Since the success of Old Partner last year and the interest in such movies as Daytime Drinking and Fly Penguin, Korean indie films have been getting easier to see in theater and find on DVD. All of the DVDs being released this week fit into the category of Independent Films and may be worth checking out.
First up is ONE NIGHT STAND, an omnibus featuring directors Min Yong-geun, Jang Hoon, and Lee Yoo-rim. In the first story, a man watches the couple next door each night even as he is being watched by the woman in the apartment across the street. The second story features a man sexually frustrated by his cold wife finding himself attracted to his friend’s girlfriend and who becomes irrationally angry when he sees another couple having sex. The third story has a foreign film critic, in Korea for a film festival, falling for the person who scrubs his back in a spa.
Number of discs: 1/ Subtitles: English & Korean/ Rating: Ages 18+ /Format: 1.85:1 widescreen anamorphic/ Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0/Running Time: 98 minutes/ Special Features: Commentary by director Jang Hoon & three short films–one from each director, trailer/ Recommended Price: 25,300 KRW/ Available: October 7.
THE NEIGHBOR ZOMBIE. When I had watched and reviewed this film a few months ago, I was not particularly kind. That was because I was expecting something different. Do not buy this film if you are a fan of horror looking for a zombie plague in Seoul. While that does happen, the films is more of a social commentary than a horror movie. Some of the sequences in this omnibus are well done and some have good ideas–like the aftermath–but the small budget hinders this movie and I don’t feel it reached its full potential. I will see it again and I believe going into it with a different set of expectations will improve my viewing experience.
Number of discs: 1/ Subtitles: English & Korean/ Rating: Ages 15+ / Format: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0/ Region Code: 3/ Running Time: 89 minutes/ Recommended Price: 19,800 KRW/ Available: October 7
PINK RABBIT. I remember when this movie was released but don’t know very much about this film. It’s classified as a comic/drama which may be why I didn’t pay too much attention to it when it in theaters–I rarely watch comedies.
Number of discs: 1/ Subtitles: Korean & English/ Rating: ages 15+/ Format: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0/ Region Code: all regions/ running time: 95 minutes/ Recommended Price: 19,800 KRW/ Available: October 7
You can read Seen in Jeonju’s original post here.
