Krystal of f(x) plays first lead role in comedy film 'More than Family' From left, actors Gang Mal-geum, Jung Soo-jung and Jang Hye-jin pose during a press conference for the film “More than Family” in Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapBy Kwak Yeon-sooAfter a decade in the public eye thanks to her successful music career as a K-pop idol, Jung Soo-jung (a.k.a. Krystal) is betting big on her acting career with her first lead movie role in the comedy drama “More than Family.”In the film, Jung plays To-il, a pregnant college student who heads out on a mission to find her birth father Hwan-gyu (played by Lee Hae-young), whom she hasn't heard from for more than a decade, before her wedding. Once she tracks down her birth father, To-il faces another challenge: her soon-to-be-husband Ho-hoon (Shin Jae-hwi), who is still a high school student, goes completely off the grid. So she wanders from place to place with her family to find him.“When I first heard the role would be a pregnant woman, I sighed deeply,” Jung said during a press conference held in Seoul, Tuesday. “But I read the script in one sitting and was really drawn to it. SoNov 4, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Oh Dal-su to return to big screen after being cleared in sexual assault case Oh Dal-su / YonhapBy Kwak Yeon-sooOh Dal-su will return to the big screen two years after being cleared of sexual assault charges, with an appearance in the soon to be released film “Best Friend.”The actor was removed from the tvN series “My Mister” (2018) and fantasy drama “Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days” (2018) after accusations of sexual assault surfaced in February 2018. Three films starring Oh ceased production following the allegations. They were all in the post-production stage and have been shelved for years without any release date.But a newly released trailer for “Best Friend,” filmed more than two years ago and set to be released this month, shows Oh was not cut from the film. He will make his first public appearance since “Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead” (2018) at a press conference to promote the film, according to his management agency C-JeS Entertainment“Oh will attend the press screening and news conference scheduled for mid-November. He's also willing to conduct interviews with the pressNov 3, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL Sowing seeds for Korean cinema boom in 1950s By Kwak Yeon-sooIn Korean film history, the late 1950s are regarded as a period of revival, overcoming the post-war chaos and paving the way for the golden age of cinema in the 1960s.Through the mid-to-late 1950s, Korean cinema witnessed significant growth, laying the foundations for the current film industry. Despite the turbulence after liberation from Japanese rule (1910-1945) and the ruins of the Korean War (1950-53), both the quality and quantity of filmmaking increased rapidly by the end of the decade. In 1959, film production was in triple digits for the first time ever, with 111 films made in 1959, according to “A Look inside South Korean Cinema: K-Movie, The World's Spotlight on Korean Film.” This is a drastic jump from the 18 films produced in 1954. In the mid-late 1950s, Korean films adopted modern elements and there were more varied stories, with directors branching into genres such as action, melodrama, comedies, crime thrillers and period films.Poverty and gloom were prevalent in people's lives, but at the same time, an overwhelming sense of hope emerged in Nov 2, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Tokyo film festival taps 'power of the arts' to give courage amid pandemic People walk past movie posters for the 33rd Tokyo International Film Festival in Tokyo, Oct. 31, 2020. UPIThe Tokyo International Film Festival kicked off on Saturday with live screenings and a host of coronavirus prevention measures to ensure the show could go on.Audiences were barred from cheering festival guests, required to wear masks, have their temperature taken and use hand sanitiser.Foreign guests were mostly absent given Japan's international border closure to prevent the spread of COVID-19, although a small number of directors opted to quarantine for two weeks in order to attend the 33rd annual festival.Many screenings during the 10-day event were sold out."The fact that in these challenging times that you've found a way to honour and enjoy watching films on the big screen is a source of inspiration to myself and filmmakers around the world," said "Tenet" director Christopher Nolan in a video message at the opening ceremony.The decision to push ahead with the festival highlights the relative progress toward a post-COVID life in Japan and other Asian countries, while surgingNov 1, 2020
INTERVIEW Lee Je-hoon prepares career turn with comedy movie Actor Lee Je-hoon poses after an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Friday. / Courtesy of CJ EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooLee Je-hoon wasn't always an A-list actor. He got his start by appearing in several independent films, which parlayed into his eye-catching role in “Bleak Night.”Along the way, Lee has achieved a broad range of work ― going from a rebellious high school student in “Bleak Night” and an icon of first love in “Architecture 101,” to a fun-loving thief in “Collectors.”After a decade of acting, the 36-year-old said he feels more responsible to not only lead the cast but the entire crew and production team. “In the past, I didn't speak up about the issues concerning the film crew,” he said. “I was busy memorizing my lines and trying to maintain the continuity. But I've come to realize that it's really important for us, as actors, to encourage the crew and create the perfect atmosphere so that they can bring out the best in themselves.”Lee said the “Collectors” script got hOct 30, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Collectors' actors confident about film's eye-catching set, good laughs Lim Won-hee in a scene from the film “Collectors” / Courtesy of CJ EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-soo“Collectors” is a fun-filled crime comedy film that can make audiences laugh cathartically amid the pandemic gloom. Apart from the story itself, the acting in the film is performed remarkably by four actors whose performances capture the light-hearted atmosphere of the film. The film opens with antiquities thief Kang Dong-goo (Lee Je-hoon) stealing a golden sitting Buddha statue from Hwangnyong Temple in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The daring thief is given a mission to rob the ancient tombs from the Goguryeo period (37 B.C. to A.D. 668) located in China, so Kang joins hands with Dr. Jones (Jo Woo-jin), an ancient tomb mural expert. Kang then prepares an elaborate plan to find a priceless sword hidden inside Seolleung, a royal tomb from the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) located in Seoul's Gangnam District. Confronted with a challenging mission, Kang recruits a team of cohorts, including Dr. Jones and tunnel digger (Lim Won-hee). The fun starts here, as lootersOct 29, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Netflix vows to expand animation lineup Taiki Sakurai, chief producer of anime at Netflix Courtesy of NetflixBy Park Ji-wonNetflix has hinted at the possibility of joining hands with additional Korean animation production companies, its chief animation producer said Tuesday, while aiming to provide all kinds of such content to meet various audiences' preferences.“There are some Korean animation studio which can come up with quality animation films. I am taking a close look at Red Dog Culture house, Maru Animation and Studio Goindol … There are possibilities that Netflix will expand its partnerships,” Taiki Sakurai, chief producer of anime at Netflix said during an online press conference held for Korean reporters, Tuesday.He said that Korean animation companies are more than capable of meeting foreign animation companies' needs in production.“Maru Studio, for example, many staff can speak Japanese as it has been working on Japanese animation content. What I respect the most about Korean animation studios is that they adapt fast to any different workflow and develop their companies to respond to reqOct 28, 2020By Park Ji-won
Comedy film 'Samjin Company' floats to top of box office A scene from “Samjin Company English Class,” which topped the local weekend box office. Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentBy Lee Gyu-leeThe comedy film “Samjin Company English Class” has topped the local box office for six consecutive days since its release on Oct. 21. The film garnered about 400,000 ticket sales as of Monday, accumulating 3.4 billion won ($3 million). It landed on top with about 37,000 ticket sales on its opening day, taking 353 million won ($313,000).Directed and written by Lee Jong-pil, known for directing the 2015 period film “The Sound of a Flower,” the film revolves around three women ― Ja-young (Ko Ah-sung), Yoo-na (Esom), and Bo-ram (Park Hye-soo) ― working at the same company in the 1990s. The three join the company's English class for better promotion chances. But the study group takes on another purpose after they uncover corruption within the company.But the overall movie industry is struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, as many distributors are putting a pause on releasing films and more people avoid going to theaters.MoOct 27, 2020By Lee Gyu-lee
Gong Yoo, Park Bo-gum's 'Seobok' is road movie of secret agent, human clone Actors Gong Yoo, left, and Park Bo-gum in a scene from sci-fi action film “Seobok” Courtesy of CJ EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe sci-fi action film “Seobok,” featuring Gong Yoo and Park Bo-gum, is the story of a growing relationship between a former intelligence agent who is terminally ill and the world's first human clone who possesses the secret to eternal life.It has been garnering much attention as one of the long-awaited projects of 2020 because the two heartthrob actors are starring together in a film for the first time.In “Seobok,” Ki-heon (Gong) is given one final mission to discreetly transport Seobok (Park) to a safe place, but they find themselves in a number of life-threatening situations as other forces seek to take possession of Seobok.Returning to the big screen a year after “Kim Ji-young, Born in 1982,” Gong said he was drawn to the script, which raises philosophical questions about the future of humanity and conveys the message that humans shouldn't be overly ambitious. “Whenever I decide to join a project, I chOct 27, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Film depicts Black Lives Matter, #MeToo as new feminist wave This image released by PBS shows activist and Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors during the filming of the documentary “Not Done: Women Remaking America,” debuting Tuesday on PBS stations. PBS via APThe documentary genre's power of immediacy is evident in ``Not Done: Women Remaking America,`` which includes the still-unfolding possibility of the first Black female vice president and the loss of Breonna Taylor.The film depicts a powerful female-driven advocacy, one represented by Black Lives Matter, (hash)MeToo and other 21st-century movements that have built on and transcended past efforts.``There is a newfound language around who gets to claim feminism,'' Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors says in the film debuting Tuesday on PBS (check local stations for time).Or as Gloria Steinem puts it: ``Now it's a majority and it's unapologetic. Now we know it's a revolution.``While the enduring feminist leader provides context, this era's activists are center stage. Among the voices: a Native American who's in her teens but already a veteran activist with aOct 25, 2020
