Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 11:37 pm
Tosuni: The Birth Of Happiness (1963) coming this month.
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Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 12:51 am
Kim Ki Duk 4 film Collection coming this month, (director of 1967's Korean kaiju movie "Yongary")
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 9:52 pm
A Lee Seong-gu Collection turned up last month, with four films from the late '60s:
Anyone seen any of these or know anything about this director? New Wave-influenced, or more commercial? "Modernist" sounds promising.The Sun and the Moon (1967)
Considered an "unclean" profession during feudal times, butchers were among the lowest caste of Korean society and even after the end of the caste system, the class stigma remained for many years. In The Sun and the Moon, a young man falls into resentful despair over his family's butcher background. His father shares his experiences on overcoming class prejudice. Starring Shin Sung Il, Nam Jung Im, Moon Hee and Park Noh Sik.
When the Flower of Buckwheat Blossoms Out (1967)
In his youth, Heo once had a brief but impassioned relationship with a woman whom he has never been able to forget. One day, he meets a young man who is very similar to himself. From their conversation, Heo realizes that the man is actually his son. Starring Park Noh Sik, Kim Ji Mee, Kim Hee Kap and Heo Chang Kang.
The General's Mustache (1968)
Considered Lee Seong Gu's most representative feature and a groundbreaking work in Korean modernist cinema, The General's Moustache begins with the investigation into the mysterious death of a photographer. The film then works backward to gradually piece together the deceased protagonist's troubling story of alienation and disillusion. Starring Kim Seung Ho, Kim Seong Ok and Yoon Jeong Hee.
7 People in the Cellar (1969)
Father An is locked in a church basement with North Korean soldiers hiding from the South Korean army. The North Korean soldiers want to use the minister as shield to escape. In this dangerous situation, Captain Choi manages to devise a strategy to save Father An and defeat the enemies. Starring Heo Chang Kang, Yoon Jeong Hee Kim Hye Jeong and Lee Soon Jae.
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 11:07 pm
Finally! I thought KOFA just gave up on DVD releases for the year, they never emailed me about upcoming releases, and thought they were just concentrating on the Youtube content instead. Don't know about this director, which makes this boxset even more enticing.
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 12:56 am
KOFA's DVD and Blu-ray releases for later this year:
DVD:
"A Bonanza" (1961, dir Chung Chang-wha)
"Tuition" (1940, dir Choi In-kyu,Baek Un-haeng)
"Sorrow Even Up In Heaven" (1965, dir Kim Soo-yong)
"Homebound" (1967, dir Lee Man-Hee)
Blu-ray:
"Heavenly Homecoming To The Stars" (1974, dir Lee Jang-ho)
"Chil-su and Man-su" (1988, dir Park Kwang-su)
Release dates, extras are still TBA.
DVD:
"A Bonanza" (1961, dir Chung Chang-wha)
"Tuition" (1940, dir Choi In-kyu,Baek Un-haeng)
"Sorrow Even Up In Heaven" (1965, dir Kim Soo-yong)
"Homebound" (1967, dir Lee Man-Hee)
Blu-ray:
"Heavenly Homecoming To The Stars" (1974, dir Lee Jang-ho)
"Chil-su and Man-su" (1988, dir Park Kwang-su)
Release dates, extras are still TBA.
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 4:55 am
Park Kwang-Su's first film on Blu is big news. I hope Black Republic, To the Starry Island and A Single Spark follow. And any more Lee Man-Hee is most welcome. He's easily the biggest directorial discovery I've made from the Film Archive box sets to date.
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 11:58 am
Chil-su and Man-su feels different form Park's later films (but winds up just as grim, before all is said and done). Still waiting to see Starry Island in any fashion....
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 4:14 pm
To the Starry Islands was briefly released in Hong Kong in the 90s--the English title on the case is "I Want to Go to That Island." It has burnt-in English & Chinese subs.
I found a copy when a video store went out of business some years ago.
I found a copy when a video store went out of business some years ago.
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 4:23 pm
Alas, I didn't start looking for Korean films on DVD until 2002-3.
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2015 2:10 pm
I thought Homebound was an excellent melodrama. I wouldn't rank it quite as high as A Day Off from the box set, but I found it to be somewhat Narusean in it's sympathetic portrayal of the female lead.zedz wrote:Park Kwang-Su's first film on Blu is big news. I hope Black Republic, To the Starry Island and A Single Spark follow. And any more Lee Man-Hee is most welcome. He's easily the biggest directorial discovery I've made from the Film Archive box sets to date.
Chilsu and Mansu is not just my favorite Park Gwang-su film, but one of my favorite films. I just think it captures Seoul so well at such a critical juncture in Korean history, as a near thirty year military dictatorship begins to hand over the reigns to the chaebol oligarchy. I also think Chilsu is the perfect character to embody this new hope, only to come to the crushing realization that everything is business as usual. As Michael Kerpan mentions, the film has a big change in tone, but I think it works very well. The buddy comedy always seems like it's about to fly off the rails, but it keeps chugging along and allows the film to get to it's final act naturally.
I really wish KOFA would try to get Jang Sun-woo's Age of Success out along with this, which was made in the same year and also stars Ahn Sung-gi. I don't think an English friendly version exists anywhere. It's the perfect companion to Chilsu and Mansu as it lampoons the new "corporate dictatorship."
Lee Jang-ho is another heavyweight and this release is equally exciting. His Declaration of Idiots and A Man with Three Coffins could both be considered masterpieces and definitely fit in the canon of Korean film history.
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 11:42 am
Of the newly released KOFA DVDs, something seems terribly wrong with the DVD transfer of "Homebound".
It seems like this is not a direct film transfer, but like a transfer of their YouTube upload instead:
(forgive that they are iphone caps)
First off, take a look at the edge enhancement on the man:
The straight line is completely jagged:
Zoomed on the wife's face and it's very pixelated
And her shirt looks no better
The ENTIRE film looks like this. I checked the "Image Gallery" extra, and the pictures look fine there.
In the booklet, some pictures look as they are on the DVD, some pictures look fine.
Probably the worst transfer in all their DVDs and I HOPE this is a mastering error.
It seems like this is not a direct film transfer, but like a transfer of their YouTube upload instead:
(forgive that they are iphone caps)
First off, take a look at the edge enhancement on the man:
The straight line is completely jagged:
Zoomed on the wife's face and it's very pixelated
And her shirt looks no better
The ENTIRE film looks like this. I checked the "Image Gallery" extra, and the pictures look fine there.
In the booklet, some pictures look as they are on the DVD, some pictures look fine.
Probably the worst transfer in all their DVDs and I HOPE this is a mastering error.
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 8:29 pm
It could be that they only had a bad video source for the film (some of their other releases have used mediocre sources if they're the only thing extant). The Image Gallery is presumably production stills and will have no bearing on the quality of film elements: they're just photographs that were taken for publicity purposes while the film was being made, and would have been stored with other promotional materials like poster art (and probably had a much greater chance of surviving in decent condition).manicsounds wrote:Of the newly released KOFA DVDs, something seems terribly wrong with the DVD transfer of "Homebound".
. . .
The ENTIRE film looks like this. I checked the "Image Gallery" extra, and the pictures look fine there.
In the booklet, some pictures look as they are on the DVD, some pictures look fine.
Probably the worst transfer in all their DVDs and I HOPE this is a mastering error.
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2015 12:13 am
Considering that the archive has the 35mm original negative, a master positive, and reversal negatives in the collection, this isn't the same case as "The DMZ" which they said came from a Beta-SP Tape source or "Tosuni" which was a 16mm private copy.
The booklet does not have any information on the DVD transfer or source materials, and I haven't listened to the commentary yet, but I doubt this is what the original source looks like. I tried different players too. All the same pixelated look.
I sent an email to KOFA about it, but I also sent an email about the 5 second possible mastering error on "The Housemaid" Blu-ray about a week ago, and they still haven't replied.
The booklet does not have any information on the DVD transfer or source materials, and I haven't listened to the commentary yet, but I doubt this is what the original source looks like. I tried different players too. All the same pixelated look.
I sent an email to KOFA about it, but I also sent an email about the 5 second possible mastering error on "The Housemaid" Blu-ray about a week ago, and they still haven't replied.
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2015 3:28 am
Korean Film Archive wrote:For the technical problems,
1. According to the production company, making the blu-ray of Housemaid last year for KOFA, its master source may be slightly different from that of Criterion's. It seems when each blu-ray was made, different master sources were sent to respective production companies, becase there are some minutely different sources of this film
2. About the DVD of Homebound, we've been told that the problem was originated in telecine process.
Taking your reviews seriously, we will do the best to reduce technical errors and to provide better DVD and blu-ray titles.
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2015 3:17 pm
Yesasia links for the upcoming KOFA Blu-rays (12/17)
"Heavenly Homecoming to Stars"
"Chilsu and Mansu"
Sadly it seems that Seoul Selection, which was my place to go for Korean DVDs has stopped selling movies.
"Heavenly Homecoming to Stars"
"Chilsu and Mansu"
Sadly it seems that Seoul Selection, which was my place to go for Korean DVDs has stopped selling movies.
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2015 4:26 pm
You should try Kimchidvd, they are the cheapest place selling Korean releases.
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2015 7:05 pm
Too bad Seoul Selection don't sell films anymore. When I was in Seoul last year in November, I visited the store. Great selection of DVDs and very friendly staff there. I bought some of the KOFA DVD boxes and this Blu-ray which they recommended, Love Me Once Again (1968), a huge hit theatrically in the country and numerous sequels and remakes followed afterwards.
Visited KOFA as well and good selection of films on sale there too.
Visited KOFA as well and good selection of films on sale there too.
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2015 9:56 pm
Cool new releases. Can't wait to see these.
Chilsu and Mansu is based on the the Huang Chun-Ming story "Two Sign Painters," right? The description of the film sounds quite similar to the plot of the Taiwanese author's story.
Chilsu and Mansu is based on the the Huang Chun-Ming story "Two Sign Painters," right? The description of the film sounds quite similar to the plot of the Taiwanese author's story.
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2015 8:48 am
It is, but they couldn't credit him because Huang was considered too much of a pinko and his works were banned in South Korea. I hope he was at least compensated for it...
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2015 2:57 pm
Seoul Selection stopped selling DVDs on their site as of December 1st. Don't know about the physical store though.
Another lucky addition for me, currently at the NFC in Tokyo they are screening lots of Korean Film Archive films throughout November and December as part of the "Korean Cinema 1934 - 1959" theme.
Another lucky addition for me, currently at the NFC in Tokyo they are screening lots of Korean Film Archive films throughout November and December as part of the "Korean Cinema 1934 - 1959" theme.
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2016 3:14 am
Links to reviews of KOFA's discs from last year at DVDCompare:
Housemaid (Blu-ray)
The March of Fools (Blu-ray)
Tuition
Sorrow Even Up in Heaven
Homebound
A Bonanza
Heavenly Homecoming to Stars (Blu-ray)
Chilsu and Mansu (Blu-ray)
Housemaid (Blu-ray)
The March of Fools (Blu-ray)
Tuition
Sorrow Even Up in Heaven
Homebound
A Bonanza
Heavenly Homecoming to Stars (Blu-ray)
Chilsu and Mansu (Blu-ray)
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2016 12:53 pm
I contacted KOFA regarding 오발탄 / The Aimless Bullet (1960) whether they have plans of a possible Blu-ray release. Here is their response:
Korean Film Archive wrote:Thanks for your interest in Korean Cinema.
Regarding your question about Obaltan: Yes, we are planning to release the Blu-ray by the end of this year.
We are still working on the restoration of the film, and it will be done by this May.
Re: Korean Film Archive
Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2016 11:22 pm
They said they are working on removing the burned in subtitles of the film, a similar process to "Housemaid", but they said they are trying to perfect the system more for Aimless Bullet.