Subway Cinema News: August 13 - 21
Welcome to Subway Cinema News – You can’t cook rice with good intentions.
THIS WEEK
At the Walter Reade, courtesy of the Film Society of Lincoln Center, don’t miss the tail end of the film series “In Honor of Madame Kawakita“ playing through August 14.
Anthology Film Archives and the Korean Cultural Service are presenting a super-rare, don’t-miss-it screening of Lee Myung-Se’s FIRST LOVE (Thursday, August 21). A drama that espouses the painful virtue of facing reality versus living in a fantasy via the one-sided love a student has for her drama teacher. Her idea of the perfect man painfully burns to the ground while she discovers the truth can set her free or at least wake her up.This is the movie where critics really sat up and started taking notice of Director Lee, and it’s not available on home video. Considered to be a classic of Korean film.
The ImaginAsian is hosting Anees Bazme’s SINGH IS KINNG a hip shakin’ Bollywood comedy that’s so goofy it makes your teeth hurt. An Indian comedy of misadventure and coincidence with a love story thrown in to thwart the big plans of the underworld ringleader.
The New York Korean Film Festival opens on August 21 at the New York Times Building (242 West 41st Street) with a cocktail reception at 6pm. The reception will include special guests: director Chang Youn-hyun and actor Yoo Ji-tae, the leading male of the movie HWANG JIN-YI. The festival will continue until August 31. For a full schedule of events and locations, go here.
Chang Youn-hyun’s HWANG JIN-YI is a classic Korean tale of forbidden love. There have been many incarnations of this film, a romantic tale of Robin Hood meets Romeo and Juliet -Asian style. This most recent version is a cut above the rest for its gorgeous use of costumes and barely-restrained lust.