[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Closet (Korea) Opened Feb. 5 Horror, Thriller Directed by Kim Kwang-bin After losing his wife in a tragic accident, Sang-won moves to the countryside with his daughter Ina. A busy architect, Sang-won (Ha Jung-woo) had not been too devoted to his family before the death of his wife and tries to get closer to Ina. One day, Ina, who had been behaving strangely since their arrival at their new home, disappears inside the house. Self-proclaimed exorcist Kyung-hoon (Kim Nam-gil) approaches Sang-

Feb. 7, 2020

Translation, wings that helped ‘Parasite’ soar free and high

As director Bong Joon-ho captivated the audience abroad with his dark satire “Parasite,” back home the name Darcy Paquet made headlines in local media outlets. Many Koreans were initially surprised that “Parasite” outperformed Bong’s previous films and those by other prominent auteurs, such as Lee Chang-dong and Park Chan-wook, winning the first Palm d’Or for a Korean film. That is, until they heard of “Ram-don,” “Oxford,” and many m

Feb. 6, 2020

Coronavirus delays film openings

The distributor of “Beasts Clawing at Straws” on Tuesday announced the decision to tentatively postpone the movie’s release, originally scheduled for Feb. 12, due to the spread of a novel coronavirus. The prospect of poor ticket sales and fears of spread of the disease in crowded venues are prompting film distributors to consider delaying releases and canceling promotional events. Another film that may be affected by the spread of the new coronavirus is “Honest Candi

Feb. 4, 2020

“Beasts Clawing at Straws” wins jury award at Rotterdam

  Crime noir film “Beasts Clawing at Straws” has won the special jury award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. The first feature from director Kim Yong-hoon nabbed the award at this year’s Rotterdam Tiger Competition, where up-and-coming international filmmakers compete with their debut pieces, the movie’s distributor Megabox Joongang Plus M announced Monday. The jury for the Tiger Competition also honored “The Cloud in Her Room” by Zheng Lu

Feb. 3, 2020

'Parasite' wins two titles at British Academy awards

Bong Joon-ho's black comedy "Parasite" won two titles, including best foreign language film, at this year's British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards. At the ceremony of the BAFTA Film Awards held at London's Royal Albert Hall on Sunday (British time), the awards of best original screenplay and best film not in the English language were given to "Parasite," which was nominated in four categories, including best film and best director. It is the second time that a

Feb. 3, 2020

Hollywood film by Korean-American director wins top prizes at Sundance

A Hollywood drama by a Korean-American director starring South Korean actresses has received top prizes at the Sundance Film Festival.   Sundance said "Minari," directed by Lee Isaac Chung and featuring, among others, Youn Yuh-jung and Han Ye-ri, won the US Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in the Dramatic category at its annual ceremony in Park City, Utah, on Saturday (local time).   The film follows a seven-year-old Korean-American boy named David, whose

Feb. 2, 2020

'Parasite' receives top screenplay prize from Writers Guild of America

The Oscar-nominated South Korean film "Parasite" has picked up yet another trophy in the buildup to the Academy Awards. Director Bong Joon-ho and co-writer Han Jin-won received the Writers Guild of America (WGA) award for best original screenplay in dual ceremonies in New York and Los Angeles on Saturday (local time). The cutting satire has earned six nominations for the Oscars, including best picture, best director and best original screenplay. At the WGA awards, "Parasite&qu

Feb. 2, 2020

Action-thriller 'Time to Hunt' envisions dystopia packed with subcultures

Director Yoon Sung-hyun, who bagged several awards here and abroad in 2011 with debut film “Bleak Night,” is returning to the big screen in February with the feature “Time to Hunt,” which he described as a true action flick. The action-thriller revolves around four young men who set out on a journey to start a new life in a fictional, completely destroyed society. The story takes place in what seems like Seoul in the near future, with the city turned into slums followi

Jan. 31, 2020

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

For Sama (UK) Opened Jan. 23 Documentary Directed by Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts In 2011, a civil uprising begins in the city of Aleppo, Syria, demanding democratic reforms. A student and journalist Waad Al-Kateab decides to stay and document the war and her life in the battlefield. Amidst the conflict and confusion, she falls in love with Hamza Al-Kateab, a doctor, gets married and gives birth to their daughter Sama. While protecting and raising Sama, the Al-Kateabs continue to help the inno

Jan. 31, 2020

Hong Sang-soo to compete at Berlinale with new film starring Kim Min-hee

The Berlin International Film Festival on Wednesday revealed this year’s lineup of films in competition, including Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo’s new “The Woman Who Ran.” Hong will be competing for the Gold and Silver Bear prizes with 17 other titles from 17 countries, including Sally Potter’s “The Roads Not Taken,” Kelly Reichardt’s “First Cow,” Philippe Garrel’s “The Salt of Tears,” Rithy Panh’s “Irrad

Jan. 30, 2020

Hong Sang-soo's new film included in Berlin fest competition lineup

South Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo's latest film has been nominated to compete at the Berlin International Film Festival next month. In a press conference held Tuesday, festival organizers unveiled a list of 18 movies that will vie for the Gold and Silver Bears at the festival scheduled from Feb. 20 to March 1. Hong's film, "The Woman Who Ran," is his 24th feature as well the seventh film starring his muse Kim Min-hee. The director was first invited to the film fest in 1997 with h

Jan. 29, 2020

Margot Robbie explains Harley Quinn’s return in ‘Birds of Prey’

Harley Quinn does not cope well with the breakup from her “pudding” Joker in the beginning of “Birds of Prey,” but this may just be her first step out into the world, said Margot Robbie, who reprises her role from “Suicide Squad,” during a video press conference Tuesday. Robbie was joined by director Cathy Yan and lead actors Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Ella Jay Basco. In the first DC flick to hit the screens this year -- “Bir

Jan. 29, 2020

'Parasite' screened at over 1,000 theaters in North America

The number of theaters in North America screening director Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" surpassed 1,000 over the weekend, industry watcher Box Office Mojo has said. According to the US website tracking film revenues early this week, the South Korean black comedy was screened in 1,060 cinemas Sunday. Since it opened in three theaters in New York and Los Angeles on Oct. 11, the movie took $30.91 million at the North American box office, the seventh largest ever among foreign language f

Jan. 29, 2020

Films about S. Korean immigrant family in 1980s US, Kim Jong-nam murder premiere at Sundance

Actress Han Ye-ri, Korean American actor Steven Yeun and veteran actress Youn Yuh-jung received a standing ovation for “Minari” at the Sundance Film Festival on Sunday. The festival, which kicked off Thursday at Park City in Utah, runs until Sunday. The annual event is one of the largest indie and documentary film festivals in North America where up-and-coming filmmakers and original titles aim for a big break. The movie “Minari” tells the story of a South Korean fam

Jan. 28, 2020

‘The Man Standing Next’ attracts more than 1.12 million viewers

“The Man Standing Next” has attracted more than 1.12 million moviegoers since the political thriller‘s release three days ago, box-office data showed Saturday, highlighting its popularity during the ongoing Lunar New Year holiday.The accumulated attendance for the film, which was released Wednesday, was tallied at 1,127,757, according to the computerized tally from the Korean Film Council. It was trailed by “Hitman: Agent Jun” that has attracted 220,805 viewers so f

Jan. 25, 2020

‘Parasite’ team beefs up last-minute Oscar campaign

Director Bong Joon-ho and the cast of “Parasite” are entering the final stretch in the heated race for the upcoming Oscars.The genre-bending family satire was nominated in six categories -- best picture, best director, best screenplay, best editing, best production design and best international feature film -- for the 2020 Academy Awards slated for Feb. 9.It is the first time that a South Korean-made film has earned a nod for one of the world‘s biggest film events.According to

Jan. 25, 2020

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Man Standing Next(Korea)Opened Jan. 22Drama, HistoryDirected by Woo Min-hoIn the 1970s, South Korea is under the authoritarian rule of President Park Chung-hee (Lee Sung-min) who relies on the Korean Central Intelligence Agency to tighten his grip on the country. The director of KCIA, Kim Gyu-pyeong (Lee Byung-hun), is seemingly the most likely second-in-command. As anti-government demonstrations threaten to shake the regime, tensions escalate in the inner sanctum of power.Spies in Disguise(

Jan. 23, 2020

‘Time to Hunt’ starring SAG-winner Choi Woo-sik to screen at Berlin fest

Korean thriller “Time to Hunt” has been included in the Berlin International Film Festival’s screening lineup for this year, according to an announcement Tuesday. Marking its 70th anniversary this year, the event is considered one of the top three film festivals in the world, along with the Cannes Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival. The movie is the first Korean work to be shown in the Berlinale’s special gala section, which spotlights films of current topics and

Jan. 22, 2020

'Parasite' invades Oscars race with stunning SAG award win

LOS ANGELES (AFP) -- "Parasite" shocked the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday by landing the night's top prize, a historic win which thrusts the South Korean black comedy into Oscars contention.The critical smash hit film overcame the language barrier to win outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture, the SAG equivalent of a best film Academy Award."I'm a little embarrassed feeling like we're the parasites of Hollywood now," joked actor Lee Sun-Kyun.Director Bon

Jan. 20, 2020

'Parasite' wins top prize from American Cinema Editors

Bong Joon-ho's sensation "Parasite" won the top prize for best edited feature film at the 70th annual ACE Eddie Awards, US media have reported.It marked the first time that a foreign language film has won the top prize in ACE Eddie Awards history. Parasite editor Yang Jin-mo said in an acceptance speech, "First of all, this all feels like a dream. I can't believe this is happening," according to Deadline Hollywood, an entertainment industry news site."It's such a huge ho

Jan. 19, 2020