How to watch Bong Joon-ho’s essential movies
Bong Joon-ho, the newly-crowned king of the Academy Awards, has been churning out genre-bending cinematic marvels for nearly 20 years. The waves of wins for “Parasite” could draw even larger numbers of American audiences to his impressive body of work. Here’s a look at some of the South Korean auteur’s other key movies, and where you can watch them.
“Memories of Murder” (2003)
Bong’s second feature was this deeply unsettling crime drama about a spate of murders in South Korea, partly inspired by the country’s first serial killings. David Fincher’s “Zodiac,” in the eyes of many film buffs, was indebted to this film’s coldly analytical tone and surprising moments of pitch-black comedy.
Where to watch: iTunes
“Snowpiercer” (2013)
Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton co-starred in this grim but compulsively watchable sci-fi satire about a train carrying the last survivors of a failed attempt to fight global climate change. The key themes — economic inequality, the tension between the haves and have-nots — anticipated “Parasite.”
Where to watch: Netflix, iTunes
“Okja” (2017)
“Parasite” is hard to fit into any movie genre, but it’s even harder to do that with “Okja.” Netflix distributed this continent-spanning epic about a young Korean girl who takes a genetically modified superpig (Okja!) under her wing. It must be seen to be believed.
Where to watch: Netflix
Bong Joon-ho ties Walt Disney for most Oscars in one night
Bong Joon-ho made history in more than one way tonight.
“Parasite” became the first foreign language film to win best picture, and Bong Joon-ho has now tied Walt Disney for the most Oscar wins in a single year.
Disney won four awards in 1953, and Bong Joon-ho won four tonight, for best picture, best director, best original screenplay, and best international film feature!
Celebrities react to ‘Parasite’s’ historic win
Celebrities are showing some love to the cast and crew of “Parasite” after the film made history at the Oscars tonight as the first foreign language film to win best picture.
Ava DuVernay was one of the first to show her excitement tweeting, “MASSIVE! HISTORIC! LANDMARK! PARASITE! The world is big and it is beautiful and films from everywhere deserve to be on that stage winning @TheAcademy’s highest honor. This is wonderful and right. #Oscars“
Comedian Mike Birbiglia said that his wife, who “is right about 98% of the time” predicted “Parasite’s” win last year.
Actress Olivia Munn showed off her pride tweeting, “My Asian heart is very full right now. #Oscars #Parasite #RepresentationMatters.”
Presidential candidate Andrew Yang tweeted, “Wow I need to see Parasite” after their historic win.”
Producer calls ‘Parasite’ best picture win a ‘moment in history’
On a historic night in which “Parasite” became the first foreign-language film to win the best picture award in the 92-year history of the Academy Awards, the film’s producer put it all in perspective.
“We never imagined this to happen. We’re so happy,” producer Kwak Sin Ae said through an interpreter. “I feel like a very opportune moment in history is happening right now.”
The Oscar was the movie’s fourth of the night, to go with a best director trophy for Bong Joon-ho, best original screenplay and best international feature film.
It also clearly won the crowd inside the Dolby Theatre: When the stage lights dimmed during the acceptance speech, the audience chanted for the lights to be turned on again.
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Best picture goes to ‘Parasite’
We have a winner: “Parasite.”
Bong Joon-ho’s twisted social thriller was just crowned best picture, edging out “1917.” It’s the first non-English-language film to earn the top prize in the history of the Academy Awards.
Hollywood legend Jane Fonda presented the award.
Fun fact: ‘The Irishman’ is based on the book ‘I Heard You Paint Houses’
The book’s title, “I Heard You Paint Houses,” were the first words Jimmy Hoffa ever spoke to Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran. On “The Tonight Show,” Robert De Niro explained that the term, along with “I also do my own carpentry work,” refer to both the hit and the cleanup.
Did Joaquin Phoenix win best actor or best activist?
No one was laughing during “Joker” star Joaquin Phoenix’s acceptance speech.
While accepting the Oscar for best actor, Phoenix turned the podium into a pulpit, launching into a impassioned plea to “give voice to the voiceless.”
“I think at times we feel we champion different causes, but for me, I see commonality. I think whether we’re talking about gender inequality, racism, queer rights, animal rights, we’re talking about injustice,” he said.
He admonished humans for plundering the natural resources of the planet — mentioning the artificial impregnation of cows as an example.
Activism over acting has been a theme of Phoenix’s speeches all awards season.
“I feel conflicted, because so many of my fellow actors that are deserving don’t have that same privilege,” Phoenix said in accepting his acting award at the BAFTAs last weekend. “I think that we send a very clear message to people of color that you’re not welcome here.”
Phoenix got emotional as he closed his speech with some words from his late brother, River Phoenix, who died in 1993 of a drug overdose when Joaquin was days away from turning 19.
“When he was 17, my brother wrote this lyric, he said, ‘Run to the rescue with love, and peace will follow,” Phoenix said.
Renée Zellweger wins for her bravura lead performance in ‘Judy’
No surprise here either: Renée Zellweger triumphed in the best actress category for her spot-on portrayal of Judy Garland in “Judy.”
Zellweger last won an Oscar in 2004 for her supporting turn in “Cold Mountain.”
‘Joker’ composer Hildur Guðnadóttir is the first woman to win best original score in two decades
Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir is the first woman to win an Academy Award for best original score in two decades.
She delivered an empowering speech after receiving her Oscar for her work in “Joker.”
“To the girls, to the women, to the mothers, to the daughters who hear the music bubbling within — please speak up. We need to hear your voices,” Guðnadóttir said.
The last woman to have won an Academy Award for best original score was Anne Dudley, for her work in “The Full Monty” back in 1997.
What did Kobe Bryant win an Oscar for?
While Kobe Bryant’s name is synonymous with basketball championships and not necessarily Hollywood award shows, he earned his Oscar in 2018. Bryant took home the trophy for best animated short film along with Glen Keane, who animated and directed the short, called “Dear Basketball.” It featured music by John Williams, an award-winning composer who worked on the “Star Wars” movies, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” and several other classics. Read more here.
