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Castaway and desert island/planet movies have a strange fascinating quality. We love seeing the protagonist coping with the loss of all the things we give for granted, we cheer her/him while trying for months to grow a potato on Mars, we empathise with her/his bravery facing the hostile environment and we come out the other end with her/him, feeling purified and full of – short lasting – good resolutions. A potent reminder of our littleness when facing nature, they often offer a harsh critique to consumerism and trapping society structures. First solo work by writer-director Lee Hae-joon “Castaway on The Moon” is a different kind of beast as, in addition to all of the above, it is also a genuinely funny and sweet story of human connections and hope.

“Castaway on the Moon” is screening at Hong Kong Arts Centre, as part of the The Look of Love:...

Although not exactly that most exported genre towards the West, comedy still holds a significant part in the industries of Asian countries, even the style of humor can occasionally be described as “too local”. Nevertheless, there are movies whose style of comedy can be perceived as universal, with Korean titles being closer to the US style of comedy, Japanese being as weird and extreme as possible, Chinese following deadpan paths for the most part and Indian ones indulging in crudity on occasion. To be as inclusive as possible, we also included some romantic comedy titles, with the focus, as always, being on diversity

Without further delay, here are 25 great Asian comedies, from 2000 onwards, in alphabetical order

1. Boomerang Family

Song Hae-sung creates a rather entertaining narrative, whose base lies with the characters of the three siblings, who are all so immature, that essentially do not differ at all from their 15-year-old,...

Romantic movies are not everyone’s cup of tea, surely not mine. However, Korean Cinema has presented few ground-breaking works that, for the originality of the script or for the great onscreen chemistry between the protagonists or for a magic ensemble of elements, managed to crossover the target audience circles and become everyone’s cup of hot chocolate. “My Sassy Lady”, “A Moment to Remember”, “Castaway on The Moon” are only few of those champions and “Il Mare” is a leading star of the group. The film – which also led to an abysmal US remake with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock – has generated a proper following, with fans belonging to very different demographic pools from the one the film was originally intended for.

It’s Christmas time and Eun-joo (Jun Ji-hyun) is moving out of a beautiful house on stilts overlooking the sea, called Il Mare that...

Castaway and desert island/planet movies have a strange fascinating quality. We love seeing the protagonist coping with the loss of all the things we give for granted, we cheer her/him while trying for months to grow a potato on Mars, we empathise with her/his bravery facing the hostile environment and we come out the other end with her/him, feeling purified and full of – short lasting – good resolutions. A potent reminder of our littleness when facing nature, they often offer a harsh critique to consumerism and trapping society structures. First solo work by writer-director Lee Hae-joon “Castaway on The Moon” is a different kind of beast as, in addition to all of the above, it is also a genuinely funny and sweet story of human connections and hope.

The film opens on a close-up shot of a man’s face. Kim Seong-geun (Jung Jae-young...

Kim Hye-soo returns to the big screen two years after “Default” with a hard-hitting mystery thriller “The Day I Died: Unclosed Case” by first-time director Park Ji-wan.

Synopsis

On a dark stormy night, a young witness to her father’s crime disappears on an island leaving her shoes on the cliff and her last will in her house. Due to the bad weather, a body has yet to be found. In the absence of the body, the case cannot be closed, but is simply dismissed as suicide. Detective Hyun-soo heads to the island to investigate the mysterious death of the girl.

Park Ji-wan, who has previously worked as script supervisor on “Haunters” and “Castaway on the Moon”, directs from her own script. Along with Kim Hye-soo, the project stars Lee Jung-eun in her first film role since “Parasite“, Roh Jeung-eui (“Phantom Detective“), Kim Sun-young (“Juror 8“), Lee Sang-yeob (“Ordinary People”) and...

When “Welcome to Dongmakgol” came out in 2005, it was a sensation. Based on the long-running play by Jang Jin, more than eight million South Koreans flocked to the cinemas to see the film, making it the most successful movie of that year. “Welcome to Dongmakgol” didn’t win any awards outside of Korea, but within South Korea, it was definitely a critical success as well.

Dongmakgol is a magical place. Not because of actual magic, but because it is somehow completely removed from the rest of civilization. Citizens have no clue about the ongoing war between North and South Korea, know nothing about guns or any kind of modern technology, and have never before stumbled upon outsiders. However, within the span of a few days, everything changes. First, American navy pilot Neil Smith (played by Steve Taschler) crashes his plane near Dongmakgol. Later, South Korean as well...

There is something about apocalyptic nightmares that makes disaster movies quite popular at the box office. Add to that the fact that “Ashfall”, the new film from the directors that made the surveillance thriller “Cold Eyes” and the heart-warming romantic comedy “Castaway on the Moon” separately, finally brings together on the screen superstars Lee Byung-hun and Ha Jung-woo for the first time, and you have a sure-shot recipe for a box office success and expectations were naturally high. But questions about just how good the film could actually be have been raised since the first promotional trailers were released. That still didn’t stop the movie from becoming a runaway financial success, one of the highest grossing films last year.

As the world’s eyes are glued to the televisions for the impending denuclearisation of North Korea, a massive earthquake rocks the Korean peninsula. As it turns out, Mt. Baekdu,...

Film sells to 90 countries including Us, Germany, Indonesia,Vietnam.

South Korea’s Cj Entertainment has announced pre-sales to a slew of territories with partial release dates for upcoming volcano action drama Ashfall, starring Lee Byung-hun and Ha Jung-woo.

Co-directed by Lee Hae-jun (Castaway On The Moon) and Kim Byung-suh (Cold Eyes), the film is produced by Dexter Pictures, the company behind the Along With The Gods hit franchise. It also features Don Lee (aka Ma Dong-seok from Train To Busan), Jeon Hye-jin and Bae Suzy.

Cj says the film has sold to 90 countries including the Us and Germany (Capelight), Taiwan...

Disaster films in South Korea have known fair amount of success, with films like “Haeundae” and even the recent “Exit” scoring big at the box office. The latest film to tackle the genre is “Mt. Baekdu” by directors Lee Hae-Joon and Kim Byeong-seo, which also brings with it a massive all-star cast.

Synopsis

The tale of people who endeavor to stop the volcano of Baekdu Mountain from erupting.

In an Al Pacino/Robert De Niro/Heat type casting coup, the film has secured the services of mega stars Ha Jung-woo and Lee Byung-hun, making “Mt. Baekdu” the first film to feature both the stars together. In addition to the two huge names, it also features superstar Ma Dong-seok in an important role, along with starlet Bae Suzy and Jeon Hye-jin. The two directors are also no strangers to hit films, with Lee Hae-Joon having directed “Castaway on the Moon” and Kim Byeong-seo,...

More Zombies attacking Korean cinemas, only this time we get to see their funny side as director Lee Min-jae brings us an undead comedy with his debut feature “The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale”.

Synopsis

Man-deok runs a gas station in a peaceful country village. He has three adult children: Joon-geol, Min-geol and Hae-geol. Man-deok only thinks about spending the rest of his life in Hawaii.

Oldest child, Joon-geol, is married to Nam-joo. He loves his family, but he doesn’t express his feelings to his family. Min-geol is the middle child in the family. He is the only one from his family to have graduated from a university. He gets fired from his company and comes back to his hometown. Hae-geol is the youngest child in the family.

One day, a strange man appears in the country village. Due to him, Man-deok’s family and the entire village is shaken.

The full Fantasia 2013 lineup has now been revealed, and we have here the third and final wave of titles to share. Prepare to drool!

From the Press Release:

The Fantasia International Film Festival is proud to announce the rest of our 120-feature lineup that comprises our 2013 event, along with a string of additional details that mark our 17th edition as a standout. Fantasia will engulf the city of Montreal from July 18-August 6, 2013. Be sure to visit the Fantasia Film Festival website for detailed essays on every title announced here, as well as all films previously disclosed over the last weeks.

Before we get started on titles... Meet Our 2013 Juries

Main Competition For The Cheval Noir Award For Best Film

Jury President: Laura Kern (Critic, Curator, managing editor, Film Comment)

Jean-Pierre Bergeron (Actor, Director, Screenwriter)

Samuel Jamier (Co-Director of the New York Asian Film Festival, Programmer at Japan Society)

Jarod Neece (Senior Programmer and Operations Manager,...

The Fantasia Film Festival is taking place from July 18th to August 6th in Montreal and will feature over 100 films from around the world. We gave you a look at the initial lineup last month and now have an additional list of Fantasia 2013 films that will be screening, including Curse of Chucky, You’re Next, and Frankenstein’s Army:

Horror Is Child’S Play – Don Mancini’S Curse Of Chucky (World Premiere)

A rarity among genre franchises, the Child’S Play series (begun in 1988) has retained the sure-handed guidance of original screenwriter/creator Don Mancini throughout killer doll Chucky’s decades’-long reign of horror. Mancini, who will be hosting our “scar-studded” world premiere, graduated to the director’s chair with 2004’s Seed Of Chucky, after having co-written or written every entry in the series. His longevity with the project is, of course, matched by the fiendish voiceover work by...

Exclusive: The Lee Hae-joon-directed Korean drama Castaway On The Moon will be remade by CJ Entertainment. Mark Waters is attached to direct and Michael Goldbach will write the screenplay. Cj is financing development. A man jumps off a bridge, only to wake to find himself lying on a deserted beach on an uninhabited island. In an apartment that overlooks the river, a reclusive girl who hasn't ventured out of her room for years catches sight of the man through her telescope. She becomes fixated on him as he leads his lonely but apparently contented life, and it compels her to step outside again. Cj Entertainment's Jiwon Park, Francis Chung, Mike Suh and Patricia Chun will produce with Waters and his Watermark Pictures' cohorts Jessica Tuchinsky and Veronica Brooks, along with Annie Marter. Cj is the production arm of the Korea-based Cj Group, the biggest studio in Asia. This is...