On the morning of December 27th, 2023, the world woke up to the shocking news that top star actor Lee Sun-kyun, known the world over for his performance in the Academy Award-winning “Parasite” among many other great films”, was found dead in his car, reportedly from carbon monoxide poisoning. The much-loved actor, who was the subject of a police investigation for drugs related allegations at the time, had decided to take his own life at a time when he was quite possibly at the height of success in his career.
While it is not our aim to discuss the details surrounding the case or the role that the media and the police had to play in pushing the actor to the brink, we would like a lot of his fans celebrate the fantastic legacy of work that the actor, known for his unconventional good looks, inherent charm and a unique voice,...
While it is not our aim to discuss the details surrounding the case or the role that the media and the police had to play in pushing the actor to the brink, we would like a lot of his fans celebrate the fantastic legacy of work that the actor, known for his unconventional good looks, inherent charm and a unique voice,...
- 2/5/2024
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
First released in 1974, Kingmaker is a classic medium-heavy wargame that deals with the politics and conflict of the English War of the Roses – during which the forces of York and Lancaster competed for almost fifty years to determine who would hold the crown. This conflict ultimately led to the replacement of the Plantagenet line with that of the Tudor’s and only ended through a convenient marriage that essentially consumed the claims of both York and Lancaster into a single claimant – Henry VII.
In the new 2023 Kingmaker which has been extensively redeveloped by Alan Paull, there are four ways to play and several variants. There’s Classic Kingmaker – a potentially four-hour-long experience that takes the premise of the original game, streamlines it in almost every way and then demands that players compete until only one claimant to the throne (out of a starting fourteen) remains. If you enjoy this mode,...
In the new 2023 Kingmaker which has been extensively redeveloped by Alan Paull, there are four ways to play and several variants. There’s Classic Kingmaker – a potentially four-hour-long experience that takes the premise of the original game, streamlines it in almost every way and then demands that players compete until only one claimant to the throne (out of a starting fourteen) remains. If you enjoy this mode,...
- 1/31/2024
- by Matthew Smail
- Nerdly
“Parasite” director Boon Joon-ho led a press conference in Seoul on Friday, following the death by suicide of actor Lee Sun-kyun at the end of December.
Lee, who starred in “Parasite,” had been investigated by police in Incheon for possible recreational use of drugs and was at the center of a maelstrom of media and social media commentary for the two months prior to his death.
Backed by a formidable collection of artists, cultural organizations and trade associations, Bong called for an investigation into the police methods and for established media to reflect on the sensationalist coverage which may have contributed to Lee’s decision to take his own life. Public broadcaster Kbs was singled out for particular criticism.
“Clear legislative improvements are needed to ensure that principles and exceptions are not reversed between the human rights of suspects and the public’s right to know, and that investigative authorities...
Lee, who starred in “Parasite,” had been investigated by police in Incheon for possible recreational use of drugs and was at the center of a maelstrom of media and social media commentary for the two months prior to his death.
Backed by a formidable collection of artists, cultural organizations and trade associations, Bong called for an investigation into the police methods and for established media to reflect on the sensationalist coverage which may have contributed to Lee’s decision to take his own life. Public broadcaster Kbs was singled out for particular criticism.
“Clear legislative improvements are needed to ensure that principles and exceptions are not reversed between the human rights of suspects and the public’s right to know, and that investigative authorities...
- 1/12/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
A few years ago, actor Lee Sun-kyun had a major role in a film that made history: director Bong Joon-ho’s dark comedy thriller Parasite, which racked up multiple Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film. It was the first non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. But now Lee’s life has come to a tragic early end. South Korea’s emergency office has confirmed that Lee has passed away at the age of 48, and it’s suspected that he committed suicide.
As Deadline notes, since October Lee had been “under investigation after drug use allegations amid an ongoing crackdown on illegal drugs by the South Korean government. Local news service Yonhap reported that Lee had been questioned multiple times by authorities, including for 19 hours this past weekend. The actor had said he was tricked into taking drugs.” Lee...
As Deadline notes, since October Lee had been “under investigation after drug use allegations amid an ongoing crackdown on illegal drugs by the South Korean government. Local news service Yonhap reported that Lee had been questioned multiple times by authorities, including for 19 hours this past weekend. The actor had said he was tricked into taking drugs.” Lee...
- 12/27/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Lee Sun-kyun, a South Korean actor best known internationally for his performance in Parasite, died Wednesday, Dec. 27, in Seoul, The New York Times reports. He was 48.
Lee’s body was found in a parked car, not long after his manager had reported him missing. Authorities are investigating his death as a suicide, and say the actor left what appears to be a suicide note. An official cause of death has not yet been determined.
Prior to his death, Lee had been under investigation as part of a probe into illegal drug use.
Lee’s body was found in a parked car, not long after his manager had reported him missing. Authorities are investigating his death as a suicide, and say the actor left what appears to be a suicide note. An official cause of death has not yet been determined.
Prior to his death, Lee had been under investigation as part of a probe into illegal drug use.
- 12/27/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Lee Sun-kyun, star of Oscar-winning Korean film “Parasite,” is being investigated by police over his alleged drug use, Korean news media report.
“Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency had begun an investigation into eight people, including the actor and the offspring of a chaebol [major family-controlled conglomerate], over allegations they took illegal drugs multiple times this year,” the publicly-owned Yonhap News Agency reported on Friday afternoon.
The news outlet also reported that “while the police have not officially named Lee as a suspect, they are said to have discovered a lead in connection with the actor’s illegal activities.” There has been no explanation of what substances Lee is alleged to have used.
Lee’s agency Hodu&u, put out a statement addressing the allegations. “We sincerely apologize for causing concerns over reports about actor Lee Sun-kyun. We are checking the veracity of the suspicions raised against Lee, and will fully cooperate with any future police investigation,...
“Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency had begun an investigation into eight people, including the actor and the offspring of a chaebol [major family-controlled conglomerate], over allegations they took illegal drugs multiple times this year,” the publicly-owned Yonhap News Agency reported on Friday afternoon.
The news outlet also reported that “while the police have not officially named Lee as a suspect, they are said to have discovered a lead in connection with the actor’s illegal activities.” There has been no explanation of what substances Lee is alleged to have used.
Lee’s agency Hodu&u, put out a statement addressing the allegations. “We sincerely apologize for causing concerns over reports about actor Lee Sun-kyun. We are checking the veracity of the suspicions raised against Lee, and will fully cooperate with any future police investigation,...
- 10/20/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Following the powerhouse Netflix launch of his latest feature, the action thriller Kill Boksoon, Byun Sung-Hyun has signed with Independent Artist Group for representation.
A South Korean writer-director on the rise, Byun saw Boksoon debut as a Netflix Original in March after making its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. The film centers on Gil Bok-Soon (Jeon Do-yeon), a contract killer and single mother who struggles to find the right balance between her personal and professional lives.
Byun’s latest debuted as the most watched non-English film on Netflix globally and remained in the streamer’s Top 10 worldwide ranking for over six weeks. Pic not only landed at No. 1 on Netflix’s Top 10 most-watched film chart in Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam, but also made the Top 10 in 82 other countries including Canada, Germany, Spain, Brazil and New Zealand.
First garnering international attention with his crime action flick The Merciless,...
A South Korean writer-director on the rise, Byun saw Boksoon debut as a Netflix Original in March after making its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. The film centers on Gil Bok-Soon (Jeon Do-yeon), a contract killer and single mother who struggles to find the right balance between her personal and professional lives.
Byun’s latest debuted as the most watched non-English film on Netflix globally and remained in the streamer’s Top 10 worldwide ranking for over six weeks. Pic not only landed at No. 1 on Netflix’s Top 10 most-watched film chart in Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam, but also made the Top 10 in 82 other countries including Canada, Germany, Spain, Brazil and New Zealand.
First garnering international attention with his crime action flick The Merciless,...
- 8/8/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The very best in Canadian music is being recognized.
On Wednesday, the annual Polaris Music Prize announced its long list of eligible nominees for the prize, which is awarded to Canada’s best album of the year.
Read More: Terri Clark Feels ‘A Lot Of Gratitude And Humility’ Ahead Of Canadian Music Hall Of Fame Induction
Included in the long list are artists like Feist, whose album Multitudes was released in April, as well as Alvvays’ Blue Rev, Daniel Caesar’s Never Enough, U.S. Girls’ Bless This Mess, Jessie Reyez’s Yessie, Andy Shauf’s Norm and many more.
“The Canada Council for the Arts is proud once again this year to present the Polaris Music Prize Long List in support of extraordinary and diverse musical talents from across Canada, coast to coast to coast,” said Carolyn Warren, Director General, Arts Granting Programs Division, Canada Council for the Arts.
On Wednesday, the annual Polaris Music Prize announced its long list of eligible nominees for the prize, which is awarded to Canada’s best album of the year.
Read More: Terri Clark Feels ‘A Lot Of Gratitude And Humility’ Ahead Of Canadian Music Hall Of Fame Induction
Included in the long list are artists like Feist, whose album Multitudes was released in April, as well as Alvvays’ Blue Rev, Daniel Caesar’s Never Enough, U.S. Girls’ Bless This Mess, Jessie Reyez’s Yessie, Andy Shauf’s Norm and many more.
“The Canada Council for the Arts is proud once again this year to present the Polaris Music Prize Long List in support of extraordinary and diverse musical talents from across Canada, coast to coast to coast,” said Carolyn Warren, Director General, Arts Granting Programs Division, Canada Council for the Arts.
- 6/14/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Director Byun Sung-hyun was baffled when he first learned that his feature film Kill Boksoon would be invited to the Berlin International Film Festival last month.
“I didn’t expect it at all,” he said at a press conference for Kill Boksoon held in Seoul earlier this month. “I thought Kill Bok-soon was not the type of film that would be selected by a festival like Berlin. It’s a genre film. But the screening took place in a theater of 1,800 seats and I was very moved to see the audiences empathizing with the story.”
The action thriller and Netflix original, which launches on March 31 on the streaming service, traces the story of a female assassin named Boksoon (played by the accomplished Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon) who is also a single mom to a teenage daughter. The contrasts of the heroine’s life as a killer and a mother is...
“I didn’t expect it at all,” he said at a press conference for Kill Boksoon held in Seoul earlier this month. “I thought Kill Bok-soon was not the type of film that would be selected by a festival like Berlin. It’s a genre film. But the screening took place in a theater of 1,800 seats and I was very moved to see the audiences empathizing with the story.”
The action thriller and Netflix original, which launches on March 31 on the streaming service, traces the story of a female assassin named Boksoon (played by the accomplished Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon) who is also a single mom to a teenage daughter. The contrasts of the heroine’s life as a killer and a mother is...
- 3/31/2023
- by Soomee Park
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jeon Do-yeon who earned the Cannes best actress award for her part in Lee Chang-dong’s tragedy-ridden “Secret Sunshine” back in 2007 and has long had the reputation as Korea’s most-admired female actor, gets a chance to show her range in “Kill Boksoon.”
The Netflix-backed action film plays in the Berlinale Special section of the Berlin Film Festival and is a witty action showcase that was created especially for Jeon by one of Korea’s best young directors, Byun Sung-hyun.
What were your intentions when you set out to make Kill Boksoon?
Byun Sung-hyun: My previous work before this was a political film. And after filming that, I had no particular intention other than to create something with the amazing actress Jeon Do-yeon. I didn’t give her any kind of text or scripts. I just asked her if she’d do the next film together.
My focus was...
The Netflix-backed action film plays in the Berlinale Special section of the Berlin Film Festival and is a witty action showcase that was created especially for Jeon by one of Korea’s best young directors, Byun Sung-hyun.
What were your intentions when you set out to make Kill Boksoon?
Byun Sung-hyun: My previous work before this was a political film. And after filming that, I had no particular intention other than to create something with the amazing actress Jeon Do-yeon. I didn’t give her any kind of text or scripts. I just asked her if she’d do the next film together.
My focus was...
- 2/18/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has unveiled a trailer for Berlin-bound action drama “Kill Boksoon,” with Jeon Do-yeon, previous winner of the best actress prize at Cannes, in the starring role.
The film sees Jeon as Gil, a single woman juggling the demanding and conflicting roles of professional killer and mother to a teenage daughter.
Despite her unblemished track record as an assassin, Gil hesitates about renewing her contract at the killing company where she is employed and decides to spend time finding out what is gnawing at her daughter. But complications are never far away, such as discovering her next target is at a parent-teacher meeting.
She also finds herself in competition with another hired gun (portrayed by “Peninsula” star Koo Kyo-hwan) and under pressure from her employers, portrayed Sul Kyung-gu and E Som (“Samjin English Company Class”).
The movie will have its world premiere in the Berlinale Special section, which acts as...
The film sees Jeon as Gil, a single woman juggling the demanding and conflicting roles of professional killer and mother to a teenage daughter.
Despite her unblemished track record as an assassin, Gil hesitates about renewing her contract at the killing company where she is employed and decides to spend time finding out what is gnawing at her daughter. But complications are never far away, such as discovering her next target is at a parent-teacher meeting.
She also finds herself in competition with another hired gun (portrayed by “Peninsula” star Koo Kyo-hwan) and under pressure from her employers, portrayed Sul Kyung-gu and E Som (“Samjin English Company Class”).
The movie will have its world premiere in the Berlinale Special section, which acts as...
- 2/2/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
After successfully debuting with her feature “28+1”, Hong Kong director Kearan Pang experimented with other media and formats, ultimately leading to the inspiration for what would become “Mama’s Affair”. Her work as creative director for singer Joey Yung’s concert series “My Secret Live” as well as a coach on the reality competition “King Maker” gave her some insight into the music industry, the way bands and artists are pushed and how talents are discovered. These themes heavily influenced the characters and the plot for “Mama’s Affair” which sees a former talent manager getting back to her old ways as she seeks to support the dancing and singing skills of a young man, an enterprise resulting in a promising start for a new career, but also in conflicts with her family.
Trinity Cine Asia is releasing “Mama’s Affair” to UK screens starting August 19th
After the birth of her son Mei-fung...
Trinity Cine Asia is releasing “Mama’s Affair” to UK screens starting August 19th
After the birth of her son Mei-fung...
- 8/18/2022
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
“Miracle: Letters to the President,” directed by Lee Jang-hoon, was Saturday named as the best film winner at the Far East Film Festival in Italy’s Udine, following an audience poll. The South Korean-made film was described by festival organizers as “a sweet-natured hymn to the power of dreams.”
Second and third places belonged to Chinese-produced pictures, Li Ruijun’s “Return to Dust” and Xing Wenxiong’s “To Cool to Kill,” respectively. The festival’s Black Dragon season ticket holders voted for “Return to Dust,” while users of the MYmovies service championed Korea’s “Kingmaker” by Byun Sung-hyun.
The jurors for the best debut film awarded the festival’s White Mulberry award to “Too Cool to Kill.” The Mulberry Award for best screenplay Jojo Hideo’s “Love Nonetheless.”
If the order of the prizes seemed like a return to pre-covid normality, so too did the operation of the event, Udine’s 24th.
Second and third places belonged to Chinese-produced pictures, Li Ruijun’s “Return to Dust” and Xing Wenxiong’s “To Cool to Kill,” respectively. The festival’s Black Dragon season ticket holders voted for “Return to Dust,” while users of the MYmovies service championed Korea’s “Kingmaker” by Byun Sung-hyun.
The jurors for the best debut film awarded the festival’s White Mulberry award to “Too Cool to Kill.” The Mulberry Award for best screenplay Jojo Hideo’s “Love Nonetheless.”
If the order of the prizes seemed like a return to pre-covid normality, so too did the operation of the event, Udine’s 24th.
- 5/1/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The easiest way to describe Kingmaker, the latest film from The Merciless director Byung Sung-hyun, is as the Korean equivalent of George Clooney's election drama The Ides of March, a film that incidentally used the English word 'Kingmaker' as its local title. Despite the clear narrative similarities between the films, however, which each chronicle the burgeoning relationship between an idealistic politician and a younger campaign strategist which eventually decays owing to differing election philosophies, it's unfair and reductive to compare them, for the simple reason that Kingmaker is a better film. The title of the film refers to Seo Chang-dae, played by Parasite's Lee Sun-kyun, a pharmacist in a harbor town in the early 1960s who harbors an ambition to do something more with his...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 4/27/2022
- Screen Anarchy
Tami Neilson and Willie Nelson meditate on heavy losses in their new duet “Beyond the Stars,” released alongside a video on Wednesday. The song will appear on the Canada-born, New Zealand-based Neilson’s upcoming album Kingmaker.
“Beyond the Stars” is a mournful ballad in 3/4 time and it takes a close look at the grief brought on by a loved one’s death. Neilson wrote the song after the 2015 loss of her father and, while Nelson acts as her father’s voice in his verse, it takes on an extra poignancy...
“Beyond the Stars” is a mournful ballad in 3/4 time and it takes a close look at the grief brought on by a loved one’s death. Neilson wrote the song after the 2015 loss of her father and, while Nelson acts as her father’s voice in his verse, it takes on an extra poignancy...
- 4/13/2022
- by Jon Freeman
- Rollingstone.com
The Far East Film Festival in Italy’s Udine has set Chinese-Italian co-production “The Italian Recipe” as the opening title of a revived, largely in-person event.
The film, directed by Hou Zuxin, sees an unexpected series of events bring together a Chinese reality TV show contestant and a woman already resident in Italy. The collision of personalities, connections and chemistry between stars Liu Xun and Yao Huang resemble those of “Roman Holiday,” festival organizers suggest. The film has its world premier on Friday next week, launching a nine-day event that runs until April 22-30.
The 2022 selection runs to 72 titles, selected from over 400 submissions, numbers that organizers say, is proof that Asian filmmaking was not halted by the Covid-19 pandemic. “The fear, not unreasonable, given all the halted productions, dismantled sets and release dates announced and then postponed for months, that there wouldn’t be many films to choose from was...
The film, directed by Hou Zuxin, sees an unexpected series of events bring together a Chinese reality TV show contestant and a woman already resident in Italy. The collision of personalities, connections and chemistry between stars Liu Xun and Yao Huang resemble those of “Roman Holiday,” festival organizers suggest. The film has its world premier on Friday next week, launching a nine-day event that runs until April 22-30.
The 2022 selection runs to 72 titles, selected from over 400 submissions, numbers that organizers say, is proof that Asian filmmaking was not halted by the Covid-19 pandemic. “The fear, not unreasonable, given all the halted productions, dismantled sets and release dates announced and then postponed for months, that there wouldn’t be many films to choose from was...
- 4/12/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
South Korean cinema audiences turned out to see “The Batman” but little else over the weekend. That activity put “The Batman” firmly on top of the weekend box office chart, but it left overall business at deeply depressed levels.
“The Batman” earned $2.01 million between Friday and Sunday according to data from the Kobis data service operated by the Koran Film Council (Kofic). Over its full five-day opening period since Wednesday the film earned $4.24 million. That included the year’s biggest opening day (Wednesday) when the film sold over 190,000 tickets.
Over the weekend proper “The Batman” enjoyed a 67% market share, which points to a nationwide weekend aggregate of just $3.02 million, one of the slowest weekends of 2022.
The cinema business in Korea continues to be held back by extreme caution in response to high coronavirus infections, strong competition from streaming video and a dearth of local films arriving in cinemas. On Monday,...
“The Batman” earned $2.01 million between Friday and Sunday according to data from the Kobis data service operated by the Koran Film Council (Kofic). Over its full five-day opening period since Wednesday the film earned $4.24 million. That included the year’s biggest opening day (Wednesday) when the film sold over 190,000 tickets.
Over the weekend proper “The Batman” enjoyed a 67% market share, which points to a nationwide weekend aggregate of just $3.02 million, one of the slowest weekends of 2022.
The cinema business in Korea continues to be held back by extreme caution in response to high coronavirus infections, strong competition from streaming video and a dearth of local films arriving in cinemas. On Monday,...
- 3/7/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The U.S.-made action adventure film “Uncharted” took a comfortable first place a the South Korean box office on its first weekend of release.
“Uncharted” took $2.12 million between Friday and Sunday, grabbing 53% of the total Korean market, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). Over five days since its Wednesday opening, the film earned $3.00 million.
Second place belonged to another new release, Japanese animation “Jujutsu Kaisen Zero: The Movie.” The TV to film adaptation took $802,000 over the weekend and $1.29 million over its opening four days since Thursday.
The performance of the foreign-made new release titles lifted the overall Korean box office over the weekend period to $4.00 million, up from the previous $3 million session total.
Numbers, however, remain deeply depressed and are likely to remain low for as long as Korean films stay on the sidelines of their home market. The only...
“Uncharted” took $2.12 million between Friday and Sunday, grabbing 53% of the total Korean market, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). Over five days since its Wednesday opening, the film earned $3.00 million.
Second place belonged to another new release, Japanese animation “Jujutsu Kaisen Zero: The Movie.” The TV to film adaptation took $802,000 over the weekend and $1.29 million over its opening four days since Thursday.
The performance of the foreign-made new release titles lifted the overall Korean box office over the weekend period to $4.00 million, up from the previous $3 million session total.
Numbers, however, remain deeply depressed and are likely to remain low for as long as Korean films stay on the sidelines of their home market. The only...
- 2/21/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Ari Gold’s wife is about to have an affair — of a Covert nature, that is. Perrey Reeves, best known for playing Mrs. Ari in HBO’s Entourage, has landed a recurring role in USA’s Covert Affairs, E! Online reports.
Related | Scoop: Covert Affairs Adds Body of Proof Alum as Series Regular, Annie’s New Romantic Interest
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Reeves will play Caitlin, the...
Related | Scoop: Covert Affairs Adds Body of Proof Alum as Series Regular, Annie’s New Romantic Interest
More from TVLineTVLine Items: Carbonell Joins Medical Drama, Xo, Kitty Castings and MoreRyan Gosling Lifts SNL Audience to a 28-Month High, Sets Peacock RecordTVLine Items: ID's Nick and Aaron Carter Docuseries, Outlander Prequel Cast Additions and More
Reeves will play Caitlin, the...
- 3/26/2014
- by Andy Swift
- TVLine.com
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