The Chaser

Maybe it’s because I’m racially biased, or because I’m a fatalistic mofo, but Korean cinema never ceases to impress me these days. Last year’s The Chaser (Chu-gyeog-ja) is the best crime thriller I've seen since Seven. But it’s not a who-dun-it, but a where-be-the-lotion-rubbing-fat-girl-in-the-pit. Good luck to Warner Bros (currently remaking it) finding folks who can match the performances in this original, particularly by Kim Yoon-suk (above, left). But the cellphone problem that the killer went to great lengths to create could easily be translated into U.S. vernacular by just giving all the victims AT&T powered iPhones.

It’s intensely brutal and emotionally exhausting, but there’s a commentary on women carried through the story that I found revitalizing. And this is Na Hong-jin’s directorial debut, so I also saw a bright future of more kick-ass movies.

Stick to K-Town

I’m sure you all remember the meat protests in Seoul this past summer. See, we Koreans take eating and anger manifestation almost as seriously as drinking alcohol and self-loathing.

So my dream is to invite a group of Koreans to this new “Korean” restaurant Moim in Park Slope, Brooklyn and watch them level the place in sheer simian-like rage after being told that: the ban-chan wasn’t free, egg is not included in their bi-bim-bap (an extra $1.50 on top of the original $16), they couldn’t grill their own meat at the table, and yes, we put tomato paste in the kim-chi chi-gae.

I’ve heard that Moim has received several good reviews. This convinces me that either the idiot from that NYTimes article (previous posting) has something to do with them, or that there’s some SERIOUS oral sex being given reciprocally.

Maybe I should’ve ordered that.