‘Million Dollar Arm’ is a bit overpriced

Jon Hamm plays the straight man to a trio of young Indian actors and Oscar-winning curmudgeon Alan Arkin in “Million Dollar Arm,” a comically thin “true story” of a sports agent trying to turn Indian cricket bowlers into Major League Baseball pitchers.J.B. Bernstein (Hamm) is just another shark in the sea of L.A. sports agents, better at keeping up appearances than attracting or hanging on to talent. But he may have to give up his swank house, his Porsche, his office and his partner (Aasif Mandv

FilmMay 16, 2014

Box office

A Girl at My Door (Korea)Opening May 22Drama. Directed by July Jung.Young-nam (Bae Doo-na), a pale-faced young woman, moves to a quiet, seemingly uneventful port town to take office as the head of a police substation there after being demoted from Seoul. All of her subordinates in the station are men, most of whom are older than her. On her way to her new house in the village, she runs into Yong-ha (Song Sae-byeok), the man who “runs the economy” of the town, who smiles derisively after learning

FilmMay 16, 2014

Chicago’s new ‘Tilt!’ puts you over the edge

CHICAGO ― Step into the new Tilt! attraction on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Center and at first nothing happens.You are holding big metal bars. You are peering through a full-length window. But you know what is about to occur, and your insides, you are not ashamed to say, are like a crowded butterfly garden.And then there’s a sound ― think noisy dentist’s office, or airplane engine at the gate ― and the eight-window chunk of wall you are clinging to begins to quit its right-angle orientat

TravelMay 16, 2014

Family time at Oakwood Premier Coex Center

Coex Aquarium (Oakwood Premier Coex Center)Oakwood Premier Coex Center, a leading luxury serviced residence in Seoul, offers family-friendly accommodation packages in celebration of Family Month. The “O My Junior” package includes a one-night stay at an apartment, two Coex Aquarium tickets, free entrance to the children’s play area and an indoor swimming pool, free DVD rental and a discount for the breakfast buffet. Two types of apartments are available under the package: One is a 96-square-mete

TravelMay 16, 2014

Retro-mod soft-serve on Garosugil

REMICONE owner Kim Ye-lim and team racked their brains over how to bring a fresh vibe to summer-friendly soft-serve ice cream. After some serious brainstorming, a retro-mod ice cream parlor was born. Located near Garosugil, REMICONE opened on April 25, dishing up its take on soft-serve to the masses.“We went for ice cream that would be tasty and cool and chic,” Kim, 25, explained.Kim detailed how before she decided to jump into the ice cream business, she was working as editor-in-chief for an in

FoodMay 16, 2014

Putbaechu doenjang muchim

Putbaechu (young cabbage) doenjang muchim (Korean Bapsang)This recipe is a country-style vegetable side dish. It’s simply seasoned with doenjang, fermented soybean paste, hence the name doenjang muchim. Young cabbage, called putbaechu or eolgari, is one of the vegetables commonly used for this dish. Any other green leafy vegetable would also work. Just remember to adjust the blanching time. You can add a little gochugaru (red chili pepper flakes) or gochujang (red chili pepper paste) to make it

FoodMay 16, 2014

[Weekender] Around the Hotels

Korean food in ceramic art at Lotte Hotel SeoulLotte Hotel Seoul’s Korean restaurant Mugunghwa is presenting the “Elegance of Korean Cuisine” promotion from May 12-31, during which a special menu featuring traditional banga and royal cuisine will be offered. The courses will be served on dishes crafted by Korean ceramic artists. The lunch course, priced at 100,000 won, includes fish dumplings, bamboo sprouts, grilled chicken, abalone soup and bamboo rice. The dinner course, priced at 135,000 won

TravelMay 16, 2014

Electronic dance music fest to open in Seoul next month

The hottest outdoor electronic dance music festival of the summer is once again happening in Seoul next month.This year’s Ultra Music Festival Korea, a.k.a. Ultra Korea 2014, will take place at the Sports Complex Stadium in Jamsil, Seoul on June 13-14.More than 80 internationally renowned and local EDM acts will be making their way to Seoul to perform at the two-day electronica festival. The final artist line-up was announced by UMF Korea on Wednesday.The first day of the festival will be headli

May 16, 2014

MC Mong prepares for return

Singer and TV personality MC Mong is preparing for a comeback, two years after he was cleared by the Supreme Court of the possibly career-killing accusation that he dodged military conscription. According to music industry insiders, the 35-year-old has recently signed a contract with label Wellmade Yedang and set up a plan to release a comeback album this fall.MC Mong won a two-year battle in 2012 when the Supreme Court acquitted him of the charge of violating the military service law, citing a

May 16, 2014

IU sweeps charts with covers album

Popular singer IU is sweeping the local music charts with her first covers album “A Flower Bookmark,” which was officially unveiled Friday.All seven tracks included in the album immediately topped the major music charts including Melon, Naver Music, Daum Music, Olleh Music and others upon their release at midnight. The title track “My Old Story” continues to retain the No. 1 spot while other tracks remain inside the “Top 10” list.“A Flower Bookmark” features IU’s reinterpretations and rearrangem

May 16, 2014

EXO-M's fan launches online petition

(OSEN)An EXO-M Kris' fan launched an online petition in support of the idol group's leader Kris who filed a lawsuit Thursday against his agency, demanding his contract be nullified. The fan opened the petition, seeking more participation and support from other EXO fans on portal site Daum Agora on Thursday. As of 2:00 p.m. on Friday, the petition has attracted 2,078 signatures.“This kind of lawsuit is not the first SM Entertainment has faced. Is it really a coincidence?” the petitioner wrote. SM

May 16, 2014

EXO-K’s Suho talks about ‘Kris crisis’ in interview

  EXO-M's Kris (SM Entertainment)Suho, a member of boy band EXO, finally opened his mouth about bandmate Kris’ sudden decision to file a lawsuit against group’s management company.“It is an irresponsible action. (He) should apologize to the members of EXO and the company,” Suho said in an exclusive interview with OSEN, a Korean entertainment news company.It was the first time that an EXO member had talked about Kris since his claims about SM Entertainment and lawsuit against the company.“All of

May 16, 2014

Why did EXO-M‘s Kris sue SM?

(SM Entertainment)As controversy swirls over EXO-M leader Kris‘ abrupt decision to launch a legal battle against his management agency, K-pop watchers are still struggling to grasp the reasons behind it. Kris, a Chinese member of the popular boy band EXO-M, filed a lawsuit Thursday with the Seoul Central District Court, demanding the termination of his exclusive contract with nation’s biggest talent agency, SM Entertainment.Kris claimed that his agency had never respected his opinions or health

May 16, 2014

Netizens' responses to EXO Kris’ lawsuit mixed

Netizens have had mixed reactions to K-pop group EXO Kris’ lawsuit against SM Entertainment. 　EXO members expressed confusion and accused Kris of betrayal, while Internet users and fans conveyed support for the idol.SM as of Friday morning has yet to make a public comment about the lawsuit’s effect on EXO’s concert on May 23.Kris filed a suit asking the Seoul Central District Court to nullify his contract with Korea’s largest entertainment agency Thursday, despite the boy band’s rising popularit

May 16, 2014

'Jessica & Krystal' trailer reveals their sisterhood

A teaser trailer for “Jessica & Krystal” on the On Style cable channel was revealed Friday. The footage featured the lifestyles of the two celebrities in the nation‘s entertainment business.Jessica and Krystal are members of Girls’ Generation and f(x), both K-pop girl groups widely popular around the world.In the trailer, the two quarreled, apologized and laughed like most sisters do, unveiling their real personalities as ordinary girls in their 20s, rather than K-pop superstars.The program will

May 16, 2014

The power of a dream

This is the third in a series highlighting women and their accomplishments in the various facets of the Korean entertainment industry. ― Ed.For producer and CEO of SouLime SounD Jung Mi Sung, also known as Melody, there has always been one dream in her life: music.The 26-year-old started playing piano and attending music academies at age 5. However, her parents had other plans for the enthusiastic musician, saying they wanted her to live a normal life and pursue a normal path. Still drawn to mus

PerformanceMay 15, 2014

Kim Sung-ryung returns to stage

Popular TV and film actress Kim Sung-ryung is returning to the stage after seven years away, following the recent release of her latest films “The Fatal Encounter” and “The Target.”Starting Thursday, Kim is starring in “Miss France,” a Korean adaptation of the French comic play “Jamais 2 Sans 2.” The last time she performed in theater was back in 2007, in “Melodrama.”In the play, Kim takes on three different roles at once. She first appears as Fleur de Senlis, the president of a local pageant co

May 15, 2014

‘Grace of Monaco’ mauling opens Cannes

Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon (second from right) and other jury members arrive on the red carpet for the opening ceremony of the 67th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, Wednesday. (Xinhua-Yonhap)CANNES, France (AFP) ― The world’s biggest film festival opened in Cannes Wednesday with a blast of controversy as critics mercilessly savaged the opening movie about Hollywood-darling-turned-princess Grace of Monaco.The movie’s star Nicole Kidman, Sofia Coppola, Willem Dafoe, Audrey Tautou and jury

FilmMay 15, 2014

Jung Woo-sung appointed as honorary advocate for UNHCR

Actor Jung Woo-sung (left) poses with UNHCR representative Dirk Hebecker after being appointed the honorary advocate of the agency in Seoul on Thursday. (UNHCR Korea)Actor Jung Woo-sung has been appointed an honorary advocate for the U.N. Refugee Agency in Korea, the agency said.Jung is the first celebrity to serve in the role since the establishment of the agency’s Seoul office in 2001. As the honorary advocate, the actor will help support some 45 million refugees worldwide, by participating in

May 15, 2014