Promising indie films hit theaters

The year 2011 was a memorable period for Korea’s independent cinema. A number of films, such as Yoon Sung-hyun’s “Bleak Night,” Park Jung-bum’s “The Journals of Musan” and Min Yong-geun’s “Re-encounter,” enjoyed both critical and commercial success.The industry hopes to see such success repeated this year, as some of the most anticipated indie films are opening in theaters all at once this month. One of them is director Lee Su-jin’s local debut feature “Han Gong-ju,” which nabbed eight trophies

April 9, 2014

‘Lights, action!’

 The temperature had dipped suddenly, making April 6 an unseasonably chilly day. But that did not deter the hundreds of spectators braving the cold on Sunday morning who had turned up at Gangnam Boulevard to witness the filming of “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the sequel to the highly successful “The Avengers” released in 2012 and featuring the Marvel Comics superheroes. Among the crowd taking photos of Gangnam Boulevard empty of traffic on the northbound lanes except for numerous vehicles and cran

April 9, 2014

‘Innocent Thing’ goes mad on screen

Although filmmaker Kim Tae-gyun says his latest film is an exploration of love, it’s very hard to agree with him.Titled “Innocent Thing,” the film is about a former athlete and married school teacher (Jang Hyuk) whose life is destroyed ― literally ― after he falls for one of his students. Yet it’s unclear if he ever “loves” her throughout the film, which is filled with horror and madness.Playing the troubled, seductive teen is actress Jo Bo-ah, inspired by Hollywood actress Amanda Seyfried’s per

April 7, 2014

‘Captain America’ sets April record with $96.2m

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Disney and Marvel could be one of the finest teams around. Continuing the success of their superhero franchise, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” has set a record as the biggest domestic April release ever. The Disney sequel debuted with $96.2 million, topping the previous record-holder, 2011’s “Fast Five,” which opened with $86.2 million. “The Winter Soldier,” which stars Chris Evans as the shield-wielding superhero and Scarlett Johansson (whose science-fiction film “Unde

April 7, 2014

‘The Fatal Encounter’ to open in North America in May

A new South Korean historical thriller starring Hyun Bin will open in North American theaters next month, the film’s local distributor said Monday.Directed by Lee Jae-gyu, “The Fatal Encounter” is set to be shown on 25 screens across the region on May 23, Lotte Entertainment said.The movie follows a real-life assassination attempt on King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) in his first year on the throne. Jeongjo is portrayed by Hyun Bin in his first role in a period drama and first actin

April 7, 2014

‘Han Gong-ju’ wins top prize in Fribourg

After winning seven trophies from Rotterdam, Marrakech, Busan and Deauville, Korean helmer Lee Su-jin’s award-winning feature debut “Han Gong-ju” nabbed another award this month, this time at the Festival International de Films de Fribourg.The film, which tells the tragic tale of a teenage gang rape victim, had its world premiere at the Marrakech International Film Festival in November, where it won its first international prize, given by a jury headed by Martin Scorsese.Born in 1977, Lee made s

April 6, 2014

3-D omnibus film to open this year’s Jeonju film festival

A 3-D omnibus film collaborated on by three Korean filmmakers will open this year’s Jeonju International Film Festival, its organizers announced last week.The opening film, titled “Mad Sad Bad,” consists of three short films, each directed by Kim Tae-yong (“Late Autumn,” “Family Ties”), Ryu Seung-wan (“The Berlin File,” “The Unjust”) and Han Ji-seung (“Papa”). While Ryu’s “Ghost” deals with a murder revolving around university students, Kim’s “Picnic” tells the story of a little girl whose young

April 6, 2014

How Drew Barrymore’s life changed as a new mom

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― As a new mom, Drew Barrymore felt she might sacrifice her famous free-spirited nature for the safety of her 15-month-old daughter. “I try to have a sense of humor about how ... (much) you need to learn and tackle,” she said, “and how to remain fun-loving and not, like, uptight because there’s so much to care about and to learn about.”Though becoming a parent is “the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” Barrymore says it’s brought a new level of anxiety. “I’ve never been

April 6, 2014

Box Office: Son of God, August: Osage County, Han Gong-ju

Son of God (the U.S.) Opening April 10 Drama. Directed by Christopher Spencer.This epic biblical drama film features the life of Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity. It follows the life of Jesus from his miraculous birth, his visit to Galilee, as well as his first encounter with well-known followers, including Peter, James, John and Matthew. The film also highlights most of the miracles Jesus performed, including multiplying the loaves and fishes, walking on water, and raising Lazar

April 4, 2014

‘Divergent’ is ‘Hunger Games’ without the arrows

“Divergent,” the latest outcast-teen-battles-The System thriller, is similar enough to “The Hunger Games” that hardcore Katniss fans may dismiss it.But it’s a more streamlined film, with a love story with genuine heat and deaths with genuine pathos.And director Neil Burger (“The Illusionist,” “Limitless”) inserts us into this world with a lack of fuss that the stiff, exposition-stuffed “Games” films have never managed.So let’s skip past any suggestions of novelist Veronica Roth knocking off the

April 4, 2014

Jesus Christ returns to the big screen

Many local Christians may be delighted to learn that Christopher Spencer’s “Son of God,” a biopic about their leader, is getting a Korean release this month. A number of prominent local pastors, including Kim Ji-cheol of Somang Church and Im Sung-bin from Korea Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary, have already praised the movie ― they were invited to special screenings prior to the upcoming release ― for its “touching” depiction of their savior. The film, adapted from the TV miniser

April 3, 2014

Lee Byung-hun to star in ‘Terminator: Genesis’

Actor Lee Byung-hun will continue his strides in Hollywood as it was announced that he will be starring in “Terminator: Genesis” alongside former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in the star’s most iconic acting role ― the terminator. Lee is best known for Hollywood roles such as Storm Shadow in both “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” and “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” as well as playing the role of Han Jo-bae in “RED 2.” “Terminator: Genesis” will be the fifth sequel to the sci-fi hit Terminator f

April 1, 2014

Wildflower Film Awards Korea to dole out first gongs

The newly established Wildflower Film Awards Korea is holding its first awards ceremony Tuesday, recognizing the achievements of Korean independent and low-budget films.Founded by film critic Darcy Paquet, who has written extensively on Korean cinema, the awards will hand out a total of nine trophies, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Documentary, the Documentary Jury award, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best New Actor or Actress, Best New Director and Best Cinematography.A total of seven ind

March 31, 2014

How ‘Frozen’ characters were created

“Frozen” didn’t start off as a tale of two sisters. In the beginning of production, Elsa was a self-proclaimed “Snow Queen,” a classic villainess. Anna was not related to Elsa. Neither of them were princesses. It was only after the movie took multiple alternations in its nearly three-year production process that the two became sisters, and later, princesses of the kingdom of Arendelle, said Peter del Vecho, the award-winning producer behind Disney’s latest animated film, “Frozen.”“Frozen,” which

March 31, 2014

[Herald Review] ‘Han Gong-ju’: It’s sink or swim

There is no doubt that filmmaker Lee Su-jin’s feature debut “Han Gong-ju” is a rare cinematic achievement. It is visually and textually strong, musically appealing, and deals with its difficult subject matter ― a story about a teenage gang rape victim ― with sensitivity and nuance. Yet its artistic accomplishments aside, including seven trophies from Rotterdam, Marrakech, Busan and Deauville, one question remains to be answered: Can we separate this film from the real-life 2004 Miryang gang rape

March 30, 2014

Corpse surfaces during “Avengers” shooting

 A dead body floated to the surface of the Han River under Mapo Bridge in Seoul, where the American movie crew was filming a sequel to Hollywood Blockbuster “The Avengers,” police said Sunday. “A security member of the movie crew aboard a boat found the body floating and reported it to the police at around 2:10 p.m.,” said an officer at Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. A police team retrieved the badly decomposed body, which was later identified as a 21-year-old man surnamed Yoon. He was report

March 30, 2014