DR#180 “Movies in Korea”
Next to hiking, what I enjoy in Korea is seeing movies in the theater. Recently I enjoy “foreign” movies since last December. I really enjoyed “Avatar” very much. I saw this movie 3 times in three weeks.
In Korea, the fee of the first movie in every screen is half of regular fee. Since I have no class on Friday, I usually go to see the movies on Friday.
The multiplex movie theater is in the building named “Star-gate” which is about 30 minutes by bicycle from my apartment.
The multiplex theater was called “Premus” and the first movie of every screen cost only 4000 won. Moreover, if I showed my LG card, they discount 1000 won off, which means I could see the first run movie with only 3000 won(about 280 yen!)
But “Premus” seemed to be bought off by “CGV” last year, and they raised the “morning” movie fee to 5000 won. And they did not discount with LG card anymore.
Comparing with movies in Japan, it is still reasonable cost (5000 won means 450 yen) so I often go to the theater.
This year, they run “3D” movies like “Avatar” one after another. I saw “Alice in the wonder land” and “Clash of the Titan.” They are all fantasy fictions. (3D movie costs 8000 won, however.)
Today, I saw “Green Zone” which looked like real documentary movie based on “2003 invasion of Iraq.” According to Japanese Wikipedia, this is a “thriller” movie.
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B0%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%B3%E3%83%BB%E3%82%BE%E3%83%BC%E3%83%B3
But English version did not say “thriller” movie at all, and I don’t think this is a “thriller” movie, rather it is a documentary movie.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Zone_(film)
It will be released in Japan on May 14, 2010.
DR#180「韓国映画事情」
韓国の生活で登山の次にうれしいのは映画だ。なにせ安くて早い。最近は外国映画を続けて観ている。昨年１２月に封切された「アバター」は特に気に入って３回も観た。
韓国では午前中に上映される１回目の映画の料金は半額だ。私がいつも観に行くのは、家から自転車で３０分ほど離れた斗山にあるスターゲイトビル内のマルチプレックスだ。
昨年まで、プリマスという映画館のチェーンが経営していて、早朝割引は4000ウォン。それにLGカードを示すとさらに1000ウォン割引されて3000ウォンで封切映画が観られた。
しかし、昨年、経営者がプリマスからCGVに変わり、早朝割引料金が5000ウォンになった。さらに痛いことにLGカードが使えなくなった。
それでも5000ウォンといえば日本円で４５０円程度なので安い。
ただし「アバター」は３D映画なので8000ウォンだ。「アバター」のあと、「不思議の国のアリス」とギリシャ神話を素材にした「タイタンの戦い」と立て続けに３D映画を観た。ただ、「アバター」の時のような衝撃はなかった。
今日はイラク戦争を素材にした「グリーン・ゾーン」を観た。3本続けてファンタジー映画を観た後の本格的なハードボイルドというかドキュメンタリー映画のような、米国の陰謀を暴いた映画に衝撃を受けた。
この映画のすごいところは、現実のイラクでは大量破壊兵器がなかったにも関わらず、戦争がはじまり、そして続いていることだ。
ちなみに「グリーン・ゾーン」はネットで予告編が観られるが、日本での公開は5月14日である。
予告編 http://green-zone.jp/
This is a comment by Marco, a memer of KEC in Japan
返信削除Dear George,
Thanks a lot for your intriguing news below.
This time, about movies in Korea mainly.
As for admission of movie theaters, actually, I learned that Japan is one of the most expensive countries all over the world.
It was one of my research projects at my MBA school last year.
In Japan, there are only a few major distributors of movies which are made in other courtiers, mainly in the US, and those distributors make their own movies and theaters, as well. Almost all of the movie theaters are under their control, although their control is either partial or comprehensive, like so-called Keiretsu, association. It makes admission of theaters much more expensive, compared with that of other countries.
It's kind of an oligopolistic market where a few major players dominate the market (maybe 80% or more).
It makes them lose the willingness to complete in terms of prices and as a result, admission is much more expensive.
According to someone from the movie industry from the USA, Japan is a kind of a difficult market. You might have heard of it from many people from various industries, but it seems to hold true to the movie market, as well.
Maybe, distribution channels in Korea make the market much more competitive and it leads to the kindness of customers' wallets. On the other hand, for players, it might be a tough condition, though.
Thanks a lot.
Sincerely yours,
Marco
4/12/10
返信削除Hi, Marco, thanks for the valuable feedback to my recent DR on movies
in Korea. So it was one of your research projects for MBA last years!
What a coincidence!
Yeah, it seems to me that one of elements of the big success (at
least, popularity) of Korean movie industry is the price of entrance
fee and competition among theaters (or distributors.)
If the entrance fee is less than 1000 yen in Japan, a lot more people
may go to theaters to see dynamic movies in Japan.
On the other hand, if the price was more than 10,000 won (about 900
yen) in Korea, then a lot of Koreans may not go to theaters any more.
My recent activities are all in my blog below:
Please visit it when you have time.
http://georgesuzuki.blogspot.com/
Let me put your valuable comment in the part of comments on DR.
Cheers, and my best regards to KEC friends.
George
Comments from Belgium
返信削除2010年4月9日23:48
Hi George,
Nice to hear you like watching movies.
I also saw Avatar in 3-D and though I do not like this film genre that much, the 3-D version was really exiting.
Sometimes you get the feeling everything happens right in front of you. It was good
You like foreign movies. I also like foreign movies but this means for me, movies from Asia.
Sometimes we can see some films from Japan, China or Korea on television.
Of course they are subtitled otherwise I could not follow the movie.
Famous Asian film producers I know are Kurasawa (Japan movie: the 7 samourai) and Kim ki duk ( Korea: movie the bow)
It is interesting to see the different cultures and philosophies from Asia;
Of course I already visited these countries, so it is not totally strange to me, but i always learn or see something to think about
A nice movie for you to see would be “Lost in translation.” It is about a western guy who goes to Japan (Tokyo) and meets a western girl there because she has some problems with her boy friend.
For the rest everything OK in Belgian.
I changed from department in my company, so no more travelling at the moment.
But I am still thinking about going to Japan for holiday: or end of August or beginning of September.
How is it with you George?
How many hikes? How is it with your health?
You still go to stammtisch (We) and grace meeting on Friday?
My greetings to you and all the friends that are still there.
George's reply to Philip's comments.
返信削除4/12/10
Hi, Philip, thanks for your quick reply. Sorry for the delay of my part. I went to the regular hiking of AhToSan on April 10 as usual. I wanted to report about this latest hike, so I uploaded my story as the following site: http://georgesuzuki.blogspot.com/
Hope you enjoy seeing the pictures as well.
As for my annual schedule for this year, my current contract will be expire in the end of June. Then I go back to Japan. June 28th is our 40th anniversary, so I promised my wife to go to sightseeing trip to North America in early to middle of July. Then, after returning to Japan, I am planning to climb Mt. Hodaka, next to Mt. Yari which we climbed together 2 years ago. I may go to the mountain with Mr. Matsumoto who climbed Mt. Fuji with us two years ago.
If I get a new contract with Daedok College for the 2nd semester, it may start at the end of August and ends on the end of the year. So I am thinking of coming back to Korea early August.
As for Stammtisch meeting on Wednesday night, I attend the meeting regularly. Last week, Peter who came from Germany said good-bye because he returned to home last Friday. We cerebrated Tracey’s birthday on the same day.
As for IDP (International Dinner Party) at Grace’s apartment, she did not call me or anyone this year yet. It seems that she lost her enthusiasm for the event these days.
Thanks for the comments on DR#180. I found very interesting when I saw an Indian movie named “Slumdog Millionaire.” As you mentioned in your mail, I could see different culture even among Asian countries. I also enjoyed several Chinese movies such as “The Battle of the Red Cliff.”
I wonder if you can join us (Mr. Matsumoto and I) to climb Japan Alps in July this year.
George