[Herald Review] ‘The Exclusive’ is thoroughly entertaining

Not only is director Roh Deok’s “The Exclusive: Beat the Devil’s Tattoo” a well-crafted commentary on how information spirals out of control in today’s world of media overflow, it is also thoroughly entertaining.The film centers on Heo Moo-hyuk (Jo Jung-suk), a television reporter who is worn out by pressure at the office and conflict at home. While suspended from work after one of his reports irks a powerful local conglomerate, Heo stumbles upon what seems to be a handwritten note drafted by a

Oct. 18, 2015

Weekend Box Office Guide: 10/17-10/18

Heading to theaters this week? The Korea Herald gives you a rundown of what's playing on the big screen.This weekend's box office in Korea has a lot of thrills and chills to offer up, with Korean flicks "Circle of Atonement" and "The Advocate" both chasing down murder mysteries, and the American "Regression" adding a hint of supernatural horror. For some more light-hearted fun, check out "The Martian," which is going strong in Korea, or the romantic Chinese remake "Only You."Circle of Atonement

Oct. 16, 2015

[Herald Interview] Royston Tan hopes to capture fading Singaporean moments

Singaporean director Royston Tan is known for several signature touches in his films, two of which are his love for items from the past and his use of color and music. For Tan, these touches serve as tools that help to preserve snapshots of Singaporean history.“In Singapore, we are changing too quickly,” Tan told The Korea Herald at the Busan International Film Festival, where his latest film “3688” made its international premiere.“Every 20 years, there’s a big, major change in our society. Ever

Oct. 13, 2015

[Herald Interview] TV veteran Frankie Chen kicks down the door to film world

When she sat down to chat with The Korea Herald, Taiwanese producer and director Frankie Chen was glowing, coming straight from meeting thousands of festival attendees at an outdoor event at the Busan International Film Festival. Chen was amazed at the Korean audience’s enthusiasm for her film. In her nostalgic romance flick “Our Times,” two high school friends who each have a crush on a guy and girl dating each other work together to try and tear them apart -- only to end up falling in love wit

Oct. 13, 2015

Busan film fest wraps up star-studded 20th anniversary

South Korea’s largest film festival held its closing ceremony on Saturday with “Mountain Cry” by Larry Yang after a successful presentation of films from all over the world, and particularly Asia.More than 227,000 visitors came to celebrate the Busan International Film Festival’s 20th anniversary and watched 302 movies from 75 countries. The BIFF closing ceremoy takes place at the Busan Cinema Center (Yonhap)The festival also drew hordes of the world’s most recognized stars in the film industry.

Oct. 11, 2015

[Herald Review] ‘The Advocate’ is worth your patience

The early segments of “The Advocate: A Missing Body” are spent introducing all the typical characters needed to put together a typical criminal law drama. Lee Sun-kyun (acclaimed for “A Hard Day”) plays Byeon Ho-seong, an unscrupulous top lawyer with an incredible 100 percent win rate. Kim Go-eun (most recently in “Memories of the Sword”) is a spunky cub prosecutor named Jin Seon-min who believes justice will always prevail. Jang Hyun-sung becomes the untouchable giant Moon Ji-hoon leading a pha

Oct. 11, 2015

Oscars chief: Film world is ‘just beginning’

BUSAN -- According to Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, “in some ways” the world of film “is just beginning,” with many changes to the industry on the horizon. Cheryl Boone Isaacs (Yonhap)Speaking to press at the Busan International Film Festival on Tuesday ahead of a keynote speech at the film festival’s conference, Isaacs touched upon several developments in the film world that the Academy faces today.First was the issue of diversity, which the

Oct. 7, 2015

Asia’s hottest young stars on casting board

BUSAN ― Kim Woo-bin, Kim Go-eun, Mark Chao, Sandrine Pinna, Takeru Satoh and Masami Nagasawa ― the hottest rising stars from Korea, Chinese-speaking countries and Japan ― sat onstage together Monday at BEXCO in Busan.The unlikely gathering of young A-listers was for “Casting Board,” a new event added to the schedule for this year’s Asian Film Market, part of the ongoing Busan International Film Festival. “We are so glad to present Casting Board and Curtain Call, an expansion of last year’s pilot

Oct. 6, 2015

‘Convergence’ diverges from genre at Busan film festival

BUSAN ― “Convergence” is the kind of movie that reaffirms why fans of genre films go to film festivals. It sits somewhere in the space of an action, mystery, thriller, indie, ghost, horror feature, yet finds an original way to bust its genres open and surprise audiences ― both in twists of the story itself and the conversations it evokes about life, theology and what is truly horrifying. Coming off his overall win at FirstGlance Film Fest Los Angeles, writer and director Drew Hall brought “Conve

Oct. 6, 2015

Weekend Box Office Guide (10/3-10/4)

Heading out to the theaters this weekend? The Korea Herald offers a guide to what's currently playing in theaters.For a historical drama, check out "The Throne." "The Intern" offers some lighthearted fun, while "The Long Way Home" combines comedy with the emotional drama of war. "The Loft" is a thriller for those who are looking for a little more spice, and "The Martian" is a blockbuster to look forward to next week.　　The Martian (U.S.)　Opening Oct. 8　　Adventure. Directed by Ridley Scott　　When a

Oct. 2, 2015

"Black Horse Memories" (BIFF)While international movie stars -- from Britain’s Tilda Swinton to the United States’ Harvey Keitel – are likely to draw much of the attention in Busan in the coming days, one category of movies at the city’s popular film festival is looking to shift the spotlight to new talents from across Asia. As the 20th Busan International Film Festival, which opened Thursday, sees 304 movies from 75 countries played on the big screen, the New Currents section is set to present

Oct. 2, 2015

[Herald Review] Wandering through ‘The Long Way Home’

“The Long Way Home” is a film that seeks to address both the implications of war on a grand scale and the microscopic relationship between two individual soldiers, all the while providing wholesome family comedy, moving drama and high-quality battle scenes. None of these ambitious aims, however, are quite met. Nam-bok (Sol Kyung-gu) is a farmer who has been drafted to fight in the Korean War and entrusted with the mission of delivering a crucial, top-secret document containing war strategies to

Oct. 1, 2015

Stars flock to Busan for film fest

Korea’s largest international film festival will welcome stars from all over the globe as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.The Busan International Film Festival will kick off Thursday with a ceremony hosted by Afghan actress Marina Golbahari and Korean actor Song Kang-ho. For the gala presentations, the festival will feature visits from Japanese actress Nagasawa Masami, who appears in “Our Little Sister” and British actress Tilda Swinton, from “A Bigger Splash.” Nagasawa Masami (Toho Entertain

Sept. 30, 2015

Movies to watch over Chuseok weekend

Chuseok is always one of the biggest weekends of the year for box offices in Korea, and this year’s lineup of new films offers movies that can be enjoyed by anyone -- whether you’re heading to the theaters with family or friends.　　With family　Korean movies playing this weekend feature stories of families that will be easy to empathize with as you spend the long holiday with your own relatives: Historical drama “The Throne” depicts the difficulties of paternal strife, while “The Accidental Detect

Sept. 24, 2015

Yoo Ah-in’s evolution from rebellious teen to tragic crown prince

To say the year has been kind to Yoo Ah-in is quite an understatement. With two major box office hits landing back-to-back in August and September, he is undoubtedly the star of the summer.Although the 29-year-old actor has long been a familiar face to the public thanks to his successful appearance on TV shows like “Sunkyunkwan Scandal,” Yoo had not been able to make a strong impression in the film market since 2011’s “Punch.” Yoo Ah-in (Yonhap)Then came “Veteran,” directed by respected director

Sept. 22, 2015

[Herald Review] ‘Right Now, Wrong Then’ captures lost chances

There are moments in life when we wish we could venture back in time and relive the same set of events, but correct what we’ve done wrong. These lost chances of what could have been and what turned out to be are what director Hong Sang-soo explores in his recent film “Right Now, Wrong Then,” which offers another intriguing character study through an experimental, mirror-like format.The first half of “Right Now” features a semi-romantic relationship between film director Ham Chun-soo (Jung Jae-yo

Sept. 21, 2015

[Herald Review] ‘The Throne’ brings royal strife down to Earth

This year’s two biggest hits at the box office, “Assassination” by director Choi Dong-hoon and “Veteran” by auteur Ryoo Seung-wan, share two key elements: action and comedy. Korean moviegoers are responding to movies that help them escape their time and place and enjoy an experience filled with palm-sweating action and easy laughs.Lee Joon-ik’s historical drama “The Throne” may be the film to prove that there is another key to the formula for success: empathy.Set during the reign of the Joseon e

Sept. 16, 2015

Weekend box office guide

The Korea Herald offers a guide to what's playing in theaters this weekend.For those seeking a thriller, check out "Deep Trap," or "Office." For some more light-hearted fun, "Ant-Man" provides a dose of superhero action, while "Straight Outta Compton” will take you to the 1983 Comptom, a U.S. town where the legendary hip-hop group N.W.A. was born. The much-anticipated Korean historical drama "The Throne" opens on Sept. 16. The Throne (Korea)Opening Sept. 16　Historical drama. Directed by Lee Joon

Sept. 11, 2015

TV industry ponders monetization of online content

With unconventional and new entertainment media platforms emerging and disrupting conventional media platforms, the industry stands at a crossroads to change its traditional content business to one that suits the digital and mobile age.A variety of experiments using traditional and new production methods have been tested to create and distribute content via new media platforms, including multichannel networks for digital consumers. New technology and media environment have lowered the entry barr

Sept. 10, 2015