Kim Hye-soo, Ahn Sung-ki, JK Youn to receive Asia-Pacific film awards

Actress Kim Hye-soo (“Coin Locker Girl”), actor Ahn Sung-ki (“Revivre”) and director JK Youn (“Ode to My Father”) have been chosen by the Asia-Pacific Producers Network to win this year’s APN Award.  The award is given to those in the film industry to recognize achievements that further the advancement of Asian cinema. Kim Hye-soo (BiFan) Ahn Sung-ki (BiFan)The awards will be given on July 18, during the 10th APN Congress to be held from July 17-19 at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Fes

July 3, 2015

Schwarzenegger and Clarke talk ‘Terminator Genisys’ in Seoul

　Arnold Schwarzenegger and Emilia Clarke have landed in Seoul to promote the summer blockbuster “Terminator Genisys“ directed by Alan Taylor, the fifth installment in the “Terminator” franchise.　As an actor who has become an icon through the “Terminator” series and a new face taking on the legendary role of Sarah Connor, they shared their different thoughts and experiences about the movie at a press conference at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Seoul, ahead of the local red carpet to be held Thursday

July 2, 2015

‘Veteran’ actors hope to conquer summer with laughs and action

　The press conference for the upcoming summer action film “Veteran,” at CGV Apgujeong Wednesday, was a gathering of some of the most trusted names in Korean cinema. Director Ryoo Seung-wan and the cast of "Veteran" at CGV Apgujeong Wednesday (CJ E&M)　The film is helmed by Ryoo Seung-wan, the director behind “The Unjust” (2010) and “The Berlin File” (2012), and the cast includes veteran actors like Hwang Jung-min, Yoo Hae-jin, and Yoo Ah-in. 　“The two hours will just fly by because you’ll enjoy t

July 1, 2015

[Herald Review] Ugly side of justice rears head in ‘Minority Opinion’

“Minority Opinion” begins with a disclaimer: “The following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person or event.”Yet the events depicted in the film have a deep tinge of reality for Korean audiences, especially at a time of deep mistrust of government authority due to continued safety crises and political gridlock.In the film, a young police officer and a teenage boy are killed at the site of protests over forced evictions as part of an urban redevelopment project. According to the

June 30, 2015

Box Office

Midnight Diner (Japan)/Opened June 18Drama. Directed by Matsuoka JojiA group of patrons from every walk of life comes together each night at a small diner in the back streets of Tokyo that is only open from midnight to 7 a.m. They seek solace in delicious food made by the “Master” (Kobayashi Kaoru) and make conversation with each other. The film unravels the stories of each of the patrons, with focus given to the dishes that are served up to nourish their bodies and souls.The Silenced (Korea)/Op

June 29, 2015

For Kate Winslet, life happens

NEW YORK ― Kate Winslet rolls up her black shirt and points to her belly, which has that muffin top familiar to most moms.“Look, I still have the skin, you see. I do. Who gives a (flip)? That’s hard won. I love all those things,” says the mom of Mia, 14; Joe, 11; and Bear, 18 months old. “Everything is really pronounced when you’re pregnant.” In fact, Winslet was expecting son Bear, from her third marriage to businessman Ned Rocknroll, when she shot her latest film, the period drama “A Little Ch

June 29, 2015

[Newsmaker] ‘Northern Limit Line’: Korean patriotism

A scene from "Northern Limit Line" (Next Entertainment World)“Northern Limit Line” is a film with a very clear purpose. It seeks to assuage the pain of bereaved families who lost their sons during a North Korean naval attack, reveal the systematic failures of the South Korean Navy that facilitated this loss, and draw attention to the society’s misplaced priorities. Every minute is dripping with this sense of mission and self-consciousness.The film revolves around the story of three young soldier

June 29, 2015

Koreans to join Oscars academy

Five Koreans became eligible to vote in the Oscars, as the academy added new members, the Korean Film Council said Saturday. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited Korean filmmakers Im Kwon-taek and Bong Joon-ho and actors Song Kang-ho, Choi Min-sik and animator Kim Sang-jin of Walt Disney as part of a group of 322 new members in an attempt to increase the diversity of its members. “It’s gratifying to acknowledge the extraordinary range of talent in our industry,” said Cheryl Bo

June 28, 2015

[Herald Interview] ‘Madonna’ casts a harsh light onto women suffering in Korea's shadows

“Madonna,” the latest work from director Shin Su-won, which played in Cannes' Un Certain Regard section, takes place in two central settings. The first is the VIP ward at a hospital where the nurse‘s assistant Hae-rim (Seo Young-hee) works. The other is a red-light district in a slum where the streetwalker Madonna (Kwon So-hyun) works. At first glance, it is difficult to understand how they come together in the movie.“It's a story about a nurse’s assistant named Hae-rim who digs into the backgro

June 28, 2015

[Herald Interview] ‘Angry Painter’ a dark, confusing depiction of humanity

　Director Jeon Kyu-hwan is known for his propensity to create films that reveal the dark underbelly of modern society. Focusing on those who have been marginalized by society due to their origins or economic status in his “Town” trilogy and other films, Jeon’s camera has never hesitated to pull back layers and lay hardships bare. 　That particular brand of social critique is muted for his latest film “Angry Painter,” a Korea-Estonia collaboration marketed as a “vintage nude action” film starring

June 26, 2015

Box Office

　Minority Opinion (Korea)　Opened June 24　Drama. Directed by Kim Sung-je　　A clash between riot police and protesters over a redevelopment project leaves a boy and a young policeman dead. Witness accounts tell different stories about how the tragedies unfolded. Sensing that the government is trying to cover something up about the incident, two lawyers (Yoon Kye-sang, Yoo Hae-jin) and a journalist (Kim Ok-bin) attempt to uncover the truth and find justice.　　　Northern Limit Line (Korea)　Opened June

June 26, 2015

An aspiring deejay enchanted by electronica in ‘Eden’

 　Somewhere between “euphoria and melancholia”: That’s the music favored by the fictional young Parisian deejay in cowriter/director Mia Hansen-Love’s “Eden,” a fragrantly atmospheric portrait of a time, a place and a restless state of romantic yearning.　Hansen-Love’s fourth feature also serves as a reminder. Few of us in this life monetize our passions on a grand scale. Mostly there are those who glide along, doing their thing, doing what they can to support their thing, becoming neither legend

June 26, 2015

Farrell gets sweet deal in ‘True Detective’

NEW YORK ― If a wine connoisseur is an oenophile, what, exactly, do you call someone with expertise in freshly pressed juices? Colin Farrell is that, personified. “Cheers, love,” he says, clinking plastic containers of a leaf-colored beverage. “Here I am having green juice with you, in New York City. How times have changed.” He pauses, sips. “It’s not bad. A little tart.” Farrell, 39, quit drinking in 2006, and now expounds on the joys of hot yoga. He juices. And he’s all about reveling in his o

June 25, 2015

Sistar sweeps local charts

Sistar’s “Shake It” mini albumK-pop girl group Sistar’s latest track “Shake It” continued to top local music charts Wednesday, two days after its release Monday. The quartet ― consisting of Hyolyn, Bora, Soyou and Dasom ― dropped the EP “Shake It” at noon Monday. Immediately after the release, the title track grabbed the No.1 spot on all the major music charts, including Melon, Genie and Olleh, beating out fellow girl group AOA, which released its single “Heart Attack” on the same day. “Shake It

June 24, 2015

[Herald Review] Like Japanese food, ‘Midnight Diner’ is mild but heartwarming

Tokyo is a place where folks from different regions gather, according to "Midnight Diner."Likewise, it is a motley crew that gathers every night at the small eatery tucked away in the back alleys of the capital’s bustling downtown. Open from the odd hours of midnight to 7 a.m., the Midnight Diner is a sort of urban haven for the city’s weary souls, attracting disparate characters from transvestites to yakuza-like mobsters, meek businessmen and chatty ladies who all seek solace in food and conver

June 23, 2015

‘Assassination’ an ode to Korea’s 1930s independence fighters

The year is 1933. A female sniper, a gun expert and a bomb expert are pulled into an unlikely ragtag team by a political mastermind to assassinate two key figures in the Japanese regime governing Korea. Their plan is slipped to a ruthless paid assassin, who begins to hunt them down.The plot of the upcoming film “Assassination” is thrilling enough in and of itself to be a box office success, but according to director Choi Dong-hoon, the aim of the movie is to tell the story of those who fought fo

June 22, 2015