Hong Sang-soo wins best director at San Sebastian film fest

Korean film director Hong Sang-soo has taken home the Silver Shell award for best directing for his new film “Yourself and Yours” at this year’s 64th annual San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain, which ran from Sept. 16 to 24. Best known for his films “Hahaha” and “Right Now, Wrong Then,” Hong’s latest feature film stars actors Kim Joo-hyuck and Lee You-young in a movie that chronicles one man’s desperate search for his girlfriend, who had gone missing after a serious spat between the two. The wi

FilmSept. 25, 2016

Brad Pitt allegations relate to treatment of son

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Allegations Brad Pitt was abusive on a private plane last week relate to the actor’s treatment of his 15-year-old son, sources said Friday, as the FBI continued to gather information before determining whether to open an investigation.FBI Spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said the agency hasn’t made a decision on a formal investigation into what occurred on a plane ferrying Pitt, his wife Angelina Jolie Pitt and their six children.Several news outlets have reported that a child welf

FilmSept. 25, 2016

Red flags, not red carpet: Local film wins North Korean fest

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) -- And the envelope, please! The Pyongyang International Film Festival wrapped up Friday with top honors going to -- wait for it -- a domestically produced feature about a young woman who selflessly devotes herself to raising orphans. The winner of the “Best Torch Award,” selected by a panel of international judges, was “Story About My House,” a drama about Ri Jong A, who wins the honors of leader Kim Jong-un for devoting herself to raising orphans after graduating fr

FilmSept. 25, 2016

Moby launches new album with environmental manifesto

NEW YORK (AFP) -- Moby, the electronic artist known for his dark musical undertones and staunch advocacy of animal rights, has announced a new album in the form of an environmental manifesto.Entitled “These Systems Are Failing,” the album to be released on Oct. 14 will be the debut of his new act called Moby and the Void Pacific Choir.Moby released an initial two tracks, which have echoes of the techno sound that made him famous in the 1990s but carry a forceful wall of guitar and bleak minor-ke

PerformanceSept. 25, 2016

Florence museum head defends party rental in Pitti Palace

ROME (AP) -- A wild bachelor’s party at the Pitti Palace art museum in Florence?Nothing of the kind, says museum director Eike Schmidt, who is defending the Renaissance palazzo’s courtyard’s rental, saying it was for a pre-nuptial dinner paid for by an Italian company president who was getting married Saturday in a Florence church. Schmidt, who also directs the Uffizi Galleries, insisted in statement Saturday there was “nothing vulgar or excessive” about decorations in the courtyard for the part

PerformanceSept. 25, 2016

Lauren Hutton revisits 'American Gigolo' for Bottega Veneta

MILAN (AP) -- Milan designers are keeping it clean for next season.Many collections have a girl-next-door gleam, with an underpinning of sexy. The silhouettes are fresh and there is simplicity to the compositions. Maybe it's because many designers are taking hints from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s in their designs. And no, that doesn’t mean retro. Materials and execution keep the collections modern.Highlights from the fourth day of womenswear previews for next spring and summer Saturday at Milan F

Arts & DesignSept. 25, 2016

[Eye Interview] ‘We create experience, not just the physical space’

Imagine having to outdo yourself each time you take on a new project. “It’s like having to hit a home run again and again,” said Mary Spackman, founder and principal designer at Spackman Associates.While the name may be unfamiliar to most, it is a go-to name for those in the know. The interior designer who returned from the US after working for four years at the New York-based Rockwell Group was taking time off raising her young son when she was approached to renovate the home of a CEO. That pro

Arts & DesignSept. 23, 2016

[Home Cooking] Buchujeon (savory pancake)

Buchujeon is a savory pancake made with Korean garlic chives, or “buchu,” and it is a very common pancake in Korean homes. Buchujeon can be made simply with buchu, but I usually add thinly sliced onions to add delicious sweetness to the pancakes. You can also add thinly sliced perilla leaves (“kkaennip”) and/or chili peppers. If you like it a bit meaty, add some minced pork. When savory pancakes are seasoned with “gochujang” (red pepper paste) and/or “doenjang,” (fermented soy bean paste) they a

FoodSept. 23, 2016

[The Palate] Buckwheat makes its autumnal arrival

Regional food references are tantamount to culinary seals of approval, as such descriptions proudly tell you about the quality, authenticity or style of whatever you are buying. When it comes to buckwheat -- “maemil” in Korean -- Bongpyeong in Gangwon Province is the place most widely recognized for producing the best quality buckwheat in the country and where an annual festival is held each autumn in its honor. Buckwheat purveyors and restaurants around the country know the marketing power of B

FoodSept. 23, 2016

Run with the bulls on Terceira island

VILA NOVA, TERCEIRA, Azores -- There are ways to look nonchalant when you stand on a street with nothing between you and an over 900-kilogram bull but a few skinny guys with a rope.Strike a vigorous stance with hands on your hips, for one. That projects machismo. Hands in your pockets can make you look fairly unruffled, too. Talking loudly and unconcernedly with friends shows you’re fine with a little danger.Crossing your arms, however, isn’t recommended. That might stray just a little into nerv

TravelSept. 23, 2016

[Travel Bits] Travel news from around the world

Seoul International Fireworks Festival The Seoul International Fireworks Festival is an annual event of extravagant firework displays by firework masters from home and abroad. It attracts more than a million spectators every year. Celebrating its 16th year, one of the most anticipated autumn festivals in Seoul is taking place outside the Yeouinaru Station at the Han River Park.Prior to the firework show, visitors will also be able to enjoy various live performances and hands-on cultural programs

TravelSept. 23, 2016

[Around the Hotels] Roundup of hotel events and news

Park Hyatt Seoul’s Autumn at the Park Park Hyatt Seoul is presenting the Autumn at the Park package until Nov. 30. It comes in two options, either basic or gourmet, and aims to provide a refuge for guests in the comfort of the city. Starting at 340,000 won, the basic package includes a one-night stay in a Park King room, and a skincare set from Aesop. The gourmet option includes everything in the basic package as well as a full-course dinner for two at the hotel’s Italian restaurant Cornerstone.

TravelSept. 23, 2016

[Highlights] Arts and entertainment calendar

Theater“Mr. Show”: Produced by renowned musical director Kolleen Park, the naughty male striptease “Mr. Show” is returning to the stage this year. The women-only variety show features strapping young men who dance and perform various themed acts geared toward tantalizing females. The live show, only for those 19 and above, will be staged from Saturday until Dec. 4 at the Shinhan Card Fan Square’s Live Hall in Seoul. Tickets are 52,000 won and 80,000 won. For more details, call (02) 547-5694. A s

PerformanceSept. 23, 2016

Gigi Hadid fends off manhandler between runway turns

MILAN (AP) -- This was already Gigi Hadid’s season.She drew crowds outside the Max Mara shop on opening day of Milan Fashion Week, and indulged fans with selfies. 　 Then she opened and closed the Max Mara show on the second day of womenswear previews for next spring and summer on Thursday, and took top billing at Fendi. But in between, things took an ugly turn when a former Ukrainian television reporter grabbed her from behind and picked her up in the air as she left the Max Mara venue. Video po

Arts & DesignSept. 23, 2016

Flush with opportunities, Chris Pratt plays a new hand

TORONTO (AP) -- The offer to star in Antoine Fuqua’s “The Magnificent Seven” came to Chris Pratt while he was on a hunting trip with friends, listening to an audio book of Larry McMurtry’s “Lonesome Dove.” Having recently learned some card tricks of his own, the part -- a gun-slinging card sharp -- felt like kismet. “All of the signs in my life pointed me toward doing this movie,” Pratt says. “It’s like when you get dealt a hand that you don’t even throw a single card back. You’re like: That’s t

FilmSept. 23, 2016

[Movie review] ‘Seven’ more mediocre than magnificent

Seven warriors fight for the vulnerable, in a formula that bears revisiting in “The Magnificent Seven.” Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 masterpiece, “Seven Samurai,” begat the classic 1960 Western “The Magnificent Seven,” then a late ’90s TV series and now, a big budget action adventure Western directed by Antoine Fuqua. It’s an appealing concept -- bad guys who can be good, loners who can work together and find camaraderie in a team when it comes to protecting innocents.With the blockbuster cast that Fuq

FilmSept. 23, 2016

[Box Office] Latest movie releases

The Magnificent Seven(US)Opened Sept. 14Western, action. Directed by Antoine FuquaA motley crew of stealthy gangsters led by Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington) attempts to defend the helpless town of Rose Creek when ruthless industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard) seizes control of it. Ben-Hur(US)Opened Sept. 14Drama, action. Directed by Timur BekmambetovPrince Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston) is falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell), an officer in the Roman

FilmSept. 23, 2016

97 damage cases found on artifacts after Gyeongju quake

Seventeen more cases of damage have been found on historical artifacts following the Gyeongju earthquake Monday, bringing the total to 97, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced Wednesday.The additional damage includes a crack on the sitting stone Buddha statue (Gwanbong Seokjo Yeorae-jwasang) on Palgongsan near Daegu, damage to the walls of the Daegwangjeon Hall in Yangsan’s Sinheungsa Temple and gaps in stone pagodas on Gyeongju’s Namsan.Cheomseongdae Observatory was also found with ad

CultureSept. 22, 2016

Bloodstained ‘Asura’ depicts criminal world with no room for justice

In the ferocious new crime thriller “Asura: The City of Madness,” director Kim Sung-su wanted to depict the “weary lives of powerless villains.”　The film is a raw action flick teeming with blood and subterfuge, and one that director Kim had wanted to make for “a very, very long time,” he told reporters after a press screening Wednesday in northern Seoul.　The 54-year-old filmmaker, known for works like “The Flu” (2013) and “The Restless” (2006), aimed to tell the story of “the countless (sidekick

FilmSept. 22, 2016

Black Pink continues to top charts

Even after wrapping up promotional activities for its debut releases, rookie K-pop girl group Black Pink continues to see success at home and abroad. 　The four-member act, which debuted last month with the singles album “Square One,” topped Amazon’s Best Sellers chart for top MP3 downloads for international rap with the track “Boombayah” on Wednesday, the group’s management agency YG Entertainment announced Thursday. The other debut track “Whistle” took the No. 5 spot. 　Since its release in Augu

PerformanceSept. 22, 2016