New Korean Horror Film Now Playing in Los Angeles Source: CJ Entertainment America Special Thanks to Hoon Bae
SPOILER WARNING: This article contains plot details and images from a new movie.
The new Korean horror film KILLER TOON (? ??: ????, Deo Webtoon: Yeogosalin) is now playing at the CGV Cinemas in Los Angeles. The following production notes are courtesy of distributor CJ Entertainment... SYNOPSIS Webcomic predicts future murders! A webcomic editor-in-chief is found dead. Every piece of evidence suggests that the death was a suicide, but lead detective Ki-Chul instinctually believes that this is a case of murder. During his investigation, he comes across a webcomic that uncannily resembles the murder, even down to the exact position of the body. He begins to suspect Ji-Yoon, the creator of the popular horror webcomic, is involved. Ji-yoon, who has been suffering from horrific and realistic hallucinations, adamantly claims that she is not the killer. But when a second victim is killed exactly as drawn in her comic, she becomes the primary suspect. Now she has no choice but to reveal her fatal secret to save herself and her reputation... ? ABOUT THE MOVIE Korea`s very first horror film about webcomics! In 2013 the Korean film industry is abuzz with webcomics. From drama, comedy, to action, all types of online comic genres are being adapted for the big screen. In particular, Fist of Legend, Secretly Greatly and Misang are all incredibly popular webcomics with millions of views that sparked interest from the film industry. Unlike the adaptations of webcomics, KILLER TOON will use them as a subject matter to scare the audiences who are looking for chills to frighten away the blazing mid-summer heat. The protagonist of the film is none other than the webcomic artist, whose comics come alive when murders take place exactly as seen in the comic. Anyone can read webcomics anywhere in modern society via smart devices. It`s already a familiar form of entertainment to daily commuters. Director KIM Yong-gyun said, "people began talking about webcomics like they used to around water coolers with TV dramas and films. Unlike previous films that adapted webcomics, I was fascinated by it being the focus and thought it would add a new flavor to the film by incorporating actual drawings". As the stories found in the webcomics come alive, victims foresee their demise right before the tragedy strikes. This out-of-this-world premise adds intrigue and builds mystery until the very last frame of the film. As the director stated, blending live action film with comic-style drawings of the murders become a fascinating cinematic tool for the 21st Century.
Fantastic horror chemistry! 2013`s horror queen LEE Si-young and UM Ki-joon`s eerie match-up! KILLER TOON brought together LEE Si-young, who never stops challenging herself, and UM Ki-joon, who continually walks the line between the small screen and musical stage. From HOW TO USE GUYS WITH SECRET TIPS to MEET THE IN-LAWS, LEE is a fixture in the romantic comedy genre, whose characters are odd and lovable. Now she turns the table on herself to confront the horror genre, as a comic artist whose drawings predict future murders. She removes any charm and the cutesy image of her past roles and transforms into a horror queen. Director KIM Yong-hwa complimented her transformation, "LEE is a natural born actress. The energy and passion for acting that she breathed were limited to the comedy genre, but she`ll show her potential as a horror actress with this film". On the other hand, UM Ki-joon, whose appearances on hit TV dramas such as THE WORLD THAT THEY LIVE IN, PHANTOM, and THE VIRUS showcased his cold and charismatic sides, turns into a detective who adamantly believes in his intuition. "UM completely embodied his character with his acting. His performance is totally believable on the screen," says director KIM. His character was the anchor point of the film who carried the story forward, so it was necessary for him to set the standard for others". In the musical world, UM is already an AAA actor on the stage, having starred in many high budget productions, such as `Monte Cristo` and `Jack The Ripper.` KILLER TOON represents the first horror film starring roles for LEE and UM. But they`ve surpassed all expectations and perfectly transformed into characters who feel so natural in a summer horror film. Together they hold the key to a mystery that kills the seemingly innocent victims of ghastly murders. ? Director KIM Yong-gyun`s confident comeback to the big screen! With 2005`s well-made horror film THE RED SHOES, the director KIM Yong-gyun showed the world that a horror film can be beautiful as well as terrifying. Now he`s back with his 4th feature film. He reaffirms his position as a Korean horror film director to keep on eye out for by relentlessly adding his own flair into an established genre.
With the second horror feature film of his career, director KIM said it felt like being a rookie filmmaker again, "I poured all my passion into it as if I was working on my debut film." The main focal point of the film was `story`. "Structure of the screenplay was very detailed and the story felt full. And the pacing was second to none," and KIM worked hard to create a story that audiences can relate to. "The anchor point of the film was making the characters convincing. I wanted the film to be not just a horror film but something akin to riding a roller coaster and allow the story to thrill and make you nervous at the same time," the director envisioned this film as something that does not go for cheap shocks and scares but emotional and psychological scares that slowly penetrate into the minds and hearts of the audience. After ‘story’, the next most important aspect of the film was `webcomic`. Using this new form of entertainment brought high anticipation and pressure to the director. Since this was the first film in Korea to tackle webcomics as the core premise, the director and filmmakers had to think about how to best bring a story that incorporates this medium. The end result of all these discussions and meetings is KILLER TOON. Director proudly said, "there was a definite moment of satisfaction during the making of the film and with the end result." ? Webcomic is drawn on the screen? Coming together of Korea`s filmmaking technology! Breathing life into 2D lifeless comics! As mentioned previously, one of the strengths of KILLER TOON is the graphic effect of webcomic panels coming alive in the film. It was the first time in a film that used advanced CG work to add another dimension to flat 2D graphics to make them look as though they`re embedded in 3D space.
One of the biggest obstacles that the makers of this film faced was how to best portray the webcomic in the film. This debate began even during screenplay development stage, and it was a major challenge to bring flat, inanimate characters in panels to a motion-based medium. They also put great effort into picking out the right artist who`d draw all the images that are seen in the film. Because the graphic work would take a year to complete, the filmmakers looked for a webcomic artist who had previous experience with drawing storyboards. And even after the artist was brought in, the work was still no easy task. In order for the drawings to not feel awkward when blended in with the live action footage, the artist drew a rough base drawing that fits the cut in the storyboard, and the director would use the drawing to shoot the scene, and with the final live plate, the artist would draw the final drawing on top of it. It was a massive undertaking that took upwards of 100 hours per drawing. Animating the webcomic was also a challenge that required 3D effects in order to make the comic feel more convincing. The scene with the most amount of work was the opening flashback sequence that ends with the horrifying death of the webcomic editor-in-chief. One of Korea`s best CG studio, 2L, rose to the challenge and divided the drawings into many layers and added moving effects, as if the camera was physically moving between characters. They even added detailed animation into the sequence, such as leaves swaying in the wind or the blood drops sprayed in the air. Only with these details in place did the webcomic truly came alive and give flat 2D drawings a much-needed vitality. Also, being mindful of webcomic fans who are only used to PC screens and mobile devices, the filmmakers shot the film in 1.85:1 screen ratio rather than more cinematic 2.35:1. "We worked very hard to make sure when the still image of the webcomic and moving film came together, they weren`t causing negative effects to both, but add more positives by creating synergy effect," director KIM Yong-gyun adds. Such a hybrid of the traditionally inanimate webcomic into a feature film adds one more interesting aspect to overall intrigue of KILLER TOON. ? DIRECTOR`S STATEMENT I began this project as if I went back to making my debut. I wanted to create a film that everyone would be curious about, a fun film that you`re scared of but still want to continue watching. Our film tells the story of secrets that we all have inside of us. How horrifying would it feel if your secrets were projected onto the screen?! I hope the film becomes a mirror that reflects guilt that people had forgotten about. I want people to react, "that`s my story," or "I`ll never do that again", and feel remorse for their past actions. It`s a film that allows you to be introspective. That`s why it`s a relatable story. As the director of this film, this was one of main topic that I thought about the most. PRODUCTION NOTES Create a horror film on a different plain! How the horror thriller KILLER TOON was made by a perfectionist director and his staff
Webcomic Over the course of 3 years in development, ‘webcomic’ was the most discussed topic by the staff. It was absolutely imperative to find a webcomic artist who could participate in the production from beginning to the end. They ultimately found KIM Dae-il, who has previous experience working on storyboards, as well as a realistic drawing style. He immediately understood the filmmakers’ needs and executed drawings that would enthrall other webcomic artists, and added another layer of gloss to the film. Director of photography Photography is another aspect of the film that the filmmakers put an equal amount of effort as they did the webcomic. Coming off a long hiatus, director KIM was particularly picky with selecting his key staff. Director of photography LEE Joong-bae, whose work includes A LONG VISIT, was the first staff member to be selected. He checked all blocking for the actors, as well as preparing each page of storyboards for the following day`s shoot. Thanks to DP LEE`s hasty shoot on the set, KILLER TOON wrapped production on schedule. Production design Production design was left to KANG So-young, whose work includes PUNCH! and HARMONY. Having a knack for portraying characters via the spaces they occupy, she put her heart into Ji-yoon`s workspace and the basement which plays a crucial role in the film. Director KIM, who has extraordinarily high expectations for production design, came up with a variety of ideas in order to create spaces that have not been seen before. He demanded the spaces to look modern and compared Ji-yoon`s workspace as something that came out of Goya`s body of work. Music Music is the last piece of the puzzle that adds an incredibly important element to a horror/thriller. From LAST AUTUMN, THE CHASER to MY TEACHER, MR. KIM, one of the most defining composers of Korean cinema, CHOI Yong-rak, collaborated with director KIM for the second time following THE SWORD WITH NO NAME. Rather than resorting to contrived and unnatural music to create tension, CHOI combined repetitive notes to create a new style of thrill. Eerie Happy Mansion! How did the director and actors feel about the location? Locations in the film that showcase characters’ traits
Happy Mansion is the space where all mysteries are revealed. Because it is one place where the secrets of the past connect with the murder cases of the present, the staff took extra effort into finding the location. The final locations were Sky Apartment in Jungleung for the exterior and Siyoung Apartment in Goduk for the basement. Both complexes are nearing demolition, so they ooze the eeriness of abandonment as all the residents left their former homes. “You could feel the lived-in weariness of passing time in both apartments”, says director KIM. “If you visit there, you would actually feel tired. We chose those places for this precise reason, but we wanted to shoot as quickly as possible and leave.” Actor LEE Si-young added, “it was scary because it had the atmosphere of complete abandonment.” On the other hand, actor UM Ki-joon had to scream into his cell phone while walking up the stairs towards the apartment in the middle of the night. The neighbors complained of sudden noise in their community and the staff had to apologize for causing a ruckus near their homes. On the other hand, present day spaces emphasized a modern style. Ji-yoon’s workspace and her home were primary examples. Director KIM knew that this space was the best way to represent the character’s mindset, so he desired a home that had everything Ji-yoon needed to work and live, but felt isolated like a cottage. So the staff found a cottage with an indoor pool, and the art department completed the director’s vision by adding their own special touch to Ji-yun’s workspace. These spaces that fit the character traits allow the completion of a modern age horror film.
UM Ki-joon, the man in the rain VS. LEE Si-young, the woman in the fire. Two actors’ unrelenting physical challenge The KILLER TOON shoot began during the scorching hot month of August and wrapped up in chilly November. The shoot was especially tough for the actors, whose performances were far more physical than usual. As Ki-chul chased after every shred of evidence, actor UM Ki-joon had to run in many of the scenes, and rain was even more problematic for him. In the scene in front of an abandoned hog farm immediately after a shocking turn of events UM had to endure an entire day in the rain, almost a full sprinkler truck tank worth. “It was so cold that day, I remember shivering the entire time we shot,” says UM. Thanks to his extra effort, the shock of the character feels real and a memorable scene was created. Just as UM had difficulties with water, LEE Si-young had a hard time because of fire. In the climatic flashback scene where the basement workshop is engulfed in fire, LEE had difficulty breathing while working near the fire and smoke, but still went many takes in order to capture the perfect scene. Also in the final scene, LEE wanted realism for the final encounter between her character and Ki-chul, so she practiced swinging a real axe that weighs upwards of 10kg. LEE’s hardship didn’t end there. In the scene where Ji-yoon’s character had to rush to a hospital morgue to prevent another murder, she decided to shoot the car scene by herself rather than relying on a stunt driver. She knew right away that close-ups of the driver were needed to make this sequence feel as realistic as possible. Thanks to these two actors’ incredible efforts, KILLER TOON will surprise you, shock you and convince you that their story is genuine. ? CHARACTERS & CAST "It’s all figment of my imagination, they are all made-up!" Popular webcomic artist ‘Kang Ji-yoon’
An extremely popular webcomic artist with cult-like following. Her debut comic History of Lunacy was a bona fide success but she suffers from the pressure of the follow-up, and has constant nightmares that are borderline insanity. When a series of murders take place exactly as her comics, she begins to wonder how she’s linked to the murders. “This was the first script that I chose willingly!” From a romantic comedy queen to a horror queen -- LEE Si-young From MEET THE IN-LAWS, COUPLES to HOW TO USE GUYS WITH SECRET TIPS, LEE has been on a comedy kick recently. In 2013, she attempts to become the ‘horror queen’ of Korean cinema with KILLER TOON. Despite being her first horror role, her acting on the set brought out awe from the staff, and will surely surprise the audience. She claims KILLER TOON was the first script that she chose willingly and is determined to show a side of her that no one has seen before. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY HOW TO USE GUYS WITH SECRET TIPS (2013), WILD ROMANCE (TV, 2012), COUPLES (2011), MEET THE IN-LAWS (2011), HOODWINKED TOO!: HOOD VS EVIL (2011), POSEIDON (TV, 2011), PLAYFUL KISS (TV, 2010), THE BIRTH OF THE RICH (TV, 2010) THE DESCENDANTS OF HONG GIL-DONG (2009), FIVE SENSES OF EROS (2009) AWARDS 2010 KBS Drama Awards - Best Newcomer Award (THE BIRTH OF THE RICH) 2010 KBS Entertainment Awards - Best Newcomer Award (Entertainment Relay) 2009 7th Max Movie Best Film Awards - Best New Actress Award (THE DESCENDANTS OF HONG GIL-DONG) LEE SI-YOUNG Q&A Q1. You`ve stayed in the romantic comedy genre until now. What was your reason for tackling the horror/thriller genre? A1. First and foremost, I really liked the fact that it was a role I`ve never played before. And of course, while reading the screenplay, I thought the parts where the webcomic come alive on the screen would be very interesting as a cinematic tool. When I found out that director KIM Yong-gyun was helming this project, I tracked down his contact info and called him right away. I said I wanted this part! Later on, I even threatened him, "if it`s not with me, this film will never be made!" Q2. Did you have any difficulties in performing this character? A2. `Kang Ji-yoon` is a very attractive character and has many dimensions. I wanted to challenge myself and wanted to study this character so it was a challenge to pull this character off. So I discussed this character many times with the director. I focused on the question, "how far can I take it?" The director pointed out even the most miniscule details and helped bring out the emotions on the set. Thanks to that I was able to grow as an actress and, for the first time ever, I felt catharsis while acting. Q3. If you had to pick one reason to watch KILLER TOON, what is it? A3. As human beings, don`t we all have secrets? We all live with small mistakes and guilt. This film points out those things quite frankly. Some of you may feel guilty because of it. Even if you don`t enjoy horror films, you may be able to enjoy it because you can relate to it. "You’re the one who planned and carried out this murder!" Lead detective on the case, ‘Ki-chul’
Ki-chul is a detective with highly tuned intuition. When he becomes the lead detective on the murder case of a webcomic editor-in-chief, he senses comic artist Ji-yoon may be responsible. As Ji-yoon denies the allegations, he begins to unravel the deep and harrowing secrets that surround Ji-yoon`s past. “The script was so scary, I had to turn on the light!!” Having conquered the small screen and musical stage, he’s after the silver screen -- UM Ki-joon UM Ki-Joon was a theater actor who had already solidified his status through musicals such as GREASE, SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, and MONTE CRISTO. Even though he was an established name in the musical industry, he was an unknown actor on TV and film, until his debut KIMCHI CHEESE SMILE. UM plays Ki-chul in KILLER TOON as a detective with killer intuition and displayed energetic chemistry with lead LEE. “I was reading the script in bed and I had to turn on the light because I was so scared,” says UM. He decided to star in the film after a single reading of the screenplay. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY THE VIRUS (TV, 2013), PHANTOM (TV, 2012), SCENT OF A WOMAN (TV, 2011), DREAM HIGH (TV, 2011), HERO (TV, 2011), MAN OF VENDETTA (2010), FINDING MR. DESTINY (2010), VILLAIN & WIDOW (2010), THE WORLD THAT THEY LIVE IN (TV, 2008) AWARDS 2011 Puchon Int’l Fantastic Film Festival – ‘IT’ Star Award 2011 SBS Drama Awards – Best Weekend Drama Award 2008 KBS Drama Awards – Best Supporting Actor Award UM KI-JOON Q&A Q1. You`ve mainly worked on TV dramas and musical productions. Why did you choose this film as your comeback to the big screen? A1. I normally can`t read a screenplay in one sitting but this one was such a page-turner that I read the entire thing in one go. It was scary reading in bed with just my lamp on, I constantly felt a chill behind me... In the end, I ended up turning on all the lights in the house and finished reading it in the living room. At the time I was in the middle of shooting PHANTOM and after being chased for so long, I wanted to play a character who did the chasing for a change. Q2. You were someone who always lightened the mood of the set. Is that close to your real personality? A2. I thought the mood on the set had to be light in order to encourage good performances from the actors. That`s why I always try to smile and not get stressed out when I`m on the set. The atmosphere I`m in dictates the concentration of the performance, so I try to prep as much as possible and stay positive on the set. Q3. It`s your first time working with LEE Si-young. As someone who’s been in this industry longer than LEE Si-Young, what did you think of her as an actress? A3. More than anything, Ms. LEE`s eyes are so stunning when she’s in character... some said that the eyes portray the character in a way which is far more important than speaking. She did a fantastic job in portraying Kang Ji-yoon. She`s an actress who focuses on one thing at a time, and she completely embodied the character in front of the camera. She`s such a pure person. "Let’s just follow the protocol." Ki-chul’s partner, `Young-su`
Ki-chul’s faithful partner, Young-su, is heading up the investigation of recent murders. After discovering that Ji-yoon’s webcomic contains secrets of his part, he attempts to cover it up in fear of getting exposed. “I’ll reveal a completely new side of me!” Super rookie of 2013 -- HYUN Woo Having made his debut with A FROZEN FLOWER, HYUN Woo went onto star in a series of hit TV dramas such as PASTA, TREE WITH DEEP ROOTS and THE VIRUS. He’s widening his audience awareness by starring in the daily drama UGLY ALERT. With KILLER TOON, he’s making a major comeback to the big screen in 2013. Without a doubt, he’ll make his female fans fall in love with him all over again with his lovable smile. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY UGLY ALERT (TV, 2013), THE VIRUS (TV, 2013), TREE WITH DEEP ROOTS (TV, 2011), PASTA (TV, 2010), A FROZEN FLOWER (2008) “I did not do it.” The girl who is holding the key to the mystery -- `Suh-hyun` Suh-hyun is a high school student who lived in the same apartment complex when Ji-yoon was still a nobody. Ji-yoon pitied her and they become very close and relied on each other. But she disappeared suddenly without a trace. She’s the one who can solve the mystery surrounding all the murders. “There’s something special that makes it stand out from the rest!” Fresh new face that will revitalize the film industry -- MOON Ga-young MOON made a splash on the small screen as JUNG Yong-hwa character’s little sister in the hit TV drama YOU’VE FALLEN FOR ME. As an actress with very oriental facial features, she is being heralded as the next generation’s MOON Geun-young. She makes her presence known in KILLER TOON as a character who’s holding the key to the mystery. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY BAD GUY (TV, 2010), JA MYUNG GO (TV, 2009), FRIEND, OUR LEGEND (TV, 2008), SHADOWS IN THE PALACE (2007), OUR TOWN (2007), GOONG S (TV, 2007), TO SIR, WITH LOVE (2006) ? DIRECTOR "I wanted to make a horror film with a deep story" Korea’s newest star horror director -- KIM Yong-gyun
Starting with WANEE AND JUNAH, THE RED SHOES and finally THE SWORD WITH NO NAME, director KIM Yong-gyun has tackled a wide range of genres over the years. Whichever genre he chose to work on, he infused his own style and flair. After a 4 year break, he comes back with KILLER TOON. “It was a project that I wanted to directed, a screenplay that I wanted to challenge myself with,” says director KIM. In WANEE AND JUNAH he employed a watercolor painting style, and video game-like CG in THE SWORD WITH NO NAME, and now he’s tackling the webcomic style in KILLER TOON, thereby offering a completely new visual feast to the audience. “I wanted the audience to relate to the film,” says the director, and his 4th feature will no doubt bring something new to the table in the horror genre this summer. FILMOGRAPHY THE SWORD WITH NO NAME (2009, director), THE RED SHOES (2005, director), WANEE AND JUNAH (2001, writer/director) DIRECTOR KIM YONG-GYUN Q&A Q1. KILLER TOON marks your return to director`s chair after 4 years of absence. What was your reason? A1. When I first received the screenplay of KILLER TOON, it was titled `Story`. Just by looking at the title I thought, `this script must be so confident about its storytelling`. The structure of the script was tight and the story unfolded in rapid succession. And I was intrigued by the fact that it tackled webcomics as a subject matter. Q2. This is your second horror project after THE RED SHOES. What is your attraction to this genre? A2. Actually, I never thought about directing a horror film. But I had such a fun time making THE RED SHOES, I knew it was a very special genre and wanted to work on another one in the future. I was slightly disappointed with THE RED SHOES` depth of story, and I wanted to upgrade that aspect in this film. Q3. The anticipation of seeing how the webcomic was interpreted in the film is very high. You mixed various art mediums in the past; how was it different this time? A3. Many people remember the animation that was in WANEE AND JUNAH`s ending. We put so much effort into KILLER TOON`s webcomic effects. The production designer and I had many meetings about the visual look of it, and the atmosphere with the DP and gaffer. And I thought about how to embed the story in the actors` performances. The CG team did a great job of bringing flat 2D drawings into the moving world of cinema. Q4. LEE Si-young and UM Ki-joon had a great chemistry together. It’s their first horror roles; how did you cast them? A4. If you look at LEE Si-young’s previous roles, she has played many humorous characters, but I thought she’d fit right in the main role of this thriller. She has very firm values as an actress so I did not have to give instruction. Since UM Ki-joon is a veteran musical actor, his dialogue delivery tone was very solid but musical in a way. Thinking beyond just being able to hear the dialogue with his well-developed vocal chord, his musical experience adds so much more to his voice. Both actors are very attractive in this regard. Q5. What were some of the things you tried to do differently from other traditional horror films? A5. I was disappointed with not being able to convincingly show the causal relationship in the story between the main and supporting cast in THE RED SHOES. For this reason, I put special interest in the structure of KILLER TOON’s relationship between the characters. From a drama standpoint, unexpected shock is the main element of a horror film, but it can’t be said that this is the only reason why the film is scary. The main fear focus of KILLER TOON is the inner guilt, and how it is cinematically brought out. If you look back at all the wrongdoings of your past, the fear is unspeakable. ‘There are many great anecdotes within a good story,’ that’s what we aimed. I wish people would think, ‘I will not do that’ after watching this film. CREDITS Korean Release Date: June 27, 2013 US Release Date: July 12, 2013 Genre: Horror, Thriller Running Time: 104 minutes Cast Ji-yoon: LEE Si-young Detective Lee Ki-chul: UM Ki-joon Kim Young-su: HYUN Woo Jo Suh-hyun: MOON Ga-young Jo Sun-Gi: KWON Hae-Hyo Seo Mi-sook: KIM Do-Young Director: KIM Yong-gyun Screenplay: LEE Sang-Hak Cinematographer: LEE Joong-Bae, SONG Jae-Wan Presented and distributed by CJ Entertainment Production: Filma Pictures / Line Film
About CJ Entertainment America
Launched in 2005, CJ Entertainment America is the U.S. arm of Asia’s premier entertainment company and Korea’s #1 filmmaker and distributor, CJ Entertainment & Media. Since 1995, CJ E&M has provided original, award-winning content -- across an array of genres, including drama, comedy, action, sci-fi/horror and special interest -- for theatrical, television, DVD, digital download, interactive game publishing/portals and music. A prominent investor in entertainment co-ventures in overseas markets (including 1492 Pictures, DreamWorks and IMAX in the U.S.), CJ E&M also develops and operates 200 premium multiplex theater sites under the CGV Cinemas banner (including a flagship site in Los Angeles) and is a leading concert promoter, helping establish “K-pop” as a successful world music genre. The cornerstone of the Korean entertainment industry – boasting the country’s largest and most significant library, with hundreds of films – CJ E&M is also a singular presence throughout Asia, Europe and in the States and a key force in popularizing contemporary Korean and Pan-Asian cinema around the world. Top films include THE MAN FROM NOWHERE; THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD; A BITTERSWEET LIFE; JOINT SECURITY AREA; and the VENGEANCE trilogy, to name a few.