Coronavirus scares away moviegoers; theaters in emergency mode to survive Posters for the black and white version of “Parasite” and the new thriller film “Time to Hunt.” More film premieres are being postponed due to the coronavirus spread. Courtesy of CJ ENM and LittleBig PicturesBy Lee Gyu-leeKorean cinema is bearing the brunt of the fallout from the coronavirus epidemic.Films, on weekdays and weekends alike, are screened with most seats unoccupied ― only 3.5 of 100 seats for top 10 movies are occupied on average, according to the Korea Film Council. Amid fears of infection, distributors have canceled or postponed the release of new ones, even the black and white version of the Oscar-winning “Parasite.” With the epidemic expected to continue through March or even longer, major theaters have declared a state of emergency, curtailing available screens and screen time, granting employees unpaid leave for a month or so, and slashing salaries temporarily in a desperate effort to save money. Affected films Two films ― the black and white version of “Parasite” and the thriller “Time to Hunt” ― canceledFeb 27, 2020By Lee Gyu-lee
'Parasite' producer talks on Bong's quirky brilliance, int'l acclaim By Kwak Yeon-sooKwak Sin-ae, producer of “Parasite” and CEO of its production house Barunson E&M, poses for a photo after an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Feb. 20. / Courtesy of CJ ENMKwak Sin-ae, producer of the Oscar-winning “Parasite” and CEO of its production house Barunson E&A, says she still feels “awkward and uncomfortable” being in the spotlight. “Until recently, I led my life as an ordinary citizen. I used to sit in the corner on set trying not to be noticed,” Kwak said during an interview with The Korea Times. “To say I'm overwhelmed about winning the Oscars is an understatement.”On Feb. 9, “Parasite” became the first foreign-language film to win best picture at the Academy Awards in its 92-year history. It also won three other awards for best director, best international feature film and best original screenplay.Thanks to the Oscar's unconventional move, Kwak became the first Asian female producer to win best picture from the academy. She recalls how a Korean film winning tFeb 27, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Hong Sang-soo unveils new film at Berlin int'l film festival Director and screenwriter Hong Sang-soo attends the press conference for the film "Domangchin Yeoja" (The Woman Who Ran) screened in competition on Tuesday at the 70th Berlinale film festival in Germany. / AFP-Yonhap By Kang Hyun-kyungDirector Hong Sang-soo's new film “The Woman Who Ran” was screened at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival in Germany, Tuesday (local time). It is the seventh movie the filmmaker has worked on alongside his partner, actress Kim Min-hee. “The Woman Who Ran” revolves around the encounters of a married woman (played by Kim) and her three friends, while her husband is out of town on a business trip. Hong's new movie was invited to the film festival's competition section. The director said he wanted to tell the stories of women trying to break out of their daily routines and explore a life very different from their own. “One character flees because she doesn't want to be arrested. The other female character is not satisfied with her Feb 26, 2020By Kang Hyun-kyung
Director challenges Korea's patriarchal norms, gender roles By Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Jeong Seung-o speaks during a press conference for the film “Move the Grave” held at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University Entrance Branch, Feb. 20. / Courtesy of IndiestoryDirector Jeong Seung-o challenges patriarchal norms in his upcoming film “Move the Grave,” raising the question of whether stereotypical gender roles in modern society can be overturned.“I grew up in a patriarchal family, which placed rigid gender expectations on me from a young age. I often witnessed how women are discriminated against during 'jesa,' the ceremony performed to honor ancestors,” Jeong said during a press conference for the film.“Now that the patriarchy is almost over, I think we should dissolve existing family structures and think about an alternative family form.”In “Move the Grave,” a dysfunctional family is forced into an impromptu reunion when construction work forces them to move their father's grave. Four bickering sisters and one troublemaking son are set to embark on a road trip to their uncle's house, from where Feb 25, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Coronavirus deals a blow to S. Korean box office South Korean movie theaters saw the lowest number of visitors for January since 2013, data has shown, as growing fears over the contagious disease led people to stay at home.According to a report by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) released on Thursday, a total of 16.84 million people went to theaters last month, down 7.1 percent from a year ago.Total revenue also slipped 4.9 percent on-year to 143.7 billion won (US$117.9 million).The decline came as people have refrained from going to cinemas amid the rapid spread of COVID-19 virus infections.Since the first coronavirus patient was confirmed in South Korea on Jan. 20, the country has reported a cumulative 763 confirmed cases of COVID-19 virus, with seven deaths, as of Monday morning.In particular, the number of ticket sales reached 1.1 million over the final weekend of January, compared to 1.5 million moviegoers tallied on June 5-6, 2015, when the country was suffering from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak.The downbeat trend of the monthly number of moviegoers is expected to continue in February as weekend ticket Feb 24, 2020
'Parasite' producer Kwak respects academy members for making history Korean director Bong Joon-ho (L) and producer Kwak Sin-ae (R) smile during a press conference for the movie of Parasite in Seoul, Feb. 19, 2020. EPAEven a day before the 92nd Academy Awards on Feb. 9, Bong Joon-ho's black comedy thriller was considered an underdog in the Oscar's best picture competition with war film "1917."Many U.S. media and pundits made predictions that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) members were unlikely to vote the non-English language film for the top Oscar prize.Kwak Sin-ae, producer of "Parasite" and CEO of its production house Barunson E&M, said that it seemed to be difficult for the film to overcome the barrier of subtitles, considering recent Oscar winners, most of which were English-language films, screenplays and actors."I thought our film winning the best picture would be a history-making choice by the academy between change and tradition," Kwak said during an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Friday. "It seemed that '1917' was the front-runner, and we had a very slim chance to pull off the upset."But the AMPAS members chFeb 23, 2020
'Wandering Chef' brings people together through food Chef Im Ji-ho speaks at a press conference for the film “The Wandering Chef” at Megabox Dongdaemun in Seoul, Tuesday. Director Park Hye-ryeong listens to his speech. / Courtesy of Hayanso EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooChef Im Ji-ho, better known as the “Wandering Chef,” has devoted much of his life to traveling Korea in search of unique culinary and medicinal ingredients.Based on the belief, “If it's from nature, nothing is useless,” Im uses ingredients that people do not use or discard and then transforms them into rich food creations.Director Park Hye-ryeong, who is well known for her human-interest documentaries, has wandered the country with him for more than a decade.“We first met around 2006 when Im was featured in the documentary series I worked on, 'The Human Theater,'” Park said at a press conference for her film “The Wandering Chef” in Seoul, Tuesday. “Since then, I've tagged along with him in his culinary journey and documented his life.”She was fascinated by Im's food philosophy and vast knowledge of iFeb 21, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Trump apparently not a fan of 'Parasite' Courtesy of CJ Entertainment, Korea Times filePresident Donald Trump is apparently not a fan of ``Parasite,`` his biggest complaint being that the movie was made in South Korea.Trump started talking about the Academy Awards during a campaign rally in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Thursday. Parasite was named best picture, becoming the first non-English-language film to get the top honor.``What the hell was that all about?`` Trump said. ``We've got enough problems with South Korea with trade. On top of that, they give them best movie of the year. Was it good? I don't know.``Neon, the U.S. distributor for the subtitled film, shot back on Twitter. ``Understandable. He can't read,`` Neon tweeted.The audience booed when Trump mentioned the Academy Awards and then cheered when he said: ``Can we get like `'Gone with the Wind' back please? `Sunset Boulevard,' so many great movies.`` ``Parasite`` tells the story of how a family of four poor, unemployed people living in a slum basement apartment comically infiltrates a wealthy family residing at a luxurious mansion before things unravel violeFeb 21, 2020
'Sonic the Hedgehog' looks set for local box office flop Paramount's big-budget film “Sonic the Hedgehog” has taken a little over 742 million won ($624,000) at the box office since its premiere on Feb. 12. Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentBy Lee Gyu-leeA poster for fantasy adventure “Sonic the Hedgehog”/ Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentHollywood blockbuster “Sonic the Hedgehog” is posting a disappointing performance at the local box office, taking a little over 818 million won ($683,000) since its premiere on Feb. 12.The fantasy adventure, based on Sega's video game, is roaring to the top of the U.S. box office since hitting theaters on Feb. 14, grossing $75 million.But despite its U.S. success, the movie started seventh on the local box office chart and has remained below the top four with 104,240 ticket sales as of Wednesday. Directed by Jeff Fowler, the film revolves around local town sheriff Tom Wachowski (James Marsden) and the hedgehog Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz), teaming up to reclaim Sonic's lost rings and escape the genius villain Doctor Robotnik (Jim Carrey). The film was initially slated to prFeb 20, 2020By Lee Gyu-lee
'Parasite' proves power of cinema Actress Jo Yeo-jeong said she was overwhelmed when Parasite won four Oscars, noting she was so proud of being part of the movie. / YonhapBy Kang Hyun-kyungThe Oscar-winning film “Parasite” doesn't have any clashing heroes or villains, which makes it easier for audiences sympathize with each and every character.Han Jin-won, a screenwriter who, together with director Bong Joon-jo, won the Best Original Screenplay Award at the 92nd Academy Awards last Monday, said he believes these traits enabled overseas movie fans to easily follow the plot of the Korean film. “The movie broke a dichotomy of the clashes between good and bad. Audiences find it easier to follow each character and each side of the story is more convincing,” he said during a news conference at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul, Wednesday. Han said the entire filmmaking process was enjoyable because his shared background with certain characters enabled him to sympathize with them. “I myself was born into a working-class family. So I was closer to Ki-woo. To me, Mr. Park's luxury house was a sortFeb 19, 2020By Kang Hyun-kyung
