K-pop boy band SHINee has come back with its fifth album “1 of 1” which, both visually and musically, spins a hyper-modernized twist on the retro genre, according to its members.　The band appeared onstage in full embodiments of the new concept -- sporting multicolored bell bottoms, golden neck chains and slicked back hairstyles at the press showcase. Sooyoung of Girls’ Generation served as the MC for the event marking the release of the latest album held at SMTOWN Coex Artium theater in southeas

This year saw a rich slew of actors making their mark in both television dramas and movies. Memorable performances in cinema came from actresses like Kim Tae-ri, who received international attention for her role as the earthy heroine of Park Chan-wook’s erotic thriller “The Handmaiden,” Kwak Do-won, who appeared as the fear-stricken policeman in Na Hong-jin’s horror flick “The Wailing” and the shrewdly domineering prosecutor in Kim Sung-su’s crime-noir “Asura: The City of Madness.”　On television

Tourists seeking to immerse themselves in the natural beauty of Korea’s autumn may want to visit the city of Ulsan in the upcoming months. Nestled in the southeastern tip of the Korean peninsula, the city is famous for its wide range of scenery that includes vast fields, mountains, quaint villages and a booming maritime commercial district. Traditional dancers perform at the 50th Cheoyong Culture Festival, which ran from Sept. 29-Oct. 3. (Ulsan Metropolitan City)One noteworthy event is the Ulju

Actor Song Joong-ki nabbed the grand prize for his lead role in the KBS2 drama series “Descendant of the Sun,” which aired early this year to explosive pan-Asian popularity, at the Asia Pacific Actors Network Star Awards on Sunday.“I don’t know what to say, it’s the first time I’ve received such a big prize,” Song said in his acceptance speech at the ceremony, held at broadcasting network MBC’s headquarters in Sangam-dong, Seoul. The APAN awards, hosted by MBC and the Korea Entertainment Managem

Crime-noir “Asura: The City of Madness” topped the local weekend box office, drawing some 826,655 admissions Oct. 1-2, according to the Korean Film Council.The film has sold over 1.8 million tickets since its opening Wednesday, when it broke the record for best-selling rated “R” movie on its opening day. A scene from "Asura: The City of Madness" (CJ Entertainment)The bloody thriller, starring a handful of Korean cinema’s A-listers including Jung Woo-sung, Hwang Jung-min and Kwak Do-won, tells th

Asura: The City of Madness(Korea)Opened Sept. 28Crime, noir. Directed by Kim Sung-suIn desperate need of money, corrupt cop Han Do-kyung (Jung Woo-sung) agrees to cover up the illegal dealings of avaricious Mayor Park Sung-bae (Hwang Jung-min), consorting with low-lives and sinking deeper into the criminal world.Bridget Jones’ Baby(US)Opened Sept. 28Romantic comedy. Directed by Sharon MaguireThe clumsy, lovable Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) has returned, now over 40 and single once again. Brid

Bob Weir“Blue Mountain”(Columbia/Legacy and ROAR)The Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir, showing more than a little touch of grey at age 68, delivers a heartfelt and earthy solo record with “Blue Mountain.”It’s Weir’s first solo effort in a decade and the first of entirely original material in 30 years.Weir, who sang with the Dead that he may be going to hell in a bucket but at least he’s enjoying the ride, strikes a more reflective pose on “Blue Mountain.” It’s a deeply personal collection of cowboy song

Lives there a film fan anywhere who doesn’t wish his or her country made better films, who couldn’t sympathize with Kim Jong-il when he’s heard to say, “There’s nothing new to our films. We don’t have any films that get into film festivals. People here are so close-minded?"Kim Jong-il was no everyday film fan, however. Oh, no. He was the absolute ruler of North Korea, and though you’d think he’d have more important matters to attend to, he not only did something about his complaint, he did it in

Controversial director Kim Ki-duk has veered away from the provocative in his latest psychological drama “The Net,” which centers on a North Korean fisherman who accidentally drifts into South Korean waters. Verbose, calculated and bordering on didactic, the film, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival last month, might be described as the prolific and brazen director’s most wholesome, public-friendly work to date. While relatively low on shock factor, coming from Kim, it does

Korean-American actor Aaron Yoo has been building a low-key yet eclectic career since starting out in off-Broadway shows in the early 2000s. A University of Pennsylvania theater graduate, Yoo has gone on to play recurring characters on the small screen, as well as supporting roles on the big screen in movies such as “Disturbia” (2007) and “21” (2008).Yoo has jumped onto the web space in his most recent project. Taking up the role of Machiavellian billionaire venture capitalist Alex Bell in web s

“Children of the New World” By Alexander WeinsteinPicador (240 pages, $16)The typical protagonist of Alexander Weinstein’s cautionary tales in “Children of the New World” is a man who could benefit from reading these stories, but probably never would, unless someone found a way to pipe them directly into his eyeballs.He’s no longer young, though sometimes youngish, emotionally connected to few people beyond his wife (if he has one) and easily swept away by virtual reality, shared-world environme

FREEHOLD, New Jersey (AP) -- The Boss was back in his hometown. 　 Bruce Springsteen’s latest tour opened Tuesday, and the rocker who usually lets his songs do the talking yielded to fans to take a turn and share their stories of what he meant to them.They simply wanted to say thank you.“I want to just tell him he’s been my therapy for 40 years,” said Joan Forman, of New Jersey.Fans from all over the world lined up hours before Springsteen’s appearance at a Barnes & Noble in Freehold to promote h

When Mara Wilson was a little girl, Hollywood couldn’t get enough of her.She was one of those child actors who seemed preternaturally mature. Her vocabulary was surprisingly expansive. She could carry on full-blown conversations with adults. And she appeared to be in full control of her emotions, bringing out the puppy dog eyes at just the right moment.Interviewing Wilson on the “Today” show in 1994, Katie Couric declared: “Every time I see you in a movie, I just want to put you in my pocket and

As elderly men stroll around lush, sun-soaked parks in the city, equally aged women approach them offering energy drinks called “Bacchus,” which is also the name of the Roman god of wine and debauchery. This exchange is code for a particular type of prostitution among seniors in Korea, and forms the basis of director-writer E J-yong’s “The Bacchus Lady.” The contemplative erotic drama has been garnering international attention, screening at numerous international film festivals -- Berlin, Hong K

Member of a Seoul-based college dance group Lee Hyo-min (not her real name) says she has no fancy tricks up her sleeve when it comes to dieting. She simply “starves” herself, said the 22-year-old.　“I drink water and iced Americano,” the aspiring dancer told The Korea Herald. “If I get really hungry, I have one bite of pizza or something that the group has ordered.”According to Lee, “just not eating” is the most effective way to lose weight, easier than counting calories or calculating the nutrit

Imagine having to outdo yourself each time you take on a new project. “It’s like having to hit a home run again and again,” said Mary Spackman, founder and principal designer at Spackman Associates.While the name may be unfamiliar to most, it is a go-to name for those in the know. The interior designer who returned from the US after working for four years at the New York-based Rockwell Group was taking time off raising her young son when she was approached to renovate the home of a CEO. That pro

MILAN (AP) -- This was already Gigi Hadid’s season.She drew crowds outside the Max Mara shop on opening day of Milan Fashion Week, and indulged fans with selfies. 　 Then she opened and closed the Max Mara show on the second day of womenswear previews for next spring and summer on Thursday, and took top billing at Fendi. But in between, things took an ugly turn when a former Ukrainian television reporter grabbed her from behind and picked her up in the air as she left the Max Mara venue. Video po

TORONTO (AP) -- The offer to star in Antoine Fuqua’s “The Magnificent Seven” came to Chris Pratt while he was on a hunting trip with friends, listening to an audio book of Larry McMurtry’s “Lonesome Dove.” Having recently learned some card tricks of his own, the part -- a gun-slinging card sharp -- felt like kismet. “All of the signs in my life pointed me toward doing this movie,” Pratt says. “It’s like when you get dealt a hand that you don’t even throw a single card back. You’re like: That’s t

Seven warriors fight for the vulnerable, in a formula that bears revisiting in “The Magnificent Seven.” Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 masterpiece, “Seven Samurai,” begat the classic 1960 Western “The Magnificent Seven,” then a late ’90s TV series and now, a big budget action adventure Western directed by Antoine Fuqua. It’s an appealing concept -- bad guys who can be good, loners who can work together and find camaraderie in a team when it comes to protecting innocents.With the blockbuster cast that Fuq

The Magnificent Seven(US)Opened Sept. 14Western, action. Directed by Antoine FuquaA motley crew of stealthy gangsters led by Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington) attempts to defend the helpless town of Rose Creek when ruthless industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard) seizes control of it. Ben-Hur(US)Opened Sept. 14Drama, action. Directed by Timur BekmambetovPrince Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston) is falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell), an officer in the Roman