BATTLE OF JANGSARI reviewed; now available on home video

Well Go USA
Entertainment

presents

 Battle of Jangsari
 Directed by Kyung-taek Kwak

Starring: Kim Myung-Min, Minho Choi, George Eads, and Megan Fox

South Korea, 2019, 104 minutes

Battle of Jangsari, a fact-based Korean War film, has come to digital-on-demand, Blu-ray + DVD combo pack and DVD today, Tuesday, January 28th from Well Go USA Entertainment. I watched the Blu-ray version.

To support General MacArthur's planned landing at Inchon, several diversionary attacks were to take place elsewhere on the peninsula. One of these was at Jangsari in Yeongdeok, North Gyeongsang Province, on the eastern coast of the Korea peninsula. The attack was carried out by minimally-trained student soldiers who had not even been issued military service numbers. Basically they were being used as "cannon-fodder".

KIM Myung -Min portrays LEE Myung-Jun, the officer in charge of the attack. This character is based on Lt. LEE Myung-Heum, who spent years trying to get the student soldiers their well-deserved service numbers and recognition.

Megan Fox (Transformers, Jennifer's Body, and Prudence in a memorable episode of Two and a Half Men) portrays Maggie, a character inspired by Marguerite Higgins, an American reporter and war correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune, and, to a lesser extent, photographer Margaret Bourke-White. Fox does a decent enough job in her role, although she is perhaps a bit too eager and earnest in her portrayal.

George Eads has a small but significant role as an American general who does right by Maggie.

The film is well shot and edited. It makes effective use of Maggie's part of the story to occasionally take a break from the plight of the student soldiers. The Blu-ray version was visually stunning, a real godsend in immersing the viewer in the overall story, but especially in the combat sequences.

The Wikipedia entry for the film says that it is the second installment, after Operation Chromite,(a.k.a. Battle for Incheon: Operation Chromite), in a trilogy, though there's no source sited or information about the third film. Whether there actually is, or will be, a third film, Operation Chromite and Battle of Jangsari do make for a good home video double feature.

Disc Specs:
-- Audio
    -- Korean DTD-HDMA 5.1
    -- Korean Stereo
-- Subtitles
    -- English
    -- Off
-- Bonus
    -- "Making of" featurette
    -- Trailer A
    -- Trailer B
    -- U.S. Trailer
-- Trailers
    -- The Divine Fury
    -- T-34
    -- Swing Kids

AsianCineFest Rating: 3 out of 4 stars, good; a solid, interesting and well-made war film

BATTLE OF JANGSARI coming to home video on January 28, 2020

Well Go USA
Entertainment

presents

 Battle of Jangsari
 Directed by Kyung-taek Kwak

Starring: Kim Myung-Min, Minho Choi, George Eads, and Megan Fox

South Korea, 2019, 104 minutes

Battle of Jangsari, based on the true story of student soldiers sent as a diversion to MacArthur's planned landing at Inchon, comes to digital on demand, Blu-ray + DVD combo pack and DVD on January 28th from Well Go USA Entertainment.

Synopsis
At a critical point in the Korean War, American General Douglas MacArthur decides to attack and secure Inchon on the west coast of the Korean Peninsula. In support of this surprise attack, the South Korean army sends a small, inexperienced battalion of student soldiers as a diversion to the eastern coast of the peninsula. With little ammunition, low food supplies and second-hand weapons, the soldiers head for the frontlines of Jangsari beach.

Korean War pic OPERATION CHROMITE coming to North American theaters on August 12th

CJ Entertainment

Presents

Operation Chromite

Directed by John H. Lee

South Korea, 2016

Liam Neeson Stars in Film Following the True Story of the

Unsung Heroes Who Turned the Tide of the Korean War

CJ Entertainment will distribute the film Operation Chromite in North America on August 12, 2016. From Taewon Entertainment, Operation Chromite is poised to be the largest Korean summer blockbuster this year, telling the true story of the heroes whose lives were sacrificed in order to turn the tide of the Korean War. Liam Neeson stars as General MacArthur, who led the attack against the North Koreans in the Battle of Incheon, forcing them to retreat out of Seoul.

“Operation Chromite is already attracting attention in mainstream Hollywood, and is the next great film from John H. Lee,” said Angela Killoren, COO, CJ Entertainment. “We are proud to be the company to bring this true, but often over looked story of unsung heroes and the American hero General MacArthur during a time when South Korea and the United States banded together in war against North Korea.”

The major attack would not have been successful if it weren’t for a group of South Korean Navy Special Forces, led by Captain Jang Hak-soo, and the KLO (Korean Liaison Office) unit. Before the battle, this team is tasked with a covert operation to successfully infiltrate the North Korean army command center. To do so they will need to go undercover, disguising themselves as a North Korean inspection unit. Time is not on their side as the attack will begin with or without the success. To complete their risky mission, the team must make incredible sacrifices to ensure the freedom of South Korea.

Operation Chromite is directed by John H. Lee (The Third Way of Love, Into the Fire, Sayonara Itsuka and A Moment to Remember) and is produced by Chung Tae-Won (the upcoming film Mulgae, The Triangle, 71-Into the Fire and IRIS).

In addition to Liam Neeson, Operation Chromite also stars Lee Jung-Jae as South Korean Captain Jang Hak-soo (Assassination, New World, The Thieves and The Housemaid), Lee Bum-soo as North Korean Commander Lim Gye-Jin (The Divine Move, IRIS: New Generation and The City of Violence), and Jin Se-Yun as Han Chae-sun (Enemies In-Law and Doctor Stranger).

ACF 2087: Three day Korean American Film Festival New York (KAFFNY) begins this afternoon

Still from Seeking Haven, the second film in a double bill being shown tonight

The 7th annual Korean American Film Festival New York (KAFFNY) begins its three day run this afternoon at Village East Cinema. This year the festival is dedicated to the Korean War and North Korea in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice.

Complete information about this year's Korean American Film Festival NY is available at the KAFFNY website.

Most of the offerings are feature length films, but there are also two programs of shorts.

Most of the offerings are feature length films, but there are also two programs of shorts. 

Plus, there will be two special event parties. At 10:00 PM tonight, the Opening Night Party will take place at Fat Buddha. At 11:00 PM on Saturday, the Closing Night Party will be held at Le Midi Bistro.

ACF 1521: FAR FROM FORGOTTEN at The Korea Society on June 29th

Far From Forgotten

When: Friday June 29, 2012 at 6:30 pm

Where The Korea Society

950 Third Avenue, 8th Floor, NY, NY

Entrance on East 57th Street

Map here

Tickets here

In June of 2010, 10 Korean War veterans, now in their 80s and living in Long Island New York: Sal, Robert, Bill, Bob, Eugene, Frank, Arthur, John, Joseph, and Henry, visit Korea to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. The documentary Far From Forgotten, traces these veterans’ emotional return to the DMZ and war memorial, where they realize that the DMZ that they visited after 60 years is not a reminder of the war but a place where we learn to find peace and plan for a hopeful future. Directors Jia Lim and Michael Unger will be present to introduce the film and several veterans who served in the Korean War.

ACF 791: Director's forum with Brian Iglesias and special screening of Chosin at The Korea Society

A Discussion with Director Brian Iglesias
and a special screening of his film Chosin

When: Thursday, December 2, 2010 @ 6:30 PM
Where: The Korea Society
950 Third Avenue @ 57th Street, 8th Floor
(Entrance is on 57th Street, the south-west corner of the intersection)

Price: $10 Members and Film Students; $20 Guests

Film fans and students of military history can unite for an intimate discussion with director Brian Iglesias on the making of his award-winning independent documentary Chosin. Brian, a Marine and Iraq veteran, embarked on this production to honor those who sacrificed at the Battle of Chosin Reservior in the Korean War. Those who survived went on to facilitate the first evacuation under UN auspices, and over one million Koreans today descend from those who were assisted.

The director will discuss his cross-country journey to film those veterans still with us and the challenges of growing the production from humble origins to award-winning heights—including a sold-out New York premiere hosted by The Korea Society last June.His story is one that honors the Korean-U.S. friendship in a compelling and heartfelt way. The director’s forum is followed by a special screening of the film.

BUY TICKETS

ACF 666: Day-long Conference on Korean War at The Korea Society on Sept. 10th

The Korea Society and the Center for Korean Research at Columbia University will host a day-long conference entitled “The Korean War Today” to mark the 60th anniversary of the start of the conflict. Leading scholars and policy observers will address the causes and consequences of the Korean War, and examine its lasting impact on Korea, the United States, Northeast Asia, and international relations; the roles of the United Nations; and prospects for an end to hostilities and a peace regime in Korea.

This event concludes The Korea Society’s summer 2010 War and Remembrance series, and is a last chance to see Steel Helmets: U.S. Korean War Graphics and Korean War in Color, exhibitions on view at The Korea Society Gallery.

The conference will take place on Friday, September 10th from 8:30 AM-3:30 PM at The Korea Society, which is located on the 8th Floor at 950 Third Avenue @ 57th Street, New York, NY 10022. The entrance is on 57th Street, near the south-west corner of the intersection.

For the conference schedule and to buy tickets, click here.

$30 for Members, UN and Columbia University Staff and Students
$40 for Non-Members

For more information, contact Natalee Newcombe at 212-759-7525, ext. 328.

ACF 644: Review of "71 Into The Fire"

71 Into The Fire
Directed by Lee Jae-han
Starring Cha Seung-won, Kwon Sang-woo,
Choi Seung-hyun, and Kim Seung-woo
South Korea, 2010, 120 min.

As a blogger who has written about many of their offerings, I had the pleasure of attending The Korea Society's special members-only New York premiere of this film on Tuesday, July 27th. According to the distributor Lotte Entertainment, the film is scheduled to be released in several U.S. cities today, Friday, July 3oth. My understanding is that the film will be shown on fourteen screens in theater chains such as AMC and MPARK4 in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Washington, and Philadelphia. More screens and a wider release are possible if the film does well. Check your local listings.


Here's a brief synopsis:
71 Into The Fire is the story of 71 student soldier who fought an impossible battle against seasoned North Korean army during the Korean War, which broke out in 1950. Based on real events, the film depicts their emotions and conflicts as they experience the grown-ups’ war and the fierce defense that teenage student soldiers put up as they fought a much larger force of seasoned and combat-hardened North Korean soldiers.


ACF Take:
As I expected, this was a pretty jingoistic film and a bit melodramatic, but a very well-made. interesting and engrossing one. I suspect that it is based very loosely on real events, at least in terms of the personal dramas depicted.

Much of the film is devoted to battle scenes: think of several extended scenes of the Normandy invasion as depicted in Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. Initially this bothered me a bit, but I think that besides showing the horrors of warfare (and the film is quite graphic in that regard), the filmmakers also wanted to convey that combat is something one can't take a break from, that it is unrelenting. Unless of course you get killed, wounded, freeze-up, or desert.

I'm a fairly early "baby boomer" and watching 71 Into The Fire reminded my of the WWII Hollywood films that I watched on TV in the Fifties, though it's in color, more explicit, and much better made. For me, and I think for most Americans, the Korean War is a subject that I don't know a great deal about (and I got my Ph.D. in U.S. History). So learning more about it in this filmic depiction of real events was informative in addition to be entertaining, albeit in a serious way.

ACF Rating: 3 out of 4 stars, solidly recommended

Note that the I've also seen the title written as 71-Into the Fire and 71: Into the Fire. Obviously I prefer the way I've chosen to write it here in this review.

The trailer can be seen on YouTube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oA62yTX6oI

ACF 601: Reminder - free screening of "JSA" tonight

Korean Cultural Service's Korean Movie Night Epic Action series continues tonight with a free showing of:

JSA: JOINT SECURITY AREA
Directed by Park Chan-wook

South Korea, 2000, 110 minutes
Showtime: Tuesday, June 29th, 2010 @ 7:00 PM
All seating is first come, first served
Doors open at 6:30 PM

All films in the series are shown at Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick Street, on the corner of Canal Street, one block from the A, C, E and 1 train Canal Street stops.

A special screening to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War, Park Chan-Wook's JSA: JOINT SECURITY AREA is one of the most moving Korean films ever made, and the hit that put Director Park (OLDBOY) on the map. Starring Song Kang-Ho (THE HOST), Lee Young-Ae (LADY VENGEANCE), Lee Byung-Hun (GI JOE; THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD) and Shin Ha-Kyun (SAVE THE GREEN PLANET, THIRST) it is the APOCALYPSE NOW of the Korean War, a shimmering, hyper-real epic that charts the spiritual fallout of international politics.

JSA uses the partition, the arbitrary line drawn through the middle of Korea and manned by international oversight, as a door into the psychological wreckage of the Korean War. It starts with a present-day incident on the border that leaves a group of North and South Korean soldiers alternately wounded or dead. The Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) swoops in
to investigate, led by Korean-Swiss Major Sophie Jean (Lee Young-Ae) and the stark, technocratic investigation becomes the frame for a series of extended flashbacks that depict the events leading up to the shooting.

In every sense of the word, JSA is a tragedy, but at the same time, it's a testament to human nature. Not the cheap, sentimental Hallmark card version of human nature, but the human nature where, in the teeth of global politics, even in the face of extinction, like reaches out to like, and friendships are formed because we're humans, not ideologues. One of the most
popular Korean movies of all time, both at home and overseas, JSA is a movie that takes Korea¹s national tragedy of partition and manages to find within it something as fragile and precious as hope.

ACF 586: Encore screening of "Chosen" tomorrow at The Korea Society

Reflections on the ROK-U.S. Alliance:
Encore Screening of Chosin @ The Korea Society

The recent performance of Chosin at Symphony Space was sold-out. Because of ongoing overwhelming demand, The Korea Society has added a special encore screening tomorrow, Monday, June 14 at noon at The Korea Society.

In the harsh winter of 1950, numerically inferior American forces found themselves surrounded by the Chinese People's Volunteer Army. The Americans also battled severe cold and rugged terrain, breaking out of the encirclement and escorting 98,000 refugees to safety. In one of the most decorated battles in U.S. military history, American servicemen received 14 Medals of Honor and 70 Navy Crosses. Chosin is the first documentary film to tell their remarkable story.

12PM Screening and Brown Bag Luncheon (Register in advance at www.koreasociety.org)

$5 members and student ($10 for nonmembers)

The Korea Society
950 Third Avenue @ 57th Street, 8th Floor (entrance on 57th Street)

ACF 571: Special screening of CHOSEN at Symphony Space

Chosin
Directed by Brian Iglesias
2010, 85 mins
New York Premiere
Screening Date: Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
6:30 PM: Screening
8:00 PM: Q&A with Director

THE KOREA SOCIETY PRESENTS SPECIAL SCREENING
OF CHOSIN AT SYMPHONY SPACE

A gripping documentary on one of the U.S. Marine Corps defining battles, with moving testimonials by Marine and Army veterans who survived, honoring those lost and relishing their part in helping build a modern Korea.

In commemoration of the 60 anniversary of the Korean War, The Korea Society presents a special screening of Chosin, a documentary film that preserves the personal stories of veterans who survived the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. In the harsh winter of 1950, numerically inferior American forces found themselves surrounded by the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

In addition to the enemy, the Americans battled the rugged Korean terrain and arctic conditions to break out of the encirclement and escort approximately 91,000 refugees to safety. For their actions, American servicemen received 14 Medals of Honor and 70 Navy Crosses (more than were awarded for the Battle of Iwo Jima). Chosin will be the first documentary film to tell their remarkable story. It won Best Documentary Feature award at the GI Film Festival 2010.

This special screening will take place at:

Symphony Space
Address: 2537 Broadway, New York, NY 10025
Website: http://www.symphonyspace.org/

ACF 530: The Fabulous Kim Sisters at The Korea Society, Thursday, April 15th, 2010

"Try to Remember," An Evening of The Kim Sisters

The next event in The Korea Society's series Facing the War: Six Decades of Film Since the Korean War will celebrate the fabulous Kim Sisters. It will consist of a video montage followed by a Q&A with Sue Kim Bonifazio.

The year is 1960, and The Kim Sisters have set the Vegas Strip afire with rich harmonies and an ability to play dozens of instruments. The sisters had been in the United States only two short years at the legendary Thunderbird—after singing for American GI's during and after the Korean War. From there, they became a staple of Rat Pack-era Las Vegas, booking clubs across the United States and appearing a record 22 times on the Ed Sullivan Show. Join us as we trace the meteoric rise of The Kim Sisters—from singing for chocolate bars in war-torn Korea to making $13,000 a week as headline entertainers—with a special montage from The Fabulous Kim Sisters and sister Sue Kim Bonifazio sharing her Stardust memories.

Date: Thursday, April 15th, 2010
- 6:30 PM Screening
- 7:15 PM Q&A with Sue Kim Bonifazio, moderated by Benjamin Min Han, New York University

Place: The Korea Society
(950 Third Avenue @ 57th Street, 8th Floor)

Tickets to each screening are available for $10 (members) or $15 (nonmembers). For more information contact Yuni Cho at (212) 759-7525, ext. 323 or yuni.ny@koreasociety.org.

ACF 497: Crossing to be shown at The Korea Society NY on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

Crossing
Directed by Kim Tae-gyun
Starring Cha In-pyo and Shin Myoung-cheol
2008, 112 minutes

Facing the War
Six Decades of Film Since the Korean War

The 2010 season of The Korea Society's Classic Movie Night series commemorates the sixtieth anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 with a schedule of classics that examine the conflict, and the deep, sometimes unexpected scars it has left on the Korean people.

This season's classic films will examine how, even 60 years after, the effects of the War continue to haunt communities, divide families and fracture Koreans' sense of identity. The screening will be followed by a guest speaker who will discuss its artistic and cultural context, and refreshments will also be served.

Crossing, the next film in the series, will be shown on Wednesday, March 17 at 6:00 PM. It eloquently expresses the emotional trauma of political division.

Yong-soo escapes the grinding poverty of North Korea to China, hoping to find medicine for his pregnant wife, but ends up in South Korea, separated from his family forever. Years later,Yong-soo's orphaned son in North Korea makes the same escape, hoping to find the father he never knew.

Guest Speaker: Deborah Choi, refugee from North Korea
She will provide the nature of the current North Korean situation, and how her life has been changed after coming to America.

Place: The Korea Society (950 Third Avenue @ 57th Street, 8th Floor)
Price: $5 (members) and $10 (non-members)

For more information, contact Yuni Cho at (212) 759-7525, ext. 323 or yuni.ny@koreasociety.org.

ACF 471: Last Witness screening at The Korea Society (NY) on Feb 18th

Last Witness / 최후의 증인
Directed by Lee Doo-yong
Starring Choi Bool-am, Han Hye-sook, Hah Myung-joong and Jeong yun-hui
1980, 158 minutes

The 2010 season of The Korea Society's Classic Movie Night series will continue on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 6:30. To commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, The Korea Society has selected a schedule of classics that examine the conflict, and the deep, sometimes unexpected scars it has left on the Korean people. The series is entitled Facing the War: Six Decades of Film Since the Korean War

Synopsis of Last Witness:

Detective Oh Byeong-ho investigates a murder at a local brewery and uncovers the secret history of violence, and tragedy, between the communist guerrillas and right-wing militias that fought in the area during the Korean War. The film’s exploration of communism made it controversial in South Korea during the 1980s. Government censors cut 40 minutes from the theatrical release.

Guest Speaker (via video interview): Cho Jun-hyoung, researcher, Korean Film Archive; Lee Sang-joon, adjunct professor of cinema studies, New York University

The screening will take place at:

The Korea Society
950 Third Avenue @ 57th Street, 8th Floor
(Building entrance on SW corner of Third Avenue and 57th Street)

Tickets to each screening are available for $5 (members) or $10 (nonmembers).

For further info or to buy tickets, click here.