The Ghost Theater
Korean movies are usually hit and miss with me but last night I had the opportunity to view one that was so awesomely bizarre that I had to ask if anyone else here has ever seen it and what they thought about it. It's a musical called The Ghost Theater (AKA: Midnight Ballad for Ghost Theater).
The Ghost Theater (AKA: Midnight Ballad for Ghost Theater) 2006
In search of her grandmother who disappeared at the movies one day, teenager So Dan (Kim Kkot Bi) ends up at a run-down, dimly lit theater where she meets various wandering spirits who call the theater home. Among her newfound friends are a gothic-looking gisaeng (Han Ae Ri), a Japanese WWII lieutenant (Jo Hee Bong), a giddy Afroed clown (Park Yeong Soo), and Princess Elisa (Park Joon Myeon), who claims she's the last Joseon Dynasty princess. They and her missing grandmother all seem to be connected to a mysterious banned monster movie from years ago.
The above summary describes the plot of the movie well enough, but this film is such a unique mix of different styles (think Rocky Horror Picture Show meets Cinema Paradiso) that it's really very hard to write a review for. Funny and touching, but also completely off the wall at times, this stylized Alice in Wonderland type story set in a decrepit movie theater never failed to surprise me with what happened next. With surprising catchy musical numbers and superb acting by young actress Kim Kkot Bi, this film is more concerned with being a love letter to old movies than it is with having a coherent plotline for its self, but the lighthearted whimsy of it won me over in the end. With beautiful art direction and cinematography I would highly recommend this movie for those who share a love of old movies and don't mind a heaping dash of sheer craziness in their film diet.
The Ghost Theater (AKA: Midnight Ballad for Ghost Theater) 2006
In search of her grandmother who disappeared at the movies one day, teenager So Dan (Kim Kkot Bi) ends up at a run-down, dimly lit theater where she meets various wandering spirits who call the theater home. Among her newfound friends are a gothic-looking gisaeng (Han Ae Ri), a Japanese WWII lieutenant (Jo Hee Bong), a giddy Afroed clown (Park Yeong Soo), and Princess Elisa (Park Joon Myeon), who claims she's the last Joseon Dynasty princess. They and her missing grandmother all seem to be connected to a mysterious banned monster movie from years ago.
The above summary describes the plot of the movie well enough, but this film is such a unique mix of different styles (think Rocky Horror Picture Show meets Cinema Paradiso) that it's really very hard to write a review for. Funny and touching, but also completely off the wall at times, this stylized Alice in Wonderland type story set in a decrepit movie theater never failed to surprise me with what happened next. With surprising catchy musical numbers and superb acting by young actress Kim Kkot Bi, this film is more concerned with being a love letter to old movies than it is with having a coherent plotline for its self, but the lighthearted whimsy of it won me over in the end. With beautiful art direction and cinematography I would highly recommend this movie for those who share a love of old movies and don't mind a heaping dash of sheer craziness in their film diet.