LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Shirley MacLaine pulled no punches when asked about her take on life at age 80.“Well, I’m a lot closer to dying,” she said, with a chuckle.Maybe so, but there still seems to be a lot of life left for both the vibrant woman and her Oscar-winning career.MacLaine is among the very few octogenarians who still get name-above-the-title billing, which she shares with 84-year-old co-star Christopher Plummer in the big-screen dramedy “Elsa & Fred,” the upcoming American remake of the 2

Interstellar (U.S.)Opening Nov. 6Sci-Fi. Directed by Christopher NolanChristopher Nolan’s new end-of-the-world space epic takes place at a time when humanity is facing extinction as a result of drought and famine. A mysterious wormhole is discovered in space that will enable mankind to survive. A group of explorers, which includes Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) and Amelia Brand (Anne Hathaway), is given the mission of saving humankind by finding an inhabitable new planet. The Truth Shall Not Sink

Since his breakthrough with the backward-running “Memento,” Christopher Nolan has made a plaything of time. In “Interstellar,” he slips into its very fabric, shaping its flows and exploding its particles. It’s an absurd endeavor. And it’s one of the most sublime movies of the decade. As our chief large-canvas illusionist, Nolan’s kaleidoscope puzzles have often dazzled more than they have moved, prizing brilliant, hocus-pocus architecture over emotional interiors. But a celestial warmth shines t

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― “The Big Bang Theory” actress Kaley Cuoco was joined by fellow cast members from the hit TV sitcom as she received a star on Hollywood’s storied Walk of Fame.Jim Parsons (Sheldon), Johnny Galecki (Leonard), Simon Helberg (Howard) and Kunal Nayyar (Raj), as well as the show’s cocreator Chuck Lorre, were on hand for the star-unveiling ceremony on Tinseltown’s famous sidewalk.“This cast has changed my life in many ways,” said the 28-year-old, who plays Penny in the series, which

Dongchimi is a cold water-based kimchi made with white radish. Its tangy, refreshing liquid and crunchy radishes help with digestion, and it’s a perfect match for meat or starch-heavy foods such as rice cakes or sweet potatoes. For first-timers, this clear watery kimchi may look a bit insipid. Yet this humble side dish has been a part of Korean cuisine for as long as anyone can remember. Actress Kim Min-jung, with a prolific career spanning five decades in theater and TV, is in a sense like dong

Im Kwon-taekMaster director Im Kwon-taek will receive a lifetime achievement award during this year’s Singapore International Film Festival, organizers said Wednesday.The South Korean was chosen for his lifelong contribution to the development of film industries, they said.Debuting with “Farewell Duman River” in 1962, Im has produced more than 100 films over the past 50 years with many exploring Korean themes in an artistic way. He received the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival 200

Nanci Ryder has been Renee Zellweger’s publicist for 20 years. She stayed in the waiting room when the actress had dental surgery and has walked her down the red carpet on Oscar night.“She’s been a mentor, a big sister ― a little sister,” Zellweger says. “She’s my favorite bad influence.”So when Ryder, 62, confided that she’d been having vocal trouble ― hoarseness, slurring her words ― Zellweger didn’t waver. After seven months of MRIs, PET scans and doctors visits proved inconclusive, the two f

TOKYO (AP) ― Disney executives call their next film “a love letter to Japanese culture.” No wonder: This nation can’t get enough of animation, especially Disney’s. Walt Disney Animation Studios is practically bending backward to woo Japanese moviegoers after the stupendous success of “Frozen.” The fifth-highest-grossing movie of all time made more than $250 million of its total in Japan alone, nearly a third of its overseas numbers and more than five times what it made in France, according to Bo

The Truth Shall Not Sink with Sewol (Korea)Opened Oct. 23Documentary. Directed by Lee Sang-ho and Ahn Hae-ryongThe documentary “The Truth Shall Not Sink with Sewol” (a.k.a. “Diving Bell”) addresses issues on the April 16 sinking of the Sewol ferry, which claimed more than 300 lives, particularly issues about the use of a marine rescue equipment called a diving bell, which was largely seen as a failure. Investigative journalist Lee Sang-ho takes the camera to Paengmok Harbor, Jindo Island, to doc

Hollywood has a fascination with turning classic board games into movies.There was “Clue” and “Battleship,” and now “Ouija” is about to hit theaters this week. Filmmakers are working to get “Monopoly,” “Candy Land” and “Risk” off the toy store shelves and into cinemas.The big studios hope to cash in at the box office as these familiar titles resonate with grown-ups and teenagers alike who played the games as children. And, for toy makers like Hasbro Inc., it could help boost sales of games that

Breezy musical film successful in Korea for its music and feel-good plot

Following Walt Disney’s groundbreaking success in Korea earlier this year with its animated film “Frozen” ― the first animated feature and second foreign film after “Avatar” in 2009 to attract over 10 million viewers here, it makes sense for the studio’s creative mind to visit Korea to show what the future holds for Disney and for Asia. John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, The Walt Disney Co.’s animation units, says what happened in Korea was “miracul