Page 30 - aruba-today-20190831

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Saturday 31 auguSt 2019
Bong Joon Ho and 'Parasite' are coming for you

By JAKE COYLE site" won the Palme d'Or at
Associated Press the Cannes Film Festival, a
NEW YORK (AP) — Bong first for a Korean film.
Joon Ho's "Parasite" may be "When I wake up and see
the only film this fall that's the Palme d'Or trophy, it's
already an award-winner very curious and strange,"
and a box-office smash. says the 49-year-old direc-
"Parasite" will arrive in U.S. tor, speaking by phone
theaters Oct. 11 after hav- from Seoul.
ing already amassed $70.9 But for most, there was
million in Bong's native nothing odd about Bong's
South Korea, where the film win. "Parasite," a class satire
notched one of the coun- about two families — one
try's best opening week- of poor hustlers living in a
ends ever. In May, "Para- subterranean dwelling sub-

This image released by Neon shows Sun-kyun Lee, left, and Yeo-jeong Jo in a scene from "Para-
site."
Associated Press

sisting on their wits and sto- has made Bong one of the stein's efforts to cut 20 min-
len Wi-Fi, the other wealthy few filmmakers who live up utes and add monologues,
and residing in a stylish to the label of "Spielber- but it damaged the mov-
modern mansion — has gian." His ardent supporters ie's release, which was ul-
been roundly hailed as a include Tilda Swinton, Jake timately overseen cut-free
masterpiece and, perhaps, Gyllenhaal and Quentin by Quinn's Radius label.
a culmination of Bong's al- Tarantino, who attended "Okja" (2017), Bong's big-
ready illustrious career as a the Cannes premiere of gest budget film at $57 mil-
filmmaker of mischievous "Parasite." His devoted fans lion, became enveloped
genre subversions, warm- have adopted the proud in controversy as a Netflix
hearted earnestness and moniker of the Bong Hive. release in Cannes, a festi-
stylistic daring. And for the Bong Hive, val that has since outlawed
Those qualities may sound times are good. "Parasite" movies without a theatri-
almost contradictory but is poised to be that rare cal release from its main
that's exactly the kind of thing: a foreign language competition. And, besides,
head-spinning amalgama- movie capable of drawing Bong is best experienced
tion you get in a Bong Joon big crowds in theaters and on the big screen.
Ho movie. They — and in contending at the Acad- "He's a spectacular vision-
particular "Parasite" — bal- emy Awards. (South Korea ary but he's also a human-
ance humor and horror, has already made it its for- ist," says Quinn. "It's a magic
satire and sincerity with a eign language film submis- trick. You keep sticking
magical ease. You never sion.) your hand in the hat and
see anything coming. You "We have huge ambi- out comes another rabbit.
might even giggle at his tions for the film," says Tom It continues to unfold in a
cunning. You'll laugh as he Quinn, founder and chief way that is so unexpected."
devours you. executive of Neon, which Since his 2006 break-
"I try to be a like a para- will distribute "Parasite" in through "The Host" (a de-
site. I try to burrow and dig the U.S. "We think it's a mul- lirious hybrid of a monster
into the audience's minds," tiple-category contender movie and family drama)
Bong says. "I love the feel- in this year's Oscars race." Bong has long been sought
ing of infiltrating into the au- Such a release might give after by Hollywood with of-
dience without them know- Bong the kind of moment fers he's regularly dismissed.
ing. Instead of showing-off with American moviego- He's written all seven of the
that I'm breaking the rules ers that he hasn't exactly movies he's directed.
of genre, I want to creep been missing, but has thus "Especially after 'The Host,'
into them quietly without far often been marred by with my previous agency,
making any blood so that distraction. there were many propos-
they don't realize that I'm His English-language de- als about directing films of
inside them." but "Snowpiercer," while it that kind, even superhero
That mastery of audiences, eventually emerged as an films," says Bong. "Don't get
combined with a childlike art-house hit, was tarnished me wrong. There are many
sense of wonder and an ec- by the attempted med- great superhero films. I
static imagination (Bong's dling of producer Harvey have respect for them. But
previous film, "Okja," fea- Weinstein. Bong was able I guess it's a personal para-
tured glorious "super pigs") to ultimately rebuff Wein- noia. q