Cheon Ho-jin Movies

A small time thug collecting debts for the local triad is torn between his criminal aspirations and his devotion to family in writer/director Yoo Ha's epic crime drama. Byeong-du (Jo In-seong) is a twenty-nine year-old Seoul gangster who's looking to rise up through the ranks. Though his ambition is unmistakable, Byeong-du finds his family's financial problems taking a heavy emotional tool as he attempts to intimidate the locals into paying off their lingering debts. It seems that a local real-estate developer is attempting to pressure Byeong-du's mother into selling the family home, but Byeong-du's boss Sang-cheol (Yun je-mun) can't be bothered to care about the problems of his low-level cog. When a rival gang shows up looking to put the hurting on Byeong-du's gang, Sang-cheol blatantly violates the gangster code and Byeong-du becomes right hand man to powerful crime kingpin Hwang Heui-jang (Cheon Ho-jin). Later, after cementing his loyalty to Hwang by killing a local prosecutor, Byeong-du runs into former school chum Min-ho (Nam-gung Min). It seems that Min-ho is about to shoot a gangster film, but first he needs some help getting the script finished. Unfortunately for all involved, Byeong-du's fateful decision to help out his old friend will have tragic consequences. ~ 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

Set in the politically charged climate of Korea in the early '80s, Kim Hyun-jeong's Double Agent stars Han Suk-kyu (Tell Me Something) as Lim Byeong-ho, a North Korean intelligence operative who defects to South Korea. Lim is tortured for weeks before his motives for defecting are deemed acceptable. Then the information he brought over is vetted, and he is put to work. He assists in training South Korean soldiers. After two years, having earned more trust, he is given greater access and asked to examine North Korean intelligence. His new partner encourages him to go to church and tries to interest Lim in baseball. Lim receives a coded message over the radio from the beautiful Yoon Soo-mi (Ko So-young). He's told to make contact with her. It becomes clear that Lim is still working for the North Koreans. He and Yoon begin dating as cover for their meetings. Yoon transmits orders and Lim gives her classified information. As Lim and Yoon spend more time together, a genuine affection grows between them. But soon a European reporter who seems to know all about Lim approaches him, and Yoon's contact, a highly ranked spy, is captured by the government. The couple's loyalties are tested and their safety is threatened. In danger of exposure, they desperately try to find a way out. Double Agent had its U.S. premiere at Subway Cinema's 2003 New York Asian Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide