NEW YORK (AP) ― Spider-Man is swinging into history.Producers of “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” said Thursday that the Smithsonian Institution is inducting one of the hero’s first costumes into the permanent collection at the National Museum of American History in Washington.The red-and-blue costume designed by Eiko Ishioka and worn by actor Reeve Carney will join a collection of iconic Americana that boasts the ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz,” a Kermit the Frog puppet, the first car driv

Jan. 5, 2014

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― There is no more beautiful sound than the voices of siblings swirled together in high harmony, and when Phil and Don Everly combined their voices with songs about yearning, angst and loss, it changed the world.Phil Everly, the youngest of the Everly Brothers who took the high notes, died Friday from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was 74. He left a towering legacy that still inspires half a century after The Everly Brothers’ first hit. You could argue that while Elvi

Jan. 5, 2014

Classical music“2014 New Year’s Concert”: The famed Vienna Strauss Festival Orchestra will hold a New Year’s concert at the Seoul Arts Center concert hall on Jan. 15 at 8 p.m. Willy Byuhhira will direct the orchestra, formed 36 years ago, in its performances of “Overture Der Zigeunerbaron”; the waltz “Kuenstlerleben”; “Vergnuegungszug,” Polka-schnell, op. 281; and an excerpt from “Ritter Pazman” by Johann Strauss II, among others. Soprano Hong Hae-ran, the first Asian female winner of the 2011 Q

Jan. 3, 2014

Kim Hae-sook, a performer of the gayageum or the 12-string zither and professor, has been named to lead a state-run center for Korean traditional music, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday.Kim, 60, will assume the post of director general at the National Gugak Center for a two-year term. She is the first woman to hold the post since the organization was founded in 1951.“New director-general Kim is an acclaimed performer and scholar in various fields of Korean traditional mu

Jan. 2, 2014

LAS VEGAS ― Sure, Anthony Cools is a hypnotist, but this slick pompadour-sporting showman won’t help you quit smoking.He drives a Lamborghini and dresses in form-fitting suits with a bow tie, skull ring and pointy-toed, black-and-white Giorgio Brutini wingtips. Under his calculated spell, in fact, you might even start chain-smoking, or engage in other nefarious activities you wouldn’t be caught dead doing in your right mind.Maybe you’ll move your bra outside your blouse, dirty-flirt with a stran

Jan. 1, 2014

With the New Year upon us, it’s time to schedule in various cultural activities for our weekends and evenings. Here are some of the notable events to be held in 2014. ---Ed. 1. Beyond Impressionism: the Birth of Modern Art: The National Museum of Korea will feature more than 70 drawings and sculptures on loan from the Musee d’Orsay from May 3 through Aug. 31. The exhibition is expected to present some of the world’s most revered works of late impressionism and postimpressionism, illustrating the

Dec. 30, 2013

As Ultimate Fighting enthusiasts wait in tense anticipation for the upcoming UFC fight night next month in Singapore, local fighters Lim Hyun-gyu, Kang Kyung-ho and Park Tae-hyun are looking to represent the next generation of Korean fighters in hopes of taking home a title in an all-out battle of world class athletes. This will be only the fourth UFC event held in Asia with Lim taking on Tarec Saffiedine of Belgium in the welterweight division, Kang going against Shunichi Shimizu of Japan in th

Dec. 29, 2013

 Classical musicConcert nights at Megabox: Local cinema franchise Megabox will broadcast the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra’s New Year’s Concert live on Jan. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra’s New Year’s Concert on Jan. 3 at 8:15 p.m. The Austrian orchestra will be led by the legendary maestro Daniel Barenboim while the German orchestra will feature Chinese piano sensation Lang Lang alongside maestro Simon Rattle. The concerts will be screened at the Coex, Central, Dongdaemun,

Dec. 27, 2013

It goes without saying that expats living in Korea or international travelers have all experienced the tribulations of going into a Korean restaurant, reading the translated descriptions of the dishes and still having no idea exactly what they ordered. With the hopes of minimizing these struggles for non-Koreans, the government will soon establish its latest project to release a descriptive guideline on Korean cuisine.The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is planning to release an official

Dec. 26, 2013

Here’s a look at what’s buzzing in the book world:Tip of the iceberg: The New Yorker has published a “recently unearthed” story by Zelda Fitzgerald (written before she was the wife of Great Gatsby author F. Scott Fitzgerald). Titled “The Iceberg,” Fitzgerald (then known as Zelda Sayre) wrote the story in 1918, when she was about 17 or 18 years old. It tells the tale of a young woman named Cornelia who comes from a rich Southern family, but is seeking something more. It was published in her high

Dec. 26, 2013

Just a few minutes away from the vibrant and crowded neighborhood of Hongdae, known for its art scene and nightlife, is the often overlooked area of Yeonnam-dong. Although it has certainly not reached the status of a must-see hot spot, its growing number of boutique shops and galleries is turning it into Seoul’s next up-and-coming neighborhood. There is still something to be said for being able to go to a quiet coffee shop with your friends without having to worry about whether a table will be a

Dec. 25, 2013

There is nothing that quite says Christmas like a holly showing out with its festive bright red berries. A specimen holly kissed by frost or draped with a blanket of snow is a sight and memory to be treasured.After years of being mesmerized by their beauty I am now being treated to a new look at our garden in Savannah, Ga., the holly adorned with Spanish moss, looking as though they have been carefully decorated with a special tinsel of nature.Regardless of where you live, Spanish moss or not, t

Dec. 25, 2013