With help from thousands, ‘Veronica Mars’ reborn

NEW YORK (AP) ― Rob Thomas knew he might make movie history by using Kickstarter to crowd-fund his “Veronica Mars” film. But he wasn’t prepared for the posters. Of all the prizes offered to donors of “Veronica Mars” ― everything from a digital copy of the script for $10 to a walk-on cameo for $10,000 ― the most taxing was autographing the cast-signed posters promised to more than 5,000 backers. It took several hand-cramping days and constant shuttling of boxes from one signee to the next. “We’ve

FilmMarch 13, 2014

11 works to compete at Jeonju film festival

Jeonju International Film Festival on Thursday announced its lineup for this year’s Korean competition section, consisting of 11 films including three documentaries. Among them, nine will be screened as world premieres. A total of eight feature films have been included in the lineup, including Yang Ji-eun’s “Sook-hee,” a film about female sexuality with an unusual narrative, and “Monkeys,” which deals satirically with Korea’s independent film scene.  Jang Woo-jin’s “Fall Break” tells the story o

FilmMarch 13, 2014

Depictions of ‘body aches’ in modern society

Tension and anxiety are sometimes crucial factors that drive modern individuals to deal with the increasingly competitive world. But they also leave them and society at large in great distress. An exhibition in Seoul shows artistic interpretations of such distress or “aches” that prevail in Korean society. Titled “Momsal,” or body ache in Korean, the exhibition examines modern society and how individuals respond to social phenomena in relation to the body. Curated by the museum’s five young inte

PerformanceMarch 13, 2014

Girls’ Generation video hits 10m YouTube views

Girls’ Generation’s latest music video became the first K-pop video this year to hit 10 million views on YouTube.The video of “Mr. Mr.,” the title song of the group’s fourth EP of the same title, topped the 10 million viewer mark Wednesday night, 13 days after it was uploaded on the video sharing site.No other K-pop music video has surpassed the milestone this year.The track has been well received on iTunes and local online music services since it was released online on Feb. 25. “Mr. Mr.” is the

March 13, 2014

Jackie Chan’s K-pop group to release album March 24

HONG KONG (AP) ― Jackie Chan is transforming himself from action film superstar to K-pop band manager.The group named JJCC plans to release its debut album March 24 in South Korea, before promoting it in China. JJCC has five men in their early 20s. Four are South Korean, while one is Australian-Chinese. Sha-sha Lee, CEO of the Jackie Chan Group South Korea, said Chan was involved in auditioning the band members and will manage the group personally. The band name is a tribute to Chan as well as h

March 13, 2014

G-Dragon, CL feature on Skrillex’s ‘Dirty Vibe’

G-Dragon and CL, the leaders of popular K-pop groups Big Bang and 2NE1, respectively, are featured on a track of the upcoming album by Grammy-winning American dubstep producer-DJ Skrillex.The collaborative single “Dirty Vibe” ― made available Tuesday on SoundCloud ― is included on Skrillex’s new 11-track album “Recess,” which will be formally unveiled worldwide on March 18.A collaborative effort by Skrillex, the two K-pop stars, YG head producers TEDDY and CHOICE37 as well as renowned DJ Diplo,

March 13, 2014

Characters boost ‘Black Horizon’

Black HorizonBy James Grippando (Harper) Through his 21 novels, James Grippando has found new ways of telling stories about the intricacies of Florida, drawing inspiration from real events.In “Black Horizon,” Grippando explores a disaster that has affected Florida in the past ― a devastating oil spill ― and creates an intriguing political spin by showing how this could affect relations between the United States and Cuba. But Grippando also ladles a love story and the ever-reliable theme of greed

BooksMarch 13, 2014

Yiyun Li’s ‘Kinder Than Solitude’: Complexities under the calm

Kinder Than SolitudeBy Yiyun Li (Random House)Across two story collections and two novels, each stellar, Yiyun Li has mapped out the cultural clashes between her native China and her current home in the United States. Her raw materials are big splits: political restraint versus cultural freedom, childhood innocence versus careworn maturity. Yet her understated writing also excels at revealing our more intimate internal anxieties. She’s a master at capturing emotional disconnection, and how obliv

BooksMarch 13, 2014

David Grand conjuring early LA from afar in ‘Mount Terminus’

“I developed a phobia of Los Angeles,” says David Grand.That could have been a problem for the 45-year-old author, whose novel “Mount Terminus” (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $26) is set in early 20th century LA. But it was the book ― which he spent more than a decade writing ― that estranged Grand from the city where he grew up.“I couldn’t deal with the sensory overload I experience when I’m there,” he says from the safety of his Brooklyn walk-up. “Whether it’s the light or the landscape or transiti

BooksMarch 13, 2014

At 66, Dave Barry still hasn’t figured out women

Still a funny, that Dave Barry.A phone conversation with him is like sitting in the audience in a comedy club. In Florida.Because while Barry may have mined the weirdness of the Sunshine State for his syndicated Miami Herald column and some of his 30-odd books, he is starting to write like a short-fused retiree.The cover of his new book depicts Barry with one finger pointed, standing behind the title, “You Can Date Boys When You’re Forty.”Think he’s joking? Don’t be so sure.Consider this passage

BooksMarch 13, 2014

17 secrets of the millionaire next door

According to Reuters, in 2009 there were 7.8 million millionaires in the U.S. which means 1 in 40.6 people are a millionaire. Hence, Business Insider said that a millionaire might be living in the next door but neighbors may not know since they may not look like one.BI added that a true millionaire, who is financially afloat, will not be easily recognized and that is their secret. Here is a list of secrets of being a millionaire with more than sheer luck.(123rf)1. They spend less than they earn2

Life&CultureMarch 13, 2014

Girls' Generation video surpasses 10 mln YouTube views

(OSEN)Girls’ Generation’s latest music video became the first K-pop video this year to hit 10 million views on YouTube.The video of “Mr. Mr.,” the title song of the group’s fourth EP of the same title, topped the 10 million viewer mark Wednesday night, 13 days after it was uploaded on the video sharing site.No other K-pop music video has surpassed the milestone this year.The track has been well received on iTunes and local online music services since it was released online on Feb. 25. “Mr. Mr.”

PerformanceMarch 13, 2014

[Newsmaker] Korean Catholics deserve spotlight

It’s official: Pope Francis is coming to Korea. His visit was widely predicted. In multiple news reports, sources at the Vatican and Seoul had said the papal visit was highly likely. Still, the announcement by the Vatican on Monday was a source of surprise, and of course joy, for many Catholics here because the holy man decided to commit the entire five days of his trip to Asia, his first as pontiff, to Korea. Since becoming pope a year ago, he has received invitations from a number of countries

CultureMarch 12, 2014

Diaspora, women artists

Three Korean women artists who spent most of their lives outside Korea have presented artistic records of their identities at a group exhibition at Seoul Museum of Art. Titled “Nobody,” the exhibition showcases installations and photographs through which the artists express their quest to define their identities as Koreans living abroad. Through some works, artists do not only explore their personal identities, but also deal with historical issues such as “comfort women.” Having moved to the U.S

PerformanceMarch 12, 2014

‘Ernest & Celestine’ a delicate delight

The delicate and lovingly hand-made “Ernest & Celestine” captures the whimsy and warmth of a dearly felt children’s picture book like few movies before. The Oscar-nominated animated French-Belgian film is a simply rendered tale about a friendship between a mouse and a bear, painted with watercolor backgrounds and hand-sketched characters. In a movie landscape crowded with awesome digital animations and forgettable big-budget cartoon blockbusters, “Ernest & Celestine” is a humble oasis of gentle

FilmMarch 12, 2014

How dance and music together create ballet

Canadian conductor Judith Yan first saw ballerina Kang Sue-jin dance four years ago, when she was visiting Stuttgart, Germany. Kang, who was one of the principals of the Stuttgart Ballet at the time, was playing her signature role: Tatiana in John Cranko’s “Onegin.”“I have to say, you have to see Sue-jin dance,” Yan, who is currently the director of Guelph Symphony Orchestra, said in an interview in Seoul on Monday. “It was like a revelation. I remember going to see Sue-jin dance for the first t

PerformanceMarch 12, 2014

Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’ closing in London after 12 years

LONDON (AFP) ― The Queen musical “We Will Rock You” is to close in its London home after 12 straight years, producers said Tuesday.The show, which has played to more than 6.5 million people at the Dominion Theatre, will close on May 31 after what will be more than 4,600 performances.The musical, set in a future where music is computer-generated and instruments banned, sees a group of rebels bringing rock back to life, inspired by surviving fragments of songs ― chiefly Queen’s masterpiece “Bohemi

PerformanceMarch 12, 2014

South By Southwest overstuffed with music goodies

South By Southwest and the surrounding unaffiliated hoopla have slipped into hyperdrive as the music portion of the annual conference and festival opens this week. Kanye West and Jay Z have announced they’re headed to Austin, Texas, the cherry on top of a gloriously all-over-the-place gathering that also will feature Lady Gaga as a keynote speaker, Lil Wayne as an interview subject and 2,000 other acts vying for attention in the midst of the frenzy. And there are still more surprises to come. Tr

PerformanceMarch 12, 2014

Gypsy jazz band La Vie est Belle to perform in March

Up-and-coming gypsy jazz band La Vie est Belle is scheduled to perform live at Olympus Hall in Samseong-dong, Seoul on March 21.Titled “Gypsy World,” the concert will feature a variety of songs ranging from upbeat, groovy compositions to gypsy-influenced tunes from the band’s recently released album “Gypsy Mood.”The gypsy band La Vie est Belle ― a French phrase for “life is beautiful” ― was formed under the influence of jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli by five acc

PerformanceMarch 12, 2014

It’s hats off, and everything else, as nudist resort marks 50 years

ORLANDO, Florida ― Hans Stein is 86 years old and ― except for tennis shoes ― naked as the day he was born.Fit and looking much younger than his years, he has a simple explanation: “It’s the nudist lifestyle!”Stein and his wife, 81-year old Lisa, are part of a cadre of longtime members at Cypress Cove, a nudist resort near Kissimmee, Florida, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.Like the Steins ― who are German-born Canadians ― a number of members are foreign-born, and they use words such

CultureMarch 12, 2014