The Korea Herald

Western indie filmmakers look East

FilmApr 2, 2013

HONG KONG (AFP) ― A growing band of European filmmakers are realizing their cinematic ambitions in the East, lured by a healthy box-office, investment prospects and the potential for more eye-catching stories.Leading the pack is Welsh-director Gareth Evans, whose Indonesia-shot action flick “The Raid” picked up $15 million in global takings last year on a budget of around $1 million. Evans is now filming a sequel.“The growing size of the Asian market is obviously a source of motivation,” said Fr
Julio Iglesias: ‘I’m not in vogue, but I’m in demand’

MusicApr 2, 2013

BEIJING (AFP) ― Ageing Spanish crooner Julio Iglesias Monday said he may never be “in” but at least he can still draw a crowd, as he was given an award in Beijing as the world’s best-selling male Latin artist.The 69-year-old, who has sold more than 300 million records worldwide, was in China ahead of a three-show tour of the country, where he remains hugely popular due to his inoffensive, idealistic brand of singing.“Maybe I am not ‘in’ in your country, maybe I am not ‘in’ anywhere in the world.
G-Dragon to release debut Japanese solo album

MusicApr 2, 2013

G-Dragon, superstar leader of K-pop idol group Big Bang, has announced his plan to release his first solo Japanese album. The singer announced that he will be making his solo debut in Japan with the release of his yet-to-be-titled upcoming album on Aug. 14.G-Dragon will become the second member of Big Bang to make a solo debut in the country after Daesung’s D-Lite solo concert tour in February. The leader is currently on his first worldwide tour as a solo artist, which includes a four-dome tour
Psy’s new song features ‘Psy style’ take on Korean dance

Apr 2, 2013

South Korean rapper Psy is promising a “Psy style” take on a traditional Korean dance to accompany the release next week of the highly-anticipated follow-up to his global hit “Gangnam Style.”The new single, titled “Gentleman,” comes out on April 12, and the 35-year-old star will promote it with a special concert the next day in Seoul. “I’ve been working and reworking on it continuously and I think the latest version will be the final one,” Psy told a local TV news program on Monday.“This is anot
‘Unlimited Challenge’ Koreans’ favorite TV show: survey

TelevisionApr 2, 2013

“Unlimited Challenge,” a weekly comedy show on MBC TV, was chosen by local viewers as their favorite television program, a survey showed Tuesday.The reality show starring seven comedians, including Yoo Jae-seok, Park Myeong-soo, Jeong Jun-ha and No Hong-chul, gained an 11.7 percent support in a telephone survey conducted on 1,218 adults across the country last month, Gallup Korea said.MBC’s other entertainment show, “Sunday, Sunday Night: Dad, Where Are You Going?” garnered the second most suppo
From stage to the world

TheaterApr 2, 2013

Actress and publisher Yoon Suk-hwa launches European edition of performing arts magazine
‘BUCKWILD’ star, 2 others found dead in U.S.

TelevisionApr 2, 2013

Shain Gandee lived for the outdoors, often going on muddy, off-road thrill rides in the hills near his West Virginia home. A recent late-night escapade ended in tragedy for the MTV reality show cast member and two others.The popular “BUCKWILD cast member was found dead Monday inside a sport utility vehicle belonging to his family that was found partially submerged in a deep mud pit about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from his home near Sissonville, authorities said. Also inside were the bodies of his
Psy announces ’Gentleman’ as name of new song

MusicApr 1, 2013

South Korean rap-pop sensation Psy revealed on Monday that the title of his new song, a follow-up to his massive hit "Gangnam Style," will be "Gentleman."He made a sudden announcement during a TV prime-time news interview aired at 8 p.m. on MBC.Asked about the introduction of the upcoming new song, he also hinted that his dance for the new song will be something new for overseas fans -- recognizable to Koreans, but unfamiliar abroad. After the release of the new song, Psy will launch a world con
Girls' Generation's 'Gee' breaks 100 mil. YouTube views

MusicApr 1, 2013

"Gee" by South Korean K-pop group, "Girls' Generation" passed 100 million hits on YouTube Monday, according to the global online video website.The video reached the milestone three years and 10 months after it was released on June 8, 2009, becoming the second video by a Korean singer or group to hit the record following rapper Psy's "Gangnam Style.""Gee" was the most-viewed Korean music video on YouTube with about 80 million clicks before the arrival of "Gangnam Style" in July, last year. The vi
Cutting-edge 3-D film revives a Warsaw lost to war

FilmApr 1, 2013

WARSAW (AFP) ― Nazi bombs left Warsaw as little more than a smouldering heap of rubble at the end of World War II. Now, nearly seventy years later, the charm of the pre-war Polish capital dubbed the “Paris of the north” has been brought back to life for the first time thanks to a new film, using three-dimensional computer imaging.Whether from the eye of an eagle soaring over the skyline, a pigeon flying down city streets, or passengers on a tram, “Warszawa 1935” invites viewers into the lush squ
Slash and Deftones to throw-down at Metal Fest

MusicApr 1, 2013

Legendary rock ’n’ roll guitarist Slash, along with metal veterans Deftones will hit the stage at this year’s 2013 Metal Fest concert, to be held in the Olympic Hall at Olympic Park on May 9. Saul Hudson, best known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter who rose to rock ’n’ roll superstardom as the lead guitarist of Guns N’ Roses. Slash first joined Guns N’ Roses in 1985 after being approached by band leader Axel Rose and guitarist Izzy Stradlin. Two years later
‘G.I. Joe’ No. 1 at U.S. box office with $41 million

FilmApr 1, 2013

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― After a nine-month delay, “G.I. Joe: Retaliation’’ deployed to the top spot at the box office. The action film starring Dwayne “The Rock’’ Johnson, Bruce Willis and Channing Tatum as the gun-toting military toys brought to life marched into the No. 1 position at the weekend box office, earning $41.2 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Retaliation’’ opened Wednesday at midnight, which helped bring its domestic total to $51.7 million.Paramount postponed the sequel to
SHINee’s Jong-hyun crashes car in Seoul

MusicApr 1, 2013

Member Jong-hyun of the K-pop boy band SHINee was in a minor car accident early Monday morning, according to S.M. Entertainment. The member was driving his own car on his way back to his dorm when he struck a guardrail on the Dongho Bridge in Seoul. The star did not sustain any major injuries. Jong-hyun was taken to the emergency room at a general hospital in Gangnam where it was reported that the star was receiving treatment for some minor injuries that he suffered around his nose area. The mem
Actress from popular 90s sitcom found dead

TelevisionApr 1, 2013

A 38-year-old actress from a popular 1990s sitcom was found dead in an apparent suicide, police said Monday.The body of the actress was found Friday by her boyfriend at her home in Gangnam district, Seoul, according to Gangnam Police Station. The actress, only identified by her surname Kim, had been suffering from depression.Kim left a note saying “I’m sorry,” indicating that she may have taken her own life.The actress gained fame after she appeared in a popular 1990s sitcom “Sunpung Sanbuingwa
Love of art is blind for sightless museum visitors

TheaterMar 31, 2013

NEW YORK (AFP) ― Her eyes see nothing, but when Barbara Appel runs her fingers over the face of a Picasso sculpture in New York’s Museum of Modern Art, she sighs with pleasure.Most people go to museums to look at exhibits, but for some at MoMA, love of art is literally blind.Each month, a small group with various levels of impaired vision accompanies an expert guide to the famed Manhattan museum.For Appel, who is 62 and suddenly lost her sight just over a decade ago, the Art inSight program is a