'We were like one big family,' Ma Dong-seok says of 'Eternals' cast Actors Ma Dong-seok, right, and Angelina Jolie pose during an online press conference for the film, “Eternals.” Courtesy of Walt Disney Company KoreaBy Kwak Yeon-sooMa Dong-seok, also known by his English name Don Lee, said the “Eternals” cast were like one big family. He plays Gilgamesh, who he described as “the most powerful and strongest character” in “Eternals.” Ma's various roles, ranging from a brutal gangster to a homicide detective to an arm wrestler, have paved the way for him to become the first Korean actor to play a superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.The 50-year-old actor revealed that he didn't go through any audition process for “Eternals.”“After Train to Busan became increasingly popular abroad, I received numerous offers from Hollywood. I got a call from the casting director of Eternals, who offered me the role of Gilgamesh. It turned out that director Chloe Zhao and producer Nate Moore had already seen many of my films and analyzed my character,” he told Korean reporters at a recent onlinOct 24, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Shin Sae-kyeong steps out of comfort zone with documentary 'Another Record' Actress Shin Sae-kyeong, left, and director Kim Jong-kwan pose during an online media conference for the documentary, “Another Record,” Friday. Courtesy of SeeznBy Lee Gyu-leeActress Shin Sae-kyeong has taken on a new challenge to star in streaming platform Seezn's upcoming original documentary, “Another Record,” which will shed light on an unknown side of the actress. Directed by Kim Jong-kwan, who led the romance film, “Josee” (2020), and the drama film, “The Table” (2016), the documentary will follow Shin's journey through Seochon, one of the oldest neighborhoods of Jongno-gu in northern Seoul. Exploring the neighborhood, the actress meets different people for genuine conversation and shares a part of her life that she has never shown to the public. “I loved the purpose of this project, and I had faith in the director,” Shin said during the online media conference for the documentary, Friday. “And personally, I've been thinking that this time, I need to take on a new challenge. I've always wanted to do something outOct 24, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
Guns on film: How are they used safely? An aerial view of the film set on Bonanza Creek Ranch where Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded a director when he discharged a prop gun on the movie set of the film "Rust" in Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S., in this frame grab taken from Oct. 21 television footage. Reuters-YonhapThe fatal shooting of a crew member by actor Alec Baldwin during the making of a movie in the western United States has raised questions over the use of guns on film sets.Hollywood armorer Guillaume Delouche ― who has been supplying weapons to filmmakers for three decades, with 75 titles to his name ― says there are usually multiple safeguards against tragedy.Here are some of his insights into the use of guns in the movie business.Why are guns used on a movie set?Even though adding digital effects in post-production is relatively easy and cheap nowadays, a lot of directors and actors prefer to use real guns, says Delouche, citing added authenticity."The problem with dummy weapons is that you take away the recoil and the smoke, which adds something to the acting," Oct 23, 2021
Documentary on first Korean immigrants to Hawaii celebrates difference Journalist-turned-director Lee Won Jin-young interviews writer Gary Pak, a third-generation descendant of Korean immigrants to Hawaii, in this scene featured in the documentary project, “Words of Wisdom from the Rainbow State” / Courtesy of Now ProductionBy Park Han-solThe official poster for the documentary, “Words of Wisdom from the Rainbow State” (2021) / Courtesy of Now ProductionOn January 13, 1903, a ship with 102 Korean passengers landed on Hawaiian soil so that they could work on sugarcane plantations, marking the start of the first wave of Korean immigrants to America.Many members of these first-generation immigrants ― who initially hoped to return home with money in a few years ― eventually began to settle down, after toiling in plantations under the grueling heat, as they formed families and established schools and churches on the islands. Some even supported Korea's independence movement during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial era from afar.Today, 118 years later, more than 50,000 Koreans living in Hawaii continue to carry on their legacy.The documentOct 22, 2021By Park Han-sol
Ma Dong-seok uses his boxing skills to re-create Gilgamesh in "Eternals" Cast member Ma Dong-seok arrives at the premiere of "Eternals," Oct. 18, in Los Angeles. AP-YonhapActor Ma Dong-seok, also known as Don Lee, said Friday that his character Gilgamesh in the upcoming superhero movie "Eternals" reflects his unique personality and signature action style. "Since the zombie thriller 'Train to Busan' (2016) was released about five years ago, I've received some offers from Hollywood," he said during an online press conference with Korean media. "A few years ago, I got a call from a casting director of 'Eternals' after I lost some projects due to my schedules.""Eternals" is the latest Marvel Studios' film about the Eternals, a group of an immortal superheroes who fight against their evil counterparts, the Deviants, to protect Earth after thousands of years of hiding.Ma is the first ethnically Korean actor to take a lead role in a Marvel superhero film. South Korean Soo-hyun, known as Claudia Kim, played a supporting role as a geneticist in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015).Gaining international popularity for his role in "Train to Busan," Ma has done about 50 Oct 22, 2021
Frozen potatoes vs turkey: Patriotic Chinese-made war epic tops global box office A poster advertising "The Battle at Lake Changjin," a film about Chinese soldiers fighting American troops during the Korean War, is displayed at a movie theater in Shanghai, China October 19. REUTERS-YonhapA Chinese-made Korean War epic has topped the global box office, tapping a vein of rising patriotism in China and prompting moviegoers to post videos of themselves eating frozen potatoes to emulate the hardships endured by soldiers in the conflict."The Battle at Lake Changjin," released to coincide with China's Oct. 1 national holiday, had grossed nearly 5 billion yuan ($779.13 million) by Tuesday, according to data compiled by Lighthouse, a box office tracker owned by Alibaba Pictures.That puts it ahead of current global blockbusters including the latest 007 film, No Time To Die, and Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, according to IMDb-backed movie data website Box Office Mojo, and makes it the biggest-grossing war film ever, overtaking Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, which took in $526.9 million.Having premiered 20 days ago, the three-hour-movie currently accounts Oct 19, 2021
'Shadow Flowers' portrays unwitting North Korean defector's longing to return home North Korean defector Kim Ryun-hee in a scene from the documentary film, "Shadow Flowers" / Courtesy of Atnine FilmBy Kwak Yeon-sooKim Ryun-hee, also spelled, “Ryen-hi,” says she was in China to spend time with relatives and get treatment for her liver ailment when she met a Chinese broker. He promised that she could make money quickly in South Korea and then return to China to pay her medical bills. Even before arriving in South Korea in 2011, she already felt that she had made a terrible mistake. The broker had taken her passport, and then, once she arrived in South Korea, the South Korean National Intelligence Service told her that she had to sign a document agreeing to “defect,” and become a South Korean citizen. “Back then, I didn't know the significance of signing that document. It was a stupid mistake,” she recalled. Since arriving in South Korea, Kim has made several attempts to return to her home in North Korea: she tried to smuggle herself out on a boat, she started spying on other defectors in the hope of being expelled and she applied fOct 19, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Venom 2' tops local box office, exceeds 1 million in ticket sales A scene from the film, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” / Courtesy of Sony PicturesBy Kwak Yeon-soo“Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” the long-awaited follow-up to 2018's “Venom,” has accumulated over 1 million ticket sales in five days, local box office statistics showed Monday. The super-villain film sold over 778,000 tickets over the weekend (Friday-Sunday), bringing its combined total to 1.09 million, according to data from the Korean Film Council.It is the first time in five months that a film has sold more than 1 million tickets in its first week at the box office, following “F9” in May and “Black Widow” in July.The film had a strong opening on Wednesday, scoring the highest opening record for a film since “Black Widow.” It sold over 203,000 tickets, grossing 1.96 billion won ($1.65 million), on that one day.Directed by Andy Serkis, the film tells the story of journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) who is still figuring out life with the alien, Venom symbiote existing inside him. He has to deal with a new enemy, conviOct 18, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Hong Sang-soo's 'In Front of Your Face' is about finding romance in the tedious A scene from the film “In Front of Your Face” / Courtesy of Jeonwonsa Film By Kwak Yeon-sooLike many of his other films, director Hong Sang-soo 26th feature “In Front of Your Face” is about finding the extraordinary within the ordinary, and romance in the tedious. The auteur brings attention to the otherwise mundane events of everyday life with a sharp sense of humor. The film begins with middle-aged actress Sang-ok (Lee Hye-young) waking up in her sister's house. She is visiting her sister Jeong-ok (Cho Yun-hee) in Korea after years of living in the U.S. Most of this segment tracks Sang-ok as she sits in the living room, waiting for her sister to wake up.The next segment of the film focuses on her spending the day with her sister and taking a stroll around the neighborhood. The conversations between the two reveal how barely they know each other as Sang-ok shares that she has acrophobia and ran a liquor shop in the U.S. Tension arises when Jeong-ok asks her to settOct 18, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Busan film festival closes safely amid pandemic The closing ceremony for the Busan International Film Festival takes place, Friday. YonhapThe 26th Busan International Film Festival came to a close Friday, with its experiment on returning to normal likely finishing with flying colors amid the COVID-19 pandemic.This year's BIFF, which opened Oct. 6 for a 10-day run, screened 223 films from 70 countries at the Busan Cinema Center (BCC) in the southern port city of Busan, including the opening film "Heaven: To the Land of Happiness.""We finally reached the final day after overcoming many difficulties, like the virus issues," BIFF Chairman Lee Yong-kwan said in an online press conference. "All invited Korean actors and filmmakers visited the festival and some foreign guests have participated in the event enduring the self-quarantine process."Asia's biggest film festival kicked off with an on-site opening ceremony with 1,200 spectators, with a bigger emphasis on offline events and screenings. Last year, BIFF was held on a smaller scale due to the pandemic with no opening and closing ceremonies as well as other outdoor events and no overOct 15, 2021
