The Korea Herald

[Box Office] Latest movie releases

Oct 14, 2016

Luck-Key(Korea)Opened Oct. 13Comedy. Directed by Lee Gye-byukA hired killer (Yoo Hae-jin) loses his memory of his day job after slipping and hitting his head at a public bath. He is left thinking he is a no-name actor. His life turns around completely. The Accountant(US)　Opened Oct. 13Action, thriller. Directed by Gavin O’ConnorChristian Wolff (Ben Affleck) uses a small-town Certified Public Accountant office as a cover to do freelance accounting work for criminal organizations. The mathematics
A superhero CPA in Ben Affleck’s ‘The Accountant’

Oct 14, 2016

In Gavin O’Connor’s “The Accountant,” starring Ben Affleck, the paper-pushing CPA -- roughly the exact opposite of Schwarzenegger or Stallone -- gets his shot at action hero stardom. If we pull out our calculators, we can deduce that the odds of this are slim. Carrying the one and rounding up, you might even conclude that it’s a patently ridiculous premise. Just imagine the tagline possibilities. “The only thing he knows better than the tax code is his moral code!” “Don’t write him off!” “He’s t
Kids brought J.K. Simmons to film, and maybe back to theater

Oct 14, 2016

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Fans of J.K. Simmons’ work in television and film may have the actor’s two children to thank.A veteran of New York theater, Simmons moved into TV and movie work after his two children were born.During a recent interview to promote his new film, “The Accountant,” Simmons recalled turning down an interesting play with a compelling co-star soon after he became a father.“There was no reason not to do (the play) except for the fact that I had a little baby and a 3-year-old who wan
[Herald Interview] Greek crises brought to screen at BIFF in ‘Amerika Square’

Oct 13, 2016

Intersecting lives of migrants, Greeks explored in kinetic drama
‘The Net’ to open Tokyo FILMeX

Oct 13, 2016

Art-house filmmaker Kim Ki-duk’s drama “The Net” is heading to Japan.　The 17th annual international film festival Tokyo FILMeX will be opening on Nov. 19 with Kim’s latest film, according to distribution company Next Entertainment World on Thursday. 　This is not Kim’s first time at the festival. Most recently, his 2014 thriller “One on One” was featured at the event, and his personal documentary “Arirang” received the Agnes B. Audience Award in 2011. 　Tokyo FILMeX, which has a heavy focus on Asi
Dern, Williams are spellbinding in ‘Certain Women’

Oct 12, 2016

"Certain Women" is a quiet, introspective film about three women living and existing in a frozen Montana town. Does it sound dull? Sure. But on the screen it plays out like a slow-burning folk song you could sit with for hours. It's perhaps writer-director Kelly Reichardt’s finest work, understated and elegant and well worth a trip to the cinema to slip into the exquisitely literary vignettes of Beth (Kristen Stewart), Gina (Michelle Williams) and Laura (Laura Dern). Adapted from Maile Meloy's s
Film fest sheds light on migrants’ lives in European cities

Oct 11, 2016

In the Polish documentary “Kim Ki-dok,” filmmaker Patrick Yoka and journalist Jolanta Krysowata try to uncover the forgotten story behind the grave of 13-year-old girl Kim Ki-dok in Wroclaw, Poland, a country some 8,000 kilometers away from Kim’s birthplace in North Korea. Organized by the Seoul Museum of History and the European Union National Institutes for Culture, this year’s EUNIC Film Festival, titled “Migrants in European Cities,” explores the history of the migrant crisis in Europe with
‘Asura’ to open across North America

Oct 11, 2016

Crime thriller “Asura: The City of Madness” will soon be shown on screens across North America.　Since its screening at the Toronto International Film Festival last month, the film has caught the attention of the global cinema industry. 　It made its US debut in Los Angeles on Oct. 7 and will open in 30 major cities in North America, including New York, Chicago, Toronto, Houston and Washington D.C. on Oct. 14, according to CJ Entertainment. 　 Currently preparing for its Asia rollout, “Asura” will
Taiwanese writer-director: new attempts lead to new opportunities

Oct 11, 2016

For Neal Wu, a successful Taiwanese online youth romance writer, there is no limitation of media in storytelling.He has composed songs for his novels, made music videos and most recently made a directorial debut based on his own online novel, “At Cafe 6.” The film was screened in the Open Cinema category of this year’s Busan International Film Festival. The section shows both critically and commercially acclaimed films from around the world.But directing was not the only thing he did for the fil
‘Snowden’ director Stone warns of US bid to ‘control the world’

Oct 11, 2016

PARIS (AFP) - US filmmaker Oliver Stone warned Monday that his country's desire to “control the world” by eavesdropping on the entire planet would end in disaster.The outspoken director of “JFK” and “Platoon” claimed Washington’s war on terror was being used as cover to “dominate the world.”“That desire to control the world is very dangerous,” Stone warned as his latest movie “Snowden” is released across Europe and Asia.The film is about Edward Snowden, the former CIA and National Security Agenc
China's Hollywood shopping spree

Oct 11, 2016

BEIJING (AFP) – China’s cash-flush tycoons have gone to Hollywood, snapping up studios and inking deals as Beijing seeks to expand soft power and boost its filmmaking savvy.Here are some of the greatest hits of China’s tidal wave of investment into Tinseltown.The latest was Alibaba billionaire Jack Ma, who invested in Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners to make movies targeting the growing Chinese box office. Amblin, founded last December, is composed of several companies including Reliance Enter
With 3 NYFF films, Kristen Stewart admits she’s a workaholic

Oct 11, 2016

NEW YORK (AP) -- Three films at this year’s New York Film Festival certainly qualify Kristen Stewart as a workaholic, but the actress doesn’t think that’s such a bad thing. “Oh yeah, I’m totally addicted, man. ... I get super obsessed with stuff, you know, and which is to a fault. But it’s served me well,” said Stewart. Since the Twilight franchise, the actress has quietly amassed an impressive body of work, including a trio of very different films at this year’s festival. She has already premie
BIFF opens Korean indie films up to international audiences

Oct 10, 2016

Small Korean films shine light on Korean life
Actress Kim Yun-jin returns to local production in upcoming thriller

Oct 10, 2016

Actress Kim Yun-jin is returning to the big screen in Korea for the first time in two years after her role in the 2014 historical drama “Ode to My Father.”Directed by horror filmmaker Lim Dae-woong, the upcoming “House Above Time” will star Kim, K-pop boy band 2PM’s Ok Taec-yeon and actor Jo Jae-yun, who most recently appeared in romantic comedy “Mood of the Day” earlier this year. 　“I chose this film not only because of the script, but also because it’s a new genre for me,” said Kim in a statem
Japanese animator opens up about ‘Your Name’ in Busan

Oct 10, 2016

BUSAN (Yonhap) -- In his latest work “Your Name,” Japanese animation director Makoto Shinkai tried to motivate his fellow countrymen to cherish the precious lessons of the past, whether it be a warning against natural disasters from a millennium ago or a failed love from one‘s youth. The 43-year-old animation guru’s mega-hit animation film was mostly inspired by a powerful earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan in March 2011. “Many people who watched ‘Your Name’ talk about the