Shin Hyun-Joon Movies
South Korean filmmaker Jang Jin directs the action comedy Killeodeureui Suda, which is given the grammatically questionable English title Guns & Talks. The story involves a group of young attractive hitmen who live in a house together. Sang-yeon (Shin Hyun-Joon) is the leader, Jung-woo (Shin Ha-kyun) is the demolitions expert, Jae-young (Jung Jae-yeong) is the sniper, and Ha-yeon (Weon Bin) is the youngest who just wants to be one of the guys. They tell random one-line jokes and get into absurd situations in between all the assassinations involving attractive women. Jae-young is hired to kill a pregnant woman but he falls for her at the last second. A high school girl wants them to do a job for her, and Ha-yeon falls for her. Other assassinations include a TV anchorwoman (Ko Eun-mi) and a detective (Jeong Jin-Young). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shin Hyun-Joon, Shin Ha-kyun, (more)
- 2000
Hong Kong martial arts filmmaker Kim Yeong-jun directs the romantic adventure Bicheon Mu, based on the manga by Korean writer Kim Hye-rin. Shot in China and set in 1343, the story involves the love affair between orphan Jin-ha (Shin Hyeon-jun) and the general's daughter, Sullie (Kim Heui-seon). After learning that Jin-ha has been killed in battle, she appeases her father and marries Mongol Nam-gung Jun-kwang (Jeong Jin-yeong). Jin-ha gets better, learns about his heritage, and leads a team of sword-wielding warriors. Ten years later, the lovers are reunited. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shin Hyun-Joon
The Devil, you say! Seung-heui (Chu Sang-mi) is a beautiful female auto mechanic who was born in the midst of a mass suicide by a cult of Satanists -- which might explain why she often has bad dreams. Further enlightenment of her difficulty with sleep is provided by Father Park (Ahn Sung-ki) and Jun-hu (Oh Hyeon-chul). Their research into spiritual and paranormal matters has led them to believe Satan himself wants Seung-heui to be the mother of his child -- and he doesn't like to take no for an answer. This fast-paced supernatural thriller, loaded with special effects, was a major success in South Korea. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ahn Song-Gi, Shin Hyun-Joon, (more)
- 1996
This romantic epic Korean ghost story was one of the country's biggest all-time grossing films in 1996. Su-hyun is an art lecturer with a nearly perfect life. One day he sees an exquisite old wooden bed, made from Gingko logs, in the trash outside his apartment. He takes the bed into his own apartment. Before long he discovers the bed is haunted by the ruthless spirit of Gen. Hwang, who is only able to keep his human form by eating living human hearts. It doesn't take long before the lecturer learns that in Hwang's time, he had been a court musician and had stolen the general's true love, a beautiful princess. Hwang only wants the princess's soul, which heretofore had been trapped in the gingko bed. Now she too stalks the earth looking for victims and using handy bodies to rest within. It is while resting in a stolen body that Su-hyun's girl friend, a doctor gets involved in the mystery. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
The fate of a small Korean town before the outbreak of the war is chronicled in this Korean saga. The story covers the years 1948-1950 in the small southwestern Korean town of Bulkyo. The four protagonists are Bumwoo, a middle-of-the-road anti-Communist, Sangku, fanatical supporter of democracy, Sangjin his brother, an avid Communist supporter and guerrilla warrior, and the traditional Korean shaman Sohwa who possesses mystical powers. In those tumultuous times there are many power struggles as the different factions vie for control of the town. The struggles are frequently violent. Every time the balance of power shifts it is the townsfolk who suffer the most. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1993
"Late" Buddhist sutras, such as the Avatamsaka, contain a wealth of riches: vast cosmologies, wisdom teachings, and stories of all lengths about the search for enlightenment. This film takes some of the stories from Ko Eun's novel, which is based on that sutra, and sets them to film. In this movie, Sonje (Oh Tae Kyung) has just lost his father, and must go on a search for a mother he has never seen. He wanders all over Korea meeting one odd, eccentric or unexpectedly kind person after another. Though his search takes decades, he never seems to grow one day older. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lee Ho-Jae
