– I just got back from vacation and I am really feeling the effects of jetlag.  But I am forcing myself to stay awake until at least 10pm to try to readjust to the time difference. So, I thought this would be a good time to start catching up on some things..like blogging. I will begin with the dvds that are going to be available this week.

The first three DVDs on the list interest me quite a bit and I may place an order for them tomorrow. They are the International Awards Short Film Winners volumes 1, 2 and 3.  Unfortunately, they are not sold as a set and must be purchased individually. Each volume consists of one disc with three, four or five short films by Korean directors on them. As it is not easy to see short films outside of film festivals <or the INDIEFILM channel if you are in Korea>, this is a great opportunity to view some.  All the films have English subtitles and each DVD has a running time between 70 and 80 minutes.  Each disc has a recommended pricetag of 19,800 KRW and all are available for purchase on January 15th.

This next one is a film that was extremely successful in 2012. The movie is Thieves directed by Choi Dong-hoon and starring Kim Yoon-seok and Kim Hye-soo among many other big-named actors. Number of discs: 3/ Subtitles: Korean and English/ Rating: for ages 15+/ Format: 1085:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/ Running Time: 135 minutes plus 156 minutes of extras divided between discs 2 and 3/ Recommended Retail Price: 25,300 KRW/Available: January 16th.

There are three sets of Korean movies on DVD being released this week, but one of them is a collection of four films. Usually I posts these in the order they are released, but this time I am going to start with the collection of four films as I think it will be of interest to many people– It is certainly of interest to me…

The image above is for the Im Kwon-Taek Collection. This is not an assortment of his most recent films. Instead we are being treated to four movies from the ’70s and ’80s. I am happy to see some of these films– I had previously owned Family Pedigree on VHS and feared I would never be able to replace it after getting rid of all my videos. I will definitely be purchasing this for myself after the holidays..  Number of discs: 4/ Subtitles: Korean, English and Japanese/ Format: 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital Mono/ Set Includes– My Hometown <1976, 112 minutes>, Family Pedigree <1978, 108minutes>, Mismatched Nose <1980, 103 minutes> and Mandala <1981, 112 minutes>/ Recommended Retail Price: 49,000 KRW/Available: December 18th.

Two other movies will also be available this week. The first is The Concubine, directed by Kim Dae-seung and starring Jo Yeo-jeong  and Kim Dong-wook.  Number of discs: 1/ Subtitles: Korean and English/ Rating: For mature audiences/ Format: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.0/ Running Time: 122 minutes/ Recommended Retail Price: 22,000 KRW/ Available: December 17th.

The other film is Ghost Sweepers starring Kim Soo-ro and Kim Ye-won. It is directed by Shin Jeong-won.  Number of discs: 2/ Subtitles: Korean and English/ Rating: suitable for ages 15 and up/ Format: 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/ Running Time: 120 minutes plus 67 minutes of extras on disc 2/ Recommended Retail Price: 23,100 KRW/ Available: December 19th.

There are two DVDs being released during this week that I had not previously reported on in addition to Pieta which had been delayed from its original release date, reported here.

The first is the animation Green Days which started production in 2007 . It was on the production charts so long that I had begun to believe it was an abandoned project, but it was finally released into theaters in 2011. The movie was directed by Ahn Jae-hoon and Han Hye-jin and voiced by Park Shin-hye and Song Chang-ui.  Number of discs: 1 plus the DVD box contains a 48-page book of the story/ Subtitles: Korean and English/ Rating: suitable for all ages/ Format: 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/ Running Time: 98 minutes/ Recommended Retail Price: 25,300 KRW/ Available: December 13

Heaven is Only for the Single, directed by Jo Seong-gyu, starring Choi Yoon-so and Lee Neung-ryong. Number of discs: 1/ Subtitles: Korean/ Rating: suitable for ages 12 and up/ Format: 16:9 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital: 5.1/ Running Time: 95 minutes/ Recommended Retail Price: 22,000 KRW/ Available: December 13.

There will be four Korean movies released on DVD this week, however only two of them have English subtitles…

Granny Goes to School– Directed by Jin Gwang-gyo, starring Kim Jin-gu.   Number of discs: 1/ Subtitles: Korean/ Rating: Suitable for all ages/ Format: 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0/ Running Time: 102 minutes/ Suggested Retail Price: 25,300 KRW/ Available: December 4

Ninety Minutes– Directed by Park Seon-wook, starring Ju Sang-wook.  Number of discs: 1/ Subtitles: Korean/ Rating: For mature Viewers/ Format: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0/ Running Time: 94 minutes/ Suggested Retail Price: 25,300 KRW/ Available: December 5.

Late Autumn– Directed by Kim Tae-yong, starring Hyeon Bin. Number of discs: 1/ Subtitles: Korean, English, Chinese/ Rating: Suitable for Ages 15+/ Format: 2.35:1Anamorphic Widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/ Running Time: 113 minutes/ Suggested Retail Price: 25,300 KRW/ Available: December 6.

Two Weddings and a Funeral– Directed by Kimjo Gwang-soo, starring Kim Dong-yoon. Number of discs: 1 plus 1 CD containing a PDF file of the storyboard and scenario/ Subtitles: Korean and English/ Rating: Suitable for Ages 15+/ Format: 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/ Running Time:  106 minutes/ Suggested Retail Price: 25,300 KRWW/ Available: December 6

The last week of November is upon us and December begins next week. Where does time go? This last week of the month brings us just one Korean movie being released onto DVD, though it is one that I am sure many people have been waiting for…

Pieta– director Kim Ki-duk, starring Jo Min-soo and Lee Jeong-jin. Number of discs: 1/ Subtitles: Korean and English/ Rating: for mature viewers/ Format: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/ Running Time: 104 minutes plus 36 minute of extras/ Recommended Retail Price: 23,100 KRW/ Available: November 28.

Well, I have reactivated the comments in the hopes that the spam bomb that hit me two weeks ago has been taken care of and my inbox won’t be flooded with another ten thousand spam messages.  I will be keeping a close eye on it tonight…

In the meantime, we have several Korean films being released onto DVD for the first time.  Among them is Taste of Money directed by Im Sang-soo and starring Kim Kang-goo and Baek Yoon-shik.  Number of discs: 2/ Subtitles: Korean and English/ Rating: For mature viewers/ Format: 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/ Running Time: 115 minutes plus 57 minutes of extras/ Recommended Retail Price: 23,100 KRW/ Available: November 21

The Concubine was directed by Kim Dae-seung and stars Jo Yeo-jeong and Kim Dong-wook.  Number of Discs: 2/ Subtitles: Korean and English/ Rating: For mature viewers/ Format: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/ Running Time: 122 minutes plus 50 minutes on disc 2/ Recommended Retail Price: 27,500 KRW/ Available: November 21.

The comedy, The Grand Heist, will also be released this week.  It was directed by Kim Joo-ho and stars Cha Tae-hyeon and Oh Ji-ho. Number of discs: 2/ Subtitles: Korean and English/ Rating: For ages 12 and up/ Format: 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/ Running Time: 121 minutes plus 85 minutes of extras/ Recommended Retail Price: 23,100 KRW/ Available: November 21.

R2B: Return to Base stars Jeong Ji-hoon and Yoo Joon-sang and was directed by Kim Dong-won. Number of discs: 1/ Subtitles: Korean and English/ Rating: For ages 15 and up/ Format: 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/ Running Time: 113 minutes/ Recommended Retail Price: 25,300 KRW/ Available: November 22.

We’re not done yet. We still have The 577 Project starring Kong Hyo-jin and Ha Jeong-woo and directed by Lee Geun-woo.  Number of discs: 1/ Subtitles: Korean and English/ Rating: For ages 15 and up/ Format: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/ Running Time: 99 minutes/ Recommended Retail Price: 25,300KRW/ Available: November 22

Finally there is Wedding Scandal directed by Shin Dong-yeob and starring Kim Min-joon and Kwak Ji-min.  Number of discs: 1/ Subtitles: Korean/ Rating: For ages 15 and up/ Format: 1.85: 1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0/ Running TIme: 90 minutes plus 12 of extras/ Recommended Retail Price: 22,000 KRW/ Available: November 22.