Experts debate sex and alcohol in Utah 'Deadpool' case

A Utah court fight over alcohol, sex and “Deadpool” is drawing in experts dueling over banning booze at suggestive movies and the artistic value of the foul-mouthed superhero film. Here’s a look at the case as the Salt Lake City theater Brewvies and the state of Utah gear up for a July 2017 trial date set on Thursday.The Salt Lake City case started this spring, after state regulators threatened to fine the theater up to $25,000 and revoke its liquor license under a law that bans serving booze du

FilmNov. 6, 2016

'The Simpsons' renewed through historic season 30

Hit animated comedy “The Simpsons” will return for two more seasons on US television network Fox -- its 29th and 30th -- setting a record as the primetime scripted series with the most episodes.The chronicles of the life and adventures of the Simpson family, which is currently in its 28th season, broadcast its first episode in December 1989. With season 30, “The Simpsons” will hit 669 episodes, breaking the record held by Western drama “Gunsmoke” with 635. The show -- which has won more than 30

TelevisionNov. 6, 2016

Neil Young relents on streaming

Folk rock icon Neil Young has relented and returned his music to leading streaming sites, a year after declaring that the fast-growing format was grating to his ears.The vast catalog of the prolific 70-year-old rocker including his latest, the hard-charging environmental album “Earth,” was available as of Friday on leading streaming site Spotify and rivals such as Apple Music.Young had previously streamed his music only on Tidal, the upstart service led by rap mogul Jay Z that boasts of higher-q

PerformanceNov. 6, 2016

France's only erotic museum shuts down

France’s only erotic museum is closing its doors, its owners said Thursday, after passions flagged in the “city of love” for its titillating though surprisingly tasteful collection of artefacts.Just down the street from the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret in Pigalle, the closure hastens the shift of Paris’ naughtiest neighborhood toward respectability.Owners Jo Khalifa and Alain Plumey, a former porn star, who founded the museum nearly 18 years ago, said the double whammy of falling tourist numbers

PerformanceNov. 6, 2016

K-pop agencies deny alleged political ties to Choi Soon-sil scandal

Multiple K-pop management agencies are facing fast-spreading rumors about their alleged links to powerful political figures, including the recently arrested presidential confidante Choi Soon-sil. In response, many are denying these rumors. The influence-peddling scandal stemmed from a four-decade friendship between President Park Geun-hye and Choi. It is spilling over to the Korean entertainment industry. One example involves a celebrity football club, named Hoeori, which has been accused as ser

PerformanceNov. 6, 2016

[Newsmaker] Film fest shifts focus to North Korean defectors’ soul-searching

According to director Lee Min-yong, this was a watershed year for the North Korean Human Rights International Film Festival, with a record number of audiences and films offering diverse perspectives on the lives of both North Koreans and defectors. The sixth edition of the film festival, which took place at the Daehan Cinema in central Seoul from Oct. 21-23, was launched in 2011 to inform the world of the gross human rights violations occurring in the North.In the beginning, the films had a “cle

FilmNov. 4, 2016

g.o.d to go on nationwide tour next January

The members of veteran K-pop group g.o.d will be gathering again to tour the country next January and February.The group will kick off the tour from Jan. 6-8 at Seoul’s Jamsil Arena and subsequently perform in Incheon, Daegu, Ilsan, Gwangju, Busan and other cities, concert planner SJ Entertainment announced Friday. K-pop band g.o.d (Sidus HQ)“Fans can look forward to the five members dressed up in elegant tuxedos,” the agency said. It added that g.o.d will be performing some of its biggest hit s

PerformanceNov. 4, 2016

YG, Psy deny ties to Choi Soon-sil

YG Entertainment on Thursday refuted rumors that the company and its singer Psy are connected to Choi Soon-sil, who is under investigation for meddling in various areas of President Park Geun-hye’s administration.“We are releasing this official statement due to rumors that have been generated relating to ‘Choi Soon-sil Gate’ and certain media outlets that are reporting the rumors as if they were true,” YG said in a statement.  Singer Psy (YouTube)The agency added, “Psy is not acquainted at all w

PerformanceNov. 4, 2016

[Movie review] ‘Doctor Strange’ stunning example of Marvel magic

The makers of the latest comic book-inspired feature film “Doctor Strange” faced the same hurdle as those who put together “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Both come from the lesser known quadrant of the Marvel Comics galaxy.“Guardians” became a massive box office and fan hit with brilliant casting, a smart script and stunning visual effects. “Doctor Strange” uses the same formula — but kicks it up 100 degrees — to make “Doctor Strange” one of the best films in the Marvel Comics film library.For those

FilmNov. 4, 2016

Porridge with a dash of pumpkin spice can be just right for breakfast

In the classic fairy tale of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” somebody ate all of Baby Bear’s porridge because, well, it was just right.A breakfast staple of Scotland, porridge is a mush, usually made from cereal grains and served hot without the addition of sweeteners. If porridge sounds like an odd way to start the day, consider it not all that different from Southern-style grits, Italian polenta or even Chinese congee.The Kansas City Star’s Pumpkin Pie Porridge brings interest to a typically

FoodNov. 4, 2016

Artisan Bakers opens new outpost in Seorae Village

Hard-crusted sourdough was the impetus behind owner and baker Mo Tae-sung’s decision to launch his own establishment in Hannam-dong four years ago. Even now, the sourdough at Artisan Bakers, which can now also be found at a new outpost in Seorae Village, delights with its tangy, soft and elastic crumb. “We only use natural starter, not commercial yeast, for our sourdough,” said Mo, 48, pulling out a tub of mother dough at his Seorae Village-based atelier, a short walk from the store. Artisan Bak

FoodNov. 4, 2016

[Travel Bits] Upcoming festivals, travel news

Gunsan, Seocheon Migratory Bird FestivalThe annual Gunsan and Seocheon Migratory Bird Festival will take place from Nov. 18 to 20. The festival will be held throughout the Geumgang River Migratory Bird Observatory, Geumgang Wetland Ecological Park and the Seocheon Bird Village Exhibition Hall.Held by Gunsan-si and Seocheon-gun, the festival kicks off with an opening ceremony in Gunsan-si and will continue to offer participants a wide a variety of nature-intensive programs such as ecological hand

TravelNov. 4, 2016

Escaping to a writer’s colony in Eureka Springs

EUREKA SPRINGS, Arkansas — People suffering pain and illness were once lured to this spot nestled in the forested Ozark Mountains, tucked in the northwest corner of the state.Native American folklore told of healing springs with miraculous abilities to cure the infirm. This area of isolated wilderness, dotted with bubbling water, sprung into a town 137 years ago. The surrounding geography made the water mineral rich and word of its healing attributes spread and attracted settlers.Today, its fame

TravelNov. 4, 2016

[Around the hotels] Roundup of hotel news

Private party package at Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel is offering a private party package for year-end gatherings until Dec. 31. The package includes a one-night stay in a private suite overlooking the city. Guests can organize a business meeting or a private party, with prices starting from 990,000 won for two people, excluding tax. A gourmet course dinner features delicacies prepared with the freshest ingredients and served in a luxurious and elegant atmosp

FoodNov. 4, 2016

[Box Office] Latest movie releases

Twenty Again(Korea)Opened Nov. 3Romance, Melodrama. Directed by Park Heung-sikTwo old lovers (Kim Seung-woo, Lee Tae-ran), now in their 40s, or “second 20s,” meet again for the first time since their heated romance that sizzled down years ago. The two remember how they fell in love at first sight, the passionate relationship, and the untimely separation that ensued. As fate takes them on a trip together to Italy, the two wonder, “Could we still be in love?”Hell or High Water(US)Opened Nov. 3Crim

FilmNov. 4, 2016

In ‘Truevine,’ complex tale of racial exploitation, dogged reporting

"Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother’s Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South” By Beth MacyLittle, Brown and Company (432 pages, $28) Beth Macy started hearing the stories back in 1989 -- as soon as she moved to Virginia to write feature stories for the Roanoke Times. Stories about the two black albino brothers kidnapped from the tobacco fields and sold into the circus. Warnings from parents issued as they dropped the kids off at the fair.“You stick together, or you might get s

BooksNov. 3, 2016

Jean Kennedy Smith writes of childhood in famous political family

“The Nine of Us”By Jean Kennedy SmithHarper (272 pages, $29.99)Jean Kennedy Smith takes comfort in memory in her new book, “The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy.” Now 88, the last of her parents’ children alive, the former ambassador to Ireland is entitled to tell the story of her storied family any way she likes. After all, she was there.One might wish that she was, well, a little more “there” -- or, perhaps, more revealing -- but such is the difference between “memoir” and “history.”Smith doesn’

BooksNov. 3, 2016

Al Capone bio suffers from acceptance of relatives' stories as fact

“Capone” By Deirdre BairNan A. Talese/Doubleday (395 pages, $30)Go into any souvenir store on a touristy Chicago street and behold the man: Al Capone. His visage will adorn T-shirts, refrigerator magnets, coffee cups and countless tacky tchotchkes people buy to commemorate their visit to the city where the world’s most famous gangster made his name. Even worse: Go into enough Chicago-area restaurants or bars, and it may surprise you how many are decorated with framed pictures of the ruthless kil

BooksNov. 3, 2016

[Herald Review] Lee Woo-jae mesmerizing as evil fairy godmother in ‘Sleeping Beauty’

For the first time in over a decade, the Korean National Ballet will perform Rudolf Nureyev’s “Sleeping Beauty.”The KNB first introduced Nureyev’s rendition of the classic fairy tale to local audiences in 2004.For this performance, they invited former Stuttgart Ballet prima ballerina Marcia Haydee to take charge of the choreography. The roughly three-hour-long ballet got off to a slow start during the full-concert press rehearsal at the Seoul Arts Center on Wednesday. However, that all changed t

CultureNov. 3, 2016