'Shang-Chi' runs rings around box office competition A scene from "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" / Korea Times file "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," the Disney blockbuster featuring Marvel's first leading Asian superhero, dominated the North American box office for a third straight week, taking in $21.7 million, figures showed Monday.The film ― starring Chinese-Canadian actor Simu Liu as a former assassin in the shadow of an evil father (Hong Kong legend Tony Leung) ― has so far earned $176.9 million in US and Canadian theaters, industry tracker Exhibitor Relations said.Sci-fi comedy "Free Guy," from 20th Century, held steady in second spot with $5.1 million. It stars Ryan Reynolds as an everyman bank teller who discovers he's actually a non-player character in a huge video game.Third place went to new entrant "Cry Macho," the latest gritty drama by the legendary Clint Eastwood, who directs and stars as a retired rodeo rider helping a teenager and his fighting rooster leave Mexico. The Warner Sep 21, 2021
Korean films lead box office in August A scene from "Escape from Mogadishu" / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment Korean films led the box office in August, with the action movie "Escape from Mogadishu" placing first, according to recent data.A total of 7.91 million people went to the movies last month spending 76.4 billion won ($64.9 million) on ticket sales, the Korean Film Council said Friday.Local films accounted for 76.1 percent of the sales, up 45.7 percentage points from July, and beating the percentage of foreign films for the first time this year."Escape from Mogadishu," based on the true story of South Korean and North Korean diplomats in Somalia, attracted 2.56 million viewers in August, and later became the first film this year to top the 3 million mark.The disaster comedy film "Sinkhole" came second with 2.02 million viewers, while the action thriller "Hostage: Missing Celebrity" followed in third place with 1.21 million.Rounding out the top five were two American films the superhero flick "The Sep 19, 2021
Soviet chess legend sues Netflix for 'sexist' line in Queen's Gambit show Nona Gaprindashvili, a Soviet-era chess grandmaster from Georgia, speaks during an interview in Tbilisi, Georgia May 10, 2019 in this file photo. Reuters-YonhapThe world's first female chess grandmaster, Nona Gaprindashvili, has filed a $5 million defamation lawsuit against Netflix over a line in its "The Queen's Gambit" series which her lawyers say is false and sexist.The 80-year old Soviet chess icon, a hero in her native South Caucasus Republic of Georgia, was described in the show's last episode as a female champion who had "never faced men.”The suit filed on Gaprindashvili's behalf in a U.S. federal court in Los Angeles said the reference to her was "degrading her accomplishments before an audience of many millions.”The legal papers seen by Reuters said the five-times world champion was "the first woman in history to achieve the status of international chess grandmaster among men.”She had played against at least 59 male chess players by 1968, the year in which the episode was set, according to the legal papers.Netflix did not immediately reply to a request for Sep 18, 2021
INTERVIEW 'The Bad Man' zooms in on child soldier in Myanmar A scene from the film, “The Bad Man” / Courtesy of Lee Yong ChaoBy Kwak Yeon-sooMyanmar has one of the world's longest-running civil wars and is estimated to have one of the largest numbers of child soldiers in the world. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA), a non-state armed group most vehemently opposed to the ruling military junta, is infamous for forcibly recruiting children to serve in the armed forces. Director Lee Yong Chao's documentary, “The Bad Man,” examines the aftermath of Myanmar's decades-long civil war and how it shaped the life of a boy, who was taken by the KIA while working at a gold mine. Making 30 dollars a month, the protagonist, whose name is not given in the film, was raised to be a killing machine. It was after losing his leg to a landmine that he came back to his senses and felt responsible for the atrocities. Realizing his mistakes, he enters a rehabilitation center to wipe out traumatic memories and become a pastor. Director Lee, who was born in Myanmar and educated in Taiwan, said making his latest documentary was the most painful eSep 16, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Han Sun-hwa feels more relaxed after quitting K-pop girl group Singer-turned-actress Han Sun-hwa / Courtesy of Cine SopaHan Sun-hwa has her first lead movie role in 'Cinema Street'By Kwak Yeon-sooAs a K-pop singer, Han Sun-hwa didn't love every facet of her job. She lived with a high amount of anxiety and struggled with the lifestyle that came with being famous. She couldn't even enjoy a cup of coffee with her friends because she felt guilty about taking time off from work. After working ceaselessly for seven years ― from the time she shot to fame in girl group Secret in 2009, until she left the group to pursue acting in 2016 ― she was exhausted, both physically and mentally.“As a member of the girl group, I was always so busy. I didn't have any time for relationships. There was no time to step back and ask myself, 'How do I actually feel?' I was too hard on myself, believing that my skills would deteriorate if I were to take a break. My biggest fear, at that time, was falling behind my competitors,” she said during a recent Zoom interview with The Korea Times.Luckily, the singer-turned-actress learned how to take steps to care herseSep 15, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
From '007' to 'Dune,' Hollywood films to dominate Korean cinemas this fall A poster for “007 No Time to Die,” “Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage” / Courtesy of Universal Pictures, Sony PicturesBy Kwak Yeon-sooUnlike last fall, when movie fans had fewer options to satisfy their cinematic cravings, 2021 is packed with huge Hollywood titles. Marvel's “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” kicked off the fall movie season, dominating the local box office with the cumulative number of tickets sold at over 1 million. From the new James Bond flick “No Time to Die” to another “Venom” installment and the long-awaited Denis Villeneuve sci-fi epic, “Dune,” there is plenty for cinephiles to enjoy after Korea's Chuseok holidays this month until Christmas.“007 No Time to Die,” which marks Daniel Craig's last performance as the iconic MI6 secret agent, will open in Korea on Sept. 29, one day before its release in the U.K. The U.S. will have its premiere on Oct. 8. The film revolves around British secret agent James Bond (Craig), who comes out of retirement and teams up with the new 007 (LSep 12, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
French abortion drama 'Happening' tops Venice Film Festival Director Audrey Diwan receives the Golden Lion award for Best Film at the 78th Venice Film Festival Awards Ceremony in Venice, Italy, Sept. 11. Reuters-YonhapAudrey Diwan's 1960s abortion drama ``L'Evenement'' (``Happening'') won the Golden Lion at the 78th Venice International Film Festival, while the runner up honor went to Paolo Sorrentino's semi-autobiographical ``The Hand of God.''Diwan's film about a French college student who finds herself with an unwanted pregnancy was the unanimous choice from the prestigious jury that included recent Oscar winners Bong Joon Ho and Chloe Zhao.The competition this year was robust, including well-received films like Jane Campion's ``The Power of the Dog,'' Pedro Almodovar's ``Parallel Mothers,'' Maggie Gyllenhaal's ``The Lost Daughter'' and ``The Hand of God.'' Twenty-one films were vying for the prize, which has become a promising early indicator of a film's Oscars prospects.``I did this movie with anger. I did the movie with desire also. I did it with my belly, my guts, my heart, my head,'' Diwan said Saturday. ``I wanted `Happening' to be aSep 12, 2021
Byeon Woo-seok to co-star with Kim Yoo-jung in Netflix series Actor Byeon Woo-seok / Courtesy of VARO EntertainmentBy Lee Gyu-leeActor Byeon Woo-seok will be starring in the new Netflix original series, “20th Century Girl,” with Kim Yoo-jung, the actor's agency VARO Entertainment announced, Wednesday, adding that he has been confirmed in the lead role of Poong Woon-ho in the upcoming movie.The series will follow the intertwined loves and friendships of a girl named Na Bo-ra (Kim). In 1999, a year before the new century, Bo-ra is a seventeen-year-old girl who is athletic and extremely loyal to her friends. To her, friendship comes before love. But she faces complex emotions when she experiences a sweet but heartbreaking first love, going through a rite of passage. Her love comes knocking on her door again years later into the 21st century. Byeon's character, Woon-ho, is Bo-ra's classmate who is in the school's broadcasting club with her. Actor Park Jung-woo will play Bo-ra's classmate, Baek Hyun-jin, who is Woon-ho's best friend and love interest of Bo-ra's friend, Yeon-doo (Roh Yoon-seo). The series will be the debut for director BaSep 10, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
13th DMZ documentary film festival kicks off in hybrid format The poster for the 13th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival / Courtesy of the DMZ International Film FestivalBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe DMZ International Documentary Film Festival kicked off Thursday with a variety of physical and digital film screenings despite the country currently suffering its fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.The 13th annual festival, which runs until Sept. 16, features 126 documentaries from 39 countries in its official selection. The documentaries will be screened at the Megabox Baekseok branch in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.Along with in-person screenings, the film festival has created the streaming platform, VoDA, where it will offer an abundance of digital screenings (52 feature-length documentaries and 26 shorts) for the public to view online. Although there will be fewer guests, as the majority of guests from overseas are unable to attend the event, several celebrities are expected to make an appearance, including veteran television host Song Hae, “Parasite” music director Jung Jae-il, actress Ye Ji-won and singer-songwriter Sunwoo Jung-a.ThSep 9, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Screening of controversial Chinese film about Korean War canceled A scene from the film, “The Sacrifice” / Korea Times fileBy Kwak Yeon-sooA screening of a Chinese film about the 1950-53 Korean War has been canceled in Korea after facing an enormous backlash from Koreans. The film is accused of glorifying the Chinese troops that fought against South Korea and killed numerous Koreans and U.N. soldiers. “The Sacrifice” revolves around the Battle of Kumsong, the final battle between the Chinese People's Volunteer (CPV) Army and the U.N. Command before the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement in 1953. It depicts China's victory and the deaths of thousands of South Korean soldiers. The movie drew media attention when the Korea Media Rating Board (KMRB) classified “The Sacrifice” as intended for audiences 15 and older last month. The film was aimed at the internet protocol TV (IPTV) platform, not for cinema release.The KMRB came under fire for giving the controversial movie the green light to be broadcast here. “Withholding or refusing classification due to the content or theme of the video is an act of pre-Sep 9, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
