Deranged (Yeongasi) (Korea)Opening July 5Thriller. Directed by Park Jeong-woo. Jae-hyuk (Kim Myeong-min) is an ordinary man in his 40s who works for a medical supplies company. One day, a number of dead bodies are found floating on the Han River. The public is even more shocked when they find out the men and women jumped into the water as if they were on drugs, as seen on CCTV footage. Experts discover there is an outbreak of fatal virus-infected horsehair worms. Once infected by the deadly para

The most electrifying sequence in “Prometheus” ― Ridley Scott’s ambitious and entertaining, if sometimes muddled new science-fiction thriller ― occurs midway through, when Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) discovers something creepy and crawly pulsating from within her womb. A scientist aboard a spaceship near the end of the 21st century ― and until recently under the impression she couldn’t conceive ― Elizabeth races to extract this foreign object, which is growing much more quickly than any no

Festive Occasions: The Customs in KoreaBy Yoon Seo-seokTranslated by Cho Yoon-jung (Ewha Womans University Press)One can expect plenty of food, music and dance at Korea’s traditional “Janchi.” Janchi would be held for a variety of festive occasions in life, including weddings, milestone birthdays and anniversaries.The Korean term “Janchi” literally means a feast, or a joyous get-together where people share food and exchange best wishes. For those who are interested in Korea’s traditional form of

“I was a Scientologist for 12 years, which is a lot more embarrassing than saying Hi, I’m a transsexual SM dyke living with borderline personality disorder,” Kate Bornstein tells on the release of her memoir, “A Queer and Pleasant Danger.” Embodying not just gender ― but the range of gender ― is just a fraction of Bornstein’s complex, complete, utterly compelling persona; she is also the embodiment of a mind steeped in pop culture, past and present.1. The latest book or movie that made you cry?O

Big-name stars participate in upcoming celebration of folksongThough considered the unofficial national anthem of Korea, it’s hard to see “Arirang” being performed by today’s popular contemporary musicians. Korea’s Culture Ministry, however, is throwing a special event this month ― offering a rare opportunity for Seoulites to experience a one of a kind Arirang-themed concert performed by some of the big-name stars in Korea’s entertainment scene. Titled the “2012 Arirang Festival,” the three-day

Song Seung-hwan unveils his new non-verbal musicalUnlike the popular K-pop and TV drama industry, Korea’s performing arts scene hasn’t been so foreigner-friendly in the past decade. Even today, it’s hard to come across a show that provides English subtitles in Seoul’s prominent theater district Daehangno.Many foreign visitors, however, will be delighted to learn about the latest project by popular musical producer Song Seung-hwan, whose 1997 show “Nanta” was a global hit. The show is titled “Wed

National Museum exhibition’s 86 items are mostly from Joseon period, many of them gifts by the royal courtIn 19th century Joseon, a number of foreign envoys enjoyed the privilege of receiving gifts from the royal court. Most of them received some exquisite celadon pieces from Korea’s Goryeo Kingdom ― known for their distinctive bluish-green color ― as gifts from the Joseon royals. One of the fortunate foreigners who enjoyed such a privilege was Horace G. Underwood (1851-1921), the founder of Jos

Award-winning actor Kim Myeong-min, whose previous works include MBC’s “Beethoven Virus” (2008) and period thriller “Detective K” (2011), is returning to the screen as a desperate father in the upcoming disaster thriller “Deranged” (Yeongasi).In the blockbuster flick which portrays the outbreak of virus-infected parasites in Seoul, Kim plays an ordinary man in his 40s named Jae-hyuk who works for a medical supplies company. The film begins as a number of dead bodies are found floating in the Han

Australian production receives standing ovation for the first Seoul show Some 1,700 people, many dressed in “witch-like” green and black, packed Seoul’s major musical theater venue on Thursday night. The huge crowd was in attendance of the opening night of “Wicked” in Seoul, one of the most highly anticipated musicals this year. The show is another ambitious project by musical production house Seol & Company, who has brought other foreign masterpieces to Korea, including “The Phantom of the Oper

The Concubine (Korea)Opening June 6Thriller. Directed by Kim Dai-seung. Set in the Joseon era, a ruthless queen mother and former concubine (Park Ji-young) tries to concoct a plan to dethrone the current king (Jeong Chan), with whom she has no blood ties. Her goal is to somehow replace the king with her timid biological son, Prince Seong-won (Kim Dong-wook). Meanwhile, the prince falls in love at first sight with Hwa-yeon (Jo Yeo-jung), an aristocrat’s daughter, during his jaunt outside the roya

Give credit, at least, for a clever concept: “Snow White and the Huntsman” filters a classic fairy tale through the prism of a modern, special-effects driven, action-powered blockbuster, an idea so seemingly inevitable that it’s a surprise no one has quite done it before. (Terry Gilliam’s 2005 film “The Brothers Grimm” presumably was trying for something similar, but who could tell with all that bric-a-brac on the screen?).The result, not unlike the recent Sherlock Holmes pictures, is an intrigu

Baby’s in BlackBy Arne Bellstorf (First Second Books)Arne Bellstorf’s sad, magically charming graphic novel about the Beatles in Hamburg ― when the band’s then-bassist Stuart Sutcliffe fell in love with German photographer Astrid Kirchherr ― evokes the innocence and romantic hunger of youth with quiet, heart-tugging grace.The period is 1960-62, when the Beatles were playing nightly in a rathole on the Reeperbahn, Hamburg’s tough red-light district, the crucible in which the band’s world-shatteri

James Patterson has written so many books, he’s lost track of the exact number. Ask him how many novels he’s penned for 2012 alone and he shrugs, then guesses: “Twelve or 13?”Often derided as a “factory” for being so prolific, Patterson has written more than 70 novels and sold more than 260 million copies ― far more than any living writer. And at 65, he shows no sign of easing up. If anything, his pace seems to be quickening, especially with children’s books, which he began writing in 2007 after

Forgotten Country: A NovelBy Catherine Chung (Riverhead Books)Following the international success of local writer Shin Kyung-sook’s novel “Please Look after Mom,” another powerful work of fiction about a Korean family is drawing attention. Korean-American author Catherine Chung’s engrossing debut novel, “Forgotten Country,” tells the story of two sisters born in South Korea. They move to Michigan in the U.S. as young girls, following their parents who try to escape Korea’s turbulent political si

The 11th Mise-en-scene Short Film Festival to showcase 60 original piecesA lot of local aspiring filmmakers must be excited, as the annual Mise-en-scene Short Film Festival is kicking off this year’s edition.The festival, which celebrates its 11th installment this year, is dedicated to discovering new talent in Korea’s film scene. Some of the past winners of the festival include director Yoon Jong-bin, who later was invited to Cannes for his 2005 feature “The Unforgiven,” and Shin Jae-in, whose

올해 서른. 김동욱이 돌아왔다. <발레교습소>의 우울한 소년가장, <커피프린스>의 발랄한 하림의 여운은 찾기 힘들다. 최근 개봉한 김대승 감독의 <후궁: 제왕의 첩>에서 모습을 드러낸 그는 불운하고 유약한 왕자가 광기와 욕망에 사로잡힌 제왕으로 변해가는 과정을 섬뜩할 정도로 설득력있게 표현해낸다.주연 배우들의 노출을 화두로 한 선정적인 홍보 마케팅 끝에 베일을 벗은 <후궁>은, 사실 단순히 "에로틱 사극"으로 정의내리기엔 굉장히 복잡다단하고 다양한 욕망과 가치가 상충하는 영화다. 슬픈 제왕 "성원 대군"으로 돌아온 김동욱을 만났다.- 첫 사극 주연이다. 성원 대군이란 캐릭터의 어떤 면에 끌렸나.▶ (끌렸다기 보다는) 일단 가여웠다. 성원은 화연을 만나기 전까지 단 한번도 누군가를 진정한 의미에서 사랑한 적도, 사랑 받아본 적도 없는 인물이다. 아주 어린 아이였을 때부터 본인의 인생을 자신의 것이라고 말할 수 없는 인생을 살고, 자신이 원하는 것은 단 하나도 가지지 못한다. 그런데 아

In her recent works, actress Ko Hyun-jung has been nothing but a powerful, ruling woman.She starred as Korea’s first female president in the 2010 SBS drama “Daemul,” and the ambitious, manipulative royal concubine Lady Mishil in MBC’s 2009 hit biopic drama “Queen Seondeok.” Even in her 2007 police procedural TV series “H.I.T.,” Ko played a fierce detective who would not take no for an answer.In her upcoming movie “Miss GO,” however, Ko returns to the screen as a timid, dowdy woman. In the highly

Local scene gets busy, with major shows to hit SeoulThe long, hot and humid summer may not be favored by everyone in Seoul, but some are excited by the seasons’ arrival. Local musical fans would certainly be among them. Three of the most anticipated shows of the year are finally going onstage in Seoul this summer ― all for their first runs ― to the delight of the musical goers here. This Thursday will mark the opening of the popular Broadway musical “Wicked.” The show, which is based on Gregory

Runway Cop (Korea)Opening May 31Comedy. Directed by Shin Tae-ra. Detective Cha Cheol-soo (Kang Ji-hwan) does not care about the way he looks or what others think of him. He is fat and does not wash enough. His hair is always greasy and his clothes smell. But when he is assigned to a drug case in Korea’s flashy fashion industry, he is ordered to lose at least 20 kilograms and pretend to be a fashion model to investigate undercover. Granny in 1st Grade (Korea)Opened May 24Drama. Directed by Jin Gw

Richard John has one of the most interesting closets in America.A Barbra Streisand concert gown. Costumes from “The King and I,” “Camelot” and “The Ten Commandments.” Suits worn by Bob Hope on stage and Laurence Olivier on the big screen. A Lana Turner necklace. Sequined shoes from Phyllis Diller’s final Vegas act. An Elizabeth Taylor ensemble from a television appearance.After more than 20 years of collecting clothing and accessories from classic-era movie stars, John’s wardrobe is bursting at