In '#Alive,' two survivors struggle to escape zombie-hit homes Actors Yoo Ah-in, right, and Park Shin-hye pose for a photo during a press conference for the film “#Alive” held at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University Entrance Branch in Seoul, Monday. / YonhapBy Kwak Yeon-sooActors Yoo Ah-in and Park Shin-hye are set to play two contrasting characters who struggle to survive and escape a zombie-hit apartment complex in the survival thriller “#Alive.”Based on the 2019 U.S. zombie horror film “Alone,” the story follows two protagonists isolated in their apartments as a zombie apocalypse erupts outside. Yoo Ah-in plays Joon-woo, a game streamer and electronics geek, while Park Shin-hye plays Yu-bin, an individualist who likes hiking. The two very different characters employ their own methods and team up for survival when all contact with the outside world is cut off. “Joon-woo is a boy-next-door type of character who many people will be able to relate to. He's an ordinary and friendly guy who has comical undertones,” Yoo said during a press conference for the film held at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University EntranJun 16, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Movie Review New zombie thriller '#Alive' takes fresh approach on loneliness Joon-woo (Yoo Ah-in) gets up late in the morning as usual. His home is empty as his parents and sister already left. He turns on the computer to play an online game with unidentified friends but feels that something is different outside.Outside the apartment, people run amuck and bite each other, with the television buzzing about news that the whole city has fallen into chaos due to hordes of zombies.In panic, Joon-woo opens the door to check what's going on. One man who looks uneasy and disheveled comes hurriedly into the room and asks him to use the bathroom. Suddenly, the man who has a bite on his neck changes into a zombie and attacks Joon-woo.After the fierce fight against the zombie, Joon-woo receives a text message from his father, asking him to survive. He is finally aware that he is in the center of a disaster and has to remain alive alone.Directed by Cho Il-hyung, known as Il Cho abroad, "#Alive" pushes viewers to rapidly go into the zombie-hit apartment without letting them ask questions about why the initial zombie outbreak occurs and how it spreads.But from here, "#AliveJun 16, 2020
Films aiming to win Oscars will need to meet diversity criteria, Academy says In this file photo taken on Feb. 08, 2020, an Oscars statue is displayed on the red carpet area on the eve of the 92nd Oscars ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. Hollywood's motion picture academy will introduce new eligibility rules to boost diversity among Oscars nominees under a raft of new measures announced June 12, 2020. AFPThe organization that hands out the Academy Awards said Friday it would form a group to develop diversity and inclusion guidelines that filmmakers will have to meet in order for their work to be eligible for Oscars.The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which has been criticized for honoring few movies and creators of color, said the move and other steps represented a new phase of a 5-year effort to promote diversity.The group said in a statement it would work with the Producers Guild of America to convene a task force of industry leaders to develop "representation and inclusion standards" for Oscars eligibility by July 31 that will "encourage equitable hiring practices on and off screen."The rules will not apply to films vying for OJun 14, 2020
Summer tent-pole films set new release dates despite increase in movie attendance Actor Hwang Jung-min in a scene from the film “Deliver Us From Evil” / Courtesy of CJ Entertainment By Kwak Yeon-sooAmid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, several big name film studios announced changes to their summer releases of “tent-pole” films. Delayed movies include “Deliver Us From Evil,” “Hero,” “Space Sweepers” and “Mogadishu” ― the only film that appears unaffected is “Peninsula,” which is still set for theatrical release in July.On June 11, CJ Entertainment announced changes to its release calendar. Hardboiled action film “Deliver Us From Evil,” starring Hwang Jung-min and Lee Jung-jae, will be released in August instead of July.“Considering various factors such as the summer vacation and market conditions, we concluded that August would be more appropriate than July,” a company official said.This change set off a domino effect, pushing its highly-anticipated film “Hero” into the fall or beyond. “Hero,” a film version of the hit musical about Korean indepeJun 14, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Mystery drama 'Me and Me' brings novelty yet lacks clarity Actor Cho Jin-woong in a scene from the film “Me and Me” / Courtesy of AceMaker MovieworksBy Kwak Yeon-sooJung Jin-young made an impressive directorial debut with mystery thriller “Me and Me.” The actor-turned-filmmaker proves that his movie is certainly something of a novelty that will likely attract audiences.Although uneven, the film balances everything from humor and tragedy to mystery to fantasy in the story that traces one man's lonely struggle to get his life back.The film revolves around a police officer named Hyung-gu (played by Cho Jin-woong) who investigates a mysterious fire that took the lives of a married couple in a small town.While trying to find out why there was a cage installed in the house and the couple were locked up in the attic, Hyung-gu becomes aware of the townspeople's secret related to their deaths.One night, the townspeople invite Hyung-gu for a drink. The next day, he wakes up discovering that people refuse to recognize him for who he is ― a police officer and a father of two.Instead, the townspeople tell Hyung-gu he is a teacher Jun 10, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Baseball Girl' presents how to break glass ceiling in sports Actress Lee Joo-young as Soo-in, an aspiring baseball player, in a scene from the film “Baseball Girl” / Courtesy of Sidus'Itaewon Class' actress challenges baseball player role By Kwak Yeon-soo“Baseball Girl” is a coming-of-age story of a young female baseball player who competes with male athletes to break the glass ceiling in sports.The film follows the story of Joo Soo-in (played by Lee Joo-young), the only girl on her high school baseball team, who dreams of becoming a professional baseball player.Although Soo-in is capable of throwing balls at 130 kilometers per hour on average, she faces challenges to join the “men only” professional team.Her coach Choi Jin-tae (played by Lee Jun-hyuk), who initially tells Soo-in that she is never going to make it to the pro league because of her physical limitations, changes his mind after seeing Soo-in's ambition. Choi comes up with a new strategy to arrange a tryout for her for a professional baseball team. “If you can't beat boys by strength, throw something that boys cannot hit: a knuckleballJun 9, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Theaters crowded again as ticket prices cut by 60 percent People queue in front of ticket kiosks at a movie theater in Seoul, Thursday. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonLocal theaters were crowded with moviegoers over the weekend after the Korea Film Council (KOFIC) provided a 60 percent movie ticket subsidy to operators to cope with falling sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to KOFIC, 485,942 people watched movies between June 4 and 7 ― up over 110 percent compared to a week ago.The newly released Korean film “Intruder” benefited a lot from the resulting discount; nearly 290,000 people saw the film over the weekend.KOFIC launched the campaign “See it again at a theater” to aid the virus-hit film industry May 28. Under the plan, the KOFIC subsidy allows moviegoers to purchase tickets for 6,000 won for three weeks, starting June 4. The discounted prices on 1.3 million tickets apply only on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. “A red flag was raised for the Korean film industry as it was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic,” it said in a statement released last week. “The campaign aims to revive the Jun 8, 2020By Park Ji-won
'Innocence' actor talks on first lead role on big screen By Kwak Yeon-sooActress Shin Hye-sun poses for a photo after an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Kidari ENTShin Hye-sun, a rising actress who earned fame through 2017 smash-hit tvN drama “Stranger” and KBS' “My Golden Life,” has taken her first lead role on the silver screen.In the upcoming crime drama “Innocence,” Shin plays Jung-in, an attorney who tries to prove her long-estranged mother Hwa-ja's innocence in a murder case. Hwa-ja (played by Bae Jong-ok), a woman suffering from dementia, is accused of mixing agricultural pesticide in makgeolli (rice wine) at her husband's funeral, which led to one death and three severe injuries.Shin said she was attracted to Jung-in's character, who is strong-minded even in difficult circumstances.“To be honest, Jung-in is the kind of character that you don't want to befriend,” Shin said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Friday. “Growing up with a violent father and negligent mother, Jung-in leaves her abusive home life before enJun 8, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Hwang Jung-min, Lee Jung-jae team up for 'Deliver Us From Evil' Actor Hwang Jung-min, left, speaks during an online press conference for the film “Deliver Us From Evil” held in Seoul, Friday. / Courtesy of CJ EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooActors Hwang Jung-min and Lee Jung-jae are reuniting for a hardboiled action film “Deliver Us From Evil,” seven years after the two starred in 2013 hit crime drama “New World.”“Deliver Us From Evil” follows a story of hitman In-nam, played by Hwang, who plans to retire after carrying out one last hit. However, he gets embroiled in unexpected incidents as ruthless villain Ray, played by Lee, chases after him. Both lead actors said they were drawn to the large-scale action scenes in the film, compared with “New World,” which was a crime drama filled with mystery and suspense. “Deliver Us From Evil” was filmed in several different locations ― Thailand, Korea and Japan, according to director Hong Won-chan. His debut feature “Office” was invited to the Midnight Screenings of the Cannes Film Festival in 2015.The filmmaker explained thatJun 7, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Kim-Gun': new perspective on Gwangju Uprising By Park Han-sol“Let's stop talking about May.” “I wish I could.”To the people in Gwangju, May is more than just a month marking the end of spring. It is an agonizing word rife with blackouts, rows of coffins and sleepless nights.Director Kang Sang-woo's 2019 documentary “Kim-Gun” begins with a far-right researcher's provocative claim about North Korean involvement in the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy movement.Ji Man-won advances a conspiracy theory through facial analysis software that nearly 600 demonstrators in Gwangju were North Korea agents who staged a “riot,” not a grassroots bottom-up protest for democracy. He then names these cryptic figures as “Gwang-su.”The iconic photo of “Kim-Gun” (Mr. Kim) taken during the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy movement. / Courtesy of the DMZ International Documentary Film FestivalHe points to a black-and-white image of a young man, dubbed as “No.1 Gwang-su,” staring fiercely into the camera. “This guy's ferocious eyes, posture and physique are not something that Jun 5, 2020By Park Han-sol
