Original cartoon's sinister message comes through, packaged for movie-going public in commercial-style thriller

CJ CGV, Korea‘s largest cinema chain, is targeting 10,000 screens and 700 million moviegoers worldwide by the year 2020, its chief executive said Wednesday.  Speaking to press at the chain’s Cheongdam branch in southern Seoul on Wednesday, CEO Seo Jung said that his company will be focusing on overseas expansion through active mergers and acquisitions, rather than the saturated domestic market. In Korea, the cinema unit of local conglomerate CJ has 128 theaters and 971 screens, controlling nearl

The exorcism thriller “The Priests” topped 3 million ticket sales as of Saturday, box-office data showed Sunday. 　Since its release on Nov. 5, the film was watched by 3.12 million viewers as of Saturday, including a daily viewer count of 460,160 registered on that day, according to the state-run Korean Film Council.  Kang Dong-won in "The Priests" (CJ E&M)　The record is on the same pace as box-office hits “Masquerade” (2012) and “Ode to My Father” (2014), which both crossed the coveted 10 millio

Headed to the box office? The Korea Herald offers a weekend guide to what's in theaters. For something a bit out of the ordinary, catch the Chinese film "Monster Hunt," a mix between live-action and animated comedy. Those looking for a more realistic laugh should opt for "Burnt." If thrills and mystery are more your speed this weekend, check out the latest 007 movie "Spectre," the Spielberg offering "Bridge of Spies" or the first commerical occult movie to hit Korean cinema, "The Priests."Monste

This year, Chinese box offices were shaken up by a Chinese film -- and that’s unusual.As the second-largest film market in the world, China is a precious source of sales revenue for globally released Hollywood blockbuster series such as “The Fast and the Furious,” “Avengers” and “Terminator.” In fact, this year’s “Furious 7” reigned as the highest-grossing film of all time in China up until 52-year-old Hong Kong-born Raman Hui showed up with the dark horse “Monster Hunt.” Raman Hui (Edko Films)I

Cast is superb, but characters and plot development leave much to be desired

Heading to the movies this weekend? The Korea Herald offers a guide of what's playing on the big screen.Thrill abounds at this weekend's box office in Korea. Crime thriller "The Phone" draws fans in with its fast-paced plot, while "The Fatal Intutition" is riding strong, with Asian heartthrob Joo Won as the main character. New openers include Steven Spielberg's thriller "Bridge of Spies" starring Tom Hanks, and a rare Korean exorcism movie "The Priest," starring Kang Dong-won.  Bridge of Spies (

The Busan Climate Action Film Festival is returning for a second year with three films with messages about sustainability, two of them local. The festival begins Friday with a bring-your-own-cup-and-plate “Veggie Fest” party. The opening film is “An Omnivorous Family’s Dilemma,” which follows director Hwang Yun as she befriends a family of pigs on a farm and starts to think about the pigs’ family and her own family in parallel. (BCAFF)The second Korean film, which also closes out the festival, i

The Korean Movie Database is providing free streaming of 421 classic Korean films on its mobile website for the month of November.Users who log into the site through a smartphone or tablet PC will be able to view free classic Korean films. The streaming service will be available through paid subscriptions starting in December. Still from "Insect Woman" (KMDb)Some classic films that will be streaming for free include Im Kwon-taek’s 2000 film “Chunhyang,” Kim Ki-young’s 1972 film “Insect Woman,” a

Actor says ‘Collective Invention’ is opportunity to reexamine social boundaries of normalcy

After 13 years as an actress, former K-pop star says she‘s found confidence

"Fatal Intuition" (CGV Arthouse)Local thriller flicks were the winners at the weekend box office, outdoing hit Hollywood films. According to data from the Korean Film Council on Sunday, actor Joo Won’s “Fatal Intuition” stayed at the top of the box office for four straight days, drawing a total of 450,000 viewers during the period. Prior to the release of “Fatal Intuition,” veteran actor Son Hyun-joo’s “The Phone,” which hit theaters on Oct. 22, was ranked in first, so far drawing 1.2 million mo

A-list actor says thriller ‘Fatal Intuition’ is his turning point

Heading to the movies this weekend? The Korea Herald offers a guide of what's playing on the big screen.Thrill and adventure abound at this weekend's box office in Korea. "The Martian" starring Matt Damon continues to ride strong, with moviegoers recommending the 3D theater experience. Crime thriller "The Phone" draws fans in with its fast-paced plot, while "The Exclusive" is gaining traction with its well-crafted balance between comedy and thriller. New openers are the dizzying "The Walk" starr

Celebrating 65 years, Charles Schulz’s classic comic strip is reinvented in 3-D