INTERVIEW Han Ji-min said 'Josee' changed her perception of love, life Actor Han Ji-min / Courtesy of BH EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooActress Han Ji-min said her new film “Josee,” a remake of Isshin Inudo's 2003 Japanese film “Josee, the Tiger and the Fish,” changed her perception of love and life. “Getting over a breakup or losing a family member or having to say goodbye to one's dog isn't easy. It often takes time to heal and move on. But after filming Josee, I realized that I should look on the bright side and remain hopeful even when saying goodbye to loved ones,” Han said during an interview with The Korea Times via Google Meet, Thursday. “I also learned that I should be honest about my feelings. In the past, I tried very hard not to argue with people because I was too conscious about what others would think about me or my actions.”The romance drama “Josee” follows an ordinary college student named Young-seok (Nam Joo-hyuk) falling for Josee (Han), a woman in a wheelchair. Despite the social prejudice, the two fall in love. With the support of Young-seok, Josee learns to step out of her coDec 4, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
No. of daily theatergoers tumbles to 40,000 By Dong Sun-hwa“Best Friend” is leading the box office in Korea. / Courtesy of Little Big PicturesOnly about 40,000 people watched films at theaters nationwide on Dec. 2, according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), Thursday, far below the number of moviegoers recorded on the same date last year.The number dropped to 40,048 that day from 40,856 the day before. The KOFIC said the total number of filmgoers in November was 2.8 million, a sharp decline from the 6.8 million during the same month last year.This shows that people are reluctant to visit theaters during the COVID-19 pandemic.Despite this, drama film “Best Friend” has been topping the Korean box office for eight consecutive days as of Wednesday, accumulating an audience of about 250,000 nationwide since its opening on Nov. 25. It sold 13,900 tickets on Dec. 2. The movie revolves around a police detective, Dae-kwon ― played by Jung Woo ― who goes undercover as the next-door neighbor of a politician to keep an eye on him. Dec 3, 2020By Dong Sun-hwa
INTERVIEW 'Festival' actor talks about fate of laughing in the face of despair Actor Ha Jun / Courtesy of Thursday MorningBy Kwak Yeon-sooActor Ha Jun said “sincerity” was most important when playing the role of Kyung-man in “Festival,” an empathetic story about ordinary people caught up in emotional extremes.Helmed by Kim Lok-kyoung, who made his directorial debut with the short film “Samcheonpo Garbage” in 2016, “Festival” portrays ill-fated part-time host Kyung-man, who is required to put on a brave face to earn money, even after the tragic loss of his father. “Our film is not a light-hearted story, so it was important to sincerely portray the character,” he said during a recent interview with The Korea Times via Zoom. “I believe that most of us have had the experience of having to laugh or joke at times we weren't in the mood to do so.”In the film, Kyung-man and his younger sister Kyung-mi (So Joo-yeon) take care of their ailing father, who has been hospitalized for a long time. One day, their father dies, but there is no time to grieve because the siblings have no money to pay for his Dec 2, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Multi-star rom-com 'New Year Blues' brings holiday cheer From left, director Hong Ji-young poses with actors Kim Kang-woo, Lee Yeon-hee, Yoo Yeon-seok, Yeom Hye-ran, Lee Dong-hwi, Choi Soo-young and Yoo Teo after an online press event held for the film “New Year Blues” in Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Acemaker Movieworks By Kwak Yeon-sooChristmas and New Year's Eve films always bring a special dose of holiday cheer to audiences. This year, movie lovers can ring in the festive season with “New Year Blues” which tells the cutesy tale of four couples.The upcoming film is a star-studded romantic comedy that revolves around the lives of four couples who break up and fall in love on New Year's Eve. Helmed by Hong Ji-young, the director behind “Marriage Blue” (2013) and “Will You Be There?” (2016), the film's cast includes Kim Kang-woo, Yoo In-na, Yoo Yeon-seok, Lee Yeon-hee, Lee Dong-hwi, Chen Du Ling, Yeom Hye-ran, Choi Soo-young of Girls' Generation and Yoo Teo.“If 'Marriage Blue' was about romantic relationships, 'New Year BDec 1, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Dave Prowse, actor who played Darth Vader, dies at 85 This file photo taken on April 27, 2013 during a Star Wars convention in Cusset, central France, shows David Prowse, the British actor behind the menacing black mask of Star Wars villain Darth Vader, who died at 85, according to his agent, Sunday. AFP-YonhapDave Prowse, the British weightlifter-turned-actor who was the body, though not the voice, of arch-villain Darth Vader in the original ``Star Wars'' trilogy, has died. He was 85.Prowse died Saturday after a short illness, his agent Thomas Bowington said Sunday.Born in Bristol, southwest England, in 1935, Prowse was a three-time British weightlifting champion and represented England in weightlifting at the 1962 Commonwealth Games before breaking into movies with roles that emphasized his commanding size, including Frankenstein's monster in a pair of Hammer Studios horror films.Director George Lucas saw Prowse in a small part in ``A Clockwork Orange'' and asked the 6-foot-6-inch (almost 2-meter) actor to audition for the villainous Vader or the Wookie Chewbacca in ``Star Wars.''Prowse later told the BBC he chose Darth Vader because Nov 29, 2020
Number of weekday moviegoers falls amid worsening pandemic Movie theaters in Seoul and other parts of South Korea have suffered drop in visitors as the third wave of COVID-19 enforced antivirus curbs throughout places of entertainment. YonhapThe number of weekday moviegoers in South Korea dropped this week under the heightened antivirus curbs during the third wave of the new coronavirus pandemic, data showed Friday.The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) said 83,050 and 60,891 visited theaters on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, down from 91,175 and 86,091 from the previous Wednesday and Thursday.The figure is expected to be in further decline as concerns are swelling over a recent hike in COVID-19 cases.The daily caseload of the virus reached 569 on Friday, surpassing the half-century mark for the second straight day. Of those, 525 were local infections, and 337 of them came from the greater Seoul area. The recent trends have prompted the government to consider enforcing tougher social distancing rules in and around Seoul. The area is currently under Level 2, the third highest in the five-tier system.Under Level 2, which took effect Tuesday, eNov 27, 2020
Song Kang-ho, Kim Min-hee named in NYT's 'Greatest Actors of the 21st Century' Caption: Song Kang-ho and Kim Min-hee are listed on the New York Times' “The 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century.” Korea times fileBy Lee Gyu-leeSong Kang-ho and Kim Min-hee have been named in the New York Times' “The 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century.”The newspaper published the list of performers selected by its chief film critics Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott, Wednesday.The article included an interview with director Bong Joon-ho, who has worked with Song four times, asking his opinion of the actor.Song debuted with a small role in the film “The Day a Pig Fell into the Well” in 1996 and has become one of the most prolific actors in Korea. He has worked in various genres ― from drama and comedy to sci-fi and action ― including the Oscar-winning film “Parasite” (2019) and “Thirst” (2009).A scene from “Parasite.” / Courtesy of CJ ENM“It always feels like there will be a new layer to uncover,” Bong said. “Even if a scene involves difficult dialogue or highly technical camerawork, he will Nov 26, 2020By Lee Gyu-lee
Bits and pieces of life with disabilities told through smartphone-shot films Scene from the film “Dive in: Us at Last” / Courtesy of Korean Parallel Smartphone Film FestivalBy Park Han-sol“When I go out into the world, my hearing aid becomes essential. When I'm in the water, I really feel like a fish; a creature that suffers outside but finds comfort submerged. It just feels natural to me.”Film character Woo-kyung, who has hearing loss, explains that being immersed underwater, surrounded by muffled echoes, dispels the constant need to depend on sounds. In “Dive In: Us at Last,” an official selection of the 3rd Korean Parallel Smartphone Film Festival (KPSFF), she takes new friend Ah-yoon to a freediving session.Upon their earlier chance encounter at the beach, where the two bump into each other, Ah-yoon feels alienated as Woo-kyung, in her attempt to apologize, fervently communicates with her group of friends in sign language. This sense of isolation, an unfamiliar feeling for many of the hearing audience members, continues after the group invites her to play drinking games with them.But despite the gap in communication as Nov 26, 2020By Park Han-sol
Pixar's 'Soul' to premiere on Christmas Day in Korea Pixar's new animation film “Soul” will premiere in Korea on Christmas Day. Courtesy of Walt Disney Company KoreaBy Dong Sun-hwaAnimated movie “Soul” will come as a special gift for Korean movie fans next month.The feature is set to hit local theaters on Christmas Day, Walt Disney Company Korea said, Wednesday. The distributor also unveiled images featuring the film's characters.The much-anticipated movie follows Joe Gardner, a middle school music teacher whose soul accidentally gets separated from his body. It is then taken to the Great Before, a fantastical place where souls get personalities, quirks and interests before being sent to Earth. To get back to Earth and reunite with his physical body, Joe joins hands with soul “22,” who has a dim view on life. Actors including Jamie Foxx (Joe) and Tina Fey (22) voice the characters. “Soul” is created by American computer animation studio Pixar. Pete Docter, who is best known for the 2015 hit animation “Inside Out,” co-directed the movie with Kemp Powers. In the U.S., the movie Nov 25, 2020By Dong Sun-hwa
Park Shin-hye gained confidence through time-slip thriller 'The Call' Park Shin-hye / Courtesy of NetflixBy Kwak Yeon-sooPark Shin-hye, well-known for her roles in romantic comedy TV shows including “You're Beautiful” (2009) and “The Heirs” (2013), said she has enjoyed taking on a darker role in “The Call,” a female cast-led thriller.“This film made me feel more confident. It made me think it's okay to be more honest with expressing myself,” Park said in an interview with The Korea Times. The 30-year-old actress revealed that she actually turned down “The Call” because she was both physically and emotionally exhausted at the time she was offered the role.“I received the script by the time I finished filming tvN series Memories of the Alhambra. The script was intriguing and interesting, but I initially declined the project because I was too tired to begin filming right after wrapping up the drama series,” she said. “However, the film studio head asked me to reconsider and I ended up having a meeting with director Lee Chung-hyun. After the conversation, I could feel his confideNov 25, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
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