“The Host” (also known as “Gwoemul”) broke the best selling movie record in Korea in 2006. Themed as a monster movie, The Host offers a lot more than horror… in fact it hardly qualified as a horror movie; it combines comedy, dark humor, suspense, action and just a bit of horror.
The movie was directed by Bong Joon-ho, and starred Song Kang-ho, Byeon Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Du-na and Go Ah-sung etc. None of the stars were big names before the movie, they are now.
The best selling point of the movie is perhaps on the unpredictability… it surprised me again and again with its plots when I first watch the movie. Another factor for its record-breaking in Korea was the teasing towards the Korean and US government… non-Koreans might not have the rapport though, but it’s still a good movie nonetheless.
Here’s the plot… I’ll cut it short; don’t want to spoil the suspense factor…
Year 2000, a US researcher commanded his Korean assistant to dispose formaldehyde down the drain and into Seoul’s Han River. (based on a real incident, the rest is fiction obviously)
The story then shift to present with the Park family. Hee-bong was the old father, who made a living with his eldest (and a bit useless) son Gang-du selling groceries near the Han river. Hyun-seo was Gang-du’s daughter and stayed with her father and grandfather.
Then a monster appeared from the Han River, killing people and dragging people into the river. Gang-du showed some heroic act to save others, but could not save his daughter Hyun-seo from being grabbed by the monster.
Hee-bong and Gang-du thought that Hyun-seo was dead, and the news spread to Nam-joo and Nam-il, Gang-du’s sister and brother. Then came the surprise, as Gang-du received a phone call from Hyun-seo calling for help.
Gang-du and family tried to get assistance from Korean military to save Hyun-seo, but the government officials thought that Gang-du was hallucinating, and quarantined him fearing that he might be infected with some diseases because of his close contact with the monster.
Gang-du and family had to escape from the military and pursue the monster themselves to save Hyun-seo…
April 2nd, 2007 at 3:00 am
Lol, sounds entertaining. A monster from a polluted river. Spooky and creepy. Love Korean horror / suspense flicks.
April 2nd, 2007 at 3:03 am
I think it’s still showing in selected cinemas in US. Go take a peep if possible :p
April 2nd, 2007 at 3:12 am
Cool! I’ll try to find if it’s showing. Thanks.
April 2nd, 2007 at 9:38 pm
I saw it yesterday, ahlahvit!
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:19 pm
Hi loki… glad you like the movie. Where are you from?
April 3rd, 2007 at 1:18 am
Chicago
April 3rd, 2007 at 3:06 am
Cool, so it’s still showing in US :)
April 3rd, 2007 at 8:13 am
just saw it. great movie! very entertaining. loved it.
April 3rd, 2007 at 8:21 am
I remember Song Kang-ho from “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance”. That was a great movie. I kept thinking while watching “The Host” ,I’ve seen this guy in something else. He’s a really really good actor.
April 3rd, 2007 at 8:30 am
Now that I think about it, I also remember Bae Du-na from “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance”. LOL, I looked it up and sure enough that was her.
April 3rd, 2007 at 12:00 pm
I can’t remember what TV dramas or movies they appeared in, but they are not new actors for sure (set aside the little girl)… the old father for example starred in lots of movies and TV dramas but normally as supporting or cameo roles.
Can’t remember “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance,” I don’t have the chance to watch most Korean movies.
April 3rd, 2007 at 1:06 pm
Yeah, that one showed here for a while. There are various ‘art’ theaters in U.S. cities that show alot of foreign movies. Maybe one or two in a whole city. Not the main theaters. Unless it’s a star billing like Ziyi or Gong Li. Which by the way, I went to rent “Curse Of the Golden Flower” this weekend and there was only one left on the shelf out of about 50 or 60 they had stocked. Shows how popular that one is in the states. VERY! …I think the Geisha movie last year really put Gong Li on the map here after that. Now every body takes a little more notice of her here. Of course I’ve been watching her for years ever since I saw “Raise The Red Lantern”
But back to the Korean Movies, I’ve seen the guy that played the old father before. Can’t remember where. Seems he was a police chief or detective or something.
On the ‘Sympathy For Mr Vengeance” movie, there’s actually a trilogy (3) of those. That was the first one, then in 2003 there was one called “Oldboy” and finally one in 2005 called “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance”. I haven’t seen either of those but Bae Du-na is also in the last one I think.
“Sypathy For Mr Vengeance” was declared best movie of 2002 by online film critic Harry Jay Knowles.
April 3rd, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Interesting… I need to buy “Sympathy For Mr Vengeance” somewhere.
April 27th, 2007 at 12:35 am
[...] award (First prize or Big prize) - War of Flowers Best film - The Host Best director - Choi Dong-hoon (War of Flowers) Best new director - Jeon Gye-soo (The Ghost [...]
May 13th, 2007 at 2:44 am
That movie was sooo good !I loved it!^_^
May 15th, 2007 at 10:48 pm
[...] (First reviewed in April at Yummycelebrities) [...]
June 10th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
[...] won the best movie award at the 44th Daejong on June 8 in Seoul, beating the hot favorites “The Host” and “200 Pound [...]