Movie Nights

March 24, 2007 (Saturday) 7:00 p.m.
Adroit College, Conference Room
1851 McCarthy Blvd. Milpitas, CA 95035
Please note new location!

"When you're playing cards, there are no friends nor eternal enemies." Be it poker (Hollywood) or mahjong (Hong Kong), the world of gambling always walked hand in hand with cinema, and it was only a matter of time before Korea would join the game. The blockbuster Tazza: The High Rollers, a.k.a. War of Flowers, brings some distinctive cultural touches to the gambling table. Unlike other films of the genre, Tazza: The High Rollers wraps its mind games around hwatoo, a traditional Korean flower cards game with its own hidden language and tricks ("tazza" means "Master of Tricks"). After the critical and popular success of The Big Swindle, director Choi Dong Hoon, one of the most exciting talents in Chungmuro, comes back with another winner. Based on the popular comic book Tazza by Heo Young Man (whose Damo and Duelist have also been successfully adapted to television and film), Tazza: The High Rollers is possibly the most realistic cinematic portrayal of hwatoo ever. Director Choi met with several experts in the field to perfect shooting techniques and capture the impact of the game on film, and his efforts have more than paid off. Tazza: The High Rollers ended its box office run with over six million tickets sold, making it one of the top ten grossing Korean films of all time.

February 17, 2007 (Saturday) 7:00 p.m.
Adroit College, Conference Room
1010 Corporation Way, Palo Alto

movie trailer

Director Im Kwon Taek is regarded by many as the father of modern Korean Cinema and certainly the first Korean director to receive global critical acclaim. With around a hundred films to his credit, in a career spanning over four decades, Im has crafted some of Korea's most revered and successful films. Chunhyang received its World Premiere at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first Korean film to ever to be selected for the official competition.

January 27, 2006 (Saturday) 7:00 p.m.
Adroit College, Conference Room
1010 Corporation Way, Palo Alto

movie trailer

December 2, 2006 (Saturday) 7:00 p.m.
Adroit College, Conference Room
1010 Corporation Way, Palo Alto NOTE: new location

» movie trailer

Family Ties is an ensemble drama from Kim Tae Yong, the co-director of chiller Memento Mori. The film tells three seemingly unconnected stories in a trilogy of distinct segments. The first part is the story of a woman (Moon So Ri - Oasis, A Good Lawyer's Wife)) who has to deal with her long-lost brother's surprise visit. After having been missing for several years, the brother (played by Um Tae Ung - Revenge) appears and moves in, with his new wife in tow - a much older woman, Mu Shin (Ko Doo Sim - More Beautiful Than A Flower). The second story features a searing performance from Gong Hyo Jin (Memento Mori) as a short-tempered young woman, who discovers that her estranged mother (Kim Hye Ok), with whom she has had a falling out, is terminally ill. Part three examines the relationship problems faced by a young couple (Bong Tae Gyu from See You After School and Jeong Yu Mi from Blossom Again).

October 27, 2006 (Friday) 7:00 p.m.
Adroit College 1st Floor Conference room
830 Stewart Dr, Sunnyvale, CA



Movie Trailer

South and North Korea are on the verge of reunification, and the best way to celebrate this momentous occasion is the re-opening of the Gyunghuiseon Line. But Japan, claiming ownership of the line, interrupts the festivities with a contract signed by the last Joseon Emperor, Gojong, a move which drives both Koreas into a crisis. With Two Cops in 1993 he brought commercial filmmaking back from the abyss of the early 90s, and then in 2003, a little film called Silmido became the first ever Korean production to sell more than 10 million tickets. Kang's new film Hanbando follows the same path as his previous films: it's very controversial and it's a big spectacle. The huge cast is highlighted with experienced actors, including Ahn Sung Ki (Musa, Duelist) as the Korean President, Moon Sung Keun (Princess Aurora) as the skeptical Prime Minister, and finally Cha In Pyo (Hong Kong Express) and Cho Jae Hyun (Bad Guy, Piano) as the agents trying to get to the truth. The 10 billion won blockbuster Hanbando polarized viewers because of its strong political themes, and drew close to 4 million people to the theaters. Now is your chance to see what caused all that fuss.