Thriller film 'Hard Hit' soars in local box office The film, “Hard Hit,” has topped local box offices since it hit theaters on Wednesday. Courtesy of CJ ENMBy Lee Gyu-leeThe action thriller “Hard Hit” has been topping the local box office for four-consecutive days after grabbing the No. 1 spot on the day of its premiere, Wednesday. The film sold about 105,000 tickets Saturday, adding about 1.04 billion won ($919,200) to its gross earnings so far of 2.37 billion won ($2.1 million). On its opening day, the film scored this year's record high among all local films released so far, with around 55,700 tickets sold, grossing 493.5 million won ($437,300).The previous record was set by the sci-fi action film, “Seo Bok,” starring Gong Yoo and Park Bo-gum. It sold about 45,100 ticket sales on its opening day. “Hard Hit” follows bank manager Sung-kyu (Jo Woo-jin), who suddenly faces a life-or-death situation after receiving an anonymous call about a bomb threat. One day, Sung-kyu gets a call from a stranger and is told that a bomb is planted on his car. The unknown caller gives him orders and tellJun 27, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
INTERVIEW Jin Ki-joo opens up about her cinematic journey, gaining wider support Actress Jin Ki-joo / Courtesy of Tving & CJ ENM By Kwak Yeon-sooActress Jin Ki-joo had chosen a different path in life before breaking into the entertainment industry. She worked at Samsung SDS, an IT service unit of Samsung Group, for three years before moving on to become a journalist. From the moment she decided to get into acting, she never looked back. Although there were many skeptics, the actress put in a lot of effort to pursue important opportunities.In 2018, she appeared alongside rising actors Kim Tae-ri and Ryu Jun-yeol in director Yim Soon-rye's touching film, “Little Forest,” which gave her a chance to show off her talent to audiences. Later, the 32-year-old actress landed a major role in the TV series “Come and Hug Me” (2018) and “Homemade Love Story” (2020). Her first leading role on the big screen will be the upcoming thriller “Midnight,” which is likely to boost her career even further. In “Midnight” she plays a deaf woman named Kyung-mi who engageJun 25, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Yoo Ah-in to lead cast of Netflix's car chase film 'Seoul Vibe' Actor Yoo Ah-in / Courtesy of United Artists AgencyBy Kwak Yeon-sooActor Yoo Ah-in, who won multiple awards for his role in “Voice of Silence,” will lead the cast of the new action blockbuster, “Seoul Vibe.”Netflix announced on Friday that “Seoul Vibe,” which revolves around an investigation into a political slush fund on the day of the opening ceremony of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, will feature a star-studded cast. Packed with spectacular car chase action and old school hip-hop music, the upcoming film is being directed by Moon Hyun-sung, who previously directed the sports drama “As One” and the comedy film “The King's Case Not.”Yoo will play the role of Dong-wook, the leader of the investigative team, while Go Kyung-pyo will co-star as his teammate, DJ Woo-sam. Joining them are Lee Kyu-hyung, Park Ju-hyun and Ong Seong-woo, who will appear as members of the investigative team. Kim Sung-kyun will be featured as Chief Lee, who is behind the money laundering and slush fund, while Moon So-ri will appear as Chairwoman Kang, who wJun 25, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Oscars to honor Elaine May, Danny Glover, Samuel L. Jackson This combination of photos shows Danny Glover, from left, Samuel L. Jackson, Elaine May and Liv Ullmannm who will be honored at the 12th Governors Awards in January. AP-YonhapThe Academy Awards will present Elaine May, Samuel L. Jackson and Liv Ullmann with honorary Oscars and Danny Glover with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 12th Governors Awards in January. The film academy announced the honorary awards Thursday. Once a regular feature of the Academy Awards telecast, the honorary Oscars will be doled out in a separate, untelevised ceremony on January 15 in Los Angeles. ``Sam Jackson is a cultural icon whose dynamic work has resonated across genres and generations and audiences worldwide, while Elaine May's bold, uncompromising approach to filmmaking, as a writer, director and actress, reverberates as loudly as ever with movie lovers,`` said David Rubin, academy president. ``Liv Ullmann's bravery and emotional transparency has gifted audiences with deeply affecting screen portrayals, and Danny Glover's decades-long advocacy for justice and human rights reflects his dedicJun 25, 2021
Scarlett Johansson calls 'Black Widow' action film with lots of heart Actress Scarlett Johansson, top, and director Cate Shortland attend an online press conference with Korean reporters, Thursday. Courtesy of Walt Disney Co. Korea By Kwak Yeon-sooActress Scarlett Johansson said she is proud of how her character Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, evolved over time since her first appearance in 2010's “Iron Man 2.”“When we see her in Iron Man 2 she's a caricature of the person, reacting to all the male characters. She's a leader and complicated when we see her in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). In Avengers: End Game (2019), she's a fully formed person. It's been progressive and I'm proud of that,” she told Korean reporters during an online press conference, Thursday. Recalling her experience portraying Natasha as “a very unique experience,” the acclaimed actress expressed excitement about presenting the “Black Widow” standalone film after over a decade in the role.On what she looks for when selecting projects sheJun 24, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Actor Song Kang-ho joins 2021 Cannes jury Actor Song Kang-ho / AFP-YonhapBy Kwak Yeon-sooActor Song Kang-ho, who has appeared in nearly 40 films including the Oscar-winning “Parasite” (2019), has been invited to the jury for of the 2021 Cannes International Film Festival next month, the festival's organizers announced on its website, Thursday.Song will join eight other jurors, including actors Maggie Gyllenhaal, Melanie Laurent, Tahar Rahim, director Mati Diop, Jessical Hausner, Kleber Mendoca Filho, singer-songwriter Mylene Farmer and Cannes Jury President Spike Lee in judging the 2021 Cannes competition.Song is the fifth Korean to make the Cannes jury following the late director Shin Sang-ok in 1994, director Lee Chang-dong in 2009, actress Jeon Do-yeon in 2014 and director Park Chan-wook in 2017.Last year, Song and his castmates won the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for their performances in “Parasite” (2019).The acclaimed actor will next be seen in director Han Jae-rim's “Emergency Declaration,” which is expected to hit theateJun 24, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Review: Love and loss in 'I Carry You with Me' This image released by Sony Pictures Classics shows Alexia Morales, left, and Yael Tadeo in a scene from "I Carry You With Me." AP-YonhapDirector Heidi Ewing makes a powerful narrative debut with `` I Carry You with Me,'' a dreamy and tender, decades-spanning story about love, sacrifice, memory and immigration. The central character is Ivan (Armando Espitia), an aspiring chef who we meet in Mexico as he's struggling to get a spot in a kitchen and to make enough money to support his son. His boss, who has him washing dishes and fixing toilets, tells him to be patient. Ivan's culinary school degree and talent are of no interest to the boss, who fills an open kitchen position with a relative in need. Then one night Ivan meets the handsome Gerardo (Christian Vazquez), a teacher who, unlike him, is out as a gay man. They begin a passionate affair that Ivan tries to keep secret from everyone. He fears that his son's mother won't let Ivan see him if he's outed and his own mother won't understand. When it looks like he's about to be exposed, he makes the decision to cross over into America wJun 24, 2021
'Bogota,' featuring Song Joong-ki, resumes filming after COVID-19 shutdown A scene from “Bogota: City of the Lost” / Courtesy of Megabox Plus MBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe crime drama “Bogota: City of the Lost,” featuring Song Joong-ki, has resumed shooting in Korea after it halted filming in Colombia due to the pandemic.“Following a hiatus for COVID-19 quarantine restrictions, filming has resumed on Bogota in Korea. It has about three months of material left to shoot,” the film's distributor Megabox Plus M said in a statement, Wednesday. The filming began in January 2020 in Colombia, but two months later, the “Bogota” team shut down production as the pandemic forced film and TV shoots to pause work.In March last year, Colombia imposed an entry ban on travelers from South Korea as well as those who had visited the country. So the cast and crew returned to Korea and abandoned their original plan to shoot the entire film in the South American country.Directed by Kim Sung-je, who previously helmed “Minority Opinion” (2015), the film tells the story about Koreans who migrated to Colombia in the 1990s in search Jun 23, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
'The Bike Thief,' 'Molly's Home' win top Jury Awards at PyeongChang film festival A scene from “Molly's Home” / Courtesy of PIPFFBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe PyeongChang International Peace Film Festival (PIPFF) wrapped up its six-day run on Tuesday after being held both online and offline amid the ongoing pandemic. Under the slogan “A New Hope,” the event kicked off on June 17 with film auteur Ahn Jae-huun's “The Shaman Sorceress” (2020), which revolves around a female shaman named Mohwa. Apart from screening his earlier films such as “Innocent Joy” (2000) and “The Road Called Life” (2014), the festival's Close-Up section highlighted the work of Ahn, winner of the Contrechamp Jury Distinction Award at the 2020 Annecy International Animation Film Festival. A total of 78 films from 26 countries were shown during the third edition of the film fest.The festival's organizing committee said that roughly 12,000 attended this year's event, including those who joined online. The film fest made 49.1 percent of all theater seats available for the screenings, and the total audience size increased by 22 percent from a year eaJun 23, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
From 'Shark: The Beginning' to 'The 8th Night,' more films going direct to OTT Actor Kim Min-seok in a scene from “Shark: The Beginning” / Courtesy of Tving By Kwak Yeon-sooDuring the first wave of COVID-19 last year, Korean cinema witnessed a number of films heading straight to over-the-top (OTT) platforms as theatres remained virtually empty. Starting with “Time to Hunt,” the industry then saw a growing number of films take the direct-to-digital route all the way to the recent “Space Sweepers,” which opened new doors for film producers to embrace digital premieres.The ongoing pandemic, which has been keeping moviegoers at home, and the heated competition between homegrown and global OTT service providers have turned digital platforms into the world's most popular viewing spots.Producers are now looking into the option of sending films straight to OTT with the possibility of a simultaneous release in theaters. In April, local OTT player Tving made an unprecedented dual theatrical-streaming release for the sci-fi thriller “Seobok,” starring GoJun 21, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
