14th-century Goryeo Buddhist painting returns home

The rare 14th century Buddhist painting “Water-Moon Avalokiteshvara” has found its home at the National Museum of Korea. 　With less than 50 paintings from the Goryeo kingdom “Water-Moon Avalokiteshvara” in existence today, it was remarkable that Yoon Dong-han, the chairman of leading cosmetics and pharmaceutical manufacturing company Kolmar Korea, was able to buy the painting in Japan and bring it back home.Alerted to the availability of the piece, Yoon bought the painting for 2.5 billion won ($

CultureOct. 17, 2016

‘Train to Busan’ wins best director, special effects at Sitges

Director Yeon Sang-ho’s “Train to Busan” won awards for best director and best special effects at the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival in Spain on Saturday.The zombie thriller had received the grand prize at Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival in July. Opened locally in July, “Train to Busan” was a box office hit and holds the record so far as the ninth best-selling Korean film ever. A still from “Train to Busan” (Next Entertainment World) Director Yeon Sang-ho (Yonhap)Di

FilmOct. 16, 2016

Experts discover ‘cavities’ in Egypt’s Great Pyramid

Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza could contain two previously unknown “cavities,” scientists using radiography to scan the millennia-old monument said Saturday.On Thursday, the antiquities ministry cautiously announced finding “two anomalies” in the pyramid built 4,500 years ago under King Khufu, with further tests to determine their function, nature and size.At 146 meters tall, Khufu pyramid, named after the son of pharaoh Snefru, is considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.Egyptia

CultureOct. 16, 2016

Ang Lee unveils hyper-real ‘Billy Lynn’ to mixed reviews

Mixed reviews greeted Ang Lee’s long anticipated “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” at the New York Film Festival on Friday night, casting further doubts over the promise of Hollywood’s latest technological savior: high-frame rate filming. The premiere was one of the fall movie season’s most closely watched events because Lee’s drama, an adaptation of Ben Fountain’s 2012 novel, was made with a faster frame rate than any previous wide release. Aside from being in 3-D and 4K resolution, Lee shot th

FilmOct. 16, 2016

Busan Film Fest closes amid struggles, welcomes new beginning

The 21st Busan International Film Festival, Asia’s largest, wrapped up Saturday with a closing ceremony moderated by actor-singer Kim Min-jong and actress-model Choi Yeo-jin at the Busan Cinema Center after an unremarkable, quiet 10-day run, which saw scaled-back events and a smaller audience than previous years. The New Currents Award, BIFF’s representative competition category which recognizes rookie Asian directors, went to two films by Chinese directors: Wang Xuebo’s debut feature “Knife in

FilmOct. 16, 2016

Steve McQueen: bringing art to the silver screen

Director Steve McQueen, whose poetic visual style helped secure a best picture Oscar for “12 Years a Slave,” brings a sensibility to his films even when tackling harrowing subjects.The 46-year-old received the British Film Institute’s Fellowship award Saturday, its highest accolade, in recognition of his movies exploring the endurance of humanity.“He is one of the most influential and important British artists of the past 25 years,” said BFI chair Josh Berger.Whether sex addiction or slavery, Mc

FilmOct. 16, 2016

‘Certain Women’ named best picture at London Film Festival

Writer-director Kelly Reichardt’s spare and subtle Montana drama “Certain Women” won the best-picture prize Saturday at the London Film Festival, while “12 Years a Slave” director Steve McQueen received a major career award.A jury headed by Greek director Athina Rachel Tsangari praised the masterful imagery and quiet modesty of Reichardt’s film about three women -- played by Kristen Stewart, Michelle Williams and Laura Dern -- struggling with life in a chilly small town.The director is known for

FilmOct. 16, 2016

Early editions of Shakespeare’s plays get rare public view

The public is getting a rare peek at first and early editions of some of William Shakespeare’s most beloved plays. The Boston Public Library is commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s death with “Shakespeare Unauthorized,” a free exhibition that opened Friday.The library famously holds a copy of the “First Folio,” the earliest published collection of Shakespeare’s works.Early “quartos,” or booklets for individual works such as “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Hamlet” and “The Merchant of

CultureOct. 16, 2016

Celebrated Monet ‘haystack’ painting to be auctioned in NY

Christie’s auction house in New York will offer for sale one of Claude Monet’s celebrated “haystack” paintings, valued at an estimated $45 million, which should reconfirm collectors’ appetite for Impressionist art.With wealthy Chinese collectors expressing keen interest in such works, the painting -- part of a series of haystack pictures painted by Monet during the winter of 1890-1891 from his French home in Giverny -- will first be presented next week in Hong Kong. It will then be shown in Lond

PerformanceOct. 16, 2016

Busan film festival to strive for fresh start after bumpy year

This year's Busan International Film Festival may have lacked some of the festive atmosphere it enjoyed in the past, but it still did well highlighting the latest trends in the film industry as a whole that could lay the foundation for a fresh start going forward.  (Yonhap)The 21st edition of the festival is scheduled to end on Saturday, wrapping up its 10-day run.Everything went smoothly except the outdoor events scheduled to take place on Haeundae beach, which the festival had to move to the B

EntertainmentOct. 16, 2016

Korean critics weigh in on Dylan’s Nobel Prize win

Bob Dylan spent his earlier years not-so-carefully treading the restless social climates of America in the 1960s, belting out subtle, yet politically-charged songs that became anthems for the baby boomer generation. He was behind era-defining songs such as “Like a Rolling Stone” and “Blowin’ in the Wind.” Now, more than five decades later, the American folk singer’s poetic lyrics won him this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday, for having “created new poetic expressions within the grea

PerformanceOct. 14, 2016

[Highlights] Arts and entertainment calendar

Dance“Tropical”: Dance Theater Tic will be presenting the group’s 2016 piece “Tropical” at Guerilla Theatre in Hyehwa-dong, Seoul from Oct. 21-23. Chronicling the story of six men stuck in the tropics after the Earth’s axis mysteriously shifts, the performance conveys the contradicting forces of life and death, and hope and desperation. “Tropical” will begin at 8 p.m. on the Friday and at 4 p.m. on the weekend. Tickets are from 20,000 won, and can be reserved at ticket.interpark.com. For inquiri

PerformanceOct. 14, 2016

[Album Review] JONES’ debut a delicious slice of electro-pop

JONES“New Skin”(37 Adventures)The music business is littered with folks named Jones -- there’s Tom Jones, Norah Jones, Rickie Lee Jones and Howard Jones, for starters. So make room for another, the all-capital JONES.That’s the stage name of London-bred singer-songwriter Cherie Jones-Mattis, whose super debut album “New Skin” is a delicious slice of smooth electro-pop warmed by her inviting voice. It’s the perfect CD to fire up for late-night chilling, rainy-day walks and late-night rainy day wal

PerformanceOct. 14, 2016

[Album Review] Last surviving Bee Gee comes back for more

Barry Gibb“In the Now”(Columbia Records)If anyone had said the Bee Gees’ music would stand the test of time, most serious music people would have scoffed.Rulers of the disco era, the fraternal purveyors of nine (hash)1 hits, including “Stayin’ Alive” and “Night Fever,” seemed destined to have their songs trotted out for nostalgic purposes only -- on Oldies Night, say, in the lounge of the airport Holiday Inn.But then Al Green covered “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” so well no one else had to s

PerformanceOct. 14, 2016

[Album Review] Green Day gets back on straight and narrow

Green Day“Revolution Radio”(Reprise Records)“Revolution Radio” sees Green Day back on the straight and narrow, a dozen potent tunes encasing the punk attitude with plenty of pop hooks. The band shakes off a few years in the wilderness, including personal crises and artistic diversions, with a no-frills collection in which they work from a clean slate without losing their collective memory. There’s no overall concept, nothing really innovative, but there’s room for the topical and ample rawness i

PerformanceOct. 14, 2016

[Box Office] Latest movie releases

Luck-Key(Korea)Opened Oct. 13Comedy. Directed by Lee Gye-byukA hired killer (Yoo Hae-jin) loses his memory of his day job after slipping and hitting his head at a public bath. He is left thinking he is a no-name actor. His life turns around completely. The Accountant(US)　Opened Oct. 13Action, thriller. Directed by Gavin O’ConnorChristian Wolff (Ben Affleck) uses a small-town Certified Public Accountant office as a cover to do freelance accounting work for criminal organizations. The mathematics

FilmOct. 14, 2016

A superhero CPA in Ben Affleck’s ‘The Accountant’

In Gavin O’Connor’s “The Accountant,” starring Ben Affleck, the paper-pushing CPA -- roughly the exact opposite of Schwarzenegger or Stallone -- gets his shot at action hero stardom. If we pull out our calculators, we can deduce that the odds of this are slim. Carrying the one and rounding up, you might even conclude that it’s a patently ridiculous premise. Just imagine the tagline possibilities. “The only thing he knows better than the tax code is his moral code!” “Don’t write him off!” “He’s t

FilmOct. 14, 2016

[Travel Bits] Travel news from around the world

Korean Folk Village Historical Drama Festival The Historical Drama Festival, a festival dedicated to Korean historical dramas, is being held daily at the Korean Folk Village until Nov. 13. At the event, K-drama historical fantasies come to life as the folk village is transformed into a center for Hallyu. The village offers entertainment such as performance arts and hands-on programs related to historical dramas and drama parodies. There is also the chance to dress up as characters from historica

TravelOct. 14, 2016

[Around the Hotels] Roundup of hotel events and news

White asparagus promotion at Millennium Seoul Hilton Millennium Seoul Hilton’s French restaurant Seasons is offering white asparagus in a four or five-course dinner this month. Grown without exposure to sunlight, white asparagus -- referred to as the “king of vegetables” in Europe -- has a delicate flavour sought after by gourmands.The menu will feature white asparagus and lobster charlotte with an osetra caviar dressing; white asparagus soup with poached quail eggs and king crab meat; butter po

FoodOct. 14, 2016