Kim Ki-duk’s new film tells surprisingly neat tale of how blind pursuit of ideology can quash individual lives

'No Budget' filmmaker screens feature in Seoul

Directed by Kim Sung-soo, “Asura: The City of Madness” is predicted to become a blockbuster hit this fall. Nearly 250,000 people had reserved tickets for the movie in advance of its Wednesday release, with estimated ticket sales of over 1.6 billion won ($1.46 million), according to data from the Korean Film Council as of Wednesday morning.　The recent summer blockbuster “Train to Busan” currently holds the record for the highest number of pre-sale reservations, with over 320,000 pre-sold ticket. 

Quietly moving film traces life of elderly prostitute and her aging clients’ new requests

Korean film director Hong Sang-soo has taken home the Silver Shell award for best directing for his new film “Yourself and Yours” at this year’s 64th annual San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain, which ran from Sept. 16 to 24. Best known for his films “Hahaha” and “Right Now, Wrong Then,” Hong’s latest feature film stars actors Kim Joo-hyuck and Lee You-young in a movie that chronicles one man’s desperate search for his girlfriend, who had gone missing after a serious spat between the two. The wi

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Allegations Brad Pitt was abusive on a private plane last week relate to the actor’s treatment of his 15-year-old son, sources said Friday, as the FBI continued to gather information before determining whether to open an investigation.FBI Spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said the agency hasn’t made a decision on a formal investigation into what occurred on a plane ferrying Pitt, his wife Angelina Jolie Pitt and their six children.Several news outlets have reported that a child welf

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) -- And the envelope, please! The Pyongyang International Film Festival wrapped up Friday with top honors going to -- wait for it -- a domestically produced feature about a young woman who selflessly devotes herself to raising orphans. The winner of the “Best Torch Award,” selected by a panel of international judges, was “Story About My House,” a drama about Ri Jong A, who wins the honors of leader Kim Jong-un for devoting herself to raising orphans after graduating fr

TORONTO (AP) -- The offer to star in Antoine Fuqua’s “The Magnificent Seven” came to Chris Pratt while he was on a hunting trip with friends, listening to an audio book of Larry McMurtry’s “Lonesome Dove.” Having recently learned some card tricks of his own, the part -- a gun-slinging card sharp -- felt like kismet. “All of the signs in my life pointed me toward doing this movie,” Pratt says. “It’s like when you get dealt a hand that you don’t even throw a single card back. You’re like: That’s t

Seven warriors fight for the vulnerable, in a formula that bears revisiting in “The Magnificent Seven.” Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 masterpiece, “Seven Samurai,” begat the classic 1960 Western “The Magnificent Seven,” then a late ’90s TV series and now, a big budget action adventure Western directed by Antoine Fuqua. It’s an appealing concept -- bad guys who can be good, loners who can work together and find camaraderie in a team when it comes to protecting innocents.With the blockbuster cast that Fuq

The Magnificent Seven(US)Opened Sept. 14Western, action. Directed by Antoine FuquaA motley crew of stealthy gangsters led by Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington) attempts to defend the helpless town of Rose Creek when ruthless industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard) seizes control of it. Ben-Hur(US)Opened Sept. 14Drama, action. Directed by Timur BekmambetovPrince Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston) is falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell), an officer in the Roman

Director Kim Sung-su’s new crime noir film portrays hellish web of corruption where brute force and greed reign supreme

The recent blockbuster “The Age of Shadows” attracted over 6 million moviegoers in the less than two weeks since it opened here, making it the seventh most-watched film of the year in Korea. 　Over 3.3 million people watched the film in theaters during the Chuseok holiday from Wednesday to Sunday, according to the Korean Film Council on Monday. 　Starring actors Gong Yoo and Song Kang-ho, the historical thriller follows a group of Korean independence fighters as they attempt to take back the count