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Park Chan-wook is an iconic director who has made quite a name for himself in South Korea as well as Hollywood for his stylized drama flicks. With a focus often on violence, flair for drama, and dark humor, Park Chan-wook has often been compared to Quentin Tarantino because of how similar their films are in terms of storytelling and popularity.

Although Chan-wook’s movies delve just a tiny bit deeper into the cycles of revenge and the futility of it all, we cannot help but notice his relentless filmmaking style, just like Quentin Tarantino. With revenge taking the center stage and following a domino effect in each storyline, here are...

The phrase “no other choice” is repeated many times by many people in many contexts in the film of the same name, so we might as well add another use of the phrase right now: South Korean director Park Chan-wook has no other choice but to make big, bold movies that always flirt with going over the edge, and sometimes do a lot more than flirt.

His new film is a case in point. Based on an early 1970s novel by Donald E. Westlake, “The Ax,” it’s a black comedy about an employee in a paper manufacturing plant who is let go by the company’s new American owners...

Park Chan-wook doesn’t direct movies. He builds obsession traps. One minute you’re watching out of curiosity, the next you’re spiraling down a rabbit hole of hypnotic visuals, twisted mind games, and morally doomed characters who make murder look like high art. His films don’t ask for your attention, they steal it, wrap it in silk, and stab it for fun.

If you’ve ever finished a Chan-wook movie and just sat there, speechless, questioning life, love, death, and how anyone made something that beautiful and unhinged, yes, same. The man’s filmography is a genre-defying rollercoaster that slides from revenge thrillers to gothic romances to surreal sci-fi, and somehow it all still feels Chan-wook. The vibes are immaculate and dark.

So naturally, we decided to do the impossible and rank every single Park Chan-wook movie from “just vibing” to “cinema so peak it should be studied in labs.

Here’s something to be excited about: Park Chan-wook is back! The legendary Korean filmmaker – behind Oldboy, and The Handmaiden, and Decision To Leave, to name but a handful of his masterpieces – is returning with a new film, No Other Choice, after briefly turning to TV for The Sympathizer. And, fittingly for the filmmaker behind the thematically-linked Vengeance Trilogy, his latest looks to be a tale of jealousy, rage, and murder – a thriller with blackly comic elements. Check out the teaser:

There’s no official synopsis for No Other Choice yet, but it’s based on Donald Westlake’s novel The Ax – in which a man who finds himself cut loose after a lengthy employment resorts to desperate measures when he struggles to get a new job. In the lead role of Man-soo is Lee Byung-hun, who last worked with Director Park on his debut proper, 2000’s Joint Security Area.

Bae Doona – model, actress, and one of a select Academy members from South Korea to date – is a trans-Pacific legend. Since her debut in “The Ring Virus” (1999), her stern, but honest demeanor has made her a beloved household name. She has since been worked with major directors that we now equate with independent Asian cinema, including collaborations with Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho, and Hirokazu Koreeda. Her more contemporary appearances have broadcast her name overseas, such as her recent collaborations with July Jung‘s Cannes-premiering feature, “A Girl At My Door” (2014), “Matrix”-directing Wachowski sisters’ (“Cloud Atlas” (2012) and “Sense8” (2015-2018)) and more recently, Netflix’s wildly popular zombie period drama, “Kingdom” (2019). Bae Doona has since made the rounds in the West, cementing her fame well beyond the Korean stage.

Now entering her third decade of her film career, Bae Doona is committed to the act of reprisal. In 2022, we saw two...

Frank Lee has spent nearly his entire life running movie theaters. At 70, after a long career as an independent theater operator in San Francisco, he and his wife and co-owner, Lida, are looking to sell the Marina and Presidio theaters which they have overseen since the early 2000s. But he says the filmgoing experience shouldn’t end.

Lee wants to “see these two theaters continue as movie theaters.”

He says he would be sad about stepping away from the theaters, which are both on Chestnut Street in the Marina District and part of the Lee Neighborhood Theatres business, but that it’s the right moment for a new owner.

“I think it’s about time. After 60 years in the business, it might be a good opportunity right now. And things are looking up,” Lee told Variety. “I think the release schedule this year could be hopefully back to normal from pre-covid.

Korean animated film The King of Kings has surpassed Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning Parasite to become the top-grossing Korean film in the U.S.

Produced by Korean animation outfit Mofac Studio, The King of Kings has earned a cumulative $54.7M at the box office so far, surpassing Parasite, which previously raked in a total of $53.8M during its run.

Written and directed by Mofac Studio CEO Jang Seong-ho, The King of Kings is based on Charles Dickens’ book titled ‘The Life of Our Lord.’ The film follows the life of Jesus Christ from his birth to his resurrection.

The King of Kings reached this box office milestone within three weeks of its April 11 release in the U.S., hitting the theaters just ahead of the Good Friday and Easter holidays.

Clocking pre-sales of more than $14.6M, the film was released by Angel Studios, which also handled Sound of Freedom and The Chosen.

Asian science fiction has been dominated for many years by Japanese animation, which has provided countless masterpieces to the genre. But in the past 25 years or so, a new batch of live-action films have given the genre new momentum by providing more diversity in terms of format, national origins and thematic scope. While Japan is still making great science fiction that feels fresh and innovative, other countries, most notably South Korea and China, have begun taking the genre more seriously than in the past. Leading filmmakers now use sci-fi to tell great extrapolative stories about science and technology, the future(s) of human society, or more allegorically to deal with mental illness or the precariousness of the adult world.

Science fiction is a notoriously difficult genre to define, but the list below takes a look at films that try to break free of the traditional Japanese formats and subgenres – beyond...

Bong Joon-ho’s acclaimed monster action sci-fi The Host has finally received a new streaming update. The 2006 movie was led by Cannes-winning South Korean actor Song Kang-ho, who has been Bong’s long-time collaborator on multiple movies since 1998, including the Oscar-winning black comedy thriller Parasite.

As of Feb. 1, The Host is now available to start streaming on Max, after nearly two decades since making its theatrical debut. The film follows Song’s Gang-du, who is a clumsy single father to a rebellious teenage daughter. He works as a food stand vendor on the banks of the Han River, where a terrifying creature suddenly appears. Chaos ensues, and Gang-du’s daughter gets abducted by the creature, who drags her into the river. Gang-du, along with the rest of his family, decide to rescue her despite the odds. During its theatrical run, it became one of South Korea’s high-grossing movies at the time,...

Programmers at the Busan International Film Festival have given their opening gala to “Uprising,” an action thriller with an all-star Korean cast that hails not from a traditional Korean studio, but from Netflix — the global streaming platform that has both disrupted and elevated the South Korean content industry.

Selectors have brushed aside criticism that the choice of a film that will skip a theatrical release and be available online within a couple of weeks is a troubling precedent. Instead, they have pointed out that the festival has long programmed TV series and also operates a content awards ceremony that is open to films, TV series and made-for-online content.

At a press presentation for the opening title on Wednesday, festival programmer Park Dosin framed a response in terms of experimentation and exploration. “First, I enjoyed the film and was able to forget about the format while watching it. Second, independent films...

Song Kang-ho, star of Oscar-winning film “Parasite,” will headline a series adaptation of hit film “Inside Men.”

The project was revealed on Thursday by producer Hive Media Corp. which said that the show is in the early stages of pre-production. Cameras are expected to roll in 2025.

No broadcaster or streamer has yet been attached.

The 2015 film was a political thriller that was adapted from an incomplete webtoon, penned by Yoon Tae-ho called “The Insiders” and which was published 2010-2012 in the Hankyoreh newspaper.

The webtoon featured a political bruiser, played by Lee Byung-hun in the film, who seeks revenge after being ruined by politicians and the media. Directed and written by Woo Min-ho, the film added other elements including a prosecutor (portrayed by Cho Sueng-woo), a presidential candidate Portrayed by Lee Gyeong-young) and a newspaper editor (portrayed by Baek Yoon-sik).

The series, which will be directed by Mo Wan-il (“The World of the Married...

Park Chan-wook, the eminent director of Oldboy and Stoker, is about to start filming his latest thriller – I Can’t Help It.

Acclaimed director Park Chan-wook has begun work on his latest movie, it’s been announced. Called I Can’t Help It, it’s based on The Ax – one of the later novels by prolific novelist Donald E Westlake.

Filming is due to begin this Saturday – the 17th August if you’re reading this in the future – and will star Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Published in 1996, The Ax introduced Burke Devore, a middle-aged chemist who, when he loses his job at a paper firm during a round of cost-cutting, goes to violent lengths in order to get his job back. There’s black comedy as well as violence in the story, then, which sounds of a piece with some of Park’s best-known films,...

The first AMC trailer for Tomorrow Studios upcoming Snowpiercer Season 4 has been dropped, teasing what fans can expect from the final installment to the hit sci-fi drama. The Daveed Diggs-led show was initially canceled by TNT as part of Warner Bros. Discoverys cost-cutting measures last year. However, AMC Networks ultimately picked up Snowpiercer, and gave the series a chance to premiere its fourth and final season.

The video teases the arrival of unknown enemies from the outside world, as the residents of New Eden must face the challenges of their new reality. Snowpiercer Season 4 is expected to make its debut on Sunday, July 21 on AMC and AMC+. Written by Paul Zbyszewski, the first episode is set to be titled "Snakes in the Garden." Season 3 concludes with the discovery that the outside world has now become warm and habitable after over seven years, since the Earth has turned into a frozen wasteland.

Exclusive: Chinese streaming giant iQIYI is involved in a legal row after featuring Korean masterpiece Oldboy in its library for at least six years without a proper license.

iQIYI is one of the biggest streaming services in the world, with more than 100M subscribers, but the company has faced a legal claim from Oldboy’s London-based distributor Celsius Entertainment.

Deadline understands that lawyers acting for Celsius and Oldboy producer Egg Films contacted iQIYI last August to allege that the streaming service had breached copyright after its license for the film expired in 2016.

“The pirated broadcast of this film will have a wide range of negative impacts in China, South Korea as well as around the world,” iQIYI was warned in a legal letter seen by Deadline.

“Your company has the social responsibility to protect intellectual property rights and safeguard the corporate image of Chinese enterprises, so please treat this matter with caution.

Per IMDb, “the Vengeance Trilogy is a series of three Korean films: (1) Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002), (2) Oldboy (2003), and (3) Lady Vengeance (2005), directed by South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook. Each movie deals with themes of revenge, violence, and salvation.” ♦ (1) Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) A viewer may want to have sympathy for the main character Ryu. He is a deaf-mute man who wants to be a kidney donor to save his sister’s life. Besides the fact that he does not have the money to pay for the kidney transplant operation, the doctor also tells him that he is not a compatible donor. That means he needs to find a suitable donor. His desperation makes him turn to the black market to find an

The post A Review of the 3 Korean Films in the Vengeance Trilogy first appeared on popgeeks.com.

The post A Review of the 3 Korean Films in the Vengeance Trilogy first appeared on popgeeks.

Park Chan-wook to adapt Oldboy into English series, marking first transition of his cinematic hit to television format. Director expresses enthusiasm about project, citing alignment with Lionsgate Television's bold storytelling vision. Park's Vengeance Trilogy includes Oldboy, acclaimed internationally. Recent ventures include The Sympathizer and Uprising.

Park Chan-wook, the critically acclaimed South Korean director, is set to adapt his 2003 cinematic hit Oldboy into an English-language series, collaborating with Lionsgate Television.

Per Deadline, this will be the first time that Park will transition a work that cemented his status in international cinema into a television format. Park has expressed his enthusiasm about the new project, saying:

“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television. I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”

Oldboy (2003) RActionDramaMystery Where to Watch

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Release DateNovember 21, 2003DirectorPark Chan-wookCastChoi Min-sik,...

Writer and director Park Chan-Wook is adapting his acclaimed 2003 South Korean film Oldboy into an English language television series.

Eminent director Park Chan-Wook is adapting his classic thriller Oldboy into an English language television series for Lionsgate. He will produce the series alongside his producing partner Syd Lim.

Chan-Wook said, in a statement published by Deadline, “Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television. I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling”.

Head of Scripted Development Scott Herbst said, “Park is one of the most visionary storytellers of our generation, and we’re excited to partner with him in bringing his cinematic masterpiece to the television screen. This series adaptation of Oldboy will feature the raw emotional power, iconic fight scenes and visceral style that made the film a classic”.

Indeed, there are few action...

Lionsgate Television will be partnering up with filmmaker Park Chan-wook to put a new spin on his hit revenge thriller Oldboy. It has been revealed that Oldboy is getting rebooted, but in the form of a television series.

The news, which comes to us from THR, was confirmed by Park, who said in a statement, "Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television. I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”

Related For All Mankind's Future at Apple TV+ Revealed, Spinoff Announced Apple TV+ has shared some big news for For All Mankind fans. Close

Lionsgate Television's EVP and Head of Scripted Development, Scott Herbst, added, "Park is one of the most visionary storytellers of our generation, and we’re excited to partner with him in bringing his cinematic masterpiece to the television screen. This...

Following in the wake of the Spike Lee-directed remake in 2013, Park Chan-wook’s South Korean masterpiece Oldboy (2003) is getting a small screen adaptation, we’ve learned.

Lionsgate Television is partnering with renowned filmmaker Park Chan-wook to develop his acclaimed film Oldboy for television, marking the first English-language series adaptation of the iconic property. This comes as Park’s The Sympathizer just debuted on HBO.

Park Chan-wook, who of course directed and co-wrote the original South Korean film, is attached to produce the upcoming “Oldboy” TV series along with producing partner Syd Lim.

“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television,” said Park. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”

“Park is one of the most visionary storytellers of our generation, and we’re excited to partner with him in bringing his cinematic masterpiece to the television screen,...

Lionsgate Television and Park Chan-wook are partnering on an English-language adaptation of the South Korean auteur’s revenge thriller Oldboy.

Park and producing partner Syd Lim are attached to produce the series. Lionsgate Television executives Courtney Mock and Tara Joshi are overseeing the project.

The news comes days after the debut last weekend of Park’s HBO series The Sympathizer.

Oldboy became the first South Korean film to win the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004 and the modern classic was re-released last year to mark its 20th anniversary.

Adapted from the Japanese manga of the same name, the feature follows...

Are you ready for some raw octopus, brutal hammer fights, and inadvertent incest? Well, I have good news for you! Lionsgate and the legendary South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook are teaming up for a series adaptation of Oldboy. Word about the Oldboy TV series follows Park’s The Sympathizer, which arrived to rave reviews on HBO. JoBlo’s Alex Maidy reviewed The Sympathizer, saying the series exceeded his expectations, with Robert Downey Jr. delivering a killer, career-high performance. The new version of Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy is the first English-language series adaptation of the iconic property. Park, who directed and co-wrote the original film, is attached to produce the series along with producing partner Syd Lim.

Per today’s press release from Lionsgate:

Oldboy has earned numerous accolades, becoming the first South Korean film to win the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004 and being named to numerous lists of the greatest movies of all time.

Oldboy, the South Korean thriller that many consider a classic despite it only being released 21 years ago, is on track for a TV series adaptation.

TVLine has learned that Lionsgate Television is partnering with Park Chan-wook on the first English-language series adaptation of his 2003 film, which was adapted from a Japanese manga of the same name and went on to become the first South Korean film to win the Grand Prix at Cannes.

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Park,...

Park Chan-wook is developing his acclaimed film Oldboy for the first time as an English-language series in partnership with Lionsgate Television. Park, who directed and co-wrote the original film, is set to produce the series alongside producing partner Syd Lim.

The 2003 feature is an adaptation of the Japanese manga of the same name written by Garon Tsuchiya. It follows Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik), a man taken off the streets and imprisoned for 15 years who is one day released and given 5 days to find his captor.

Oldboy is the second title in Park’s Vengeance trilogy, following Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and preceding Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005). It earned multiple accolades including the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004, a first for a South Korean film. Spike Lee remade the film in 2013 with Josh Brolin portraying the lead character, Joe Doucett.

“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television,...

Korean auteur Park Chan-wook is set to adapt his 2003 masterpiece “Oldboy” as an English-language TV series alongside Lionsgate Television, the studio announced on Wednesday, April 17.

Park, who directed and co-wrote the original action mystery film, is attached to produce the “Oldboy” series adaptation alongside his producing partner Syd Lim.

Park is fresh off “The Sympathizer,” his limited series starring Robert Downey Jr. that just debuted on HBO this past weekend. And while it’s not the first English-language remake of “Oldboy” following Spike Lee’s 2013 film starring Josh Brolin, it will be the first time the film will be adapted for the small screen.

“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing ‘Oldboy’ into the world of television,” Park said in a statement. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”

“Oldboy” was adapted from a Japanese manga of the same...

Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook is partnering with Lionsgate Television to develop a series version of his 2003 revenge thriller Oldboy.

The project would be an English-language adaptation of the story, which was loosely based on a magna with the same name.

“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television,” said Park. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”

In addition to directing The Handmaiden and Decision to Leave, Park previously produced the dystopian thriller Snowpiercer which was likewise adapted into a series. He’s also directing and producing HBO’s new limited series The Sympathizer starring Robert Downey, Jr.

“Park is one of the most visionary storytellers of our generation, and we’re excited to partner with him in bringing his cinematic masterpiece to the television screen,” added Scott Herbst, EVP and Head of Scripted Development,...

Disney+ has reveled the release date for its ambitious Korean political drama Uncle Samsik, starring Song Kang-ho in his TV series debut. The show will launch with a five-episode premiere on May 15 exclusively on Disney+ internationally and on Hulu in the U.S. The 16-part series will then unfurl in batches of two episodes per week until a three-part season finale drops on June 19.

Uncle Samsik is directed by veteran Korean writer and filmmaker Shin Yeon-shick (The Russian Novel, Cobweb), who is also making his series debut with the project.

Set in 1960s Korea, the series follows Kim San, an ambitious idealist who is driven to turn his country’s fortunes around. A recipient of an Albright Scholarship, San wants nothing more than to transform his country into an industrial nation and deliver an American level of affluence to the people of Korea. Determined to become a success, San attracts...

“Quiet on Set” Docuseries to Launch New Episode

The gripping Investigation Discovery docuseries “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” will release one more episode next month.

The recent four-episode unscripted series details the toxic culture behind some of the most iconic children’s shows of the late 1990s and early 2000s at Nickelodeon, including “The Amanda Show” and “Drake & Josh,” and at the hands of TV producer Dan Schneider.

The surprise fifth episode will reportedly feature new interviews with earlier subjects, including Drake Bell and “All That” cast members Giovonnie Samuels, to build off the revelations from the first four episodes. The episode will also feature new interviewee and “All That” cast member Shane Lyons, who will be interviewed by journalist Soledad O’Brien for a discussion about where the industry can next.

Watch the trailer for “Quiet on Set” below:

According to ID, the first four...

Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2023, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.

In all honesty, the films of 2023 should take a backseat to the images we are seeing every day in Gaza, where journalists and average citizens have been recording and documenting a daily assault on their homes and livelihoods by the Idf. Whatever fakery we watched and enjoyed in the cinema this year should always be kept in perspective in importance with images that are real and actually happening right now. The Palestinians who have documented these important images have been targeted and killed with intent and purpose to silence what their photos and videos are showing and saying.

List of journalists who have been killed.

The below is of lesser note:

Best First Watches:

Angel’s Egg La belle noiseuse Centipede Horror Charley Varrick Coffy Crimson Gold...

Disney+/Hulu has been confirmed as the global home of Uncle Samsik, the South Korean drama series starring Parasite‘s Song Kang-ho.

News of the 1960s-set series first emerged last year, at which point the network or streamer behind it hadn’t been confirmed. Disney+ has confirmed that it will launch globally this year, with Hulu doing the same in the U.S.

Uncle Samsik mark the first time in Song’s decades-long career that he has starred in a drama series, and it has now been confirmed that Byun Yo-han has joined the cast. Song will play the titular character and Byun as Kim San.

The series follows San, an ambitious idealist who is driven to turn his country’s fortunes around. He attracts the attentions of Pak Doochill (Uncle Samsik) a shady fixer who takes whatever steps necessary to help him accomplish his boss’s goals. Together, the pair form an uneasy alliance,...

There was a time when any great international actor tended to be reduced to their perceived Hollywood counterpart whenever they were discussed in the U.S. press. Under this outmoded prerogative, Korean screen icon Song Kang-ho easily could be described as his country’s simultaneous answer to both Marlon Brando and Tom Hanks, such is his seemingly contradictory blend of sardonic physicality, fearsome technique, lyrical humanism and overwhelming likability. Today, thankfully, it is sufficient to simply describe Song Kang-ho as Song Kang-ho: “One of the protean greats of world cinema — a master, end of,” as Tilda Swinton, a co-star with Song in Bong Joon Ho’s Snowpiercer (2013), once summed him up in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

For global movie buffs, arguably one of the most exciting stories of the past 30 years has been the renaissance and growing global reach of Korean cinema — and no figure has been more...

Throughout the history of film, several directors have made names for themselves thanks primarily to their work with thrillers. Fritz Lang, Brian De Palma, and David Fincher — these are just a few examples of the greatest directors the genre's ever seen. But above all, one director stood out for being the master of suspense, and of course, that was Alfred Hitchcock. He became synonymous with the thriller genre thanks to films like Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), and North by Northwest (1959).

And in that vein, many actors since the dawn of film have been consistently showing up in projects that fall under the same umbrella. Though they aren't often considered as often as their more speculative counterparts, thriller actors have been putting in great work for decades.

With nearly a dozen thrillers under his belt, one example is American actor Jake Gyllenhaal, perhaps the greatest performer the genre's ever seen. But he's...

Two years in, the Academy Film Museum is rolling full steam ahead with a new programming director and a packed slate of upcoming films for the winter season. On Dec. 10, Christopher Nolan will present the classic Western “Shane” on its 70th anniversary and speak about the film for the George Stevens Lecture.

Other spotlight programs include:

A retrospective film series on “Parasite” actor Song Kang-ho in-person for four conversations starting Dec. 7 A 10th anniversary screening of “12 Years a Slave” on Feb. 25 with Steve McQueen. “3D-cember” with screenings like “Jaws” and “Frozen” in 3D “Works of Enduring Importance: 35 Years of the National Film Registry” starting Dec. 14 “Beware the Elements! Natural Disasters on Film” starting Jan. 4 A screening of 1972’s “Buck and the Preacher” will pay tribute to Harry Belafonte “Echoes of Africia” presents African stories on film from Feb. 1 to Feb. 9

K.J. Relth-Miller just took over as Director of Film...

Clockwise from upper left: Parasite (Cj Entertainment), Snowpiercer (The Weinstein Company), Train To Busan (Well Go USA) Graphic: AVClub When Parasite won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2020, it marked a historic moment for cult favorite filmmaker Bong Joon-ho and for South Korean cinema. While some American audiences were surprised,...

Choi Min-sik in OldboyPhoto: Neon

When Parasite won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2020, it marked a historic moment for cult favorite filmmaker Bong Joon-ho and for South Korean cinema. While some American audiences were surprised, and even annoyed, to see an international film win Best Picture, many film...

Reliably one of the most euphoric and rewarding events on the circuit, the New York Asian Film Festival emerged at a time when hardcore cinephiles were forced to import prohibitively expensive foreign-region DVDs if they wanted to watch the latest hits from the other side of the world, and the first editions of the fest — then hosted at the Anthology Film Archives — got a major boost by screening hard-to-find cult objects and/or future classics at a time when Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean cinema were all on the rise to one degree or another.

No disrespect to the prestigious New York Film Festival, but Nyaff beat them to the punch when it comes to major auteurs like Park Chan-wook, whose “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance” screened at the 2002 event alongside millennial breakouts like Corey Yuen’s “So Close,” unheralded pop masterpieces like Fumihiko Sori’s “Ping Pong,” and what the fuck did I just witness?...

The Fantasia International Film Festival will be celebrating its 27th edition with a whiplashing program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 20 through August 9, 2023, taking place at the Concordia Hall Cinema, with additional screens at the Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée.

The festival’s full lineup will be announced in early July. In the meantime, Fantasia is excited to reveal a selected first wave of titles and happenings.

Bright Spotlights On South Korean Cinema Illuminate Fantasia’s 27th Edition

Since the selection of Kang Je-gyu’s Gingko Bed at Fantasia’s 1998 edition, the festival has become one of the premiere destinations for South Korean cinema. Over the years, Fantasia’s audience has had the opportunity to discover several essential Korean auteurs: Bong Joon-ho (Barking Dogs Never Bite), Park Chan-wook (Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance), Kim Ji-woon (The Quiet Family), Hwang Dong-hyuk (Miss Granny), and Yeon Sang-ho (The King Of Pigs) among many others.

Based on a Japanese manga by Garon Tsuchiya Nobuaki Minegishi, Park Chan-wook's 2003 film "Oldboy" is a sensational, harrowing, violent, exhilarating opera of sin, retribution, and tragic twists worthy of Shakespeare. Tapping into a particularly Korean sense of social anxiety, it explores experiences of free-floating guilt and the sense that one might be punished at any moment for a slight you didn't know you committed. It's a panic attack of a film that swings for the walls -- literally, with a hammer -- and thwacks a few skulls in the process. Aggressive, enormous, bloody, and blunt, "Oldboy" may be one of the best films of its decade. 

In 2003, Park's film -- the second part of what the filmmaker called a Vengeance Trilogy -- received a lot of attention. It won the Grand Prix at Cannes and dozens of other film awards besides. Quentin Tarantino talked it up immensely, and critics gushed.

Neon is returning “Oldboy ” to theaters just in time for its 20th anniversary.

Park Chan-wook’s acclaimed and influential psychological thriller will return to U.S. theaters August 16. It debuted in five theaters in March 2005 (it opened in South Korea in November 2003) and at its peak played in just 28 auditoriums for a domestic total of $707,481 before finding a cult fandom. It can be presumed that this theatrical reengagement will play a bit wider than the first release.

A loose remake of Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi’s Japanese manga of the same name, “Oldboy” stars Choi Min-sik as a general lout of a human being who is mysteriously kidnapped and kept in a single room for 20 years before being just as randomly released from captivity. He has no idea who took him or why, but he is unleashed back into the world with little to live for save for revenge and moral absolution.

The Fantasia International Film Festival will be celebrating its 27th edition with a whiplashing program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 20 through August 9, 2023, taking place at the Concordia Hall Cinema, with additional screens at the Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée.

The festival’s full lineup will be announced in early July. In the meantime, Fantasia reveals a selected first wave of titles and happenings.

Here’s the press release:

Bright Spotlights On South Korean Cinema Illuminate Fantasia’s 27th Edition

Since the selection of Kang Je-gyu’s Gingko Bed at Fantasia’s 1998 edition, the festival has become one of the premiere destinations for South Korean cinema. Over the years, Fantasia’s audience has had the opportunity to discover several essential Korean auteurs: Bong Joon-ho (Barking Dogs Never Bite), Park Chan-wook (Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance), Kim Ji-woon (The Quiet Family), Hwang Dong-hyuk (Miss Granny), and Yeon Sang-ho...

Park Chan-wook has one of the most illustrious careers as a filmmaker in South Korea, with movies like “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance,” “Oldboy” and “The Handmaiden” winning multiple prestigious Korean film awards. He returns this awards season with the unique Cj Entertainment film “Decision to Leave,” a thriller turned tragic romance that one would say goes against his usual style of filmmaking. However, his command of direction remains impeccable, winning him the Best Director prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. It may come as a shock to many that he has never received an Oscar nomination; will this be the year he could break into the Best Director category?

“Decision to Leave” stars Park Hae-il as a skilled detective investigating the murder of a mountain climber and begins to have intense romantic feelings for his main suspect wife, played by Tang Wei. While the film does not have a lot...

Much of the world knows Korean entertainment through superstar pop music performers like BTS and Black Pink. Then, with “Squid Game,” the world fell for Korean drama. And thanks to Bong Joon Ho and his “Parasite” Oscar-winner, more of the planet has learned of the powerhouse that is Korean cinema. ¶ The Korean film industry’s proficiency is scarcely new. Bong, together with the likes of Kim Jee-woon (“A Bittersweet Life”) and the multihyphenate Park Chan-wook are part of a cohort of leading directors who emerged at the beginning of the millennium and remain at the forefront. Over some two decades, they have given Korean cinema an impeccable reputation for combining style, substance and smart storytelling.

With his latest drama, “Decision to Leave,” on the Oscar international film shortlist after a glittering run on the festival circuit and a successful worldwide release, it is now Park’s turn in the spotlight.

Screambox has revealed the new films that will be joining the horror streaming service this December, including exclusive titles History of the Occult and The Anchor, and cult favorites like Tobe Hooper’s Night Terrors, American Mary, and the shocker Housebound.

Letterboxd’s highest-rated horror movie of 2021, History of the Occult, streams exclusively on Screambox on December 6. From Argentinian writer-director Cristian Ponce, the Lovecraftian faux documentary pulls viewers deep into a world of conspiracy and witchcraft. This is easily one of the best films of the year.

Bring the year to a close with South Korean mystery-thriller The Anchor beginning December 27. Writer-director Jung Ji-yeon‘s feature debut stars Chun Woo-hee (The Wailing), Shin Ha-kyun (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance), and Lee Hye-young (Boys Over Flowers).

From The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist director Tobe Hooper, Night Terrors is streaming on Screambox today. The 1993 horror film stars A Nightmare on Elm Street...

From Oldboy to The Handmaiden, director Park Chan-wook has been responsible for many of the most famous Korean films of the last quarter century. His latest masterpiece, Decision to Leave, is a star-crossed romance wrapped in all the trappings of a detective mystery. Starring Park Hae-il (Squid Game) and Tang Wei, the story follows Hae-joon, a detective who works in the bustling city of Busan while his wife lives in the much smaller and more fictional town of Ipo.

When he comes across a death in the mountains that teeters between suicide and murder, he suspects the bereaved wife Seo-rae of having committed the crime. But as his love for her grows, his suspicion of her weakens—as does his already strained married. Park approaches both the murder mystery and illicit romance of Decision to Leave with a sense of unreality that is reflected in the camerawork, the mist-filled setting...

(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)

The Movie: "Lady Vengeance"

Where You Can Stream It: Kanopy, Tubi

The Pitch: Park Chan-wook's Vengeance Trilogy is an unofficial, yet highly regarded series of neo-noir films centered around, you guessed it, protagonists seeking vengeance for something that has happened to them. With "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance," he crafted a story about two men's intersecting desire for revenge, and with "Oldboy," he introduced a wronged man that ends up falling down a path of inner and outer destruction. "Lady Vengeance," his 2006 trilogy concluder, is similar to these movies in a lot of ways. Lee Geum-ja (Lee Young-ae) has been released from prison after 13 years for a crime she didn't commit. After becoming a darling in the public eye for her apparent dramatic reformation,...

After appearing in a number of high-profile award-winning movies since his debut in South Korean cinemas in 1996, the acclaimed actor, Song Kang-ho, has become recognized by audiences for his dramatic performances. He will soon make his way to television in Uncle Sam Shik, a K-drama that will be his first time acting in a Korean drama series.

Recognized earlier this month for his acting career at the Busan International Film Festival, Song Kang-ho has been fortunate to star in some truly great pieces of work that many will recognize. And his characters are never the same, showing his ability to transform into his roles and deliver something fresh with each performance.

Snowpierecer (2013) - 7.1

Released in 2013, Snowpiercer was a post-apocalypse movie unlike any other as the last group of humanity ride a train that travels a world covered in ice. Tired of their mistreatment by the carriages of the rich citizens onboard,...

Park Chan-wook sees himself first and foremost as a storyteller, and as such his films masterfully marry striking visuals with twisty narratives that befuddle audience expectations. But, understanding character at the center of all he does, he admits a preference for the influence of detective and spy novels over certain genres that he feels might place too much of an emphasis on plot machinations.

With Decision to Leave, Park leaves behind the ultra-violence interwoven into his Vengeance trilogy along with the sex that accompanied 2016’s The Handmaiden. Instead, Park offers up an intoxicating romance between Detective Hae-jun (Park Hae-il) and widow Seo-rae (Tang Wei). Key to their dynamic is Hae-jun’s incessant surveillance of Seo-rae, which continues even after she’s been cleared as an official suspect in the death of her husband. A lover of Hitchcock and particularly Vertigo, Park takes great joy in setting up all of the...

(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)

The Movie: "Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance"

Where You Can Stream It: Tubi, Vudu

The Pitch: Ryu (Shin Ha-kyun) is a deaf-mute man in South Korea, slaving away at a grueling factory job to pay for his ill sister's (Im Ji-eun) kidney transplant. Frustrated by the hospital's bureaucratic inability to find a matching donor, he makes a foray into the black market that leaves him ripped off and down one of his own kidneys. Worse still, a donor for his sister is finally found, but now he doesn't have the money to pay for the operation. Ryu and his girlfriend, the anarchist Yeong-mi (Bae Doona), plot to extort local businessman Park Dong-jin (Song Kang-ho) by kidnapping his young daughter Yu-sun (Han Bo-bae).

From there,...

Park Chan-wook, the master filmmaker behind Oldboy, Thirst, and Stoker, is back with new thriller Decision to Leave, and the official trailer for the US release has arrived today.

South Korea’s Official Selection for International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards, Decision to Leave will release in US theaters on October 14, 2022, we’ve learned.

Watch the official trailer for Decision to Leave below, which teases a romantic thriller.

In South Korean thriller Decision to Leave (aka Heojil Kyolshim)…

“A police detective, Hae-joon (Park Hae-il), is called in to investigate the mysterious death of a man who fell from a mountain peak. During his investigation, he begins to develop an interest in the man’s widow, Seo-rae (Tang Wei), who is a suspect in the case.”

Park Chan-wook’s directorial credits also include Joint Security Area, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, the Three… Extremes segment “Cut,” Lady Vengeance, and The Handmaiden.

Korean actor Song Kang-ho, who starred in Parasite and won best actor at this year’s Cannes film festival for his role in Broker, is set to make his debut in a Korean series with Uncle Sam Shik for Seoul-based production company Slingshot Studio.

Set in 1960s South Korea, the 10-episode series follows two men through their bromance and the obstacles they face during a turbulent time in the country’s history.

It will be directed by Shin Yeon-shik, with whom Song recently worked on upcoming films One Win and Cobweb, which are both currently in post-production. One Win is a film about volleyball, written and directed by Shin, while Cobweb is directed by Kim Ji Woon and co-produced and co-written by Shin.

Uncle Sam Shik will mark the first time in Song’s decades-long career that he has starred in a drama series. He started his career in theatre...

Neon has acquired the U.S. distribution rights to Park Chan-wook’s award-winning title Oldboy. Neon is planning a theatrical release in celebration of the pic’s 20th anniversary.

The movie follows Oh Dae-Su (Choi Min-sik), who after being kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years, is released, only to find that he must find his captor in five days. The 2004 Grand Prix winning Cannes Film Festival title is the second installment of Park’s The Vengeance Trilogy, following Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and preceded by Lady Vengeance (2005).

Chan-wook also wrote the screenplay alongside Hwang Jo-yun and Lim Joon-hyung. The pic also starred Yoo Ji-tae, and Kang Hye-jung. The pic was a huge hit in South Korea with Box Office Mojo reporting a global gross of 15M. Since Oldboy‘s release in 2003, the film has been restored and remastered in 4K Hdr supervised by Park. The pic spawned a 2013 English-language remake from Spike Lee.