Aniston ready for a 3rd edition of ‘Horrible Bosses’

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Jennifer Aniston said she pushed her sex-crazed dentist character as far as she could in in “Horrible Bosses 2,” but she’s willing to try again in a third installment. Asked if another sequel is in the works, the actress replied, “I don’t know,” she said. “It’s up to you all.” “Horrible Bosses 2,” the follow-up to the 2011 hit, opens Nov. 24. It stars Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day as amateur entrepreneurs who get caught up in a kidnapping scheme when their busi

FilmNov. 16, 2014

Girl group blasted for ‘Nazi-like costumes’

The relatively unknown K-pop girl group Pritz is hitting the headlines for the first time, but it’s not their music that is grabbing all the attention. New to the K-pop scene, the four-member act is already facing negative publicity, after being criticized for performing in what many netizens are referring to as “Nazi-like costumes.”  Rookie K-pop girl group Pritz was criticized for its outfits that bore similar features to Nazi uniforms. (YouTube screen capture)Earlier this month the members of

Nov. 16, 2014

Award-winning actress Kim Ja-ock dies of cancer at 63

Actress Kim Ja-ockKim Ja-ock, an award-winning South Korean actress, died Sunday of lung cancer. She was 63 years old.Kim had starred in a series of hit films and television dramas since her debut in 1970. She remained a fixture in TV shows and commercials well past her 50s, and also released an album in 1996 to briefly dabble at a singing career.Kim underwent successful surgery for colorectal cancer in April 2008 and resumed acting the following month. Industry sources said cancer had spread to

TelevisionNov. 16, 2014

Feline fans flock to cat cafes around world

TOKYO ― A cafe patron is trying to woo Amu ― she of the long hair and lovely green eyes ― but the beauty disdainfully turns away.And then she flicks her fluffy tail. Amu is a long-haired calico ― one of 51 felines who staff the Calico Cat Cafe, one of Japan’s numerous cat cafes ― and she has a reputation for being somewhat aloof.But most of the resident felines are curious about the cafe customers and eager to toss a few toy mice around with them. Patrons, who pay the equivalent of $9.36 for an

CultureNov. 16, 2014

Mixing fun with history

Rest, childbirth and blue jeans. These are some of the themes of exhibitions held by the National Folk Museum of Korea since last year. Some of these special, but not-so-special topics raised eyebrows, but Cheon Jin-gi, the director of the state-run museum, touts that they fit perfectly with the vision he has for the museum. “Those topics cut across generations and cultural boundaries,” he explained at his office on a recent Tuesday afternoon. “They are good materials to help people understand t

CultureNov. 14, 2014

Calendar

Pop music“Singing in the Smile with Michael Bolton”: American singer-songwriter Michael Bolton is gearing up for two solo concerts in Seoul. The multi-Grammy Award-winning artist is the voice behind some of the greatest American rock ballads, including “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You,” “When a Man Loves a Woman” and “Said I Loved You … But I Lied.” In Bolton’s illustrious musical career, which spans nearly four decades, he has sold more than 75 million records worldwide with more than 15

CultureNov. 14, 2014

‘Theory of Everything’ makes the cosmos of a marriage shine

LOS ANGELES ― The field that made scientist Stephen Hawking an international celebrity may be physics, but the reason “The Theory of Everything” is emotionally effective as an examination of his life and thought comes down to chemistry, the interconnected performances of Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones.Redmayne and Jones are beautifully compatible as Hawking and his then-wife Jane as they navigate the ebb and flow of 25 years of their relationship, a subtle, nuanced connection that posits that

FilmNov. 14, 2014

Eyelike: Pianist Lang Lang tackles Mozart

Pianist Lang Lang tackles MozartLang Lang“The Mozart Album”(Sony Masterworks)This double-CD set is the first all-Mozart recording from the Chinese-born piano virtuoso Lang Lang, who at age 32 has achieved something approaching matinee idol popularity for his performances of classical music.He’s also enjoyed unusual crossover success: This year alone he popped up at the World Cup concert in Rio de Janeiro, where he appeared with tenor Placido Domingo, and at the Grammy Awards, where he performed

PerformanceNov. 14, 2014

Box Office: Set Me Free, Cart, Interstellar

Set Me Free (Korea)Opened Nov. 13Drama. Directed by Kim Tae-yongSeventeen-year-old Young-jae (Choi Woo-sik) lives in the “House of Isaac,” a group home sponsored by a Catholic church, with younger children who have nowhere else to go. Not knowing when he will be kicked out of the house because of his age, he pretends to be a good and pious boy before his foster parents. Though he steals donated goods from the church to sell to his friends, he also sings in the church choir, voluntarily does chor

FilmNov. 14, 2014

Perfect day in Carmel: Beach picnics, wine walks and sunset concerts

Many travelers use Carmel-by-the-Sea as a base for exploring the greater area, taking in such nearby attractions as the always-fascinating Monterey Bay Aquarium and picturesque Point Lobos.I get that. Yet I also understand why someone might never want to leave once they set foot in this lovely European-style village. It offers just about everything one could want, from sandy beaches and gorgeous scenery to first-rate accommodations, restaurants and all kinds of recreational activities.It would b

TravelNov. 14, 2014

In Norway, cool experiences trump luxury

Big box, luxury vacations got you down? If the thought of whiling away another uninspired vacation under an umbrella is less than motivating, you may need to rethink your travel strategy. So what to do? Consider recharging through adventure rather than sloth. Add a dose of adversity, which provides for the possibility of personal growth. But by all means, add levity. After all, this is supposed to be me-time.Here, a trio of offbeat Norwegian hotels where the experience goes beyond 400-count line

TravelNov. 14, 2014

Around the hotels

Top Chinese chef to present state banquet dishes at Lotte Hotel Seoul Jiang Bing Liang, the head chef of China’s Great Hall of the People, will be presenting Chinese state banquet dishes at Lotte Hotel Seoul’s Chinese restaurant Toh Lim. Jiang will collaborate with Toh Lim’s star chef Yeo Kyung-ok to provide lunch and dinner sets from Nov. 18-20. The lunch courses (138,000 won and 158,000 won) will include steamed shark’s fin with coconut, braised abalone with leek and oyster sauce, and hot nood

FoodNov. 14, 2014

Thanksgiving dinners and desserts in Seoul

Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away. For those who do not have the time to roast a turkey at home, here are several options for one to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal, complete with turkey, pumpkin pie and all the fixings. Dinner specialsLeft Coast Artisan BurgersOn Thanksgiving Day, Left Coast Artisan Burgers, a popular burger spot located in Seoul’s Itaewon-dong, will be hosting its second annual Thanksgiving Dinner Buffet. The buffet will feature turkey, ham, mushroom herb stuffing, mashed pot

FoodNov. 14, 2014

Baek kimchi (white kimchi)

Baek kimchi (white kimchi) (Korean Bapsang)Baek kimchi is a variety of kimchi that’s made without red chili pepper flakes. It is enjoyed for its mild, refreshing taste. Baek kimchi is child-friendly and great for people who have issues with spicy food!The stuffing for white kimchi varies but usually includes typical kimchi ingredients such as radish, garlic, ginger, scallion, minari, pear, etc. I like to add colorful bell peppers, which are called paprika in Korea, for sweetness and additional c

FoodNov. 14, 2014

Demi Lovato speaks out on eating disorders

LOS ANGELES (UPI) ― Demi Lovato would like society to show more compassion for those with eating disorders.The 22-year-old singer addressed the topic at length in a series of posts Wednesday on Twitter. Lovato asserted anorexics and bulimics don’t choose to have the disease, and asked for people to show understanding to those who struggle with mental illness. “Having an eating disorder doesn’t show ‘strength,’” she declared, possibly in response to Megan Trainor saying she wasn‘t “strong” enough

PerformanceNov. 14, 2014

Park Chan-wook to direct Hollywood sci-fi thriller

Park Chan-wook. (AP-Yonhap)“Old Boy” director Park Chan-wook’s second Hollywood film is set to be a sci-fi thriller titled “Second Born,” American entertainment magazine Variety reported on Thursday. Based on a script by David Jagernauth, “Second Born” takes place in a futuristic world where people can store human consciousness in neural microchip implants, which has led to a body-swapping black market. David Lancaster’s newly launched Rumble Films, which recently produced “Whiplash” and “Nightc

FilmNov. 14, 2014