Jeong Du-hong Movies

A corporate thug charged with the task of convincing impoverished Seoul fringe dwellers to sell their property to wealthy real-estate developers experiences a curious change of heart in this dark, Capra-influenced comedy drama from Sex is Zero writer/director Yun Je-gyun. First Street is the Korean equivalent of America's Skid Row - a place where the hopeless and homeless go when all other options are lost. On this street, there is no electricity, and the community restroom is a shared hole in the ground. To outsiders, the folks who live on this rugged little patch of land would likely have little to fight for, but to them, community is all that matters. When corporate real estate representative Pil-je (Im Chang-jeong) arrives on a mission to persuade the First Street locals to relinquish their shoddily constructed homes in the name of progress, he is met with unanimous resistance. The person most fiercely opposed to Pil-je's proposal is tough-but-lovely Myung-ran (Ha Ji-won), a pretty pugilist who longs to become a champion just like her brain-damaged father - a former boxer who has since fallen on hard times. Convinced that he is in for an extended battle, Pil-je arranges for electricity and internet access to be brought into the neighborhood for his own convenience. As a result, the man who was supposed to frighten the citizens away suddenly becomes a hero of the community. The attention heaped upon him makes Pil-je feel refreshingly good, and he soon begins teaching the local kids how to fight back against bullies in addition to showing a young television fanatic how to fly like Ultraman. Later, when his corporate handlers decide that Pil-je has had plenty enough time to accomplish his mission, the situation takes an unexpectedly grim turn of events. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Mysterious and deadly events are filling the residents of the remote island of Donghwa with a sense of foreboding. A local shaman (Choi Ji-na) collapses during an annual ritual, and seems momentarily possessed by the spirit of Kang (Jeon Ho-jin), a local lord who was executed. Soon afterward, there's a massive fire on the docks just as the paper the island produces is being loaded to be sent to the mainland as tribute. When Lee Won-kyu (Cha Seung-weon) arrives from the mainland to investigate, he finds that the town drunk has been murdered and impaled. While he's investigating the two crimes, another grisly murder takes place, and Lee learns that the deaths mirror those suffered by Kang and four members of his family after Kang was accused of treason and of practicing Catholicism. While other residents of the island, including Kim In-kwon (Park Yong-woo of My Scary Girl), the son of another local lord, apparently try to stymie his investigation for political reasons, Lee digs deeper into Kang's execution, and finds a pit of corruption. At the center of the case is Doo-ho (Ji Seong), a talented artist who was an orphan when Kang took him in. As the body count mounts, Lee discovers that the victims were all informants who denounced Kang. While Lee methodically investigates the crime, the local residents grow increasingly fearful that their island is haunted by Kang's vengeful spirit. Blood Rain marks the second feature of director Kim Dae-seung (Bungee Jumping of Their Own). The film was shown at the 2006 New York Asian Film Festival, presented by Subway Cinema. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

After the success of the modern-day comic martial arts epic Arahan, writer/director Ryu Seung-wan changed gears and again teamed up with his brother, actor Ryu Seung-beom, to produce Crying Fist, a much more serious boxing drama. Actor Ryu plays Yu Sang-hwan, a street thug who rejects the life of his hard-working, struggling father for a life of petty crime and run-ins with the law. He winds up in a juvenile detention center, where he responds to some bullying by flying at the bully, Roc (Kim Su-hyeon), and biting his ear off. Yu is then taken under the wing of the prison's boxing trainer, and he learns a bit of self-discipline through boxing, gradually recognizing his own strengths, and eventually acknowledging the support of his caring family. Meanwhile, 40-year-old Kang Tae-shik (Choi Min-sik of Oldboy), is a washed up former champion whose home and professional life have completely fallen apart. His wife leaves him, taking their young son. Besieged by creditors, Kang earns a meager living by charging people on the street for the privilege of punching him out. In danger of losing his son forever, his own health deteriorating rapidly, Kang decides to enter one last boxing competition, the same one which the equally desperate Yu has chosen to show his mettle. Crying Fist won a FIPRESCI Award at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, and had its North American premiere at Subway Cinema's 2005 New York Asian Film Festival, with director Ryu in attendance. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Still haunted by the untimely death of his lover during an assignment gone horribly awry, police officer Jay (Kim Seok-hun) now spends his days as a detached subway cop who has seemingly lost his soul. Pickpocket Kay (Bae Du-na) has become infatuated with Jay and when former government assassin Bishop (Park Sang-min) hijacks a subway car, the obsessive Kay tips off Jay and the two end up in Bishop's target car when the hijacker makes his move. Realizing that this may be his one chance for redemption, Jay vows to bring down Bishop and save the lives of countless Korean citizens. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Kwak Kyung-taek's Champion is a biopic of Korean boxer Kim Deuk-gu. The film opens at Kim's fateful final fight against Ray Mancini, but almost immediately flashes back to Kim's difficult childhood. As he goes from one menial job to another, Kim learns how to fight. He strikes up a relationship with Lee Kyeong-mi (Chae Min-seo), but her father does not want his daughter involved with a boxer. Kim falls into a coma after the bout with Mancini. The film concludes with a segment about Kim's son and his life over a decade after the fight occurred. Champion was screened at the Toronto Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide