As 2019 draws to a close, a preview of Korea’s 2020 film scene

As 2019 slips away, it’s clear that comedy and Hollywood blockbusters have dominated South Korea’s box office this year.Four films -- two domestic and two Hollywood blockbusters -- have broken the 10 million ticket sales mark this year. “Extreme Job” became the second most successful film in Korean box office history with 16.2 million and the top-selling comedy, while “Avengers: Endgame” became the most successful foreign film of all time. They were followed b

Nov. 10, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Weathering with You(Japan)Opened Oct. 30AnimationDirected by Shinkai MakotoThe summer of his high school freshman year, Hodaka (Kotaro Daigo) runs away from his island home to Tokyo, and quickly finds himself pushed to his financial and personal limits. Then one day, Hodaka meets Hina (Nana Mori) on a busy street corner. This bright and strong-willed girl possesses a strange and wonderful ability: the power to stop the rain and clear the sky.Terminator: Dark Fate(US)Opened Oct. 30Action, Sci-fiD

Nov. 8, 2019

[Herald Interview] Actress knocks up marionette story in directorial debut, ‘Judy and Punch’

BUCHEON, Gyeonggi Province -- When director Mirrah Foulkes finished her first feature film, “Judy and Punch,” just before it was due to premiere at Sundance Film Festival in January, she put together a small screening in Sydney for the cast, “just so they could make sure they liked it -- decide whether or not to go to Sundance.”After a pause and moment of relief, “They all went,” Foulkes said. The premise of the Australian flick from Vice Films -- a relat

Nov. 7, 2019

Let it go? Disney thaws 'Frozen' for blockbuster sequel

LOS ANGELES (AFP) -- Six years ago, "Frozen" shattered box office records, melted the hearts of youngsters and spawned a franchise so popular Disney was never likely to let it go.And so Queen Elsa and Princess Anna return this month in "Frozen II" -- a sequel its creators promise will be "even bigger and more epic," with its world premiere taking place in Los Angeles Thursday night.Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," the original follow

Nov. 7, 2019

Director Park Chan-wook recognized at Geneva film festival

Korean director Park Chang-wook on Tuesday received the Film and Beyond award at the Geneva International Film Festival, commended for his works including “The Handmaiden,” which will be screened at the festival until Sunday.The award was given to the director in recognition of Park’s body of work to the field of cinema, at the 25th annual event at the Swiss city from Nov.1-10.“This is an award usually given to a director with a long career who is about to retire, but I w

Nov. 6, 2019

Seoul indie film festival stresses growing role of female creators

The 45th Seoul Independent Film Festival touted “shift” as the slogan for this year’s event, stressing important changes in the film scene, such as the growing contributions of female filmmakers.“Since last year, the working environments of female filmmakers have improved greatly, as did the demand for their work. I expect such changes to affect the Korean film industry as a whole,” said festival director Kim Dong-hyun, during a press conference Tuesday. She noted t

Nov. 5, 2019

Cannes-winning 'Parasite' on a roll at US box office

South Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho's family satire "Parasite" has maintained its strong theatrical presence at the US box office, industry data showed Tuesday.The Korean-language film, released stateside on Oct. 11, added $2.6 million to its US gross from Friday to Sunday, according to data from Box Office Mojo.Its total reached $7.5 million, far outnumbering Bong's previous English-language science fiction movie "Snowpiercer" (2013), which garnered $4.6 million in 2013. 

Nov. 5, 2019

Bong Joon-ho wins at Hollywood Film Awards

South Korean director Bong Joon-ho won the award for best filmmaker at the 23rd Hollywood Film Awards on Sunday.During the annual event in Beverly Hills, California, Bong was commended for his recent film “Parasite,” for which he won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival this year.  This year’s Hollywood winners also include Charlize Theron, who took home the career achievement award; Antonio Banderas and Renee Zellweger, chosen as best actor and actress; and Al

Nov. 4, 2019

Lee Young-ae returns to big screen with ‘Bring Me Home’

Lee Young-ae is not the most prolific of actresses, but she has left lasting impressions with memorable characters in her few works, such as “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance” (2005), “One Fine Spring Day” (2001) and “Joint Security Area” (2000)“I expect and want this (film) to be a turning point (in my career) as much as ‘Sympathy for Lady Vengeance’ had been,” Lee said at a press conference for upcoming mystery thriller “Bring Me Hom

Nov. 4, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Terminator: Dark Fate(US)Opened Oct. 30Action, Sci-fiDirected by Tim MillerMore than two decades have passed since Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) prevented Judgment Day. Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes) is living a simple life in Mexico City when a highly advanced and deadly new Terminator -- a Rev-9 (Gabriel Luna) -- travels back through time to hunt and kill her. Dani must join forces with Grace (Mackenzie Davis), an enhanced super-soldier from the future, and Sarah Connor.Kim Ji-young, Born 1982(Kor

Nov. 1, 2019

[Herald Interview] ‘Cave’ recalls Thai soccer team rescue – with those actually there

　BUSAN -- “The Cave” debuted at the Busan International Film Festival on Oct. 5, becoming the first feature film released to portray the awe-inspiring events that had taken place just some 15 months prior in Chiang Rai, Thailand. 　The world watched on and was ultimately uplifted by the story of a soccer team of a dozen teenage boys and their 25-year-old coach surviving in a flooded cave for 18 days, before all were rescued alive and well through a complicated scuba relay extraction.&

Oct. 31, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful’ a flawed, but entertaining piece

“The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful” is flamboyant, preposterous and exaggerated, taking viewers on a wild ride. Directed by Lee Khan and starring Kwon Sang-woo, the sequel to the “The Divine Move” (2014) -- about high-stakes gambling via the game of Go -- has an obvious premise and plot as well as one-dimensional characters. But it manages to provide fun and action.The film starts by tracing the footsteps of a boy who was abandoned by everything in the world. He stumbles ac

Oct. 30, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Black Money’ tells a convincing tale in a questionable manner

There is a certain risk in making a movie based on a true story: The creator takes sides and ends up having an agenda. When the audience is on board with the idea, it’s great. Otherwise, it becomes a problem.“Black Money” is a movie that has a clear purpose and a message to get across, which is to raise awareness about the ongoing multibillion-dollar investor-state dispute between the South Korean government and a private equity firm. “‘Black Money’ is differe

Oct. 29, 2019

Bronx steps in 'Joker' movie become a tourist attraction

NEW YORK (AP) -- Move over, Rocky, there's a new stairway to climb.A set of outdoor steps in the Bronx has become a tourist attraction in recent weeks since the release of the movie "Joker."The stairs are between two buildings on Shakespeare Avenue, about a half-mile from Yankee Stadium. In the movie, lead actor Joaquin Phoenix dances as he goes down the steps, wearing a bright red suit and clown makeup.These days, neighborhood residents using the steps are being joined by tourist

Oct. 29, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil(US)Opened Oct. 17Adventure, Family, Fantasy Directed by Joachim Ronning Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) and her goddaughter Aurora (Elle Fanning) begin to question the complex family ties that bind them as they are pulled in different directions by impending nuptials, unexpected allies, and dark new forces at play. Their relationship has flourished, yet the hatred between man and the fairies still exists.Joker(US)Opened Oct. 2Drama, Mystery, Suspense Directed by Todd Phi

Oct. 24, 2019

TV star Lee Eliajah debuts on big screen as lead in ‘My Bossy Girl’

Actress Lee Elijah is a well-known name to fans of Korean TV, but her acting chops have been limited to the small screen. Yet director Lee Jang-hee cast Lee Elijah as lead character Hye-jin in the upcoming romantic comedy “My Bossy Girl.” “There is a certain excitement and tension that comes from the word ‘first.’ Since this is my first (movie role), I just focused on having fun, doing the best I can to make a great film,” Lee Elijah said during a press confer

Oct. 24, 2019

[Herald Review] Old formula a double-edged sword for ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’

Pro: “Terminator: Dark Fate” is the best in the “Terminator” franchise other than the first two films, which were both amazing.Con: That’s not saying much considering what followed those two magnificent flicks.The upcoming sci-fi action film by Tim Miller packs good action, a solid message and ample story for quite some fun. The problem is that it rehashes the old formula that has been done before and better, which results in it being neither fresh nor very impressi

Oct. 23, 2019

‘The Faceless Boss’ to be a noir film about cruelty of gangster world

The early 2000s in Korean cinema was marked by an onslaught of gangster comedies, which ranged in quality but soon came under fire for glorifying criminals through their affectionate depiction of the mob. This was followed by a period of gritty realism, with ruthless, 19-rated stories.Director Song Chang-yong’s upcoming crime drama “The Faceless Boss” looks to maintain the realism but open it up to a wider audience. Starring Chun Jung-myung, Jin Yi-han and Lee Si-a, it follows

Oct. 22, 2019

Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' racks up $1.3m over weekend in US

Cannes-winning black comedy "Parasite" racked up nearly $1.3 million over the weekend in the United States, industry data showed Monday.Directed by eclectic South Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho, the film, released stateside on Oct. 11, ranked 11th at the US box office during the Friday-Sunday period, with a cumulative total of $1.8 million, according to data from Box Office Mojo. It is now being screened in 33 theaters in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco

Oct. 21, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Joker(US)Opened Oct.2Drama, mystery & suspense Directed by Todd Phillips A clown-for-hire by day, Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) aspires to be a stand-up comic at night. But finds the joke always seems to be on him. Caught in a cyclical existence between apathy and cruelty, Arthur makes one bad decision that brings about a chain reaction of escalating events in this gritty character study. Crazy Romance (Korea)Opened Oct.2RomanceDirected by Kim Han-gyeolJae-hoon (Kim Rae-won) is hurt by

Oct. 18, 2019