NOTES ON ENTERTAINMENT, CULTURE AND MORE FROM KOREA (OR WHEREVER)

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Korea Weekend Box Office - Jan. 25-27

Very impressive totals for FOREVER THE MOMENT, as the women's handball film chugs past the 2.7 million admissions mark, or about $17.3 million. But will it be enough to revive MK Pictures?

This WeekTitle............................................Release DateScreens NationwideWeekend Revenue (bil. won)Total Revenue (bil. won)
1.Forever the Moment (Uri Saengae Choego-ui Sungan - Korean)1.104933.5016.3
2. Cloverfield1.243442.012.40
3. Open City (Mubangbi Dosi - Korean)1.103181.439.46
4. Sweeney Todd1.172841.044.11
5. Hellcats (Tteugeoun Geosi Joha - Korean) 1.172840.883.37
6.Happily N'Ever After 1.242400.700.87
7.Bee Movie 1.032260.506.57
8. Alien vs. Predator1.171800.371.75
9.Mist 1.101780.273.27
10.Enchanted 1.101380.262.63
(Source: KOBIS - Figures represent 97% of nationwide box office)

But this is the crazy weekend, with so many high-profile, big-budget films coming out for the Seollal lunar new year holiday. There is a nice analysis in this KOREA TIMES story about how oversupply is hurting (crippling?) the Korean film industry. So true. Everyone knows that 70-ish films is the "proper" amount for the Korean market, and yet the film industry keeps on cranking out 110 a year. Doesn't this feel like a lesson from your Economics 101 textbook? But what can you do when stupid money insists on throwing itself away?

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