The Korea Herald

Bond’s bullet-deflecting watch on sale

Nov 13, 2011

GENEVA (AFP) ― A James Bond Rolex watch complete with a buzz saw and a hyper-intensified magnetic field to deflect bullets will come up for auction in Geneva on Monday, said Christie’s.“The watch is unique. It is the watch that Syd Cain ― the famous engineer ... had modified for the film Live and Let Die,” said Aurel Bacs, Christie’s international director for watches.Estimated to fetch between 200,000 and 400,000 francs ($220,312 and $440,624), the stainless steel watch worn by Roger Moore who
Box Office

Nov 11, 2011

Horrible Bosses (U.S.)Opening Nov. 17Comedy. Directed by Seth Gordon. Two friends, Nick (Jason Bateman) and Dale (Charlie Day) have one thing in common: they hate their bosses with passion. While Nick works at a financial firm for Dave (Kevin Spacey), who would say, “this may help you get promoted,” whenever giving him too much extra work, Dale works for dentist Julia (Jennifer Aniston), who almost every day sexually harasses him -- by threatening she would falsely tell his girlfriend that he’s
Eastwood, DiCaprio talk about making ‘J. Edgar’

Nov 11, 2011

For nearly five decades, J. Edgar Hoover was the face of law enforcement in the U.S., but to most Americans, the longtime Federal Bureau of Investigations director remains an enigma. “J. Edgar,” directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Hoover, chronicles the FBI founder’s controversial tenure as a hunter of gangsters and a collector of secrets and explores his mystery-shrouded private life, defined by a devoted relationship to his colleague Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer).Last we
Professor examines Korea’s theater district

Nov 11, 2011

Daehangno ― Theater District in Seoul By Lee Chin-A(Hollym) Upon exiting Hyehwa Subwaty Station in Seoul, there is Daehangno, the most famous theater district in the city.Filled with big and small theater venues, and performance art-themed events, Daehangno attracts people of all ages all year long with its artistic flair and energy. Lee Chin-A’s English-language book, “Daehangno: Theater District in Seoul” delves into the past and present of this artistic district, exploring how it has transfor
Edgy NYC museum to show film of ants on crucifix

Nov 10, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) ― A major exhibition that includes a film of ants crawling on a crucifix opens next week at the Brooklyn Museum, an institution known for presenting edgy and bold artworks that in the past included a painting of the Virgin Mary that incorporated elephant dung.“A Fire in My Belly” is a film by the late David Wojnarowicz that was pulled from the National Portrait Gallery in Washington when the exhibition was shown there last year. The ant scene angered some in Congress and the Cathol
Morgan Freeman earns DeMille Award at Globes

Nov 10, 2011

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman is taking home a new prize ― a lifetime-achievement honor at the Golden Globes.The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced Wednesday that Freeman will receive the group’s Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 69th annual Globes ceremony on Jan. 15.The 74-year-old Freeman is a five-time Oscar nominee who won the supporting-actor prize for 2004’s “Million Dollar Baby.” Freeman’s Oscar nominations include best actor for 1989’s “Driving Miss Daisy
Marc Jacobs perfume ad banned in UK

Nov 10, 2011

LONDON (AP) _ Britain's advertising standards watchdog on Wednesday banned a Marc Jacobs perfume ad starring actress Dakota Fanning, saying it seemed to sexualize a child and could cause serious offense.Four readers complained about the magazine ad for Jacobs' recently launched ``Oh, Lola!'' perfume
China’s ‘soft power’ stumbles at the movies

Nov 8, 2011

BEIJING (AFP) ― Everybody knows the Oscars. From Beijing to Paris and New York to Sao Paolo, the golden statuette honoring the best movies in the world is a symbol of the “soft power” prowess of the United States.China’s Golden Rooster awards, however, come and go without much mention ― a potent reminder of the film industry’s difficulty in competing with Hollywood despite a push to gain more influence on the global cultural stage.The Communist Party has called on the culture industry ― includin
The ‘Catcher’: Yoon Sung-hyun

Nov 8, 2011

Director delves into psyche of his generationThis is the first of a series of articles on up-and-coming Korean filmmakers. ― Ed.Director Yoon Sung-hyun has been watching a lot of soccer games on TV lately. It’s always been his favorite sport, and he’s been an avid fan since he was a child. And though it’s only been two weeks since he won a prestigious film award, what pops in his head, when asked about recent days, is watching the sport, not winning his trophy.“I’ve been watching a lot of soccer
Aung San Suu Kyi thanks Besson for film of her life story

Nov 8, 2011

LILLE, France (AFP) ― Myanmar democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi has thanked Luc Besson for making a film of her life story and shedding light on her country, the French filmmaker said Monday.Besson sent a message to the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize Winner ahead of the November 30 release in France of his film “The Lady,” he told a group of students in the northern French town of Lille.“She replied saying thank you, it sheds light on my country,” he added during his comments at the EDHEC university.T
Oscars, Jones to honor Redgrave in London

Nov 8, 2011

BEVERLY HILLS, California (AP) ― Decades after her provocative Oscar acceptance speech, Vanessa Redgrave will be honored at the film academy’s first European tribute to an actor.The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says it will honor Redgrave on Sunday in London, where she is starring with James Earl Jones in the stage production of “Driving Miss Daisy.”Jones is to receive an honorary Oscar on Saturday at the academy’s Governors Awards, but the 80-year-old actor is skipping that cerem
Korean cinema goes Down Under

Nov 7, 2011

South Korea and Australia are celebrating the last stretch of their Year of Friendship, with this year marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, bringing more attention to the second annual Korean Film Festival in Australia.Organized by the Korean Cultural Office in Sydney, KOFFIA is a fledgling film festival that showcased 13 feature films and seven shorts this year. It hoped to show the diversity of Korean cinema today, as well as provide a true Korean cultural
‘A Chinese Tale’ wins top prize at Rome Film Festival

Nov 6, 2011

ROME (AFP) ― The sixth Rome Film Festival, marred by protests over cuts in arts funding and struggles to attract big stars, ended Friday with the top prize going to Sebastian Borensztein’s “A Chinese Tale”.The film stars Ricardo Durin as a lonely hardware store owner whose life is upturned by the appearance of a young Chinese man.France’s Guillaume Canet won the festival’s best actor prize for his performance, widely applauded in the Italian press, in “A Better Life” directed by Cedric Kahn.Cane
Box Office

Nov 4, 2011

Couples (Korea)Opened Nov. 2Comedy. Directed by Jeong Yong-gi. Five young single men and women living in Seoul run into each other and go through a series of unexpected events. Yoo-seok (Kim Joo-hyeok) is desperate to get a hold of his girlfriend who would not return his calls, while Ae-yeon (Lee Yoon-ji) can’t bring herself to throw out her fake-diamond ring given by her long-time ex. Meanwhile, Nari (Lee Si-young), a hopeless romantic, travels across the country in search of her one and only s
Eddie Murphy: Comedy in action

Nov 4, 2011

Director Brett Ratner says that when he set out to erect “Tower Heist,” his new caper-adventure starring Eddie Murphy, he wanted to emulate the kind of action comedies that he had loved as a kid ― the kind of movies that might have starred Eddie Murphy.“Eddie kind of invented the genre,” Ratner said, referring to “48 HRS.” and the “Beverly Hills Cop” series ― films that sandwiched Murphy’s early, breakthrough years on “Saturday Night Live” and as a standup comedian.“‘Rush Hour,’ which was part o