#hee-bong byun

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

[Note: This poll is a re-do of an older poll, as the original poll received less than 2,000 votes.]

[lostinmac]

The Host (2006)

Dir. Bong Joon-ho

[mad-prophet-of-the-airwaves]

Rest in peace, Byun Hee-bong (1942-2023).

[rookie-critic]

Memories of Murder (2003, dir. Bong Joon-ho) - review by Rookie-Critic

Prior to 2019 (really 2020, if we want to get really specific) there probably weren't a lot of people in the States who could tell you who Bong Joon-ho is if pressed. Nowadays, after Bong's historic first non-English language Best Picture win for Parasite, most people would at least identify the name as familiar, and for good reason. Parasite is undoubtedly amazing; its message is both regionless and timeless, it has superb acting and brilliant cinematography, it is one of the best films of the modern era, if not any era. However, prior to Parasite, back in the days when Bong's fanbase outside of his native South Korea was limited to foreign film lovers and people who really liked Snowpiercer, most people would probably point to his breakout film, Memories of Murder, as his best work, and for a lot of the same reasons that people point to Parasite as his best now.

I'm not entirely sure why it has taken me so long to sit down and watch this considering how much I've enjoyed the other films of his that I've seen, but I'm glad I finally did. Following the true story of the detectives that investigated the Hwaseong serial murders of the mid-80s to the mid-90s, the film works as both a gripping crime thriller and a social satire of the failings of the legal system and the corrupt nature of a lot of its employees. One of our protagonists, Detective Park Doo-man (played brilliantly as always be Song Kang-ho) as well as his partner Detective Cho Yong-koo, are horrible police officers. They fake evidence, they torture victims until they'll confess to anything to make it stop, and they scoff at real investigative discoveries and excuse them as the other detectives "watching too many crime movies" (which in and of itself is an amazing line that both pokes fun at and winks a respectful eye towards the crime films that it follows in the legacy of); all they care about is putting someone away, regardless of if the person is actually guilty of the crime they're accused of committing or not. You can watch the film purely from a plot perspective and be entertained and engrossed, but much like Parasite, the true genius of it lies within this satirical commentary.

The knowledge that maybe the killer could have been stopped, victims could have been saved, if more resources had been poured into actually searching for the real killer instead of trying to put away people who obviously had nothing to do with it is maddening, but somehow Bong is able to inject humor throughout the film that makes all of these frustrating people and darker moments have a brief sense of levity without taking away from the nature of the subject matter. It's truly amazing the way he is able to craft stories that are not only interesting from a surface level perspective, but that contain darker themes and complex social commentary that even casual moviegoers can pick up on and appreciate, and then even with all of that blend comedy and drama so seamlessly you rarely notice the change. Another element of the film that I personally found brilliant, and that I briefly mentioned above, is the way that it seems to be a love letter to the crime dramas/thrillers that came before it and a criticism of them at the same time. If you've been following my reviews for awhile, you'll know how deeply I appreciate films that are able to strike that balance (Scream, Nope, etc.). The ability to acknowledge the problems with a genre without completely dismissing the films that portray those flaws as lesser or bad is something that just appeals to me on such a core level. This may just sound like a meeting of the Bong Joon-ho Fan Club, but it is truly awe-inspiring that he can make a film that has something for everyone in it, and can make everyone enjoy the other bits that, in any other movie, they may not have.

Now, Memories of Murder isn't perfect, it is only Bong's second film and some of those early film maker pitfalls exist here. A lot of the first half of the movie tends to drag a bit, and there may be certain scenes that could have cut or sequences that could have been re-edited to keep that sense of urgency (or maybe even the lack thereof on the part of the detectives) a little more present and flowing. Also, and I know I just got done ranting about how great this exact quality was, but sometimes the injection of humor could overtake the film a little too much. It doesn't happen but maybe once or twice, but I did take note of those moments as something that stood out to me, at least. Outside of these few kinks, Memories of Murder just further proves that Bong Joon-ho just knows what he's doing, and I can safely add another film to the "great" column of his filmography, and hopefully soon I can finish out watching the rest of them.

Score: 9/10

Currently streaming on Hulu.

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Host (2006)

You’d think hilarious and horrifying would be far apart, but under the steady hand of director Bong Joon-ho, you’re never sure whether you should be laughing or trembling in fear. The Host is a unique monster movie with great re-watch value due to its sharp satirical themes, well-developed characters, numerous surprises and unexpected scares.

In 2006, slow-witted Park Gang-du (Song Kang-ho) runs a snack bar near the river with his father, Hee-bong (Byun Hee-bong). Suddenly, his daughter Hyun-seo (Go Ah-sung) is attacked and kidnapped by a large tadpole-like creature. While attempting to rescue her, Gang-du is sprayed with the monster���s blood, which government agents suspect contains a deadly, unknown virus. As Gang-du’s underachieving brother, Nam-il (Park Hae-il) and national medalist archer sister Nam-joo (Bae Doona) join the search for the missing girl, the government begins panicking.

What makes this film so funny is that nearly every character is a complete idiot. Gang-du is an ambulant disaster. He's always saying the wrong thing, always making the worst mistake you could make, always the last one to catch on. Even his father knows the man’s a half-dozen parts short of a set, and this is best demonstrated in a scene in which he tries to explain that Gang-du showed so much promise as a child. The story he tells is such a “what does that even mean?” kind of tale it would be heartbreaking if it weren’t so awful. It also shows the apple might not fall so far from the tree. Gang-du's siblings fare a little better but they also have a knack for screwing things up and when there’s a great big mutated tadpole gobbling people up, you can’t afford to make the kind of mistakes they make.

What makes this film so scary isn't only the monster; it's that nearly every government agent or authority figure is an idiot. It’s hard to tell if the constant failure to track down the monster, misunderstanding of the situation, inability to contain the Park family and knack for making things worse is done on purpose or not. Considering it would take a lot of people to work in perfect unison to orchestrate this thing, you lean towards overwhelming idiocy on everyone’s part. If Gang-du is exploring the river shore while infected with a deadly disease, they’re putting everyone at risk by doing such a poor job containing him. If he isn’t infected, then they’re wasting time and resources chasing a non-threat while a real-live monster is on the prowl. If this creature was as tall as a skyscraper and crushing bridges under its feet they would be able to get their ducks in a row right away but because it's only eating people one at a time, they can’t get anything done.

Beneath all the comedy and horrifying incompetence, there’s a lot of great material to chew on. Bong Joon-ho (who co-writes with Ha Won-jun and Baek Chul-hyun) has something to say about uncaring governments (both domestic and foreign), ineffective youth protesters, the repercussions and cause of pollution, family and social structure. That’s fun if you want to dig deep but you don’t have to. The family dynamics and main story are plenty on their own. The satirical material and terrific screenplay make up for the low budget and then some. It isn’t so much that you’d watch this movie again and realize “oh! when they said this, THAT’S what they meant!” it’s that you’ll be looking for clues to figure out if this thing that was said was meant to be sinister, or if it was just another brick to the head in this tornado of I.Q.-dropping head injuries. The line is so thin it’s nearly impossible to tell where the malice begins and the incompetence ends.

From fart jokes to tense scenes of danger, heartbreaking betrayals to well-established quirks coming in to save the day, The Host is so many things it’s hard to categorize it as belonging to any single genre. Or maybe that’s because I’ve only seen it once. I’ll let you know if I figure out where it belongs the next time I see it - and there will be a next time. (Original Korean version with English Subtitles, On DVD, October 24, 2021)

[lgbtally4ever]

Byun Hee Bong recently passed away at 81 years of age.

I loved him in

THE HOST!

[k-star-holic]

Byun Hee-bong and No Young Kook, Death on the same day...A big star in the entertainment industry who lost at the same time.

[erstwhile-punk-guerito]

[simplylove101]

2024 Horror Challenge: [53/?]

↳“The heartbreak of a parent who's lost a child… When a parent's heart breaks, the sound can travel for miles.“ The Host (2006) dir. Bong Joon Ho

Plot: A monster emerges from Seoul's Han River and begins attacking people. One victim's loving family does what it can to rescue her from its clutches.

Starring: Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona & Go Ah-sung

Omg another one I can finally say that I fully watched! lol This one was not for a lack of trying tho. I've been meaning to for the last few challenges since this one always gets such high praise. And well, it's directed by Bong Joon Ho who gave the world movies like the fantastic Parasite & also Okja, which I enjoyed. I just really like his style so I was glad to give this one a proper go this year. I really dug it. It's a pretty solid creature feature. I've seen people say the effects are kinda wonky even by 00's standards but they personally worked for me. Also, I'm a softie for these movies where the father is doing what he can to save his daughter, just like Train to Bustan. That being the heart of the story really drives the narrative imo and makes it so the flaws that come with that journey not such a big deal to me. Idk, like I said, overall I just thought it was really solid. Even though there is some downtime with the characters, it feels like a wild ride with the action in there. Had me on the edge of my seat. Glad to say I finally watched it. heh

[cassial89]

The Host

(2006) Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona, Go Ah-sung. dir Bong Joon-ho. (Korea)

[itzymidzy]

"Thanks to" letter in GOLD album: Lia

Hello, this is LIA.

There are people I am so grateful to and though I want to give them only love and happiness, I'm clumsy in expressing myself. So I want to use this 'thanks to' message to convey my feelings. To my family, who love me the most in the world, thank you for praying for me every day, for the encouraging quotes and videos you send without fail, and for the random phone calls that give me strength.

Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Grandma, my brother, aunties, uncles and cousins, thank you all so much. And to my friends who have supported and worried about me, I sincerely thank you. Yejin, whenever I felt down or struggled, you always had your own way of giving me strength. Over the past year, having you by my side has been such a comfort— can't tell you how grateful I am. My dearest treasure Bella, no matter how my day has gone, at the end of it, you always greet me with the happiest face and that makes me so happy. I love you so much. To PD Park Jin-young, CEO Jung Wook, Vice President Byun Sang-bong and Director Hee-won, thank you so much for always sincerely supporting and cheering for us. I am deeply thankful to everyone at JYP Entertainment who has understood and waited for me, as well as to the members and MIDZY. I regret the time we couldn't spend together, but as much as I do, I will make sure this album repays all those who waited for the five of us to come back stronger as a complete group.

Please look forward to it! Thank you and love you always. Fighting!

[cacatoto-2024]

Byun Hee-bong (lahir Byun In-chul; 8 Juni 1942 – 18 September 2023) adalah seorang aktor berkebangsaan Korea Selatan

[ulkaralakbarova]

After a deadly earthquake turns Seoul into a lawless badland, a fearless huntsman springs into action to rescue a teenager abducted by a mad doctor. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Nam-san: Ma Dong-seok Yang Gi-su: Lee Hee-jun Choi Ji-wan: Lee Jun-young Han Su-na: Roh Jeong-eui Lee Eun-ho: Ahn Ji-hye Kwon Sang-sa: Park Ji-hoon Teacher: Jang Young-nam Tiger: Park Hyo-joon Yeon-su: Seong Byeong-suk Madame: Jung Young-ju Ju-ye: Lee Han-joo Director Choi: Park Sang-hoon Director Oh: Ahn Seong-bong Ju-ye’s Father: Jeong Gi-seop Ju-ye’s Mother: Kim Young-sun Western Grandfather: Sin Sin-beom Western’s Mother: Hong Yi-joo Film Crew: Production Design: Jo Hwa-seong Sound Supervisor: Kim Suk-won Editor: Nam Na-young Special Effects Supervisor: Jung Do-ahn Adaptation: Ma Dong-seok Lighting Director: Song Hyun-suk Director of Photography: Byun Bong-sun Production Sound Mixer: Jung Gun Producer: Choi Won-ki Makeup & Hair: Nam Ji-soo Special Effects Makeup Artist: Pi Dae-seong Digital Intermediate: Lee Hye-min Production Design: Park Gyu-bin Original Music Composer: Kim Dong-wook Editor: Ha Mi-ra Martial Arts Choreographer: Heo Myeong-haeng Writer: Kim Bo-tong Executive Producer: Byun Seung-min Martial Arts Choreographer: Yoon Seong-min Original Story: Kim Dong-gyun Adaptation: Kim Chang-hoon Writer: Kwak Jae-min Executive Producer: Choi Byeong-hwan Special Effects Makeup Artist: Seol Ha-un Props: Kang Shin-hong Key Grip: Lee Hyun-gyu Special Effects Supervisor: Im Jong-hyeok Line Producer: Choi Su-im Visual Effects: Yuk Gwan-woo Movie Reviews: Chris Sawin: The film features some hard-hitting and explosive action sequences that will rightfully cater to fans of the genre. The battle in the basement of the apartment building, where we see Nam-san use a shotgun to blast his way through some of the doctor’s ‘enhanced’ individuals, is a total exhilarating blast. Ma Dong-seok has been a powerhouse for most of his career post Train to Busan, but he sends people flying whenever he throws his fist or pulls the trigger. _Badland Hunters_ also has to break a record for most decapitations in a film. **Full review:** https://bit.ly/bdlndhntr MovieGuys: Badland Hunters does something things well, others just passably. Action is wall to wall and well choreographed.Special effects are excellent. Characterisations are solid if predictable and the acting is not to be sniffed at. However, the story is unremarkable, with a climax that feels, well, anti climatic. In summary, an okay but hardly exceptional watch, that would have benefited from more creativity on the storytelling front. Ritesh Mohapatra: “Badland Hunters: A Visually Striking Action Spectacle with Narrative Shortcomings” In this post-apocalyptic action thriller, Badland Hunters, while suffering from a repetitive and clichéd plot and uninteresting characters, excels in stunning hand-to-hand choreography and scintillating action set pieces. The film benefits greatly from the expertise of its veteran stunt coordinator turned director, known for his work on Train to Busan. Commendable world-building, visionary concepts, and excellent VFX are hindered by conventional writing. The short, crisply edited runtime avoids unnecessary elements. Don Lee’s exceptional portrayal of Nam-san, with exhilarating action sequences, overshadows the film’s narrative weaknesses, making it a guiltily satisfying popcorn-worthy entertainer, particularly for adrenaline enthusiasts. Instagram & X @streamgenx.

[esr10]

why did i not hear about byun hee-bong's passing last month :((

[virtualcollectionblizzardblr]

I found this on NewsBreak: Netflix Star Dead at 81: Actor Byun Hee-bong Appeared in 'Okja'

I found this on NewsBreak: Netflix Star Dead at 81: Actor Byun Hee-bong Appeared in 'Okja'