On July 24th you can own Korea’s highest grossing film ever,
Joon-ho Bong’s The Host (Magnolia). The plot centers on a family of misfits who must band together after the youngest member is taken away by a mutant creature that’s been terrorizing citizens near the Hang River. The creature is a result of American chemical dumping and although this gives the film a socio-political veneer, it’s the amazing camerawork and inventive incorporation of CGI that really land this film among the best released this year.
Much critical praise has been heaped on the film for not following the general suspense convention of keeping the monster hidden until the third act. This, plus the inclusion of generous amounts of comedy provide a truly original film going experience.
The Host reinvents a genre riddled with clichés and bombast and the DVD is a must own for any cinema connoisseur.
The DVD is available is either a one-disc ($26.98) or a two-disc collectors edition ($29.98). Both editions include deleted scenes and a brief retrospective by Joon-ho Bong. Both also include a mediocre commentary weakened by the fact that it’s in English (which Mr. Bong doesn’t completely have command of) and by an annoying British interviewer who has the uncanny ability to make one of the most exciting films of the year appear mundane. The two-disc edition also includes
The Making of The Host featurette,
Designing the Creature featurette, storyboards,
Puppet Animatronix featurette, a
Memories of the Sewer featurette, and a gag reel. The video and audio transfers are both top notch and both
Blu-Ray and
HD-DVD formats are available.
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# posted by Benjamin Crossley-Marra @ 7/16/2007 12:37:00 PM
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