With The Host about to be released in the US, I finally uploaded my footage of the NYFF press conference from October. With the help of a very enthusiastic translator, Bong talks about designing the monster, balancing satire, humor, and horror, and having made the highest-grossing movie in Korean film history. Just off-screen, Richard Peña asks the questions.
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More from the NYFF:
I think I read that a retrospective of this dude’s work at one of the local places (I forget if it was IFC Center or Anthology or Walter Reade or what. . .) I haven’t seen any of his stuff yet.
Well, he’s only made three features. I used to have Memories of Murder somewhere around here but don’t know what happened to it. I like how unassuming he is in the interview; his answers seem almost painfully obvious but he’s clearly very talented. The Host is terrific. No doubt it’s going to be huge in the U.S., too.
[...] having a hard time putting my finger on exactly what Bong Joon-ho is doing with genre, but that’s the thrill of it: in The Host, he’s transcending the [...]