Showing posts with label Speed Racer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Speed Racer. Show all posts

Back in town Rain brings us up to speed

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To say that Rain has come a long way from his humble beginnings as a dancer for ex-producer Park Jin-young would be a gross understatement.

With two Wachowski Brothers' films under his belt -- one of which is slated for release next year -- and an international album in the works, Korean pop star Jung Ji-hoon a.k.a. Rain is well on his way to global stardom.

That does not mean he has forgotten his domestic fans. Back in town after wrapping up his upcoming flick, "Ninja Assassin," the 26-year old heartthrob dropped his latest album, "Rainism," on the nation this fall.

"'Rainism' is a neologism that combines my name, Rain, with the suffix '-ism,'" said Jung in an e-mail interview with The Korea Herald. "It means 'everything that is connected to Rain.'"

The first album to be produced off his new independent label, J. Tune Entertainment, "Rainism" hit the top of online music store Hottracks' (www.hottracks.co.kr) Korean pop charts on the third week of October, setting a successful tone to Jung's first JYP-free solo debut.

"I think that in order to see far out and beyond, and fly high, a bird must leave its nest," said Jung of his decision to go solo in 2007. "Park Jin-young is the one, that special person to whom I am very grateful, who helped me do music for the first time. My 'big brother,' Jin-young, was happy to give me advice when I told him I was leaving JYP."

Jung added that he still consults with Park of JYP Entertainment, whom he considers to be his "closest advisor." But that is as far as their relationship goes when it comes to Jung's musical career. "For this album, I was in charge of producing everything," said Jung who worked with singer-cum-producer Tae-wan a.k.a. C-luv on it. "So you could say that I was able to fully infuse it with the color and flavor that I was going for."

Rain's musical vision, however, got lost in translation when confusion ensued over two of his new singles, "Rainism" and "You." Broadcasting station MBC re-evaluated the title song, "Rainism," for its potentially racy lyrics, which read: "My magic stick, spinning in your quivering body/My body shakes, feeling that it has reached its limit."

According to a MBC program evaluation and analysis department representative, the single underwent reassessment because the lyrics that follow the words "magic stick" could lead to the assumption that "magic stick" stands for male genitalia. After re-evaluation, they allowed it to be broadcast.

Meanwhile, SBS banned Rain's new single "You" from its station for the supposedly suggestive nature of the following lyrics: "I am struck by your curves ... Please hide that ass, you are driving me crazy."

Of SBS' decision, Rain answered, "If one looks at Korean pop music lyrics, there are many instances where it is hard to differentiate between sexual and dance-related descriptions. As I stated before, the lyrics for 'Rainism' were not written with sexual intent. The same applies to 'You.'" "If I had known that those words had a sexual meaning I would not have used them," he said of his single, "Rainism."

While his lyrics may not be considered suggestive by Koreans, that may not be the case with Americans, especially for those who are familiar with Lil' Kim and 50 Cent's hit 2003 single "Magic Stick."

But that should be the least of Rain's worries when it comes to the U.S. market. Judging from his latest album, which does not seem to be a radical departure from his previous releases, Jung will need to work hard to rise to the top in a market dominated by hip-hop pioneers like Kanye West and solid dancing and singing ingenues like Chris Brown.

Rain, however, has two advantages. Prominent talent agency William Morris is representing him and BoA, who released her first U.S. single via the internet in October, can serve as a benchmark.

"Right now, the William Morris Agency -- who is representing me in the States -- has formed an exclusive Rain team in order to provide all the support necessary to help me work as a singer and actor," he revealed. "They will play an important role ... at times connecting me to the artists, musicians and directors who I will work with."

Not that he needs to worry about connections. He already caught the attention of American comedian Stephen Colbert when he was voted the most influential person in the world in an internet poll conducted by Time magazine in 2007, leading to a memorable parody of Rain's music video "Running Away from the Sun" on The Colbert Report and to a guest star appearance on the show this May.

"I think from an American standpoint, the fact that Colbert parodied me should be seen as an honor," said Jung. "Hollywood's top stars often become fodder for parody or stories on American talk shows."

When asked about his comedic dance-off with Colbert in May, Jung answered: "Starring on The Colbert Report was a great experience." "The Colbert that I met was a really warm and cheery person," he added. "I remember, after filming, when I was leaving, he stuck his head out the window and waved at me."

Colbert is not the only person to take an interest in Rain. The directing-writing-producing duo behind the hit "Matrix" series, Larry and Andy Wachowski, cast him in their latest flick "Speed Racer" and as the lead for "Ninja Assassin."

"The Wachowskis I met were really friendly," said Jung. "They joked a lot and we ate together. That in itself was an honor."

But Jung has no illusions about what it takes to make it in Hollywood. "In Hollywood I needed to work hard to make myself known," he explained. "There are a lot of outstanding actors and actresses, so to gain recognition as an Asian actor required a lot of painful endurance and effort."

"But these experiences made me a stronger person," continued Jung. "And I gained the deep trust of Joel Silver and the Wachowskis. That is how I got the lead for 'Ninja Assassin.'"

Filming "Ninja Assassin" was not any easier. "Training was very harsh," recalled Jung, who worked with the training team behind the hit action flick "300."

"I am a big eater, so it was really hard just eating chicken breast and vegetables for eight months," he continued, adding that he trained for over 10 hours a day, at least four months prior to filming, and did over 90 percent of the action scenes himself.

"I really put everything I had into this movie," he said, before clinching it with: "You won't be disappointed."

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldm.com), image as stated copied from empas.com

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/


It better be good!
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Why Was 'Speed Racer' a Box Office Flop?

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recent edition of Variety magazine featured a column written by deputy on-line editor Anne Thompson on why the film 'Speed Racer' ended up being a box office flop. The film, which opened in more than 3,500 theaters nationwide in the United States on May 9, only raked in 42 million dollars, which is less than the 80 million dollars spent on the film's promotion.

The magazine pointed out that the the target audience was way too limited for the 200 million-dollar movie to succeed. It also pointed out that the collaboration between Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers didn't really work for the film, which mainly targeted a young audience.

Although the filmmakers originally targeted the parent generation who grew up watching the cartoon series 'Speed Racer' during the 1960s and 1970s, the film appealed instead to children who had never even heard of the cartoon series. The film's 120-minute running time was deemed too long for the children audience, who found the dynamic speed of the storyline and complex computer graphics a little exhausting to watch after a while.

The magazine article concluded by saying that Warner Bros. had perhaps tried too hard to compete with sequel films such as Harry Potter, Superman and Batman.

Source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/entertainment/news/1530057_11858.html
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Name Mix-Up Dampens Rain's Hollywood Debut

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Actor and musician Rain arrives at the premiere of 'Speed Racer'
at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California on Saturday.
The movie follows the adventures of a young race car driver Speed (Emile Hirsch)
in his quest for glory in his thunderous Mach 5. /AFP

Singer and actor Rain had an embarrassing moment at the premier of his Hollywood debut film "Speed Racer" at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday. The 26-year-old Korean superstar was introduced as Taejo Togokhan, the name of his character in the movie, instead of his real name Jung Ji-hoon, or his better-known stage name.

The premier drew reporters from around the world, come to see the latest work by directors Andy and Larry Wachowski, the creators of the worldwide blockbuster "The Matrix." Several Hollywood luminaries also turned out, including Jodie Foster, Tim Robbins and Jon Voight.

The first Wachowski movie in five years, "Speed Racer" is based on a Japanese animation called "Mach GoGoGo" about aspiring young car racers. Anticipation is building among movie lovers eager to see how the innovative directors, known for the revolutionary visual style they pioneered with the "Matrix" series, will use the latest computer technology to tell the tale.

Rain's name mix-up wasn't limited to just the announcements -- he was also listed as "actor Taejo Togokhan" in the caption of a photograph of him with costar Susan Sarandon. The mistake would be like writing Sarandon's name as "Mom Racer."

The publicists managed to get the name of Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada, who also appears in the movie, printed correctly. Having spotted the error, the foreign press corrected the Korean actor's name.

Meanwhile, Rain is set to tour to Asia, the U.S. and Europe to promote the film, kicking off with a stop here at home where the movie is slated to open on May 8.

Source: englishnews@chosun.com

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/new...0804280012.html
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Four stingy questions about Rain's Hollywood entrance

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Top star Rain is starring in Hollywood blockbuster "Speed Racer", which cost 300 billion won ($US 300 million), and will reveal his face to the whole world. He plays a handsome character with a big part, not distorted because he's Asian.


Rain, who rose as a singer and actor in Korea, came close to being a world star after a world tour, including a performance in America. With this movie, he will establish a foundation. With his sincerity and effort, he came out earlier than expected. He also has the lead role for "Ninja Assassin", the next work of the Wachowski brothers, the directors of "Speed Racer". The directors did not hesitate to put Rain in the leading role of their big project, ten years in the making.

At this point, it's hard not to be curious about the chemistry between Rain and "Speed Racer". The answers come from the world premiere on the 18th and an interview with Rain. Of course, most of the answers are not disappointing.

Does Rain speak English well?
When Rain, who was born, raised, and worked in Korea, said he would come out in a Hollywood movie, everyone was doubtful about his English skills. Would he be able to show his talent when he had to focus on accomplishing his English lines?

But after the premiere, there were many in the audience who applauded Rain's natural recitation of his lines. There weren't any long and difficult lines, but there was no indication that it was his first English movie.

Rain said that the secret for these results were 'honestly'. He said, "From the beginning, I truthfully admitted that I was learning English and to tell me if I pronounced something wrong. My fellow actors also corrected my usage, and monitored my scenes especially with care".

His way of studying English is to talk to himself. He revealed, "It's become a habit to sit at a coffee shop and ask questions and answer them by myself. My English is still at a conversation level, but by next year, I hope to speak comfortable even in a formal setting".

Taejo Togokhan? Isn't he Japanese?
Asian roles in Hollywood movies are usually Japanese or Chinese. This movie was a remake of the Japanese comic "Mahha GoGoGo" and there was speculation that Rain's haracter Taejo Togokhan was Japanese. It's not a big problem of what nationality he is, but there was the desire that it would be known as a Korean.

The movie approached his nationality vaguely, and took a step back from the problem. Togokhan's father seems Chinese, and his younger sister seems Japanese. The company name at the office is in Korean. Rain's opinion greatly influenced the Korean in the movie. Rain took care of the problem by saying "Taejo Togokhan is just Asian American".

Easy to adjust to Hollywood actors and system?

He wasn't absolutely alone, but there were a lot of things he had to do alone in that unfamiliar place. Rain said he was worried at first. "It seemed Hollywood top stars wouldn't be as kind to Asians".

But the results were opposite. Rain was amazed at the set, directors, and actors, but he was determined not to make it obvious. So he had no NGs or faults. The actors were nice and they got along well.

Rain revealed his ability to adapt. "Almost everything was filmed with a green screen. It was embarrassing to stare into space and recite lines with nothing there, but after the second time, I got used to it and it was fun".

He also got along with the actors. "There is a scene where I punch Emile Hirsch. I still remember people monitoring in front of the camera and telling me that I did really well. And Susan Sarandon, who I liked when I was young, complimented my acting and it seemed like a dream. Later, she took a signed CD, saying that she saw my performance on YouTube. She sent a letter congratulating my Hollywood debut, and I have it safe at home".

"I watched 'Lost', 'Prison Break', and 'Entourage" to study English, and it was nice to meet Matthew Fox, the main character of 'Lost'. He is handsome, and I tried hard to get close to them".

As the directors, Rain, who didn't have a single NG, seemed to be a logical choice for their next work. Rain wanted to treat them to Korean food, and invited them to Korean restaurant in Berlin for bulgogi and kimchi. The Wachoski brothers then asked, "You work very hard. There's something we've been preparing for ten years. Do you want to do it?"

Rain said, "Sure. Who's the main character?" And the directors answered, "It's you". And so, "Ninja Assassin", filming from next month, will allow Rain to do the action and sad acting that he wanted.

Is there a big emphasis?
Taejo Togokhan is an important character who controls the main character's situation. He is not simply a sweet friend or an evil character, but a role whose mystery grows towards the end of the movie. Rain acted out scenes when he was angry, nervous about a competition, and cheering innocently.

Initially, the emphasis was small, but it grew with Rain's efforts. How hard he must have worked for the directors to expand his role. But if you know Rain's sincerity, it is easy to understand. Afraid that he would be pushed around by the actors, he didn't sleep right, wore the racing uniform in 35 degree Celsius weather, not asking for water or rest, and showed that 'Koreans are always like this'.

It is a custom for blockbusters, but there may be a third "Speed Racer", and Rain may have the opportunity to reveal the mystery behind Taejo Togokhan. He said, "I'm curious about some scenes toward the end. There seems to be something after that, but they won't tell me".

If anyone has been into the online game "Kart Rider" (Open the link), the movie will seem exciting. You can see Rain holding a steering wheel in the midst of great computer graphics on May 8.
Source:http://www.hancinema.net/four-stingy-questions-about-rain-s-hollywood-entrance-13599.html
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