Bong Joon-ho’s oeuvre to be screened ahead of ‘Parasite’ release

Celebrating the upcoming release of director Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite,” a local cinema chain is offering moviegoers the opportunity to rediscover the acclaimed director’s filmography.CGV Arthouse will screen Bong’s past films from May 16 to 29 at its seven branches across the nation, in Myeong-dong and Apgujeong in Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon and Incheon. Director Bong Joon-ho speaks during a press conference for “Parasite,” held at the Westin Chosun Seoul on April 22. (Yonhap)Five fil

May 8, 2019

‘Avengers: Endgame’ continues record run despite dispute

“Avengers: Endgame,” the final installment of the Infinity Saga from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has tied the fastest film in Korean cinema history to top the 11-million mark for ticket sales. Citing the Korean Box Office Information System, Walt Disney Company Korea announced, the film reached the milestone Monday -- day 13 of its run here -- tying the 2014 period piece “The Admiral: Roaring Currents.” “Avengers: Endgame” / Walt Disney Company KoreaTwo days earlier, “Endgame” broke another r

May 6, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Avengers: Endgame(US)Opened April 24Action, Adventure, FantasyDirected by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo After the devastating events of last year’s “Avengers: Infinity War,” the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe. Inseparable Bros(Korea)Opened May 1Drama, ComedyDirected by Yook Sang-hoSe-ha (Shin Ha-kyun) possesses a sharp mind but cannot go anywhere without Dong-gu (Lee Kwang-soo), who is

May 2, 2019

'Avengers: Endgame' tops 3 mil. viewers on 3rd day in South Korea

Marvel's latest superhero blockbuster, "Avengers: Endgame," recorded more than 3 million admissions in South Korean cinemas in three days after hitting local screens, official data showed Saturday.  It drew 1.04 million viewers on Friday alone, increasing the total number to 3.21 million, according to the data from the Korean Film Council.  (Yonhap)The movie took up 84.4 percent of all seats at cinemas nationwide and 79.7 percent of all screens available in the country on the day.   "Endgame," t

April 27, 2019

'Avengers: Endgame' tops 2 million admissions on second day

"Avengers: Endgame," the finale of the Marvel "Avengers" series, drew more than 2 million moviegoers in two days upon hitting local screens, data shows Friday.The superhero film had sold 2.17 million tickets by Thursday, on the second day of its release in South Korea, according to the data from the Korean Film Council.The movie took up 83.3 percent of all seats at cinemas nationwide and 78.4 percent of all screens available in the country. (Yonhap)The film's ticket sales are expected to grow at

April 26, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Avengers: Endgame(US)Opened April 24Action, Adventure, FantasyDirected by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo After the devastating events of “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018), the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe. The Curse of La Llorona (US)Opened April 17Horror, Mystery, Thriller In 1970s Los Angeles, La Llorona is stalking the night -- and children. Ignoring the eerie warning of a troubled mo

April 26, 2019

‘Avengers 4’ sets new first-day attendance record

The eagerly awaited “Avengers: Endgame” drew more than 1.27 million viewers on the first day of its release in South Korea to set a new record, data showed Wednesday.According to the data from the Korean Film Council, the US film set the new high as of 6:40 p.m., beating the previous record of 1.24 million posted by the Korean action fantasy “Along With the Gods: The Last 49 Days” on Aug. 1 last year.The movie passed the 1 million mark at about 11:30 a.m., the fastest pace ever for a film shown

April 24, 2019

[Herald Review] Avengers assemble for the glorious ‘Endgame’

My only real regret about “Avengers: Endgame” is that I watched it in a country where it is considered rude to burst into applause during a screening: There were several moments in this damn-near perfect film that deserved a standing ovation.The last installment in the “Infinity” saga -- the first 22 films about the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- was the sort of culmination that the final film in any series should be. It had the catharsis and the wistful and loving farewell of “The Lord of the Rin

April 24, 2019

S. Korean studio receives best visual effects award at Beijing film fest

South Korean visual effects house Dexter Studios said Tuesday that it has received the best visual effects award for the Chinese blockbuster "The Wandering Earth" at the Beijing International Film Festival.The company scooped the prize jointly with other VFX studios behind the Chinese sci-fi movie, including More VFX and Pixomondo, during the closing ceremony of the eight-day festival Saturday. (Beijing International Film Festival)"We were credited with our VFX techniques in the Chinese film mar

April 23, 2019

Bong Joon-ho’s new film ‘Parasite,’ Cannes nominee, to show extremes of Korean society

Film director Bong Joon-ho’s new work “Parasite,” slated to compete at Cannes this year, features two ordinary families in different situations. Bong’s new film has been included in the 2019 Cannes Film Festival’s feature selection, marking the director’s second time competing for the Palme d’Or, following “Okja” in 2017. “Parasite” (CJ ENM)Film director Bong Joon-ho speaks during a press conference for “Parasite,” held at The Westin Chosun Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap) Film director Bong Joon-ho sp

April 22, 2019

'Avengers: Endgame' breaks ticket presales record in S. Korea

Advance sales of tickets for the upcoming Marvel film "Avengers: Endgame" reached 1.23 million on Friday, setting a new record for advance box office sales in South Korea, according to data by the Korean Film Council.Presales of tickets for the final "Avengers" flick, set to hit local screens on Wednesday, reached 1,230,181 as of 4:21 p.m., the real-time data showed. At that moment, the superhero film accounted for 92.1 percent of all the tickets sold in advance.The presales figure marks a new r

April 19, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Birthday (Korea)Opened April 3DramaDirected by Lee Jeong-eonJeong-il (Sol Kyung-gu), Sun-nam (Jeon Do-yeon) and their daughter Ye-sol (Kim Bo-min) have to cope with life without Su-ho (Yoon Chan-Young), as the boy died in the 2014 Sewol tragedy. On Su-ho’s birthday, the family and friends gather to share special memories.Another Child (Korea)Opened April 11DramaDirected by Kim Yoon-seokSeventeen-year-old Ju-ri (Kim Hye-jun) struggles with the knowledge of her father Kwon Dae-won (Kim) having an

April 19, 2019

Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' chosen for competition in Cannes

The Cannes Film Festival on Thursday announced the feature selection for the 2019 competition, which includes South Korean director Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite."    It is Bong's second time competing for the Palme d'Or, or Golden Palm, following the selection of his adventure film "Okja" in 2017. "Parasite" (CJ ENM)    It is also the fourth consecutive year that a South Korean film has been chosen to compete in the international film festival, following Park Chan-wook's "The Handmaiden" in 2016 and

April 18, 2019

‘Avengers: Endgame’ to be culmination of MCU

The name of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 22nd film certainly does it justice, as the studio’s chief Kevin Feige stressed that “Avengers: Endgame” would be what the world’s largest superhero franchise had been building up to over the past 11 years.“This film is the endgame. This film is the culmination of the 22 films that we’ve made up to this point,” Feige said at a press conference in Seoul on Monday. Attending the event were directors Anthony and Joe Russo, producer Trinh Tran and cast members

April 15, 2019

Five years after tragedy, films deal with Sewol

The 2014 sinking of the Sewol ferry left more than 300 dead or missing, exposed irregularities in society and scarred the nation. There have been documentaries and independent films about the tragedy as well as many tribute songs, but using it as a subject in popular culture has remained an unspoken taboo.This is about to change, as two films talking about Sewol opened in March and April: “Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage” by Lee Jeong-beom and “Birthday” by Lee Jong-eon, respectively.The two films d

April 15, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Birthday(Korea)Opened April 3DramaDirected by Lee Jeong-eonJeong-il (Sol Kyung-gu), Sun-nam (Jeon Do-yeon) and their daughter Ye-sol (Kim Bo-min) have to cope with life without Su-ho (Yoon Chan-Young), as the boy died in the 2014 Sewol tragedy. On Su-ho’s birthday, the family and friends gather to share special memories of Su-ho.Shazam!(US)Opened April 3Action, Adventure, Comedy Directed by David F. SandbergBilly Batson (Asher Angel/Zachary Levi) has trouble adjusting to his new foster home beca

April 12, 2019

Director Kim Ki-duk named president of jury for Moscow Film Festival

Acclaimed South Korean movie director Kim Ki-duk has been named the president of the jury for the 41st Moscow International Film Festival, the homepage of the event showed Thursday, an appointment likely to stir up controversy over his ethical qualifications.Kim has shunned public appearances in his home country since he was accused last year of sexually assaulting actresses while filming.  Kim Ki-duk (Yonhap)He recently filed damage suits against an actress who raised a sexual violence accusati

April 11, 2019

Upcoming film ‘My First Client’ deals with issue of child abuse

In 2013, a woman from Chilgok county, North Gyeongsang Province, fatally abused her stepdaughter and forced the girl’s sister to confess to murder, in a case that shockwaves across the country, sparking a nationwide debate that resulted in a special law on child abuse the following year.Six years later, a film based on the incident is to be released in May, directed by Jang Kyu-sung who has tugged at the heartstrings of moviegoers mostly through comedy. “My First Client,” follows the story of la

April 10, 2019

20th annual Jeonju IFF to commemorate 100 years of Korean film

The upcoming Jeonju International Film Festival will be a celebration of the festival’s 20th anniversary, looking at a century of Korean filmmaking and different forms of cinema.“We (at Jeonju IFF) strongly believe that the essence of the film lies not in its technology, but in the free-flowing expression,” said Kim Seung-soo, chairman of the Jeonju IFF organizing committee, at a press conference in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, Wednesday, where the opening and closing films for one of the larg

April 4, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Shazam!(US)Opened April 3Action, Adventure, Comedy Directed by David F. SandbergBilly Batson (Asher Angel/Zachary Levi) has trouble adjusting to his new foster home, obsessing over the biological mother he lost as a little child. His life turns upside down when he is summoned by ancient wizard Shazam (Djimon Hounsou) and is given all his powers. But this makes him the target of Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong), a champion of evil beings.Birthday(Korea)Opened April 3DramaDirected by Lee Jeong-eonThe

April 4, 2019