July 15th – 25th

If you haven’t made the trek to Bucheon before, PIFAN is a good reason to go. Cinephiles and in particular fans of so-called “genre films” are sure to enjoy this collection of feature films and shorts that focus on the “fantastic” side of theater. Programs to keep an eye on include the Puchon Choice competition; World Fantastic Cinema, which focuses on horror, mystery, thriller, and science fiction; and the open cine parade, which offers outdoor screenings for you and your loved ones to enjoy on a summer night. Located near the Aiins World theme park and Sangdong Park in Bucheon (accessible by bus from Songnae Stn. (line 1).
pifan.com, 032-327-6313

How to Train Your Dragon 3D
Directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders
A family-friendly animation about a boy and his odd friendship with a scary yet lovable dragon may not sound too enticing, but don’t be fooled—it’s quite possibly one of the funniest films you’ll see this summer.
On the island of Berk, the resident Vikings have their hands full protecting their sheep from hordes of ferocious dragons. Armed with his homemade cannon, Hiccup (the smallest, weakest and least Viking-like boy in the village) manages to capture the mysterious “Night Fury.” Unwilling to kill the injured dragon, he starts to study the creature, and the two of them form a bond. Meanwhile, the other Vikings are planning a raid on the dragons’ nest, and Hiccup finds himself torn between family and friendship.
It’s a well-paced funny film, with plenty of cuteness mixed with some exciting fight sequences and a fantastic climax that will leave you satisfied. It’s more intelligent than a lot of this summer’s blockbusters and is likely to melt even the hardest of hearts. With plenty of jokes and beautiful visuals to entertain older viewers, you don’t have to be a kid to enjoy what may be the best animation of 2010.

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Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Directed by Mike Newell
I’m sure that not all films based on video games turn out to be terrible, but this turgid and rather boring trip to Persia helps keep the stereotype alive and well. If you were looking for an exciting Middle-Eastern adventure, then you’ve come to the wrong place.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays the handsomely bearded yet surprisingly bland Prince Dastan. After ransacking the holy city of Alamut, he finds himself in possession of a dagger that is capable of turning back time. When he is framed for his adopted father’s murder, he goes on the run with Princess Tamina (played by the equally dull Gemma Arterton) in an attempt to clear his name.
It’s shocking to think that the man who gave us Four Weddings and a Funeral and Donnie Brasco is able to produce such a dull, shoddily scripted excuse for a blockbuster. The CGI is for the most part poor, the time travel element is only used as a brief gimmick, and instead of thrilling action sequences we are treated to some fairly uninteresting parkour. You’ll end up laughing at the film rather than with it, though Alfred Molina does help ease the tedium as a tax-hating Sheik with a suicidal ostrich.

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The Housemaid 하녀
Directed by Sang-su Lim
This remake of Ki-young Kim’s 1960 classic The Housemaid takes us on a very different path to the original film. While the premise remains similar (a maid finds herself entangled with the husband of the household), the characters have evolved into markedly different personas than before. The husband, used to getting what he wants and unsatisfied with his pregnant wife, chases after the new maid, who falls for his charms and finds herself in the family way. Meanwhile, his wife’s mother gets wind of the affair and takes matters into her own hands. Needless to say, things take a nasty turn and lead us towards a rather inflammatory ending which is completely different in tone from the original.
The film will divide audiences into those who feel cheated by Lim’s twisted update and those who find deeper meaning within this imperfect interpretation. Using sumptuous cinematography, the director takes us on a journey into the world of a fantastically opulent, wine-guzzling, upper class family to show us the harsher side of infidelity and how those with power can corrupt the innocent just to get what they want. Do-yeon Jeon stands out as the naive new housemaid, and Yeo-jung Yun deserves special mention for her performance as the elder maid who despite her cool exterior is suffering inside.
Sexually explicit and overtly political, The Housemaid is not afraid to test the audience’s limits and make them confront uncomfortable situations. It won’t please everyone, but it boldly states its opinion and dares you to come along for the ride. Sang-su Lim’s re-invention is a flawed tribute to Ki-young Kim’s masterpiece that deserves to be seen.

As with most things in Korea, dates are subject to change – frequently last-minute changes!

Thursday, July 1st
	Boto 분홍 돌고래 Korea Tae-il Han, Su-hyeon O; dir. Yeon-su Jo. A young girl searching for a mysterious pink dolphin meets an old man resolved to end his life.
	Splice Canada/France/USA Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley; dir. Vincenzo Natali. Two ambitious scientists risk their jobs and lives when they create a human-animal hybrid. splicethefilm.com
	Shrek Forever After USA Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz; dir Mike Mitchell. In this fourth installment of the Shrek series, our adorable ogre finds himself in a twisted version of fairy-tale land. shrek.com
	I Came from Busan 영도다리 Korea Ha-seon Park; dir. Su-il Jeon. A single mother has second thoughts and goes in search of the child she gave up for adoption.
	I Love You Phillip Morris France/USA Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann; dir. John Requa, Glenn Ficarra. A car crash leads a married man to give up his family and job and embrace a life of luxury and homosexuality.
	Man of Vendetta 파괴된 사나이 Korea Myeong-min Kim, Ju-mi Park; dir. Min-ho Woo. Eight years after his daughter’s kidnapping, former pastor Yeong-su learns that she is still alive. vendetta2010.co.kr
	The White Ribbon Austria/France/Germany Christian Friedel, Ernst Jacobi, Leonie Benesch; dir. Michael Haneke. The schoolmaster in a rural German village just before World War I tries to make sense of a bizarre series of accidents.
Thursday, July 8th
	The Killer Inside Me USA Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba; dir. Michael Winterbottom. In this adaptation of the 1952 novel by Jim Thompson, a respected deputy sheriff in a West Texas town commits horrific crimes. killerinsideme.com
	The Twilight Saga: Eclipse USA Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Xavier Samuel; dir. David Slade. In the third installment of the Twilight series, Bella is torn between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob. eclipsethemovie.com
	Kick Off Iraq Shwan Atuf, Govar Anwar, Rojan Hamajaza; dir. Shawkat Amin Korki.A soccer game between Kurds, Arabs, and others hiding from Saddam Hussein’s regime in an old stadium turns violent.
	Yuki & Nina France/Japan Noe Sampy, Arielle Moutel, Marilyne Canto; dir. Nobuhiro Suwa, Hippolyte Girardot. Yuki and her friend Nina struggle to cope with the fact that Yuki will soon be moving to Japan.
Thursday, July 15th
	Inception USA/England Ken Watanabe, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt; dir. Christopher Nolan. Corporate spy Dom Cobb (DiCaprio) must use his psychic ability to pull off an impossible crime.
	Moss 이끼 Korea Jae-yeong Jeong, Hae-il Park, Jun-sang Yu; dir. Woo-seok Gang. Haeguk (Park) receives an oddly cold reception when he heads to the country to attend his father’s funeral. moss0715.co.kr
	The Refuge France Isabelle Carre, Melvil Poupaud, Louis-Ronan Choisy; dir. Francois Ozon. An unlikely companion joins Amelie when she goes on the run after her husband dies from a drug overdose. refugethemovie.com
Thursday, July 22nd
	Detective Conan: The Lost Ship in the Sky Japan Minami Takayama, Wakana Yamazaki; dir. Yasuichiro Yamamoto. A jewel heist and a terrorist plot complicate Conan’s ride on the world’s largest airship. conan-movie.jp
	The Sorcerer’s Apprentice USA Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina; dir. Jon Turteltaub. The “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” sketch in Fantasia is adapted for this full-length live-action film set in modern-day Manhattan.
Thursday, July 29th
	Cracks England/Ireland Eva Green, Juno Temple, Maria Valverde; dir. Jordan Scott. The arrival of a charming new girl wreaks havoc at an all-girls boarding school.
	Salt USA Angelina Jolie, Live Schreiber; dir. Phillip Noyce. Veteran CIA agent Evelyn Salt (Jolie) attempts to prove her innocence when she is accused of being a Russian spy. whoissalt.com
TBA
	Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard France Freddie Highmore, Mia Farrow, Jimmy Fallon; dir. Luc Besson. Arthur teams up with the tiny Minimoys to continue the battle against the evil Maltazard. arthuretlesminimoys.com/arthur2
	The Last Airbender USA Jackson Rathbone; dir. M. Night Shyamalan. This tale of conflict between the nations of air, water, wind, and fire is based on the popular Nickelodeon animated series. thelastairbendermovie.com

Kick-Ass
Directed by Matthew Vaughn
This dark comic tale of powerless superheroes is either going to push all the right buttons or all the wrong ones. If you’re a fan of Tarantino-esque cinema, with a penchant for dark, disturbing comedy, then this film is right up your street, but if you’re easily offended or have a weak stomach then you’d be better off sticking to a more family-friendly film.
Kick-Ass introduces us to high school loser Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) whose fantasies about becoming a superhero turn into reality after he buys himself a scuba outfit and takes to the street. Unfortunately, Dave (AKA Kick-Ass) has no special powers and gets into some rather tricky situations as his popularity rises, especially when he is targeted by mob boss Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong). Help is at hand in the form of Big Daddy (an admirable performance by Nicolas Cage) and his 11-year-old daughter Hit Girl (the fantastic Chloë Grace Moretz). The trio takes on the mob in some eye-popping fight sequences that don’t shy away from blood and gore and are certainly not kid friendly.
Matthew Vaughn’s no-holds-barred action extravaganza keeps you on the edge of your seat while still laughing all the way, and Hit Girl is perhaps the greatest foul-mouthed superhero character of recent years. If you like comic book movies and enjoy dark humor, then you’ll love Kick-Ass, but if you’re looking for gentler fare then rent yourself a copy of Spiderman and steer clear.

Iron Man 2
Directed by Jon Favreau
I went into Iron Man 2 with a sense of optimism. I’m a fan of the first film and have a soft spot for Robert Downey Jr., who plays narcissistic, world-saving billionaire Tony Stark. I enjoy big blockbusters with overblown budgets and star-studded casts. I like robots, I love superheroes and I adore big explosions. The combination of Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke (as a big, burly, tattooed Russian physicist) sounded great. What could go wrong?
The story starts with Tony Stark revealed as Iron Man and loving the attention he’s getting. Unfortunately the arc reactor that keeps him alive (and powers his suit) is slowly poisoning him, the US military want Iron Man for themselves and the Russian physicist wants to settle an old score.
There are big explosions, a few fights and Robert Downey Jr. is very charming, but the film loses its way and drags on a little too long. I wanted to be on the edge of my seat, but found myself slumped in my chair rather unexcited by the whole affair. Passable popcorn fun, but nowhere near as good as the first film.

Blades of Blood  구르믈 버서난 달처럼
Directed by Jun-ik Lee
The release of this film marks the reintroduction of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s subtitled film program. Thanks to the lovely people at CGV cinemas, Seoul residents will be getting twenty English-subtitled Korean films over the next year. So get yourself down to the CGV cinemas in Yongsan, Myeongdong, Gangnam and Guro to experience Korean movies subtitled in English.
Blades of Blood is director Jun-ik Lee’s first historical drama since his smash hit King and the Clown in 2005. With his gorgeous cinematography and great sense of humor he has created a brilliant sword-fighting epic that deserves to be seen in cinemas.
It is the 16th century, the Japanese are threatening to invade and Korea has been thrown into political turmoil. Mong-hak Lee (Seung-won Cha), leader of the Grand Alliance, is systematically killing all who stand against him in his quest to gain the throne. Angered by the murder of one of his friends, blind swordsman Jung-hak Hwang (Jeong-min Hwang in his best role to date) decides to take revenge on Lee and is joined by Gyeon-ja (Seong-hyeon Baek), the bastard son of one of the noblemen Lee has killed.
The action sequences are superbly shot and the relationship between Hwang and Gyeon-ja is beautifully handled. The film expertly switches from comedy to tragedy, all the while leading us towards the inevitable final conflict. Blades of Blood is a fantastic journey through old Korea and the blind swordsman Hwang puts Zatoichi to shame. Catch this on the big screen while you can!

Dates subject to change.

Tuesday, June 1st

A Chinese Odyssey I: Pandora’s Box Hong Kong Stephen Chow, Kar-Ying Law; dir. Jeffrey Lau. This slapstick comedy is a tongue-in-cheek look at the famous Chinese novel Journey to the West.

Thursday, June 3rd

	North Face Germany/Austria Benno Furmann, Florian Lukas, Johanna Wokalek; dir. Philipp Stolzl. Two teams of climbers tackle a perilous rock face in the Alps. nordwand-film.de
	The Servant 방자전 Korea Ju-hyeok Kim, Seung-beom Ryu, Yeo-jeong Jo; dir. Dae-woo Kim. This retelling adds a twist to the the familiar Chunhyang story. bangja2010.co.kr
	Maradona by Kusturica Spain/France Diego Maradona, Emir Kusturica; dir. Emir Kusturica. This documentary follows the life of celebrated Argentinean football star Diego Maradona
	Edge of Darkness England/USA Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston; dir. Martin Campbell. A detective’s investigation into his daughter’s death uncovers some nasty secrets. edge2010.co.kr
	The Ghost Writer France/Germany/England Ewan McGregor, Joe Bernthal, Pierce Brosnan; dir. Roman Polanski. A ghost writer is hired to write the memoirs of a former prime minister with a dark past. theghostwriter-movie.com

Thursday, June 10th

	The Karate Kid USA/China Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith, Taraji P. Henson; dir. Herald Zwart. In this remake of the 1984 movie, an American boy in China learns kung fu to fight off local bullies. sonypictures.com/movies/thekaratekid
	Cracks England/Ireland Eva Green, Juno Temple, Maria Valverde; dir. Jordan Scott. The arrival of a charming new girl wreaks havoc at an all-girls boarding school.
	Ghost 귀 Korea Ye-ri Kim, Kkotbi Kim, dir. Myeong-jun Yeo and Eun-gyeong Jo. A collection of ghost stories set in a school where children have a bad habit of going missing.
	A Barefoot Dream 맨발의 꿈 Korea Hui-sun Park, Chang-seok Go, Jin-ung Jo; dir. Kim Tae-gyun. A has-been soccer star teaches the game to struggling kids in East Timor. dream2010.co.kr
	Sex and the City 2 USA Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon; dir. Michael Patrick King.In their second film, New York’s fabulous four show us what goes down after “I Do”. sexandthecitymovie.com
	The A-Team USA Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel; dir. Joe Carnahan. In this remake of the 1980s TV show, four former soldiers try to clear their names after being branded as criminals. ateam-movie.com
	Lego: The Adventures of Clutch Powers USA Ryan McPartlin, Yvonne Strahovski, Paul Michael Glaser; dir. Howard E. Baker. A group of heroes travel through space and time to foil an evil wizard in this first-ever full-length animation from Lego.

Thursday, June 17th

	StreetDance 3D USA Nichola Burley, Charlotte Rampling, Rachel McDowall; dir. Max Giwa, Dania Pasquini. A street dance crew and ballet dancers work together as the Street Dance Championships approach. streetdancethemovie.co.uk
	No Impact Man USA Colin Beavan, Michelle Conlin; dir. Laura Gabbert, Justin Schein. This documentary covers a New York family’s effort to live without negatively affecting the environment. noimpactproject.org

Thursday, June 24th

	Magic 요술 Korea Ji-gyu Lim, Hyeon-jin Seo, Jeong-uk Kim; dir. Hye-seon Gu. Music is both setting and background for the rivalry between talented students at a conservatory. blog.naver.com/yosul2010
	Knight and Day USA Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard; dir. James Mangold. A fugitive couple cross the globe on a dazzling but dangerous adventure. knightanddaymovie.com
	The Runaways USA Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon; dir. Floria Sigismondi. This biopic follows the all-girl rock band the Runaways from 1975 – 1977. therunaways.com
	Sorority Row USA Brianan Evigan, Leah Pipes, Rumer Willis; dir. Stewart Hendler. In this slasher film a serial killer stalks sorority members hiding a shocking secret. thetapi-ordie.com

TBA

	Hear Me Taiwan Eddie Peng, Ivy Chen, Michelle Chen; dir. Fen-fen Cheng. A delivery boy falls in love with a girl who is hard of hearing. blog.naver.com/hearme0617
	Into the Fire 포화속으로 Korea Sang-u Gweon, Seon-won Cha, Jin-hui Park; dir. Jae-han Lee.The tragic story of seventy-one student soldiers caught up in the Korean War. remember-71.co.kr

Directed by Yong-hwa Kim
Take Off is based on the first ever Korean ski jump team’s efforts to win the gold at the 1998 Winter Olympics, and this new director’s cut stretches the story to just under two and a half hours. We are subjected to an uncomfortable mix of drama and comedy as we meet a bunch of misfits who are brought together to form a rag-tag band of skiers ready to take on the world. One is an adoptee searching for his birth mother, another a former drug addict, the third suffers at the hands of his abusive father and the fourth lives in poverty with his grandmother and retarded brother.
The first 105 minutes are messy, flabby, occasionally offensive and mostly boring; but once we get to the Olympics the film comes into stride and the last 50 minutes or so are actually rather good. The ski jump footage is beautifully shot and you may begin to feel an emotional attachment to the characters. However, you’ll be better off watching 2008’s Forever the Moment (우리 생애 최고의 순간) if you want a taste of Korean Olympic dreams.

Words by Paul Matthews

Words and shots by Davis Jung

by Steve McCurry

“The Afghan Girl(left)”—most people are familiar with this internationally famous photograph of a young girl, red scarf draped loosely over a weathered face containing the most piercing set of sea-green eyes to grace the cover of National Geographic. Her face would later become “the most recognized photograph” in the history of the magazine. This photograph, which appeared in 1985, found renewed interest after the 9/11 terrorist attacks as the United States set out to fight in Afghanistan. Ever since, we have seen this portrait in photo books, posters, and print media all across the world.

It was Steve McCurry, one of America’s most eminent photojournalists, who managed to capture this image. Though busy as an active photojournalist traveling the globe in search of images like “The Afghan Girl,” Steve McCurry recently stopped by Seoul to give a presentation on his philosophy of photography.

At the seminar, viewers were first treated to a National Geographic documentary that followed Steve McCurry back to Pakistan and Afghanistan in order to find the unknown Afghan girl 17 years later. Having heard that the refugee camp in which he had photographed her in 1985 was to be demolished, McCurry knew that this was his last chance to find her. Despite the lack of official records, he was able to locate Sharbat Gula with the help of local clan elders and other refugees. Yet, over 17 years, The Afghan girl had become an Afghan woman, unaware of her fame, who had lived a hard life of poverty in the countryside of Afghanistan. Moved by her story, National Geographic set up the Afghan Girls fund to help educate young Afghan girls and women.

In his seminar, McCurry also discussed the impact of “The Afghan Girl” and gave viewers a show-and-tell of other images he had taken. He also took part in a Q&A where he fielded questions from aspiring Korean photojournalists and art students. His advice on becoming a world-famous, successful photographer? Don’t expect it to come while you’re young. It takes patience, maturity, and time to develop your own brand of unique images.

Most of the photographs that McCurry discussed in his presentation are on display at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, a huge culture center located in central Seoul. It’s actually McCurry’s largest solo exhibition and contains an impressive array of photography. When viewing McCurry’s photography as a whole, you can see how he took his advice about a photographer developing his own unique style to heart. His photography shows a perspective on the world that is particular to him. As a photojournalist, much of his photography is taken in developing countries, often amidst strife, poverty, and war. While McCurry doesn’t gloss over these subjects, his photos contain an indescribable grace to them. Much of this can be attributed to his excellent eye for color and composition. He finds amazing blues, reds, and yellows, and he knows exactly how to frame a shot. The fact that as a photojournalist he rarely has control over the lighting or other aspects of his mise-en-scene makes the aesthetic and technical perfection of his photos all the more impressive.

Other than his photography skills, what makes McCurry’s artwork really stand out is his incredible ability to find narrative in portraiture. Though his landscapes are also fantastic, it’s his portraits (like “The Afghan Girl”) that make him the superstar that he is. In the fine arts world, photo portraiture is often looked down upon as a medium without substance, used for vanity or pure representation. Yet McCurry’s portraiture is undeniably worthy of being displayed. His work exemplifies the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. Each face in a McCurry photograph tells a story. Some of the stories are heartbreaking, and others joyful, yet they all become biographies, told through the expressions of his subjects. 

Exhibit Steve McCurry: Unguarded Moment
LocationSejong Center for the Performing Arts
Directions Gwanghwamun St. (line 5, ex.
Dates Through May 30th
Time 11 am – 8:30 pm
Price Adults W8,000, teens W5,000, children W3,000
Contact mccurrykorea.com 02-3412-1700

Hongdae Art Galleries

Alternative Space Loop has trippy architecture even for a modern art space, which aids its mission of mixing Korean and international modern art. The jagged circular staircase alone is worth the visit, but also expect to see great exhibitions by international artists. galleryloop.com 02-3141-1377
Sangsangmadang (상상마당) is a huge art space (11 floors!) with a performance hall, gallery, cinema, and studios. It’s a great place to watch indie films that wouldn’t be shown in your local CGV, and they regularly hold art classes and seminars by young and cutting-edge artists. sangsangmadang.com 02-330-6200
Ssamzie Space is Hongdae’s leading and largest avant-garde art hall. The space pursues artists that are interested in subverting, intersecting, and combining multiple mediums. A great forum for underground and postmodern art. ssamnet.com 02-338-7624
Team Preview is a small, hard-to-find gallery that helps find and promote unknown artists as Hongdae’s art scene becomes more commercialized. Though the presentation of the art is not glossy or fancy, you can find artwork that reflects the new generation. The artwork here ranges from immature to innovative. teampreview.com 02-337-7932
Yogiga Expression Gallery is a performance hall and gallery devoted to alternative musical performances for musicians that explore sound, noise, and the performativity of musical expression.  Some of the events here can be a bit strange, but their dedication to avant-garde music makes it an important part of the Hongdae art scene. yogiga.com/tt 02-3141-2603

The 1960 Franco-Russian film Normandie-Niemen directed by Jean Dréville and Damir Viatich-Berejnykh, relates the arrival in Russia of the first twenty pilots for intensive training and the formation of the squadron.

The Seoul Center for Culture & Tourism will be putting on a Russian Film Screening in their multi-purposed auditorium Haechi Hall (http://cafe.naver.com/haichihall) May 4th ~ May 11th, to celebrate 20 years diplomatic relations between Korea and Russia. The movies are sponsored by the Russian Embassy and provide a rare opportunity for a glimpse into Russian culture.

With English subtitles, 8 Russian movies will be played free of charge. It is a great opportunity to improve one’s cultural knowledge of Russia and anyone who is interested in Russia. Call the SCCT (info below) for more information.

Here is the Schedule:

Seoul Center for Culture & Tourism

5th fl. M Plaza bldg., 31-1, Myeong-dong 2-ga,, Jung-gu, Seoul

Tel: 02-3789-7961 / Fax : 02-3789-7964

Directed by Paul Greengrass
Green Zone, a gritty political thriller set during the 2003 invasion of Iraq is a non-stop nail-biting journey through the heart of Baghdad with Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller (Matt Damon) as he tries desperately to find out whether Iraq is hiding weapons of mass destruction. Inspired by Rajiv Chandrasekaran’s non-fiction book Imperial Life in the Emerald City, the film is a big-scale action-packed ride, but also has a strong political message and brings forth some uncomfortable moments that reminds us that what we are watching is based on a real war and not just a fantasy.
Matt Damon is superb as the skeptical Miller and his costars Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson and Jason Isaacs (sporting a remarkable mustache) deserve credit for bringing some serious acting talent to the film. However, it is Khalid Abdalla who stands out as the put-upon Freddie, an Iraqi bystander who tries to help Miller out and gets tangled up in this messy, nasty, and thoroughly enjoyable flick.

Words by Paul Matthews

(dates are subject to change)

Tuesday, May 4th

One Night Stand 원 나이트 스탠드 Korea Ri-u Jang, Ju-seung Lee, Man-suk Jeong; dir. Yong-geun Min, Yu-rim Lee. Hun Jang. Three directors tell three erotic stories about what happened on one quiet night.

I Know You Know England/Germany Robert Carlyle, Arron Fuller, David Bradley; dir. Justin Kerrigan. Welsh director Kerrigan explores the relationship between a paranoid father and his trusting son.

Wednesday, May 5th

Toy Story (3D) USA Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney; dir. John Lasseter. This re-release adds another dimension to the classic story of toys coming to life in preparation for Toy Story 3, scheduled for later this year. pixar.com/featurefilms/ts

Toy Story 2 (3D) USA Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer; dir. John Lasseter, Lee Unkrich. Along with the original Toy Story, the sequel will also be released after a makeover by Disney Digital 3D. pixar.com/featurefilms/ts2

Brothers USA Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire; dir. Jim Sheridan. When a marine goes missing in a helicopter crash, his younger brother must take care of his wife and children. brothersfilm.com

The Song of Sparrows Iran Mohammad Amir Naji, Hossein Aghazi, Maryam Akbari; dir. Majid Majidi. An ostrich-farmer crosses a cultural chasm when he ventures from his country town into Tehran. thesongofsparrows.com

Thursday, May 6th

Ha Ha Ha 하하하 Korea Sang-gyeong Kim, Jun-sang Yu, So-ri Mun; dir. Sang-su Hong. Two men reminisce about their summer adventures over some rice wine. blog.naver.com/hahahamovie

Republic of Korea 1% 대한민국 1% Korea Byeong-ho Son, Won-hui Lim, Ah-ee Lee; dir. Myeong-nam Jo. Female marine commander Yu-mi Lee (Ah-ee Lee) finds it hard to get respect from the soldiers on her elite recon team. korea1pro.co.kr

Thursday, May 13th

Robin Hood USA/England Russell Crowe, Max von Sydow, Cate Blanchett; dir. Ridley Scott. In this new take on an old tale, Robin Hood and his band fight for England in its darkest hour. robinhoodthemovie.com

Sunrise/Sunset: Dalai Lama 14 China/Indonesia/Russia Dir. Vitali Mansky. This documentary covers one day in the life of the Dalai Lama, from 3 am when he wakes up to sunset when he goes to bed. dalailama-film.com

Poetry Korea Jeong-hui Yun, Yong-taek Kim, Kim Hui-ra; dir. Chang-dong Lee. An old woman struggles to find beauty in the world when she unexpectedly is assigned to teach a poetry class. poetry2010.co.kr

The Housemaid Korea Do-yeon Jeon, Jeong-jae Lee, Yeo-jeong Yun; dir. Sang-soo Lim. In this thriller, a housemaid enters an illicit relationship with the owner of the mansion where she works. housemaid.co.kr

Thursday, May 20th

A Nightmare on Elm Street USA Jackie Earle Haley, Rooney Mara, Kyle Gallner; dir. Samuel Bayer. A remake of the 1984 slasher film about the ghost of a serial killer who haunts people’s dreams. nightmareonelmstreet.com

Tokyo Taxi Korea/Japan Masashi Yamada, Hajime Yamazaki, Ha-na Yu; dir. Tae-sik Kim. The lead singer of a Japanese band who is deathly afraid of flying hires a water taxi to get to his concert in Korea.

Thursday, May 27th

The Godfather USA Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan; dir. Francis Ford Coppola. The quintessential gangster film returns to Korean theaters 38 years after its initial release. thegodfather.com

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time USA Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley; dir. Mike Newell. An Arabian prince must join forces with a headstrong princess to prevent a dangerous artifact from being unleashed. adisney.go.com/disneypictures/princeofpersia

And When Did You Last See Your Father? England/Ireland Jim Broadbent, Colin Firth, Juliet Stevenson; dir. Anand Tucker. Blake (Firth) must come to terms with his father Arthur (Broadbent), who is suffering from a terminal illness. sonyclassics.com/ whendidyoulastseeyourfather

Dreams Come True 꿈은 이루어진다 Korea Seong-jae Lee; dir. Yun-sik Kim. North and South Korean troops on the DMZ work together to find a way to watch the 2002 World Cup.

TBA

Ip Man 2: Legend of the Grandmaster Hong Kong Donnie Yen, Lynn Hung, Simon Yam; dir. Wilson Yip. In this second film about legendary martial arts master Ip Man, he travels to Hong Kong to find more students. ipman2-movie.com