Hungarian film wins top prize at Czech festival

PRAGUE (AFP) -- Hungarian film “It’s Not The Time Of My Life” won the top prize at the Czech Republic’s Karlovy Vary film festival on Saturday, the organizers said.The Crystal Globe award winner directed by Szabolcs Hajdu (“White Palms,” “Bibliotheque Pascal”) is a study of two families forced to share a flat. American actor Willem Dafoe, the star of “Platoon,” “Shadow of the Vampire” and “The Last Temptation of Christ,” received the Crystal Globe at the festival earlier on for his contribution

July 10, 2016

Damon talks reprising Jason Bourne role at 45

　After nine years, Hollywood mega star Matt Damon is reprising his hit blockbuster role as the infamous memory-loss-stricken CIA assassin Jason Bourne in the franchise series’ upcoming film.　The upcoming “Jason Bourne” film marks the fourth installment of the popular Bourne series and is slated to hit local theaters on July 27. The movie comes nearly a decade after “The Bourne Ultimatum” and 14 years since the franchise’s first flick, “The Bourne Identity.”  Matt Damon (right) and “Jason Bourne”

July 8, 2016

Movie review: ‘Tarzan’ is dull, out-of-touch

The vine-swinging character of Tarzan first appeared on the silver screen nearly 100 years ago, in 1918. Which is perhaps why this 2016 reboot, “The Legend of Tarzan,” feels woefully out of touch. There’s only so much updating that can be done to an Edgar Rice Burroughs tale about an Englishman raised in the African jungles by gorillas, a wild man who communes with animals. And who, exactly, was clamoring for a reboot of this property?　Writers Adam Cozad and Craig Brewer have decided that the wa

July 8, 2016

[Box Office] Latest movie releases

 　Seondal: The Man who Sells the River　(Korea)　Opened July 6　Historical, Adventure. Directed by Park Dae-min　　Charming, genius swindler Kim Seon-dal (Yoo Seung-ho) and his team of con artists (Ko Chang-seok, Ra Mi-ran, Xiumin) decide to steal a large batch of tobacco, a much-prized good in the Joseon era. 　　Finding Dory　(U.S.)　Opened July 6　Animation, Adventure. Directed by Andrew Stanton　　Dory, a comically amnesiac regal blue tang (Ellen DeGeneres), one day dreams about her parents and embarks

July 8, 2016

Summer thriller ‘Tunnel’ has much to say about humanity

Without any warning, the humdrum of the most ordinary lives can come crashing down -- literally. This is the premise behind the much anticipated upcoming summer film “Tunnel,” starring actors Ha Jung-woo, Bae Doona and Oh Dal-su.Directed by Kim Seong-hun, “Tunnel” chronicles one man’s seemingly unending fight for survival after a tunnel crashes down as he is returning home. Played by Ha, who recently gained international recognition from the film “The Handmaiden,” the main character Lee Jung-soo

July 7, 2016

'Captain Fantastic’ features a Swiss Family Robinson of today

CANNES, France (AP) - In “Captain Fantastic,” Viggo Mortensen plays one of the all-time great movie dads. Holed away in a remote Pacific Northwest teepee, he’s raising six children like a bookish, yoga-practicing Swiss Family Robinson. The children, well-behaved and smart, are equally adept at skinning a deer and reading “The Brothers Karamazov” by the campfire. They pine after boning knives like most kids do iPhones.“Captain Fantastic,” a hit on the festival circuit, has resonated with audience

July 7, 2016

Lee Byung-hun collects Star Asia Award at New York film fest

Korean Lee Byung-hun received the Star Asia Award at the 15th New York Asian Film Festival, his agency said Wednesday.Recognized for his contribution to Asian films and Hollywood productions, Lee was one of the award's three recipients along with Hong Kong's Miriam Yeung and John Lloyd Cruz of the Philippines. (Yonhap)Lee picked up the award at the ceremony that preceded the New York premiere of his latest work, Korean political thriller "Inside Men," at the Lincoln Center. After the screening,

July 6, 2016

Filmmaker: 'Run Off,' distinctive sequel to 2009 box office hit

KM Culture Co., the studio behind the 2009 box office success "Take Off" about the national ski jumping team, returned to the local film market with a sequel. The forthcoming sports drama flick follows the formation of Korea's first-ever national female ice hockey team and its unlikely challenge for a medal in the 2003 Asian Winter Games in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. The director of "Run Off," Kim Jong-hyun, said on Wednesday that he felt no extra pressure due to the preceding film's popularity w

July 6, 2016

Iran cinema conquers world despite restrictions

TEHRAN (AFP) -- The outpouring of tributes for Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, who died Monday, has reminded the world of Iran’s huge impact on art-house cinema despite restrictions on its artists.“On the one hand, there is the state cinema, financed by the authorities ... then there is an independent sector that is flourishing,” Kiarostami told reporters at the Cannes Film Festival in May. A few days later, the point was underlined when “The Salesman,” by Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, wa

July 6, 2016

[Box Office] Latest movie releases

Familyhood(Korea)Opened June 29Comedy, Drama. Directed by Kim Tae-gonSelf-absorbed diva Ju-yeon (Kim Hye-soo) has so far in life pursued fame, money and handsome young men. Now that she has entered her 40s, Ju-yeon realizes what she needs in life is a baby. The Hunt(Korea)Opened June 29Action, Thriller. Directed by Lee Woo-cheolDong-geun (Cho Jin-woong) ventures deep into the mountains when he hears gold has been discovered in a collapsed coal mining site. There, he meets Ki-seong (Ahn Sung-ki),

July 1, 2016

‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ is a dull disaster

From the metallic shell of the 1996 smash “Independence Day,” director Roland Emmerich has pulled a seriously lousy sequel, dripping with alien goo and incoherence.I take no pleasure in reporting this news, folks. I’ve been a lonely, half-mad defender of some of Emmerich’s cheesiest cheese, including “10,000 B.C.” But “Independence Day: Resurgence” is the Emmerich movie his fiercest detractors always said he could manage, if he put his mindlessness to it.Will Smith, star of the original, passed

July 1, 2016

[Weekender] On-screen scares for summer

As the sweltering Korean summer sets in, theaters are gearing up to open a series of horror movies for audiences wishing to cool off with goosebumps and chills.　Coming soon to the screens are a diverse horror films, from spectral and psychological to survival thrillers. 　American supernatural horror flick “Sinister 2,” set to open in local theaters on July 7, features ghostly children and demonic sacrifices taking place inside an isolated farmhouse. Directed by Ciaran Foy, it is the sequel to th

July 1, 2016

'Familyhood,' 'The Hunt' top domestic box office

Just within one day of its release, “Familyhood” topped the Korean box office, while second place went to “The Hunt,” which debuted on the same day. Released on Wednesday, “Familyhood” lagged behind “The Hunt” on the first day, but quickly stole the No. 1 spot by Thursday, attracting a total of 255,660 viewers, according to data from the Korean Film Council Friday. “The Hunt” has drawn a total of 234,726 viewers.  As of Friday morning, “Familyhood” and “The Hunt” have each grabbed 20.7 percent a

July 1, 2016

Academy asks Lee Byung-hun, 3 Korean directors to join

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, best known for hosting the prestigious Academy Awards, invited four representatives from Korea’s film industry to the organization’s newest membership class Wednesday.Among the 683 invitees are actor Lee Byung-hun, best known globally for his roles in Hollywood productions “Terminator Genisys” (2015) and “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” (2009), and filmmakers Park Chan-wook of “The Handmaiden” (2016) and “Oldboy” (2003), Lee Chang-dong of  “Poetry” (

June 30, 2016

Netflix plans to expand presence in Korea

Content streaming service Netflix, which launched here in January as part of its global expansion efforts, will be announcing plans for original Korean series within the year, Netflix leadership said at a press conference in Seoul on Thursday. Netflix’s current projects here include the film “Okja,” directed by Bong Joon-ho, and Korean-English drama series “Dramaworld,” produced in partnership with streaming service Viki.This is only the beginning of Netflix’s foray into the Korean market, said

June 30, 2016

Movie shows Big Bang in natural state

In a scene in “Big Bang Made,” G-Dragon sits in his dressing room barefaced and in his underwear, while Seungri ambushes the shower to take candid shots of T.O.P, who proceeds to spew expletives at his bandmate.The documentary-style movie, a project that celebrates the wildly popular K-pop boy band’s 10-year anniversary, follows the group’s five members -- G-Dragon, Seungri, T.O.P, Taeyang and Daesung -- as they perform in 32 cities in 13 countries as part of the group’s 2015 world tour. It is a

June 29, 2016

‘The Handmaiden’ pulls in 4 million

Award-winning director Park Chan-wook’s “The Handmaiden” has attracted more than 4 million viewers so far.　The film, which opened in local theaters on June 1, had attracted 4,005,806 moviegoers by Saturday, according to the Korean Film Council on Sunday.　It is currently the best performing 19-rated film this year, having surpassed the mark set by “Deadpool,” an American superhero film that opened in February and attracted more than 3.2 million moviegoers. Actress Kim Min-hee (right) and actor Ha

June 26, 2016