Kim Myung-min, Byun Yo-han portray desperate characters trapped in neverending tragedy

The upcoming historical film “The Battleship Island” starring Song Joong-ki has been sold to 113 countries, its distributor CJ Entertainment said Thursday.The film has been sold to North American countries as well as France, Italy, Russia, Turkey, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand, among others, following its promotion at the European Film Market in February. “(The film) is a war film, prison film and escape film,” said Cyril Burkel, acquisitions executive at French distributor Metropolit

The cast of “Okja” is coming to Korea next week despite the controversy surrounding its theatrical release in Korea.　Hollywood actors Tilda Swinton, Steven Yeun, Giancarlo Esposito and Daniel Henshall will be present at the red carpet event for “Okja” at Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo Times Square mall Tuesday at 7 p.m., Netflix announced Tuesday. 　The film’s Korean cast members Ahn Seo-hyun, Byun Hee-bong and Choi Woo-sik will also attend the event.　Swinton, Yeun, Esposito, Ahn and Byun will participate

This year‘s Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival will feature a special exhibition focusing on the works of actress Jeon Do-yeon, BIFAN announced Monday.　“The exhibition will screen the major works from Jeon Do-yeon’s 20 years of acting onscreen. It will feature a press conference, a discussion with viewers, an exhibition of posters and stills from her films, and a booklet of Jeon‘s acting career,” said BIFAN in a statement. 　 Poster for Jeon Do-yeon’s special exhibition at BIFAN (BIFAN

Clash between online streaming giant Netflix and cinemas spreads

Warriors of the Dawn(Korea)Opened May 31Historical, drama. Directed by Jeong Yoon-chulTo-woo (Lee Jung-jae) is the rugged leader of proxy soldiers who receive money from noblemen to go to war on their behalf. When the Imjin War between Joseon Kingdom and Japan breaks out, King Seonjo flees to Ming China. His son Prince Gwanghae (Yeo Jin-goo) is left to lead the royal court alone, and the responsibility of protecting and guiding the young heir befalls on To-woo. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men

With the blood-drenched action flick “The Villainess,” actress Kim Ok-bin may have raised the caliber of Korean female-led action sequences to the next level. In the visceral revenge thriller directed by Jung Byung-gil, Kim plays a skilled assassin who shows no mercy or pity in the face of opponents. She shoots, stabs and kills with weapons ranging from long daggers to axes. After a violent and bloody showdown, she wipes blood off her face, completely emotionless.  Actress Kim Ok-bin poses at a

   CANNES -- Swedish satire "The Square", a send-up of political correctness and the confused identity of the modern male, won the Palme d'Or top prize at the Cannes film festival Sunday.    In a stunning upset, the nine-member jury led by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar and including Hollywood stars Jessica Chastain and Will Smith awarded the trophy to director Ruben Ostlund.Swedish director Ruben Ostlund poses during the Award Winners photocall after he won the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) Prize

Icon of urban sophistication dons rags in new film, constantly in search of different characters

Get Out(US)Opened May 17Mystery, horror. Directed by Jordan PeeleChris (Daniel Kaluuya) and Rose (Allison Williams) have been dating for awhile, finally reaching the meet-the-parents point in the relationship. Rose invites Chris to a weekend mini-vacation in an upstate home with her family. At first, Chris believes Rose’s parents are being uncommonly kind to overcompensate for their awkwardness with their daughter’s interracial relationship. But in a series of disquieting discoveries throughout

Since Hollywood loves a nostalgic reboot, it’s no surprise that the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise is setting sail once again, six years after 2011’s “On Stranger Tides.” For this film, subtitled “Dead Men Tell No Tales,” Disney has hired a lesser-known filmmaking duo to reanimate the series -- a pair of Norweigan filmmakers, Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg, who helmed the 2012 oceanic adventure film “Kon-Tiki.” What they’ve delivered is a cookie-cutter “Pirates” movie that faithfully f

Most journalists stifle a laugh when we hear somebody denounce a newspaper as a product of organized conspiracy.Because everyday we see the reality -- the mistake-filled atmosphere of chaos, rancor, disagreement, systemic technological failure, desperate last-minute alteration. The paper comes out, but nobody knows how, or cares, because yet another deadline looms.One useful attribute of the new documentary “Obit” is the way it illuminates this process. The movie literally peeks over the shoulde

Why we are drawn to grotesque stories of murder and violence

Actors Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin have confirmed their roles in the upcoming film “Negotiation,” according to an official related to the project Thursday. On May 10, both the actors’ agencies said they were considering the offers in a positive light. Hyun Bin (left) and Son Ye-jin (VAST Entertainment/MSteam Entertainment)The crime-thriller film tells the story of a confrontation between a negotiator and hostage-taker. Son will play Ha Chae-yun, the best negotiator in a crisis negotiation team, whil

“The Merciless (Bulhandang)” met with an avid response at the Cannes Film Festival’s midnight screening Thursday, receiving a seven-minute standing ovation from the audience, according to reports.It was the longest duration of applause that a Korean film had received at Cannes this year, reports said.Hong Sang-soo’s “The Day After,” “Claire’s Camera” and Jung Byung-gil’s “The Villainess” received applause that ranged from two to five minutes. Bong Joon-ho’s Okja met with applause that lasted fiv