Confessions (Japan) Opening Feb. 17Thriller. Directed by Tetsuya Nakashima. Middle school teacher Yoko (Takako Matsu), whose 4-year-old daughter has recently died, tells her class that she believes two of her own students murdered her beloved girl. Though the police have closed the case without pressing charges, Yoko announces that she will punish the two students herself. Yoko’s revenge then begi

Jan. 28, 2011

It sounded like a dream job: plop down on a couch, throw some popcorn in the microwave and spend your days watching movies.That’s what Christine Davila thought, anyway. The 32-year-old Los Angeles resident had spent years toiling as an assistant to a number of Hollywood producers before she finally got a shot at her ideal gig ― working as a programming associate for the Sundance Film Festival, the

Jan. 28, 2011

‘Gwanghwamun Younga’ features songs by Lee Young-hoon, whose work is enjoying a revivalLate composer Lee Young-hoon, known for working with ballad singer Lee Moon-sae for more than 20 years, will have his dream posthumously fulfilled in the upcoming musical “Gwanghwamun Younga.” Actors cast for the musical “Gwanghwamun Younga” at a press call in Seoul on Monday. From left are Yoon Do-hyun, Song Ch

Jan. 27, 2011

PARK CITY, Utah ― It takes a lot of faith to make an independent film. This year, independent films are showing a lot of faith.Among the roughly 120 features playing at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, a surprisingly large number use faith ― and specifically Christianity ― as either a critical narrative fulcrum or a key expositional backdrop. And the dramas do not always take a neutral stance.K

Jan. 27, 2011

TAIPEI ― The famous “Varekai,” a Cirque du Soleil touring production, last week kicked off its first Asia tour in Taipei, Taiwan. And Korea is next on the troupe’s itinerary.Premiering in Montreal in 2002, the show, a happy, acrobatic version of the Greek Myth of Icarus, has attracted over 6 million people worldwide. The troupe has visited more than 60 cities in 12 countries in the last nine years

Jan. 26, 2011

FORT WORTH, Texas ― It was a frostbitten January day 50 years ago when the Amon Carter Museum of Western Art opened its doors to the public. Only 400 people braved the threat of an icy Camp Bowie Boulevard to visit the memorial to Fort Worth’s greatest champion.Before his death in 1955, as a final act of magnanimous boosterism, Amon G. Carter Sr., the self-made millionaire and publisher of the Sta

Jan. 26, 2011

Debut film ‘Heartbeat’ draws more than 1 millionFilm director Yoon Jae-geun has done a lot in the last 10 years. He studied art, made TV commercials for ramen and department stores, traveled across Europe, learned how to make films overseas, wrote movie scripts, and never gave up on becoming what he is today.“I watched ‘Star Wars’ when I was in fifth grade,” the 44-year-old director told The Korea

Jan. 25, 2011

Actress attributes her international success to global outlookWhile showing obvious pride for her ethnic heritage, internationally acclaimed Chinese-born actress Gong Li says acting is not a “local” job.“I think an actress should go anywhere in the world to perform,” Gong told reporters Monday at The Shilla Seoul, ahead of the Korean premiere of her Hollywood mystery thriller, “Shanghai.” “I think

Jan. 24, 2011

With their strange combination of instruments, fantasy lyrics and weird fashion CocoRosie seem hell bent on obscurity. So there were some doubts about bringing a band so deliberately quirky ― for Saturday’s show in Seoul they wore oversized white shorts, fluorescent beards and jeweled veils ― to a country hostile to alternative music.But the skeptics were proved wrong. After all, the Cassady siste

Jan. 24, 2011

Super Junior wow the fans with drag turns, hilarious mimicry and hit after hit after hit Super Junior's "Super Show 3" at Impact Arena on Saturday was proof that the Korean boy band hasn't let its high standards slip in the least. That concert and the follow-up on Sunday were among 16 on the group's third Asian tour, covering 13 countries.Now down to "just" 10 members following the departures of H

Jan. 24, 2011

Meaning ‘nature-sprit’ in Hindu, cable drama uses computer graphics for powerful special effectsWhen cable channel OCN’s miniseries “Yaksa” exploded onto the small screen on Dec. 10, it lived up to its reputation as the Korean version of Starz’s “Spartacus: Blood and Sand,” flaunting an excess of gore and sex that more than merited its 19-and-over viewer restriction. “Yaksa” lead actor Cho Dong-hy

Jan. 24, 2011

Hollywood may be the goliath of the movie industry, but Korean film director Shim Hyung-rae is not afraid to knock on its door.“I believe that Hollywood absolutely bought the idea of the main character in the recently released movie, ‘The Last Godfather.’” Despite critics’ skepticism over his entrance into Hollywood after a string of poorly received movies such as “Yong-gari” and “D-war,” Shim is

Jan. 23, 2011

Ivan Reitman ― whose directing career (“Ghostbusters”) is so long in the tooth that he actually has a son, Jason, directing Oscar-worthy comedies ― has his best outing in decades with “No Strings Attached,” an amusing flip of the “friends with benefits” sex-leads-to-love romantic comedy formula.It’s a movie benefiting from another sparkling, sexy and emotionally available performance by Natalie Po

Jan. 21, 2011

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― For Natalie Portman, 2011 is already shaping up to be an unforgettable year.The actress is getting big awards buzz for her turn as a ballerina gone mad in “Black Swan.” She already won a Golden Globe, she is up for a Screen Actors Guild award and she is sure to hear her name when Oscar nominations are announced next week.Portman also has four other movies slated for release this

Jan. 21, 2011

Shanghai (U.S.)Opening Jan. 27Thriller. Directed by Mikael Hafstrom. Paul Soames (John Cusack) is an American agent from the Naval Intelligence Office. He arrives in Shanghai during World War II to visit his friend who also serves as an agent. But soon after his arrival, Soames finds out his friend has been murdered. In the process of investigating what’s behind his friend’s death, Soames falls in

Jan. 21, 2011

‘678’ sheds light on everyday crime shrouded in silenceThe big screen shows a man eyeing a middle-aged woman on a jam-packed bus and sliding up quietly behind her. Even before his hands reach for her hips, the young women watching in the darkened theater squirm in their seats. They know the offending move all too well.In overcrowded, male-dominated Cairo, four out of five Egyptian women say they’v

Jan. 21, 2011

George Clooney has recovered from the malaria he contracted in Sudan.  (AP)LOS ANGELES (AP) _ George Clooney has recovered from the malaria he contracted earlier this month during a visit to Sudan.Publicist Stan Rosenfield says it was the actor's second bout with the disease.Clooney is set to discuss the condition and his work in Africa on Piers Morgan's CNN show Friday.The actor says his own expe

Jan. 21, 2011

Gana Art Gallery presents 80 pairings of poems, paintings by renowned Korean poets, artistsPoetry and art are like a couple meant to be. The two distinct genres have long complemented each other, as emphasized by the close friendships shared by famous artists and poets throughout history. In Korea, paintings accompanied with poems have been a popular type of art for a long time, and were especiall

Jan. 20, 2011