Nell delivers quality sounds on ‘Newton’s Apple’Nell“Newton’s Apple”(LOEN Entertainment)It seems that Nell never disappoints. Once again proving its musical finesse and sensibilities, Korea’s signature rock band Nell has returned strong with its sixth studio album, “Newton’s Apple,” equipped with original instrumentals and Kim Jong-wan’s yearning vocals.Nell has also completed its “Gravity” trilogy series with the new album featuring two CDs -- the first holding 11 new tracks and the other featu

Mark Helprin’s 30-year-old fantasy novel “Winter’s Tale” saunters onto the screen as a lovely but slow and emotionally austere experience, a romantic weeper that shortchanges the romance and the tears.They threw Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (“A Beautiful Mind”) and a cast including three Oscar winners at this exercise in magical realism, and yet Helprin’s bulky, honored book leaves them pinned to the mat, its big themes seemingly diminished by the time the credits roll.Colin Farrell

Stories We Tell (Canada)Opening March 14Documentary. Directed by Sarah PolleyCanadian filmmaker Sarah Polley discovered in 2007, at age 28, that her father was not her biological father and that she was in fact born from her late mother’s extramarital affair. Her personal documentary “Stories We Tell” follows her shocking discovery and family secrets, consisting of interviews with her siblings from her mother’s two marriages, as well as Michael Polley, the man who raised her, and her biological

From K-pop to Korean dramas and TV shows, South Korean popular culture has been enjoying high popularity globally, especially in the Asia-Pacific, which has more hallyu fans than anywhere else in the world, according to a recent report by the Korea Foundation.In turn, scholars are zeroing in on Southeast Asia, one of the largest markets for South Korean popular cultural content today. Academics from around the world gathered at the third annual “International Hallyu Workshop” in Seoul on Friday

“The Wrestler” and “Black Swan” filmmaker Darren Aronofsky’s controversial biblical blockbuster “Noah” is arriving in Korean theaters on March 30.Based on the biblical story of Noah’s Ark, the film stars Academy Award-winning Australian actor Russell Crowe as Noah ― the man chosen by God for a great mission before the coming of an apocalyptic flood.Actress Jennifer Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind,” “Blood Diamond”) is starring as Noah’s wife, while Emma Watson (“Harry Potter,” “The Bling Ring”) is p

Artist Kim In-bai presents new geometrical sculptures for the reopening of Arario Gallery Seoul

The glistening abs are back in “300: Rise of an Empire,” and they’ve been doing crunches. Like its forerunner, the 2007 hit “300,” “Rise of an Empire” again plunges us into bloody, hyper-stylized Greek history: mythology with muscles. The computer-generated warfare franchise is now a third of the way to a six-pack. Made clearly to capitalize on the popularity of “300,” “Rise of an Empire” is something like collected behind-the-scenes from the Persian invasion featured in “300.” Whereas the first

‘Take This Waltz’ director’s personal documentary arrives in Korean theaters

‘Britain’s Got Talent’ winner becomes subject of film starring James Corden

Sol’Opera preparing outdoor festival with top Italian opera house

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ― Revelers endured winter temperatures and a chilling rain along parade routes Tuesday as New Orleans’ 2014 Carnival season neared a close. Die-hards, some in Mardi Gras costumes, braved the weather along the traditional St. Charles Avenue parade route and in the French Quarter. “We’ll drink, drink, drink until it gets drier,” said Dean Cook of New Orleans as he walked Bourbon Street dressed as a pirate with vampire fangs. “Mermaids love the water,” he said of his wife, Terrina

In a music market solidly dominated by K-pop and other local music trends, the international music scene is still looking to make its artists known in Korea. Universal Music Group, one of the world’s leading music recording companies, along with its subsidiary merchandising company Bravado, is planning to expand and incorporate its products by adding a touch of local flavor. In the past, Bravado made its first real mark in Korea when introducing its popular smartphone cases featuring the images