Your opinion on modern Korean cinema - Blu-ray Forum

Last Lizard · 10-09-2018, 08:33 PM

I've been thinking about this for a while now (okay years maybe?) and I guess it's about time I found out whether or not I'm alone in my assertion that modern korean cinema: just isn't very good.

When I say modern, I suppose I'm comparing it to the hallyu boom of the late 90's and early 00's. I trust most of you who frequent this board are familiar with the era, when Korean cinema was really on fire with a more than generous amount of films that are held in high regard today. With directors and actors who are still pretty dependable to this day when it comes to entertainment or better yet those who strive to deliver something more. Outside this circle of identifiable style and substance though.. things appear to be a little rote?

I will say though, that gone are the days where I was willing to spend $30+ on a single Korean DVD. If something interests me at all I tend to hold out hoping for a Bluray release. Sometimes they come months later but often times you're left waiting and wondering if they'll ever come at all. Back in the day I found it easier to justify the prices beyond the film itself: fancy packaging could help sell you and of course DVD was simply the format of choice.

When I do pick up a Korean Blu these days more often than not the films usually aren't bad.. but few seem to really hit the mark. For every Han Gong-ju or The Wailing there are ten The Villainess (sorry to anyone who liked it lol) or Inside Men (not sorry for this though

). Their method of what's going to get a Blu release and when seems scattershot at best. I was of the assumption that if they were pulling out all the stops with a Bluray release or even moreso a DVD and follow up Blu release, that the films would be of a higher caliber than they often are.

By all means you can chalk it up to personal taste but since I'm put off by the volume of Korean films that just land square in the middle of the road for me, I'm wondering if I'm simply sleeping on some level talent under the surface that isn't getting as much exposure? What films in recent years for you stand out? Which directors and actors do you think are not quite getting the attention they deserve? Is it my imagination or are Korean movies just flooded with wannabe pop star actors (I know that look and style has knda always been there in some genres to be fair) and by the numbers box ticking tropes these days? As I said before I'm less inclined to keep dropping as much money on discs these days so it's hard to know for sure if the outward appearance is correct or I'm just missing out on alot of good stuff that people just don't talk much about.

So what's you opinion on modern korean movies? Am I just getting old and bitterand need to invest more?

Batman1084 · 10-09-2018, 08:50 PM

I personally find more issues with modern Hollywood cinema and our need for constant remakes, superhero movies, etc. Everyone has a few of these that they love, but original scripts are just lacking in and out of Hollywood to be fair. But I think this is less of a problem with Korean cinema since they do not produce thousands of movies a year.

Personally, I am always finding both new and old flicks from Korea that I adore. But to be fair, I think it might be more of a matter of the fact that Korean writers and directors usually do not stray too much from what they do best... which is fairly limited. But it just so happens that even with their limitations, I enjoy their TV dramas and films more than most of what comes out here. Even in most of the above-average TV shows, the emotions from the actors feels a lot more genuine than 99% of the TV shows we have here that have mass followings.

I loved the Villainess and would rather see it ten times over than the latest Ghost in the Shell remake, Avengers, or anything like that. Since you chose the Villainess as something you didn't care for, I can honestly say that I loved it because while it may be lacking in the "unique story" category, the lead actress comes across as totally engaged in the role.

Like you, this is just my personal feelings on this. I have a lot of movies both from last decade and this decade that I absolutely adore from Korea that I would easily put in my top 50 of all time (probably two in my top 20). If they announced any of them for a 4k release, I would jump all over it. I just wish more of their TV shows came to Bluray and at a more affordable price. I think Korean cinema/television is just at a point where they are trying to output a lot now and you need to filter through to find the stuff you will actually care about. I don't think that is a bad thing personally as it means the demand is there for more... but not every director or actor/actress is going to be a huge somebody. They are trying to usher in that next wave now in my eyes so it is interesting to see who will make it.

Nobody tops Son Ye Jin. : ) There, it had to be said.

Last Lizard · 10-09-2018, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Batman1084

I personally find more issues with modern Hollywood cinema and our need for constant remakes, superhero movies, etc. Everyone has a few of these that they love, but original scripts are just lacking in and out of Hollywood to be fair. But I think this is less of a problem with Korean cinema since they do not produce thousands of movies a year.

I am in the same boat with you here. Hollywood generally speaking isn't really a hell of alot better and certainly not when it comes to regurgitating the same material endlessly.. but I decided to stick to an area of films I love rather than fire at the whole world in this case!

Quote:

I loved the Villainess and would rather see it ten times over than the latest Ghost in the Shell remake, Avengers, or anything like that. Since you chose the Villainess as something you didn't care for, I can honestly say that I loved it because while it may be lacking in the "unique story" category, the lead actress comes across as totally engaged in the role.

I'm quite a big fan of Kim Ok-bin. I had her pegged as one to watch some years ago.. kinda feel like Kim Min-hee filled the spot as an actress that I expected Ok-bin would. I guess The Villainess was just a loose example of something that keeps happening with many Korean flicks I see these days: plot strikes me as being a bit all over the place, it's a bit hopped up on being overly dramatic and the action doesn't quite deliver what I hoped for either. Doesn't have to be films like this either.. even the dependable Song Kang-ho in The Attorney or say A Taxi Driver just didn't quite nail it for me. Decent films just.. lacking something for me personally.

Flack999 · 10-09-2018, 09:17 PM

Yeah, Korea has lost it's edge a while ago for me.
During the early 2000s Korea was the big new discovery (after having been into Japanese and Chinese/Hong Kong Cinema for a while) and I loved what they were doing.
Polished, stylish and interesting genre mixes where you felt like it is something you haven't seen before - blending of comedy, violence and horror and romance and it just seemed so creative.
People like Kim Ki Duk, Park Chan Wook, Bong Jon-Ho at their peak.. unusual films like Save the Green Planet, Failan, Oasis, Sorum and so on and so on.
I spend so much money on blind-buying every new film that was released in Korea. It helped that the Dvds were usually of high quality. Fun times.

Then, sometime around the 2010 mark it started to wear off... it had probably been one generic thriller too much... or just one too many glossy rom-com. I just grew tired of it and hardly anything has really impressed me since then. Certainly not all those serial killer films that I find very tiresome.
The Wailing actually was the only film that reminded me of that surprising genre-defying excitement of the past. I loved that one.
Otherwise my interest in korean cinema has almost disapeared completely and I don't usually bother to check new releases. I still watch the big auteurs when they release something new, but general releases on Korean Dvd or Blu-Ray are not on my radar anymore.
Every year or so I get a "maybe I am missing out on something" phase and catch up on some K-films that seem interesting - they all leave me dissapointed though.

So yes, Korean cinema is not nearly as exciting as it was 15 years ago. The spark is gone. New films still look high quality and well done, but they are lacking the creative energy. Shame.
Let's not talk about japanese cinema though, I feel their downfall was even worse with teen movies having taken over almost completely, it sometimes seems.

Batman1084 · 10-09-2018, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Last Lizard

I'm quite a big fan of Kim Ok-bin. I had her pegged as one to watch some years ago.. kinda feel like Kim Min-hee filled the spot as an actress that I expected Ok-bin would. I guess The Villainess was just a loose example of something that keeps happening with many Korean flicks I see these days: plot strikes me as being a bit all over the place, it's a bit hopped up on being overly dramatic and the action doesn't quite deliver what I hoped for either. Doesn't have to be films like this either.. even the dependable Song Kang-ho in The Attorney or say A Taxi Driver just didn't quite nail it for me. Decent films just.. lacking something for me personally.

You do make a point though (or I feel like you may be alluding to this). Asian cinema as a hole has a bad habit of beating one formula to death. I feel Korean cinema is the least guilty of this between them, Japan, and China... but it is still there. As one example, Korea is really becoming like Hong Kong cinema with the obsession with stories that involve detectives. Aye! I will totally admit that I have a soft spot for that stuff too but it does need some variety.

All of these regions will always produce excellent flicks. To your point though again, sometimes they can be lacking "something" but I truly feel that something is probably originality. You mention Kim Min Hee and I too really think she is great but even the more original flicks she is in don't do much for me. I know many people praise the Handmaiden but I found it entirely overrated though I thought the cinematography, costumes, and sets were all incredible. But from a story perspective and how it goes through the motions, Park Chan Wook isn't doing it for me anymore personally. Kim Min Hee couldn't save that for me.

There are a few Korean actresses that I will try to watch almost anything from when it comes out. Kim Min Hee is on that list - I do think she can be something special. I loved her in Right Now, Wrong Then - my favorite Hong Sang-soo film by far and it did not feel too artsy.

Would love to hear your thoughts on some films over the past 5 years, whether original or not, that you feel entirely hit the mark from Korea.

Last Lizard · 10-09-2018, 10:26 PM

Oh yeah when a particular style of film catches on they absolutely beat it to death for a good while. Detective/Cool Guy in Suit with Gun flicks I'm almost actively avoiding at this point. Feel like Kim Jee-woon set the bar with A Bittersweet Life and no one else actually ever cleared that bar lol. Some might say The Man From Nowhere did but for me that film is 25 mins too long.. which taps into an issue I think has become (or maybe always kind of been) a stumbling block: So many flippantly run over 2 hours and don't always justify the length. Feel like far too many allow themselves to be sidetracked. If you're a fan I guess it's almost a quirk you just learn to accept but to this day I think it trips up many Korean films at the last hurdle.

Some recent films I think made it all the way or almost got there and still deserve some love:

A Girl at My Door
Very Ordinary Couple
Poetry (I only saw this recently, I'm a big LCD fan so I dunno why I held off so long)
Addiction Karaoke
The Wailing
Pure Love (very by the book but somehow it worked for me

)
Han Gong-ju
Right Now, Wrong Then (not a fan of modern Hong but I agree it was easy to digest)
A Man and a Woman
The Bacchus Lady
Come Rain, Come Shine (recently saw this again and loved it despite the slow pace)
Cafe Noir (same as above!)

There's plenty of late I still haven't taken the plunge on but off the top of my head these are the films that stand out to me. Other stuff like Veteran, Age of Shadows, The Handmaiden, Okja, Train to Busan etc.. just don't have me quite convinced and in the absence of much else I think of course certain established directors just keep getting the praise whether fully deserved or not.

I'm quietly confident Lee Chang-dong and his recipe of nearly one movie a decade will score a winner with Burning.

One guy isn't going to save my faith in their entire industry though.

Richardrli · 10-09-2018, 10:26 PM

Would you say that modern Japanese films are also nowhere near as good as previous eras?

PGW · 10-09-2018, 11:43 PM

No, I don't think they're losing it.

Some films I've seen from 2015 to now that I thought were terrific.

Veteran
Assassination
Will You Be There
The Wailing
The Age Of Shadows
Vanished Time
Confidential Assignment
A Taxi Driver
A Day

Like anything else, if you've been watching them a while, you're going to get a bit jaded.

Batman1084 · 10-10-2018, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PGW

Like anything else, if you've been watching them a while, you're going to get a bit jaded.

Quoted for truth. I have to admit that since 2015, I may not have a giant list of titles that I adore, but there have been some in my mind that I will love and continue to watch!

Last Lizard · 10-10-2018, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richardrli

Would you say that modern Japanese films are also nowhere near as good as previous eras?

As it stands today I'd say yes Japan feels like it's been in a downward spiral for some time as well. There are always exceptions of course.. good stuff emerges now and again and there's perhaps a greater variety in what you can find coming out of Japan as opposed to South Korea but for me, someone like Sion Sono is a perfect example of the extremities of modern Japanese cinema. That guy can run hot and cold back to back. You can schlep through his output and get some of the best and worst cinema experiences of your life. Somehow this feels very inkeeping with modern Japanese movies!

Quote:

Originally Posted by PGW

No, I don't think they're losing it.

Some films I've seen from 2015 to now that I thought were terrific.

Veteran
Assassination
Will You Be There
The Wailing
The Age Of Shadows
Vanished Time
Confidential Assignment
A Taxi Driver
A Day

Like anything else, if you've been watching them a while, you're going to get a bit jaded.

Choi Dong-hoon for me is the great pretender of Korean blockbuster material. He has the budget, assembles the right people and has some scripts that you'd think would transfer so well off the page. By all accounts he's a hitmaker - but I haven't truly been satisfied by any of his films since Tazza.. the issue I mentioned above about Korean films that refuse to trim the fat and run long for the sake of it.. for me he's the undisputed King of this certain trick.

Don't get me wrong, I sat through the long version of A Bride For Rip Van Winkle last week there.. I'm not desperate for films to be over. When they need time to breathe I'm all for it. I just think plenty of Korean flicks love to hyperventilate! Or is that hold their breath until near death?

I have been meaning to check out Will You Be There. I will do so soon in case it vanishes off the PA website.

Ben_C · 10-10-2018, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flack999

Yeah, Korea has lost it's edge a while ago for me.
During the early 2000s Korea was the big new discovery (after having been into Japanese and Chinese/Hong Kong Cinema for a while) and I loved what they were doing.
Polished, stylish and interesting genre mixes where you felt like it is something you haven't seen before - blending of comedy, violence and horror and romance and it just seemed so creative.
People like Kim Ki Duk, Park Chan Wook, Bong Jon-Ho at their peak.. unusual films like Save the Green Planet, Failan, Oasis, Sorum and so on and so on.
I spend so much money on blind-buying every new film that was released in Korea. It helped that the Dvds were usually of high quality. Fun times.

Then, sometime around the 2010 mark it started to wear off... it had probably been one generic thriller too much... or just one too many glossy rom-com. I just grew tired of it and hardly anything has really impressed me since then. Certainly not all those serial killer films that I find very tiresome.
The Wailing actually was the only film that reminded me of that surprising genre-defying excitement of the past. I loved that one.
Otherwise my interest in korean cinema has almost disapeared completely and I don't usually bother to check new releases. I still watch the big auteurs when they release something new, but general releases on Korean Dvd or Blu-Ray are not on my radar anymore.
Every year or so I get a "maybe I am missing out on something" phase and catch up on some K-films that seem interesting - they all leave me dissapointed though.

So yes, Korean cinema is not nearly as exciting as it was 15 years ago. The spark is gone. New films still look high quality and well done, but they are lacking the creative energy. Shame.
Let's not talk about japanese cinema though, I feel their downfall was even worse with teen movies having taken over almost completely, it sometimes seems.

You’ve pretty much summed up my feelings exactly there.
The late 90s and then the early to mid 2000s were quite amazing for Korean film, loads of great directors making some truly great films. I’d spend way too much blind buying DVDs at nearly £20 or more a pop (beautiful packaging though), some were great finds, many weren’t, but it was definitely exciting discovering this stuff. The Vengeance Trilogy, Memories of Murder, The Foul King, A Bittersweet Life, Thirst, The Chaser, Welcome to Dongmakgol, etc stand shoulder to shoulder with most other top films from that era for me.

Recent times haven’t been so great though. The Wailing, A Taxi Driver, Age of Shadows, The Yellow Sea, and Train to Busan were all good, but I haven’t really seen much else of note over the past few years.

Flack999 · 10-10-2018, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richardrli

Would you say that modern Japanese films are also nowhere near as good as previous eras?

Japanese cinema has had an epic loss of quality output. Not just in live-action, Anime is also pretty much dead I think.
I loved the japanese indie and arthouse scene of the 90ies and early 2000s.
The emergence of Kitano, Kyoshi Kurosawa, Shunji Iwai, SABU, Takashi Miike.
So many of my favorites.
It all seems completely dead nowadays. There might be one or two okay j-flicks coming out (Yuya Ishii gives me some hope), but compared to the output of the golden-age (1990-2010 for me) it's a joke.

A huge thing for me is the look. While in the 90ies most japanese films were shot on gritty, milky and beautiful organic 35mm film stock, now everything is digital and a lot of soul and character went missing with the transition. I loved that specific look of japanese 90ies movies.
While every country shifted to digital filming, japanese somehow had the most bumby one. They still have films released on terrible super-glossy hd-cam video, which is just not acceptable when you have cheap Canon DSLR and RED Cameras being able to emulate a good filmic look.
So many current j-films look like a generic Dorama and the art of lighting a scene seems absent from most productions.
I can lose interest in a film in an instant when I see it's another overlid glossy digital mess that looks lifeless and dull.
Let's not talk about the casting of idols...

Miike and Kitano haven't made a good film in years (my opinion anyway) and
many once interesting, daring directors have succumbed to shooting terrible romcoms (just check out the decline of Akihiko Shiota or Ryūichi Hirokis filmographies for two especially depressing examples)
They still have some auteurs like Koreeda and Naomi Kawase - but they are a certain special kind of festival director that might not represent the japanese cinema scene that well, as they are mostly funded by international studios anyway.
Most films coming out of japan today, are teen romance movies where the poster alone makes me want to throw up.

In case of Anime, I feel the switch to digital cell animation has just robbed the genre of it's soul and since the death of Satoshi Kon, the medium hasn't had anything original or interesting to say anymore.

So yes, japanese decline feels even more severe than the korean one. At least korean movies still look great and feature quality actors.

tsetse27 · 10-10-2018, 05:20 PM

I still find Korean productions way more interesting, and, "fearless", compare to Japanese films (agree with Flack999) and Hong Kong/Chinese productions, in the past 10+ years.

In some case, even more fun than some of Hollywood's counterparts.

logboy · 10-10-2018, 05:30 PM

last year or two in korea have been very poor, but i think people have been talking themselves and each other out of great films for probably a decade. doesn't help that very little gets a physical release of any kind, and although that's primarily an issue when everything used to in korea, it's also a problem in the USA where much only appears on streaming if you're lucky - it's geoblocked from access outside the country, whereas plenty were comfortable with discs being imported from there. i'm not going to point out the films of most / enough interest, because i think there needs to be access and then a discovery, discussion; without those elements, it's killed, essentially ... for now.

japan is currently floating in the bowl.

Grethiwha · 10-10-2018, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Last Lizard

Some recent films I think made it all the way or almost got there and still deserve some love:

A Girl at My Door
Very Ordinary Couple
Poetry (I only saw this recently, I'm a big LCD fan so I dunno why I held off so long)
Addiction Karaoke
The Wailing
Pure Love (very by the book but somehow it worked for me

)
Han Gong-ju
Right Now, Wrong Then (not a fan of modern Hong but I agree it was easy to digest)
A Man and a Woman
The Bacchus Lady
Come Rain, Come Shine (recently saw this again and loved it despite the slow pace)
Cafe Noir (same as above!)

Well, for someone saying they're disappointed with recent Korean cinema, that's a pretty long list of highlights of recent Korean cinema. I've only seen 3 of those, and haven't heard of most of them... I doubt most of the people who'll contradict you will even be able to come up with a list that long, much less recommend titles you haven't seen that might change your mind. If anything, I think the problem is you're oversaturating yourself in Korean cinema, to the point where it's very difficult for a film to come along and feel fresh.

But it's an interesting topic, and it merits discussion from a couple different angles.

I wasn't watching Korean cinema 15 years ago, and have only discovered the 2000s era stuff, along with the more recent films, in the last few years. So I have no nostalgia compelling me to think Swiri is so much better than any other more recent Korean blockbuster. However, there are films from the early 2000s, like Memories of Murder or A Bittersweet Life, that I do think have a kind of, for lack of a better word, perfectness, while more recent films in the genre, even the really great ones, just feel like they're trying too hard sometimes.

So, one of my favourite recent Korean films is Memoir of a Murderer. Which I think is almost as good as The Chaser (which in turn, was almost as good as Memories of Murder). Memoir of a Murderer is awesome, and puts a very compelling Memento-esque twist on the genre, but at the same time, it is derivative of those previous movies, and there were a few moments in the film where I felt the movie tried too hard, or might have been handled better if the filmmaker was of Joon-ho Bong's caliber.

So, speaking generally, I think part of the reason Korean cinema seemed better in the early 2000s, was that Korean cinema had never been allowed to flourish before, and it was something new and fresh, which it's harder for it to be now, especially in the same genres over and over. Also, speaking generally, as a Japanese cinema fan, I think I prefer contemporary Japanese cinema because, despite not having the technical polish of contemporary Korean cinema, it can often be a lot more creative and weird. But in the late 90s/early 2000s Korea, there were movies like Save the Green Planet, Attack the Gas Station, and The Foul King, with what I would consider a kind of Japanese sensibility, more low budget creative and weird, that I just don't think would get made in Korea these days. So that's another point of discussion.

But the main thing, speaking more specifically now, I think is that Korea just hasn't produced any filmmakers as damn good as Chan-wook Park, Joon-ho Bong, and Kim Jee-woon recently. Moreover, I don't think Chan-wook Park has made anything great since Thirst (I thought Handmaiden was overrated), and Kim Jee-woon has definitely gone downhill (I didn't like Age of Shadows, and just watched Illang and wasn't impressed by that either).

So for those reasons I can see where you're coming from and sort of agree with you, that the bar was set in the early 2000s and hasn't been raised since. However... my two favourite films of last year were Korean... I think Joon-ho Bong is as good as ever, to the point where I wouldn't be as excited for a new film by any other director in the world, so, that's where I'm at after Okja. And I absolutely think A Taxi Driver (and The Attorney) did nail it. For me, these are the films keeping the flame alive while stuff like The Villainess, Assassination, Illang etc, that was IMO disappointing, could otherwise burn me out after awhile.

PGW · 10-10-2018, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Last Lizard

Don't get me wrong, I sat through the long version of A Bride For Rip Van Winkle last week there..

Trust me. That's the one to watch. Iwai cut so much out for the shorter version, and then added a half hour of new material that SHOULD have been left on the cutting room floor . . . well, let's just say I was very disappointed with the short version.

And, while we're (kind of) on the subject of burning out . . . I think I've completely stopped buying contemporary Chinese films (unless Zhang Yimou, Wong Kar Wai or Hou Hsiao-Hsien put something out). It seems that almost all of the actors (and certainly the actresses) of the "classic" era are gone (and haven't been replaced by younger actors), and none of the vitality of the 1980's and '90's is there anymore. Sad.

Batman1084 · 10-10-2018, 08:21 PM

I really do want to avoid giving a laundry list of my recent favorites but I will say this. I think Korean performances have gotten a lot better though including in TV dramas over the past 10 years. Actors and actresses both seem to be setting the bar a bit higher and, in my eyes, making more even if the scripts aren't as mind-blowing.

This is why I so easily enjoy stuff like the Villainess, Assassination, and many other performances. Female leads in Korea definitely are making their mark like how some of the best actresses out of China during the past 30 years did the same thing. Chinese cinema now, by comparison, is so dry and by the numbers that you wish anyone could have a presence like Gong Li or someone across those lines. The thing with Gong Li though and actresses of that era is that they had some downright excellent scripts and directors to work with.

I would say Korea is stepping up their game in terms of acting so it has kept me heavily invested and scouting to see what they produce... specifically for the performances.

darry · 10-11-2018, 11:04 AM

To be honest, I haven't even noticed a drop in quality, though, I've heard it mentioned by enough people to think it's a common perception. I think part of the charm of those movies is the result of a lot of people starting to take notice of SK movies at that time, like addicts discovering heroin for the first time. The feeling has worn off. I think the movies are just as good but maybe a bit less risky. My theory is that this could be a result of the blackban on SK stars (pretty much all of them) by the Pak Geun-Hye government discouraged the whole industry from making good movies. I think SK movies will start getting better from now on.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/12/w...t-artists.html

logboy · 10-11-2018, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darry

To be honest, I haven't even noticed a drop in quality, though, I've heard it mentioned by enough people to think it's a common perception. I think part of the charm of those movies is the result of a lot of people starting to take notice of SK movies at that time, like addicts discovering heroin for the first time. The feeling has worn off. I think the movies are just as good but maybe a bit less risky. My theory is that this could be a result of the blackban on SK stars (pretty much all of them) by the Pak Geun-Hye government discouraged the whole industry from making good movies. I think SK movies will start getting better from now on.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/12/w...t-artists.html

there will be an element of that aspect of becoming familiar, but i think it's an aspect that can be overstated or highlighted to detrimental affect because if the quality is there you'd know you should be interested but aren't, or that things aren't clearly better or worse than earlier experiences when viewed objectively.
we'd need to be trying a little harder than saying, "i'm bored - it's crap" - and this is why i think there's been an awful lot of good stuff simply not talked about because people have decided to not even keep trying to find a way to determine if that's true, and they've taken others opinion as a guarantee of fact. it's been going on for years, and yet it's only very recently there feels like concrete scenarios that are making it seem problematic as an industry issue.

it's a hard call to say just how bad it is with perspective and objectivity because there's relatively little access to it compared to the days of DVD (virtually no BD in K, little making it stateside & most of it only streaming) when you could pick what you liked out with ease, and even then there was likely only an overall sense of a healthier market because it felt free (despite reality being people picked major / publicised / talked about films for the most part) and some folk were talking about films you wouldn't have bought and you would be able to talk about film they'd not seen : it would come across as a scene with greater success.

GRD43L · 10-11-2018, 04:09 PM

So we all agree that Kim Min-Hee is our favourite S.Korean actress?

In general, global movie industry is getting choked out by fantastic, grand, high budget movies. Korean audience is no different; internet opened the world to them and Hollywood movies started flowing in at around Y2K mark. General audience and young people in particular were drawn to western pop culture, old and new. LoTRs series, Harry Potter, superheroes, etc. Korean movies started completing with big budget western movies with big budget Korean movies. To me, they are just following the global trend of catering movies for maximum return. Then there are gems hidden here and there that one has to seek out.

So while the general trend is ho-hum, I am confident that S.Korea will continue to release interesting movies. I'm just glad that great many of them are being released in NA!

10-09-2018, 08:33 PM	#1
Last Lizard Active Member Member since:Jan 2012 4K collection:97 Blu-ray collection:1288 DVD collection:295	Your opinion on modern Korean cinema I've been thinking about this for a while now (okay years maybe?) and I guess it's about time I found out whether or not I'm alone in my assertion that modern korean cinema: just isn't very good. When I say modern, I suppose I'm comparing it to the hallyu boom of the late 90's and early 00's. I trust most of you who frequent this board are familiar with the era, when Korean cinema was really on fire with a more than generous amount of films that are held in high regard today. With directors and actors who are still pretty dependable to this day when it comes to entertainment or better yet those who strive to deliver something more. Outside this circle of identifiable style and substance though.. things appear to be a little rote? I will say though, that gone are the days where I was willing to spend $30+ on a single Korean DVD. If something interests me at all I tend to hold out hoping for a Bluray release. Sometimes they come months later but often times you're left waiting and wondering if they'll ever come at all. Back in the day I found it easier to justify the prices beyond the film itself: fancy packaging could help sell you and of course DVD was simply the format of choice. When I do pick up a Korean Blu these days more often than not the films usually aren't bad.. but few seem to really hit the mark. For every Han Gong-ju or The Wailing there are ten The Villainess (sorry to anyone who liked it lol) or Inside Men (not sorry for this though ). Their method of what's going to get a Blu release and when seems scattershot at best. I was of the assumption that if they were pulling out all the stops with a Bluray release or even moreso a DVD and follow up Blu release, that the films would be of a higher caliber than they often are. By all means you can chalk it up to personal taste but since I'm put off by the volume of Korean films that just land square in the middle of the road for me, I'm wondering if I'm simply sleeping on some level talent under the surface that isn't getting as much exposure? What films in recent years for you stand out? Which directors and actors do you think are not quite getting the attention they deserve? Is it my imagination or are Korean movies just flooded with wannabe pop star actors (I know that look and style has knda always been there in some genres to be fair) and by the numbers box ticking tropes these days? As I said before I'm less inclined to keep dropping as much money on discs these days so it's hard to know for sure if the outward appearance is correct or I'm just missing out on alot of good stuff that people just don't talk much about. So what's you opinion on modern korean movies? Am I just getting old and bitterand need to invest more?

10-09-2018, 09:17 PM	#4
Flack999 Senior Member Member since:Aug 2011 Location:Berlin, Germany	Yeah, Korea has lost it's edge a while ago for me. During the early 2000s Korea was the big new discovery (after having been into Japanese and Chinese/Hong Kong Cinema for a while) and I loved what they were doing. Polished, stylish and interesting genre mixes where you felt like it is something you haven't seen before - blending of comedy, violence and horror and romance and it just seemed so creative. People like Kim Ki Duk, Park Chan Wook, Bong Jon-Ho at their peak.. unusual films like Save the Green Planet, Failan, Oasis, Sorum and so on and so on. I spend so much money on blind-buying every new film that was released in Korea. It helped that the Dvds were usually of high quality. Fun times. Then, sometime around the 2010 mark it started to wear off... it had probably been one generic thriller too much... or just one too many glossy rom-com. I just grew tired of it and hardly anything has really impressed me since then. Certainly not all those serial killer films that I find very tiresome. The Wailing actually was the only film that reminded me of that surprising genre-defying excitement of the past. I loved that one. Otherwise my interest in korean cinema has almost disapeared completely and I don't usually bother to check new releases. I still watch the big auteurs when they release something new, but general releases on Korean Dvd or Blu-Ray are not on my radar anymore. Every year or so I get a "maybe I am missing out on something" phase and catch up on some K-films that seem interesting - they all leave me dissapointed though. So yes, Korean cinema is not nearly as exciting as it was 15 years ago. The spark is gone. New films still look high quality and well done, but they are lacking the creative energy. Shame. Let's not talk about japanese cinema though, I feel their downfall was even worse with teen movies having taken over almost completely, it sometimes seems. Last edited by Flack999; 10-09-2018 at 09:23 PM.

10-11-2018, 11:04 AM	#18
darry Power Member Member since:Mar 2012 4K collection:1 Blu-ray collection:90	To be honest, I haven't even noticed a drop in quality, though, I've heard it mentioned by enough people to think it's a common perception. I think part of the charm of those movies is the result of a lot of people starting to take notice of SK movies at that time, like addicts discovering heroin for the first time. The feeling has worn off. I think the movies are just as good but maybe a bit less risky. My theory is that this could be a result of the blackban on SK stars (pretty much all of them) by the Pak Geun-Hye government discouraged the whole industry from making good movies. I think SK movies will start getting better from now on. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/12/w...t-artists.html Last edited by darry; 10-11-2018 at 11:15 AM.

10-09-2018, 08:50 PM	#2
Batman1084 Senior Member Member since:Mar 2015	I personally find more issues with modern Hollywood cinema and our need for constant remakes, superhero movies, etc. Everyone has a few of these that they love, but original scripts are just lacking in and out of Hollywood to be fair. But I think this is less of a problem with Korean cinema since they do not produce thousands of movies a year. Personally, I am always finding both new and old flicks from Korea that I adore. But to be fair, I think it might be more of a matter of the fact that Korean writers and directors usually do not stray too much from what they do best... which is fairly limited. But it just so happens that even with their limitations, I enjoy their TV dramas and films more than most of what comes out here. Even in most of the above-average TV shows, the emotions from the actors feels a lot more genuine than 99% of the TV shows we have here that have mass followings. I loved the Villainess and would rather see it ten times over than the latest Ghost in the Shell remake, Avengers, or anything like that. Since you chose the Villainess as something you didn't care for, I can honestly say that I loved it because while it may be lacking in the "unique story" category, the lead actress comes across as totally engaged in the role. Like you, this is just my personal feelings on this. I have a lot of movies both from last decade and this decade that I absolutely adore from Korea that I would easily put in my top 50 of all time (probably two in my top 20). If they announced any of them for a 4k release, I would jump all over it. I just wish more of their TV shows came to Bluray and at a more affordable price. I think Korean cinema/television is just at a point where they are trying to output a lot now and you need to filter through to find the stuff you will actually care about. I don't think that is a bad thing personally as it means the demand is there for more... but not every director or actor/actress is going to be a huge somebody. They are trying to usher in that next wave now in my eyes so it is interesting to see who will make it. Nobody tops Son Ye Jin. : ) There, it had to be said.

10-09-2018, 10:26 PM	#6
Last Lizard Active Member Member since:Jan 2012 4K collection:97 Blu-ray collection:1288 DVD collection:295	Oh yeah when a particular style of film catches on they absolutely beat it to death for a good while. Detective/Cool Guy in Suit with Gun flicks I'm almost actively avoiding at this point. Feel like Kim Jee-woon set the bar with A Bittersweet Life and no one else actually ever cleared that bar lol. Some might say The Man From Nowhere did but for me that film is 25 mins too long.. which taps into an issue I think has become (or maybe always kind of been) a stumbling block: So many flippantly run over 2 hours and don't always justify the length. Feel like far too many allow themselves to be sidetracked. If you're a fan I guess it's almost a quirk you just learn to accept but to this day I think it trips up many Korean films at the last hurdle. Some recent films I think made it all the way or almost got there and still deserve some love: A Girl at My Door Very Ordinary Couple Poetry (I only saw this recently, I'm a big LCD fan so I dunno why I held off so long) Addiction Karaoke The Wailing Pure Love (very by the book but somehow it worked for me ) Han Gong-ju Right Now, Wrong Then (not a fan of modern Hong but I agree it was easy to digest) A Man and a Woman The Bacchus Lady Come Rain, Come Shine (recently saw this again and loved it despite the slow pace) Cafe Noir (same as above!) There's plenty of late I still haven't taken the plunge on but off the top of my head these are the films that stand out to me. Other stuff like Veteran, Age of Shadows, The Handmaiden, Okja, Train to Busan etc.. just don't have me quite convinced and in the absence of much else I think of course certain established directors just keep getting the praise whether fully deserved or not. I'm quietly confident Lee Chang-dong and his recipe of nearly one movie a decade will score a winner with Burning. One guy isn't going to save my faith in their entire industry though.

10-09-2018, 10:26 PM	#7
Richardrli Active Member Member since:Jan 2016	Would you say that modern Japanese films are also nowhere near as good as previous eras?

10-09-2018, 11:43 PM	#8
PGW Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Dec 2009 Location:United States Blu-ray reviews:2 Trading Score:4	No, I don't think they're losing it. Some films I've seen from 2015 to now that I thought were terrific. Veteran Assassination Will You Be There The Wailing The Age Of Shadows Vanished Time Confidential Assignment A Taxi Driver A Day Like anything else, if you've been watching them a while, you're going to get a bit jaded.

10-10-2018, 05:20 PM	#13
tsetse27 Senior Member Member since:Jul 2009 Location:Deep South Blu-ray collection:297 Blu-ray reviews:2 Trading Score:31	I still find Korean productions way more interesting, and, "fearless", compare to Japanese films (agree with Flack999) and Hong Kong/Chinese productions, in the past 10+ years. In some case, even more fun than some of Hollywood's counterparts.

10-10-2018, 05:30 PM	#14
logboy Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:Mar 2009 Location:UK	last year or two in korea have been very poor, but i think people have been talking themselves and each other out of great films for probably a decade. doesn't help that very little gets a physical release of any kind, and although that's primarily an issue when everything used to in korea, it's also a problem in the USA where much only appears on streaming if you're lucky - it's geoblocked from access outside the country, whereas plenty were comfortable with discs being imported from there. i'm not going to point out the films of most / enough interest, because i think there needs to be access and then a discovery, discussion; without those elements, it's killed, essentially ... for now. japan is currently floating in the bowl.

10-10-2018, 08:21 PM	#17
Batman1084 Senior Member Member since:Mar 2015	I really do want to avoid giving a laundry list of my recent favorites but I will say this. I think Korean performances have gotten a lot better though including in TV dramas over the past 10 years. Actors and actresses both seem to be setting the bar a bit higher and, in my eyes, making more even if the scripts aren't as mind-blowing. This is why I so easily enjoy stuff like the Villainess, Assassination, and many other performances. Female leads in Korea definitely are making their mark like how some of the best actresses out of China during the past 30 years did the same thing. Chinese cinema now, by comparison, is so dry and by the numbers that you wish anyone could have a presence like Gong Li or someone across those lines. The thing with Gong Li though and actresses of that era is that they had some downright excellent scripts and directors to work with. I would say Korea is stepping up their game in terms of acting so it has kept me heavily invested and scouting to see what they produce... specifically for the performances.

10-11-2018, 04:09 PM	#20
GRD43L Power Member Top contributor Member since:Sep 2018 Location:Region A 4K collection:29 Blu-ray collection:253 Blu-ray reviews:4	So we all agree that Kim Min-Hee is our favourite S.Korean actress? In general, global movie industry is getting choked out by fantastic, grand, high budget movies. Korean audience is no different; internet opened the world to them and Hollywood movies started flowing in at around Y2K mark. General audience and young people in particular were drawn to western pop culture, old and new. LoTRs series, Harry Potter, superheroes, etc. Korean movies started completing with big budget western movies with big budget Korean movies. To me, they are just following the global trend of catering movies for maximum return. Then there are gems hidden here and there that one has to seek out. So while the general trend is ho-hum, I am confident that S.Korea will continue to release interesting movies. I'm just glad that great many of them are being released in NA!

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