I watch mainstream films and more obscure ones as well. Montreal has lots of film festivals and I've been going to most of them for many years now. Through these festivals I feel like I've seen the world without having to pack a suitcase, and I've met fascinating people among the stars, directors, and other film fans who attend. From 2008 until November 2014 I wrote more than 1,220 posts for the Cine Files film review blog on the web site of Montreal's only daily English-language newspaper, The Gazette. Those posts are difficult to find now, because of major changes to the Gazette's web site. I will gradually add links to some of those posts on this blog.
Master (마스터) is a new Korean film that’s tearing up the box office in its home country. More than 5 million people have seen it since its release on Dec. 21, 2016. It will be shown in many cities in the U.S. and Canada (including my own city, […]
Have you been watching the Korean drama Goblin? It’s also known as Goblin: The Lonely and Great God or Guardian: The Lonely and Great God. In hangul it’s: 쓸쓸하고 찬란하神–도깨비. I wanted to share this holiday photo with you now, since I’m already a little late with it. […]
There are TV shows about doctors, laywers, police officers and criminals – but tax officials? Who would have thought their work could seem interesting to a TV audience? Ma Dong-seok (마동석), Seo In-Guk (서인국) and Choi Soo-young (최수영) are the stars of the drama 38사기동대 (variously translated into […]
“An old stranger appears in a peaceful rural village, but no one knows when or why. As mysterious rumours begin to spread about this man, the villagers drop dead one by one. They grotesquely kill each other for inexplicable reasons. The village is swept by turmoil and the […]
I’m feeling a bit sorry for myself and for my fellow Korean film fans, here in Montreal (and in other cities, too). A new Korean film called The Priests (검은 사제들 Geomeun Sajedeul) was released in Los Angeles and Dallas on Thursday, Nov. 26 (U.S. Thanksgiving). It will […]
Luhan is the main male star of the new film The Witness (Wo Shi Zheng Ren), a China-Korea co-production. It’s his third film, after 12 Golden Ducks, and 20 Once Again. K-pop fans will already know who Luhan is. For the rest of you – he was one […]
Okay my friends, it’s goosebump time! Take two soulful guys (in suits!) sharing lead vocal duties, add wah-wah guitar, electric piano, and a cello for that classical touch (and additional melancholy) and the result is the stunning, addictive video below. I like it a lot; I hope you […]
I hereby declare today to be “Musical Monday,” so I can share more songs. These are from Kim Bum Soo (김범수). From what I can see on the Internet, he is a very popular guy who has recorded many, many songs, mostly slow, sad ballads for TV dramas […]
I don’t remember exactly how I found the Korean group Hyukoh (혁오) on the Internet, but I’m so very glad that I did. So far, I have listened to eight songs from Hyukoh and I like them all very much, so of course I want to share this […]
Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival can usually be relied upon to satisfy film fans with comedies, dramas and thrillers from South Korea. This year, Fantasia is showing 12 Korean features. Two of them, A Hard Day and Socialphobia, will be shown twice, the rest get one screening only. The […]
Joo Won (주원) is a Korean actor who has mostly worked in TV dramas (Cantabile Tomorrow, Good Doctor, 7th Grade Civil Servant, Bridal Mask, Ojakgyo Family, and King of Baking, Kim Takgu) though he has made some films, too. Those films include S.I.U, Don’t Click, Catch Me (Steal My […]
The Korean restaurant I visit most often is called Chingu. Come to think of it, it’s the resto I visit most often, period. (Or point final, as one says in French.) I go there because the location is convenient for me and for the friend who introduced […]
Korean influences can be found are all over the place, sometimes where you might not expect them. Station W is a café in the Verdun district of Montreal. It’s a welcoming place, with very friendly employees. The room is bright, with lots of places to sit, and […]
On Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015 I attended my first Korean language class. Our friendly and encouraging teacher is Chang In Young. There were just six of us last week, though our group could expand somewhat; new students are still welcome to join the class. (See below for more […]
UPDATE: If you want to learn Korean, but you could not make it to the class last week, you can still join on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015. Just bring cash or a cheque book along with slippers, thick socks, or shoes that you only wear indoors. To keep […]
A few years ago, a friend told me not to bother having business cards made; it would just be a waste of money. “Nobody uses them any more,” he said. Well, that hasn’t been my experience! Many people have given me their personal cards (in South Korea and […]
The label for this seasoned soybean paste says: How to enjoy • Enjoy as dipping sauce for fresh vegetables • Great as condiment for Korean vegetable wraps called “Ssam” which is meat or rice wrapped in leafy vegetables I’m sure there are many other things one could do […]
