Cast speak about growing up with 'Spider-Man' From left, actors Jacob Batalon, Tom Holland and Zendaya answer questions from reporters during an online press conference for the film, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Tuesday. / Courtesy of Sony PicturesBy Kwak Yeon-sooTom Holland, who plays the titular hero in “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” gave a sneak peek into the latest installment in the franchise, sharing his thoughts about the superhero film and how his take on Peter Parker differs from earlier Spider-Man runs starring Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.“We leaned into high school aspects of the character. We grounded him in reality, gave him everyday problems and made a film about a high schooler being a superhero rather than a superhero being a high schooler. For me, that's probably the main difference,” he told reporters.In an online press conference with Korean reporters, Holland also talked about the bittersweet end of the “Spider-Man” trilogy.“It's very emotional for the three of us. We started working together when we were 19 years old. We became fast friends and had grown Dec 7, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Actors share experiences as directors in 'Unframed' From left, actor-directors Park Jeong-min, Son Suk-ku, Choi Hee-seo and Lee Je-hoon pose during an online press conference for their “Unframed” project, Monday. Courtesy of WatchaBy Kwak Yeon-sooActor Lee Je-hoon, who led Watcha's “Unframed” project through which he and three other actors took on new roles as directors, said he came to have a better appreciation for filmmakers after being challenged by the new field of directing. Actors Lee, Park Jeong-min, Son Suk-ku and Choi Hee-seo directed short films as part of the project, with each writing their own screenplays and then directing their work.“After directing my own movie, I felt more grateful for filmmakers and I'm willing to devote more effort to helping them make great movies,” Lee said during an online press conference for the film project, Monday.Park directed “Class Representative Election,” a short film that centers on 5th grade students running for class representative. The actor revealed he had always wanted to make a film about elementary students because schools are a miDec 6, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
From 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' to 'Matrix 4,' big movies gearing up for cinema releases in December A poster for "Spider-Man: No Way Home," "Matrix Resurrection" / Courtesy of Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. KoreaBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe year-end holiday season has big films lined up for release, but the resurgence of COVID-19 cases is likely to continue to weigh on cinema operators. The government banned food and beverage consumption in cinemas again starting Dec. 1, a month after it had lifted such restrictions.From “Spider-Man,” starring Tom Holland, to another “Kingsman” spy comedy franchise, and the long-awaited “Matrix 4,” there is plenty for film buffs to enjoy during this holiday season.“Spider-Man: No Way Home” will open in Korea, Dec. 15, two days prior to its release in the U.S. The film picks up at the point where Spider-Man's identity is exposed, and his superhero responsibilities come into conflict with his normal life as Peter Parker. He calls for Doctor Strange's help to restore his secret identity, but the magic spell breaks open the multiverse, releasing supervillains who have never before fought Spider-Man. “The King'sDec 6, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Filmmaker Shin Jung-won, B-movie pioneer, dies at 46 Filmmaker Shin Jung-won / Korea Times fileBy Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Shin Jung-won, an innovative filmmaker known for his unflinching, genre-bending films, “To Catch a Virgin Ghost” (2004) and “Night of the Undead” (2020), died of sepsis at Gangnam Severance Hospital on Saturday. He was 46. According to his family, Shin had been unwell for a while.“He was admitted to the hospital on Friday due to symptoms of fever and difficulty breathing. He died of sepsis complications although he had been suffering from liver cirrhosis,” they said.Shin worked as a music video director for singer Rich's “Only the Words, I Love You,” as well as the visual art director for films like “Sex is Zero” (2002) and “Romantic Assassin” (2003), before directing his own film. His breakthrough came with “To Catch a Virgin Ghost” (2004), a comedy-horror film about a gang that steals a large diamond and escapes to a small town named Sisily, where they encounter bizarre villagers. This film, which has a B-movie feel, received criticaDec 5, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
INTERVIEW Documentary filmmaker zooms in on Zainichi Koreans Filmmaker Kim Cheol-min / Courtesy of Indie StoryBy Kwak Yeon-sooIt was a simple coincidence that documentary director Kim Cheol-min traveled to Mount Kumgang in 2002. There he encountered not only North Koreans, but Zainichi Koreans ― a Japanese term that means “living in Japan,” and refers to ethnic Koreans who began living in Japan during the 1910-45 occupation of Korea and remained there after Japan's defeat in World War II.Feeling sadness and regret about his ignorance of their history, Kim embarked on a personal journey to learn more about the Zainichi Koreans in Japan. His documentary, “I Am from Chosun,” follows the story of the first generation of the Zainichi and their descendants, who identify themselves as people from “Chosun,”referring to the name of Korea before its division. The 94-minute film examines the systemic discrimination against ethnic Koreans in Japan, as well as how they try to protect and pass on their identity to later generations against all odds. For the Zainichi, however, neither South Korea nor North Korea is their hDec 2, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Stellar cast in 'A Year-end Medley' promises mix of nostalgia, escapism From left, actors Ko Sung-hee, Kim Young-kwang and Han Ji-min attend an online press conference for the film, “A Year-end Medley,” Wednesday. Courtesy of CJ ENM, TvingBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe romantic comedy film, “A Year-end Medley,” promises a mix of nostalgia and escapism for viewers during the Christmas season after the pandemic blighted last year's festive period. Directed by Kwak Jae-yong (“Colors of Wind” and “My Sassy Girl”), the year-end romantic drama film weaves together multiple stories of Korean celebrities who cross the lobby of the Hotel Emross in the middle of Seoul during Christmas. It brings together a stellar cast that includes Han Ji-min, Lee Dong-wook, Kang Ha-neul, Lim Yoon-a, Won Jin-a, Kim Young-kwang, Seo Kang-jun, Lee Kwang-soo, Ko Sung-hee, Cho Jun-young, Won Ji-an, Lee Hye-young and Jung Jin-young.“Love is deemed by everyone to be one of the most important things in life. But some fail to realize that love is just around the corner. Seven different kinds of love are shown in the movie. Hopefully, this movie Dec 1, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Sandra Bullock says playing ex-convict in 'Unforgivable' was 'liberating' Actor Sandra Bullock in a scene from the film, “Unforgivable” / Courtesy of NetflixBy Kwak Yeon-sooSandra Bullock, an actor who has taken on a wide range of roles and projects, ranging from “The Blind Side,” to “Gravity,” to “Bird Box,” said it was “quite liberating” to portray an ex-convict who is determined to reenter society despite facing the harsh reality of social stigma.In Nora Fingscheidt's “Unforgivable,” based on the British miniseries of the same name, Bullock plays Ruth Slater, who is looking to reconnect with her younger sister after serving 20 years in prison for a violent crime. The Oscar-winning actor also co-produced the film with Graham King and Veronica Ferres. For Bullock, it was the script that drew her into wanting to get this film made.“I read the film screenplay before watching the miniseries. I actually didn't watch the ending of the miniseries. I fell in love with the script and didn't want to know if we were copying something or if we were originating something new. I didn't want Nov 30, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Lee Kwang-soo, Seolhyun to lead murder mystery series, 'Murderer's shopping list' AOA's Seolhyun, left, and actor Lee Kwang-soo / Korea Times fileBy Kwak Yeon-sooLee Kwang-soo and AOA's Seolhyun will star in tvN's new series, “The Murderer's Shopping List,” a humorous murder mystery about hunting for a killer after a body is found near an apartment complex. Based on the novel of the same title, the series will involve different characters tracking down the suspected killer based on the grocery receipts that the deceased left behind. It will be directed by Lee Eon-hee, who previously worked on the films, “The Accidental Detective 2: In Action” and “Missing.” The script was written by Han Ji-wan, who also wrote the dramas, “Wanted” and “The Ghost Detective.”In the upcoming series, Lee will portray Ahn Dae-sung, a silly but lovable son of supermarket owner Jung Myung-sook (Jin Hee-kyung). Ahn was once a smart kid, but a mysterious incident at the supermarket turned his life upside down and he is now studying for the third-consecutive year to become a public servant. AOA's Seolhyun will play the role of Ahn'sNov 27, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Actor Yoo Teo's directorial debut film 'Log in Belgium' is love letter to cinema Actor Yoo Teo / Courtesy of C-Jes EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooWhen the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread around the world in early 2020, Yoo Teo was in Atwerp, Belgium, filming James Payen's soccer world drama-thriller series, “The Window.”Shortly after the outbreak, borders were shut down and production was halted. The cast and crew returned home. Yoo's hands were tied because his flight was canceled due to the border restrictions. He was left with no other choice but to stay alone in his hotel room.The 65-minute film follows Yoo's daily record of 15 days of quarantine, set mostly in his hotel. Shot on smartphone, it gives a rare glimpse into his daily life, where he self-tapes for an audition, takes an evening stroll, dances like nobody's watching and makes dumplings. “In the hotel room, I was incredibly lonely. Being away from home and feeling isolated from family and friends in Korea, I was estranged and terrified. So I started recording myself so I wouldn't lose my mind,” he said during a recent interview with The Korea Times via Zoom.Yoo shared that he Nov 26, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Choi Woo-shik transforms into cop who plays by the rules in 'The Policeman's Lineage' Actors Cho Jin-woong, left, and Choi Woo-shik attend the press conference for the film, “The Policeman's Lineage,” in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of AcemakerBy Kwak Yeon-sooCrime drama film “The Policeman's Lineage,” starring Cho Jin-woong and Choi Woo-shik, involves plenty of action scenes and shows the distrust among a group of police officers, according to the cast.The film revolves around officer Min-jae (Choi), a police officer with strict ethical beliefs, who is secretly tasked with investigating another cop, Kang-yoon (Cho), who is unrivaled in his number of arrests, but is illicitly receiving huge payoffs from an unknown source. “I've always believed that police officers must have a strong work ethic and faith in their mission. After meeting them in real life, however, I came to think that each cop may have a different set of beliefs about what is right and wrong,” director Lee Kyu-man said during an online press conference for the film, Thursday. Continuing, he explained that there is a gray area between good (cops) and evil (villains) shownNov 25, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
