The Korea Herald

“Deranged” tops box office

FilmJul 9, 2012

“Deranged” (Yeongasi), starring actor Kim Myeong-min, topped the local box office by selling over 1 million tickets in five days. According to data from the Korean Film Council, “Deranged” has sold 1.32 million tickets since its release on Thursday. The film’s tickets sales were similar to those of “Nameless Gangster: Rules of the time,” directed by Yoon Jong-bin, and “The Avengers,” a Hollywoo...
007 exhibition looks at screen spy as style icon

FilmJul 8, 2012

LONDON (AP) ― If there’s one thing James Bond has taught us it’s that behind every great spy is a great tailor. A new exhibition at London’s Barbican Centre explores the style of the suave secret agent, displaying costumes, props, set pieces and design drawings from half a century of 007 films. Assembled with help from the films’ producer, EON Productions ― which has a new Bond movie to promote...
North Korea TV shows Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh

TelevisionJul 8, 2012

PYONGYANG (AP) -- Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh took the stage in North Korea during a concert for new leader Kim Jong Un in an unusual performance featuring Disney characters. Performers dressed as some of America’s most memorable cartoon characters danced and pranced as footage from "Snow White," "Dumbo," "Beauty and the Beast" and other popular Disney movies played on a massive backdrop, ...
‘The Moon Project’: Korean porcelain reinterpreted

TheaterJul 8, 2012

Modernized white porcelain works appeal to international viewers at the 18th Biennale of Sydney Two female Korean artists are showcasing collaborative works at the 18th Biennale of Sydney, revealing the beauty of Korean white porcelain reinterpreted in a modern way for international audiences. Ceramic artist Park Young-sook and sculptor Yee Soo-kyung have collaborated in “The Moon Project,” in ...
Korean films of the ’80s: Why so erotic?

FilmJul 8, 2012

On Feb. 6, 1982, director Jung In-yeop’s legendary erotic romance “Madame Ae-ma” was released at the Seoul Cinema Theater in Jongno, central Seoul. The venue was completely packed with an excited crowd, and fierce competition for tickets ensued, resulting in broken windows. It was the first Korean movie to be screened late at night, after the nightly curfew had been lifted exactly one month befo...
The gentleman’s syndrome

TelevisionJul 6, 2012

A look into the real-life 40-something man-about-town In the much-talked-about, much-watched “A Gentleman’s Dignity,” men are portrayed as skincare-conscious 40-something dudes who hang out at cafes and are not afraid to gush over their non-alcoholic beverages or be seen shopping together. With viewer ratings up in the 20 percent range, this oft-called male version of “Sex and the City” is a ho...
Calendar

MusicJul 6, 2012

Dance “Orpheus and Eurydice”: Kim Yong-geol Dance Theater presents its original creative repertory “Orpheus and Eurydice” from July 28 to 29 at Gangdong Arts Center in Seoul. The troupe is led by former Opera de Paris dancer Kim Yong-geol, who now teaches at the Korean National University of Arts. An original piece entirely choreographed by Kim, the show tells the famous tragic love story of Orp...
Eyelike

MusicJul 6, 2012

Brown’s ‘Fortune’ is patchy album Chris Brown “Fortune” (RCA Records) One of the best songs on Chris Brown’s new album is a soft number, “Don’t Judge Me,” that finds him asking a girlfriend to look past his mistakes. “So please don’t judge me, because it can get ugly, before it gets beautiful,” he sings in his signature semi-high pitch. For another singer, such a tune might come off as just...
Box Office

FilmJul 6, 2012

The Thieves (Korea) Opening July 25 Crime. Action. Directed by Choi Dong-hun. Anycall (Gianna Jun), Popeye (Lee Jung-jae), Chewing Gum (Kim Hae-sook) and Zampano (Kim Soo-hyun) are professional thieves who work together. After their success in a gallery heist, the group hears that Popeye’s old partner and mastermind of robbery Macao Park is back for another job after many years of missing. Peps...
Hollywood tour bus driver knows what fans pine for: celebrity sightings

FilmJul 6, 2012

Behind the wheel of his tour bus, Don Baisa prays. Please. Give me George Clooney today, he thinks as tourists scramble aboard the 12-seat, open-top van marked “City Tours!” Or Charlize Theron. Or Jennifer Aniston. Will Ferrell. He’d take Will Ferrell. Baisa, a 61-year-old veteran of the tour bus scene with a neatly groomed, salt-and-pepper mustache, knows what his passengers want during thei...
Korean producer to debut in Britain

TheaterJul 6, 2012

A leading South Korean musical production company said Thursday it is preparing to debut an English-language musical in London’s West End. Acom International Co., producer of hit Korean musicals “The Last Empress” and “Hero,” said it had a second workshop performance of the new musical “Woyzeck” at Charing Cross Theater in London last month. The event came after the company’s seven-year-long ef...
Musical ‘Mozart!’ tickets available for 1,000 won

MusicJul 5, 2012

Renowned musical “Mozart!” is returning to the stage after 30 months, with limited seating available for a mere 1,000 won. Through the “Happiness of 1,000 won” program, tickets for sections of the third floor seats will be priced at 1,000 won, EMK Musical Company said. A total of 2,560 seats will be available over three days. Tickets can be purchased through the Sejong Performing Arts Center’s w...
Portrait exhibition focuses on famous faces and hidden personalities

TheaterJul 5, 2012

Famous faces are the focus of the latest exhibition at Opera Gallery Seoul in Cheongdam-dong. The exhibition, titled “Visage,” features 50 portraits of well-known figures in history, including French fashion designer Coco Chanel, soprano Maria Callas as well as individuals by American and European artists. Seven artists active in North America and Europe reveal their distinctive characteristics...
S.M. Entertainment artists to hold joint performance in Seoul

Jul 5, 2012

A dozen of South Korean pop singers from the same entertainment agency will hold a joint performance in Seoul next month as part of a world concert tour organized by their agency to capitalize on the rising popularity of K-pop music, the company said Thursday. The Seoul performance of the S.M. Town Live World Tour III will be held at Jamsil Olympic Stadium in southern Seoul on Aug. 18, according...
Musical stars having a ‘Wicked’ Korean time

TheaterJul 5, 2012

Australian cast of hit musical energized by unexpected enthusiasm The Australian stars of hit Broadway musical “Wicked” are having a truly wicked time in Korea. From receptive audiences to indulgent coffee houses and the graciousness of the Korean people, Jemma Rix and David Harris are spoilt for choice for highlights of their stay. Five weeks into the Korean tour, Rix, who plays the rebellious...