Pierce Conran
Seoul, South Korea

Pierce Conran is a film journalist based out of Seoul, where he tries to get the lowdown on the latest and greatest from the Korean peninsula for Twitch and runs the website Modern Korean Cinema. Irish by birth, he has lived in Dublin, Switzerland, New York and Los Angeles. When he's not going to film festivals, writing about and reporting on films or rambling on Twitter (@pierceconran), he mostly stares wistfully out the window.

Jeonju 2013 Review: Lee Sang-woo's Thrilling EMERGENCY EXIT is a Poetic Gutpunch
Every year, the Jeonju International Film Festival commissions a pair of omnibus features. The longest-running and most famous of these is the Jeonju Digital Project, which has featured a number of star Asian directors over the years. The other is... More »
  

Korean Box Office: IRON MAN 3 Threepeats up Top
Apologies for missing the last update; you can find out more about about last week's box office results over on Modern Korean Cinema.Iron Man 3 stood strong for a third week but overall business took a dive as it fell... More »
  

Korea Beat: Domino Records, 10 Million Club and the Dangers of Success
There's a lot of talk of emerging markets these days and while South Korea is experiencing a rise similar to those developing industries, the country has already been a beacon of commercial success in the region for quite some time.... More »
  

Review: Breezy Rom-Com A WEDDING INVITATION Rings A Little Hollow
In the film business these days, China seems to be the word on everyone's lips, as its market is in the midst of a breathless expansion. However, strict quotas on foreign imports mean that only 35 international films get to... More »
  

Clooney and Bullock Lost in Space in Terrifying First GRAVITY Teaser

Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity has been a long time coming and today we finally get a glimpse of the film through its first teaser. The film stars George Clooney and Sandra Bullock as astronauts who become stranded in space.Originally set up... More »
  

Watch Kim Jee-woon's New Short ONE PERFECT DAY for Free!
Earlier this year, Korean director Kim Jee-woon released his English-language debut, the Arnie vehicle The Last Stand. Though the film had decent reviews, it nevertheless tanked at the box office. Kim is now back on home soil and his first... More »
  

Jeonju 2013 Review: The Ethereal DEAR DOLPHIN Explores Grief and Guilt
The most anticipated film of the Jeonju International Film Festival's Korean Competition this year, Kang Ji-na's feature Dear Dolphin, was also the most polished. With its themes of love, loss and loneliness, as well as its vibrant colors, strong mise-en-scene... More »
  

North Korea, Espionage and Slapstick in Main Trailer for SECRETLY GREATLY

Director Jang Chul-seo is about to reveal his sophomore film following his incendiary debut Bedevilled. But anyone looking for more of the same would be advised to temper their expectations. Secretly Greatly, coming out June 5th in Korea, follows three top... More »
  

First Footage of SNOWPIERCER Revealed in New Behind The Scenes Teaser
We've been waiting for a while and now the first footage from Snowpiercer has finally surfaced in the form of a mini teaser/making of video (without English subtitles for the moment). We don't get a huge look at the film... More »
  

Korean Box Office: IRON MAN 3 Has Gargantuan Debut
There was only one game in town this weekend as the blockbuster Iron Man 3 almost set a new opening weekend record (currently held by Transformers 2). It was slim pickings for everything else. Total business powered to 2.63 million (up from... More »
  

Jeonju 2013 Review: Mystery Abounds in the Divisive LEBANON EMOTION
In the world of cinema, things aren't always as they seem. A film presents itself to us in a certain way, its details on screen carefully selected by its director. The new Korean film Lebanon Emotion takes a risky approach... More »
  

Jeonju 2013 Review: CHEER UP MR. LEE Could Use a Pick-Me-Up
If you watch a lot of films, it's hard not to get at least a little excited when a new film about filmmaking comes along. While not a golden recipe for surefire success, the subgenre yields a surprisingly strong crop... More »
  

Jeonju 2013 Review: Narrative Experiment DECEMBER Let Down by Weak Story
These days, in a bid to stand out from a crowded field, a lot of young filmmakers experiment with their chronologies. While there's nothing wrong with experimenting with form, it's very important to have a strong narrative before playing around... More »
  

Jeonju 2013 Review: GROGGY SUMMER Teaches Us You Can't Always Get What You Want
As viewers, sometimes we take for granted the decisions made by filmmakers that affect their works. A lot is decided in pre-production, and one particularly important element is a film's shooting style. Outside of a few highly stylized works, the... More »
  

Udine 2013 Review: Despite Lame Title, HOW TO USE GUYS WITH SECRET TIPS Is a Minor Revelation
Being one of the more tired genres to litter the multiplexes, every so often romantic comedies need a little boost to remind us that they can be worthwhile. Out of all of the national industries that regularly churn them out,... More »
  

Udine Far East Film Festival Is Underway! Just Look At This Stellar Asian Film Lineup!
If you want a comprehensive survey of what's new and exciting in modern Asian film, just glance at the below list of what's playing at the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy. The festival kicked off last Friday and... More »
  

Korean Box Office: Just Hanging Around - Holdovers Repeat During Slow Weekend
With no new releases able to catch fire this week, box office was down significantly. With only 1.2 million admissions, this was the lowest attended weekend of the year to date by a margin. Local films, of which there are... More »
  

SNOWPIERCER Not Going to Cannes
CJ Entertainment has now confirmed this story and that the global distribution strategy for the film will be decided in mid-May.Very sad to report that it looks like Bong Joon-ho's highly-anticipated sci-fi Snowpiercer will not be going to the Cannes... More »
  

Jang Chul-soo's BEDEVILLED Follow-up SECRETLY, GREATLY Gets a Teaser
Korean director Jang Chul-soo made a huge splash on the international film scene three years with the release of his sensational debut Bedevilled and he's finally returned with his follow-up. Secretly, Greatly, a story of three young North Korean agents who go undercover... More »
  

Spectacular New MAN OF STEEL Trailer Drops
Though many have been skeptical about the Zack Snyder Superman reboot, a spectacular new trailer should help convert many skeptics, of which I have been one since the project was announced.The feel is epic and the visuals are tantalizing but most importantly... More »
  
 
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China Beat: What did China See in IRON MAN 3?

Much has already been written, both on these pages and many others, about the landmark Hollywood-China co-production that is Marvel and DMG Entertainment's Iron Man 3. The film, directed by Shane Black, is the third solo outing for Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark, and has proved a phenomenal success around... More »

FEAR & LOATHING AT CANNES, PART 2: I'M IN LOVE WITH EVERYBODY'S GIRL

CHAPTER 4: THE PHILOSOPHY OF ANNA KARINA AND BUTT PLUGSI'm sitting outside at a small Café that my editor told me to meet him at. I'm a 10 minute walk from the Marche Du Film convention hall and I'm still waiting for my editor to arrive so he take guide... More »

CINEMA HOLOCAUST ON THE FRENCH RIVIERA, PART 1: THOSE GOD DAMN FILM BLOGGERS

MIKE'S JOURNAL. MAY 13. MORNINGI wake up sometime around five AM. My flight to France doesn't leave until five PM. I should be there for security check in sometime around 3PM. There is no reason for me to be up this early but I'm feeling anxious. I have an itch... More »

FEAR & LOATHING AT CANNES, PART 1: A MAN'S HANDSHAKE SAYS EVERYTHING

CHAPTER ONE: THE BIGGER THE SIDEBURNS, THE BIGGER THE ASSHOLE. I've hit the big time now. I've finally made it. I'm in like Flint from here on out. I'm boarding a plane to France where I'll be attending the Cannes Film Festival for the first time.No more unpaid blogging from... More »

Destroy All Monsters: Leo DiCaprio and the Myth of the Chick Flick

I have a running argument about whether or not movie box office is a zero-sum game. I tend to attack film earning potential from the "mother of two" perspective - which is that while yes, it's nice to believe that if a film is good it has a theoretically unlimited... More »
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