Category: Entertainment Files

Is Hollywood “Whitewashing” Asian Characters In Movies?

| November 16, 2016

It does seem pretty hypocritical that the supposedly progressive Hollywood continues to have non-Asian actors play Asian roles:

A live action remake of Disney’s “Mulan” is set to release in 2018. For now, Disney hunts for actors and actresses with the potential to play the heroic roles of the movie. It was rumored that Disney set its eyes on famed actress Jennifer Lawrence for the role of Mulan. Lawrence is known for many heroic roles, including Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games trilogy. It is also rumored that actor Zac Efron will be playing the role of Li Shang from the original animated film. Despite both celebrities having great success in such movie roles, they are terrible candidates to take roles in the film, all due to racial background.

In the original story, Mulan is portrayed as a young Chinese woman taking her father’s place in serving in war by disguising herself as a man and secretly leaving her family. In recent days, heroic lead roles in Asian settings have been given to American actors. The upcoming 2017 American-Chinese fantasy epic, “The Great Wall”, stars Matt Damon (The Bourne Saga) as the lead role. The main question to stress is if the film industry is discriminating and disregarding people of color and the culture they represent.

Since there are several films where whitewashing has occurred, the main and only intent of the film industry is money.  [Korea Times]

You can read more at the link.

“Tunnel” Tops Korean Box Office for Fourth Straight Week

| September 5, 2016

Has any ROK Heads seen this movie yet and can testify how good it really is?:

Korean disaster flick “Tunnel” has claimed the top spot at the box office for the fourth weekend in a row, data showed Monday.

According to the official box office tally from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), a state agency for promoting homegrown films, the movie added 344,332 to its domestic total of 6,942,566 over Sept. 2-4.

Starring Ha Jung-woo, Bae Doona and Oh Dal-su, the film has topped the daily box office chart for 26 straight days, the longest period for any film that opened this year.

It surpassed the 6 million mark on Aug. 27, the 18th day of running, becoming the sixth film that reached the milestone this year in the country. The film is soon expected to hit the 7 million barrier.

Directed by Kim Seong-hun, the film portrays the desperate struggle of a car salesman who accidentally gets trapped inside a collapsed tunnel on his way home from work. His wife and the rescue team captain make every effort to save him but are confronted with politicians and people who do not want a development plan to be delayed to rescue a single person who may have already died.   [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link.

Nicholas Cage Ends Marriage With Korean-American Wife Alice Kim

| July 25, 2016

Unfortunately Nicholas Cage’s marriage to Korean-American Alice Kim has come to an end:

Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage and his Korean-American wife, Alice Kim, ended their 11-year marriage earlier this year, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The paper said the couple, who have a son, 10, had been separated since January.

Cage, 52, met Kim, 32, in February 2004 when she waited on his table at a Los Angeles restaurant. They were engaged two months later and married in July the same year. [Korea Times]

You can read more at the link, but 11 years is pretty long time for a Hollywood marriage.

South Korean Company To Release Pororo Go Game

| July 22, 2016

Leave it to South Korea to come up with their own version of the smash video game hit Pokemon Go since the game cannot be played in South Korea except in one city due to the Google Maps ban:

There has been a mobile augmented reality game development boom since Pockemon Go gained huge popularity. In Korea, Pororo Go, a game applying Pororo characters to AR technology, will soon be released.

AR service firm Social Network said Monday Pororo Go will be launched next month in partnership with Iconix, the maker of Porong Porong Pororo. Social Network last year released “Sketchpop,” an education app for AR coloring by using Pororo, Lava, Puka, Tayo and Robocar Poly characters, which has garnered 1 million downloads in Korea.

Social Network CEO Park Su-wang said, “While Pockemon is an augmented reality game for simple fun, Pororo Go includes education elements in AR game, which makes it stand out and allow children to enjoy and learn at the same time.”  [Donga Ilbo]

This game must being using one of the Korean mapping companies like Naver.  It makes me wonder if this game can be played outside of Korea?

Pokemon Go Loophole Causes Korean Gamers To Flood to Sokcho

| July 15, 2016

I must be one of the few people in the world that has not played Pokemon Go, with that said I can’t imagine myself taking a trip all the way to Sokcho to play a video game:

Smartphone game “Pokemon Go” has become an international sensation after its release on July 6 in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. Now, Korean fans have found a way to access it.

The game, developed by Niantic, uses GPS and a camera to locate and capture in the real world fictional “pokemons.” The characters originate from the Japanese media franchise Pokemon in 1995.

Korean fans were frustrated when they heard the game might not be available in South Korea.

“Pokemon Go” operates with Google Maps and the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOILT) has denied Google access to a precise map of the country. Google again requested the map in June and MOILT will decide in August whether to give the information.

But Korean users have found a way to play the game after finding a loophole in the system. Niantic developed a GPS-based game called “Ingress” in 2013. During development, the company gathered GPS information around the globe, including from North Korea. The same data was used in developing “Pokemon Go.”

The data divides countries into diamond cells. Because it categorized areas around Sokcho, Gangwon Province, as a North Korean sector, the game functions in the city’s vicinity.

After the information went viral, buses to Sokcho have been fully booked for the weekend. People who failed to reserve a ticket posted on social media that they will be driving to Sokcho to play “Pokemon Go.”

Sokcho has posted a city map showing free Wi-Fi spots to help Pokemon players who will be visiting this weekend. [Korea Times]

Finding Dory Tops Korean Box Office

| July 13, 2016

Just like back in the US, Disney’s “Finding Dory” is dominating the box office in South Korea:

The blue tang fish Dory swept the box office in Korea over the weekend.

“Finding Dory,” the much-awaited sequel to the 2003 hit “Finding Nemo” debuted third on its opening on Wednesday but climbed up the box office over the weekend to the No.1 spot.

“Finding Dory” sold 852,140 tickets between Friday and Sunday.

According to the Korean Film Council, the animated feature film produced by Pixar Animation Studios has already sold an accumulated 1 million tickets since its release on Wednesday. None of Pixar Animation Studios’ work has achieved the feat this fast in Korea.  [Joong Ang Ilbo]

You can read more at the link, but I have watched “Finding Dory” and I thought it was pretty good, but I think “Finding Nemo” was funnier.  However, if you have kids they will love this movie regardless.

South Koreans Wait to See Who Will Be Their Next “GI Jane”

| March 3, 2016

How long will it be before we see a reality show like this coming to a US television network?:

TV military reality show “Real Men: Women’s Army Special” began its fourth season Sunday, with viewers waiting to see which of the eight female celebrities has what it takes to become a competent combat soldier.

The cast of the MBC show includes singers ― Chinese Cao Lu from girl band Fiestar, Jun Hyo-seong from girl band Secret, Dahyun from multinational girl band Twice ― and actresses, including Lee Chae-young and Kim Sung-eun.

They will undergo physically demanding training to qualify to become a petty officer in the Armed Forces Medical Command.

Since August 2014, each season has uncovered outstanding trainees.

While many trainees broke down in tears and showed signs of mental collapse, the “alpha dog” stars were braver, more charismatic and more willing to tough it out. [Korea Times]

You can read the rest at the link.