Hey you guys! South Korea's THE HOST is getting a US release starting this weekend!

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Go see it! It really good. Last time I watched it I interpreted it as a critique on current South Korean society and political attitudes, I was high.

― jessie monster, Friday, 9 March 2007 20:58 (eighteen years ago)

how about if I interpret it as a big monster chasing people around?

that's awesome, though. I'm so glad Korean movies finally have a shot at decent distribution in the US. did you see his last movie, memories of murder? that was good + twisted. and a huge hit in Korea! the Koreans have really weird sensibilities.

― Edward III, Friday, 9 March 2007 21:03 (eighteen years ago)

I'm seeing it tomorrow.

― Alex in SF, Friday, 9 March 2007 21:04 (eighteen years ago)

denby review was lame but this looks !!!!

― and what, Friday, 9 March 2007 21:12 (eighteen years ago)

thanx falwell

― Dr Morbius, Friday, 9 March 2007 21:19 (eighteen years ago)

I really want to see Memories of Murder but I haven't yet.

I love the style of black comedy a lot of Korean films have exhibited (I think it's called "geum-ja"?).

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxpost

― jessie monster, Friday, 9 March 2007 21:22 (eighteen years ago)

[i]Memories of Murderp[i] is really really good IIRC. Very well paced and creepy.

― Alex in SF, Friday, 9 March 2007 21:27 (eighteen years ago)

^true^

― Dr Morbius, Friday, 9 March 2007 21:29 (eighteen years ago)

I love the style of black comedy a lot of Korean films have exhibited (I think it's called "geum-ja"?).

"yupgi" actually. I once wrote a big long post about the concept on ILE but then the computer ate it. it doesn't have a direct Engrish trans but it roughly means "unsettling and cool".

geum-ja is a Chan-wook Park protagonist :)

― Edward III, Friday, 9 March 2007 21:33 (eighteen years ago)

lmao I knew I was getting that from somewhere.

― jessie monster, Friday, 9 March 2007 21:35 (eighteen years ago)

I should probably start a rolling Korean film review thread.

― Edward III, Friday, 9 March 2007 21:37 (eighteen years ago)

bong joon-ho's first movie, barking dogs never bite, is a black comedy about a topic dear to every ilxor's heart; eating dogs. waaayyy yupgi.

― Edward III, Friday, 9 March 2007 21:44 (eighteen years ago)

love the korean poster for this:

http://www.londonkoreanlinks.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/host_teaser.jpg

― Edward III, Saturday, 10 March 2007 01:00 (eighteen years ago)

the story drags in the middle, the whole virus thing makes no sense, the special effects computer sucks at rendering the monster and fire in the same frame, but apart from that its a pretty good movie

― fies, Saturday, 10 March 2007 01:14 (eighteen years ago)

it does drag a bit in the middle, I agree.

― jessie monster, Saturday, 10 March 2007 01:16 (eighteen years ago)

I kind of assumed I'd understand the whole virus thing more if I'd ever been a citizen of a country that underwent a major WHO intervention.

― jessie monster, Saturday, 10 March 2007 01:17 (eighteen years ago)

i like this movie but i hope it gets a bit chopped for american release. opening-ish sequence of monster chasing everyone around the waterfront is pretty wonderful.

― s1ocki, Saturday, 10 March 2007 23:08 (eighteen years ago)

I'm so fucking geeked out about this I can't even begin to tell you.

― John Justen, Saturday, 10 March 2007 23:37 (eighteen years ago)

I keep meaning to watch "murder", I should make sure to before we go see this.

― forksclovetofu, Saturday, 10 March 2007 23:46 (eighteen years ago)

where did denby review it? anthony lane loved it.

― jaymc, Sunday, 11 March 2007 00:04 (eighteen years ago)

I am SO there.

― Beth Parker, Sunday, 11 March 2007 00:09 (eighteen years ago)

SAWR IT LAST NITE SOOOO AWSE !!!!

― jhøshea, Sunday, 11 March 2007 00:32 (eighteen years ago)

I'm going to start throwing out everything in our apartment that's dusty. Layer of dust = of no use to me. Saw the movie last night and loved it. I've never laughed so hard at a grieving family.

Wes Anderson was sitting behind us in the theater. I resisted the urge to turn around afterwards and say, "I think The Life Aquatic could've really benefited from one of those things."

― lindseykai, Sunday, 11 March 2007 17:27 (eighteen years ago)

lol

― s1ocki, Sunday, 11 March 2007 17:37 (eighteen years ago)

opening in providence on the 23rd. psyched.

― Edward III, Sunday, 11 March 2007 18:58 (eighteen years ago)

It was on limited release over here a while ago: saw it and absolutely loved it. why is everyone motherless though is it a metaphor for the division of korea or sth ;_;

― c sharp major, Sunday, 11 March 2007 19:23 (eighteen years ago)

The inverse to Children of Men's storyline, obv.

My sis saw this while I was away and was happily raving about it to me this morning. A good sign.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 12 March 2007 01:00 (eighteen years ago)

bump

― Edward III, Sunday, 18 March 2007 04:06 (eighteen years ago)

"Sorry, this movie is not currently playing in or near the location you have selected.

Please enter a different location."

FANDANGNO WHY U BRAK HERT

― nickalicious, Monday, 19 March 2007 13:39 (eighteen years ago)

maybe it will get a wider release this weekend?

― jessie monster, Monday, 19 March 2007 16:38 (eighteen years ago)

Saw it on Sat., enjoyed it thoroughly. Good solid monster movie with a little more heart than usual. Effects were great, aside from the aforementioned part near the end with the oddly fake-looking fire.

― n/a, Monday, 19 March 2007 16:55 (eighteen years ago)

― nickalicious, Monday, 19 March 2007 16:55 (eighteen years ago)

it's opening friday in providence, staggered release dates are common for films like this, no?

― Edward III, Monday, 19 March 2007 17:03 (eighteen years ago)

internet be your friend

Opening

3/23/2007
Monterey, CA: Osio Plaza 6
Sacramento, CA: Tower Theatre
San Luis Obispo, CA: The Palm Theatre
Hartford, CT: Cinema City 4
New Haven, CT: Criterion Cinemas 7
Waterbury, CT: Mallview 10
Fort Lauderdale, FL: Gateway 4
South Miami, FL: Sunset Place 24 Theatres
Des Moines, IA: Fleur Cinema
Indianapolis, IN: Keystone Art Cinema 7
Lexington, KY: Kentucky Theatre
Louisville, KY: Baxter Avenue 8
Annapolis, MD: Harbour 9 Theatres
Baltimore, MD: Charles Theatre
Birmingham, MI: Palladium 12
Livonia, MI: Livonia 20
Sterling Heights, MI: Forum 30 - Sterling Hts
Kansas City, MO: Tivoli @ Manor Square
University City, MO: Tivoli Theatre
Chapel Hill, NC: Varsity Cinema Twin
Charlotte, NC: Ballantyne Village 5
Durham, NC: Carolina Theatre - Durham
Raleigh, NC: Colony Twin
Albuquerque, NM: Century 14 Downtown
Santa Fe, NM: CCA Cinematheque
Las Vegas, NV: Village Square 18
Albany, NY: Spectrum
Cincinnati, OH: Esquire Theatre
Cleveland Heights, OH: Cedar Lee Theatres
Columbus, OH: Gateway 8
Oklahoma City, OK: Quail Springs 24
Tulsa, OK: Southroads 20
West Homestead, PA: Loews Waterfront Theatare
Providence, RI: Avon Cinema
Nashville, TN: Belcourt Theatre
Austin, TX: Arbor Cinemas at Great Hills
Austin, TX: Dobie Theatre
Austin, TX: Alamo South Lamar
San Antonio, TX: Santikos Bijou @ Crossroads 6
Salt Lake City, UT: Trolley Square Cinemas
Richmond, VA: Westhampton Cinema 2
Milwaukee, WI: Oriental Theatre

3/30/2007
Santa Cruz, CA: Nickelodeon Theatres
Jupiter, FL: Jupiter 18
Tallahassee, FL: Miracle Theatre
Tampa, FL: Veterans Expressway 24
Great Barrington, MA: Triplex Cinemas
Ann Arbor, MI: Michigan Theater
Omaha, NE: Oak View 24
Dayton, OH: New Neon Movies
Bend, OR: Pilot Butte 6 Theatres
Corvallis, OR: Darkside Theatre
Eugene, OR: Bijou Art Cinema
Memphis, TN: Studio on the Square 5
South Burlington, VT: The Palace 9
Port Townsend, WA: Rose Twin
Madison, WI: Westgate Madison

4/6/2007
Maitland, FL: Enzian Theatre
Iowa City, IA: University of Iowa, Bijou Theater
Rochester, NY: Little Theatre
Tacoma, WA: Grand Cinema - Tacoma

4/13/2007
Athens, GA: Athens Cine
Lawrence, KS: Liberty Hall
Columbia, SC: Nickelodeon

4/20/2007
Gettysburg, PA: Majestic 3
Yakima, WA: Yakima 8

4/21/2007
Keene, NH: Colonial Keene
Olympia, WA: Olympia Film SocietyCapitol Theatre

4/23/2007
Wilmington, NC: Thalian Hall

4/27/2007
Lincoln, NE: Mary R. Ross Film Theater
Portsmouth, NH: Music Hall

5/4/2007
Ithaca, NY: Cornell Cinema

― Edward III, Monday, 19 March 2007 17:04 (eighteen years ago)

I'm gonna hafta skip opening night to take the kids to see tmnt. my son is practically exploding with turtle fervor.

― Edward III, Monday, 19 March 2007 17:06 (eighteen years ago)

That's what I'm hoping. I want to see this in the theater real real badn but I don't know if I'm patient enough to not just find a substandard tor-Ent which will probably not have subtitles and I will be fucked (this happens to me all the time).

nickalicious on Monday, 19 March 2007 16:55 (22 minutes ago)

I originally saw it via t-o-r-r-e-n-t and found a decently seeded file with decent subtitles.

― jessie monster, Monday, 19 March 2007 17:22 (eighteen years ago)

Hells yeah, opens here Friday. This is gonna be a movie chock-fulla weekend, between this and (Edward III OTM) TMNT.

Does it really earn the US "R" rating, or could this conceivably be something a 7 yr old might want to watch?

― nickalicious, Monday, 19 March 2007 17:42 (eighteen years ago)

After Children of Men and Pan's Labyrinth especially, I have decided it is probably worth it to attempt to be patient enough to make the right move as far as t0rr3ntz vs theatering.

― nickalicious, Monday, 19 March 2007 17:44 (eighteen years ago)

haven't seen it but let's put it this way the koreans are not squeamish

― Edward III, Monday, 19 March 2007 17:44 (eighteen years ago)

This movie would have freaked me out pretty badly at age 7. Don't bring the kids unless you want them to watch a lobotomy or see a monster vomit corpses and skeletons.

This movie doesn't drag for a second. It has a little bit of everything. It isn't action-packed all the way through but neither is, say, Jaws. If you like characters and acting and plot, you won't get bored. I can't imagine I'll see a better movie in 2007.

― Hatch, Monday, 19 March 2007 17:54 (eighteen years ago)

It's been a while seen I was it, but i don't seem to remmeber any scenes being particularly not suited for 8 year olds. But it's been 6 months, so get more advice

― Jibe, Monday, 19 March 2007 17:55 (eighteen years ago)

Haha, yeah OK, i'd completely forgotten the part where the monster vomits skeletons

― Jibe, Monday, 19 March 2007 17:55 (eighteen years ago)

Considering he's never heard of it he won't want to go anyway. I think I'm doing this on Friday and then we're doing TMNT on Saturday.

Also awesome: the theater this is playing at here (KY Theatre) SERVES BEERS.

― nickalicious, Monday, 19 March 2007 17:57 (eighteen years ago)

The violence in and of itself isn't really worse than a PG-13 action movie, there aren't many (if any) "jump scares" with the monster. There's a few f-bombs. The only thing I might be concerned about (speaking as someone with no children :/) is the fact that young kids are in peril for almost all of the movie.

― jessie monster, Monday, 19 March 2007 17:59 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, there's violence and scariness but very little gore.

― n/a, Monday, 19 March 2007 18:07 (eighteen years ago)

when's this sucker comin' to the suburbs

― latebloomer, Monday, 19 March 2007 19:13 (eighteen years ago)

looks like you'll be making a special field trip to Columbia in April

― jessie monster, Monday, 19 March 2007 19:15 (eighteen years ago)

atlanta and charlotte are slightly closer actually

― latebloomer, Monday, 19 March 2007 19:25 (eighteen years ago)

atlanta being closer makes no sense at all. :p Charlotte probably is, my SC geography is sorely lacking.

― jessie monster, Monday, 19 March 2007 19:26 (eighteen years ago)

Ballantyne's on the extreme south side of Charlotte tho, so it'd be close-ish.

― jessie monster, Monday, 19 March 2007 19:26 (eighteen years ago)

yeah, i gotta figure all dis out. i wanna see da monster moobie!

― latebloomer, Monday, 19 March 2007 19:34 (eighteen years ago)

that theatre is in one of those corporate developments, the ones that are like their own little self-contained city so the employees never have to leave. it's right off 485 but navigating the actual development thing is like driving in hell.

― jessie monster, Monday, 19 March 2007 19:37 (eighteen years ago)

Ballantyne more like Byzantine amirite ;-)

― latebloomer, Monday, 19 March 2007 19:46 (eighteen years ago)

im glad to learn about "yupgi" as it is discussed upthread--i had a hard time putting my finger on the style of comedy in this movie....but some of it is just straight up slap stick.

great movie. i love how the grieving scene starts out pretty serious if melodramatic and then just gets more and more absurd until you realize with relief it's supposed to be funny!

― ryan, Monday, 26 March 2007 05:30 (eighteen years ago)

Actually, that part didn't work for me. In general, the more overt attempts at levity sort of fell flat, but I sort of assumed it was a Korean brand of humor that I wasn't really getting. I still don't really understand the American medic who wanted to give Gang-Du a lobotomy, even though he told his partner that he believed that there was no virus. I guess that was supposed to be funny, too, but it left me both confused and enraged at its sadism.

― jaymc, Monday, 26 March 2007 17:22 (eighteen years ago)

Hey, I saw this, it was kick the fuck ass!

My only real disappointment was when Gang-Du was chasing the beast (he on the bridge, it in the water) towards the Agent Yellow protest crowd, I wanted to see the creature fuck up a bunch of protestors like earlier in the movie; I loved the tragicomic vengeance sequence a lot, but it just felt so action front-loaded. Still I will absolutely watch this movie again and shit my pants over it all over again.

The grieving scene really caught me off guard because I was very caught up in Nam-joo's grieving (very passionate), once I realized it was supposed to be funny I got an instant craving for more "humor" like that.

― nickalicious, Monday, 26 March 2007 17:37 (eighteen years ago)

is that supposed to be funny?

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y176/edwardiii/Bush20confused2021_a.jpg

― Edward III, Monday, 26 March 2007 17:42 (eighteen years ago)

I still don't really understand the American medic who wanted to give Gang-Du a lobotomy, even though he told his partner that he believed that there was no virus.

i thought he was saying they hadn't found any virus yet, and since the brain was the only place they hadn't looked, it must be in there. (i sort of thought this might be an iraq wmd joke, but even if it's not that specific it was a joke about that mindset, seeking evidence for a predetermined but utterly false conclusion.)

― tipsy mothra, Monday, 26 March 2007 17:43 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah he even was pointing at it saying like "so the virus has got to be in HERE, lolz lets cut it out, boys!".

― nickalicious, Monday, 26 March 2007 17:47 (eighteen years ago)

> i sort of thought this might be an iraq wmd joke

This was my take on it.

― Oilyrags, Monday, 26 March 2007 17:50 (eighteen years ago)

I thought he told Gang-Du "It's in your brain," and then pulled his partner aside and confessed that there was no virus, since the autopsy from Sgt. Donald White (the first man who died after coming in contact with the monster) didn't show any evidence of one.

― jaymc, Monday, 26 March 2007 17:53 (eighteen years ago)

finally saw this last night. aside from the fact that the print had an annoying static crackle for the first 1/4 of the movie, it was great!

The grieving scene really caught me off guard because I was very caught up in Nam-joo's grieving (very passionate), once I realized it was supposed to be funny I got an instant craving for more "humor" like that.

that's what I love about Korean movies - the peculiar blending of tones and emotions. other films carefully sound out emotional notes one at a time while the Koreans blast out chords like charlie parker. that grieving scene goes from heartbreaking to slapstick funny to satirical all in the space of a minute. and I don't think the transition to humor degrades or cheapens the initial sadness of the scene. we don't care any less about the family or their sorrow.

my favorite scene: the look the grandfather gives gang-du when he realizes the gun is empty, a moment that is funny, sad, and scary, *simultaneously*. what blows my mind is how Korean films pull this type of tonal innovation within the context of genre movies - it's crazy stuff that would get bled out of a typical hollywood film.

(not to mention all the subtext. you could write a book on the cultural implications of the host.)

re: the lobotomy. my impression was that the doctor was trying to further the virus hoax by silencing gang-du, especially after he overheard the hoax conversation. yes, it's sadistic, but the film takes a rather dim view of u.s. intervention in foreign affairs (not that the south korean government comes off much better, being largely depicted as incompetent). at its base the film is anti-bureaucracy and pro-individual - in that sense it's almost quintessentially american!

― Edward III, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 18:28 (eighteen years ago)

loved this shit

― and what, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 18:30 (eighteen years ago)

also nam-joo needs to call me

― and what, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 18:31 (eighteen years ago)

bae do-na is indeed awesome. if you're crushin' you should check out sympathy for mr vegeance (though she's treated somewhat savagely in that one) and saving my hubby (not sure if that was ever released in the US?).

― Edward III, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 18:54 (eighteen years ago)

fucking cosign on every good thing on this thread. absolutely great.

― Matos W.K., Thursday, 29 March 2007 05:24 (eighteen years ago)

bae do-na is the one in Take Care of My Cat right?

― ryan, Thursday, 29 March 2007 05:47 (eighteen years ago)

so some friends are gabbin about seein this, sounds worth checking out...?

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 22:27 (eighteen years ago)

i was gonna go see this on saturday but my goddamned neck (pinched nerve or something, it's driving me fucking crazy) prevented me from being able to make the car trip...so sad:,,,,-(

― latebloomer, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 22:30 (eighteen years ago)

bae do-na is the one in Take Care of My Cat right?

yeah, she's in that, I haven't seen that one.

― Edward III, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 23:16 (eighteen years ago)

the story drags in the middle, the whole virus thing makes no sense, the special effects computer sucks at rendering the monster and fire in the same frame, but apart from that its a pretty good movie

agreed, esp. the fire bit. also, wtf @ that final scene. what was the point

― am0n, Thursday, 5 April 2007 02:48 (eighteen years ago)

I guess that was supposed to be funny, too, but it left me both confused and enraged at its sadism.

-- ~~jaymc~~ Tuomas in Chicago, Monday, March 26, 2007 1:22 PM (1 week ago)

^fixed

― am0n, Thursday, 5 April 2007 02:51 (eighteen years ago)

wtf @ that final scene. what was the point

that was another of my favorite scenes! kid gets a new home, gang-du gets a new child. he turns off the babble of the bureaucrats on the tv. who cares? family is what's important, tenderness, mercy, life goes on. totally fits w/ the rest of the movie.

― Edward III, Thursday, 5 April 2007 03:15 (eighteen years ago)

hm i guess you're right. at the time it just seemed tacked on, like 'oh wait lets tie up this subplot before we're done'

― am0n, Thursday, 5 April 2007 05:12 (eighteen years ago)

four weeks pass...

the peculiar blending of tones and emotions

How about "throw everything to the wall, some will stick"?

Great monster, esp in the early scenes, but disappointing overall. Most of the turn-on-a-dime wacky family-to-graphic death stuff -- whatthehell?

SPOILER

*
*
*
*
*
*
*

YOU CAN'T KILL THE YOUNG GIRL. ESPECIALLY WHEN YR RESPECTING ALL THE OTHER TROPES, like I knew how Hosty was gonna be taken out as soon as the archerwoman was introduced.

So if the virus was a fraud, why the title?

― Dr Morbius, Friday, 4 May 2007 13:57 (eighteen years ago)

The monster was HOSTing a party with the girl, the young boy and lots of dead bodies.

― Pete, Friday, 4 May 2007 14:03 (eighteen years ago)

How about "throw everything to the wall, some will stick"?

well, that's one way to look at it. but these aren't out-of-control wild dogs with cameras, or gregg araki. they're a lot freer with conventions, alternately honoring and violating them, but that's what makes korean films more interesting to me, not less interesting. you could also scream at the end of memories of murder SPOILER you can't let the serial killer get away /SPOILER. I guess I could read into your argument that the ending of MoM worked, whereas the host's didn't, but I really liked that concluding scene with gang-du and the boy.

I'll agree that, in general, korean films have a tough time ending in a satisfactory manner. I've seen a lot of korean movies where 3/4's through I'm saying "this is fantastic!" only to have it peter out on the wrap-up.

as far as english translations of korean titles, the host is one that works well on several levels; the virus hoax, the monster hosts the girl, korea hosts the americans. keep in mind this is the country that also produced films entitled "a bungee jumping of their own", "once upon a time in high school", "sympathy for mr vengeance" and "save the green planet".

― Edward III, Friday, 4 May 2007 14:40 (eighteen years ago)

"I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK"

― ☪, Friday, 4 May 2007 14:44 (eighteen years ago)

Most Korean films I've seen (incl the ones you mention) are more coherent than The Host, except when it's clear from the start they're not remotely gonna be (Green Planet the craziest).

International horror directors like to be killin the little heroines lately.

― Dr Morbius, Friday, 4 May 2007 14:46 (eighteen years ago)

^that is, internally coherent^

― Dr Morbius, Friday, 4 May 2007 14:46 (eighteen years ago)

jesus christ youre dumb

― and what, Friday, 4 May 2007 15:22 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, you and n/a liking this woulda lowered my expecs

― Dr Morbius, Friday, 4 May 2007 15:34 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah got to agree with Edward III (and not just cos I like what he did to William Wallace). Korean films have their own rythmns which make me think about the construction of Western films. The almost slapstick grieving scene in the Host seems jarring, but actually works really well to reinvigorate your jaded palate after the initial monster attack, it allows for comedy which isn't about the parody of the situation. It is satirical without being heavy handed.

The death of the daughter (and replacement by surrogate son) was really hard to take, but again made the film linger longer. The virus was bobbins though.

― Pete, Friday, 4 May 2007 15:35 (eighteen years ago)

"I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK"

r3 dvd is out next week... jodorowsky may have to wait...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y176/edwardiii/iamacyborg.jpg

― Edward III, Friday, 4 May 2007 15:36 (eighteen years ago)

four months pass...

This was really good. Watched it a second time before sending the disc back, and realized that the kid trying to swipe candy from the sleeping Gang-Du at the beginning (before his brother pulls him away) is the same kid he winds up adopting.

― Rock Hardy, Wednesday, 5 September 2007 19:25 (eighteen years ago)

this dragged on too much:-/ monster was cool though

― latebloomer, Wednesday, 5 September 2007 20:04 (eighteen years ago)

everything seems slower when you listen to that much slayer dude

― Edward III, Wednesday, 5 September 2007 20:14 (eighteen years ago)

true enough.

― latebloomer, Wednesday, 5 September 2007 23:56 (eighteen years ago)

really though the movie had me until the last act or so.

― latebloomer, Thursday, 6 September 2007 00:01 (eighteen years ago)

this movie so so rulez

― jhøshea, Thursday, 6 September 2007 00:23 (eighteen years ago)

i liked this lots lots lots.

― johnny crunch, Thursday, 6 September 2007 00:34 (eighteen years ago)

four months pass...

Somehow totally missed this until confusing it for The Descent on the video store shelf, and now I want to see everything this guy has ever directed. I think the tonal shifts really work, and are surprising and giddy, and the film flips enough tropes to justify giving into one or two at the end. I also love, in the making-of doc, how they describe the monster as a troubling absence--the movie makes you realize how not-scary most movie monsters are.

Most of the WTF comments above seemed to be looking to make literal sense of scenes where I just instinctively took the entire thing as a political nightmare, meant to be surreal and symbolic. If you love someone enough, you can resist government anaesthetic, etc. And it was VERY refreshing to have a film make fun of the usual germ-phobic and authority-awed conventions of disaster and horror movies, and to wink at you while doing it. The first monster scene made me realize I was watching a great scare film, but I knew I was watching a great comedy when SPOILER the first government official in orange stumbles out in front of the mourning families like an awkward high school teacher and says it'll be easier to explain what's going on just by having everyone watch TV, and then it's not on TV.

― Pete Scholtes, Monday, 21 January 2008 13:33 (seventeen years ago)

> now I want to see everything this guy has ever directed.

The only other one I've seen is "Memories of a Murder" which is just as amazing and in a completely different way. Reminded me of the best parts of "Zodiac" in some respects.

― Oilyrags, Monday, 21 January 2008 13:51 (seventeen years ago)

besides memories of murder, joon-ho bong's only other movie is barking dogs never bite. it's pretty easy to get a hold of online, but you won't find it in blockbuster or best buy.

if your appetite is whet for korean movies, here's a sampler of good ones available in the US:

memories of murder
lady vengeance
oasis
save the green planet
a tale of two sisters
the bad guy
oldboy

― Edward III, Monday, 21 January 2008 17:10 (seventeen years ago)

five months pass...

Wish I liked this better. Loved the initial attack, loved little bits here and there (esp. the escape attempt!), appreciated the mood-blending (cf. the mourning scene & hazmat guy intro), looked past the sketchy fire FX, but it didn't really seem to cohere.

― David R., Wednesday, 16 July 2008 03:40 (seventeen years ago)

A sequel is on the way from what I've read, but not directed by Bong Joon Ho. Can't remember the new director's name.

― Jibe, Wednesday, 16 July 2008 08:10 (seventeen years ago)

one year passes...

MOTHER rules! has anyone else seen it?? so rad

― just sayin, Sunday, 21 March 2010 20:50 (fifteen years ago)

started watching it but didn't get to finish it, what I saw was pretty damn good

― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Sunday, 21 March 2010 23:05 (fifteen years ago)

Say it today. Yup its great.

― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Monday, 22 March 2010 00:34 (fifteen years ago)

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