I've been quiet lately, been busy traveling the world and catching up on summer concerts. Here's a little side story for those interested: Last night I saw Cannibal Corpse on the Summer Slaughter Tour in New Jersey with my boyfriend. Seven or eight years ago, I forget which, we saw Cannibal Corpse at a tiny little bar in NJ for our first date. I guess the couple who listens to metal together, stays together eh? Kinda made me feel old.
I'm pleased to say I've got a whole bunch of writing to do this week, because I've been able to watch a ton of awesome movies during my time away. I had the opportunity to see this South Korean flick during a week long stay in Toronto, a city that truly loves their cinema. Walking into the theater at 11pm, I had no expectations since I had not read up on the film. We were also practically the only people in the theater. Could be a good or bad thing, I suppose. Going in blind is always the best way.
The story follows Jae-hyuk, a down on his luck pharmaceutical worker who struggles daily to try to provide for his family. He used to be quite successful, until his police officer brother, Kim dong-wang, (whom he now wants absolutely nothing to do with) gave him a bad stock tip which caused him to lose everything. Now, the brother is desperate to make it up to Jae-hyuk and his family so what does he do? Looks for more inside stock trades to try to make a big break. Some people never learn.
Things start to get complicated when dozens of quickly decomposing bodies are found floating down several rivers and bodies of water. These numbers quickly elevate as people begin thrusting themselves into any available water source in what appears to be a mass act of sheer delirium. The country goes into a state of panic, and eventually researchers discover that there are mutant horsehair worm larvae in the water source, which are growing inside anyone who has had contact with this water and are causing them to go insane and kill themselves in water when the worms are ready to be "hatched". What ensues next is mass hysteria as scientists rush to discover a cure, infected people are isolated from their families, and some shady pharmaceutical companies are revealed to have had the cure all along. As always, everything is always about money with these assholes right? The cure is actually an old anti-parasitic medication that the company had manufactured but taken off the market ages ago. The jerks at the corporation are willing to reproduce this drug, for a price. Needless to say that anyone who happens to have a box of this medication laying around their homes better keep their mouths shut. When Jae-hyuks family start showing the symptoms of infection by drinking abnormal amounts of water, the movie turns into a race as to who can find the cure first. Can Jae-hyuk, the trusty pharmaceutical employee of said evil corporation re create the cure and save his family?
Have you guys seen the 2011 film Contagion? Well, this film has a very similar vibe. I would say this movie IS Contagion minus the greedy, evil pharmaceutical company subplot. I was impressed with the plot of this film in the sense that I looked up horsehair worms after I saw the film, and there actually is research done that shows that these worms actually cause this behavior in real life (not in humans of course). I always appreciate when filmmakers do a little research and come up with a plot thats creative and can give you a sense that something like this could actually happen. Could it actually be possible to create a strain of horsehair worms that infect human beings? Definitely an interesting thought. Don't ask me why, but I am scared of worms. They just freak me out with their slimy little bodies and all. ICK. Imagine if they evolved one day into a worm that could coil up and SPRING on unsuspecting passer-bys? The thought makes me cringe, and could also possibly be a fun idea for a future horror film...
This was a fun, clever little summer popcorn film. If you enjoy movies with the themes of mass infection and epidemic, you will probably enjoy it. It was one of those epidemic films that didn't make you think "Gee, this is stupid and unrealistic". Check it out for yourselves, it might make you think twice about going near any rivers or streams this summer.
4 OUT OF 5 STARS
**** out of *****
I'm pleased to say I've got a whole bunch of writing to do this week, because I've been able to watch a ton of awesome movies during my time away. I had the opportunity to see this South Korean flick during a week long stay in Toronto, a city that truly loves their cinema. Walking into the theater at 11pm, I had no expectations since I had not read up on the film. We were also practically the only people in the theater. Could be a good or bad thing, I suppose. Going in blind is always the best way.
The story follows Jae-hyuk, a down on his luck pharmaceutical worker who struggles daily to try to provide for his family. He used to be quite successful, until his police officer brother, Kim dong-wang, (whom he now wants absolutely nothing to do with) gave him a bad stock tip which caused him to lose everything. Now, the brother is desperate to make it up to Jae-hyuk and his family so what does he do? Looks for more inside stock trades to try to make a big break. Some people never learn.
Things start to get complicated when dozens of quickly decomposing bodies are found floating down several rivers and bodies of water. These numbers quickly elevate as people begin thrusting themselves into any available water source in what appears to be a mass act of sheer delirium. The country goes into a state of panic, and eventually researchers discover that there are mutant horsehair worm larvae in the water source, which are growing inside anyone who has had contact with this water and are causing them to go insane and kill themselves in water when the worms are ready to be "hatched". What ensues next is mass hysteria as scientists rush to discover a cure, infected people are isolated from their families, and some shady pharmaceutical companies are revealed to have had the cure all along. As always, everything is always about money with these assholes right? The cure is actually an old anti-parasitic medication that the company had manufactured but taken off the market ages ago. The jerks at the corporation are willing to reproduce this drug, for a price. Needless to say that anyone who happens to have a box of this medication laying around their homes better keep their mouths shut. When Jae-hyuks family start showing the symptoms of infection by drinking abnormal amounts of water, the movie turns into a race as to who can find the cure first. Can Jae-hyuk, the trusty pharmaceutical employee of said evil corporation re create the cure and save his family?
Have you guys seen the 2011 film Contagion? Well, this film has a very similar vibe. I would say this movie IS Contagion minus the greedy, evil pharmaceutical company subplot. I was impressed with the plot of this film in the sense that I looked up horsehair worms after I saw the film, and there actually is research done that shows that these worms actually cause this behavior in real life (not in humans of course). I always appreciate when filmmakers do a little research and come up with a plot thats creative and can give you a sense that something like this could actually happen. Could it actually be possible to create a strain of horsehair worms that infect human beings? Definitely an interesting thought. Don't ask me why, but I am scared of worms. They just freak me out with their slimy little bodies and all. ICK. Imagine if they evolved one day into a worm that could coil up and SPRING on unsuspecting passer-bys? The thought makes me cringe, and could also possibly be a fun idea for a future horror film...
This was a fun, clever little summer popcorn film. If you enjoy movies with the themes of mass infection and epidemic, you will probably enjoy it. It was one of those epidemic films that didn't make you think "Gee, this is stupid and unrealistic". Check it out for yourselves, it might make you think twice about going near any rivers or streams this summer.
4 OUT OF 5 STARS
**** out of *****