Koreanfilm.org releases its top ten films of the decade, 2000-2009, six times over. Plenty of food for thought. http://bit.ly/8XL6jz #. And ROK Drop suggests the 10 Best All-Time Korean War Movies. Michael Caine's debut A Hill in Korea squeaks in at #10 http://bit.ly/byaTSF # [Read More]
Year: 2010 (page 15)
The entertainment industry in the news
Some recent articles on the spread of K-pop in 2010, and on the darker side of the industry. K-Pop Online: Korean Stars Go Global with Social Media – TIME http://bit.ly/c5oA73 #. Underage celebs suffer mistreatment, says the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (Korea Times, 27 Aug) Sexy moves provoke debate over teen idols, says … [Read More]
Another Sun: It’s educational, but it’s not for foreigners
I was chatting to my companion during the interval of Another Sun, the big-budget Korean musical, at Sadlers Wells last night. “It’s educational,” she said, “but I don’t think it’s for foreigners.” I pressed her on the educational point. The plot of the musical is said to be based on the Korean foundation myth about … [Read More]
Bedevilled to screen at Frightfest
Frightfest is becoming as much a feature of the August Bank Holiday weekend as the Notting Hill Carnival. Given Korea’s track record in producing scary movies you can usually count on there being a K-film or two. This year it’s Bedevilled, screening on Monday afternoon 30 August. The stills look promising. From the KCC website: … [Read More]
2010 Travel Diary #37: The Last King of Gaya
Korea is rightly proud of its heritage, and submits the most select elements of its long history to UNESCO for inscribing in the list of important world heritage items. One of the most recent items to have been so listed is the Joseon Dynasty Royal Tombs. They are beautifully peaceful places to visit. Perfectly manicured … [Read More]
Just the right amount of spice … and loads of meat
A lunchtime trip to the Old Justice pub in Bermondsey I think I’d just been given the thumbs-up. I had just introduced some of my co-workers to Korean food for the first time. I wouldn’t say it was representative of your regular Korean food experience, but it was certainly popular with the Canary Wharf workers. … [Read More]
Korea’s Hip Hop heritage
Bea Lesaca of HardKnockRadio traces the origins of Korea’s Hop Hop culture. Do You Know About Hip Hop’s Korean Roots? Hip Hop in Korea has grown so much over the past 20 years. Personally, I believe that a large part of it is thanks to break dancing, which delivered this culture to a larger audience. … [Read More]
Concert notes: Uangel at the KCC
When I heard that Uangel (http://uangelvoice.com), a Korean popera group, was going to be performing at the Korean Cultural Centre I jumped at the chance to go. Recently performing at the Edinburgh Fringe and on a humanitarian tour of hospitals, this last minute addition to their tour was a real treat. The hall at the … [Read More]
2010 Travel Diary #36: The Jirisan Forest Trail
Jirisan is the highest peak on the South Korean mainland, and the National Park in which it is set is South Korea’s largest. Most of the park is in Gyeongsangnam-do, but in the west it spills in to Jeollanam-do and Jeollabuk-do. For walkers, the park offers a wide variety of experiences. For the hardened hiker, … [Read More]
Your online resource for Korean kite-building
I never thought there would be an English language forum about making traditional Korean fighting kites, but here it is: Fighter Kite Central. http://bit.ly/crTvaZ # [Read More]
Wendy Ide on Mother
“It's overlong and the pacing suffers from the unwieldy run time”. Wendy Ide on Mother (Now screening at Picturehouse and ICA). I'm trying to think of a Korean film she actually likes # [Read More]
2010 Travel Diary #35: Makgeolli, maeuntang and a fashion show
We sit outside in a pavilion overlooking the river as the sun goes down over the hamlet of Saengcho in the north of Sancheong County, picnicking on tiny deep-fried fish with the usual kimchi side dishes, all washed down with makgeolli. We are waiting for the rest of our party to arrive. Morgan and Yoseph … [Read More]
2010 Travel Diary #34: A visit to Sancheong’s finest potter
In 1592, Japan invaded Korea. Their ultimate destination was China, but they never got further than Korea, and they wrought havoc there. During their occupation, which lasted on and off until their second invasion in 1598 was repelled by Admiral Yi Sun-shin’s famous turtle ships, they sent back to Japan in their ships a human … [Read More]
Jang Sun-woo season: Lovers in Woomuk-baemi at the KCC
The Jang Sun-woo season winds up on Thursday with one of koreanfilm.org’s top 10 films of the 1990s: Lovers in Woomukbaemi 7pm, Thursday 26th August Director: Jang Sun-woo Cast: Park Joong-hoon, Choi Myoung-gil Genre: Drama Certificate: 18 (South Korea) Running Time: 114 mins Venue: The Korean Cultural Centre UK Ground Floor, Grand Buildings 1-3 Strand, … [Read More]
Open City (무방비 도시, 2008) review: striking visuals, but predictable crime plot and thin characterisation
Despite its high-end cinematography and contemporary soundtrack, this crime thriller is undermined by an unimaginative plot and cartoon-like characterisations. While Son Ye-jin provides a nuanced performance as a sharp-witted gang leader, the film’s reliance on melodrama, unbelievable character motivations, and repetitive action tropes prevents it from achieving any genuine emotional or narrative depth. [Read More]
Curating Creations, Perceiving Patterns and Building Bonds
Beccy Kennedy reviews the Invisible Bonds exhibition at the KCC The latest exhibition at the Korean Cultural Centre, Invisible Bonds, explores the unobvious unions which continue to develop between Korean artists and British people, places and spaces. It is the annual show from the Korean Artists Association UK and it aims to build on and … [Read More]