Korean cinematographer joins Hollywood film, “Last Night in Soho” Cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon, left, and actor Thomasin McKenzie prepare filming a scene from “Last Night in Soho” / Courtesy of Universal PicturesBy Kwak Yeon-sooCinematographer Chung Chung-hoon, a longtime collaborator of Park Chan-wook who worked on “Oldboy” (2003) and “The Handmaiden” (2016), has partnered with director Edgar Wright for the time-travel murder mystery thriller, “Last Night in Soho.”“Last Night in Soho” follows young fashion student Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie), who after moving to London, is able to enter the 1960s in her dream, where she witnesses the murder of Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), an aspiring professional singer.Wright, the writer-director behind “Baby Driver” (2017), said that he proposed working with Chung after watching “The Handmaiden.”“I was curious about how Chung would capture 1960s London and thought it would be interesting to tell stories from his perspective behind the lens,” he said. “Chung was amazing. He is not only one of the world's most gifNov 9, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Dune' tops 1 million admissions, sparks renewed interest in best-selling novel A scene from the film, “Dune” / Courtesy of Warner Bros. KoreaBy Kwak Yeon-soo“Dune,” the latest film adaption of Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi-novel of the same title, has topped a cumulative 1 million admissions here, becoming the 10th movie to achieve the feat this year, data showed Monday.The sci-fi blockbuster sold a combined 126,000 tickets over the Friday-to-Sunday period, bringing its combined total to over 1 million since Oct. 20, according to the data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).The film became the 10th foreign title this year to reach the milestone in 2021, following Marvel Studio's “Black Widow,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” “F9” and “Venom 2.” The film sparked a new wave of interest in the source material, restoring its status as a best-selling science fiction novel. More than 200,000 “Dune” books have been sold this year, according to an official at Minumsa, one of the leading publishing houses in the country.It stars Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides who traveNov 8, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Han Hyo-joo, Byun Yo-han star in Japanese big budget thriller 'The Sun Stands Still' Actress Han Hyo-joo in a scene from the film, “The Sun Stands Still” / Korea Times fileBy Kwak Yeon-sooLately an increasing number of Korean actors are starring in Japanese films. Actress Choi Hee-seo appeared in Japanese director Yuya Ishii's human drama “The Asian Angel,” and actors Song Kang-ho, Bae Doona and Gang Dong-won were cast in Hirokazu Kore-eda's “Broker.”Han Hyo-joo and Byun Yo-han have now taken on roles in the Japanese big budget thriller “The Sun Stands Still.”Eiichiro Hasumi's big screen adaptation of Shuichi Yoshida's spy novel series follows a pair of corporate spies who are looking to steal confidential solar energy technology. Experienced spy Kazuhiko Takano (Tatsuya Fujiwara) and his partner Ryoichi Taoka (Ryoma Takeuchi) must report to their employer every 24 hours during their mission, or otherwise bombs implanted in their chests will explode. While risking their lives, the duo find out that other corporate spies and double agents are seeking the revolutionary new technology.Shot in several countries, including BNov 8, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
INTERVIEW 'Perhaps Love' offers new take on dysfunctional family comedy Actor Ryu Seung-ryong / Courtesy of NEWBy Kwak Yeon-sooWhen actor Ryu Seung-ryong made his big screen debut in 2004's “Someone Special” at the age of 34, he had no idea he, in his career, would portray such a diverse range of characters, from a Qing dynasty general wearing a long single braid in “War of the Arrows” (2011) to a Casanova for hire in “All About My Wife” (2012) and mentally challenged father in “Miracle in Cell No. 7” (2013).“I always look for opportunities to play diverse characters, but film directors and screenwriters have always exceeded my imagination. It's just exciting to see how they come up with such original stories and characters,” he said during an interview with The Korea Times via Zoom, Friday.In his upcoming comedy film “Perhaps Love,” Ryu plays best-selling author Hyun, who is stuck in a seven-year slump. Hyun attempts to reboot his career by co-writing his next novel with an aspiring writer who comes out as gay and confesses his love for him.Meanwhile, his ex-wife is dating his best Nov 7, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Eternals' draws more than 1 million moviegoers on fourth day of release in Korea A scene from the film, “Eternals” / Courtesy of Walt Disney Company KoreaBy Kwak Yeon-sooMarvel Studio's blockbuster “Eternals” has seen the cumulative number of moviegoers top 1 million on the fourth day of its release, box office data showed Sunday. The film, released on Nov. 3, attracted 492,000 people on the previous day, bringing its combined total to over 1.19 million, according to data from the Korean Film Council.It overtook “Fast & Furious 9: The Fast Saga” and “Venom 2,” both of which drew more than 1 million moviegoers on the fifth day after their release. Directed by Oscar-winner Chloe Zhao, “Eternals” tells the story of a group of superheroes who ward off their long-standing enemies, the Deviants, to protect Earth. Ma Dong-seok, also known by his English name Don Lee, stars in the film as Gilgamesh. He will next appear in the crime action film, “The Roundup,” a sequel to 2017's “The Outlaws.”In addition, BTS member Jimin has been credited as the producer and songwriter of “FrienNov 7, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Yoon Kye-sang plays 7 different characters in action-packed film 'Spiritwalker' Actors Yoon Kye-sang, right, and Park Yong-woo in a scene from the film, “Spiritwalker” / Courtesy of Megabox Plus MBy Kwak Yeon-sooActor Yoon Kye-sang plays multiple characters with very different personalities in director Yoon Jae-keun's fantasy action film, “Spiritwalker.”The movie is about a man named I-an (Yoon), who loses his memory after a car accident and subsequently wakes up in a different body every 12 hours with no memory. As he attempts to find his true self and make his way back to his own body, I-an realizes that he is being chased by a spy agency. The director explained that he came up with the movie idea a decade ago, while he was writing a screenplay in a public library. “I was writing the script for another film. One day, I felt as if everything was so mundane and boring. I wished I could wake up the next time as somebody else, and then thought that it would be fun to make a movie based on that premise,” he said during a press conference for the film, Thursday. Actor Yoon, who is reuniting with the “The Outlaws” produNov 4, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
INTERVIEW Jang Hyuk radiates charisma as ruthless villain in 'Tomb of the River' Actor Jang Hyuk / Courtesy of JNC Media GroupBy Kwak Yeon-sooJang Hyuk, an actor who radiates one-of-a-kind charisma, is back in action. Best known for starring in the 2010 historical drama “The Slave Hunters,” the action star has been a fixture of the genre.In the upcoming crime action film, “Tomb of the River,” Jang plays the villainous Min-suk who attempts to take over a luxury resort in Gangneung, owned by local gangster Gil-suk (Yu Oh-seong).Describing his character as a ruthless villain, Jang said that he felt compassion and connection with Min-suk.“When I read the script for the first time, I imagined Min-suk as a person who is not living in the present. He had gone through hard times, which left him mentally deranged, and he is still stuck in his own world, just drifting through life. His laid-back and aloof personality makes him only scarier,” he said during an interview with The Korea Times via Zoom, Tuesday.Because there were not that many lines for Min-suk, Jang was given more freedom to express his character through facial expressions Nov 3, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
INTERVIEW Documentary director follows master drum maker's lonely journey to find the 'right sound' The documentary, “The Birth of Resonance,” follows the life of traditional drum maker Im Seon-bin, who was designated as a Gyeonggi Intangible Cultural Asset in 1999. Courtesy of Cinesopa By Lee Gyu-leePreserving a cultural tradition in these rapidly changing contemporary times is a daunting mission indeed, especially when it is overlooked by society at large. Yet, this is not the case for master drum craftsman Im Seon-bin, who was designated as a Gyeonggi Intangible Cultural Asset in 1999. He has dedicated his entire life to preserving and passing down how to make the traditional drums including the grand bass drum, or “buk,” to the next generation. Director Lee Jeong-jun / Courtesy of Cinesopa Recently, Im's six decades of unwavering efforts were recognized by a filmmaker. Director Lee Jeong-jun's feature documentary directorial debut, “The Birth Nov 3, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
'Escape from Mogadishu' leads nominations for 42nd Blue Dragon Film Awards A scene from the film, “Escape from Mogadishu” / Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe nominations for the 42nd annual Blue Dragon Film Awards were announced Monday with director Ryoo Seung-wan's “Escape from Mogadishu” taking the lead as the most nominated film.“Escape from Mogadishu,” which drew the highest number of moviegoers among films released this year, received 10 nominations for awards. Based on a true story, the film follows stranded South Korean and North Korean embassy workers who join hands to escape Somalia during the civil war in 1991. Among the 10 nominations were those for Best Picture and Best Director. Actors Kim Yoon-seok and Zo In-sung were nominated for Best Actor, while Koo Kyo-hwan was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. The film was recently selected to compete for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards. “'Escape from Mogadishu' impresses viewers with quality action and suspense, well combined with the dramatic story of inter-Korean tension and cooperation,” the Korean FilmNov 1, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Netflix noir series 'My Name' reminiscent of 2013 film 'New World' Han So-hee in a still of Netflix original series “My Name” / Courtesy of NetflixBy Kang Hyun-kyung “Two lives. Two names. That's why he looked like he was on the edge of a cliff.” Actress Han So-hee plays a revenge-driven woman named Jiwoo in the hit Netflix series, “My Name.” She is hell-bent on chasing down the person who murdered her father, an undercover cop who infiltrated a criminal organization responsible for selling and distributing 90 percent of the crystal methamphetamines sold on the streets of Korea.Constantly reminded of the gun shots that killed her father in front of their home, Jiwoo vows to take revenge and silently begins to track down the murderer.For noir film fans, the popular Netflix series is reminiscent of the 2013 crime action movie, “New World,” which is also about a showdown between cops and a criminal gang in the guise of a corporation. The showdown occurs after the sudden death of its boss in a dubious car accident, resulting in a leadership vacuum.Both “My Name” and “New World” dealNov 1, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung
