[Herald Review] ‘Rambo’ series wheezes to an exhausted end in ‘Last Blood’

Old soldiers never die; they simply fade away. And old heroes die hard, leaving a bitter taste in our mouths.I always thought of the “Rambo” franchise as one of those series that went downhill after the iconic first film, and “Rambo: Last Blood” -- which seems to be the last one -- does nothing to change that. While the ’80s action by one of my childhood heroes was somewhat satisfying, it became routine a few scenes in.The film picks up where the events of the previ

Oct. 16, 2019

Zoe Kravitz to play Catwoman in new 'Batman' film

LOS ANGELES (AFP) -- US actress Zoe Kravitz will play Catwoman in the new "Batman" film starring Robert Pattinson, a Warner Bros. source told AFP on Monday.Kravitz, who recently starred in HBO's hit TV drama "Big Little Lies" and is the daughter of rock musician Lenny Kravitz, will portray the whip-wielding cat burglar who is both Batman's foe and love interest in the comics. She follows A-listers such as Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway and Michelle Pfeiffer in portraying Catwoman

Oct. 15, 2019

Online streaming giants battle for Asian audiences

BUSAN (AFP) -- Acclaimed director David Michod's epic "The King" was one of four major Netflix productions screened at Asia's largest film festival this week, underlining how streaming services are increasingly challenging Hollywood and traditional media for the attention of artists -- and viewers.Asia is seen as an important part of the global streaming industry's growth plan. In conjunction with the main event, Busan International Film Festival also hosted its first Asia Contents Awa

Oct. 13, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Journalist’ an imperfect, but worthy attempt to take pulse of society

While watching director Michihito Fujii’s “The Journalist,” I had to keep reminding myself that this is a movie based in Japan, not South Korea, so reminiscent was it of a similar incident here just a few years ago in which the government went rogue to abuse its might and sway public opinion in its favor.Having said that, I have mixed feelings on the end product. I was not a fan of the performance by Shim Eun-Kyung -- an accomplished actress held back by speaking in a foreign l

Oct. 13, 2019

Busan film festival closes with eye on industry trends

BUSAN -- The 24th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) came to a close on Saturday, successfully keeping up with changing market trends and staying afloat after years of setbacks.    This year's BIFF, which opened on Oct. 3 for a 10-day run, screened 300 films from 85 countries and drew a total of 189,115 attendees, slightly down from the previous year's 195,081, according to organizers. Along with the opening film, "The Horse Thieves. Roads of Time," 118 films

Oct. 12, 2019

Busan film fest runs smoothly but makes less-than-expected buzz

Leaving buzzing and hectic days behind, the 24th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is wrapping up its 10-day run Saturday.    The festival, one of the largest in Asia, opened Oct. 3 in the southern port city of Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, featuring 303 films from 85 countries. Among the invitations, 120 films, including 97 feature-length movies, were world premieres.    Although its pre-opening event was canceled due to a typhoon, the curtain ro

Oct. 11, 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 hu

Oct. 11, 2019

Bong Joon-ho and 'Parasite' are coming for you

NEW YORK (AP) -- Even as it's just hitting US theaters, Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite'' is already a major award-winner and a box-office smash."Parasite'' will open in theaters Friday having already amassed $70.9 million in Bong's native South Korea, where the film notched one of the country's best opening weekends ever. In May, "Parasite'' won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, a first for a Korean film. Jury president Alejandro Inarritu said it was a unanimous decision. At a

Oct. 10, 2019

Korea's 'Mr. Sunshine' wins top TV drama award at Busan film festival

"Mr. Sunshine," a South Korean TV drama about the country's resistance movement against Japanese colonialists, has won the top prize at the inaugural Asian Content Awards of the Busan International Film Festival.The awards were created to recognize Asia's outstanding TV and streaming series that aired within the past five years. The awards ceremony was held Sunday as part of the film festival under way in the southern port city from last Thursday to this coming Saturday. Kim Yong-

Oct. 7, 2019

Actors of new 'Terminator' film to visit Seoul this month

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton, the leading actors of "Terminator: Dark Fate," will visit South Korea this month to promote the new American science-fiction action film ahead of its imminent release in the country, its local distributor said Monday.According to Walt Disney Company Korea, the two actors will attend an Asian press junket in Seoul on Oct. 21-22, which will attract reporters from 11 Asian countries, including Japan, Taiwan, India and Singapore. South Korea has be

Oct. 7, 2019

Ferry disaster, politics and cinema intermingle at BIFF

BUSAN -- A new film about the Sewol ferry sinking, a disaster that killed more than 300 people -- most of them children, will premiere at Asia's biggest film festival, five years after director Lee Sang-ho caused controversy with his first documentary on the topic."Diving Bell", which screened at the 2014 Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), criticised then leader Park Geun-hye's administration on its handling of the sinking.In response, angry officials cut BIFF's $1.3 million fun

Oct. 5, 2019

Chief of studio behind 'Parasite' wins French cinema award

The chief of the company that produced the Cannes-winning "Parasite" will be given a French cinema award in recognition of her role in promoting South Korea-French collaboration in cinema, the French Embassy here said Friday.Kwak Shin-ae, the CEO of Barunson E&A, which produced the film by director Bong Joon-ho, and Korean actress Bae Doo-na have been selected as this year's winners of the Etoile Du Cinema award, the embassy said. The embassy award annually recognizes actors and pe

Oct. 4, 2019

BIFF kicks off in the aftermath of typhoon

Although Typhoon Mitga’s landfall forced organizers to cancel the inaugural ceremony, the 24th Busan International Film Festival kicked off Thursday for 10 days of festivities.Actors Jung Woo-sung and Lee Hanee hosted the opening event of the festival that will feature 303 movies from 85 countries until next Saturday, including the world premiere of 97 feature films and 23 short films. The opening film was the world premiere of “The Horse Thieves. Roads of Time” by Kazakhstan&r

Oct. 3, 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 hu

Oct. 3, 2019

Busan film festival set to kick off 24th edition

The Busan International Film Festival will open its 24th edition in the southern port city of Busan on Thursday, filled with more than 300 worthwhile movies and various intriguing programs.Starting with the opening ceremony to be held at the Busan Cinema Center in the city, located 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, the festival will kick off its 10-day run. The ceremony will be co-hosted by South Korean actor Jung Woo-sung and actress Lee Hanee. "The Horse Thieves. Roads of Time," a K

Oct. 3, 2019

Asia's top film festival opens in shadow of 'Parasite'

BUSAN (AFP) -- Organisers of Asia's top film festival, which opens in Busan this week, warn that a surge of global interest in the critically acclaimed South Korean movie "Parasite" masks a damaging underinvestment in local independent cinema.Bong Joon-ho's darkly comic tale of class war in the Seoul suburbs won the Palme D'or for best film at Cannes and is firming as an Oscar favourite next year, in what would be the first ever win for a Korean film.It has been sold to 192 internation

Oct. 2, 2019

Kwon Sang-woo as vengeful Go master in ‘The Divine Move: Ghost Move’

The 2014 film “The Divine Move” about a Go master was a brutal, violent film about vengeance and gambling, shattering any expectations one might have had about watching the millennia-old board game that is played completely silently with minimal movement. “The Divine Move: Ghost Move,” an upcoming spinoff and prequel, stars Kwon Sang-woo as the mysterious “Gwi-soo,” or “ghost move,” whose presence was never fully explored in the first film.In the n

Oct. 1, 2019

Director says ‘Kim Ji-young, Born 1982’ a story that ‘must be told’

A book dealing with the hotly debated topic of gender equality has been made into a film, challenging the audience to ponder the issue of discrimination as the controversial source material did upon its 2016 release.“As a mother of two, a daughter and someone living in this society, there were a lot of parts (in the book) that I could relate to,” said director Kim Do-yeong of “Kim Ji-young, Born 1982,” her first feature film.“Since the book had presented several top

Sept. 30, 2019

Sony, Marvel strike deal for new 'Spider-Man' film

LOS ANGELES (AFP) -- Spider-Man will spin his web on the big screen once again.A breakdown in talks between Sony Pictures and Marvel had imperiled the web-slinger's celluloid future, but the two companies announced a deal Friday for Marvel Studios to produce the third Spidey film starring British actor Tom Holland.The film -- which follows up on "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and "Spider-Man: Far from Home" -- is set for release on July 16, 2021, the studios said.Marvel Studios pre

Sept. 29, 2019

[Herald Review] Send in the clowns: ‘Joker’ pokes where it hurts for a fiendish joke

This film is f---ing intense. I apologize for the vulgarity, but there is just no other way to put it. There are films that push you to the limit, have you on the edge, and then there’s “Joker,” starring the brilliance of Joaquin Phoenix.Unlike films like “Requiem for a Dream” -- for which honestly I don’t even know “intense” is the right word -- director Todd Phillips’ new film doesn’t have a lot of extreme in-your-face moments. That i

Sept. 27, 2019