Busan Film Fest announces New Currents nominees

The Busan International Film Festival announced the nominees for its New Currents category, which awards up-and-coming Asian directors, Friday.　The selections provide distinctive perspectives and themes found throughout east and southwest Asia, BIFF said in a statement. 　Three of the nominated films are Korean pieces that convincingly tell tragedies in different ways. Shin Dong-seok’s “Last Child,” about parents’ ambivalent feelings toward a child who survived an accident that claimed the life o

Sept. 1, 2017

[Herald Interview] Daniel Dae Kim wants to populate productions with multiethnic casts

Daniel Dae Kim is widely credited with having broken barriers for Korean-American actors in Hollywood. Since his debut in 1992, Kim has starred in popular series, including “Lost” and “Hawaii Five-0,” and has been outspoken in his advocacy of racial equality in the American entertainment industry.Now, the 48-year-old is branching out into production, in particular Korean titles in the US. Next month, “The Good Doctor,” a remake of the hit 2013 KBS drama of the same name, written by Park Jae-bum,

Aug. 31, 2017

Korean film's depiction of brutally abused women -- Is it too much?

The depiction of brutal female abuse in Korean films has become a hotly debated topic. Noir-thriller “V.I.P.,” which opened in theaters last week, has come under heavy fire for its excessively lengthy and detailed depiction of the sexual abuse and murder of a female character. In one long take, the camera dwells on several male characters, including Kim Kwang-il, a ruthless serial killer from North Korea played by Lee Jong-seok, caressing, torturing and choking a naked female victim lying on a t

Aug. 30, 2017

[Herald Review] ‘Memoir of a Murderer’ is tiring, predictable tale

How many more stories of gruesome serial killings and smiling psychopathic murderers are left to tell in Korean cinema? “Memoir of a Murderer,” as is evident from the title, is yet another film that presents a killer as its lead. Unfortunately, it neither recounts a probing memoir nor delivers the terror of murder. 　It opens with an emaciated elderly man trudging along an empty railroad track. The air around him is as misty as his foggy memory -- he cannot remember where he is or what he is doin

Aug. 29, 2017

Jang Dong-gun, Hyun Bin to star in Joseon creature feature

Jang Dong-gun and Hyun Bin will star in an action blockbuster described as a Joseon-era zombie flick. 　The film, tentatively titled “Outbreak,” tells the story of vicious night creatures that threaten to overtake a Joseon royal palace.　Hyun will play Lee Chung, a character who struggles to protect the palace from the attack. 　The film is directed by Kim Sung-hoon, who worked with Hyun for last year’s action flick “Confidential Assignment.” Kim debuted in 2012 with the drama film “My Little Hero.

Aug. 29, 2017

'Battleship Island' to compete in Spain's Sitges Film Festival

"The Battleship Island" has been invited to a competition category of this year's Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia in Spain, the movie's local distributor said Monday.Sitges, one of the world's largest genre film festivals, is set to run from Oct. 5-15 in the city located 35 kilometers southwest of Barcelona.The Korean historical action flick will be shown in the Orbita section for introducing most notable films of the year and honoring a title chosen by the jury compose

Aug. 28, 2017

'V.I.P.' wins first weekend box office

Three homegrown films -- "V.I.P.", "A Taxi Driver" and "Midnight Runners" -- waged a neck-and-neck race for box office dominance sweeping the top three posts over the weekend, data showed Monday.According to the computerized box office figures from the Korean Film Council, "V.I.P." topped the weekend chart by selling 598,717 tickets. Directed by Park Hoon-jung, the crime thriller starring Jang Dong-gun, Kim Myung-min, Lee Jong-suk and Park Hee-soon is expected to surpass the 1 million mark on Mo

Aug. 28, 2017

Actor Lee Joon-gi breaks up with actress Jeon Hye-bin

Actor Lee Joon-gi, hugely popular in Korea and other Asian countries, has ended his relationship with actress Jeon Hye-bin, their talent agency confirmed Friday. (Yonhap)"Lee and Jeon recently broke up as they became estranged due to their busy schedules," Namoo Actors, which manages both stars, said in a release.The announcement came one and a half years after they began seeing each other in the first half of last year.Lee, 35, and Jeon, 34, worked together for the 2014 KBS 2TV historical drama

Aug. 25, 2017

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

V.I.P.(Korea)Opened Aug. 23Crime, drama. Directed by Park Hoon-jungSouth Korean intelligence agent Park Jae-hyuk (Jang Dong-gun) is tasked with overseeing North Korean criminal Kim Kwang-il (Lee Jong-suk), a psychopathic serial killer who has tortured and murdered dozens of women. Police investigator Chae I-do (Kim Myung-min) seeks to capture Kim and bring him to justice. Chae is blocked, however, by an insurmountable wall of international powers who seek to protect and retrieve information from

Aug. 25, 2017

Documentary sheds light on beloved singer’s mysterious death

Two decades after Korean folk singer Kim Kwang-seok passed away, a documentary film about him is shedding light on a popular conspiracy theory that his supposed suicide was actually a homicide.The film “Suicide Made” was screened in Seoul from Wednesday to Friday, and is to hit the local theaters on Wednesday. It follows the last days of Kim before his death in 1996 through his music and investigative reporting. A scene from “Suicide Made” (Cineport)“I’ve been following Kim’s case for a while, a

Aug. 25, 2017

Ha Ji-won to attend Venice Film Fest for John Woo’s ‘Manhunt’

Ha Ji-won will be attending the 74th Venice International Film Festival, taking place from Aug. 30-Sept. 9 this year.Ha stars in “Manhunt,” an upcoming film directed by Chinese-born Hong Kong film director John Woo. The film is a joint project by Chinese, Hong Kong, Taiwanese and Japanese crew members. It stars Chinese actor Zhang Hanyu and Japanese actor Fukuyama Masaharu.Ha plays an enchanting killer and will be showing off an action-ridden performance.  Ha Ji-won in ”Manhunt“ (Asia Media Grou

Aug. 24, 2017

Dazzling cast of ‘Fortress’ takes serious approach to historical film

To say the upcoming historical flick “The Fortress” is star-studded would be an understatement. The king of Joseon is played by Park Hae-il. His two loyal advisers are played by Korean cinema heavyweights Lee Byung-hun and Kim Yoon-seok. Also starring are Go Soo and Park Hee-soon. The film’s director is Hwang Dong-hyuk, whose 2013 comedy “Miss Granny” and 2011 drama “Silenced” were well-received. The film is based on a novel by writer Kim Hoon, one of Korea’s most acclaimed novelists. 　“If these

Aug. 23, 2017

Luc Besson explains why ‘Valerian’ is a bit unusual

Iconic French director Luc Besson’s recent film “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” showcases his own brand of space adventure, but the epic sci-fi flick ultimately aims to deliver a message of diversity and humanity, the director says.“I’m sorry to be so naive and not cynical, but I think if we put money first and humans second, we are all going to go to war and die,” said the acclaimed filmmaker, best known here for “Leon: The Professional” (1994), “The Fifth Element” (1997) and “Tax

Aug. 23, 2017

[Herald Interview] Lee Jong-suk on playing a delicate serial killer

Actor Lee Jong-suk has very pale skin. It’s so milky white that for his television drama roles, his makeup artist uses a darker foundation to give him more color, Lee says.　But in the new thriller “V.I.P,” which opens in local theaters Wednesday, director Park Hoon-jung decided that Lee’s pearly complexion would suit his role as the chilling North Korean serial killer Kim Kwang-il. “I was filming a Chinese drama when I came across the script for ‘V.I.P.’ I wanted the role so badly that I sought

Aug. 22, 2017

Jang Dong-gun to cameo in teaser for new K-pop band

Actor Jang Dong-gun, star of the upcoming political noir film "V.I.P.," will cameo in a teaser video for rookie K-pop band Le Ciel, according to the latter's agency Tuesday."Jang Dong-gun will star in the teaser video for 'Thank You So Much,' the debut song of Le Ciel," said Kang Min, head of management agency Van Demn Tiger. (SM C&C)Kang added: "I asked for him to cameo as we've known each other for a long time since Jang's debut. I'm grateful for him accepting the offer without hesitation."Le

Aug. 22, 2017

[Herald Interview] Actor Jang Dong-gun once thought himself unattractive

When Jang Dong-gun made his acting debut in 1992 on “Our Paradise,” a TV drama about campus romance, he caused a stir in the Korean entertainment industry. Every country has an iconic actor who represents the epitome of attractiveness in a certain period. In modern Korea, it seemed that position would be filled by Jang, whose chiseled looks have since become synonymous with handsomeness. Jang Dong-gun poses for a photo before an interview in Palpan-dong, Seoul, on Aug. 17. (Hohoho Beach)After 25

Aug. 21, 2017

'The Battleship Island' grosses $1 mln at US box office

"The Battleship Island," a Korean film about the dark history of Japan's Hashima Island off the coast of Nagasaki during World War II, has grossed more than $1 million at the US box office, its distributor said Sunday.The film reached the milestone on Friday, 15 days after its Aug. 3 opening in American theaters, according to CJ Entertainment America."Even in its second week of release, we are getting an enthusiastic response here, with various organizations asking us for information about scree

Aug. 21, 2017

'A Taxi Driver' becomes 1st movie this year to attract 10 mln moviegoers

A Korean movie about a cabbie who took a German journalist to the center of the Gwangju pro-democracy uprising in 1980 became this year's first film to attract more than 10 million moviegoers Sunday, its distributor said."A Taxi Driver," released Aug. 2, became the 15th Korean movie and 19th movie of all time to cross the milestone in the Korean box office, the Showbox said. "Train to Busan," which premiered July 20 last year, was the latest one to reach the achievement. The zombie flick sold 11

Aug. 20, 2017

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Mimic(Korea)Opened Aug. 17Mystery, thriller. Directed by Huh JungHee-yeon (Yeom Jung-ah) has left the city and moved to the mountainside, where she meets a mysterious young girl (Shin Rin-ah) ridden with fear and living in hiding in the forest. Hee-yeon‘s husband (Park Hyuk-kwon) grows suspicious of the stranger, who mimics the voice of their daughter. People in the town begin to disappear one by one following the girl’s appearance. War for the Planet of the Apes(US)Opened Aug. 15Science fic

Aug. 18, 2017

[Herald Review] ‘V.I.P’ shows an intensely pessimistic, trite world

Director Park Hoon-jung rose to acclaim in Korea for depicting the dark, jaded world of men in his 2013 crime flick “New World.” The film’s production company, called Sanai Pictures (“sanai” literally meaning “men” in Korean) has gone on to produce a number of movies tracing the lives of angst-ridden men in the Korean justice system and criminal underworld. One such film is director Kim Sung-soo’s “The City Of Madness,” a bloodstained feature about a corrupt cop, a corrupt mayor, and a corrupt p

Aug. 17, 2017