It was the London Korean Film Festival press launch last Friday, and Kim Han-min was in town to introduce a special preview of his film Arrow, The Ultimate Weapon, which will open the event… (more…)
In the Filmmakers category...
LKFF Press Launch and Kim Han-min Q&A
Monday, 19 September, 2011
Benny Chan exclusive interview – Shaolin
Wednesday, 7 September, 2011‘Willie Chan, Jackie Chan, Frankie Chan, Benny Chan… We’re all related. That Momma Chan was a very busy lady!’… (more…)
Bluffer’s guide to… Takashi Miike
Monday, 5 September, 2011Ah, yes. Takashi Miike. I think I’ve heard of him. Hasn’t he got a reputation for making really, really, really, really violent movies?
Well, he has been known too. His mid-90s Triad Society trilogy, starting with Shinjuku Triad Society, set the scene for what was to come with rather excessive violence. Ichi The Killer, based on a manga, had to be cut by more than three minutes in order for the British Board of Film Classification to allow its release in the UK. In Hong Kong, they skimmed 15 minutes from its running time. At its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2001 they even gave the audience barf bags. (more…)
3D Sex And Zen interview – Christopher Sun
Tuesday, 30 August, 2011Oooooh er, missus! easternKicks gets all saucy with the director of the new 3D Sex And Zen: Extreme Ecstasy movie, Christopher Sun Lap-Key. But you’d almost think it was more of a ‘chick flick’ to hear him describe it… (more…)
Takashi Miike interview for 13 Assassins
Monday, 2 May, 2011As Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins is released this Friday, we’re publishing this revealing interview with the prolific filmmaker himself…! (more…)
Takashi Shimizu interview: Not all shock and gore…
Tuesday, 8 February, 2011We chat to Takashi Shimizu, director of the Ju-On: The Grudge series and Shock Labyrinth 3D, about the process of making 3D movies, that cameo in Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl, and how keen he is to move away from directing in the horror genre – yes, even a romantic comedy…! (more…)
Im Sang-soo: A Class Act
Monday, 20 December, 2010‘Maybe I should have called it something different!’ Im Sang-soo talks to us about The Housemaid, which caused a stir at this years Cannes… (more…)
Green Days (LKFF)
Wednesday, 1 December, 2010A sweet wonderfully evocative animation about adolescence and growing up – and well deserving of a wider release next year… (more…)
London Korean Film Festival wraps… but that’s not all!
Monday, 15 November, 2010
The fifth London Korean Film Festival came to a close with a screening of Im Sang-soo’s The Housemaid, which included a Q&A from the director.
Highlights for me have included The Man From Nowhere and I Saw The Devil, obviously, Secret Reunion (any film with Kong Sang-ho!) and the sweet and evocative animation Green Days, which had it’s world premiere here – such universal appeal surely deserves a wider release.
But that’s not all. The festival continues with screenings in Cambridge (with another chance to see The Housemaid) and Belfast.
We’ll also be bringing you an exclusive interview with Im Sang-soo and plenty more reviews of up and coming Korean films we hope will make these shores soon.
Kim Jee-woon: The dark side
Friday, 12 November, 2010We talk to director Kim Jee-woon (The Good, The Bad, The Weird) about his latest film, the controversial I Saw The Devil… (more…)
Lee Jeong-beom interview: Boy’s own stuff
Saturday, 6 November, 2010Director Lee Jeong-beom what’s to make films that unashamedly cater for blokes, and it looks like he’s going about it the right way with The Man From Nowhere… (more…)
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Bong Joon-ho inteviewed at BFI, London
Friday, 26 February, 2010Bong Joon-ho (The Host, Memories of Murder) spoke at a preview of Mother about the influences on his latest film, and how his own mother hasn’t talked to him about it since it’s release… (more…)
Exclusive interview: Yang Ik-June
Monday, 18 January, 2010We talk exclusively to Yang Ik-June about his fantastic debut feature Breathless… (more…)
The Ip Man Interviews, pt3: Sammo Hung
Wednesday, 21 October, 2009In the last of our series of exclusive interviews, we chat to Sammo Hung about collaborating with Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen on Ip Man and the upcoming sequel, ask his personal favourite films in his long career, and ask about… Martial Law! (more…)
The Ip Man Interviews, pt2: Wilson Yip
Tuesday, 20 October, 2009In the second of a series of exclusive interviews, we chat to director Wilson Yip about working with Donnie Yen, making a sequel for the first time and being in front of the camera… (more…)
The Ip Man Interviews, pt1: Donnie Yen
Monday, 19 October, 2009In the first of a series of interviews, we chat exclusively to Donnie Yen about Ip Man, the sequel, the weight of inevitable comparisons to Bruce Lee, and much much more… (more…)










