Beloved character actor Harry Dean Stanton dies at 91

Hollywood is mourning the loss of beloved character actor Harry Dean Stanton.  Stanton's agent says he died at age 91 in Los Angeles on Friday.  Director David Lynch, a frequent collaborator, says everyone loved Stanton, who was great as a human being and beyond great as an actor.Harry Dean Stanton (Yonhap)Stanton played more than 200 roles in a career that lasted over 60 years.  He brought his craggy, gaunt presence to small parts in films like ``Alien,'' ``Pretty in Pink,'' and ``The Godfather

EntertainmentSept. 16, 2017

[Herald Interview] Empathy without exploitation

Is it possible to create a work of art about a murder without any depiction of brutality? Is it possible to convey a female victim’s suffering without exploiting her body? These were the questions director Gina Kim posed to herself during the creation of her virtual reality film “Bloodless.”The work won the award for best virtual reality story at the recently concluded Venice International Film Festival. “Bloodless” is relatively bloodless. However, it is blood curdling, at an entirely different

FilmSept. 15, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions

Authentic Mexican food at Millennium Seoul HiltonThe Millennium Seoul Hilton’s flagship restaurant, Cafe 395, is holding a promotion of Mexican cuisine through Wednesday. Authentic Mexican dishes prepared by Chef Daniel Gonzalez from Mexico are available alongside regular buffet offerings. Mexican specialties include hot and cold appetizers, entrees and desserts, including green ceviche tostadas, scallops aguachile, duck tamales with black mole sauce, soft crabs with green mole, beef sweetbreads

FoodSept. 15, 2017

It’s all in the dough at Darobe

The pizza crust at Darobe, which opened near Seoul Forest this August, is a mouthwatering exercise in texture and flavor. When the 40-hour fermented dough at this new pizzeria meets the blistering heat of a wood-fired oven it takes on its own delicious personality. The edges taste smoky, nutty and sweet, all crackly crisp on the outside and chewy and airy on the inside. Towards the center, the crust grows more elastic and soft and takes on a richer, more robust flavor reminiscent of roasted waln

FoodSept. 15, 2017

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Baby Driver(US)Opened Sept. 13Action, crime. Directed by Edgar Wright Baby (Ansel Elgort) is a skilled getaway driver, who chauffeurs robbers seeking to flee crime scenes quickly and lives in Atlanta, Georgia. He meets a waitress named Debora (Lily James) at a diner, and the two start dating. He begins to dream of ditching his lifestyle and pursuing a normal life. But Baby’s next robbery goes awry and he narrowly manages to evade the police. Baby’s boss Doc (Kevin Spacey), a heist mastermind, fo

FilmSept. 15, 2017

BTS drops first teaser for upcoming track ‘DNA’

BTS has dropped a teaser for its new track from the group’s upcoming EP “Love Yourself Seung Her.”  A teaser image for “DNA,” the lead track of BTS’ upcoming EP “Love Yourself Seung Her.” (Bit Hit Entertainment)On Thursday at midnight, the boy band released a minutelong clip for “DNA,” the lead track of the new EP, offering a glimpse at the K-pop act’s upcoming release. The teaser begins with band member Jungkook whistling while he slowly walks toward the camera. After he joins the rest of the b

PerformanceSept. 15, 2017

Han Kang wins Italian literary award for 'Human Acts'

South Korean writer Han Kang has been chosen to win this year's Malaparte Prize, Italy's most-authoritative literary award, for her latest work, the prize's organizer said. Korean author Han Kang, who wrote the three-part novella "The Vegetarian." (Yonhap)Han was chosen Thursday for her 2014 novel "Human Acts" that tells the story of a young boy named Dong-ho who is killed in the military's bloody crackdown on the Gwangju citizens' pro-democracy uprising of May 1980.The book was published Thursd

CultureSept. 15, 2017

Walkout forces popular KBS variety show to cancel filming new episode

Operational disruption caused by a major strike at KBS that has continued for more than 10 days has reached the point where filming for an episode of a popular entertainment show has been canceled, the network's labor union said Thursday.The production team of the variety show "2 Days & 1 Night" scrapped filming slated for Sept. 15-16, said the union, which is associated with the National Union of Media Workers. It added that this has happened to the program only once before -- in 2012 when a 95

TelevisionSept. 14, 2017

[Album review] GFriend sticks to songs that recall Japanese anime

GFriend“Rainbow”Loen Entertainment People’s infatuation with upbeat Japanese animation theme songs may account for why GFriend has been able to carve out its own niche and even rise as a chart-topper with tunes that recall Japanese anime.Sticking to a specific sphere of music may be effective, but GFriend’s songs are becoming too similar to one another.  The K-pop group recently returned with “Rainbow,” the extended release of its fifth EP “Parallel” released in August. The album introduces two

PerformanceSept. 14, 2017

Celebs build safety net in cafe, restaurant business

Cao Lu,of popular K-pop girl group Fiestar, recently said in a TV show that she hopes to one day open her own store as a side business, confessing even celebrities suffer from financial difficulties and uncertainties. Many celebrities in Korea recently have talked about their struggles with fluctuating income and unsteady employment, even referring to themselves as “nonregular workers.”Whether as an investment for the future or out of pure interest in the business, celebrities are venturing into

CultureSept. 14, 2017

Kim Jae-joong to embark on Asia fan meeting tour

Kim Jae-joong will kick off his Asia fan meeting tour in Seoul on Oct. 29, his agency C-Jes Entertainment said Thursday. “Despite the concert tour earlier this year, there was a deluge of requests for Kim Jae-joong to visit from all over Asia. So we planned the fan meeting tour adding cities that he hadn’t visited on the concert tour,” the agency said. In January, the singer kicked off his first concert tour since completing his military service. He visited nine Asian cities, including Hong Kong

PerformanceSept. 14, 2017

Director Hong Sang-soo making new film with actress Kim Min-hee

Director Hong Sang-soo will release a new film with his actress-lover Kim Min-hee, according to film industry sources Thursday.They said Hong began shooting his 22nd feature film early this month with Kim and Kwon Hae-hyo, actors from his previous work "The Day After.""We understand (the movie) recently went into filming," Kwon's management agency said. "We don't know the name and other details of the film yet."It is the fifth work between Hong and Kim, who admitted to their extramarital relatio

FilmSept. 14, 2017

BTS to promote Seoul tourism in video ad

Boy band BTS will be featured in a new video advertisement promoting the major tourist destinations of Seoul, city officials said Thursday. The ad titled "BTS's Seoul Life" produced by the Seoul Metropolitan Government will start airing on television stations in around 100 countries this month, the city announced. It will also run on online video platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Youku Tudou. (Yonhap)

PerformanceSept. 14, 2017

EXID's Solji will record, but probably won't do much else

EXID‘s run as a quartet will soon come to an end, as its fifth member Solji is set to rejoin the team for the upcoming record that will be released in October.Banana Culture Entertainment confirmed Thursday that the girl group will release a record in October, and that Solji will participate in the recording process.EXID at 2017 Asia Tour in Taipei on Saturday. (Banana Culture Entertainment)But it is yet unclear whether Solji will participate in the related activities of the new release, such as

PerformanceSept. 14, 2017

Fans condemn G.NA’s thank-you message amid prostitution ‘rumors’

K-pop singer G.NA’s thank-you message to fans has received an icy reception from some followers over a prostitution scandal last year. On Wednesday, G.NA broke her 19-month silence with a photo of a letter on her Instagram page vowing “a new beginning.” “Thank you so much to everyone who has stood by me til this day. Thank you for having faith in me..believing in me.. not giving up on me.. even through all the obstacles, heartaches and endless rumors,” she wrote.Despite what was apparently meant

PerformanceSept. 14, 2017

K-dramas to screen at major French television festival

Korea has been invited as the honorary guest country to Festival de la Fiction TV, a prominent drama festival funded by the French government.It is the first time a non-French-speaking, non-European country has been invited as the festival’s honorary guest. Producers, writers and directors of popular Korean drama series will attend the festival. 　Three Korean drama series have been invited for screening -- MBC’s “W,” a fantasy romance written by Song Jae-jung and directed by Jung Dae-yoon and Pa

TelevisionSept. 14, 2017

[K-Talk] BTS, EXO take top two spots on Billboard social

BTS defended its top spot on the Billboard’s Social 50 chart, while EXO took No. 2, marking the first time in the chart’s history that K-pop acts have held the top two spots.Although the group’s hotly anticipated EP “Love Yourself Seung Her” is still on its way -- set for release next Monday -- BTS remained the king of hill for the ninth straight week. Overall, it marks BTS’ 39th week at No. 1. BTS (Big Hit Entertainment) EXO (S.M. Entertainment)EXO made an impressive surge from No. 10 a week ea

PerformanceSept. 14, 2017

Bongeunsa to offer Korean culture program for Chuseok

Bongeunsa Temple plans to hold a tea ceremony celebrating the Chuseok holiday, offering separate sessions for children and adults. The ceremony will take place on Sept. 28, Oct. 5, 6, 12 and 19 for two hours from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The fee for each session is 20,000 won ($18) for both children and adults.  (Bongeunsa Temple)For the children sessions, up to 10 Korean or foreign children aged between 6 and 8 can apply on a first-come, first-served basis. The children should be accompanied by guardia

CultureSept. 14, 2017

Elris aims for 2017 rookie award with 'Color Crush'

(Yonhap)Rookie K-pop act Elris on Wednesday released its second EP record "Color Crush," expressing its ambition to win the year-end's rookie of the year award. "I really hope to win the rookie of the year award through our latest promotional activity," member Sohee said during a media showcase held at Yes24 MUV Hall in western Seoul.Elris isn't pulling any punches when it comes to the highly sought honor offered by major TV networks and music streaming services at the end of the year. The five-

PerformanceSept. 13, 2017

‘iamnot’ what you expect

The band iamnot is by no means a household name. Its entry to the Korean music scene in 2015 was more like a plop than a splash.Now iamnot is preparing for the gamble of a lifetime with its October concert in front of a crowd of 2,000 -- part of CJ Culture Foundation and singer Lee Seung-hwan’s joint project to support up-and-coming indie musicians -- nearly seven times the audience it usually performs to of about 300. Pull it off, and iamnot may be on the path to becoming one of more successful

PerformanceSept. 13, 2017