Welcome to the first edition of Koreanfilm Weekly. In this weekly column you can find the latest news on DVD releases from Korea, along with plenty of DVD reviews. For any information, question, complaint or correction, contact KoreanFilmWeekly@hotmail.com.

Note: DVD release dates and specs are subject to change.

LATEST DVD RELEASES:

--Korean Releases

Family [2002]
Release Date: 12/20 - Company: Bitwin - Running Time: 105 Minutes - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, Letterboxed - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0
Special Features: Not Announced

NOTES: This film was supposed to be released by Cream Young, the now defunct company which released the Battle Royale Special Edition (now re-printed by Starmax). Bitwin quickly picked up the rights and for a while it seemed like this disc wouldn't have English Subtitles. Thankfully that is not the case. It's not certain yet whether the transfer will be Letterboxed or Anamorphic, as many sites list the former, but some the latter. Extras shouldn't be too many, but there's a good chance the A/V quality will be excellent.  This is Hwang Shin-hye's comeback film, a comedy centering around a group of room salon madam's fighting with a Jopok gang.

Chihwaseon [2002]
Release Date: 12/21 - Company: Cinema Service - Running Time: 120 Minutes - Package: 2-disc Special Edition
Audio Options: Korean DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3
Special Features: all on disc 2 - The Making of Chihwaseon - Multiangle comparison between Telecine 1 & 2, VHS transfer and DVD transfer - Release: Theatrical Trailer, TV Spot, Photo Gallery, Poster Shooting, Premiere - Interview - Cast & Crew - Still Galleries

NOTES: Im Kwon-taek's latest is finally released on DVD, courtesy of Cinema Service. The film has its share of admirers and those who didn't like it, but it should nonetheless be an excellent release, especially video-wise. Cinema Service's next release should be announced shortly (since Marrying The Mafia was licensed to Spectrum, it will probably be Ardor).

My Sassy Girl ["Yeobgi-jeogin Keunyeo" 2001]
Release Date: 12/21 - Company: Starmax - Running Time: 122 Minutes - Package: Cholla Yupgi Limited Edition
Audio Options: Korean DTS, Dolby Surround 2.0 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3
Special Features: NG Cut - Making Film - Image Gallery - Production Notes - Interview - Cameo - Cast & Crew Profiles - Kwak Jae-yong & Cha Tae-hyun Audio Commentary - Music Video - OST CD - Illustrated Package - My Sassy Girl Calendar

NOTES: A Cash in on the success of the previous DVD release? Probably, but there are enough new features to warrant interest. First is a DTS track, followed by what looks like remastered subtitles (both Korean and English) meaning you won't see the script-like subs anymore. The package will be nice, there's a calendar, the film's OST, and this seems to be a new director's cut since it's 122 Minutes against the previous 137. This is the film's fourth DVD release (following the original Starmax release, EDKO's Hong Kong Release, and the Taiwanese Time Egg Limited edition).

Love Me Once Again Boxset Collection ["Miwodo Dashi Hanbeon" 1968~2002]
Release Date: 12/24 - Company: Daekyung - Running Time: N/A - Package: 6-disc Boxset
Audio Options: Korean DTS (certain titles only), Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: None
Aspect Ratio:  1.33:1, Full Frame - Format: Single Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0
Special Features: None

NOTES: A collection of the Love Me Once Again saga, spanning from the late 60s to this year's release. The boxset is pretty barebones, but it's also cheap at around 65,000 Won retail. Most interesting is that the 68 film will have a DTS track. No subtitles here, so probably of little interest to fans outside Korea.

--Hong Kong Releases

The Way Home ["Jibeuro" 2002]
Release Date: 12/22 - Company: EDKO Video Ltd. - Running Time: 87 Minutes - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1, Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: Chinese Traditional Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3
Special Features: Trailer, Making Of Documentary, Photo Gallery

NOTES: EDKO usually does a fine job. This won't compare to the Korean release, and will only cost between four and ten dollars less than the CJ Entertainment 2-discer. If you only need the film and don't care about video quality (this disc will be video-sourced, CJ's will be film-sourced), this could be a decent alternative.

--European Releases

Bichunmoo [2000]
Release Date: 12/4 - Company: Futurefilm/World Wide Cinema (Finland) - Running Time: 118 Minutes - Package: Digipack 2-disc Special Edition
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: Finnish Subtitles, Swedish Subtitles, Norwegian Subtitles, Danish Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: PAL R2
Special Features: Making of  - NG-Scenes - CG Collections - Music Video - Original Soundtrack - Highlights (not subtitled)

NOTES: This could be a good appetizer for Premier Asia's upcoming release of the film. Seems to be a direct port of the Spectrum releases, with Scandinavian subtitle options, of course. This company will release many more Korean films in the future.

--Recent TV Dramas on DVD

Ruler of Your Own World ["Ne Meotdaero Haera" 2002 MBC]
Release Date: 12/18 - Company: Bitwin - Running Time: 1226 Minutes (20 Episodes) - Package: Director's Cut, 8-disc Digipack
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 - Subtitle Options: None
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1, OAR Full Frame - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0
Special Features: Making Of - NG Best 10 - Best Scene (Highlights) - Location Footage - Profiles - Stunt Scenes

NOTES: This is the latest MBC Drama starring Yang Dong-geun, Kong Hyo-jin and Lee Na-young. Seems like a good show, and there's a decent amount of extras. Of course if distributors actually realized they'd make much more money - more than any Korean Film on DVD - putting subs on shows like this, it would be a better world. The Autumn Fairy Tale DVD is long out of print, imagine if that had English Subtitles (there is now a Malaysian version with English Subtitles, but they're pretty bad). Anyway, as always, watch at least an episode on VOD before you purchase this set, which retails around 95-100,000 Won.

COMING SOON ON DVD:

Marrying The Mafia ["Gamun-ui Yeong-gwang" 2002]
Release Date: 12/27 - Company: Spectrum - Running Time: 115 Minutes - Package: 3-disc Digipack (2 DVD + O.S.T. CD)
Audio Options: Korean DTS, Korean Dolby Digital 5.1, Korean Dolby Surround 2.0 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, ?English Subtitles?
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3
Special Features: Director's Audio Commentary - Storyboard & Sketches - Director & Cast Interview - Music Video - Film Highlights - CG Making - Still Gallery - Theatrical Trailer & TV Spot - Production Notes - Original Soundtrack CD

NOTES:  As expected, this year's big box office hit gets a packed DVD release. Many sites indicate the DVD will have English Subtitles, some don't. Considering Spectrum's latest release (like the 2x1 Mayonnaise/Blackjack), there's no guarantee. This not only would be sad, but also a very stupid move. The film is sure to be popular outside Korea, and English Subtitles would increase exponentially the release's market potential. A 2-disc edition (without the OST C.D.) is scheduled for mid January.

Resurrection of the Little Match Girl ["Seongnyang-pari Sonyeo-ui Jerim" 2002]
Release Date: 12/27 - Company: enterOne - Running Time: 126 Minutes - Package: Special Edition DVD
Audio Options: Korean DTS, Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding. NTSC R0
Special Features: Audio Commentary with Director Jang Sun-woo, Producer Hur Chang-kyung, and actress Im Eun-kyung - 'Match Girl' Documentary - Making Of - Music Video (KangTa's "Seom - lit. Island"), Theatrical Trailer

NOTES: Given the almost legendary flop the film made at the box office, it's almost certain it will be more popular outside Korea. This has all the makings of a cult film, with interesting lead actors (up and coming Kim Hyun-sung, debuting CF model Im Eun-kyung), lots of action, an impressive score, and Jang Sun-woo's usual provocative cinematic touch. Like for the Champion DVD, this release seems disappointing concerning Special Features. Sometimes though is better to have a well made, long and exhaustive documentary than many short snippets which don't do much other than showing behind the scenes clips.

The Way Home ["Jibeuro" 2002]
Release Date: 12/27 - Company: CJ Entertainment - Running Time: 87 Minutes - Package: 2-disc Special Edition
Audio Options: Korean DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Surround 2.0 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles (Normal/For Hearing Impaired), English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3
Special Features: Director's Audio Commentary - Theatrical Trailer/Tv Spot/Making Of Spot - Still Gallery - Making of Documentary - Cast & Crew - Animated Menus - Game - The Way Home Episode 1 & 2 (Documentary?)

NOTES: One of the most acclaimed films of the year is finally on DVD, with a packed release. Plenty of extras here, but most interesting will be Lee Jung-hyang's Audio Commentary. The film is already selling well on pre-orders, appearing on Top 10 all over Korean online retailers. This should be one of the best releases of the year.

The Harmonium in My Memory ["Ne Maeum-ui P'ung-keum" 1999]
Release Date: 12/27 - Company: SRE - Running Time: 90 Minutes - Package: DVD + Conti Book
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Surround 2.0 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0
Special Features: Not Announced (probably the usual trailer, music video, Cast & Crew)

NOTES: The 'Conti book' is probably a printed version of the continuity storyboard, or maybe something completely different. However, what really matters is that finally a DVD will give this great little film justice. Modern Audio's HK release offered a disgraceful Fullscreen transfer, marred by unreadable subtitles, and even the audio was a little screwed up. SRE will continue to release older movies in the future. Already planned are the underrated '99 blockbuster Phantom: The Submarine, and the '98 film If The Sun Rises In The West starring Im Chang-jung and Ko So-young.

Addicted ["Jung Dok" 2002]
Release Date: 12/27 - Company: Metro - Running Time: 110 Minutes - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3
Special Features: Director's Audio Commentary - Cast & Crew - Music Video - Interview (Director Park Young-hoon, Actors Lee Mi-yeon & Lee Byung-heon) - Making Of

NOTES: A very quick release for Lee Byung-heon's comeback film after Bungee Jumping of Their Own. Lee Mi-yeon also comes back after a while (her last big screen appearance was a quick cameo in Fun Movie. Her last film was Bae Chang-ho's The Last Witness), and this should be a fine release. Metro is one of the most underrated DVD companies in Korea, probably because they have only released 3 Korean films so far. The usually do a fine job, and I'm sure this release will interest many people. Hopefully the release of this film and Boss X File means Metro is back in the game and will be more active in the following months.

Sex of Magic ["Mabeop-ui Seong" 2002]
Release Date: 2003, 1/3 - Company: Starmax - Running Time: 118 Minutes - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1, Korean Dolby Surround 2.0 - Subtitle Options: None
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, Letterboxed - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3
Special Features: Making Of, Interview, Theatrical Trailer, Photo Gallery

NOTES: The latest film from the director of Prison World Cup (Pang Sung-woong) was quickly forgotten at the box office. This sex comedy with no stars apparently didn't attract Starmax's attention either. They're dumping this on the market with no fanfare, a letterboxed transfer and No Subtitles (!) whatsoever. Even students of the language and Korean Cinema diehards might pass on this. Bad move. The film seems to be forgettable, but decent fun. One wonders why Starmax and its subsidiaries (Bear Entertainment) are so inconsistent with their releases in terms of subtitling.

Korea Short Animation Collection: Episode 1
Release Date: 2003, 1/6 - Company: Pop Entertainment Asia - Running Time: 70 Minutes (Combined) - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Surround 2.0, English Dolby Surround 2.0 (doesn't necessarily mean all shorts will be in dual language) - Subtitle Options: None
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1, Full Frame - Format: Single Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0
Special Features:  About The Film, About The Directors, Poster & Sketches, Music Video (Westlife), Interview

NOTES: Seemingly identical to the Nudl Nude series (except for its theme), this collection of short Animation films is just the first of a few other rumored releases in this sector. The Nudl Nude series proved a decent buy for Animation fans, although it could have been put in one DVD. The second disc contained a short by Lee Sung-gang, the director of this year's My Beautiful Girl, Mari. Titles for this release include 'Mouse Without a Tail', 'Grandma', 'Angel', 'Auto', 'On The Edge of Death', 'Desktop Wars', 'Nightmare', Don't Cry Hongdo',and  'The Cycle'. Judging from the description, it looks like many genres are covered. Definitely an interesting release, from the same company who brought you the spectacular Nabi: Limited Edition, and the far from spectacular Short Film Collection.

R.U. Ready? [2002]
Release Date: 2003, 1/7 - Company: enterOne - Running Time: 108 Minutes - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean DTS, Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0
Special Features: Making Of, Interview, Theatrical Trailer

NOTES: One of this year's flops to start the 'Copywood' trend of wannabe Hollywood Blockbuster, R.U. Ready's DVD release seems to suffer the same fate as Champion, with a relatively bare bones disc. At least enterOne keeps giving us great video and audio quality, English Subtitles on all their discs and Anamorphic Widescreen, film-sourced transfers. Featuring two of Friend's stars, Jung Woon-taek and Kim Bo-kyung.

Saving My Hubby ["Gutse-eora Geumsuna" 2002]
Release Date: 2003, 1/14 - Company: enterOne - Running Time: 90 Minutes - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0
Special Features: Audio Commentary, Making Of, N.G. Cut, Theatrical Trailer, TV Spot, Music Video

NOTES: Revenge of the Ajumma's! Bae Doo-na's latest action-comedy seems to be an underrated little gem. Just a few weeks after the film had its theatrical run, enterOne surprises us with a DVD release. Expect the usual excellent DVD, and I'm sure this film will become popular amongst Korean Film fans.

Road Movie [2002]
Release Date: 2003, 1/17 - Company: enterOne - Running Time: 115 Minutes - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0
Special Features: Director's Audio Commentary, Critics Audio Commentary (Tony Rayns), Making Of, Still Gallery, Interview, Music Video, Theatrical Trailer

NOTES: Of course the major news is that Tony Rayns recorded an audio commentary for this film. It will probably be in Engliish, which would add immensely to an already acclaimed film. Either way this should be a great release. With enterOne you can never go wrong, so expect pristine audio and video quality.

*DVD REVIEWS*

CHAMPION [2002]
Read Darcy's review of the film here
Release Date: 2002, 10/28 - Company: enterOne - Running Time: 116 Minutes - Package: Special Edition DVD
Audio Options: Korean DTS ES, Korean Dolby Digital 5.1EX - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0
You can purchase this film at YeonDVD.com

THE FILM: I have to say I expected a lot more from Kwak Kyung-taek here. The first half is terribly shaky, and even though the visual recreation of the 70s and 80s is excellent, this portion feels dated rather than evoking nostalgia. Thankfully the director is more comfortable with drama, and the second half slowly builds to a good finale. For those who expected a Raging Bull style film after the rather Scorsesian Friend, this might be a big disappointment. Still, it's not Rocky, despite some near-embarassing moments. Solid performances by Yoo Oh-sung and Jung Doo-hung. Chae Min-suh is pretty impressive in her debut. [7]

VIDEO QUALITY:  Another excellent job from enterOne. The usual film-sourced, 16:9 enhanced transfer is nearly flawless, and shows impressive level of detail. Just look at the crowd in the upper stands during the final fight. Even the darker scenes hold up really well. Great colors and contrast. Top notch.[8.5]

AUDIO QUALITY: Both tracks will put your system to work. Especially impressive are the punches near the end, with tremendous bass levels. The fine soundtrack is well rendered. I could have done without the G.O.D. song, though. [8.5]

SUBTITLE QUALITY: Here's where problems begin. While the Korean subtitles are generally fine, except a few mistimings and unsubtitled portions, the English Subtitles are terribly inconsistent, and on average a real disappointment. There are sparks of excellence where they even translate things on screen. But, sadly, most of the time you'll be staring at subtitles with minor timing problems, one too many spelling mistakes and generally lacking polish (unlike most other enterOne releases). If you have even only a rudimentary knowledge of Korean, my advice is to turn them off, you'll enjoy the film a lot more. [6]

EXTRA FEATURES: You get the feeling this was a disappointment just looking at the extras. A 20 Seconds Tv spot, not even the full theatrical trailer (which had 'Knockin on Heaven's Doors' as background) replaced by a pretty forgettable teaser. The bulk of the extras is a 47 Minutes long documentary. This is very good material, ranging from interviews with the director and cast, to behind the scenes and CG background clips. Even Ray Mancini is interviewed, recalling how Kim Deuk-gu's death impacted his career. At times this feels a little too promotional, but it's well realized and consistently interesting.[7.5]

VALUE FOR MONEY (Average): A little disappointing for a release of this caliber. Usual first rate A/V presentation by enterOne, but subtitles and extra features could have been much, much better. Hopefully the UK version, whenever it will come out, will be an improvement over this edition. Those interested in the film may wait for a HK release before investing more money on this. [7.40]

MY BEAUTIFUL DAYS ["Seumulnet" 2002]
Read a longer review of the film here
Release Date: 10/28 - Company: iVision - Running Time: 90 Minutes - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1, Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 - Subtitle Options:  Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, Letterboxed - Format: Single Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0
You can purchase this film at YeonDVD.com

THE FILM: An underrated little drama with good performances from Myung Kye-nam and Pang Eun-jin. Kim Min-sun overacts a little too much, and there are moments when one wonders what the director was trying to do. This is a good film though, and it definitely deserves more attention.[7.5]

VIDEO QUALITY: Considering this is a DVD-5, video-sourced and not even 16:9 enhanced, the transfer is surprisingly good. There's a little grain here and there, and during darker scenes the flaws are more apparent (like lack of detail), but otherwise this release looks good. [7.5]

AUDIO QUALITY: The film's understated tone carries over to the soundtrack. The audio system won't get much work if not for a few sound effects. There's a curious flaw near the end credits, with the audio cutting off for over a minute. The 2.0 track works fine. Switch when Kim Hyun-sung rides his bike before the end credits, and you'll be fine. [7]

SUBTITLES QUALITY: Both Korean and English Subtitles are excellent. Big and easy to read, with a nice font. Perfect timing, and pretty good translation. Sadly the subtitles are under the picture, so 16:9 screens won't be able to zoom in. [8.5]

EXTRA FEATURES: This is a really barebones disc. Only a trailer, photo gallery, music video and cast & crew section are offered. To change Subtitle Options before the film starts you have to access this section. [5]

VALUE FOR MONEY (Average): Definitely not a great DVD, but the film is underrated.  If you like understated dramas with interesting characters, and very little melodramatic elements, this film could do it for you. [7.15]

OVER THE RAINBOW [2002]
Read a longer review of the film here
Release Date: 11/09 - Company: Bear Entertainment/Starmax - Running Time: 106 Minutes - Package: 2-disc Special Edition
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0
You can purchase this film at YeonDVD.com

THE FILM: An interesting, but flawed hybrid comedy/melodrama. There's good chemistry between Lee Jung-jae and Chang Jin-young, but once the film moves to its middle arc, there is a substantial overuse of flashback for the sake of exposition. Eventually the character's efforts to remember his past become less interesting than his current relationship, but the film never really explores this effectively. A good date movie, but could have been much better. [7]

VIDEO QUALITY: Another excellent transfer from Starmax/Bear Entertainment. No noticeable flaws. The film's rich visuals are effectively displayed by the DVD. Nice colors and the level of detail is very good. No complaints here.[8.5]

AUDIO QUALITY: The only option here is DD5.1, the other track is a commentary with director Ahn Jin-woo. This is not a film that will show off your system, but the beautiful soundtrack, and some decent ambient sound support the film very well. [7.5]

SUBTITLES QUALITY: Both Korean and English Subtitles are near perfect. A lot of the text on screen is translated, and the subtitles never stray from the script to attempt to resolve difficult translations. [9]

EXTRA FEATURES: All the extras except the audio commentary are on the second disc, to ensure the best possible Audio/Video Quality for the film.
-Audio Commentary: Director Ahn Jin-woo introduces himself to begin a very interesting audio commentary about the film. While there are several silent pauses - some even lasting a few minutes - he manages to give good insight for most of the picture. Unlike other commentaries, he mostly reacts to what's happening on screen, and tries to give some info on particular scenes. While the first 15 minutes are spent on the story and the characters, the rest is more on the technical side, which quickly becomes interesting.  One curious aspect of the movie was the role of Mi-young, the girlfriend of Kong Hyung-jin's character. She doesn't appear in the 'present' for obvious reasons (she's dead), but she doesn't in the past either! The director explains more than once that she will appear on a few photos during the end credits. In fact, there's even a photo pointing at a girl from her back with "I, Mi-young!" written in Korean. The director makes a few references to how rain is used in melodramas to convey emotions, and how they achieved the film's particular 'rainy' look. He acknowledged that the film the characters were seeing in '96 was actually producer Kang Je-gyu's debut film, the box office hit The Gingko Bed. One of the coolest part of the film was the Singing in The Rain homage, and they actually used the same Dance Choreographer of Bet on My Disco to train Lee Jung-jae. Overall, a very good commentary. Sometimes the pauses get a little long, especially after the layer change, but it's very informative.
-Making Film: a 17 Minutes long piece mixing short interviews with the actors and directors, behind the scenes clips and other things. A good mix is offered here, and it turns out to be more interesting than the usual Making Of. You can enjoy this without subtitles.
-Interview: short, 2-3 minutes interviews with stars Lee Jung-jae, Chang Jin-young, director of photography Kim Young-cheol, and director Ahn Jin-woo. While brief, the interviews are still interesting enough. The actors talk about their partners, their characters and previous roles. There's some nice footage of Lee Jung-jae training for the 'Singing in The Rain' homage dance.  Chan Jin-young mostly focuses on her partner, and how this film was a little different from other melodramas. Ahn Jin-woo's piece is the longest, and problem the most interesting. He quickly talks about casting the leads, the story, characters and the climax of the film. There's an option to play all interviews back to back.
-Behind Scenes: 10 Minutes of behind the scenes clips from the shooting. This is the cutest, funniest part of the extras. It mostly consists of outtakes, actors fooling around the set, Lee Jung-jae taking various naps during the shooting, and Chang Jin-young's cake scene. You won't need subtitles here, and unlike other 'outtakes' sections, you get to see why the actors are laughing, instead of pretending what happened was funny just because someone laughed. Entertaining stuff.
-Assistant Actor Story: pretty unusual  extra feature here. Basically most of the supporting cast is interviewed, from Kong Hyung-jin down to small cameos. This will be of no interest for most people, but at least it gives a voice to people who never  have a chance to talk about their experiences on films like this. 11 Minutes.
-Comparison with Film Continuity: Already a staple of Korean DVDs, this basically runs the continuity sketches along with the film. Some of the most important scenes of the film are shown (totalling around 10 Minutes), and you can choose only the sketches, the movie (useless. Haven't I seen the movie already?), or both. The novelty of extras like this runs out pretty quickly, since they're pretty much all the same.
-Trailer, Music Video, Tv Spot.
Overall, there's some nice variety here, but it's kind of limited for a 2DVD release. This is mostly material you will only see once, no matter if you understand Korean or not. Still, these are pretty good extras, especially if you throw in the commentary.[7.5]

VALUE FOR MONEY (Average): The film will probably divide audiences. Those who usually like romantic comedies and melodramas will likely enjoy the chemistry between Chang Jin-young and Lee Jung-jae, but the film is far from perfect. This is clearly not an essential purchase, but the DVD is an excellent effort, and the film could find its niche among fans of the leads, and melodrama lovers. [7.75]

Note: The film's rating is counted twice for the final average. After all, the most important thing is the film, isn't it?

NEXT WEEK'S DVD REVIEWS:
A Perfect Match (2002)   Starmax 2-disc Special Edition
2009 Lost Memories (2002)   enterOne 2-disc Special Edition
Nabi: The Butterfly (2001)   Pop Entertainment Asia 2-disc Limited Edition
Breakout (2002)   Cinema Service 2-disc Special Edition

Special Thanks: Darcy Paquet, Yeon Hyeon-sook, dvd.co.kr, papadvd.com, dvdshelf.com, screendaily.com, leffat.com, yesasia.com, play.com, koreanwiz.org, all the DVD companies' official websites.

Last updated on 2002, 12/22

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