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michi gnome
Joined: 15 Feb 2006
Location: Dokdo
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 Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:51 am Post subject: New Sci-Fi flick--Americans create a monster in Seoul |
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From the Chicago Sun Times:
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A horror thriller, a political satire, a dysfunctional family comedy, and a touching melodrama, Bong Joon-ho's "The Host" is also one helluva monster movie. This Korean-Japanese co-production is the recombinant offspring of all those science-fiction pictures of the 1950s and '60s in which exposure to atomic radiation (often referred to as both "atomic" and "radiation") or hazardous chemicals (sometimes also radioactive) results in something very large and inhospitable
In "The Host" (a k a "Gwoemul"), the mutagen is a simple aldehyde, HCHO (possibly even a radioactive variety). The movie opens in the year 2000 at the Yongsan U.S. Army base in Seoul, where an American mortician (the always superb Scott Wilson, clearly having fun) orders a Korean subordinate to dump dusty bottles of "dirty formaldehyde" into the sink ... which empties into the Han River. When the underling objects, the American insists, "The Han River is very... broad, Mr. Kim. Let's try to be broad-minded about this." Had Al Gore been present, he would have made a persuasive counter-argument with colorful charts and graphs about the dangers of poisoning our fragile planet, but an order is an order, so down the drain the noxious stuff goes.
(This scene is based on a notorious incident involving Albert McFarland, an American civilian mortician at the Yongsan military base, who in 2000 ordered his staff to pour 120 liters of formaldehyde into the morgue's plumbing. Although the chemicals passed through two treatment plants before reaching the Han, source of Seoul's drinking water, the scandal sparked an anti-American uproar in South Korea.)
When the monster nabs a Park from the shore (in one of the best fleeing-in-panic crowd scenes ever filmed), the clan reunites to seek revenge. If only they can fight their way through the political red tape. The government's response to the monstrous threat is an American-backed disinformation campaign about an outbreak of "Asian flu" virus that, as is so often the case with official lies, only serves to exacerbate the real Terror. |
Anyone here been around long enough to remember the formaldehyde dumping in 2000?
I've always thought that Han river water tastes a little strange
Before 2000 I'm sure it was so fresh & pure that you could just dip a cup into it & enjoy
But c'mon now, who doesn't like a little formaldehyde in their agua now & then? |
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michi gnome
Joined: 15 Feb 2006
Location: Dokdo
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:05 pm Post subject: |
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forgot to add, movie itself sounds a little like Toxic Avenger
except this time its them damn foreigners unleashing mutant monsters on our fair city
Last edited by michi gnome on Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:40 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:11 pm Post subject: |
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I witnessed that mess. Crap. And Koreans wonder why their movie industry isn't internationally recognized.
Oh, it's because it's not an 'English' speaking film. Yeah, right.
Can you spell "B"? |
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jaderedux
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Lurking outside Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:21 pm Post subject: |
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As an American and one who has seen the movie. I loved that scene cheese literally poured out of my TV. Mr. Kim the Han River is very broad we must have broad mind...I almot fell out of my chair laughing. Gawd this movie would have be perfect for MST3K. Why are they deciding to despose of thousands of bottles of that stuff that day by pouring it in the sink?
OOOH Americans bad but they did redeem themselves when the white guy tries to save the the girl. But sadly he is eaten.
Um....did anyone think to to just shoot this damn monster it takes some archer?
I loved it ....pure cheese.
Jade
Last edited by jaderedux on Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:22 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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esetters21
Joined: 30 Apr 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Wasn't that movie called "Monster"? If so, I saw it last year, and yes it stunk. |
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caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:34 pm Post subject: |
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It wouldn't be a big deal if Korea wasn't so jacked on it. America pumps out tons of films. Some wonderful pieces of art, and unfortunately many sub-par submissions. Business is the controlling factor.
I guess we still don't understand the "Han" enough to appreciate Korean "AHRT".
(Newbies, ask your Korean friends about the "Han". And be ready for an ear-full.) |
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crazy_arcade
Joined: 05 Nov 2006
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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| caniff wrote: |
I witnessed that mess. Crap. And Koreans wonder why their movie industry isn't internationally recognized.
Oh, it's because it's not an 'English' speaking film. Yeah, right.
Can you spell "B"? |
Haven't seen many Korean movies, have we? No, Let's just base everything on assumption! !!!
Whether you or I think it's crap, it was well received at film festivals and has now been well received by the critics and New York Times, which is usually a pretty damn good thing for a foreign film.
So why don't you leave your baseless assumptions at the door. |
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caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:47 pm Post subject: |
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| crazy_arcade wrote: |
| caniff wrote: |
I witnessed that mess. Crap. And Koreans wonder why their movie industry isn't internationally recognized.
Oh, it's because it's not an 'English' speaking film. Yeah, right.
Can you spell "B"? |
Haven't seen many Korean movies, have we? No, Let's just base everything on assumption! !!!
Whether you or I think it's crap, it was well received at film festivals and has now been well received by the critics and New York Times, which is usually a pretty damn good thing for a foreign film.
So why don't you leave your baseless assumptions at the door. |
The NYT is also full of crap. Leave your critical abilities at the door, because they aren't working. |
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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:50 pm Post subject: |
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Something concerning pollution and they had to make a foreigner the cause of the pollution.........like Koreans would never dirty the pure soil of Korea!!  |
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Young FRANKenstein
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 6:15 pm Post subject: Re: New Sci-Fi flick--Americans create a monster in Seoul |
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| michi gnome wrote: |
| Bong Joon-ho's "The Host" is also one helluva monster movie. |
I don't know where to get it in the stores (even as a video), but "Yongary" (or is that "Yong-gary"?) was way better in the cheese factor. It was Korea's answer to Godzilla movies, and B-movie SFX and C-movie acting. All in English. I know it can be found on torrent sites.
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| Anyone here been around long enough to remember the formaldehyde dumping in 2000? |
Yeah, big kerfuffle when they caught the Americans dumping it... then couple weeks later they caught a Korean company doing the same thing, except they were dumping about 10 times the amount the Americans were accused of dumping. AND they were dumping it DIRECTLY into the river. Not a peep from the masses. |
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kat2
Joined: 25 Oct 2005
Location: Busan, South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:21 pm Post subject: |
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| I was so excited to see this movie and so disappointed when I finally saw it. I can't believe they are releasing it in the states. The monster looks really funny (not graphic problems, but design is too cartoony). And the pacing is off. Its going to flop big time in America |
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michi gnome
Joined: 15 Feb 2006
Location: Dokdo
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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well i'll be damned, i guess its not so "new" after all then
here i thought i was ahead of the game
yeah, its just being released in the States this week, I must have totally missed it here
i'd say i should get my head out of my azz
but shite, i'm just a hermit living under a rock on Dokdo island |
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crazy_arcade
Joined: 05 Nov 2006
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:52 pm Post subject: |
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| caniff wrote: |
| crazy_arcade wrote: |
| caniff wrote: |
I witnessed that mess. Crap. And Koreans wonder why their movie industry isn't internationally recognized.
Oh, it's because it's not an 'English' speaking film. Yeah, right.
Can you spell "B"? |
Haven't seen many Korean movies, have we? No, Let's just base everything on assumption! !!!
Whether you or I think it's crap, it was well received at film festivals and has now been well received by the critics and New York Times, which is usually a pretty damn good thing for a foreign film.
So why don't you leave your baseless assumptions at the door. |
The NYT is also full of crap. Leave your critical abilities at the door, because they aren't working. |
Whether or not the NYT is full of crap is a non-issue. Now if it had been the Post.... |
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caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:21 pm Post subject: |
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| The flick has been panned. Shut up about it already. |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:06 pm Post subject: |
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| At least Japan would never do anything like this, make a movie about a giant lizard caused by American pollution that attacks their city. |
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