DIRECTOR OF OSCAR-WINNING FILM HAS A BACK CATALOG WORTH A LOOK,
Though some folks were surprised by last week’s Academy Award wins for South Korean director Bong Joon Ho and his movie “Parasite,” you could see on Oscar night see that fellow nominees Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino were not among them.
Both are movie buffs, familiar with Bong’s impressive career, and clearly knew it was only a matter of time before his work was recognized on an international scale — in fact, “Parasite” had already won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019.
Filmmakers and hardcore movie fans have been hip to Bong for years.
If you want to see “Parasite” and some of the director’s previous movies, here’s what to expect and how to find them:
“Parasite” (2019): Two Korean families, one rich and one poor, intertwine in increasingly fraught ways as members of the lower class family take jobs in the wealthy household. Starring Song Kangho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeojeong, Choi Woo-shik, and Parks-dam. The movie is still in theaters. You can also rent or buy on Amazon, Apple, FandangoNow, Google Play, Vudu and YouTube.
“Okja” (2017): A Korean farm girl (Ahn Seo-hyun) lives in the mountains with a giant pig, who is removed and taken to New York, where an agribusiness CEO (Tilda Swinton) has has sinister plans for the animal. The corporate agenda is undermined by animal rights activists (Paul Dano, Steven Yeun). Gyllenhaal is the TV celebrity mixed up in the ensuing media frenzy. Streaming on Netflix.
“Snowpiercer” (2013): Survivors of a climate-engineering disaster hurtle through a frigid future inside a train, where a revolutionary (Chris Evans) tries to disrupt the rigid class hierarchy that exists on board. With Swinton, Ed Harris, and John Hurt. Streaming on Netflix.
“Mother” (2009): A extremely twisted tale of a mother (Kim Hye-ja) who will do anything for her son, and a son (Won Bin) who will do anything for mom. As we see in the director’s other films, family can be murder. You can rent or buy on Amazon, Apple, FandangoNow, Vudu, and YouTube.
“The Host” (2006): Chemicals dumped into a river produce a ravenous creature that preys upon local residents. A street vendor (Song Kangho) fights back with the thing abducts his daughter (Ko Ahsung). A repertory classic that often turns up in midnight screenings and horror festivals. You can rent or buy on Amazon, Apple, FandangoNow, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube.
“Barking Dogs Never Bite” (2000): Residents of an apartment complex turn on each other when one man’s irritation at a noisy dogs leads to an unpredictable sequence of retaliation and retribution. You can rent or buy on Amazon Apple, FandangoNow, and Vudu.