The Korea Herald

‘Shame’ duo Steve McQueen and Michael Fassbender share risky tie

FilmDec 2, 2011

Actors will endure a lot for a director they believe in. Michael Fassbender swallowed his pride and wore a superhero helmet for Matthew Vaughn in “X-Men: First Class” and toggled trickily between English and German for Quentin Tarantino in “Inglourious Basterds.” But none of that compares to what he’s been willing to go through for Steve McQueen.Four years ago, when Fassbender began working with the punctilious filmmaker (no relation to that other Steve McQueen) in the prison drama “Hunger,” the
Scorsese‘s ’Hugo‘ named best film by NBR awards

FilmDec 2, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) -- The National Board of Review picked Martin Scorsese’s 3-D ``Hugo‘’ as the year‘s best film, an unusually kid friendly choice sure to add further intrigue to the Oscar hunt.The group also picked Scorsese as best director for his whimsical film about an orphan who lives in a 1930s Paris train station. It’s the director‘s first film in 3-D but one in which the adventure leads back to the early days of cinema and the wondrous films of French filmmaker George Melies.It had been anoth
‘Mr. Nice Tom’ brings fourth installment of ‘Mission Impossible’

FilmDec 2, 2011

Hollywood star Tom Cruise, who is widely nicknamed “Mr. Nice Tom” by the local media for the friendly manners he has shown during his previous visits to Korea, said he loves his nickname and was excited to bring the fourth installment of his famous “Mission Impossible” series to the country.“I just want to say I love coming here and I love my nickname -- thank you,” the Hollywood star told reporters during a press conference held at Grand Hyatt Seoul Friday. “I didn’t know I had a nickname and i
Number of Japanese households that can view 'hallyu' channel tops 4 million

Dec 2, 2011

The number of Japanese households that can watch a South Korean satellite channel specializing in Korean pop culture has exceeded 4 million, the channel said Friday, indicating its growing popularity in the neighboring country.KBS Japan said more than 4 million Japanese households can view popular S
Potter attraction on way to Universal Hollywood

FilmDec 2, 2011

Visitors walk through the Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park in Orlando, Florida, U.S. (Bloomberg)LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Comcast Corp. is in the final stages of a deal to bring Harry Potter's magic to life in Hollywood.The owner of Universal Studios is to announce before year's
Jung Woo-sung opens up about first Korean drama after scandal

TelevisionDec 1, 2011

New channel jTCB’s drama “Padam Padam” represents Jung Woo-sung’s return to the domestic small screen after his embroilment in a scandal involving Seo Taiji’s ex-wife and “ATHENA: Goddess of War” co-star E Jiah. Less than a year has passed since paparazzi shot pictures of the couple together in Europe, followed by the explosive news that E Jiah and king of K-pop Seo Taiji were in the midst of a sticky divorce suit. Jung was lashed by rumors, and the couple later broke up. No beginner to the worl
Kanye West, Adele lead Grammy nods

MusicDec 1, 2011

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ―U.S. rapper Kanye West has won the most nominations for next year’s Grammys, followed closely by British singer Adele, continuing her awards success despite recent health woes.West was nominated Wednesday in seven categories for the music industry’s top awards, to be given out February 12, while Adele got six nods ― including three of the key categories ― as did Foo Fighters and Bruno Mars.Lady Gaga was arguably the star of the nominations show at the Nokia Theatre in Los Ange
British Museum acquires rare Picasso prints

TheaterDec 1, 2011

LONDON (AFP) ― The British Museum announced on Tuesday it had acquired an exceptional set of Pablo Picasso’s “Vollard Suite,” comprising 100 etchings produced by the artist between 1930 and 1937.Complete sets of the suite are very rare, held only by a handful of museums in the world including the National Gallery in Washington, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Picasso museum in Paris.The series shows Picasso’s developing interest in sculptural forms and moves from neoclassical images
Hotel art fairs not so fresh anymore

TheaterDec 1, 2011

Novelty factor wears out, while organizers now openly announce event is reserved for the privilegedThe idea of room-hopping in the city’s most luxurious hotels to browse artwork adorning the walls was very fresh in 2009 when the first-ever hotel art fair in the city was opened at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in Hannam-dong, central Seoul. But with so many hotel art fairs popping up every season since then in different hotels throughout Seoul, viewing artwork in well appointed hotel rooms has become a s
Dramas on way with four new channels

TelevisionDec 1, 2011

jTBC, TV Chosun, MBN, Channel A’s initial line-up unveiledFour new general programming channels ― jTBC, TV Chosun, MBN and Channel A ― were launched Thursday, and their upcoming dramas are not far behind. Since the cable-satellite-IPTV channels ― headed by JoongAng Ilbo, Chosun Ilbo, Maeil Business Newspaper and Dong-A Ilbo ― nabbed much-coveted licenses late last year there has been much speculation as to who will put out the most-watched series. Because its company racked up experience in tele
Herald artday holds second online auction

TheaterNov 30, 2011

Herald artday, a subsidiary of the Herald Media group, will open its second online auction this month. It will roll out about 100 artworks by acclaimed South Korean artists, including Lee U-fan, Kim Tschang-yeul, Suh Seok and Lee Dai-won. The biggest advantage of the auction is the affordable price. Starting prices will be as much as 70 percent below the market price. Organizers said that it would be a safe opportunity for first-time buyers as well as art aficionados to take home genuine artwork
Photos show architecture has tales to tell

TheaterNov 30, 2011

Captured on camera by photographers’ deft techniques, historical sites, interior designs and impressive architecture have more stories to tell. Six photographers ― Brian McKee, Lina Kim, Michael Wesely, Laurie Simmons, Dionisio Gonzlez, and Hiroshi Sugimoto ― are showcasing their unique perspectives on architectural themes at the exhibition “Beyond Architecture: Progress in Time” which is currently running at The Columns Gallery in Itaewon-dong, central Seoul. U.S. photographer Brian McKee, for
Joseon royal wedding comes alive in Paris

TheaterNov 30, 2011

Exquisite pieces of Korean court hanbok and royal wedding rituals charmed Parisians on Tuesday night, during a special event held as a part of Korea-France Week 2011 in France.Organized by the Presidential Council on Nation Branding, the event, which consisted of a hanbok fashion show, a Korean gugak concert, and a re-enactment of the Joseon-era royal wedding ceremony, was presented in front of some 200 invited guests at the InterContinental Hotel Paris. French author Bernard Werber, whose books
N.Y. film critics pick ‘The Artist’ as best film

FilmNov 30, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) ― The New York Film Critics Circle named the silent film ode “The Artist’’ the year’s best film Tuesday, giving the nostalgic black-and-white movie an early boost to its already promising Academy Awards prospects.“The Artist,’’ which is silent like the films to which it pays homage, also earned best director for the French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius.“It’s a celebration of cinema,’’ said John Anderson, chairman of the group and critic. “It’s clever and it’s upbeat and all that, b
New cable channels go on air

TelevisionNov 30, 2011

Entry of four general programming channels and one news network to stiffen competition in broadcastingFour new general programming cable TV broadcasters will go on air Thursday, with dozens of grand-scale drama series and variety shows to appeal to the nation’s 23 million cable, IPTV (Internet TV) and satellite TV subscribers. Four media consortiums led by top daily newspapers ― the Chosun Ilbo, Dong-A Ilbo, JoongAng Ilbo and Maeil Business Newspaper ― are anticipated not only to rake in the mo