Korean film ‘Underdog’ invited to Japanese animation festival

In a first for a South Korean animated film, “Underdog” has been invited to compete in the Tokyo Anime Award Festival. “Underdog” is an animated film about homeless and abandoned dogs. In the film, a dog named Moongchi (voiced by Do Kyung-soo of the K-pop boy band EXO) is abandoned but goes on an adventure to find true freedom with other stray dogs.  (New Entertainment) (New Entertainment)The film opened the 22nd Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in July, and went on to win the best

Jan. 18, 2019

[Herald Interview] Hip-hop film seeks to show realities of life in the Philippines

For Philippine director Treb Monteras II, hip-hop has always been about politics and social issues, and no situation is more pressing today for the country than that of de facto martial law under authoritarian President Rodrigo Duterte.Director Treb Monteras II (Treb Monteras II)“Respeto” -- “respect” in both Tagalog and Spanish -- is the director’s first feature film, after helming more than 300 music videos since 2004. The main role of aspiring street rapper Hendrix is played by Abra, while th

Jan. 17, 2019

[Herald Review] Indie film ‘February’ stops halfway toward greatness

From the reader’s perspective, I imagine the most annoying thing to read in a film review is “I can’t quite put my finger on it, but ...” Having said that, this is the cop-out I choose in describing Kim Joong-hyun’s “February”: an indie film that shows a lot of promise, great characters jointly created by the actors and the smart director, impressive imagery and controlled emotions, but lacking the critical “it” factor that weaves the narrative together.The film stars Jo Min-kyoung as Min-kyoung

Jan. 17, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Mal-Mo-E: The Secret Mission(Korea) Opened Jan. 9DramaDirected by Eom Yu-naWith Korea colonized by the Japanese, a handful of scholars, including Ryu Jeong-hwan (Yoon Kye-sang), attempt to keep the Korean language alive by publishing a dictionary. Ryu runs across Kim Pan-su (Yoo Hae-jin), who end up working with him. But this does not prove easy under the ironfisted Japanese authorities.Inside Me(Korea) Opened Jan. 9Comedy, FantasyHigh school student Dong-hyun (Jin Young) falls from a building a

Jan. 17, 2019

‘Odd Family’ a rare zombie comedy with veteran actors

Zombie movies are scarce in the world of South Korean film, perhaps because domestic film budgets can’t compare to those in Hollywood. Then again, it may simply reflect the preference of moviegoers here. “The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale,” Lee Min-jae’s directorial debut, takes a rare path as a horror-comedy that draws laughs by focusing on the absurdity of the situation.“Most zombie films would start with a (zombie) virus spreading from a populated area, but (“The Odd Family”) is a story about a

Jan. 15, 2019

[K-talk] ‘Burning’ wins Best Foreign Film Award from France Club Media Cine

Director Lee Chang-dong’s film “Burning” was named the best foreign language film of 2018 by the France Club Media Cine on Wednesday.According to CGV Arthouse and the association on Friday, the Korean film took home the Best 2018 Foreign Language Film award among prominent nominees including “First Man,” “Shoplifters,” “The Guilty,” “Isle of Dogs” and “Phantom Thread.” (Pine House Film)Earlier, “Burning” participated in the 71th Cannes Film Festival as the only Korean film officially invited to

Jan. 11, 2019

‘Trade Your Love’ to be romantic comedy about issues ailing youngsters

Marriage, plans for the future and expectations of family are issues that put many youngsters in a pickle, and were the inspiration behind upcoming romantic comedy “Trade Your Love,” starring Ko Sung-hee and Kim Dong-wook.“I decided to star in the film not long after I got the script for it because I was happy to work with such a fun scenario,” Kim said in a press conference for the film held in Seoul on Wednesday.Kim, who has been blazing trails with back-to-back appearances in the blockbuster

Jan. 9, 2019

[Herald Review] Capernaum, beautiful tale of harrowing reality

“Beautiful” may seem an odd choice of words to describe a story very much devoid of laughter, depicting child abuse and the loss of humanity in the slums of Lebanon via a child transaction that takes place with cold nonchalance.Indeed, “Capernaum” is not an easy movie to watch: The hard-hitting film forces a stream of thoughts. Yet, the poignant drama by director Nadine Labaki manages to summon faith and hope through the heartbreaking tale of a boy in Beirut.The film follows Zain, supposedly 12

Jan. 9, 2019

Megan Fox in Korea to film ‘Jangsa-ri 9.15’

Hollywood actress Megan Fox is currently in Korea to film “Jangsa-ri 9.15.”According to the film production company Taewon Entertainment on Tuesday, Megan Fox arrived in Korea on Sunday and is currently filming the Korean movie “Jangsa-ri 9.15” at Namyangju Studio.  (Yonhap)“Jangsa-ri 9.15” deals with the Jangsa landing operation in 1950, led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, in the well-known battle at Incheon during the Korean War. Fox will play the role of Margaret Higgins, a war correspondent for t

Jan. 8, 2019

Korean moviegoers captivated by singalong screenings of 'Bohemian Rhapsody'

As the theater turned pitch black, nearly 200 moviegoers were waiting for the screening to start, with some holding glow-in-the-dark sticks and tambourines. They were also ready to do something unusual: sing along.As "Somebody to Love," a hit song by the legendary British rock band Queen, blared out, the audience for the movie "Bohemian Rhapsody" began to clap their hands, yell with joy and belt out the number as if they were at a live concert. (Yonhap)"Let's sing together, loudly," shouted a yo

Jan. 8, 2019

Actress Clara to get married in US

Korean actress Clara announced her wedding through her agency Koreana Clara on Thursday.According to Koreana Clara, the actress will marry her Korean-American fiance in a small private wedding ceremony in the US on Sunday, with only families and friends attending.  (to Bride)Here is a translation of the statement released by Clara’s agency:Hello this is actress Clara’s agency Koreana Clara.It is rather abrupt but there is a happy announcement about Clara.The actress will get married in the US th

Jan. 3, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Aquaman(US)Opened Dec. 19Action, Adventure, Fantasy Directed by James WanHalf-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) struggles with his identity while his father still misses his wife, former Atlantian queen Atlanna. Arthur keeps turning down the request by Mera (Amber Heard) and Vulko (Willem Dafoe) to challenge his half brother, Orm (Patrick Wilson), for the throne of Atlantis, but he is forced to take action when Orm plans to wage a war on humanity.Take Point(Korea)Opened Dec. 26Act

Jan. 3, 2019

Daniel Henney donates W200m to charity

Korean-American actor Daniel Henney has donated a total of 200 million won ($178,000) to the Community Chest of Korea. His donation exceeds the 100 million won needed to qualify to become a member of the Honor Society of the charity organization.  (Daniel Henney Instagram)The Community Chest said Henney’s contributions will be delivered to the Purme Foundation, Seungil Hope Foundation, Pearl S. Buck Foundation and Plan Korea to help people in need.“I hope my donation will help formulate a philan

Jan. 2, 2019

[Exclusive] Terrence Howard to launch audition program in Korea

Lucious Lyon of the popular drama series “Empire” will reincarnate in South Korea in April, when leading man Terrence Howard launches a TV audition program here to seek fresh acting talent. Visiting his fiancee and ex-wife Mira Pak’s country for the first time, Howard met with The Korea Herald to share his plans for the spring. “My wife was looking at me and saying, ‘My God. Half of the talent that you’ve seen in most of these shows don’t compare to the amount of heart and talent that I find in

Jan. 2, 2019

Box office roundup for second half: stronger showings for Korean films

In the first half of the year, more foreign films than Korean films ruled at box office, including “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” and “Black Panther.” Although, Korean films actually managed to sell more tickets than the year before, it was largely due to the success of films released last year, particularly “Along with the God: The Two Worlds Days” and “1987: When the Day Comes.”“Believer” was the only film released in 2018 to surpass 4 million ticket sales, with the

Dec. 30, 2018

Screening of BTS film axed in Russia for being ‘gay’

A screening of BTS’ concert film scheduled in Russia’s southern republic of Dagestan has been canceled following accusations that the group is “gay.”The group’s hit film “BTS World Tour: Love Yourself in Seoul” was set to be played at a cinema in the city of Makhachkala after hundreds of local fans led a social media campaign to screen the documentary film in their city. (Yonhap)But Cinema Hall, the local cinema where the film was to run, canceled ticket sales just a day after its opening, Russi

Dec. 28, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Take Point(Korea)Opened Dec. 26Action, Adventure, DramaDirected by Kim Byung-woo On the day of the US presidential election in 2024, Ahab (Ha Jung-woo) and his team of elite mercenaries embark on a secret CIA mission to abduct North Korea’s armed forces minister in an underground bunker below the Korean Demilitarized Zone. However, they get caught in the crossfire that causes tensions to escalate to the brink of World War III.Bumblebee(US)Opened Dec. 25Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Directed by Travi

Dec. 27, 2018

[Video] Jinyoung at the center of body-swapping comedy

With each year there buds in a person’s mind the wish to begin anew, to be a new person and a better me for the New Year. Now imagine waking up in a hospital bed in a body that is not yours. Imagine finding out you’re 30 years younger but a social outcast at school, or a powerful man with rivals out to kill you. Such is the plot of the comedy-drama film “Inside Me,” where Jinyoung plays Kim Dong-hyun, a bullied, introverted high school student; and veteran actor Park Sung-woong plays Jang Pa

Dec. 26, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Swing KidsWith the Korean War at its peak, the animosity between North Korean prisoners-of-war and the US forces runs high. Ki-soo (Do Kyung-soo), a fervent communist and war prisoner who was a member of a national dance troupe, meets Jackson (Jared Grimes), a Hollywood tap dancer-turned-US Army sergeant at the camp. Ki-soo joins a dance group, along with others who each have different goals.Aquaman (US)Opened Dec. 19Action, Adventure, Fantasy Directed by James WanHalf-human, half-Atlantean Arth

Dec. 20, 2018

[Herald Review] ‘Mal-Mo-E’ has heart, comedy, great characters and a beautiful story

A disclaimer: It is possible that bias may have influenced this reviewer’s opinion that Eom Yu-na’s directorial debut, “Mal-Mo-E: The Secret Mission,” is one of the best films of the decade. Depictions of the people who fought to keep the nation’s spirit alive against foreign suppression always stirs patriotism in the hearts of South Koreans.But as someone who found the 2015 film “Assassination” a bit clunky and 2014’s “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” a bit too emotional, I can confidently say th

Dec. 19, 2018