Korean Title: Cheon-nyeon-ho
Starring: Jeong Joon-Ho, Kim Hyo-Jin, Kim Hae-Ri
Director: Lee Kwang-Hoon
Studio: Cinema Service / Bitwin
Rating: 15+
Genre: Action

Important! Please read before you order! >>>This DVD is encoded for Region 3. This DVD will NOT be viewable on regular DVD players made in the U.S.A., European countries or Japan unless they are code-(region-)free DVD players. To learn more about DVD Region Code, please visit our Info Page and look for Info on DVD Region Code in Return Policy section.

About This DVD

As the tribal age of darkness and incantation comes to its end, with the birth of new kingdoms, the Kingdom of Shilla led by PARK Hyokkose destroys Auta Tribe, a tribe that worships the Great Tree. The vast hole where the Great Tree once stood is filled with the blood and hatred of Auta Tribe and it turns into a dark lake. Hyokkose thrusts the Sword into the Great Tree to seal off the sorcery power of Auta Tribe.

1000 years later...

In the last years of Queen Chinsong's reign, the Unified Kingdom of Shilla has deteriorated into a weakening nation with ongoing wars and the failing frontiers. It is at the brink of a complete destruction. General Biharang, a trusted warrior of Queen Chinsong, faithfully fights for his country but after years of countless battles, his only wish is to live a quiet life with his beloved woman Jaunbie. One day, while General Biharang is out in another battle, unknown assassins attempt to murder Jaunbie. As she tries to escape from them, she accidentally throws herself into the lake where the malice spirit of Auta Tribe lies deep within.

The evil spirit of Auta decides to revenge against the Shilla Dynasty through Jaunbie, who had fallen into the lake. 'When darkness of the night hides the moon of thousands years of hatred, the great revenge will begin. And the greatest love will become the greatest tragedy.

*****

During pre-production, when it was decided that "The Legend of the Evil Lake" will be shot all in China, the production crew went on a 6-months expedition to find the Kingdom of Shilla within China. The most challenging aspect of shooting in China was finding the appropriate location for the Imperial Palace. After months of research, they discovered the great Heng Dain set in Zhejiang Province, which turned out to be the perfect set for the grand palace. It is a grand scale set that consists of imperial palaces of every great Chinese dynasty. It once bore a splendid set of "The Emperor and the Assassin" and "Hero" as well. The remodeling took place in the Imperial Palace of the T'ang Dynasty. Shilla's characteristic colors were applied covering the remnants of the T'ang Dynasty and every little structure of the palace was changed to create the most realistic Imperial Palace of the Shilla Dynasty. At the end, even the set manager of Heng Dain was surprised by its beautiful grand transformation.

The Shilla Dynasty had the most brilliant and complex costumes in the history of Korea. A woman's simple dress consisted of at least 3 pieces of skirts. And each rank of warriors had its own decorations and fashion. Moreover, the royal crown, the belt, the dress ornaments, along with the royal dresses for the Emperor and the Empress were the most intricate and magnificent work of art. To re-create the marvelous fashions of the Shilla Dynasty, someone with great expertise on costumes and a thorough skill on research and investigation was needed. Over 2,000 costumes were individually designed by Professor PARK Seong-min at Esmod Fashion Design School through a thorough research. Then, an award winning costume designer ZOU Zian-hua with her 300 assistants dyed and embroidered total of 1,200 sets of costumes.

For 7 months, the cast and crew members submerged themselves in the ancient world of spirits and sword fighting. To transform himself to a great general of Shilla, JEONG Joon-ho (Biharang) spent hours each day practicing his action choreography based on ancient art of taekkyon and horseback riding. Moreover, on the high wall of Heng Dain set, KIM Hyo-jin (Jaunbie) diligently worked on her wire descend from 30m above ground. She also practiced free falling off the 15m high cliff into a cold lake without any supporting gear. Actors went through the grueling training of wire actions, equestrian martial arts and even scuba diving for underwater scenes. No action moves came easy in "The Legend of the Evil Lake". However, with 110% of everyone's devotional efforts and never-ending practice, the magnificent film that tells the story of the 1000 year old curse and the inevitable fate of the mighty kingdom and the tragic love and battle of a man was finally brought to life. This 6 billion won grand scale project of passion, history and mythology would've only existed in the world of imagination if not for the enormous efforts and challenging spirit of those who participated in it. Through the courage and confidence of the director, the crew and the actors, "The Legend of the Evil Lake" has become the greatest film of 2003.

CG production for "The Legend of the Evil Lake" took 6 grueling months to finish. Even the initial release date of the film was pushed back in order to achieve and to present to the audience the most fantastic computer graphics. The ultimate goal for the CG designers was to create unique effects that will best represent the special characteristics of "The Legend of the Evil Lake". Since it is a fantasy film based on Korean history, the designers strived to create its own original style, rather than assimilating Hollywood style. As the result, the graphics blend beautifully with the historic architectures and the mystical landscape of the ancient kingdom.

With its subtle and delicate CG work that perfectly supports and complements the story of the film, "The Legend of the Evil Lake" opens the door to new genre of film called 'Korean fantasy.' Finally, the one of a kind CG for Korean films has been created. Through "The Legend of the Evil Lake", everyone will see and appreciate the new style of CG which will change the future of Korean cinema.

Audio Format:	DD 5.1 Surround
Video Format:	Widescreen 2.35:1 (Anamorphic)
Languages:	Korean
Subtitles:	English, Korean
Country Made:	Korea
Region Code:	3
Year Made:	2003
Running Time:	92
Special Features:	- Making film - Continuity - Production Design - Trailers - TV Spot - Music Video - Gallery - Synopsys - Cast & Crew
Availability:	Usually ships in 5-10 days