'La La Land' musical masterpiece dazzles Venice film fest

VENICE (AFP) -- A bewitching musical starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone whipped up a frenzy on the opening day of the Venice film festival Wednesday as it kicked off the race for the Golden Lion.Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land,” a tribute to the golden age of American musicals, reunites the stars, who appeared together in the 2011 romantic comedy “Crazy, Stupid, Love” -- but with oodles of singing this time.The world’s top film critics, gathered on the glamorous Lido di Venezia for the 10-day fe

FilmSept. 1, 2016

Frankenstein 2.0: Hollywood’s obsession with ‘playing God’

LOS ANGELES (AFP) -- Ridley Scott’s son Luke steps out of his father’s shadow this week with his directorial debut “Morgan,” a modern take on the “mad scientist” trope that has preoccupied Hollywood for more than a century.Ever since inventor Thomas Edison’s company made the first Frankenstein motion picture in 1910, filmmakers have been telling cautionary tales about the folly of mankind “playing God” to create life.Setting aside more than 70 movies featuring Mary Shelley’s monster itself, nume

FilmSept. 1, 2016

Lower Manhattan reborn 15 years after 9/11

NEW YORK (AP) -- Fifteen years after the Sept. 11 attacks, Lower Manhattan has been reborn. The revitalization of the city’s downtown, powered by $30 billion in government and private investments, includes not just the reconstruction of the World Trade Center site, but also two new malls filled with upscale retailers, thousands of new hotel rooms and dozens of eateries ranging from the new Italian marketplace Eataly to a French food hall, Le District. The statistics alone are stunning. There are

TravelSept. 1, 2016

Youth soccer group lets kids take initiative

Expat-run youth soccer development organization International Football Education is launching a new student-led weekend training program for kids aged 6-13 from this Sunday.The program will organize kids into teams of three, four or five players, depending on age, who will play together for a 13-week season. The season, run in English, will be a mix of training sessions some weeks and matches on others, with coaches observing during matches to give feedback and guide the coaching sessions.Philip

Expat LivingAug. 31, 2016

Seoul Media Art Biennale explores new languages to define future

The Seoul International Media Art Biennale is looking to make a radical bet on the future, amid a deluge of disasters and crises worldwide that have cast a grim shadow over society. Taking place at the city-run Seoul Museum of Art since 2000, the biennale is the biggest international showcase of media art in Korea. Now in its ninth edition, this year’s event has brought together multimedia works from 61 teams of artists from over 20 countries, including Korea, the Netherlands, Japan, Brazil and

PerformanceAug. 31, 2016

Herald Phil to hit stage with Gummy, JK Kim Dong-wook

The Herald Philharmonic Orchestra will take stage alongside a number of special guests, including K-pop ballad powerhouses Gummy and JK Kim Dong-wook and soprano singer Shin Della.The orchestra’s upcoming sold-out “Nalrari Concert” is being held Sept. 3 at 5 p.m. at the Inje Haneulnaerin Center’s Grand Theater in Inje-gun, Gangwon Province. Seats to the concert sold out within the first week of ticket sales. On Feb. 1, the Herald Phil signed a cultural exchange partnership agreement with the Inj

PerformanceAug. 31, 2016

‘The Age of Shadows’ selected as 2017 Oscars contender

Upcoming historical thriller “The Age of Shadows” has been selected as a contender for the 89th Academy Awards for best foreign language film, according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) on Tuesday. “‘The Age of Shadows’ was selected not only for its aesthetic achievement, but also in recognition of the director and cast, and global distribution and marketing efforts,” said KOFIC in a statement. Starring big-name actors including Song Kang-ho from the 2013 dystopian film “Snowpiercer” and Gong

FilmAug. 31, 2016

Actor Cha Seung-won plays Joseon era cartographer in new film

One of the most famous maps in Korean history is the 1861 Daedongyeojido, meaning “the great map of the east land.” Measuring 6.7 by 3.8 meters and depicting the entire Korean Peninsula, it has long been lauded by historians for being astonishingly accurate, detailed and advanced for its time.In “The Map Against the World,” a new historical drama flick set for release on Sept. 7, actor Cha Seung-won takes up the role of Kim Jeong-ho, a late Joseon era geographer, cartographer and maker of the hi

FilmAug. 31, 2016

Girl group April to promote eco-friendly school meals

The members of girl group April were appointed promotional ambassadors for eco-friendly school meals by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday, according to the group’s agency DSP Media. The group will be featured in subway posters, online videos and other advertisements promoting eco-friendly school meals. Mayor Park Won-soon presented trophies to the group at a ceremony held Wednesday morning at Seoul City Hall.On Oct. 20, April will participate in a public forum for eco-friendly meals

PerformanceAug. 31, 2016

Interactive font system wins Herald Design Tech 2016 award

A 27-year-old student won the top award at Herald Design Tech 2016, a design-meets-technology contest organized by Herald Corp., with a customized font design system that reflects the user’s preferences. Pyo Jun-hee, a visual communication design student at Gachon University won the competition with his interactive font system which allows users to easily change fonts by merely tilting an iPad screen. Pyo received a prize of 3 million won ($2,680). “When you tilt an iPad screen equipped with the

Arts & DesignAug. 31, 2016

Expressing sorrow of black Americans

“The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race” By Jesmyn WardScribner (240 pages, $25)The murder last year of nine people at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, epitomizes the subject of “The Fire This Time.” These African-American churchgoers, including an 87-year-old woman, were murdered by a white racist simply because they were black.Novelist Jesmyn Ward edited this collection of essays and a few poems, which describes the sorrow and unease of being black in Ameri

BooksAug. 31, 2016

Jessica Winter's debut looks at the 1 percent

“Break in Case of Emergency” By Jessica WinterKnopf (288 pages, $25.95)Jessica Winter’s debut novel, “Break in Case of Emergency,” is an interesting study of the 1 percent and those striving to join their ranks.A senior features editor at Slate and former culture editor at Time, Winter shines a harsh light on the world of beautiful people and the people who want to be a part of that world.She’s well acquainted with her subject matter as she populates her book with a double dose of beautiful yet

BooksAug. 31, 2016

Old Hollywood glamour in 'Platinum Doll'

“Platinum Doll” By Anne GirardMIRA Books (352 pages, $15.99)“Madame Picasso” author Anne Girard takes on another bewitching figure from the past in “Platinum Doll,” a charming fictionalized account of how Jean Harlow became a movie star.Stunning blonde Harlean Carpenter McGrew, only 17, moves to California in 1928 with her handsome young husband, Chuck, who’s rich but troubled after the death of his parents. She’s discovered by studio executives while waiting for a starlet girlfriend. She uses t

BooksAug. 31, 2016

Tom Wolfe talks Darwin, Chomsky and human speech

NEW YORK (AP) -- After satirizing everything from “radical chic” to 20th century architecture, Tom Wolfe is now mining the mystery of language and the reputation of the most influential linguist of our time, Noam Chomsky.Chomsky, in turn, has some thoughts about Wolfe, the celebrated New Journalist and author of such classics as “The Bonfire of the Vanities” and “The Right Stuff.”In his new book, “The Kingdom of Speech,” Wolfe examines how scholars have attempted to discern the roots of verbal c

BooksAug. 31, 2016

Alex Marwood delivers gripping cautionary tale

“The Darkest Secret”(Penguin Books)By Alex Marwood The disappearance of a child whose body is never found eventually implodes a family as well as a circle of friends. Yet perhaps even more chilling is how this horrid crime appears to have such little effect on the self-centered patriarch in Alex Marwood’s compelling novel. As “The Darkest Secret” poignantly delves into the aftermath of 3-year-old Coco Jackson’s disappearance, Marwood delivers an unexpected story. This isn’t a family forever sty

BooksAug. 31, 2016

Ceremony marks end of Korea-France Year

A yearlong celebration of Korean culture in France came to an end Tuesday with an awards ceremony in Paris that recognized more than 80 French and Korean cultural figures who took part in the cultural exchanges between the two countries. Korean Culture Minister Kim Jong-deok awarded a total of 88 cultural figures, including Didier Deschamps, head of the Chaillot National Theater.Korea organized more than 200 cultural events at 120 cultural institutions in some 60 cities throughout France from Se

CultureAug. 30, 2016

[Foreigners Who Loved Korea] Liu Yongyao, Chinese general who supported Korean independence

Liu Yongyao played many roles as a soldier, professor, and politician of the Republic of China. He helped the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Chongqing receive recognition from the Nationalist government of China and actively supported the Korean independence movement in areas such as diplomacy, politics, economy, military and culture. Building skills in the military academyLiu Yongyao, also known by the courtesy name Zhezhi and the pen name Wukun, was born in Yaojiaga Village

CultureAug. 30, 2016

Time ripe for Korean traditional music venue

The new Seoul Donhwamun Traditional Theater is opening its doors Thursday, with the aim of becoming one of the nation’s top-tier concert theaters specializing in Korean traditional music. Situated between Changdeokgung and Jongmyo, the site of a former gas station has been completely transformed. The Seoul Metropolitan Government acquired the property in 2009 and built the stunningly picturesque and quaint performance theater house, which takes reference from traditional “hanok” -- traditional K

CultureAug. 30, 2016