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Korean Comedy Breaks into U.S Market

"Scandal Makers" ("Scandal Makers"), last year's fourth most successful film at the box office has been released in Los Angeles. The film's distributor, Lotte Cinema is showing the film for three weeks with English subtitles. Its next release in the US will be in Atlanta.

The film, drawing nearly 8 million admissions to date making it one of Korea's most successful comedies has provided a welcome boost to the local box office at the end of a relatively sluggish year. Directed by KANG Hyung-chul, the comedy exposes the cult of personality surrounding a former celebrity, Hyun-soo who is now a radio host in his late 30's. A young single mum, who garners the radio show with tales of her wanting to make contact with the father who she never met, causes ratings to explode. Later, on though, after Hyun-Soo meets the young mum it is him she accuses of being her father. Hyun-soo now has to manage the scandal.

Korea's relative success in the U.S market have traditionally been with darker more avante guarde films such as Kim Ki-duk's "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... And Spring" and Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy". Therefore, even with Scandal's huge box office strength in Korea, releasing a comedy in the U.S signals a gamble for Lotte Cinema.

David OXENBRIDGE (KOFIC)

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