“the host” breaks all kinds of record in korea
“the host”, or “gweh-mool” in korean is a movie about a monster rising out of the depths of the han river in seoul.
what is particular about this movie is the fact that it looks to go head to head with hollywood blockbusters that are heavy into cgi. to that end, the film employs rather impressive special effects and cinematography. of course, korea has had some really great movies in the past, my personal favorite being “old boy”, (you haven’t seen it? what’s wrong with you? it’s the greatest movie ever made!!!!!) as well as “taegukki:brotherhood of war” among others.
most korean movies of the past have relied on tight, sometimes innovative story lines as well as character developments to make the movie memorable. the directors and producers have shied away from big budget, special effects laden movies simply because korean movie industry simply can’t invest that much financially.
this one is an exception.
though it pales in comparison to movies such as “superman” in terms of budget (which i believe doesn’t even approach 1/10th), it is one of the most expensive movies from the country. and people are flocking to the theaters to see it.
it will see release in japan on sept. 2, and americans can see it in october. it may even achieve a wide release in america, unlike other korean movies such as “typhoon” which were limited engagements.
from digital chosun ilbo