[Drama Chat] K-dramas or K-movies?
by Dramaddictally
Since we started the K-Movie Night series last year, I’ve been thinking a lot about Korean movies — and especially what differentiates them from dramas. Even though the actors overlap, the movie industry is really distinct from the drama industry. Not only are all the taboos of dramaland front and center on our screens in movies, but all those adorable actors and actresses with coy smiles on their faces in dramas are suddenly swearing, smoking, or sweating it out in bed on the big screen. For someone who started in dramaland and crossed over to films, it was a bit of a shock in the beginning.
And yet, even though I love drama tropes to death, one thing I love about films is their capacity to show the ins and outs of a culture. In movies, the social problems of Korean society aren’t always solved by love, fate, or convenient coincidences at the end of the story. It can be dark (I mean, K-movies can be very dark), but every once in a while I want that dose of reality (even as I’m jumping back to dramas for escapism).
Plus, with the recent uptick in female film directors, movies are tending toward a wider spectrum of women’s stories, told from a variety of perspectives. In fact, women writer/directors have become one of my leading reasons to be on the lookout for new K-movies. (Some of my favorites are: Very Ordinary Couple written and directed by Roh Deok, Microhabitat written and directed by Jeon Go-woon, and 20th Century Girl written and directed by Bang Woo-ri.)
While I’ll never give up my preference for dramas, K-movies definitely provide a broader view of Korean culture. And it’s not so bad to see the boys we love from the small screen kissing and cussing every once in a while, is it?
What do you think about K-movies in relation to K-dramas? Any favorite crossover actors or actresses? What about writers or directors?
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Tags: Drama Chat
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1 Snow Flower
September 22, 2024 at 5:22 AM
I prefer kdramas over kmovies. A movie can be turned into a drama (Masquerade into The Crowned Clown). I am curious if a drama has been made into a movie.
Favorite movies: Masquerade, Miss Granny, Castaway On The Moon.
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Healer’s
September 22, 2024 at 5:32 AM
I only know of “Cheese in the trap” - the movie, which was made after the drama finished airing. But both came from one source material, the webtoon.
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Britney
September 22, 2024 at 6:42 AM
Oh the movie came after the drama? That's interesting.
Especially since I think one of the main actors was in both yet he apparently had issues with folks behind the scenes of the drama (from what I remember. I could be wrong)
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Healer’s
September 22, 2024 at 6:52 AM
The drama final ep was in March 2016 and the movie shooting started in April 2017.
You’re right about the main actor having issues bts. And I think some beanie mentioned he being offfered the main role in the movie as some consolation to the injustice he faced bts of the drama.
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welh
September 24, 2024 at 7:42 AM
A recent trend is to make stage plays/musicals from dramas, such a CLOY.
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Tizzy
September 24, 2024 at 9:46 PM
I too prefer kdramas because of their charm. There's time for character development, plot twists and tropes which I enjoy. I love the specific number of episodes too. have watched a few 2 hour movies and I think it's not much different that other movies expect for the language and some cultural uniqueness
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2 Kurama
September 22, 2024 at 5:39 AM
I think Kdramas, originally airing on public channels, have to follow some rules to show the example (except they don't always make sense no smoking but unlimited drinking scenes).
When Kmovies have more freedom and can address different themes like politics, feminism, LGBT, etc.
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3 Bunny Sonaki
September 22, 2024 at 6:11 AM
After watching a few movies, I guess usually don't have enough time to discuss the idea it set out to tell. That is why most endings feel rushed.
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Bunny Sonaki
September 22, 2024 at 6:12 AM
*movies don't have
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4 Nefret
September 22, 2024 at 6:21 AM
I've only watched a handful of Korean movies so far, including OLDBOY and MY PS PARTNER (WHATCHA WEARIN'?). I saw OLDBOY over 15 years ago, it was my first exposure to the Korean entertainment industry. I only heard about Kdramas years later.
When I read that the West and Netflix in particular are influencing the Korean entertainment industry in a negative way (meaning violence and explicit scenes, among other things), I always have to smirk a little when I think of OLDBOY, for example.
When it comes to romances, I now prefer dramas to films. Not because there are usually less explicit scenes, but because the number of episodes gives more time for the characters and their feelings to develop.
But if I want to watch thrillers, crime thrillers or fantasy, then I enjoy watching it as a movie.
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Bunny Sonaki
September 22, 2024 at 6:28 AM
"When it comes to romances, I now prefer dramas to films. Not because there are usually less explicit scenes, but because the number of episodes gives more time for the characters and their feelings to develop."
Well said
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wonhwa
September 22, 2024 at 2:19 PM
I also like the fact that dramas provide more time for both character and plot development - a number of the Korean films I've watched felt more like sketches that fully developed stories.
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Isa is always time travelling
September 22, 2024 at 3:52 PM
Couldn't agree more.
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5 Britney
September 22, 2024 at 6:39 AM
I haven't watched many Korean movies and in general I prefer Kdramas. One thing I like about movies is the opportunity it gives actors to go outside their comfort zone or outside the kdrama comfort zone. Even though I've never seen it, I've heard that Lee Jong Suk was a truly disgusting and sadistic predator in VIP. If he played such a character in a drama, not only is that a LONG time to be in the head of such a character but it might make it hard drama audiences to see him romcoms.
Then again, a show like Mouse exist and that featured some vile characters. I think a benefit of it being a drama is the time given to developing the relationships and dynamics which makes the reveals and betrayals all the wrenching for the characters (and the audience).
I keep going back and forth but a good movie can also manage great development and story telling.
I guess the freedom to tackle topics not typically used in dramas is another benefit.
I think it might be a skotch harder to compare because dramas are getting bigger budgets and more diversity so they can do movie like productions including subject.
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6 Zestileigh
September 22, 2024 at 6:53 AM
I used to live in a city where the theaters would show Korean and Chinese movies with some regularity, and I’d see them all. Now I live in a city that almost never does 😭
At home, I’ll choose to watch a drama over a movie 90% of the time though.
Favorite movie from the theater: Exit starring Jo Jungsuk as a feckless millennial who is looked down on by his family and even the neighborhood kids for his lack of drive. But when a terror attack causes a dense fog of toxic gas to blanket the city, he (and his crush from his university rock climbing club) volunteers to stay behind so his family can be evacuated. They then have to climb from building to building to escape the rising toxic fog and to be rescued.
It was my first experience with Korean disaster comedy and I loved it! 😂
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Midnight
September 22, 2024 at 7:48 AM
I LOVE Exit too!
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7 Margo of the Resilient Lip Gloss
September 22, 2024 at 7:31 AM
Korean films - particularly as theatrical releases - are not as readily available as kdramas.
I watch alot of kdramas (although I cannot keep up with most of my fellow beanies). I have only been able to see a few korean films.
It feels like an uneven experience.
However I feel the like the few films I have seen seem to stick with me whereas most of the dramas seem to dissolve in my memory. I don't know if that would change if I were to have access to more films.
I STILL have a vivid impression of Decision to Leave. And I only saw that once in a cinema. No re-winding favourite moments and yet I can see them in my head. I could draw them.
And so far this year, my favourite rom-com watch has been the film Single in Seoul - breezy with a bit of light satire, some nice thoughts, adult. I love its soft mocking of the hipster adult male. And its been a rom-com heavy year in kdramaland.
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PYC
September 22, 2024 at 8:28 AM
You hit the nail on the head. The impact of a great movie can be far greater than a well-made drama. The two hour story could remain with you for the rest of your life. Decision To Leave is one such movie as you said. I love it to bits, from the script to the acting to the music. I can almost remember every arc though having only seen it once. Looking forward to it becoming a free watch as it is still behind paywall.
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hacja
September 22, 2024 at 2:26 PM
Decision to Leave is one of my favorites as well. Just a wonderful, thought-provoking film.
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8 Nokke
September 22, 2024 at 7:41 AM
I watch dramas for escapism, I don't need any more reality in my life then I already have, so I watch movies very rarely and mostly not too realistic ones. I really enjoyed Love&leashes
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9 PYC
September 22, 2024 at 8:22 AM
I watched Korean movies (from late 90s) long before venturing into Kdramas (from 2005). They are by and large two quite different experiences - and different products.
Kmovies are free from the much stricter broadcasting rules and can be very explicit in sex and extremely violent. I was sometimes quite shocked at how explicit that could be, especially after becoming a drama fan to see our genteel drama leads becoming a sex goddess or a shit pervert in movies. But that just shows the creative liberty those working in Chungmuro can enjoy. And traditionally, working in movies are more prestigious than working for broadcaster dramas. Aspiring actors will look for opportunities in Chungmuro once getting their foothold in dramas. Notable examples are Yoo Ah-in, Byun Yo-han, Kim Min-hee. Kim Tae-ri and Park Bo-young are the few exceptions that gained fame from movies before crossing over to dramas. A success in film practically brings not just fame but career options including drama offers. The same cannot be said though for successful drama leads being also successful in movies. There are many examples of mediocrity or failure.
After watching kdramas, I become more selective in watching films especially for romance and family dramas where there are more times to develop characters and the emotional relationships. It is a more satisfying watch from that perspective.
However, if you are a fan of arthouse or quirky films like me, kmovies excel in these and have a lot on offer. For movies, I tend to follow the Directors as they are a better guarantee of something good, special or unique. Film stars are not a good indicator and more often than not, disappointments. For example, it’s difficult to find a weak spot in the resume of Bong Joon-Ho, Park Chan-wook or Kim Jee-woon. And Hur Jin-ho’s romances are mostly on the mark. Two of his earlier works - Christmas in August and April Snow - are my all time favorites that I can rewatch anytime. A director to watch is Uhm Tae-hwa (brother of Uhm Tae-Gu). I watched his Concrete Utopia last week and was impressed by his script and directing blending a dystopian narrative with humility and absurdity.
In terms of genres, it’s funny that I don’t watch sageuk dramas for its length and extended set up before getting into the main story - but I can watch Korean period movies anytime. I love all three Roaring Admiral movies, War of the Arrows etc. Thrillers is another genre that Koreans do very well, almost a commercial staple.
The boundary between Kmovies and Kdrama is much blurred with global platforms now moving into the space. A lot of talks about their ‘polluting’ the kdrama content but I see it as importing some of the Kmovies content and expertise to kdrama production. I have a feeling those big players have easier access to the movie big names than knowing the local drama talents - hence, more movie directors pivoting to drama production. This trend will just continue whether...
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PYC
September 22, 2024 at 8:36 AM
Oh my post got truncated. Here’s the remaining bit.
This trend will just continue whether you like it or not. But it does broaden the genre creativity - can we imagine a production like Squid Game or Moving just five years ago? I’m more than pleased to see Song Kang-ho grace my screen in an exquisite production like Uncle Samsik which I think no TV broadcasters would be game enough to produce. Now I’ll just have to wait and see if Park Hae-Il will do a drama soon.
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hacja
September 22, 2024 at 2:30 PM
One film director who in my opinion has made a spectacularly successful drama debut this year is Byun Young-joo. Now it makes me want to see her film "Helpless" for which she won a Baeksang as best director.
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PYC
September 22, 2024 at 5:28 PM
What drama debut was it please? I noted that she directed one episode of Behind Every Star in 2023 which I dropped after a brief watch.
I do like her 2004 movie Flying Boys, a very refreshing coming of age piece featuring the then very young Yoon Kye-sang, Kim Min-Jung and Lee Joon-gi.
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hacja
September 22, 2024 at 9:58 PM
Its Blackout or Snow White Must Die. Her directing has been superb in highlighting a kind of oppressive community and selfish interest that drives people to do terrible things. It makes this show more than just the usual who done it.
PYC
September 23, 2024 at 7:06 AM
Thankyou! Black Out is my next binge watch hopefully in time for its finale.
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Margo of the Resilient Lip Gloss
September 22, 2024 at 12:29 PM
Your post made me think of the movie Burning (it's always curious to me when they go with an english title instead of using a korean term). First performance by Jeon Jong-seo and she was riveting. It was a courageous performance from any stand-point, but I remember wondering whether it would effect her ability to be cast in a network drama.
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PYC
September 22, 2024 at 5:47 PM
On Burning, director Lee Chang-dong is internationally acclaimed and it’s probably fair to say that his movies are made with the international audience in mind. It’s based on a Japanese novel by Haruki Murakami and was premiered in Cannes Film Festival before releasing in Korea. That’s the context why Burning is the title as opposed to a Korean title.
When I saw it, Jeon Jong-seo was without the doubt the star of that movie despite the presence of Yoo Ah-in and Steven Yeun. I was thinking then - wow, a star is born. And here we go but I can’t help but thinking her talent is under-utilised somewhat in the dramas she’s been in so far. Of her dramas, I like her Tokyo in Money Heist the best.
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tabong
September 22, 2024 at 7:45 PM
Wow. The way you think of Lee Chang Dong is the way I've always thought of Bong Joon Ho. He always feels "global" to me.
That's interesting.
I loved Jeon Jong Seo in Burning too. So I've been a bit disappointed by her projects this year in kdramaland.
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PYC
September 23, 2024 at 7:13 AM
I have to say that I’m a big fan of Bong Joon Ho whose movies have ‘people’ front and centre with social conscience at its core.
Margo of the Resilient Lip Gloss
September 23, 2024 at 7:49 AM
Thanks for the additional context.
So do you do think for the film Burning, the use of an english term written in hangul is meant to convey the idea that this film is intended for an intentional audience? or is it part of the story ? or ?
I think of the scene in the farmhouse with the broadcasts from N. Korea and the american news on the television playing at the same time. I think there is an intentional Other-ness with Burning. The casting of Steven Yeun seems as much about his American-ness as his skill as an actor.
To an international audience, using the Korean word for the concept of burning would be just the same as using Burning - since it was written in hangul and would've been translated anyway. To an international audience, they are seeing a foreign film, a film in translation. The Otherness is a given.
So as an international viewer, it's not really saying anything to me. My hunch is that the director is saying something to the native audience.
The film Cobweb, the korean title is literally: spiderhouse 거미집. So a different approach for a different movie - with I assume similar audience.
I have noted the use of a transliterated English word - when there is a Korean alternative - scattered throughout titles, even in dramas (I do not have an example at the tip of mind), and I always wonder what that is meant to convey to a native audience.
For example, I am a native english speaker. When I see French used, I assume it is meant to convey a certain sophistication - whether sincere or mocking. A je ne sais quoi.
Korea has a complicated relationship with America, so what does the use of english convey to the Korean?
Its like all the wonderful puns I miss out on by not knowing the language. There is another layer I am missing out on. I think.
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Margo of the Resilient Lip Gloss
September 23, 2024 at 8:01 AM
*intended for an international audience
sigh
PYC
September 23, 2024 at 8:24 AM
I gather a one word title of Burning (which is a simple enough English word for the Korean audience) serves both worlds. It’s a very effective word to excite and create some imagination among the audience. Adopting that English word could also be a smart marketing strategy. Or, you and me are thinking too much but I believe it’s a deliberate choice.
On the other hand, Cobweb or Spiderhouse in my view is a bad choice. What expectation could you draw out from the audience. I had no idea what it was about beforehand and watched it in a long haul flight when all the lights were out. Then the whole movie was almost entirely shot in dark too, which did not make the watching any easier. It was really after the half way mark that I began to enjoy it (and tremendously). Such a quirky piece and most actors are unrecognisable especially Im Soo-Jung. Its set up and tone is much like a French movie, reminding me of Truffaut’s Day For Night. Cobweb apart depicting its set gives no imagination to the story although it may refer to the cobweb of relations - but still a poor choice of title.
Margo of the Resilient Lip Gloss
September 23, 2024 at 8:40 AM
It must've been hard to watch Cobweb on a plane! I really thought it was going to be a sorta thriller-who-done-it type of thing - web of people like you mention - but it ended more as a ghost/monster type story. Another one that was actually more of a light movie. Some fun visuals.
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PYC
September 23, 2024 at 8:51 AM
A light movie indeed!
Babylilo
September 23, 2024 at 10:53 PM
In the movie, you'll notice that one of the characters is reading a short story by William Faulkner called Barn Burning, which was the inspiration for the Haruki Murakami story of the same name that in turn was the inspiration for the movie. If you really want to get into the whole barn burning thing, you can check out The Long, Hot Summer, a steamy (Paul Newman...shirtless!) film adaptation of the Faulkner story.
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PYC
September 24, 2024 at 8:15 AM
Cobweb is made for movie buffs! It’s full of meta like the one you mentioned, and the mocking of Korean tropes. And all the actors / actresses are given roles against their usual type. Until the end, I was still not sure who played the bitchy mistress and had to check roles against the actor list to realise it was Im So-jung. I actually quite like Crystal playing a man eater starlet. Campy funny.
Now, I need to check out Paul Newman’s version. Thankyou!
Margo of the Resilient Lip Gloss
September 24, 2024 at 12:44 PM
Long Hot Summer is peak Paul Newman. And just an amazing cast all round. I also loved Angela Lansbury in that one.
Babylilo
September 24, 2024 at 1:49 PM
Paul Newman was setting hearts (and other parts of the anatomy) aflutter by taking off his shirt—six decades before the likes of Kim Soo-hyun, Jung Hae-in, Kim Woo-bin, et al.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASfmk3LYCcufwDgHDzuZB3VPMaeU-6YT6egQPlORGhVa8xhLpy3L2q3dmDkqIeJfEHTr1K1bMcOz-hySqSRFeHfIPeBN46oQEMwkS5mVYRXLcrtw8vcZsBm5DxvYkt-6ZLlP392boq_Z5/s0/paul-newman-cool-hand-luke-11.jpg
Babylilo
September 23, 2024 at 9:42 PM
I loved Burning! I'm long overdue for a rewatch; there's a lot about this complex film that I'm sure I didn't catch the first time around.
If Yoo Ah-In has become a Kdrama pariah, can they at least give him some movie roles?
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Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
September 24, 2024 at 12:54 AM
I will join you in campaigning for Yoo Ahin to be allowed back into K-movieland where he was camped out a lot of the time anyway. He stars in the films with darker themes so hopefully he will be ok in the not too distant future. I will probably miss out as it’s not my genre as I only discovered him from the drama Chicago typewriter but I want all that is good to be bestowed on him as he seems to be suffering big time.
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Babylilo
September 24, 2024 at 10:57 AM
Instead of ostracizing public figures like YAI who are found to be addicted to drugs, (I'm not talking about people who DEAL drugs), law enforcement, the entertainment community, and the general public should be providing them with care and support. Addiction—whether to drugs, alcohol, tobacco, gambling, or something else—is not a moral failing. It's a physical disease that hijacks or even destroys some of the brain regions that developed to help us survive. It takes a lot of hard work to get the brain to function normally again.
PYC
September 24, 2024 at 8:15 AM
I hope so too.
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10 panshel
September 22, 2024 at 8:25 AM
I find movies don't stay with me. I watch them, form an opinion about whether they were good or bad, and quickly forget them.
Nowadays, TV and streaming churn out so many dramas that they're equally forgettable, but because they air over 8 weeks, I retain more of them. There's more time for me to either become obsessed or complain. This is also why I can't remember Netflix single-drop dramas because I just binge them and move on.
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11 jillian
September 22, 2024 at 8:50 AM
I like both since it still give insights on the korean culture. I actually like that actors get a lot of range by delving in both.
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Margo of the Resilient Lip Gloss
September 22, 2024 at 12:20 PM
I agree. I don't think it's an either/or question.
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FiyaShady
September 23, 2024 at 9:01 AM
True. And for me, if they can delved in various genre and mastering it in both Kdrama and Kmovie, they make one of hell great actor.
Perhaps that is why my fav actors are mostly senior and they sometimes are not even the lead 😁.
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jillian
September 23, 2024 at 12:26 PM
So true. There are a lot of great character actors that steal the show even if they are not the leads.
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12 vienibenmio
September 22, 2024 at 1:41 PM
Korean movies are often very good, but I don't trust the endings. I don't really want to watch a romance without a HEA or HFN. Kdrama romance is more likely to have that. So I have to Iook up the ending before I'll watch it. My favorite Korean movie is Red Carpet.
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13 Gikata
September 22, 2024 at 1:41 PM
There are pros and cons to both, thematically and stylistically. Sometimes the two cannot be more different, which is rather amusing. But availability angst with movies is much stronger - usually I long forget about any title I was interested in once it finally pops up subbed somewhere lol - and there's nothing I like more about cinema than being able to spend WEEKS discussing it ongoing, so my preferences always leaned significantly more to the drama side. Not that it mattered in the long run because these days I hardly watch either^^
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14 wonhwa
September 22, 2024 at 2:17 PM
I generally prefer k-dramas to k-films, although I've also watched fewer films so I'm sure there are lots of gems I've missed. I have seen some gems though - two favorites are Sopyonje and The King and the Clown (and yes, the fact that both are about actors/performers and traditional performance forms is definitely part of the appeal).
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Babylilo
September 24, 2024 at 11:38 AM
The King and the Clown is a beautiful film.
Two other films about the art of pansori are Chunhyang and The Sound of a Flower.
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wonhwa
September 24, 2024 at 1:38 PM
I've seen Chunhyang - I need to check out The Sound of a Flower.
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Babylilo
September 24, 2024 at 2:00 PM
Same with me. I found Chunhyang slow going, but really beautiful.
Let us know if you watch Sound of a Flower, and give us your opinion. It's available for free on Tubi and the Roku Channel. (You'll need to turn on the subtitles if you need them.) It's got an amazing cast, incuding Ryu Seung-Ryong, Bae Suzy, and Kim Nam-Gil.
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15 Mr Everything
September 22, 2024 at 2:49 PM
Having never lived in Korea, I don't have any data about the reality of movies vs dramas. But, I am surprised to hear it. At least in the US, movies and broadcast media (it's not only TV these days) has a complex relationship. Movies are quite expensive here. People psychologically only go to movies if it is something they can't get on TV. When movies were a lot cheaper, there was a much wider variety of movies made. Also, before I was born, broadcast used to not be very good because of lower budgets. Low advertising budgets would make shows have to cut corners. Now, because it is really easy to make a show, TV has really increased in quality. I think this is forcing movies to do things that are extra. Extra controversy, extra action and explosions. I would say that movies are more exaggerated than ever. And, now with streaming platforms that have even lower requirements of advertisers shows have gotten a lot more free and there is an even bigger attempt for movies to differentiate themselves from shows like Game of Thrones that had all the action, controversy, nudity etc. I think movies are trying to make themselves into a premium event now to justify the price. But, I also think this comes at a cost of making a realistic show.
I agree that Korean movies seem to have a lot more sex and violence than dramas. But, I am surprised to hear you describe it as realistic. The drinking and smoking and sex seems to be just as much of an exaggeration designed to entice an audience as the censored reality depicted in dramas.
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16 tabong
September 22, 2024 at 3:14 PM
My first, my main love will always be film. But also, I will always be in an affair with kdramaland. 🤣
However, if we get specific about "k-movies", I don't know much. I do have a bit of "history" with them tho.
3 Iron (빈집) used to be my favorite film ever until I found out the director was utter garbage (that will hurt me till I die since I was obsessed with his movies).
But I guess that made me look for and appreciate other directors.
I love the genre slice of life, and, imo, no one is better at it than east Asians. So obviously some Korean directors like Zhang Lu or Hong Sang Soo caught my attention.
But I also like the bold type, so Park Chan Wook is my type of guy. I wish that being traumatized by Oldboy didn't stop people from trying other of his works. I adore Sympathy for Lady Vengeance and Ahgassi with all my heart. I remember being obsessed with Stoker as a kid (because Nicole Kidman), but I never paid attention to the director. It really took me a while to appreciate him.
Anyway, some recs...
Slice of life:
Moonlit Winter
Ode to the Goose
Fukuoka
The Table
Our Body
A Quiet Dream
Late Autumn
House of Hummingbird
Other genres:
Voice of Violence
Zombie for sale
Intimate Strangers (remake of Italian classic Perfect Strangers)
Burning
Christmas in August
The Villainess
Secret Sunshine
Thirst
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PYC
September 22, 2024 at 5:55 PM
3 Iron - exactly my same journey! It’s an eye-opener movie but the admiration dropped when I learnt about the director’s personal conduct.
I like a lot of films in your list - thumbs up!
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tabong
September 22, 2024 at 7:47 PM
🥲
Recs are always welcome! 🤗
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world-smitten
September 23, 2024 at 3:47 AM
Moonlit Winter & Christmas in August are so good 👌! So quietly heartbreaking & hopeful. There's a movie coming out w/ similar vibes with Han So-hee, called Heavy Snow. That's one I'm hoping to catch when it finally gets released
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tabong
September 23, 2024 at 9:24 AM
Oh!!! Thanks for mentioning it! I didn't have it on my radar.
Now I'm excited about it.
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17 Minnie🫘👩🏻🚀Pioneer and Teacher 👩🏻🏫🌱🏹
September 22, 2024 at 3:21 PM
K-dramas and K-movies inhabit different worlds, I am quite convinced of that.
The biggest difference between both the streams is that K-dramas are invariably upbeat, while K-movies have this strange air of melancholy hanging over them (at least the ones that I have watched).
The one thing that truly startles me is how graphic and explicit their sexual scenes can be, that are such far cries from the usual fare of fish kisses we see that it feels they don't belong to the same country, let alone the same culture. And the violence - less said the better.
Even the saddest drama has a certain rose tinted haze, while a cute movie has a certain grittiness to it that's hard to ignore.
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Margo of the Resilient Lip Gloss
September 23, 2024 at 8:07 AM
I cannot watch violence, so I am limited by that as well.
I would totally recommend Single in Seoul. Adult characters but nothing explicit in the scenes. Very cute. It's become my go-to re-watch after a trying day.
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Minnie🫘👩🏻🚀Pioneer and Teacher 👩🏻🏫🌱🏹
September 23, 2024 at 8:41 AM
Thank you!! I have watched a couple as well that were cute. One was Spellbound which was really cute, and my first movie community watch. There was another one that now I can't remember because neither I can't recall who was in it but it was cute.
I adored Man from nowhere but the level of graphic violence was mind boggling.
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Minnie🫘👩🏻🚀Pioneer and Teacher 👩🏻🏫🌱🏹
September 23, 2024 at 9:09 AM
To add, in fact there was this movie I watched that would have benefitted from a scene of intimacy. It left so much on inference that in the end, you are left with thinking - what was there to watch...because you come away without learning much about the characters or their back stories and what makes them tick....I think it was Come rain Come Shine (Hyun Bin). I felt no investment in either of them, and I remember I kept watching to learn if the cat would come out 😂
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18 Isa is always time travelling
September 22, 2024 at 3:44 PM
I largely prefer k-dramas, but there are some k-movies I liked too: Little Forest, Tune in for love, A Birth, Be with you, Emergency Declaration... And of course Parasite and Train to Busan.
And there are also some Korean movies I watched a very long time ago and I barely remember anything about them, like Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring, or 3-Iron.
I have seen other Korean movies but I prefer to watch dramas. Honestly, k-dramas and c-dramas take most of my free time, and even though I still watch some Western series, now I see few movies in general.
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
September 24, 2024 at 9:41 PM
Q. Where did you find subs for A Birth?!? Or did you watch without them?
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Isa is always time travelling
September 24, 2024 at 10:41 PM
I watched it in a movie theater in Spain (last February), which means a huge screen but also... dubbing. The movie was in Spanish. I only could hear the real voices when the characters were speaking in Latin or French.
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
September 24, 2024 at 10:51 PM
Oooohhh I see! Cool that you got to see it in theatres; a shame about the dubbing though.
I will keep waiting and looking for Eng subtitles then (I might be waiting a while 😅).
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Isa is always time travelling
September 24, 2024 at 11:08 PM
It was a great experience! I went with my mum, so she met her "Korean-in-law" 😂
There were more people than I expected and they seemed really moved at the end.
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
September 25, 2024 at 12:12 AM
I can imagine~! I would love a sageuk about St Andrew Kim Taegon as well, I think that would be so cool.
19 technicat
September 22, 2024 at 4:59 PM
I'm usually in the mood for k-dramas over k-movies. I almost have to force myself to choose a movie to expand my horizons). And I can list many more favorites among dramas, but The Man from Nowhere was an early favorite and I can always rewatch that. I'll look out for films by Park Chan-wook (I like the whole Vengeance trilogy but particularly Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) and Bong Joon-ho (Parasite, The Host). I generally feel romances and melos are best left to dramas, but I did like Something Blue (Lee Bo-young, Kwon Sang-woo and all the tropes). Silenced with Gong Yoo and Jung Yu-mi is disturbing (I often wonder why would someone write a story about this and then I find
out it really happened) and it's not something I want to watch again but it's really well done and I can't imagine it in drama format.
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tabong
September 22, 2024 at 7:51 PM
*Adds Something Blue to the list*
Ohh. It's nice to see someone who watched and enjoyed the whole Vengeance trilogy. ^^
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Kurama
September 22, 2024 at 9:30 PM
Silenced was so good. Han Gong-Ju was great too.
It was awful to realize it was a true story behind these movies.
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PYC
September 23, 2024 at 7:21 AM
Gong Yoo is apparently the driving force behind the production of Silence - good on him.
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Kurama
September 23, 2024 at 7:41 AM
Yeah!
For Kim Ji-young, Born 1982, the actors had to face a lot of misogyny too.
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PYC
September 23, 2024 at 8:03 AM
Kim Ji-Yong, Born 1982 (a project also championed by Gong Yoo) is somehow a disappointment to me personally. Maybe it’s following the book too closely or the script/directing is too subtle to be able to channel its core messages.
Minnie🫘👩🏻🚀Pioneer and Teacher 👩🏻🏫🌱🏹
September 23, 2024 at 5:33 PM
I think it's the ONLY movie in the world that not only sent the culprits to jail but also forced SK to change their laws.
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20 marblebees
September 22, 2024 at 10:22 PM
I appreciate movies for being less restrictive and uncensored, but movies have so little screen time that I often wish they were a kdrama instead.
(That's why i'm really glad that streaming services have allowed korean writers to write kdramas outside of broadcast restrictions and censorship these days!)
That is not to say I always prefer kdrama over kmovie. There are a few movies that used their limited time perfect as it is and I wouldn't change anything about them. Kmovies have some of the best thrillers and horrors i've seen!
Some movies that really impressed me are: Exhuma, Forgotten, Hijacking 1971, Emergency Declaration, Memoir of a murderer (not to be confused with memories of murders, but that was great too), midnight, the merciless etc.
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21 roko
September 23, 2024 at 1:33 AM
My fav K-movies are real works of art - Decision to Leave, Burning, Joint Security Area, The Handmaiden, Train to Busan (my first zombie movie and I loved it!)...
But I feel like I need to devote the full time and attention to watching in one sitting, so it requires more energy than plopping down with a kdrama I can stop and pickup whenever without losing any of the creative intent. So I watch kdramas much more often. Also there are many many more of them available to watch. Movies I would love to see at some point: Oldboy, Memories of Murder, The Spy Gone North, The Negotiation...
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22 world-smitten
September 23, 2024 at 3:29 AM
Dramas lol. I like & respect Korean actresses a lot and films generally don't give them much to do. Like if you look at the cast list of far too many Korean movies, it's a sausage party behind & in front of the cameras. Films might be less censored, but that means little to me if it's used to exploit women's bodies. For me, that's just as conservative as a drama that blurs sex toys.
But on a lighter note lol, I find it easier to finish dramas than films for some strange reason. It's like reading a book 😁
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world-smitten
September 23, 2024 at 3:32 AM
Also disclaimer: I know this isn't all Korean movies, & I've been pulling together a list of to-watch films that are more women-centric, when my attention span lets me
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23 redfox
September 23, 2024 at 5:59 AM
movies leave me with a shook, lasting feeling. but it depends. some dramas can also leave a strong impression. a la Flower of Evil
when the acting and material is high level it doesnt matter
but you can watch movies on big screen and it really does add a lot to the quality of the experience.
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24 Minnie🫘👩🏻🚀Pioneer and Teacher 👩🏻🏫🌱🏹
September 23, 2024 at 9:19 AM
@dramaddictally Great image choice. That movie stole my soul. I watched both the versions, and I am in love with the Korean one because it brought a kind of vulnerability that Chinese one lacked. Both Nam Dami and Jeon So Nee were so good that even their gazes are imprinted on my mind. The women overshadowed Byeong Seo Wook completely, so much so that I didn't even recall who the guy was until my second watch.
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25 refresh_daemon
September 23, 2024 at 2:11 PM
As a former movie reviewer for Dramabeans and having developed a love for Korean cinema in the early '90's back when most Korean dramas were ultra cheesy and low production value, I'm quite impressed with how much Korean dramas have developed to the point where they are as good in the serial narrative space as any other major television landscape.
Korean movies are still fascinating and boundary pushing in a way that dramas might never be (although the streaming revolution has pushed that for sure), but it's no longer the "Korean" element of the mediums that really stands out to me as a distinguishing feature between them, but rather the inherent differences of the formats that we see in many cultures' developed film and television industries.
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26 Babylilo
September 23, 2024 at 10:10 PM
I've always been much more a film buff than a tv watcher, but the overall quality of Korean films I've seen so far has not been all that great. Of the 115 titles that I've checked off my list, I've rated just over 10% as good or excellent. I really loved these "arthouse" films:
Burning
The Handmaiden
Decision to Leave
Parasite
Mother
The Book of Fish
The Broker
3-Iron
Little Forest
I also enjoyed these more mainstream ones, though I probably won't watch them a second time:
Always
Rough Cut
The Man from Nowhere
Castaway on the Moon
The King and the Clown
Citizen of a Kind
Blind
I'll be trawling the comments for more titles to add to my watch list!
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tabong
September 23, 2024 at 10:33 PM
I have The Book of Fish and Mother on my watchlist since forever. I need to watch them.
The Broker is "Broker" with SKH, IU, etc?
I don't know a few from the second list... *adds them to the watchlist*
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Babylilo
September 23, 2024 at 11:28 PM
Be warned—Mother is pretty harrowing. But a great movie and an incredible performance by Kim Hye-Ja.
Yes, that's the "Broker" I referred to.
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27 Babylilo
September 23, 2024 at 11:31 PM
Forgot to mention one thing that movies have over drama series: no wasting time watching 6 episodes of a drama and then deciding to drop it. 🤭
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28 welh
September 24, 2024 at 7:41 AM
As Hollywood has recently discovered, Korean movies deliver more bang for the production buck: stories are more condensed, clear and show the gritty details (social issues/class struggles/cultural problems) than rely on boilerplate scripts and tropes (that plague most k-dramas). K-movies capture the cinematic aspect of story telling.
But both did have a winning formula: a good premise, strong lead characters, tight scripts, believable climax and a final story resolution. But in recent years, the idea of theater releases should be "franchise" movies like Marvel or second seasons of TV shows seems to hinder the unique qualities of each.
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welh
September 24, 2024 at 7:45 AM
I liked going to movies in Seoul even though I did not understand the language well. But with a good movie, you can understand what is happening with the actors and situations like in 30 DAYS which I really enjoyed.
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29 too_much_tv
September 24, 2024 at 11:55 AM
I have watched some of the popular Korean movies that are on the streaming services. I am talking about movies, not serious cinema. Basically I'm avoiding anything where the violence is actually believable and might be scary. I'm probably a weirdo, but I loved watching Jeon Jong-seo "kill" everyone by hitting, shooting and burning them in Ballerina, but I could not finish Burning because the thought of anyone hurting her character was unbearable.
My partner and I had an idea we'd undertake to watch a list of great Korean films and we started with Daytime Drinking. But I still haven't seen some true greats. It isn't really about preference or thinking one is better than the other? It's about what I'm satisfying by watching. To me, it's amazing that we can have actors who participate in great cinema, real masterpieces and innovative films, in our cheesy romance dramas.
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30 Kitsune Moon
September 24, 2024 at 2:31 PM
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