More silly than its sinister predecessor, “Insidious: Chapter 2” is entertaining for the contortions the script makes to incorporate both a brief prequel and highlights from the first film into a new 105-minute package.This is a Mobius strip of a movie, looping in on itself with ghosts from “The Further” and parallel existences interwoven into the lives of the lost Lamberts of sunny Somewhere, Calif.Those “Saw” / “Insidious” guys James Wan (director) and Leigh Whannell (co-writer, co-star) throw

When news emerged three years ago that filmmaker Shane Salerno and writer David Shields were working on a lengthy oral biography (with accompanying documentary) about J.D. Salinger, I assumed it would be all smoke and no fire. Salinger, after all, had gone to ground after the publication of his novella “Hapworth 16, 1924” in the June 19, 1965, issue of the New Yorker; even in the wake of his death, in January 2010 at age 91, his estate had preserved the silence of his final 45 years.What had he

This is the ninth installment in an 11-part series that introduces some of the best walking trails in Korea. Based on each trail’s popularity and the recommendations of travel experts and the Culture Ministry, The Korea Herald selected the 10 best places for walking and hiking. The series received funding from the Korea Press Foundation. ― Ed.Home to some of the most exquisite ancient relics in the country, Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, has long been the top destination for school trips i

By Claire LeeScreenings of a documentary film which challenges Seoul’s claim that North Korea is responsible for the 2010 sinking of the warship Cheonan have been abruptly suspended by multiplex chain Megabox, only two days after the film hit theaters on Sept. 5.The theater chain, a subsidiary of major local daily JoongAng Ilbo, was the only multiplex that agreed to screen the controversial film. The documentary was released in a total of 35 theaters nationwide, 26 being Megabox theaters. The do

By Claire LeeThe title of Paulo Coelho’s popular 2003 novel “11 Minutes” refers to the duration of sex.Being a story of a young Brazilian prostitute and her adventurous journey to find true love, the novel is an entertaining and almost-spiritual exploration of self-discovery, sexual awakening and personal growth.“No one loses anyone, because no one owns anyone,” Maria, the novel’s protagonist, says in the book.“That is the true experience of freedom: having the most important thing in the world

There’s a pub in North London called the World’s End that sits across from the Camden Town tube station. Luminaries, including Charles Dickens, figure among its famous patrons, but it’s also important in the annals of British comedy as the place where Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright would meet up in the early years of their creative partnership, grabbing a pint after seeing movies like “X-Men” at a nearby cinema.So when it came time for the pair to write the screenplay for their film about a 40-ish

Israeli television drama “Prisoners of War” won the grand prize at this year’s Seoul International Drama Awards.The series, originally broadcast on Israel’s Channel 2 from March to May 2010, features three Israeli soldiers who were captured almost 20 years ago while on a mission with their unit in Lebanon. It won the Israeli Academy Awards for Television for Best Drama Series back in 2010.In the hallyu drama section, MBC’s 2012 period horror-romance “Arang and the Magistrate” won the Best Drama

An American eco-thriller coproduced by Koreans has been included in the main competition lineup of the ongoing Venice International Film Festival. Titled “Night Moves,” the film stars American actress Dakota Fanning and actor Jesse Eisenberg in the lead roles. Directed by Kelly Reichardt, it tells the story of three young radical environmentalists who come together and plot to blow up a hydroelectric dam.Two Korean producers, Kim Sae-rom and Kim Sae-mi, participated in the production process of

Night FilmBy Marisha Pessl (Random)Labeling the films of enigmatic director Stanislas Cordova “scary” is a grotesque understatement. Cordova ― the unseen, menacing, malignant force at the heart of Marisha Pessl’s new novel ― makes movies that are terrifying, catastrophic; they are hypnotic black holes into which viewers plunge and emerge shaken and obsessed.“Maybe your next-door neighbor found one of his movies in an old box in her attic and never entered a dark room alone again,” the prologue s

What do Harrison Ford and Joan Didion have in common? They’ll both be at the PEN Center USA awards dinner in October, where he will present her with the lifetime achievement award. Their connection is personal rather than literary: The actor and author have known each other since 1971, when the not-yet movie star built her beach house.“He was a carpenter,” she explains by phone from New York. “I was happy with his work ― and even happier with his presence in the house because he was a great mora

A recently published collection of academic papers explores retirement trends in the Korean job market, focusing on the impact of forced retirement at a young age ― mid-50s for most workers ― and how it affects individuals. Coedited by scholars Thomas R. Klassen and Yang Yun-jeong, the book, titled “Korea’s Retirement Predicament: The Aging Tiger,” comprises a total of 10 academic papers regarding retirement issues in Korea and overseas, including income security for the elderly, retirement pens

A Bhutanese film directed by a Buddhist monk has been selected as the opener of the upcoming 18th Busan International Film Festival. It is the first time for a Bhutanese movie to be screened as an opening film at an international film festival, according to the organizers. Directed by Khyentse Norbu, the film features Bharata Natyam, a classical Indian dance. Norbu is unable to attend the film festival, as he is currently occupied with his religious training.A total of 301 films, including 95 wo

After playing the unhappy Austrian empress (Elisabeth) and the mysterious, obsessive housekeeper (Rebecca), musical actress Oak Ju-hyun has now been cast to play the famous green-skinned witch.The highly anticipated cast of the upcoming musical “Wicked” was finally announced on Monday. The upcoming run is the first Korean-language edition of the popular Broadway musical, also featuring an all-local cast. Based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel “Wicked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the

This week’s Venice International Film Festival will be the one and only opportunity for the world’s filmgoers to watch the locally banned original version of Kim Ki-duk’s controversial work, “Moebius.” “I am going to send the edited version of the movie to all of the international film festivals except the ongoing Venice Festival, and I think that’s the right decision to make,” the director said during a press meeting in Seoul on Friday, before leaving for Venice to attend the film’s world premi

The 2010 French film “Crime d’Amour (Love Crime)” opened to unspectacular reviews and indifferent box office in France and then the United States. But something about it intrigued legendary American filmmaker Brian De Palma. And when a producer pitched the idea of an English-language remake to him, the director of “Scarface,” “Dressed to Kill,” “The Untouchables” and the first “Mission: Impossible” could see places where this story of two women’s cutthroat (literally) rivalry in the workplace mi

Many local moviegoers liked her previous movies, especially “Lost in Translation” (2003) and “Marie Antoinette” (2006).Sofia Coppola’s latest film is arriving in Korean theaters next month, and the movie ― titled “The Bling Ring” ― will likely draw those who love designer labels, interested in the lifestyle of Hollywood celebrities, and of course, Coppola and her well-known taste in fashion. (The filmmaker is the famous muse of Marc Jacobs). And the high-fashion heist film has another local conn

Domestic films are set to break the 100-million mark in attendance since January this year by next month, according to the state-run Korean Film Council. Local films exceeded the 100 million-viewer mark for the first time in November 2012. The milestone meant Koreans saw at least two local films on average last year. A new box office record is about to be set, beating last year’s performance by almost three months.In the month of August alone ― from Aug. 1 to 25 ― Korean films drew 24.36 million

One of the most highly anticipated musicals this year finally opened last week, filling the Charlotte Theater in Seoul with lines like “porn!” and “it sucks to be me!” ― received with a great deal of laughter and applause from the audience.The R-rated American adult puppet musical, titled “Avenue Q,” is a hilarious, lighthearted coming-of-age tale highlighting the anxieties and struggles associated with entering adulthood. It premiered on Broadway in 2003 and picked up three Tony awards, includi

While literary works by Korean writers such as Shin Kyung-sook and Kim Young-ha are rising to prominence overseas, especially in the U.S., a scholar’s latest book focuses on something similar yet different: the works of literature produced by Korean immigrants in America and their descendants. A meaningful scholarly achievement in Korean Diaspora studies, the book explores the lives of Korean-American writers and their often multi-layered and autobiographical works.  The book, titled “Understand

One of the most infamous American love stories is arriving in Seoul in the form of a musical next month, featuring an all-Korean cast including local stars Han Ji-sang and Lisa.Based on the famous story of Bonnie Parker (1910-1934) and Clyde Barrow (1909-1934), the well-known American robbers who traveled across the central U.S. during the Great Depression, “Bonnie & Clyde” had its Broadway premiere in 2011 and won two Tony Award nominations in 2012. The upcoming Seoul run is the Korean premiere