The Host and Barking Dogs Never Bite

"On almost every level, there's never quite been a monster movie like The Host. Egregiously subverting its own genre while still delivering shocks at a pure genre level, and marbled with straight-faced character humor that constantly throws the viewer off balance… a bold gamble that looks headed to instant cult status." -Derek Elley, Variety

Tonight begins two nights of screenings devoted to Bong Joon-ho, one of the most exciting directors currently working in South Korea. In The Host (Gwoemul), the divisive Park family has to unite to save its youngest member, schoolgirl Hyun-seo, when she is captured by a virus-carrying monster that emerges from the polluted Han River to terrorize the residents of Seoul. By contrast, the government's containment plans prove both ineffective and politically questionable, covering up toxic dumping by the US military. A phenomenon both at home and abroad, The Host was a Director's Fortnight selection at the 2006 Cannes International Film Festival and broke box office records in South Korea. In Barking Dogs Never Bite (Flandersui gae), university lecturer Yoon-ju is driven crazy by the sound of incessant barking coming from somewhere in his apartment. He thinks his problem is solved when he locks a stray puppy in the building's basement. Yet, the barking continues even though the puppy has mysteriously disappeared.

The Host (Bong Joon-ho, 2006, 119 min)

Barking Dogs Never Bite (Bong Joon-ho, 2000, 106 min)