[Movie Review] 'The Fortress' depicts defeated king and aides facing tough choices, existential threat

Mount Namhan Fortress on the outskirts of Seoul harbors one of the most shameful memories in Korea's history. In the winter of 1636, King Injo of Joseon Dynasty sought refuge inside the bulwark fleeing an invasion by the Qing Dynasty.     "The Fortress," a new film released Tuesday, illuminates the embattled king's 47 days of hiding which ended in a humiliating surrender to a conquering Chinese general.   Directed by Hwang Dong-hyuck and adapted from a best-selling novel, the movie is not simply

Sept. 29, 2017

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (UK)Opened Sept. 27Action, adventure. Directed by Matthew VaughnThe headquarters of Kingsman, hidden inside a tailors shop, has been destroyed and the fate of the planet is at risk once more. Eggsy (Taron Egerton), now a full agent with a year of experience under his belt, and Merlin (Mark Strong) follow the Doomsday protocol and seek the help of Kingsman’s American counterpart Statesman, located in a Bourbon whiskey distillery in Kentucky. The elite agents from both

Sept. 29, 2017

Kim Soo-hyun to enlist on Oct. 23

Actor Kim Soo-hyun will enlist on Oct. 23, his agency said Thursday.“Since (Kim) is just fulfilling his duties as a Korean citizen, he wishes to enlist quietly without a fan event or a press conference,” Keyeast Entertainment said in a press release. (CJ E&M)All able-bodied Korean men are required to serve in the military for around two years, with some being allowed to serve in non-combat positions.While he had originally pledged to enlist this year, there has been speculation that his plans ma

Sept. 28, 2017

'Kingsman 2' claims biggest S. Korean opening ever for R-rated film

The British-American spy comedy "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" had the biggest opening day for an R-rated film in South Korea, data showed Thursday.According to the real-time box-office tally from the Korean Film Council, the Fox movie sold 481,891 tickets on 1,686 screens across the country, taking the box-office crown on its first day.It surpassed the first-day record of 475,482 set by the South Korean crime action film "Asura: The City of Madness" last year.  (21st Century Fox Korea)The "Kings

Sept. 28, 2017

[Herald Interview] Kim Yoon-seok on playing principled Joseon minister

Kim Yoon-seok’s criteria for choosing film projects is simple. 　“I pick the best scripts,” he said in an interview Tuesday at a cafe in Palpan-dong, Seoul.　The acclaimed actor, known for his gloomy gravitas, has starred in films such as Na Hong-jin’s 2008 thriller “The Chaser.” 　French novelist Guillaume Musso proclaimed himself a fan of Kim, which is how Korean producers were able to obtain remake rights for Musso’s novel “Will You Be There?” The film, with Kim taking the lead role, opened in K

Sept. 27, 2017

S. Korea's largest film studio opens doors to support Hallyu

South Korea's largest film studio complex equipped with state-of-the-art facilities formally opened its doors for film and drama productions on Monday after two years of construction.The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and its affiliate the Korea Creative Content Agency celebrated the opening of Studio Cube in a ceremony attended by central and local government officials led by Culture Minister Do Jong-whan and film industry figures.Located in the EXPO Science Park in Daejeon, 164 kilom

Sept. 26, 2017

Upcoming film imagines a North Korea upended by coup

The setting is North Korea. The day is Christmas in an unspecified near future. The notorious hermit kingdom has collapsed from a coup d’etat.This is the premise of upcoming film “Steel Rain,” set to hit local theaters in December. 　The film stars actor Jung Woo-sung as Uhm Cheol-woo, a top North Korean special agent who flees to South Korea with the North’s leader to escape the uprising. 　 Jung Woo-sung stars in “Steel Rain.” (NEW)The film is written and directed by Yang Woo-seok, who previousl

Sept. 26, 2017

‘The Fortress’ tackles heavy historical subject

A roster of top Korean actors including Lee Byung-hun and Kim Yoon-seok and director Hwang Dong-hyuk tackle a painful historical event in the upcoming film “The Fortress.” The film is a period piece that deals with a Chinese invasion which took place in 1636, prompting Joseon’s King Injo to take refuge in Namhansanseong, a mountain fortress located some 25 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Within the fortress’ walls, Joseon officials desperately debated the course of action -- whether to surrender

Sept. 25, 2017

Film director charged with insulting handicapped female taxi driver

Award-winning film director Song Hae-sung was charged Sunday with verbally abusing a handicapped female taxi driver while under the influence of alcohol, police said Monday. Song hurled abuse at the taxi driver when she pressed the “extra charge” button on the taxi’s meter at around 11 p.m. Friday while traveling to Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, from Yeouido in Seoul, according to the taxi driver’s testimony, police said.  Director Song Hae-sung (Yonhap)“He saw that my left arm was a prosthetic and

Sept. 25, 2017

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

I Can Speak(Korea)Opened Sept. 21Comedy, drama. Directed by Kim Hyun-seokNa Ok-boon (Na Moon-hee) is the elderly neighborhood busybody whose greatest hobby is to file complaints on nearby residents and businesses to the borough office. Park Min-jae (Lee Je-hoon) is a new civil servant at the office, a strict by-the-books worker. The two bicker over Na’s copious complaints when one day, Na discovers that Park is fluent in English. Due to a painful past and a desire to right terrible wrongs, Na is

Sept. 22, 2017

‘Kingsman’ stars: Bespoke suits are tight, but always a treat

Even the second time round, donning tailor-made double-breasted suits offered satisfaction for the actors of “Kingsman: The Golden Circle.” 　“With regard to fighting in those suits, it has its moments,” said Taron Egerton, who plays headstrong protagonist Eggsy Unwin in the “Kingsman” series, at a press conference at CGV Yongsan in Seoul, Thursday.“But you feel so good in (the suits), and it’s such a flattering style that you don’t begrudge them whilst you’re fighting.”English actor Colin Firth,

Sept. 21, 2017

Park Chan-wook, Yoo Ji-tae model for Ermenegildo Zegna

A local magazine showed actor Yoo Ji-tae and director Park Chan-wook in an ad campaign for Italian luxury fashion brand Ermenegildo Zegna on Wednesday. Yoo Ji-tae (left) and Park Chan-wook pose in Ermenegildo Zegna. (Namoo Actors)Yoo and Park spoke about their 10-year friendship during the interview that followed the photo shoot. The two also discussed how working together on Park’s renowned 2003 neo-noir film “Oldboy” shaped their careers. The two men are part of the brand’s global campaign tit

Sept. 20, 2017

Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong meet with Korean fans via live stream

Colin Firth, Taron Egerton and Mark Strong spoke to Korean fans via a live stream on Kakao TV, Wednesday afternoon.The three actors are in Korea on a promotional tour for their upcoming film “Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” the sequel to 2014’s “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” which was a huge box office hit here.It is the first time for English actor Firth, long popular in Korea for roles in the “Bridget Jones” series and “The King’s Speech,” to visit Korea on a media-covered tour. From left: Mark

Sept. 20, 2017

Choi Min-sik, Park Shin-hye to star in upcoming thriller ‘Silence’

Choi Min-sik and Park Shin-hye are set to star in the upcoming thriller “Silence,” which is slated to hit local theaters in November. Acclaimed actor Choi will star as Im Tae-san, the chairman of a conglomerate who possesses wealth, honor, power and love but is at risk of losing it all. “What kind of choice can a person make when faced with the possibility of losing your loved ones?” Choi said in a press release Wednesday.  Choi Min-sik (left) and Park Shin-hye (CJ Entertainment)Park will play a

Sept. 20, 2017

Busan Film Fest announces 10 nominees for new award category

Busan International Film Festival on Tuesday announced 10 nominees for its new Kim Ji-seok award, honoring the longtime program director of the festival who passed away in May.　Kim began as a programmer of Asian films at BIFF in 1996, and in 2007 went on to serve as the head programmer of Asia’s largest film festival. 　Kim passed away during a trip to France’s Cannes Film Festival. 　The award celebrates the late Kim’s passion for Asian cinema and the discovery of emerging directors. 　The nominat

Sept. 20, 2017

Busan film fest ticket sales to open next week

Ticket sales for Korea’s largest film event, the Busan International Film Festival, will begin next week. Tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies will be available online at www.biff.kr at 6 p.m. on Sept. 26. They cost 20,000 won ($17.75) each. The opening and closing films this year are Korean director Shin Su-won’s “Glass Garden” and Taiwanese director Sylvia Chang’s “Love Education.” It is the first time both the festival’s opening and closing films are helmed by female directors. 　 A

Sept. 19, 2017

Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford talk about upcoming ‘Blade Runner’

Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford and Denis Villeneuve met with Korean press via video conference Monday evening at CGV Yongsan in central Seoul for the upcoming neo-noir “Blade Runner 2049.” 　The actors and director were calling in from Berlin, Germany. 　Director Villeneuve addressed the Korean letters visible in the trailer clip. 　“There are a lot of influences from Korea and Japan as well, in the first Blade Runner,” Villeneuve said. “In the second one, we added influences from Eastern Europe and I

Sept. 18, 2017

Heartthrob actors Lee Jong-suk, Song Seung-heon take on villain roles

A handful of Korean cinema’s heartthrobs have taken on villainous roles in recent and upcoming films.　Lee Jong-suk, who played romantic lead characters in drama series such as “Pinocchio” and “I Can Hear Your Voice,” plays an imperious North Korean serial killer in the crime drama “V.I.P.,” which opened in theaters in August. His milky-white complexion and boyish image were able to translate well into an oddly sinister sort of villain, Lee said in an interview last month.  Lee Jong-suk stars in

Sept. 18, 2017

'Memoir of a Murderer' rules box office for second weekend

Homegrown crime thriller "Memoir of a Murderer" topped the box office for the second weekend straight, data showed Monday.The film starring Seol Kyung-gu, Kim Nam-gil and Kim Seol-hyeon added 483,237 to its domestic total of over 2 million in attendance, the real-time based box office figures from the Korean Film Council said.Based on Kim Young-ha's best-selling novel of the same name, "Memoir" depicts the story of an aged former serial killer with Alzheimer's who strives to keep his only daught

Sept. 18, 2017

[Herald Interview] Empathy without exploitation

Is it possible to create a work of art about a murder without any depiction of brutality? Is it possible to convey a female victim’s suffering without exploiting her body? These were the questions director Gina Kim posed to herself during the creation of her virtual reality film “Bloodless.”The work won the award for best virtual reality story at the recently concluded Venice International Film Festival. “Bloodless” is relatively bloodless. However, it is blood curdling, at an entirely different

Sept. 15, 2017