Kim Ki Young 4 disc Boxset (Korea)
07-10-08, 11:10 PM
#1
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Posts: 2,609
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Kim Ki Young 4 disc Boxset (Korea)
Taewon Entertainment released a 4-disc boxset covering representative work from South Korean director Kim Ki-young on 7/10. The box will include English, Japanese, and Korean (captions) subtitles for the main features
Goryeojang aka Burying the Old Alive (1963)
Chungnyo aka Insect Woman (1972)
Yukcheui yaksok aka Promise of the Flesh (1975)
Iodo aka Io Island (1977)
There is an 88 page booklet, half in Korean, half in English about the films, the director, and lost scene excerpts
Extras:
Commentaries on each film in Korean with English subtitles
"Directors on Kim Ki Young" 2006 Documentary 48 minutes with English, Japanese, French subtitles
"Kim Ki Young talks on Kim Ki Young" 1997 interview before his death 38 minutes with English subtitles
"Director Kim Ki Young Special Documentary" 51 minute doc by the Korean Film Archive
Still Galleries for each film
The release is completely English friendly, Region 0 discs, in anamorphic WS. The print quality for the films are not pristine, but clearly very watchable. Dirt and scratches are visible, but that shouldn't distract too much. I'm ready to dig in to the good stuff.
Goryeojang aka Burying the Old Alive (1963)
Chungnyo aka Insect Woman (1972)
Yukcheui yaksok aka Promise of the Flesh (1975)
Iodo aka Io Island (1977)
There is an 88 page booklet, half in Korean, half in English about the films, the director, and lost scene excerpts
Extras:
Commentaries on each film in Korean with English subtitles
"Directors on Kim Ki Young" 2006 Documentary 48 minutes with English, Japanese, French subtitles
"Kim Ki Young talks on Kim Ki Young" 1997 interview before his death 38 minutes with English subtitles
"Director Kim Ki Young Special Documentary" 51 minute doc by the Korean Film Archive
Still Galleries for each film
The release is completely English friendly, Region 0 discs, in anamorphic WS. The print quality for the films are not pristine, but clearly very watchable. Dirt and scratches are visible, but that shouldn't distract too much. I'm ready to dig in to the good stuff.
08-01-09, 06:25 AM
#2
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Posts: 2,609
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Kim Ki Young 4 disc Boxset (Korea)
Kim Ki Young's most critically lauded film, "Housemaid" finally gets a release. Yesasia link
08-01-09, 09:27 AM
#3
DVD Talk Gold Edition
I expect I'll be placing an order for THE HOUSEMAID asap, dependent upon how that goes down with me I might consider going for the director's boxset in the future.
For folks in the U.S./Canada, simply note that manicsounds link is to the Global YesAsia site, so make sure you switch over to the North American site. Interesting to note that the newly-released, English-friendly (after initially being listed as not having English subs), Korean DVD for ONG BAK 2 is $1 less expensive on the North American YesAsia vs. the Global YesAsia.
Note: HKFlix does stock a less expensive Malaysian DVD release for ONG BAK 2.
For folks in the U.S./Canada, simply note that manicsounds link is to the Global YesAsia site, so make sure you switch over to the North American site. Interesting to note that the newly-released, English-friendly (after initially being listed as not having English subs), Korean DVD for ONG BAK 2 is $1 less expensive on the North American YesAsia vs. the Global YesAsia.
Note: HKFlix does stock a less expensive Malaysian DVD release for ONG BAK 2.
08-20-09, 09:50 PM
#4
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Well...
Umm....
Hmmm.....
Okay.....well THE HOUSEMAID didn't quite turn out as I had expected. I was sort of anticipating - within limits - a great piece of cinema. Not necessarily on par with the classic work that came out of Japan for example, but still a different experience than what THE HOUSEMAID eventually delivered.
It felt more like a government-sponsored cult film, a REEFER MADNESS-like cautionary tale warning Korean husbands of the dangers associated with marital infidelity. THE HOUSEMAID didn't start off that way. The opening and music used for the credits felt rather influenced by American film noir...so maybe I started thinking along the lines of Lang's THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW and SCARLET STREET. Much later on, as we were well into the story, I felt it was on its way to becoming something rather interesting, certainly more tawdry and provocative than I might have expected from a Korean film in 1960.
But somewhere in that final third maybe of the film, it just goes...bonkers, and I don't mean that in a good way. I'm not sure how to describe it...campy...over-the-top...bad melodrama. Whatever the case might be...I simply couldn't contain my laughter during the climax. During the closing portions of the film, the main thought in the front of my mind was that the movie would be a perfect subject for the Mystery Science Theater crew.
So if you're selling THE HOUSEMAID to me as great cinema, then I'm not buying. An uneven but reasonably interesting/entertaining cult (schlock?) curiosity...well that might work in my book, maybe.
Umm....
Hmmm.....
Okay.....well THE HOUSEMAID didn't quite turn out as I had expected. I was sort of anticipating - within limits - a great piece of cinema. Not necessarily on par with the classic work that came out of Japan for example, but still a different experience than what THE HOUSEMAID eventually delivered.
It felt more like a government-sponsored cult film, a REEFER MADNESS-like cautionary tale warning Korean husbands of the dangers associated with marital infidelity. THE HOUSEMAID didn't start off that way. The opening and music used for the credits felt rather influenced by American film noir...so maybe I started thinking along the lines of Lang's THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW and SCARLET STREET. Much later on, as we were well into the story, I felt it was on its way to becoming something rather interesting, certainly more tawdry and provocative than I might have expected from a Korean film in 1960.
But somewhere in that final third maybe of the film, it just goes...bonkers, and I don't mean that in a good way. I'm not sure how to describe it...campy...over-the-top...bad melodrama. Whatever the case might be...I simply couldn't contain my laughter during the climax. During the closing portions of the film, the main thought in the front of my mind was that the movie would be a perfect subject for the Mystery Science Theater crew.
So if you're selling THE HOUSEMAID to me as great cinema, then I'm not buying. An uneven but reasonably interesting/entertaining cult (schlock?) curiosity...well that might work in my book, maybe.
08-21-09, 01:24 AM
#5
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Posts: 2,609
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Kim Ki Young 4 disc Boxset (Korea)
I found it pretty shocking and creepy, in an Imamura way, and the way he played with the audience at the end and used quite effective shots throughout. There were some factors that can be considered plot holes, [Why don't they just leave the house? Why don't they call the cops?] but hey, you can say the same for Wait Until Dark and Funny Games too.
"Goryeojang" still stands as my favorite Kim Ki Young film though.
"Goryeojang" still stands as my favorite Kim Ki Young film though.
08-22-09, 10:12 PM
#6
DVD Talk Gold Edition
I can see myself on board with that description for a good while of the runtime, but somewhere in that final third...maybe it was they style of the acting, but for whatever reason I hit a disconnect and just couldn't take it seriously towards the end. Likewise, I was able to accept the story as credible for a while, but again that too crashed like a house of cards as the film neared its climax. I think I can find myself much more at peace with the film if viewing it with a different set of expectations...aka removing from it the burden of being hailed as one of the greatest Korean films ever.
