[Herald Interview] Director of animated horror film ‘Climbing’ hopes to share plight of pregnant women

Not all expectant mothers experience a “pregnancy glow,” says director Kim Hye-mi, who hopes to highlight the tumultuous journey some pregnant women go through in her animated horror film “Climbing.” “I wanted to show that pregnancy not only has bright sides to it but a dark side to it as well. And I wanted to show is that we don’t have to always view it only positively,” Kim said during a recent interview with The Korea Herald. “I wanted to focu

June 14, 2021

Marvel’s superhero film ‘Black Widow’ to be released worldwide July 7

Walt Disney Korea on Monday announced that Marvel superhero film “Black Widow” will be released globally on July 7, in theaters and its streaming service Disney+. Movie fans have long been waiting for news of the film’s release, its trailer was unveiled in March 2020. The release date of the film has been delayed multiple times due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Popular Avengers character Natasha Romanoff, known as Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) appears in the new film

June 14, 2021

Korean horror series ‘Whispering Corridors’ returns with its iconic scene after 12 years

At the far end of a long, spooky hallway, a girl with long hair in a school uniform is standing still. As the creepy atmosphere conquers the space, the girl swiftly moves toward the audience. The well-known scene comes from the first “Whispering Corridors” movie, which came out in 1998. The signature scene was re-created in the upcoming “Whispering Corridors 6: The Humming,” which marks a return to the series after 12 years. “As I was making the film, I mostly us

June 12, 2021

‘Assassins,’ about death of N. Korea’s Kim Jong-nam, denied art film status

Local film distributors are protesting the Korean Film Council’s decision to deny art film status to “Assassins,” a documentary about Kim Jong-nam’s assassination. Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and half brother of the country’s current leader, Kim Jong-un, fell out of favor with the regime and began living in exile in 2003. Reports said Kim Jong-nam lived in Macao before his death. The film centers on the events that took

June 12, 2021

Korean ballet dancer Park Sae-eun named “star” dancer at the Paris Opera Ballet

Park Sae-eun, 32, was named Etoile at the Paris Opera Ballet on Friday. She is the first Asian ballet dancer to obtain the title, which means star dancer, in the company’s 352-year history. The announcement was made after the “Romeo and Juliet” ballet performance began Thursday at the Bastille Opera in France. Park played Juliet alongside Paul Marque, who was designated star dancer in December. In 2011, she became an official member of the elite dance company in France an

June 11, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Twice talks about “Taste of Love”

The bandmates of Twice discussed their 10th EP, “Taste of Love,” upon its release Friday. 　 It had been eight months since the band’s previous album, “Eyes Wide Open.” 　 “This is an album that took us a long time to make and consequently, expectations for the promotion are high,” said Jeongyeon. As many of their fans are looking forward to seeing something new, they would like to repay their fans with a range of fresh performances, she added. 　 The k

June 11, 2021

BTS to celebrate 8th debut anniversary with virtual fan meeting

BTS, the seven-piece act that has emerged as the world's biggest boy band, is set to hold a two-day fan event in line with its eighth debut anniversary, the group's agency said Friday. BTS 2021 Muster Sowoozoo, now in its fifth round, will take place through online streaming on Sunday and Monday, according to Hybe. It marks the first mass fan event of its kind since one held in 2019. To make up for the online streaming, Hybe said the event will take place at an outdoor stage so that fans can f

June 11, 2021

S. Korean actor Song Kang-ho selected to Cannes' jury

South Korean actor Song Kang-ho has been named a jury member of this year's Cannes Film Festival, industry sources said Friday. The "Parasite" star recently accepted an offer to join the competition jury of the 74th edition of the world's most prestigious film festival, according to the sources. The full list of the jurors led by American filmmaker Spike Lee will be announced next week. Song will be the fifth Korean to be a member of Cannes' jury, following director Shin Sang-ok in

June 11, 2021

[Eye Interview] Baek Yerin forays into 90s rock with The Volunteers

It might have come as a surprise to most that soft-voiced R&B singer Baek Yerin deviated to rock, but her three bandmates in The Volunteers found the transition quite natural. “Nothing about this band was planned. We didn‘t set a goal before we started on anything. Of course, to us, Yerin’s voice sounded like rock material, but that was only one of the reasons why the four of us came together. The whole thing was just fun for us,” Koh Hyung-seok, the Volunteers&rsq

June 11, 2021

Mise-en-Scene Short Film Festival to celebrate 20th anniversary with special events

The country’s annual festival of short films is back, after an announcement earlier this year that it would be discontinued. Defying the odds, the 20th Mise-en-Scene Short Film Festival will run June 24 to June 30. Some changes have been made to the weeklong event, however, as the ongoing pandemic batters the film industry. This year’s festival will not have competition categories. Instead, the festival will screen 20 films that made a mark in the event’s two-decade history

June 11, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (US) Opened June 3 Horror Directed by Michael Chaves In 1981, 8-year-old boy David Glatzel (Julian Hilliard), possessed by a demon, stabs his father’s leg. Demonologists Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) try to help the boy but it is not easy. During an exorcism, Arne Johnson (Ruairi O’Connor), boyfriend of David’s sister, invites the demon to enter his body instead of David’s. Cruella (US) Opened May 26 Drama

June 11, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Twice performs new song for 1st time on 'Ellen'

Twice performed the lead track from its 10th EP “Taste of Love” for the first time on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” on Wednesday in the US.   　 The nine-piece group celebrated summer with a choreography that mixed sultry wave and passionate Latin dance moves, while the stage set changed from a hot summer day into a romantic night perfect for a holiday destination.   　 The song, titled “Alcohol-Free,” headed straight to the top of major music charts i

June 10, 2021

Ex-BTOB member gets 2-year prison term for marijuana use

Jung Il-hoon, former member of K-pop boy band BTOB, was sentenced by a local court Thursday to two years in prison for habitually smoking marijuana, a banned substance in South Korea. The 27-year-old Jung was indicted without detention in April on charges of smoking marijuana worth 133 million won ($119,300) that he had bought from an acquaintance on 161 occasions between July 2016 and January 2019. The Seoul Central District Court also ordered Jung to forfeit 133 million won for violating the

June 10, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Twice drums up excitement for new album

Twice shared its excitement for their new EP “Taste of Love” in a livestream to mark its return on Wednesday. 　 “Taste of Love” reflects how much the band has matured, said Jeongyeon. 　 “This is the first time the members have had their names on all tracks,” chimed in Jihyo. 　 Title track “Alcohol-Free” blends together bossa nova and hip-hop, emphasizing the band’s vivid and refreshing image. 　 “We’ve never tried bossa nova,&

June 9, 2021

[Herald interview] Yu Jun-sang is ready for show about death

“Beetlejuice” tells a fun, humorous and exciting story about loneliness and death, said actor Yu Jun-sang who plays the eponymous character in the Korean-language version of the musical. Yu, who deftly moves between the small screen, the silver screen and the stage, plays the iconic Beetlejuice character, a green haired ghost who has been in existence for 9.8 billion years and is obsessed with life. Wishing to befriend a couple who recently became ghosts in an accidental death, h

June 9, 2021

Coldplay unveils 'Higher Power' music video featuring Korean dance company

British rock band Coldplay has unveiled a music video for its new song "Higher Power" featuring South Korean dance group Ambiguous Dance Company. The 4 minute, 16 second clip, uploaded on the band's official YouTube channel on Tuesday (local time), shows lead singer Chris Martin dancing alongside members of the Korean dance group. The music video by award-winning director Dave Meyers is a short science-fiction film set in a devastated future city. The dancers appear as hologram image

June 9, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] EPEX makes confident debut

Boy band EPEX held an online showcase event to announce its debut on Tuesday. 　 The name of the band means “the gathering of eight youths reaches eight different zeniths,” explained leader Wish. He was under enormous pressure, he admitted, but felt confident that the band would live up to expectations because he and his seven bandmates had prepared with all their might. 　 Its first EP, “Bipolar Pt. 1 Prelude of Anxiety,” hails the beginning of its narrative and sings o

June 8, 2021

Rare Korean films from Japanese colonial era restored

Korean short films made during the Japanese colonial period can now be viewed online. Four short films -- “Geulloui Kkeuteneun Ganani Eopda,” “Ondol,” “Gyeongseongsosik” and “Manjueseoui Jeontu” -- discovered through KOFA’s Cinematheque KOFA Restoration project were converted into a digital format and made available on the Korean Classic Film YouTube channel and Korean Film Archive’s KMDb website. The 19-minute film titled “Geu

June 8, 2021

Lotte Cinema to raise ticket prices again from July

Bad news for moviegoers -- watching films will get more expensive at Lotte cinemas from July 1 onwards. The ticket prices are going up by 1,000 won, six months after the multiplex chain raised fees in December, claiming the move was necessary to keep the business afloat amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Moviegoers who want to watch 2D films at Lotte cinemas will now have to pay 13,000 won for their tickets during weekdays and 14,000 won on weekends. “We are sorry to announce the change in o

June 8, 2021

EXO sweeps iTunes albums chart in 85 regions

K-pop boy band EXO has topped the iTunes top album chart in 85 regions with its latest release "Don't Fight the Feeling," its management agency said Tuesday. The album, released Monday, ranked No. 1 in regional charts in countries such as the United States, Britain, France, Canada and Germany, according to SM Entertainment. The album also sat atop digital album charts compiled by Chinese music services, like QQ Music, Kugou Music and Kuwo Music, it added. On QQ Music, it earned a tri

June 8, 2021