1. Look Who’s Talking
2. Somewhere In The Light
3. The Count Of Monte Cristo
4. Jailhouse Rock
5. In A Lonely Place
6. It’s Alive
7. The Searchers
8. Look Back In Anger
9. Vivaldi Four Seasons (Winter) By Saint Luke Chamber Orchestra
10. Room At The Top
11. Cries And Whispers
12. Out Of Sight
13. For Whom The Bell Tolls
14. Out Of The Past
15. Breathless
16. The Old Boy
17. Dressed To Kill
18. Frantic
19. Cul De Sac
20. Kiss Me Deadly
21. Point Blank
22. Farewell My Love
23. The Big Sleep
24. The Last Waltz

Download

 

Sur ton lit de mort tu as retrouvé cette vérité qui sort de la bouche avant l’âge de raison, avant l’ère du mensonge et maintenant tu essayes vainement de fuir en promettant à l’au-delà que le coma sera une meilleure prison.

Ne me demande rien sur ta destination, ressemblerais-je à une agence de voyage? Je ne peux que réciter la leçon de mon manuel de masochisme à l’usage des croyants, encore une fois.

Ferme les yeux, tremble sereinement, quitte-nous sans jamais partir, excuse-toi une dernière fois de tout ce que tu ne sais pas et choisis entre l’absolution et la rédemption.

Une fois le spectacle achevé, je retourne dans les coulisses pour le débriefing où mes collègues en nécrophilie parlent à coeur ouvert en aimant avec leurs regrets pour purger leur reste de conscience.

J’ai longuement hésité entre les patients et ma patience, il est donc temps.

Au sommet de mon art de psychotrope en soutane, je prends ma retraite dorée pour bons et loyaux services, je m’invente une mission divine et je confonds don de soi et suicide, à moins cela soit la même chose.

Résultat des courses, je me retrouve à la place des patients, un fiasco expérimental et une réorientation professionnelle, placebo le jour, poinçonneur la nuit.

Coincé entre mon job de starlette de bénitier et ma nouvelle passion pour la liqueur, je me répète sans trop d’espoir que je ne changerai jamais.

Moi qui buvais le sang du Christ en week-end, entre amis, j’ai perdu la foi, pas la soif.

Quelques gouttes suffisent, quelques doutes subsistent, mais les instincts ont eu raison de mes convictions.

Puis, au hasard de la détresse, après des nuits d’exode, je l’ai croisée, elle, qui donna pour toujours un sens à mon vice.

Tiraillé entre la première fois et le viol, l’amour à long terme et une passion suicidaire, je la dévore plus que je ne la désire, je la torture plus que je ne veux la détruire.

J’en veux pour preuve ces regards que je ne lui rends pas.

Ma première infraction sur sa peau laiteuse fut aussi violente que vitale. Revenu parmi les vivants entre ses cuisses, j’ai goûté aux péchés ainsi qu’au pardon en même temps. Sa bouche pleine de moi, son corps s’abandonnant sauvagement au rythme des gémissements confus, ses yeux à la dérive reprennent les affaires là où ils les avaient laissées, dans les miens.

Mais, elle n’était pas mienne, de la convoitise à l’adultère, j’étais condamné au meurtre, donc acte, pour enfin avoir droit à cette culpabilité menant à la monotonie à deux, cette douce agonie qui précède cet ennui dont on ne revient pas.

Une fois l’irrémédiable accompli, la morale refait surface comme pour mieux nous punir de ce que nous sommes devenus, alors moins tu m’aimes, plus tu les désires, autant je t’attends.

Notre maison nous sert de tombe de luxe, les visites y sont autorisées, mais plus personne ne parle vraiment en fixant ces photographies qui vieillissent sans nous !

Au moment précis où l’amour devient une habitude, il n’y a plus de plaisir, que des regrets individuels et des remords en commun, alors la violence domestique devient l’unique preuve à conviction de notre premier baiser.

Je t’ai tuée en te donnant ma maladie pour avoir quelques instants de vie près de toi, il ne me restait que le mépris ou le vol.

Depuis tu te venges de nous, en t’humiliant, en m’oubliant, en nous perdant, en offrant la mort à autrui avec ou sans son consentement, parce que ton visage a la douceur de l’innocence et que tu as le goût de l’interdit.

Et puisque ce qui n’a pas de fin n’a pas de sens, j’ai cherché la lumière pour nous deux, pas celle qui donne des réponses à la carte, celle qui vient sans prévenir, discrètement, en nous caressant, sans promesse d’un futur à conjuguer ou même d’un ailleurs à haïr.

Je préfère te garder une dernière fois contre moi, lentement, en silence, sans un mot de trop, plutôt que de te dire un de ces au revoirs qui n’engagent personne. Et en fermant les yeux sur le peu de rides de ton monde, le soleil s’est levé pour nous disparaître à jamais.

…

En perdition au milieu de tous dans une rue déserte, elle s’évade le temps d’une nuit pour retrouver une vie qu’elle n’a plus, mais elle reviendra comme à chaque insomnie.

Elle empruntera les sombres desseins de la ville, le monstre urbain au teint grisâtre, à l’haleine polluée, au destin jamais scellé et aux fêlures à l’âme. Il prend toujours plus qu’elle ne donne en faisant courir les Hommes derrière des titres, des chiffres ou un peu de bonheur en viager.

La géométrie des lieux négocie sa personnalité aux illuminés qui l’habitent entre deux journées de travail, entre le mutisme de l’heure du crime désinhibé de tout ordre et la prudence des alcooliques reconnus par les poubelles qui évitent poliment de trop les connaître.

À la croisée des chemins, aux détours d’une silhouette pressant le pas, on se suggère que les ombres fuyantes nous mèneront à une terre promise ou un cul de sac.

Quand je vois la vie depuis chez moi, tout me semble millimétré à la seconde près de la mécanique de la violence à la magie sentimentale, alors que nous ne sommes qu’une succession d’accidents dans un jeu de hasard appartenant à une boule qui tourne sur elle-même.

I watched ‘Oldboy‘ in 2006 and pegged it a good movie, but it wasn’t until I watched it a second time that it was so noticeably great. I tried to describe it to a friend and couldn’t peg it as a thriller or a horror movie. That is why it is so successful — because it merges both so effectively.

Discussion and severe spoilers after the jump. Don’t read if you haven’t seen the film or it will ruin the whole experience.

The decade is coming to an end. The climax of this film, which takes place in Lee Woo-jin’s penthouse apartment, is in the running for a best scene in that time period. The scene itself is over twenty minutes and is so masterfully paced. We have a fight, sure, and as Woo-jin is explaining himself to Oh Dae-su (and us), he equips himself in a classy suit which, it seems, makes him feel superior to everyone else, like he is above them morally and they cannot possibly understand the love he had for his sister.

Dae-su cuts off his tongue and barks like a bitch on the floor, and there is dark comedy here. Yet, it is hard to laugh because the situation is so morbid and demented and, well, gross.

The moment that makes the scene and the film, though, is when Woo-jin tosses Dae-su the remote to stop his pacemaker. This was greatly set up earlier in the film, and both us and Dae-su think it will work — that Woo-jin will just fall over, Kill Bill-style. We are damn anxious for Woo-jin to keel over. The button is pressed, and he does not fall, but over the loudspeaker is the recording of Dae-su and Mi-do making love. This is possibly the cruelest revenge ploy ever. And then Woo-jin takes his own life in the elevator, which, at this point, seems inconsequential, to be honest.

And to critique, I could have also done without the last scenes where we revisit hypnosis and all that jazz. But the film to begin with, and up to the climax, is so tense and so scary that this is truly a fantastic film.

Thirst is the latest moive by Vengeance trilogy co-writer/director Park Chan-wook. We at Misctapes featured the trailer when the film was released earlier this year but now its out for the masses to see. Its a must see along with the Vengeance Trilogy which is made up of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy & Lady Vengeance. Please see these film in there original form before Hollywood decides to remake (Oldboy) the HELL out of them.

Thirst pilot: The film tells the story of a beloved and devoted priest from a small town who volunteers for a medical experiment which fails and turns him into a vampire. Physical and psychological changes lead to his affair with a wife of his childhood friend who is repressed and tired of her mundane life.

If you’re looking for a different twist on vampires and you’re in Southern California, check out the special screening of THIRST on Friday at Chapman University in Orange. THIRST, this year’s winner of the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and directed by the stylish Park Chan-wook, is nothing  like the teenage angst-ridden TWILIGHT or the offbeat TRUE BLOOD series on HBO. THIRST is the East’s version of what has been mainly a Western take on the genre.  Leading Korean actor Song Kang-ho plays a priest who accidentally becomes a vampire when he volunteers for a vaccine experiment that’s intended to stop a deadly virus. OK, that’s the paranormal part. Where’s the romance? This priest/vampire is in love with his friend’s wife.

Park, best known for films like Joint Security Alert and what’s now called as The Vengeance Trilogy (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Old Boy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, will be attending the special screening, the opening night of a weekend showcasing select Korean films and their directors. Film scholars will lead Q&A sessions with the audience and the filmmakers throughout the weekend. In all, 12 films will be shown at the event, the result of a partnership between Chapman’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts  and the Pusan International Film Festival, which is like the Cannes of the East.

For a list of films, directors and ticket prices, CLICK HERE, or call 714-997-6765.

A weekly article highlighting my favorite releases of the week from all media (music, movies, books, video games)

DVD:

Thirst – The latest from one of my favorite directors (see #4 on this list)  South Korea’s Park Chan-Wook is really a no brainer.  The vampire genre is really hitting a frenzy (granted I am not really part of this) what better time for the brilliant director Park Chan-Wook to release a gritty, darkly humorous love story centered around vampires.  Expect grizzly violence, beautiful cinimatography and an enthrawling story and you will not be dissappointed at all.

Music:

Real Estate – S/T The debut full lenght from a Real Estate whom we have been pretty excited about for some time now (see my track by track review) is sure to find some new fans with their hazed out pop sound.  With the inclusion of some of the best songs off their 7″ releases such as Black Lake and Fake Blues as well as a some new gems this cd is a nice way to ease youself into the lulls of winter, with one last blast of summer.  If you have any questions about their sound, download “Snow Days” and enjoy!

Video Games:

God of War Collection (PS3) Two amazing games originally for the PS2, bumped up to HD and collected on one disc for the PS3 all to get our saliva flowing for the release of God of War 3 next year.  You won’t get any complaints here especially since my PS3 is one of the non backwards compatible modles I will jump at the opportunity to own these games especially at the $40 price point.  With bigger titles such as Assasins Creed 2 and Left For Dead 2 released this week I still think this is the title to buy.

El mítico Park Chan-Wook, director de la aclamada trilogía de la venganza (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Old Boy y Sympathy for Lady Vengeance), vuelve después de un retiro de tres años para presentar otra magnífica película.

Thirst se centra en el recientemente sobre-explotado tema vampírico, pero abordándolo con muchísima inteligencia y sensibilidad artística. La película sigue a un joven sacerdote que en su afán por ayudar a la humanidad, decide someterse a una serie de experimentos que pretenden curar un mortal virus. Justo antes de morir por la infección, una transfusión de sangre misteriosamente lo vuelve a la vida, eliminando por completo los síntomas de la enfermedad pero transformándolo en un vampiro. La noticia corre por las poblaciones cercanas y el hombre se convierte en una especie de santo venerado, sin embargo, poco a poco el sacerdote comienza a sentir un despertar sexual y una sed de sangre que ponen en entredicho sus dogmas morales (LEER MÁS)

Thirst – Bakjwi – 2009

From IMDB: Beloved and devoted priest from a small town volunteers for a medical experiment which fails and turns him into a vampire. Physical and psychological changes lead to his affair with a wife of his childhood friend who is repressed and tired of her mundane life. The one-time priest falls deeper in despair and depravity. As things turns for worse, he struggles to maintain whats left of his humanity.

Finally, what i’ve been talking about nonstop for months on here, my twitter, to my friends, and pretty much anybody who would listen, i got a chance to watch and own a copy of Thirst. What can i say.. where can i even start? I’ll try, even tho when it comes to Park Chan Wook my vocabulary seems shy of appropriate and beautiful enough terms.

Bakjwi (originally set to be titled “the bat”) is the story of a catholic priest, Sang-hyun (impeccably played by korean superstar Song Kang-ho of The Host and Sympathy for Mr Vengeance) who loves life and humanity so much that he decides to volunteer for a medical experiment, only to come out of it as a vampire – and the only survivor out of 50+ patients. As he’s dragged into the world of Sin and carried away by lust, thirst for human blood, and most of all confusion, we watch his faith crumble irremediably.

Of course, the reason behind this precipitous fall into the rabbit hole is a woman, Tae-ju (brand new actress Kim Ok-bin), who not only is one his childhood’s friends wife, but also a beautiful – and troubled – individual who had been waiting her whole life to run away.

Their encounter changes their lives forever, and brings the substance of the story at much more than “just” the typical vampire movie. Thirst is about pain, desire, the fall of dogmas, and most of all internal struggle. And Park Chan Wook is right there telling us this beautiful and grotesque story in that familiar way he got us all used to: stunning camera work, outstanding atmospheres, attention for details, and the perfect soundtrack. I’m sure the ending will blow most of you guys’ minds away for it is so gorgeous it almost physically hurts.

The actors are top-notch, and the movie delivers the perfect combination of brutal violence, gore, and drama but also lots of very funny black humor (my favorite!), suspense, and steamy sex scenes (fun fact: Thirst was the first Korean movie to feature full frontal male nudity). And of course, an endless amount of blood.

I have been looking around for a copy of this every day since the teaser trailer release back in March, so you can only imagine the kind of suspense i had been building up for myself. On top of that, besides many many positive reviews (not to mention the fact that Thirst won the Jury Prize at Cannes this year pretty much blowing the jury away) – i’ve also read all of those other reviews, the jealous and “i-have-to-critique-negatively-at-any-cost” type, that said it wasn’t Park Chan Wook’s best work, that the movie is too long and needs more editing, and yadda yadda. so i had mixed feelings about my super high-end expectations.

you know what? fuck those critics. the movie is PERFECT.

so perfect i can’t wait to watch it again, and again, and again…

Sinopse:

Cha Young-goon (Lim Su-Jeong) é hospitalizada numa clínica psiquiátrica, por acreditar que é uma ciborgue. Ela recusa toda a comida que lhe oferecem, preferindo carregar as “baterias” através de um transistor. Cha usa a dentadura da avó e fala com todos os aparelhos eletrônicos. Mas seu caso não é o único: ela está rodeada de pacientes que têm interlocutores imaginários. Quando o belo e anti-social Park Il-Soon (Rain) é internado, tudo muda para ela. Não leva muito tempo para que eles se envolvam, mas a saúde da menina piora cada vez mais.

Ficha Técnica:

título original:Saibogujiman Kwenchana
gênero:Comédia/Drama
duração:01 hs 45 min
ano de lançamento:2006
site oficial:http://www.cyborg2006.co.kr/
estúdio:Moho Films
distribuidora:
direção: Park Chan-Wook
roteiro:Jeong Seo-Gyeong e Park Chan-Wook

Elenco:

Lim Su-Jeong (Cha Young-Goon)
Rain (Park Il-Sun)
Choi Hie-Jin (Choi Seul-Gi)
Kim Byeong-Ok (Juiz)
Lee Yong-Nyeo (Mãe de Cha)
Oh Dal-Su (Shin Duk-Cheon)
Yu Ho-Jeong (Mãe de Park)

Trailer:

Download torrent e legenda.

Link alternativo: Filme em RMVB

Download Parte 1 – Download Parte 2

Los Yoyalocinéfilos, cansados ya de tanto “italianini” en los ciclos, han optado por un director radicalmente opuesto a los anteriores: Park Chan-Wook (o Chan-Wook Park, cosas del idioma). Con ello, el Yoyalocine se expande y entra en el precioso (y semidesconocido) mundo del cine asiático.

Park, surcoreano de 46 años, estudió Filosofía en la universidad, lugar donde se metió de lleno en esto del séptimo arte. Según cuentan, se hizo director después de ver la gran ‘Vértigo’, de Hitchcock. Tras trabajar como crítico comenzó a participar como asistente de director, ayudando, entre otros, a Kwak Jae-Young, autor de “pasteladas” bastante entretenidas, que sirven para marcar tantos sin tener que ver a Hugh Grant o Meg Ryan.

Pero su verdadera entrada en el cine fue tras filmar (y guionizar) ‘Moon is the Sun’s dream’, flojete thriller que se perdió en el recuerdo de un servidor hasta que visionó la buenísima Joint Security Area, lo que le llevó a seguir de cerca a este director. Entre ambas, hay un par de filmaciones más. Un corto bastante bien valorado llamado ‘Simpan’ y ‘Saminjan’, su segundo largo. Pero como en este mundo no se puede tener todo, no he podido verlas debido a que ha sido imposible localizarlas. Si eso, ya sabéis.

¿Por dónde íbamos? Ah, sí.

JSA (Joint Security Area)

En el año 2000 Park se hace realmente un hombre con un thriller espectacular, tomando la zona de seguridad compartida por las dos Coreas como escenario. Perfectamente narrada y con un poderío visual importante, Park nos relata la investigación que lleva una miembro (o miembra, como queráis) de la Inteligencia Suiza al aparecer dos soldados norcoreanos muertos en el área compartida. Ambas Coreas rápidamente culpan a su “hermana”. Puede ser el inicio de un conflicto armado, y realmente no se sabe qué ha ocurrido. Comienza como una película de intriga al uso, pero a medida que avanza la historia uno se va dando cuenta de que realmente la base de la historia es la tragedia y las actitudes del ser humano. En realidad, no importa si hay una bala más o una menos.

Recomendabilísima.

TRILOGÍA DE LA VENGANZA

Aquí empieza verdaderamente el sello Chan-Wook Park. En una frase: “Violencia preciosamente filmada”. Pero esto sería quedarnos en la corteza cuando en realidad, si escarbamos (sólo un poco), encontramos la profundidad que se espera de un licenciado en Filosofía. Es un tríptico duro y no apto para todos los paladares –más que paladares, estómagos-. Avisados quedáis. Empecemos pues.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

Magnífico comienzo para esta trilogía. Un sordomudo de clase baja necesita una cantidad desorbitada de dinero para comprar un riñón en el mercado negro. A partir de ahí se suceden las crueldades, casualidades y reacciones lógicas -aunque atroces- de una persona normal en una situación límite.

Correcta fotografía, planos espectaculares y una narración perfecta llevan a esta visceral historia al nivel de las genialidades.

Quizás un poco lenta en algunas partes, pero no llega a aburrir.

Imprescindible.

Oldboy

Su película más conocida internacionalmente y la que le dio el reconocimiento tanto de crítica como de público. Su obra más redonda (siempre había querido escribir esto). Trata sobre un hombre secuestrado y encerrado durante muchos años aparentemente sin motivo alguno y luego liberado porque sí. A la calle, sin explicaciones de por medio. Desde ese momento, el afán por descubrir la verdad (y vengarse) lleva al protagonista a una espiral de violencia que desemboca en un final demoledor. Es importantísimo que no te desvelen nada. Así que no sigo con la trama.

Con pasajes oníricos, escenas poéticas y una belleza en la filmación de la violencia bestial. Mención especial al plano-secuencia en el garaje. Si ves esta película y no quedas enamorado de por vida de ella, al médico. Algo falla en tu organismo (es broma, directamente mereces la pena de muerte).

De las mejores películas de la década sin duda alguna.

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance

Cierre de la trilogía. Rica en la manera de narrarla pero con una historia menos atractiva que las anteriores. En este caso la venganza corre a cargo de una mujer encarcelada por el asesinato de un niño durante trece largos años. Punto de partida de una historia magistralmente narrada y perfectamente rodada (as usual).

Lo malo de esta cinta es que da la impresión que se centra más en la estética (ésta perfecto acompañamiento de la historia en sus anteriores obras) en vez de en contar una historia. Quizá no llegué a meterme del todo en el film y por ello me llenó menos. Pero qué leches, si no me consigo sumergir en la trama es culpa de Park. Y punto.

Para mi la más floja de las tres pero muy muy superior a la media de las películas que se ven hoy en día.

¿HAY VIDA DESPUÉS DE LA VENGANZA?

Un año después de estrenar la última de sus venganzas, Park sacó su penúltima película, una especie de dramedy con toques de ciencia ficción y romanticona titulada aquí como ‘Soy un ciborg’. Trata sobre una joven encerrada en un psiquiátrico por creerse un androide (es sinónimo de cyborg?). Allí conoce a un chico y tal y cual.

A mí me dejó muy frío. A ver, entendedme, sigue estando perfectamente rodada y tiene unos toques de genio que no puedes verlos en ningún otro director. Pero no es mi Chan-Wook Park. Quizás esté bien que no se encasille y puede que necesitara un cambio radical de género. En Sitges gustó mucho.

Pero a mí no me convenció para nada.

Su último largometraje estrenado es ‘Thirst’. Peli de terror vampírico que todavía no he podido ver pese a tener muchísimas ganas de comprobar con qué fuerza vuelve nuestro surcoreano favorito.

Por último, comentar que Park también ha participado en dos proyectos en los que un grupo de directores ruedan cada uno su historia y se pegan con super-glue. ‘Three Extremes’ e ‘If you were me’. Tampoco he podido visionarlas. La primera porque participa el aborrecible Miike (ya sé que podría ver sólo la parte de Park, pero no. Ni con un palo toco ese dvd). La segunda porque no la he encontrado en condiciones.

En definitiva, un maestro con afán por indagar en la mente humana y su comportamiento “animal”. Todo ello aderezado con una exquisita calidad narrativa y una belleza visual difícil de encontrar. Y como podeis comprobar no he hablado de actuaciones. En general son muy buenas.

PD: Ved si podéis todas sus obras. Pero como “obligatorias”, la trilogía y JSA. Aquí os pongo los enlaces para descarga vía emule.

Enjoy!

It has been nine years since choreographer and dancer Mui Cheuk-yin’s previous entry in her dance diary. Much has happened since then.

“Diary VI – Applause” is the sixth in her solo diary series. On stage are 50 boxes, each representing a year of her life. Mui looks through them, revisiting her past, from her first solo dance, “Awakenings in a Dream” 28 years ago. She reflects on her identity as a dancer, her career, and coping with getting older.

Korean director Park Chan-Wook is a director who forces you to pay attention. His 2002 “Sympathy for Mr Vengeance”, 2003’s “Old Boy”, and 2005’s “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance” were all gruesome updatings of the Jacobean revenge tragedy with a distinctly Korean touch. In his new film “Thirst” Park has tried to take a new look at the vampire mythology, and a frequently oddball look it is.

In 1987, an English musician and illustrator Peter Suart got together with Hong Kong-born violinist Kung Chi-Shing to form the theatrical music ensemble “The Box”.

Last weekend they celebrated their 22nd anniversary with a retrospective concert.

To see a streaming video of the show please click here.

Reviewed by Gary Pollard (first aired on RTHK Radio 4’s “Morning Call”)

Korean director Park Chan-Wook is a director who forces you to pay attention. His first film to make much of an impression internationally was “J.S.A.: Joint Security Area”, a detective thriller that pointed up some of the idiocies surrounding border tensions between North and South Korea. It was, mostly, well made, but it was his vengeance trilogy that really got people’s attention. The 2002 “Sympathy for Mr Vengeance”, 2003’s “Old Boy”, and 2005’s “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance” were all gruesome updatings of the Jacobean revenge tragedy with a distinctly Korean touch.

In the West, Park is seen as an auteur, an artist with serious intentions, but the graphic nature of some of the cruelty and violence in his movies leads some, even in Korea, to consider him an exploitation director, if not a wannabe Quentin Tarantino. For me, he’s a much deeper filmmaker than Tarantino.

Thrst, co-written with Jeong Seo-Gyeong, is a vampire movie in which Park has tried to take a new look at the vampire mythology, and a frequently oddball look it is.

It’s about a Catholic priest Sang-hyun (played by familiar Korean actor Song Kang-ho). He provides ministry to terminal patients in a local hospital. Disturbed by the suffering he witnesses, he decides that he wants to make a selfless gesture and volunteer as a guinea pig in a medical experiment. Researchers are trying to find a vaccine for a virus called the Emmanuel Virus, which only affects sexually inactive young men. After he becomes infected with the virus he dies, but soon comes back to life. At some point he has been transfused with the blood of a vampire, and it seems able to keep the virus at bay, at least as long as he nourishes himself with human blood.

As he is the only one of the subjects to recover, many believe he can perform miracles. Sometimes, perhaps, he does, but he believes it’s mostly a psychological effect. He is called to the bedside of a childhood friend Kang-woo (Shin Ha-kyun) who is dying of cancer. Sang-hyun apparently cures his friend, and is invited to their home, where he finds himself, as his urge to drink blood increases, newly awakened to sexual desire for Kang-woo’s wife Tae-ju (Kim Ok-vin).

In a love triangle and murder plot that’s borrowed from Emile Zola’s “Therese Racquin” the couple dispose of her husband, and then find the ghost of her husband coming between them and even interfering in their sex life. Or is it just a product of their consciences?

I think this is the first vampire movie I’ve ever seen where the vampire himself gets haunted.

“Thirst” is almost two and a half hours long, and plenty happens in that two and a half hours. Not only does it have the most explicit sex scenes ever seen in a mainstream Korean film, including frontal male nudity, it also does not shy away from blood and violence. Anyone who remembers the hammer fight in “Old Boy” or the main character chewing on a live octopus, will know how far Park is willing to go. But even more outrageous is probably the way that he keeps playing with the mood, and particularly introducing comedy. There is a vampire suicide and murder here that’s both funny and tragic, and it doesn’t cheat on either of those elements by introducing the other.

There are plenty of times when even I think the film goes to far, but at the same time as I’m being almost appalled, I’m also stunned by Park’s energy and range. In one scene, a sexually frustrated vampire punches a lamppost as he walks away. After he takes a few steps it collapses. In another scene a character is playing a white flute, and blood begins spurting from his mouth and through the instrument. Later, vampires find they miss the daylight, and so they set a video camera outside their apartment window to film day scenes of passersby which they then watch back at night. They also hang blue neon lights everywhere, to make the apartment look brighter and a little more like daylight. Even the sex scenes manage to be simultaneously erotic and funny. And there’s a sharp inventiveness to having Sang-hyun reconcile his need for blood with his moral qualms by sucking it through the i/v tube of a comatose patient in a hospital.

The film’s inventiveness and visual flair, for me, never tires.

But at the same time as it’s so stylish on the surface, Park is also examining ironies of the vampire’s existence. As a priest Sang-hyun pretends, when giving communion, to drink Christ’s blood. As a vampire, he’s forced to drink human blood, and he has a moral problem with that. On the other hand, he asks himself whether an act can really be immoral if you are forced into it involuntarily. Park has said that he deliberately chose the figure of a priest at the centre of the film, as he wanted to show a man with moral aspirations, who then finds himself dealing with lust, a thirst for blood, and even murder.

In the relationship between Sang-hyun and Tae-ju, Park is also examining perhaps the ultimate dysfunctional relationship. Tae-ju isn’t exactly the victim she appears to be, or if she is, her victimhood has taught her than when she gets power she should use it to the maximum. While Sang-hyun hs moral qualms, Tae-ju turns out to have none. Even vampires should – suggest Park – be careful about the people they get involved with.

Like many of Park’s more violent films, “Thirst” is a film that some in the audience will absolutely hate, but even in hating it they should realize that they are being manipulated by a master.

Park is a painstaking visual stylist, and he’s aided in this by cameraman Jeong Jeong-hun and his art directors, who place the most brutal domestic massacre in the midst of the most stylized environment. The film also makes mostly excellent use of CGI, again used for humorous effect when Sang-hyun and Tae-ju have a major domestic spat while leaping from rooftop to rooftop.

I’ve been interested in good vampire movies for years, and while it’s not quite as original in all its elements as some seem to think (I’ve even seen the vampire suicide before) it is high-octane, full of ideas, and likely to provide you with more than a few scenes and emotions you will not forget for a long time. Take a look, but if you are squeamish, be careful.

poster image from facebook

Just a reminder, and more of a notice to me that Thirst is getting a U.S. DVD release date of Nov 17th, 2009.

Preorder Thirst on DVD at amazon.com NOW!

I love Park Chan-Wook movies and Song Kang-Ho is such an amazing actor that this is a must see for me. I actually have most of Park Chan-Wook’s movies on DVD, so I really need to buy this one too.

I might just try to rent it in HD as well, just to get the theater experience. But I’m definitely getting the DVD too. If you havent visited Focus Features website for Thirst, check it out now and watch the trailer.

Sorry my Halloween picks got sidelined by the dreaded swine flu there, but rest assured I’ll be back stronger than ever, and maybe I’ll even stay away from horror movies for the time being. Now on to this week’s new releases…

Angels & Demons

Tom Hanks sheds his proto-mullett, and gets down to the business of freaky religious art in this sequel to The Da Vinci Code. Lil’ Ronny Howard directs again.

Gomorrah

The hit Italian film makes its way to stores immediately receiving the Criterion Collection treatment – Even though Pearl Harbor was initially released by Criterion, it still merits a lot of attention.

Humpday

Mumblecore comedy about two dudes contemplating gay porn participation for money.

Thirst

Vampire film from Korean director, Park Chan-Wook (director of Oldboy and The Vengeance trilogy).

The Goods

Jeremy Piven, and a cast including Ed Helms, David Koechner and Ving Rhames, try to sell you cars, and a whole lot of jokes!

Expired

Samantha Morton and Jason Patric play traffic cops who oddly fall for each other in this dark comedy.

Downhill Racer

Another Criterion release. Michael Ritchie film about an overly ambitious skier competing for Olympic gold. Stars Robert Redford and Gene Hackman.

The Golden Age of Television

Criterion pulls off a trifecta of great releases with this being the cherry on top. Legendary teleplays originally produced in the mid 50’s. Rod Serling’s Requiem for a Heavyweight, and Patterns are included as well as the original production Paddy Chayefsky’s Marty. Really amazing stuff spread out over three discs with a whole gaggle of extras. I’m going to write about this further…

VERDICT:
8/10 Sick Minds

Well, it sure lives up to its name.

Three…Extremes is a collection of three short Asian horror films by accomplished directors from China, Japan, and Korea. One’s about a woman who eats gross shit, another is about a good guy being forced to sin, and the last is about a girl in a box. I’ll elaborate in a minute.

It’s been a while since I went through my Asian horror phase, but thanks to a recent conversation with my co-worker on the subject, I figured it was about damn time I jumped back in and gave this movie a watch after having it on me Netflix queue for years now. Wasn’t expecting a whole lot from this, mostly because I’m usually not big on short films, but, man, I forgot how good J-horror (and apparently C-horror and K-horror) movies are.

Western directors really don’t make ‘em like this; just look at all the bastardized J-horror remakes that have come out like gangbusters since The Ring in ‘02. Not the most impressive track record.

Anyway, let’s get down to the…extremes.

First off, there’s Dumplings by Chinese director Fruit Chan (whose other efforts I’m completely unfamiliar with, and you’d think I’d have heard of someone named “Fruit” by now). The story here follows that of an aging actress trying to find the fountain of youth through the secret recipe in Bai Ling’s dumplings. I leave it up to your imagination to figure out what the secret ingredient is, all I’ll say is that, unfortunately, you’re on the right track.

This is easily the most extreme entry of the bunch for a number of reasons. Part of it is the dumplings themselves, part of it is the effing sound of the woman savoring these things one by one, but mostly it’s because the woman knows damn well what she’s paying for and keeps on coming back for more. Taps into some pretty hairy shit in regards to the depths of vanity and the depth of the human soul. It’s the least impressive from a stylistic standpoint, but succeeds as the most horrifying of the three.

Next up is Cut by Park Chan-wook, director of Oldboy (which I really need to watch again, this time without those abysmal English dubs). This one’s about a nice guy movie director that gets kidnapped by a hard-knock extra from his films and is forced to choose between strangling a child he doesn’t know or having his wife’s fingers chopped off one by one every five minutes – the kicker being that his wife’s a pianist. Extreme on a different level, somewhat Saw-esque, but also goes into that whole depth of the human soul thing.

The great thing about this segment is that it’s actually really fun; well, not so much the finger-cutting, but everything else is a blast to watch. All the credit in this regard goes to director Chan-wook’s wild directing style and ability to maintain a lighthearted tone in a life or death situation like this. It gets comical and surprisingly funny at times, but it’s a welcome sense of humor that sets it apart from the otherwise grim contrast of the other directors’ segments. Might not be as extreme as Dumplings, but is arguably the most original.

And rounding out this trifecta of messed up shit is Box by Takashi Miike. This man’s name might have raised an “Oh, fuck” eyebrow for some of you out there, and rightly so. For those who don’t know Miike-san, he’s the crazy bastard behind such J-horror family favorites as Audition and Ichi the Killer (both of which I’ll get around to reviewing soon enough). And while Box doesn’t reach the same degree of brutal sadism that Miike’s name has become synonymous with, this was the only segment that really gave me chills as I inched away from the TV screen while reminding myself, “It’s just a movie.”

Box follows a reclusive woman trying to unlock the mystery behind a recurring nightmare of hers where she finds herself being buried alive while trapped in a box. I know, vague description, but that’s kind of the appeal. You’re not really sure what the hell is going on for a while, and I’m not really sure what the hell was going on by the end either, but that actually seems to be the norm with Miike’s movies. It’s weird, but you just gotta go with it. Regardless, it’s beautifully filmed and Miike does a great job of building up the tension without throwing in cheap scares to dull the overall effect. Really impressive and truly eerie throughout.

The thing I like most about Three…Extremes is that every segment succeeds on its own and they don’t need gimmicky commonalities to tie them all together, like in the recent Trick ‘r Treat for example. Despite their running times, they’re extremely effective as horror movies and the benefit of watching them in sequence is that it gives the audience a real appreciation for each director as a unique storyteller. Three…Extremes isn’t for the weak of heart, stomach, or mind, but if you’re looking for a horror movie that starts with a bang and keeps on firing off rounds right to very end, say hello to these three crazy bastards.

What better way to celebrate Halloween then watching Park Chan-wook’s new film Bakjwi (Thirst)? To do the film any real justice I would probably have to watch it a number of times.

Thirst is a beautiful film that will offer a certain level of familiarity to Chan-wook fans. With the subtle, dark humor that was apparent in Old Boy and the dark beauty found in films like Lady Vengeance. The story is unsettling and the narrative is schizophrenic and occasionally confusing.

There are moments of intense violence, sensuality, humor. It’s an emotional experience. Song Kang-ho turns in a wonderful performance as a conflicted vampire priest suffering and embracing a slip into the dark side. He offers the perfect balance of comedic timing (as seen in The Host) and deep sadness. Kim Ok-vin is terrifying as she passes from innocent hard done by wife to psychotic and savage hunter.

I think fans of Chan-wook will love this more mature, more complex entry into his filmography. The rest of the world may miss the point.

Park Chan-Wook, o diretor de Oldboy, é um dos nomes mais importantes do cinema asiático atual. Famoso por filmes que quase sempre (ou sempre?) envolvem vingança, morte e cenas brutais, este sul-coreano é um cineasta bastante empolgante, do tipo que te deixa sentado na beiradinha da cadeira o tempo todo.

Em Sede de Sangue, talvez o título mais aguardado por mim nesta Mostra, ele aborda um universo que, pensando bem, tem tudo a ver com ele: o dos vampiros. A história gira em torno de Sang-Hyun, um padre que quer fazer o bem e, por isso, se voluntaria a participar de um programa que desenvolve vacinas a partir de um vírus mortal. Portanto, aderir ao estudo é quase um suicídio, e, de fato, o padre morre. Mas uma transfusão de sangue faz com que ele não apenas volte à vida, como se torne um vampiro. E aí começa o conflito deste pobre homem, que tenta resistir de todas as formas aos impulsos carnais e, bem, à sede de sangue.

Eu poderia contar mais sobre a história, sobretudo a parte que envolve uma doce coreaninha que turns out to be não tão doce assim, porque nesse filme é menos importante ver o que acontece, e mais importante ver como acontece. As cenas desse cara são tão boas  e de um humor negro tão fantástico que mesmo o ato mais brutal e/ou nojento consegue ser incrivelmente engraçado. Há não muito tempo, também na Mostra, eu vi um filme japonês chamado Amor Pulsa Mais Rápido que Sangue, no qual havia uma fatídica cena de sexo de dez minutos em que o casal chupava sangue do corpo do outro, fazendo barulhos vomitantes e causando a debandada de um terço das pessoas que estavam na plateia. O filme de Park Chan-Wook não tem nenhuma cena que bata na mesma tecla por dez minutos, mas tem bastante sexo bizarro e muita, muita chupação de sangue do corpo dos outros. Ainda assim, ninguém sai do cinema, porque aquilo não é vomitante, é hilário.

Ok, talvez algumas cenas se alonguem um pouco a mais do que deveriam, talvez o filme se beneficiasse bastante de uma edição mais rígida. Ainda assim, esse cara é tão esperto que justamente quando você começa a se cansar, pimba: lá vem um anzol na orelha ou um estilete no pescoço para deixar tudo legal de novo. E DIGO MAIS: o final da história é tão bom, mas tão bom, que a gente até esquece os defeitinhos do meio.

Hoy me he visto esta curiosa película de Park Chan-Wook (director de Old Boy). Un film un tanto surrealista. Una chica que se cree un cyborg, un chico que es capaz de robar cualquier bien, sea tangible o no… un ex policía trastornado, una mitómana son algunos de los personajes de esta película todos ellos conviven en un centro psiquiátrico en Corea del Sur.

Un largometraje bello y lleno de locuras… muy recomendable a todos los que estamos locos. El segundo gran elogio a la locura, después de la mítica obra del siglo XVI.

i’m a cyborg but that’s ok is the story of cha young-goon, a disturbed girl from a disturbed family, who insists that she’s a cyborg. so young-goon is admitted to an asylum, carrying with her her grandmother’s dentures, which she uses to strike up conversations with the vending machine or the hospital lights.

young-goon’s attention soon turns to inmate park il-soon, as he purports to be a thief capable of stealing personality traits from other inmates. young-goon wants il-soon to steal her sense of sympathy, so that she can do what any moral cyborg must do and kill all the orderlies.

of more immediate concern is that young-goon refuses to eat, instead relying on licking batteries to provide energy. as it becomes clear that she’ll die if not treated, only il-soon might provide the solution that escapes the doctors.

i liked it.

Yay!  One of my favorite couples, Tablo and the pregnant Kang Hye Jung got married today at The Bailey House in Samsungdong.  They kept the wedding small, to family and close friends, and will head off to Europe on their honeymoon.

They have not been shy about their relationship and Tablo has been quick to come out and declare Kang Hye Jung as his dream girl. He recently spoke about his desire to marry her after one week of dating.

Mithra MCed the event and Leessang sang a special song for the couple. Even though it was a small wedding, there were lots of stars in attendance.

From the top: Song Yoon Ah, Jung Hye Young, Han Chae Young, Kim Sun Ah, Uhm Ji Won, Jo Eun Ji, Kim Hyo Jin, Park Chan Wook, Ahn Sung Ki, Song Kang Ho, Shin Ha Gyun, Cha Tae Hyun, Ryu Duk Hwan, Bobby Kim, and Gil.

Via Osen

Kim Chan Ok’s new film, Paju, had a VIP screening on 10/22 – with a swarm of celebrity guests in attendance.

Paju stars The Voice, Lee Seon Kyun (yummers), Seo Woo, and Shim Yi Young.  The movie centers around a complex relationship between Eun Mo (Seo Woo) and her sister’s husband (Lee Seon Kyun).  When Eun Mo’s sister, Eun Soo (Shim Yi Young) dies, Eun Mo ends up moving in with her brother-in-law, Jung Sik.  Eun Mo discovers a mystery that surrounds Eun Soo’s death, and starts to suspect Jung Sik to be involved.

Paju has gotten great reviews and has already won the NETPAC award at the Pusan International Film Festival.  Seo Woo has especially gotten a lot praise for her depiction of a complex Eun Mo.  (This is her second well received role after Crush and Blush.  She also starred in shortened series Tamra, the Island.)  This is Kim Chan Ok’s second movie, after his highly acclaimed, Jealousy is My Middle Name.  Paju opens on 10/29.

Pictures after jump.

Song Joong Ki

Oh Man Suk

Lee Min Ki

Uhm Jung Hwa

Yoon Kye Sang

Lee Jong Hyuk

Jung Tae Woo

Park Sol Mi

Seo Young Hee

Kang Byul

Kim Dong Wook

Director Park Chan Wook, PD Lee Yoon Jung