[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Warriors of the Dawn(Korea)Opened May 31Historical, drama. Directed by Jeong Yoon-chulTo-woo (Lee Jung-jae) is the rugged leader of proxy soldiers who receive money from noblemen to go to war on their behalf. When the Imjin War between Joseon Kingdom and Japan breaks out, King Seonjo flees to Ming China. His son Prince Gwanghae (Yeo Jin-goo) is left to lead the royal court alone, and the responsibility of protecting and guiding the young heir befalls on To-woo. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men

June 2, 2017

Kim Ok-bin takes female-led action to next level in ‘The Villainess’

With the blood-drenched action flick “The Villainess,” actress Kim Ok-bin may have raised the caliber of Korean female-led action sequences to the next level. In the visceral revenge thriller directed by Jung Byung-gil, Kim plays a skilled assassin who shows no mercy or pity in the face of opponents. She shoots, stabs and kills with weapons ranging from long daggers to axes. After a violent and bloody showdown, she wipes blood off her face, completely emotionless.  Actress Kim Ok-bin poses at a

June 1, 2017

Swedish comedy 'The Square' is surprise Cannes winner

   CANNES -- Swedish satire "The Square", a send-up of political correctness and the confused identity of the modern male, won the Palme d'Or top prize at the Cannes film festival Sunday.    In a stunning upset, the nine-member jury led by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar and including Hollywood stars Jessica Chastain and Will Smith awarded the trophy to director Ruben Ostlund.Swedish director Ruben Ostlund poses during the Award Winners photocall after he won the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) Prize

May 29, 2017

[Herald Interview] The many shades of Lee Jung-jae

Actor Lee Jung-jae has come to symbolize the sleek, sophisticated modern male in Korean cinema. But in his most recent film “Warriors of the Dawn,” directed by Jeong Yoon-chul, Lee sheds his usual slim-fitting suit for rags, dirt and disheveled hair.“Appearances are important for viewers,” Lee said at an interview Thursday at a cafe in Palpan-dong in central Seoul. “Then, only afterwards, are viewers able to feel the emotion of scenes.”Lee plays To-woo, the rugged leader of proxy soldiers that e

May 26, 2017

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Get Out(US)Opened May 17Mystery, horror. Directed by Jordan PeeleChris (Daniel Kaluuya) and Rose (Allison Williams) have been dating for awhile, finally reaching the meet-the-parents point in the relationship. Rose invites Chris to a weekend mini-vacation in an upstate home with her family. At first, Chris believes Rose’s parents are being uncommonly kind to overcompensate for their awkwardness with their daughter’s interracial relationship. But in a series of disquieting discoveries throughout

May 26, 2017

[Movie Review] Latest ‘Pirates’ movie follows the formula

Since Hollywood loves a nostalgic reboot, it’s no surprise that the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise is setting sail once again, six years after 2011’s “On Stranger Tides.” For this film, subtitled “Dead Men Tell No Tales,” Disney has hired a lesser-known filmmaking duo to reanimate the series -- a pair of Norweigan filmmakers, Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg, who helmed the 2012 oceanic adventure film “Kon-Tiki.” What they’ve delivered is a cookie-cutter “Pirates” movie that faithfully f

May 26, 2017

[Movie Review] ‘Obit’ is a compelling look at the craft of newspaper obituary writing

Most journalists stifle a laugh when we hear somebody denounce a newspaper as a product of organized conspiracy.Because everyday we see the reality -- the mistake-filled atmosphere of chaos, rancor, disagreement, systemic technological failure, desperate last-minute alteration. The paper comes out, but nobody knows how, or cares, because yet another deadline looms.One useful attribute of the new documentary “Obit” is the way it illuminates this process. The movie literally peeks over the shoulde

May 26, 2017

[Weekender] Our fascination with crime

Crime dramas have been running rampant in Korean film and television.In cinema, 2017 opened with such flicks as “One Line,” the tale of a surprisingly simple but effective bank scam; “The Prison,” about inmates behind bars that control the outside world; and “Fabricated City,” featuring a team of hackers uncovering a massive digital conspiracy. The list goes on and on. Two of the five Korean films currently screening at the Cannes Film Festival are crime thrillers: “The Merciless” is about the p

May 26, 2017

Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin to star in ‘Negotiation’

Actors Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin have confirmed their roles in the upcoming film “Negotiation,” according to an official related to the project Thursday. On May 10, both the actors’ agencies said they were considering the offers in a positive light. Hyun Bin (left) and Son Ye-jin (VAST Entertainment/MSteam Entertainment)The crime-thriller film tells the story of a confrontation between a negotiator and hostage-taker. Son will play Ha Chae-yun, the best negotiator in a crisis negotiation team, whil

May 25, 2017

‘Merciless’ receives rave reviews, lengthy standing ovation at Cannes

“The Merciless (Bulhandang)” met with an avid response at the Cannes Film Festival’s midnight screening Thursday, receiving a seven-minute standing ovation from the audience, according to reports.It was the longest duration of applause that a Korean film had received at Cannes this year, reports said.Hong Sang-soo’s “The Day After,” “Claire’s Camera” and Jung Byung-gil’s “The Villainess” received applause that ranged from two to five minutes. Bong Joon-ho’s Okja met with applause that lasted fiv

May 25, 2017

Kids are the break-out stars of Cannes film festival

Young actors are making waves at this year‘s Cannes film festival -- often in films that are hardly suitable children’s viewing.AFP takes a look at some of the kids who are making a splash:Starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell, family horror “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” has shocked audiences at the world‘s biggest film festival but features a standout performance from Irish actor Barry Keoghan as obsessive teenager Martin. (From left) British actress Raffey Cassidy, US actor Sunny Suljic, A

May 25, 2017

Why Korea’s ‘film noir’ movies are wowing Cannes

Beyond the gleaming towers of modern high-tech Seoul, it is the dark past of South Korea’s years of dictatorship, violence and upheaval that have inspired the country’s staggering rise as a cinematic powerhouse.No fewer than five South Korean movies are showing in the elite selection of this year’s Cannes film festival. British actress Tilda Swinton, French-Iranian cinematographer Darius Khondji (rear), US actor Paul Dano, South Korean actor Byung Hee-bong, South Korean actress Ahn Seo-hyun, Sou

May 25, 2017

[Herald Interview] Heo Min-seon removes Crayon Pop helmet, embarks on theatrical career

As a member of the once-sensational K-pop group Crayon Pop, Heo Min-seon used to dance in a helmet and bright tracksuit that recall the Power Rangers. She has now moved on to acting onstage. Also known by the name Way, Heo recently took on her first theater gig with a role in the historical play “Jjamppong,” acclaimed for its depiction of the May 18 Democratic Uprising in Korea. “I used to act in a high school theater club and had always wanted to try acting, even during Crayon Pop activities,”

May 24, 2017

[Herald Interview] Yeo Jin-goo at ease with transition from child to adult actor

For most of his career, Yeo Jin-goo has played the younger versions of characters.He acted out the childhood of a Robin Hood-esque hero in the 2008 TV series “Iljimae.” He played a youngster who grows up to be a gambler in the crime film “Tazza: The High Rollers.” His character in the TV drama “Giant” later became the charismatic founder of a building company. In 2012, he stole viewers’ hearts with the younger role of a Joseon-era king in the period series “Moon Embracing the Sun.” 　Although man

May 24, 2017

Tom Cruise says Top Gun 2 in the works

Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise revealed Wednesday he plans a sequel to the cult action film Top Gun, with filming set to begin next year.Rumours have swirled for years that he would revisit the 1986 movie that made him a household name, and Cruise finally spoke out while in Australia to promote his latest flick "The Mummy".Asked by a Channel Seven breakfast TV host about whether a second instalment of the action drama was on the cards, he replied: "Yes, it's true." Poster of the original "Top Gu

May 24, 2017

With catcalls and applause, Cannes debates rise of Netflix

This year’s Cannes Film Festival has been a sprawling, international referendum on Netflix, with votes registered in catcalls and applause, and some of the biggest names in cinema staking out their positions. As the world’s largest and most prestigious film festival, Cannes has often been a kind of glitzy, French Riviera town hall that measures the fluctuations of the movie industry. This year, the seismic impact of Netflix and its swelling movie ambitions have taken center stage. The festival f

May 23, 2017

Hong Sang-soo’s ‘Day After’ gets mixed reviews at Cannes

Hong Sang-soo’s “The Day After” received both enthusiastic and mild responses from critics following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival Monday, prompting whispers of the film’s chance at the top Palme d’Or prize.　Hubert Niogret, prominent French film critic and an editor for the film magazine Positif called it a “fantastic” piece, and “the best of the competing films” at Cannes this year, according to reports. 　Korean critic Jeon Chan-il said he could detect “the film style that led the 19

May 23, 2017

‘Okja’ challenges ‘capitalism’ of meat production

Bong Joon-ho is no stranger to controversy, having poked fun at the government, military, social classes and discrimination through his previous works.Now the acclaimed director is in the hot seat again as his film “Okja” raises questions about the morality of the meat production system in modern society. “Humanity has consumed meat for ages, but we’ve ate what we needed and animals lived natural lives prior to (the) rise of capitalism,” he said during a press conference at the Cannes Film Festi

May 21, 2017

Bong Joon-ho's 'Okja' receives standing ovation at Cannes

South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's "Okja" has premiered at the Cannes Film Festival with the filmmaker getting a four-minute standing ovation.The new film from the "Snowpiercer" director tells the story of a young girl from a rural town who risks everything to prevent a multinational company from kidnapping her best friend, a super-pig named Okja. Audiences applause for Bong Joon-ho`s new film "Okja" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.(Joint Press Corp. via Yonhap)Thousands of movie fans g

May 20, 2017

‘Okja,’ ‘Merciless’ rattled in both Cannes, Korea

Two of the five Korean films screening at this year’s Cannes Film Festival have found themselves embroiled in a scandal, both in and out of the country. “Okja” is caught in a clash between its producer Netflix and French cinemas. “The Merciless” has sparked outrage among Korean spectators due to its director’s misled online tweets.During its Friday premiere, “Okja” was met with “whistles and jeers” by critics during a technical hitch in its premiere Friday, according to AFP. The screening was st

May 19, 2017