Digital vs. celluloid debate grips movie world

PARIS (AFP) ― Director Quentin Tarantino lambastes digital film-making as nothing less than the “death of cinema as I know it.” Converts hail it as a democratizing force for good that is cheaper and faster than celluloid.A debate is raging in the film world about the merits of shooting movies on 35 mm film versus digital cameras.In one corner are those who believe digital’s practical and economic benefits make it impossible to resist.In the other, “purists” such as Tarantino and “The Dark Knight

FilmJune 15, 2014

Kim Soo-hyun seals 35 advertising deals

Actor Kim Soo-hyun, who stole the hearts of fans in Asia, also caught the eyes of international advertising firms, setting a staggering record with a total of 35 commercial deals this year.According to a local advertising expert, Kim has recently filmed 15 commercials in South Korea, showing his strength as an “ad powerhouse.”“It is unusual for one celebrity to appear in over 15 ads. Because similar products in the same field normally don’t go for the same model during the same period of time,”

June 15, 2014

Is Kris being a fifth wheel in China?

Kris, an embattled member of K-pop boy group EXO, is reportedly having trouble making a solo debut in China, a local news agency said on Friday.“Why is it that (there have been) three meetings and no casting?” Chinese actress Lin Xi Ya posted on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, together with a photo of Kris.According to the news report, a source who came forward with Lin’s currently deleted SNS post claimed that “Lin Xi Ya is a person who has dated Kris and is still a close friend of his.”

June 15, 2014

Are Taeyeon, Key dating?

Girls’ Generation leader Taeyeon posted Sunday a picture taken with SHINee member Key on Instagram. With a natural, casual look, both were intimately posing in a photo with a friend. The picture was taken at Music Festival Korea 2014. (khnew@heraldcorp.com)

June 15, 2014

Snapshots of Apink’s fan meeting

Korean female idol group Apink held its second fan meeting in Seoul on Saturday. Under the title “Apink Picnic,” members did various performances, from sexy dancing to ballad singing, for their official fan club “PANDA.” Around 2,000 fans showed up for the event. (OSEN)The fan meeting was originally scheduled for April but was postponed due to the ferry tragedy. (OSEN)Son Na-eun smiles at fans. (OSEN)Three members -- Park Cho-rong, Kim Nam-joo and Oh Ha-young -- perform together. (OSEN)Park Cho-

June 15, 2014

Apink breaks into Japanese market

Korean female idol group Apink will break into the Japanese music industry this year, CUBE Entertainment said Sunday. “Having received many love calls from the Japanese market, Apink decided to debut in Japan this fall,” said the agency. “Prior to the official debut, the group will launch a showcase event in Tokyo on Aug. 4.” The album will feature song lyrics translated into Japanese, the agency said. A Japanese fan club will also be formed, it added. Considering Apink’s rising popularity in an

June 15, 2014

Song Seung-heon shows off Western look

Korean actor Song Seung-heon wore an American look when leaving for Shanghai to attend a Chinese film event Friday.(OSEN)A leather belt, jeans, styled boots and sunglasses completed his image.  (OSEN)His tight shirt also highlighted his masculine body. (OSEN)Song is currently joining the 17th Shanghai International Film Festival. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

June 15, 2014

Rain takes selfie with Gong Li

Rain revealed a selfie taken with Chinese actress Gong Li on Twitter on Saturday. The Korean pop singer is currently participating in the 17th Shanghai International Film Festival for his film “Lu Shui Hong Yan.” Gong is attending as a jury chief. Meanwhile, a number of Korean celebrities are joining the event, including Song Hye-kyo, Park Shin-hye and Song Seung-heon. The film festival, which started Saturday, will be held until June 22. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

June 15, 2014

[Weekender] An unlikely love affair with Korean music

When time allows, Hilary Finchum-Sung travels to rural villages on Jindo Island, South Jeolla Province, interviewing elderly people and recording songs that they used to sing in kitchens, on farms or during special occasions like funerals. She is on a self-imposed mission to study and preserve a disappearing musical tradition in Korea which its people don’t seem to care much about. “It (the music) is real. It’s not something performed on stage for an audience,” she said, as she sat down for an i

CultureJune 13, 2014

Calendar

Pop musicUltra Music Festival Korea: The annual Ultra Music Festival, one of the world’s largest outdoor electronica music fests, will be in full swing in Seoul once again. Last summer’s event drew more than 80,000 EDM fans. Like last year, this year’s lineup will include a handful of world famous DJ acts including Steve Aoki, Above & Beyond, Steve Angello and Paul van Dyk. The festival will host its final event as part of its two-day show on June 14 at Seoul Olympic Park’s Olympic Stadium Compl

CultureJune 13, 2014

Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum back as cop buddies in ‘22 Jump Street’

“There’s only one thing more dangerous than making them mad: Making them partners ...”The situation is as follows: You’re on a quiz show. The category is “Cop-Buddy Movies.” All you have to do to win $350 million is to know what film ― and which immortal duo ― the above marketing slogan refers to.No, it’s not so easy. The cop-buddy genre is, after all, one of the most popular and resilient in American films. The list of characters and films built on odd-couple casting and mismatched marriages of

FilmJune 13, 2014

Box Office

Wadjda (Saudi Arabia, Germany)Opening June 19Drama. Directed by Haifaa Al MansourWadjda (Waad Mohammed) is a brave and adventurous 10-year-old girl living in Saudi Arabia. She wants to buy a green bicycle to race against her friend Abdullah (Abdullrahman Algohani), but her mother won’t let her, fearing a backlash from a conservative society that sees bicycles as dangerous to girls’ virtue. So Wadjda decides to raise the funds by herself. She enters a Koran recitation competition at her school fo

FilmJune 13, 2014

Eyelike: Taeyang returns as R&B vocalist on ‘Rise’

Taeyang returns as R&B vocalist on ‘Rise’Taeyang“Rise”(KT Music)Nearly four years after the release of his debut solo album “Solar,” Taeyang from the popular K-pop boy group Big Bang has returned with his second full studio album, “Rise.”While Taeyang’s past releases have been characterized by flashy performances and catchy electronic and hip-hop sounds, his new nine-track album is geared more toward showcasing his soulful vocals and colors.The hit lead single “Eyes, Nose, Lips” is a bare, slow

PerformanceJune 13, 2014

Sky-high luxury meets downtown Jeju Island

Standing as tall as the highest building on all of Jejudo Island, the 22-story luxury business hotel, Lotte City Hotel Jeju, is a prime example of practical, convenient facilities with unbelievable panoramic views. Located smack dab in the middle of the city in the northernmost area of the island, it is a mere five-minute-drive from Jeju International Airport and is ideal for both business travelers and tourists who prefer to remain within city limits, where it is far easier to hail a taxi if ne

TravelJune 13, 2014

Hong Kong for the pleasure of business

HONG KONG ― The rain started on Sunday afternoon, just as the conference got underway. A translucent sheet of water soaked the view of the skyscrapers and harbor from midafternoon through the night, shining in street lights like a swarm of locusts.Those of us familiar to the rains of South Florida have seen water fall like this before ― for 20 minutes each afternoon in July and August ― but almost no one at the international legal conference that had taken me back to Hong Kong was prepared for t

TravelJune 13, 2014

Frozen custard with some gourmet gloss

While Seoul seems to be in the grips of a booming soft serve bonanza, the folks from Brooklyn the Burger Joint are quietly bucking the trend by whipping up batches of their take on frozen custard at their new offshoot, FRZ Ice Cream.“We felt it tasted good,” said Kang Hyo-jung, owner of FRZ Ice Cream and one of the founders of Brooklyn the Burger Joint. It seemed perfectly natural for co-founder Kang to turn to ice cream, not only because she has a soft spot for sweets, but also because Brooklyn

FoodJune 13, 2014