'Kim Ji-young, Born 1982' set to hit theater From left, director Kim Do-young, actress Jung Yu-mi and actor Gong Yoo pose for a photo during a showcase for the film "Kim Ji-young, Born in 1982" held at Lotte Cinema in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Monday. The film is based on the best-selling feminist novel of the same title. YonhapBy Lee Gyu-leeIn 2016, the feminist novel “Kim Ji-young, Born 1982” written by Cho Nam-ju took Korea by storm and became a best-seller with sales of over a million copies.This rare success came against a feminist movement backdrop. “Kim Ji-young, Born 1982” zooms in on an ordinary married woman, on a career break because she quit her job after having a child, who slowly loses her identity from being someone's wife, a daughter-in-law and a mother. Though many public figures showed support and applauded the book, including BTS's RM, it also had critics who claimed the book was biased as it highlighted a one-sided feministic perspective.The story, with such split reviews, is set to land on the silver screen with actress Jung Yu-mi playing Kim Ji-young, and actor Gong Yoo playing her husbanOct 2, 2019By Lee Gyu-lee
'Joker' explores nuances of iconic supervillain Director Todd Philips, left, and actor Joaquin Phoenix greet journalists through a live video conference, held at Yongsan CGV, Thursday, for the film “Joker.” Courtesy of Warner Bros. KoreaBy Lee Gyu-leeDC Comics is famous for stories about superheroes fighting for good and defeating supervillains. But the new film "Joker" looks to explore the other side of the story.Director Todd Philips shows things from the villain's perspective, showing what turned the Joker into the vicious character he became. A poster for “Joker” which portrays the back story behind the notorious villain. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Korea“Todd and I were striving for something unique. We wanted to create our own understanding of the character and his own history,” actor Joaquin Phoenix, who played the Joker, said at a live video conference held at Yongsan CGV in Seoul, Thursday.Though the Joker has appeared in several Batman films, Phoenix said approaching this as something completely new was his guiding principle. The film aims to create a new, more nuanced image of the Joker Sep 30, 2019By Lee Gyu-lee
Rom-com 'Crazy Romance' reminds people of their own romance Actor Kim Rae-won, left, actress Gong Hyo-ji, and director Kim Han-gyeol after a media conference for the romantic comedy “Crazy Romance,” Tuesday, at Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Courtesy of NEWBy Lee Gyu-leeThere seems to be no such thing as a perfect breakup, nor a perfect relationship.Although people tire of going through the same cycles, they still manage to find themselves in new relationships and go through the cycle once again, hoping that this time things will work out. The new romantic comedy film “Crazy Romance” reminds people how crazy it is to fall back in love, but is still worth trying to find one's "ordinary romance."The film revolves around two co-workers ― team manager Jae-hoon (Kim Rae-won) and new team member Sun-young(Gong Hyo-jin) ― who bond over the stories of their recent breakups.To ensure the story would be realistic, director Kim Han-gyeol noted that she had to collect the stories from people around her. “I tried to share a lot of these relationship stories with the cast and the executive producer who helped me to develop the script.&rdSep 29, 2019By Lee Gyu-lee
Sony, Marvel strike deal for new 'Spider-Man' film Spider-Man / AFPSpider-Man will spin his web on the big screen once again.A breakdown in talks between Sony Pictures and Marvel had imperiled the web-slinger's celluloid future, but the two companies announced a deal Friday for Marvel Studios to produce the third “Spidey” film starring British actor Tom Holland.The film ― which follows up on “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and “Spider-Man: Far from Home” ― is set for release July 16, 2021, the studios said.Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige will take up his usual role as producer.“I am thrilled that Spidey's journey in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) will continue, and I and all of us at Marvel Studios are very excited that we get to keep working on it,” Feige said in a statement.“Spider-Man is a powerful icon and hero whose story crosses all ages and audiences around the globe.“He also happens to be the only hero with the superpower to cross cinematic universes, so as Sony continues to develop their own Spidey-verse, you never know what surprises the future might hold.&rdquoSep 28, 2019
Indie film 'House of Hummingbird' hits 100,000 mark Director Kim Bo-ra delivered her heartfelt gratitude to movie fans in a hand-written note on Friday for the spread of word about her film “House of Hummingbird.” / YonhapDirector Kim Bo-ra grateful to dedicated movie fans for spreading wordBy Kang Hyun-kyungKim Bo-ra's directorial debut film “House of Hummingbird” has attracted more than 100,000 viewers as of Friday, a rare success for an independent film. According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), 100,692 tickets had been sold until Saturday, its 30th day of screening in Korean theaters. “House of Hummingbird” is a coming-of-age feature film about 14-year-old Eun-hee in the 1990s and deals with the timid, meticulous girl's internal struggles to find her niche in a male-dominated, highly-competitive society. In a hand-written letter released on Friday, director Kim delivered her heartfelt gratitude to movie fans.“There were many times when I felt living as a woman in Korea was tough indeed,” she wrote. “I deemed that this struggle stemmed from my inner nature. I was too meticulSep 27, 2019By Kang Hyun-kyung
Busan International Film Festival rolls out Oct. 3-12 The 24th edition of Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is ready to entertain local and overseas movie buffs with delicate flicks for 10 days in the middle of the fall season.This year's festival will take place from Oct. 3-12 at five cinemas, including the Busan Cinema Center, in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, featuring 303 films from 85 countries.Among the invitations, 120 films, including 97 feature-length movies, will be at BIFF for world premieres.Award-winning auteurs' new works are the highlight of BIFF selections.Japan's Kore-eda Hirokazu, who clinched Cannes' Palme d'Or in 2018 with "Shoplifter," will participate in the Gala Presentation section with his latest family movie "The Truth." The film was chosen to open this year's Venice International Film Festival.It pictures a problematic relationship between Fabienne, one of the great stars of French cinema, and her daughter Lumir, a screenwriter, when Fabianne's autobiography is published.Starring Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche, the film is Kore-eda's first non-Japanese-language movie filmed outside ofSep 25, 2019
Demi Moore recalls her 'addiction' to Ashton Kutcher Demi Moore, right, and Ashton KutcherDemi Moore is looking back on her "addiction" to ex-husband Ashton Kutcher. The 56-year-old actress discussed her relationship with Kutcher, from whom she split in 2011 after six years of marriage, during Tuesday's episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Moore said her "codependency" on Kutcher led to "misguided" attempts to save their marriage, including threesomes. "I don't think it should be implied that he instigated," Moore said of the threesomes. "He expressed something that was of a fantasy and [I agreed] in my efforts to want to please and be what I think he wanted. "It was a misguided sense of not really wanting to look at the harder question or what was really missing," she explained. "Or in my case, because I really felt like I had created an addiction to him, that my co-dependency in a way I'd never had before, I'd never had that kind of attachment." Moore discusses her relationship with Kutcher at length, including his alleged infidelity, in her memoir, Inside Out, released Tuesday. "I put him first," Moore wrote. "So when he expressed hSep 25, 2019
'It's okay to take your time,' film says From left, director Hyun Jin-sik, guitarist Kim Ji-hee and her mother Lee Soon-do pose at a press conference held at CGV Yongsan in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Full FilmFilm starring intellectually impaired guitarist encourages audiences to live at their own paceBy Lee Gyu-leeIn a world where being fast is touted as a virtue, one might feel pressured to live at a much faster pace than one wants, and this speedy way of life may become overwhelming. But “Free My Soul, Free My Song,” a serene musical documentary, delivers the message that it is okay to take your time, and live at your own pace. The documentary “Free My Soul, Free My Song” follows through guitarist Kim Ji-hee's journey to overcome her limitations as an artist and to release her first song. Courtesy of Full FilmThe documentary follows a guitarist with a mild intellectual disability who persistently strives to create her own piece and hold a solo concert. The 24-year-old, who was diagnosed with an intellectual disability at age 13, began playing the guitar in high school. Since then, she has had overSep 24, 2019By Lee Gyu-lee
Romance film 'Tune in for Love' hits 1.2 million in ticket sales Yoo Yeol, a popular radio DJ in the 1990s, appears on a KBS television morning talk show after a recent film involving his radio music program gained popularity. Korea Times fileBy Cho Hae-min“Tune in for Love,” a romance film featuring Jung Hae-in and Kim Go-eun, surpassed 1.2 million in ticket sales Monday ― just 23 days after its preview. This movie is about the love story of Hyun-woo, played by Jung, and Mi-soo by Kim, set in the 1990s. Their relationship evolves with the top radio music program “Yoo Yeol's Music Album.” DJ Yoo Yeol hosted the program from 1994 to 2007.Thanks to the film's popularity, Yoo was invited to appear on KBS1 TV's morning talk show “Morning Garden,” saying: “I have watched this film seven times and it was an honor to join the two protagonists onstage during the preview.” The film is available on a variety of video-on-demand (VOD) services from today.Sep 24, 2019
Busan Film Festival set for October Poster for the 24th Busan International Film Festival. Korea Times fileBy Cho Hae-minThe 24th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) will be held from Oct. 3-12. One of Asia's major film festivals, BIFF aims to create active interaction with young-generation audiences. BIFF consists of 11 sections ― “Gala Presentation” for the viewing of top directors' new and popular works; “Korean Cinema Today” for Korean indie films, among others, and “Open Cinema” for outdoor showing.Six films have been selected to be screened on “Open Cinema,” including French film “Les Miserables” directed by Ladj LY, the winner of the Jury Prize at 2019 Cannes Film Festival, and “Martin Eden” an Italian-French romantic drama by Pietro Marcello, for which Luca Marinelli won the best actor award at Venice International Film Festival.Sep 23, 2019
