Today

[Herald Review] Avengers assemble for the glorious ‘Endgame’

My only real regret about “Avengers: Endgame” is that I watched it in a country where it is considered rude to burst into applause during a screening: There were several moments in this damn-near perfect film that deserved a standing ovation.The last installment in the “Infinity” saga -- the first 22 films about the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- was the sort of culmination that the final film in any series should be. It had the catharsis and the wistful and loving farewell of “The Lord of the Rin

Apr 23, 2019

S. Korean studio receives best visual effects award at Beijing film fest

South Korean visual effects house Dexter Studios said Tuesday that it has received the best visual effects award for the Chinese blockbuster "The Wandering Earth" at the Beijing International Film Festival.The company scooped the prize jointly with other VFX studios behind the Chinese sci-fi movie, including More VFX and Pixomondo, during the closing ceremony of the eight-day festival Saturday. (Beijing International Film Festival)"We were credited with our VFX techniques in the Chinese film mar

Apr 23, 2019

Bong Joon-ho’s new film ‘Parasite,’ Cannes nominee, to show extremes of Korean society

Film director Bong Joon-ho’s new work “Parasite,” slated to compete at Cannes this year, features two ordinary families in different situations. Bong’s new film has been included in the 2019 Cannes Film Festival’s feature selection, marking the director’s second time competing for the Palme d’Or, following “Okja” in 2017. “Parasite” (CJ ENM)Film director Bong Joon-ho speaks during a press conference for “Parasite,” held at The Westin Chosun Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap) Film director Bong Joon-ho sp

Apr 19, 2019

'Avengers: Endgame' breaks ticket presales record in S. Korea

Advance sales of tickets for the upcoming Marvel film "Avengers: Endgame" reached 1.23 million on Friday, setting a new record for advance box office sales in South Korea, according to data by the Korean Film Council.Presales of tickets for the final "Avengers" flick, set to hit local screens on Wednesday, reached 1,230,181 as of 4:21 p.m., the real-time data showed. At that moment, the superhero film accounted for 92.1 percent of all the tickets sold in advance.The presales figure marks a new r

Apr 19, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Birthday (Korea)Opened April 3DramaDirected by Lee Jeong-eonJeong-il (Sol Kyung-gu), Sun-nam (Jeon Do-yeon) and their daughter Ye-sol (Kim Bo-min) have to cope with life without Su-ho (Yoon Chan-Young), as the boy died in the 2014 Sewol tragedy. On Su-ho’s birthday, the family and friends gather to share special memories.Another Child (Korea)Opened April 11DramaDirected by Kim Yoon-seokSeventeen-year-old Ju-ri (Kim Hye-jun) struggles with the knowledge of her father Kwon Dae-won (Kim) having an

Apr 18, 2019

Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' chosen for competition in Cannes

The Cannes Film Festival on Thursday announced the feature selection for the 2019 competition, which includes South Korean director Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite."    It is Bong's second time competing for the Palme d'Or, or Golden Palm, following the selection of his adventure film "Okja" in 2017. "Parasite" (CJ ENM)    It is also the fourth consecutive year that a South Korean film has been chosen to compete in the international film festival, following Park Chan-wook's "The Handmaiden" in 2016 and

Apr 16, 2019

‘Avengers: Endgame’ to be culmination of MCU

The name of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 22nd film certainly does it justice, as the studio’s chief Kevin Feige stressed that “Avengers: Endgame” would be what the world’s largest superhero franchise had been building up to over the past 11 years.“This film is the endgame. This film is the culmination of the 22 films that we’ve made up to this point,” Feige said at a press conference in Seoul on Monday. Attending the event were directors Anthony and Joe Russo, producer Trinh Tran and cast members

Apr 16, 2019

Five years after tragedy, films deal with Sewol

The 2014 sinking of the Sewol ferry left more than 300 dead or missing, exposed irregularities in society and scarred the nation. There have been documentaries and independent films about the tragedy as well as many tribute songs, but using it as a subject in popular culture has remained an unspoken taboo.This is about to change, as two films talking about Sewol opened in March and April: “Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage” by Lee Jeong-beom and “Birthday” by Lee Jong-eon, respectively.The two films d

Apr 12, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Birthday(Korea)Opened April 3DramaDirected by Lee Jeong-eonJeong-il (Sol Kyung-gu), Sun-nam (Jeon Do-yeon) and their daughter Ye-sol (Kim Bo-min) have to cope with life without Su-ho (Yoon Chan-Young), as the boy died in the 2014 Sewol tragedy. On Su-ho’s birthday, the family and friends gather to share special memories of Su-ho.Shazam!(US)Opened April 3Action, Adventure, Comedy Directed by David F. SandbergBilly Batson (Asher Angel/Zachary Levi) has trouble adjusting to his new foster home beca

Apr 11, 2019

Director Kim Ki-duk named president of jury for Moscow Film Festival

Acclaimed South Korean movie director Kim Ki-duk has been named the president of the jury for the 41st Moscow International Film Festival, the homepage of the event showed Thursday, an appointment likely to stir up controversy over his ethical qualifications.Kim has shunned public appearances in his home country since he was accused last year of sexually assaulting actresses while filming.  Kim Ki-duk (Yonhap)He recently filed damage suits against an actress who raised a sexual violence accusati

Apr 11, 2019

Upcoming film ‘My First Client’ deals with issue of child abuse

In 2013, a woman from Chilgok county, North Gyeongsang Province, fatally abused her stepdaughter and forced the girl’s sister to confess to murder, in a case that shockwaves across the country, sparking a nationwide debate that resulted in a special law on child abuse the following year.Six years later, a film based on the incident is to be released in May, directed by Jang Kyu-sung who has tugged at the heartstrings of moviegoers mostly through comedy. “My First Client,” follows the story of la

Apr 5, 2019

20th annual Jeonju IFF to commemorate 100 years of Korean film

The upcoming Jeonju International Film Festival will be a celebration of the festival’s 20th anniversary, looking at a century of Korean filmmaking and different forms of cinema.“We (at Jeonju IFF) strongly believe that the essence of the film lies not in its technology, but in the free-flowing expression,” said Kim Seung-soo, chairman of the Jeonju IFF organizing committee, at a press conference in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, Wednesday, where the opening and closing films for one of the larg

Apr 5, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Shazam!(US)Opened April 3Action, Adventure, Comedy Directed by David F. SandbergBilly Batson (Asher Angel/Zachary Levi) has trouble adjusting to his new foster home, obsessing over the biological mother he lost as a little child. His life turns upside down when he is summoned by ancient wizard Shazam (Djimon Hounsou) and is given all his powers. But this makes him the target of Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong), a champion of evil beings.Birthday(Korea)Opened April 3DramaDirected by Lee Jeong-eonThe

Apr 3, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Another Child’ marks successful directorial debut of Kim Yoon-seok

Character building, building up of tension, attention to detail and other qualities that made Kim Yoon-seok one of the best actors in Korea are also what make him a good director. Kim has created some of the most memorable characters in Korean cinema through understanding his characters. In “Tazza: The High Rollers,” the most talked-about character was Kim’s Agwi, despite his appearing in just five scenes, and the actor depicted a cold-blooded menace who believes he is doing right in “1987: When