The Host (my first entry)

You like monster movies? Well, this one is for you! Oh, but you can't stand foreign films? Don't like to read subtitles? Then you're sure to be missing out. Well, I'll tell you about it anyway...
The Host is a creature flick, pure and simple. South Korea's Bong Joon-ho directs his third feature film to date, and critics have compared The Host to the likings of the first Jaws, which makes sense. Both films are about the CHARACTERS. The Host is character driven and has great creature effects (thanks to FX teams, The Orphanage; Harry Potter and Weta; Lord Of The Rings Trilogy) that are not only scary, but original.
The film's suspense, unlike most horror movies being fed to us, doesn't rely on cheap scare tactics; you know... the music stops, everything gets quiet, and then suddenly something pops out of nowhere, or the phone rings, or a cat jumps from the top of the refrigerator, like oh my gosh!!!! And unlike other monster movies, the creature is exposed to us very early in the film. We don't have to wait through an hour of foreshadowing and partial glimpses of the creature before we see it in its entirety.
The origin of the creature is explained right off the bat, quick and dirty, and yes... it's the American government's damn fault. Sounds political, but it isn't. It's just Bong Joon-ho's way of keeping true to and having fun with one of the genre's traditions: you can't trust the government. And don't fret! Just because the terror gets going soon after the film begins doesn't mean there aren't any more surprises before the film's end.
The main character, who just might be smarter than he looks, is separated from his daughter in all the mayhem when the creature first appears and starts randomly eating people. Her father and the rest of her family think she's dead before they discover she is actually trapped in the creature's lair, a pit in the city's underground sewer system, stowed there by the creature for a future snack!
It's the family that goes to find her, simple people like you and me, not some military team armed with heavy weapons. They might just find her too if they can manage to get along with one another. Nope, it ain't Leave It To Beaver folks. Thank God!
Wow, all this and it's in subtitles? There is the cheesy English voiceover option on the DVD if you just can't bear to read subtitles. But, as with most foreign films, I recommend choosing the English subtitles option, because then you hear the actual tone of the actors' voices in their actual language, not some lame interpretation that ruins the integrity of the film. Just my opinion, of course.
So there you have it: The Host... it kicks ass! I give this film a ‘Tripods Up!' Rent it today at your local video store. I hope you liked my first entry. Other recently released foreign films I highly recommend which are on DVD include: 13 Tzameti, Black Book, and Pan's Labyrinth. I'll be back soon for some more killer movie reviews! Stay warm out there! And don't get eaten by any monsters, okay? Okay.
All films rated by Preston Mullins range from; Tripods Way The Hell Up! (being the best rating,) Tripods Up, Tripods Sideways, Tripods Down, and Tripods Way The Hell Down (being the very worst rating.)

Nevada News Makers
Children's Programming