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Time of India
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Bong Joon Ho's 'Parasite' titled Best Movie of the 21st Century
Bong Joon Ho 's cult classic Korean film 'Parasite' has been named as the Best Movie of the 21st century! The title has been given to the film alongside other big names such as ' Oldboy ', 'Past Lives', and ' Memories of Murder '. The New York Times released a report titled 'The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century' on June 27. The list analysed films released after January 1, 2000, and even analysed survey data that had been collected from over 500 different people. People who work as directors, actors, producers, and film enthusiasts were involved in the study and gave their survey answers. According to the report, 'Parasite' ended up claiming the 1st spot. As per the publication, the movie was called 'a story of the haves and have-nots', adding, 'A twisted shock flows from the poor household to the wealthy one.' On the other hand, Bong Joon Ho was labelled as 'a superstar in the making, a master of genre unconstrained by convention (who) burnt everything down in a blaze of inevitable violence.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like เทรดทองCFDsกับโบรกเกอร์ที่เชื่อถือได้| เปิดบัญชีวันนี้ IC Markets สมัคร Undo Another one of Joon Ho's films ended up on the list, securing the 99th spot with its intriguing plot and star cast. 'Memories of Murder' is another fan favourite from the famed director. More about 'Parasite' 'Parasite', released in 2019, explored the disparity between the rich and the poor while taking everyday instances into account. The film was made as a social commentary on such class differences and how low one can sink when it comes to money and other luxuries. At the time of the release, the film collected a total box office of $258.1 million as per Box Office Mojo. It even won the Palme d'Or award, which is one of the most prestigious film awards at the Cannes Film Festival, in the same year. The film also won a Golden Globe Award at the 77th edition of the event for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Picture, making it the first Korean film to do so!
![(book top) [Off the Pages] Why these novels? Park Chan-wook's literary anchors](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F06%2F26%2Fnews-p.v1.20250625.bda4ad650e6f4a2cab1fb00200fcce61_T1.jpeg&w=3840&q=100)
![(book top) [Off the Pages] Why these novels? Park Chan-wook's literary anchors](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fkoreaherald.com.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
(book top) [Off the Pages] Why these novels? Park Chan-wook's literary anchors
Celebrated filmmaker Park Chan-wook is widely known to be an avid reader. Many of his acclaimed films were adapted from novels, making his appearance at last week's Seoul International Book Fair all the more fitting. Park shared his 'literary anchors,' offering personal anecdotes and insights into the books that have inspired him. The following are some of the highlights from his talk. 'Joint Security Area' (2000) In a 2023 reissue of Park Sang-yeon's novel "DMZ," Park Chan-wook wrote, 'I don't even want to imagine what my life would look like if I hadn't encountered this novel.' "Joint Security Area" was his first literary adaptation and the breakout hit that changed everything. After two earlier films flopped, "JSA" was a box-office sensation, drawing over 5.8 million viewers and setting a record for Korean cinema. 'I've made many films since then,' Park reflected, 'but none have matched its box-office success. 'JSA' gave me the courage to make more daring films afterward.' Set in Korea's uniquely tense and symbolic space of the Demilitarized Zone, the crime mystery follows a fatal shooting involving North and South Korean soldiers, investigated by the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission. The investigation gradually unravels an unexpected truth. Park credited the novel's humanizing portrayal of North Koreans. 'At the time, it was still shocking to show them not as villains, but as ordinary people,' he said. Among the changes he made, Park said he is particularly proud to gender-swap the investigator into a woman, which he described as "an additional layer." 'The investigation already confronts an ideological wall. By introducing a female officer who faces barrier from the male soldiers she questions, I was able to add another layer. That's an aspect I take great pride in,' he said 'Oldboy' (2003) A man is kidnapped without knowing who took him, or why. He is locked away with no explanation, and the worst part is, he doesn't know if, or when, he'll ever get out. This premise of "Oldboy," the noir thriller that won Park a Grand Prix at Cannes, is loosely based on a Japanese manga. 'To me, it felt like a perfect metaphor for life itself,' Park said. 'We don't know why we were born, how our future will unfold, or when we'll die. We know death is inevitable, but not when or how. We have to live with that uncertainty.' The film follows Oh Dae-su, imprisoned in a small hotel room for 15 years with no idea who his captor is, or why is kept imprisoned. When he's abruptly released, he sets on a brutal quest for revenge. Another element Park found especially compelling was Oh's only contact with the outside world was watching television. 'I found that idea fascinating. He starts off as a reckless, pitiful man — more so than in the original manga. Locked away, watching only TV, he has nothing but time to think," he said. "Over the years, that leads to painful self-reflection. Whether he wants it or not, he becomes more mature — just by watching TV." For "Thirst," another Cannes-winning film, Park drew inspiration from Emile Zola's "Therese Raquin," a novel about a young woman coerced by her overbearing aunt into a loveless marriage. Initially, there were separate plans to adapt the novel and to make a vampire film but the two ideas eventually merged, after co-producer Ahn Soo-hyun read Park's vampire synopsis and Zola's novel, spotting a thematic bridge. 'There are vivid descriptions focused on the neck in the book,' Park noted. 'The neck biting and the wounds worsening over time — the imagery is quite intense.' The original synopsis, just three or four pages long, had a priest as the protagonist and a detailed climactic blood-drinking scene. Park felt that as long as that scene remained, the story and characters could be adapted freely around it. 'If I ever had the ability to be a novelist, I think I would have written exactly like Zola," said Park. 'He has a merciless view of humanity. He's uncompromising and honest. There's no romanticizing, no intention to vilify. It's simply an observation. Because of that honesty, whether making films or anything else, I feel there's much to learn from him.' Literary critic Shin Hyoung-cheol described Park's approach to adaptation through metaphor thus: "Oldboy" replaced the spine of its source; "Thirst" gave it wings. And "The Handmaiden"? 'It's as if he gave it a new pair of legs — like in the scene where the two women run across the open field.' Adapted from Sarah Waters's "Fingersmith," a historical crime novel set in Victorian-era Britain, "The Handmaiden" transposes the setting to colonial-era Korea under Japanese rule. The story follows a young Korean woman hired as a maid to a Japanese heiress. In the original novel, each woman deceives the other, and only in the third part do they discover the full extent of the betrayal. Park's version reimagines this dynamic: The women build trust, form an alliance and ultimately turn the tables to take revenge on the 'Gentleman.' 'As I read the book, I found myself hoping it would turn out that way,' Park said. 'They meet under false pretenses, but what if they open up to each other, become allies, and pull off a clever scheme to punish the count and escape together. Such anticipation became the basis for my adaptation,' Park said. 'The Little Drummer Girl' (2019) Park has often named British espionage master John le Carre as his favorite novelist. He read "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold" as a teenager and he considers himself part of a rare minority of fans who 'dare say 'The Little Drummer Girl' is his best." Park reached out to le Carre directly, and the two met in person to discuss adapting the novel into a six-part television series — an "unforgettable memory" for Park. Le Carre made a cameo in the show, appearing as a waiter in the cafe where Charlie walks in. In fact, le Carre was fond of making cameo appearances in screen adaptations of his novels. Set in 1979, "The Little Drummer Girl" follows Charlie, a young English actress recruited to infiltrate a Palestinian group plotting a terrorist attack in Europe. But it was the novel's ending — particularly the protagonist's motivations — that troubled Park. 'Although I call it a masterpiece, I was disappointed at that moment,' he said. 'She risks her life as a spy because she 'fell in love' with one of the male agents, after pretending to be in love as part of her cover. I thought it made Charlie almost foolish,' Park said. Park knew he needed a new line — a moment that would redefine her choices. He learned that the character of Charlie had been inspired by a real person — le Carre's own sister, a theater actress active in the 1970s. Park said the line 'I'm an actress' came directly from a conversation with her. 'That line carries so much,' Park said. 'We had long discussions about it. Even during table reads, it was my favorite. We shot that scene with all of its weight in mind. I'd rather leave its meaning open to interpretation,' Park said. 'No Other Choice' (2025) and Park's reading list Park is currently in post-production on his upcoming film "No Other Choice," starring Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin. Set for release in October, the film is adapted from Donald E. Westlake's horror thriller "The Ax." It follows Man-soo, who, after being laid off from a job, begins a desperate and dark hunt for new employment. Park has hinted that the film will veer into black comedy. Before the talk came to an end, the director offered a list of book recommendations. His recent favorites included Geoff Dyer's "The Ongoing Moment," a meditation on photography, and "But Beautiful," a philosophical exploration of beauty in jazz. Of Vladimir Nabokov's works, Park singled out "Pnin" as a personal favorite: 'It's filled with absurd humor, and the protagonist might come off as unlikeable at first -- but he becomes utterly lovable.' Park also expressed his recent admiration for W.G. Sebald, after reading "Austerlitz."
UPI
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Neon to release Park Chan-wook's 'No Other Choice'
1 of 5 | Park Chan-wook, seen at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards, directs "No Other Choice." File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo June 26 (UPI) -- Neon announced Thursday it will distribute South Korean director Park Chan-wook's next film, No Other Choice, in North America. Neon re-released Park's original Oldboy in theaters in 2023. No Other Choice is an adaptation of Donald Westlake's 1997 book The Ax. It is the second film adaptation following Costa-Gavras' 2005 French/Dutch film The Axe. Lee Byung-hung of Squid Game fame plays a man laid off by a paper company. In Westlake's book, the man becomes so desperate for work, he stalks his potential replacements. Son Yejin will play his wife. Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, Cha Seung-won and Yoo Yeon-seok also star. No Other Choice is in post-production. CJ ENM financed the project; the company also financed Neon's Oscar-winner Parasite. Westlake's other books have been adapted as the films Point Blank, Payback, Parker and more.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Disney, Universal Launch AI Legal Battle, Sue Midjourney Over Copyright Claims
In the next chapter of Big Entertainment vs. Big Tech, Disney and Universal have filed a lawsuit against artificial intelligence company Midjourney over tools that allow users to create images and videos that can manipulate famous characters at the click of a prompt. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Wednesday by Disney Enterprises, Marvel, Lucasfilm, 20th Century, Universal City Studios Productions and DreamWorks Animation, describes the David Holz-run generative AI firm Midjourney as a 'bottomless pit of plagiarism.' More from The Hollywood Reporter Bob Iger Says Disney Unlikely to Follow Comcast and Warner Bros. Discovery In Exiting the TV Channel Business 'Oldboy' Screenwriter Sets Streaming Debut With Disney+ Korean Crime Series 'Gold Land' Disney's House of Mouse Global Tour Debuts New Mickey & Friends Collabs and Disneyland Anniversary Merch in L.A. (Exclusive) The legal salvo marks the first major foray from Hollywood against tech giants that are hoping to reorient consumer habits with personalized entertainment and information by vacuuming up data on the internet and spitting it out in the form of chatbot copy or images. So far, Wall Street has bet big that AI will be a major economic driver in the future and AI companies have raised tens of billions of dollars to realize that vision. Notably, major film and TV studios have not yet inked significant deals with AI companies to license their IP to these tech giants' tools that are now used by millions of users. That marks a different tack from major media companies, which have largely decided to take checks to license content to companies like OpenAI versus spend millions fighting in court. (The New York Times is an exception, and it has spent $10 million-plus fighting OpenAI so far.) The complaint from Disney and Universal details how Midjourney's tools easily allow users to create image-based works based on the intellectual property of Disney and Universal — think: Darth Vader or Shrek at the beach, etc. This is commonly called 'AI Slop,' and many likely already see it in their social media feeds. 'If a Midjourney subscriber submits a simple text prompt requesting an image of the character Darth Vader in a particular setting or doing a particular action, Midjourney obliges by generating and displaying a high quality, downloadable image featuring Disney's copyrighted Darth Vader character,' the complaint reads. The complaint offers AI-generated images of Vader, Wall-E, Stormtroopers, How to Train Your Dragon characters, Minions and Shrek and many more as evidence of copyright infringement perpetuated by Midjourney. And it singles out Star Wars character Yoda with a side-by-side comparison: The Hollywood studios go on to allege that Midjourney is able to provide such outputs because its tools have already ingested copyrighted intellectual property across the web as training data. 'Midjourney downloaded from the internet, and other sources, content using tools variously described as bots, scrapers, streamrippers, video downloaders, and web crawlers,' the complaint says, alleging that the AI company's CEO David Holz 'admitted that to collect the training data, Midjourney 'pulls off all the data it can, all the text it can, all the images it can.'' The studios also claim that Midjourney then 'cleaned' and converted digital files of copyrighted intellectual property to use in its training data so that its tools could then provide outputs allowing users to create things like personalized Yoda, Vader or Shrek images. 'When a subscriber enters a prompt for an image of Spider-Man, Minions, Iron Man, or any of Plaintiffs' countless copyrighted characters, Midjourney creates yet another copy of that character which it publicly displays and/or distributes via download,' the complaint reads. The lawsuit highlights that not only does Midjourney allow the creation of these works based on Disney and Universal's copyrighted characters, the AI company goes further by having them displayed in its 'Explore' section of its website — a sign that, the studios say, Midjourney is fully aware of what its product does and is capitalizing on the plagiarism. 'Midjourney's publication and curation of infringing images on the Explore page show that Midjourney knows that its platform regularly reproduces Plaintiffs' Copyrighted Works, and that the Explore page is intended to advertise Midjourney's ability to infringe the Copyrighted Works,' the complaint reads. And the complaint goes on to alleged that Midjourney has the tools in place to prevent outputs that run afoul of copyrighted intellectual property, but it choose to not enact them. 'Midjourney controls, and has the ability to control, generative outputs through readily available technical protection measures,' the studios argue. 'Despite having the ability to do so, Midjourney has affirmatively chosen not to use copyright protection measures to limit the infringement.' The top legal officer of Disney put it more simply in a strongly-worded statement accompanying the lawsuit: 'Piracy is piracy.' Using that phrasing frames the fight against Midjourney in familiar language to the studios' lobbying group, the Motion Picture Association, which also talks up its fight against piracy. But the MPA, so far, has mostly gone after websites that show unauthorized movies and TV shows, not AI companies, despite the prevalence of users flocking to AI-powered tools. 'Our world-class IP is built on decades of financial investment, creativity and innovation—investments only made possible by the incentives embodied in copyright law that give creators the exclusive right to profit from their works,' stated Disney general counsel Horacio Gutierrez. 'We are bullish on the promise of AI technology and optimistic about how it can be used responsibly as a tool to further human creativity. But piracy is piracy, and the fact that it's done by an AI company does not make it any less infringing.' The full complaint is below:Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Disney+ Unveils ‘Gold Land' Penned By ‘Oldboy' Screenwriter; Park Boyoung & Kim Sung-cheol Set To Star
Disney+ unveiled a new crime thriller titled Gold Land, which will star Park Boyoung (Light Shop) and Kim Sung-cheol (The Battle of Jangsari). The series is written by Hwang Joyoon, the screenwriter behind the critically-acclaimed Korean film Oldboy. More from Deadline 2025 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming 'Out Of My Mind' Star Phoebe-Rae Taylor & Director Amber Sealey On Championing And Normalizing Disability Stories; "People With Disabilities Are So Much More Than Their Appearance" Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Telefilms & Netflix Unveil Creative Partnership Gold Land follows Heeju (played by Park), a girl from a sleepy backwater town who accidentally comes into possession of gold bars from a smuggling organization. Suddenly finding herself in a van full of gold and on the run from some of Korea's most dangerous men, Heeju heads towards the one place she swore she would never return. Kim plays Jang Wook (also known as Woogy), a member of the criminal organization chasing Heeju. However, Jang Wook and Heeju have an old bond, having lived in the same neighborhood when they were growing up. Gold Land is directed visionary director Kim Sunghoon, who also helmed Chief Detective 1958 and hit film Confidential Assignment. Gold Land joins the streamer's upcoming slate of Korean titles, including vampire series Delusion (working title), Low Life and political thriller Tempest. Earlier this month, Nine Puzzles became the most-viewed Korean title on Disney+ globally and across APAC this year. Best of Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media Where To Watch All The 'John Wick' Movies: Streamers That Have All Four Films
