‘Naked Chef’ Jamie Oliver to mix business & pleasure on Korea trip. Chosun Ilbo speculates he might open a restaurant http://t.co/1dGm0pCn [Read More]
Month: February 2012 (page 2)
On tasting the first cup of 녹차 in Lent
Lent started today. And like most years, it’s time to prove that I can manage without those daily treats on which I suspect I’m becoming rather too dependent. So, no alcohol: I’ll give my liver a break for a few weeks. And no caffeinated coffee or black tea, which I usually rely on to kick … [Read More]
New zombie fiction on Kindle
Zombie Apocalypse in North Korea http://t.co/0xHqcYQ6, and yet more zombies in Jeollado http://t.co/A4xjsAZx. New ebook offerings for 2012. [Read More]
Night Fishing (파란만장, 2011) review: PARKing CHANce’s haunting iPhone short
Ignore the fact that Night Fishing was made using the iPhone4. Even if you took all the best elements from Park Chan-wook’s previous films, wrapped them up within a gripping narrative and added the beyond exemplary cast performances seen here, you still wouldn’t come even close to creating a film as astounding as this. [Read More]
Reading the Heavens Part 2 – World’s First Complete Star Map
Koguryo generally has the tag of a warlike kingdom, and I always assumed that it was the least culturally developed of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Amongst other things, however, it was responsible for the world’s earliest complete map of the stars. This planispheric star map is believed to have been produced in 1395, the … [Read More]
E J-yong month concludes with Actresses + Q&A
I’ve been enjoying this month. Even though I only managed to get to one screening of E J-yong’s films at the KCC (which happens to be my favourite one), I’ve used the month as an opportunity rewatch my DVDs of Untold Scandal and Asako in Ruby Shoes – both of which I enjoyed much more … [Read More]
KCC exhibition wins fashion award
Congratulations to the KCC’s New Space Around the Body exhibition, winner of the British Council and British Fashion Council’s Emerging Talent Awards 2012 for best project in the International Fashion Showcase. http://t.co/Sz1CPB8w [Read More]
SNSD members at London Fashion Week
Girl’s Generation members YoonA, Seohyun and Tiffany at London Fashion Week reduce “the crowd outside to hysterical shrieks”, says the Telegraph. http://t.co/qRXZoph3 [Read More]
New book on Kim Ki-duk coming to stores this week
Last year saw the comeback of Kim Ki-duk, winning the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes with Arirang. The release of a new book on one of Korea’s most controversial directors is therefore timely. Coming to Amazon UK this week then, and to Amazon US last month, is a new book on Kim Ki-duk from … [Read More]
Yoon-hee Kim at the Cadogan Hall
Former child prodigy, now 21-year old violin virtuoso Yoon-hee Kim plays the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto at the Cadogan Hall, 28 Feb. Buy tickets by following this link: http://t.co/6orBbU1M Programme Glinka: Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D major Brahms: Symphony No. 1 Glinka was one of the most celebrated Russian composers of his … [Read More]
Igudesman and Joo in A Little Nightmare Music at the Cadogan Hall
Crazy musical comedy coming up at the Cadogan Hall in early March. It comes with great reviews. Check out Igudesman and Joo’s website for some videos of what they do. And then book your tickets. Igudesman and Joo A Little Nightmare Music Friday 9 March, 2012 7.30pm Programme: You have to see and hear them … [Read More]
Good luck to Oxford in the Varsity Baduk tournament
Good luck to underdogs Oxford in the Baduk tournament against Cambridge tomorrow. Time to start leveling the scores. http://t.co/LIUozlO0 [Read More]
Sasapari at the Bargehouse: its 5th year, now with 64 artists
The big exhibition of young Korean artists in the UK is now in its fifth year. With 64 artists participating, expect a wide range of video, installation and more traditional work displaying a vibrant range of talents. The title of the exhibition, Sasapari, represents the dialling codes of UK (+44) and South Korea (+82) The … [Read More]
Clifford Chance to be the first foreign law firm in Korea?
UK law firm Clifford Chance is at the head of the pack as potentially the first foreign firm to get a Korean legal licence from the Ministry of Justice: http://t.co/HcQTKXDz [Read More]
One year, 12 directors, 59 films, 12 Q&As. What could be better?
The KCC have announced their lineup for their much anticipated “Year of the Twelve Directors” – a season unimaginable a few years ago. A very simple concept: four films by the same director, each month giving a mini-retrospective, followed by a Q&A with the director. And a very well-balanced programme it is, featuring veteran directors … [Read More]
Invasion of Alien Bikini (에일리언 비키니, 2010) review: a flawed sci-fi B-movie genre mashup
Sci-fi B-movie pits a chaste vigilante against a sexually assertive alien seeking pregnancy using gender-role reversals to satirise tradition versus modernity. Starting out as genuinely funny and stylishly brutal, Invasion of Alien Bikini is sadly marred by one rather misogynistic, mean-spirited scene and, to my mind, never fully manages to recover its early promise. [Read More]