Korea invades Hollywood

TWO Korean movies about a mysterious killer and a vampire who turns into a schoolgirl are trying to make it big in Hollywood.

"Korean film is now a distinct type of cinema and can be talked about in the same breath as French, Spanish or Japanese films," said Tony Safford, senior vice-president of film acquisitions for 20th Century Fox.

Following Kim Yun-jim's success in the US TV hit Lost this year, Korean acting talent is getting higher visibility in international productions.

Heartthrob Jang Dong-kun, 35, will make his Hollywood debut in Laundry Warrior. Jang plays a killer who ends up in a sleepy, desert town, where he struggles to find peace, friendship and love.

Also, My Sassy Girl actress Jun Ji-hyun has wrapped up her Hollywood debut film Blood: The Last Vampire. Jun plays a vampire woman, who is inserted into a military school by the army. Her mission is to discover who in her class is a demon in disguise.

To this day, there are still deeply imbedded stereotypes of Asians as nerds or evil sideline characters.

"But I feel that there's a shift in the industry, that they're not seeing me as just my race; but they're seeing my personality and seeing me more as a person and an Asian in general,'' said Korean-American actor John Cho, 35, who appeared in Ugly Betty and will act in Star Trek. He was voted one of "Sexiest Men Alive" by People magazine in 2006.

What the world likes about Korean films is their fresh approach compared with the boring big budget films and endless sequels that Hollywood churns out on a regular basis.

South Korea is known for its support for domestic movies. Traditional costumes, music and local products play an important part in films. It's one of eight countries with screen quota policies. The policy prescribes 40 percent of the films on screen should be domestic and at least 149 days of a year are dedicated to local productions.

While these nationalistic characteristics set Korean movies apart from American films, they may also hinder their chances in Hollywood.

For example, Dragon Wars, a recent Korean epic about heroes saving humanity from an evil dragon, was tailored for the US market.

But director Shim Hyung-rae still used a marketing strategy that appealed to the Korean public's nationalistic side. He emphasized the use of Korean-made computer graphics and injected Arirang, a Korean folk song, into the soundtrack. It received low ratings from US critics.

"Ironically, some argue this nationalistic support hurts the overseas image of the Korean movie industry," said David Chung, a contributing writer for Korean Times. "The film should be supported based on content and quality, not on where it was produced."

The films show human beings from a unique Korean point of view, in a novel cultural setting, but non-Korean audiences can still identify with the characters

Lee-Suji, a student at Konkuk University, on Korean Times.

Hot new flicks you shouldn't miss

Best Chef

November 1, South Korea

A nationwide cooking battle is underway. Longtime enemies Seong-chan (Kim Kang-woo) and Bong-ju (Lim Won-hee) sharpen their knives and prepare to fight once more. Five years before, the two competed to take over a renowned restaurant. But Seong-chan suffered a critical blow when his fish dish poisoned the judges. Deeply upset, he retired to the countryside while Bong-ju exploited the wealth and fame. With the help of Jin-su (Lee Ha-na), a pretty reporter, Seong-chan makes a comeback. But he must not only battle the blindly ambitious Bong-ju, but also face the corrupt judges. Who will come out winner?

7 Days

November 14, South Korea

This is a thriller in which Lost actress Kim Yun-jin stars as a mysterious lawyer. Her life takes a frightening turn when a man abducts her daughter. The kidnapper offers a deal: clear all charges of first-degree murder against a suspect in just seven days or else the child's life is at stake. This is mission impossible, even for someone who has never lost a case.

The Guy Who Was Once Superman

2008

The story traces the adventures of a Don Quixote-like man (Hwang Jung-min) who tries to help out a neighbor. He believes himself to be Superman. Meanwhile, a nosy producer (Jun Ji-hyun) makes a documentary about the extraordinary behavior of the man.

21ST

--------------------------------------

abduct 绑架

acquisition 收购

vampire 吸血鬼

wrap up 完成

heartthrob 大众情人

disguise 伪装

imbed 埋藏

sequel 续集

quota 限额

hinder 阻碍

nationalistic 国家主义的

kidnapper 绑架者

Don Quixote 唐吉诃德

Bonus points

churns out: 粗制滥造

She doesn't really concentrate on improving her writing. She just churns out the same stuff. 她并没有认真写作，只是粗制滥造一些同样的内容。

in the same breath: 同一个等级，等量齐观

China is now an economic power that can be mentioned in the same breath as the US, Japan and Germany. 中国现在已经成为可以和美、日、德相提并论的经济体。

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