Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin have started shooting the new police thriller “Negotiation” (unofficial translation) last Saturday, the film’s producer JK Film announced Friday.　The film is about Chae-yoon, a cop at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency played by Son ye-jin, attempting a dangerous negotiation with a kidnapper who has taken her boss Tae-gu, played by Hyun Bin, hostage.　The first shoot was completed on a set in Paju, Gyeonggi-do Province, JK Film said.　 Son Ye-jin (left) and Hyun Bin on se

Michael Bay’s previous film was a cranked-up, little-seen dramatization of the 2012 Benghazi tragedy called “13 Hours.” By sheer coincidence — or, for all I know, by diabolical design — that title also sums up how long it would take you to watch all five of Bay’s “Transformers” movies back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back, not counting the occasional break to use the bathroom, pop another Advil or hurl yourself off the nearest cliff.Don’t worry. Having just endured “Transformers: The Last Knight,

Director Don Siegel created in “The Beguiled,” back in 1971, an emotional tension as thick and muggy as the air in summer. The only thing more stifling and heated in this story set during the Civil War was the sexual tension created by a wounded Union soldier (Clint Eastwood) being given sanctuary at a girls boarding school. The film, based on the novel by Thomas Cullinan, mixed passion and betrayal in such dark quantities that at times it played more like a psychological thriller or horror movi

Transformers: The Last Knight (US)Opened June 21Action, science fiction. Directed by Michael BayTwo worlds collide as humans go to war with the robot Transformers. Optimus Prime, the leader of the transforming species of synthetic intelligence, no longer sides with humans. To re-establish Cybertron, the home of the Transformers, on Earth, Optimus Prime embarks on a search for ancient relics on earth, which results in an inescapable conflict with the human race. The key to saving the future of ma

In recent years, a host of cafes with furry creatures rarely seen in the city have popped up around Seoul.　Most of the cafes are owned by enthusiasts who began raising the animals at home as pets, but decided to open a shop when their numbers got out of hand. 　Dozens of local visitors and foreign tourists were spotted in such cafes, concentrated in the Hongdae area, on a Tuesday afternoon. Some cuddled the animals, while others observed with curiosity. There were also those who just sat and sipp

Asked what position he would like his team XXX to occupy in the Korean hip-hop scene, rapper Kim Ximya was quiet but confident in his response.　“Tupac,” he answered, referring to the iconic American rapper, as he sat down for an interview with The Korea Herald on Thursday at the group’s studio in Seogyo-dong, Seoul. “By that I mean that I hope people, whether they know a lot about music or not, wouldn’t dare judge our music easily.” 　Music duo XXX, which consists of rapper Kim Ximya, 23, and com

Reports claiming that Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo are dating have once again surfaced, saying the two went on a trip to Bali, Indonesia, together.Both denied the reports through their respective management agencies Monday.　“Song Joong-ki went to Bali with friends before embarking on promotions for his upcoming film ‘Battleship Island,’” the actor’s agency Blossom Entertainment said.　“While it is true that Song Hye-kyo went to Bali, she went to attend a meeting for a different project. We have

Eleven days before its release, Bong Joon-ho’s upcoming film “Okja” is ranking second in ticket reservations, despite major cinema chains refusing to show the film.　As of Monday, “Okja” accounted for 12 percent of ticket reservations -- 9,257 tickets -- according to the Korean Film Council’s statistics. 　The number is significant considering that “Okja” will not be screened at CGV, Lotte Cinema or Megabox, Korea’s largest multiplex cinema chains.　The three companies announced their barring of th

In his latest film, Lee Je-hoon was tasked with expressing a complex historical character, the anarchist and independence activist Park Yeol who lived in the early 1900s.　The film, “Anarchist from Colony” and directed by Lee Joon-ik, traces Park’s turbulent life in Tokyo during Japan’s occupation of Korea. 　Park had moved abroad after the March First Movement of 1919 to further his education and protest against the Japanese colonizers on their home turf. He became the leader of a group of anarch

K-pop diva Lee Hyo-ri appeared on Saturday’s episode of variety program “Infinite Challenge” for the first time in three years, proving she was still a bundle of laughs. The members of the variety show traveled to Jeju Island to meet up with the singer, who lives there with her husband, singer-songwriter Lee Sang-soon.　Lee was seen joking with the comedians of “Infinite Challenge” and demonstrating her yoga skills, which she had honed for the past three years. Lee Hyo-ri practices yoga on Saturd

Made with instant curry mix, Korean curry rice is a stew-like curry sauce served over rice. It’s one of those dishes that was introduced to Korea by the Japanese, and has since become a staple in Korean homes. The Korean version of the sauce is generally lighter, which makes it so good eaten with kimchi. It’s a hearty, comfort food we all grew up eating! 　 The instant curry mix makes this dish very easy to make. The curry roux is made with fat, so it has a richer taste and makes the sauce thicke

A Day(Korea)Opened June 15Drama. Directed by Jo Sun-hoJoon-young (Kim Myung-min) is a world-famous doctor who volunteers to work in Third World countries. His busy schedule forces him to neglect his 12-year-old daughter Eun-jung (Jo Eun-hyung), who becomes angry and refuses to answer his calls. It is Eun-jung’s birthday the day Joon-young returns to Seoul after treating patients abroad. After a frenzied press conference at the airport, he rushes over to celebrate his daughter’s birthday when he

 The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, Asia’s largest genre film event, is set to broaden its horizon this year with more programmers and strong films.“We’ve been striving to present diverse programs,” said the festival’s chairman Jung Ji-young, who was appointed to the position last year. “This year especially, a large number of staff and programmers have made great efforts to present new types of events.” 　 A press conference for the Bucheon International Film Festival takes place

Korea’s culture of upholding meticulous protocol has come into the spotlight since a video featuring a Korean lawmaker’s “authoritarian no-look pass” went viral last month.　In the clip, Rep. Kim Moo-sung is seen nonchalantly passing his suitcase to an assistant waiting at the airport arrival gate, without even looking to see where the bag will roll. The assistant receives the suitcase and hurriedly removes himself from the camera frame.(Yonhap)The internet buzzed with criticism of Kim, noting hi

Hong Sang-soo’s “The Day After” will be screened to local press on June 22, but the film’s director and cast will not attend the screening, according to production company Jeonwonsa on Thursday.　“No press conference will take place subsequent to the screening,” the company said in a statement.　The screening will take place at Lotte Cinema near Konkuk University Station in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul.　Jeonwonsa gave no reason for the lack of a press conference. 　 A still from “The Day After” (Jeonwonsa)Th