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Review by Dean Crawford KOREAN DVD CORNER THE SMALL SCREEN 109 The Flu (감기) Directed by Kim Seong-su In present-day Hong Kong, a container full of illegal immigrants is about to be shipped to Korea. One of the passengers is sick but as- sures his handler he is well enough to continue with the journey. Once the container arrives in Bundang, the traffickers discover that all but one of the passengers are dead. He escapes, but the traffickers have bigger things to worry about, as they suddenly become sick them- selves. It’s not long before the virus spreads and thousands of people are infected. In-hae (Soo Ae), a doctor at a local hospital, ends up in one of the city’s many camps for the sick along with firefighter Ji-gu (Jang Hy- eok). As the situation gets worse and the gov- ernment’s solution to dealing with the infect- ed becomes more and more extreme, In-hae takes it upon herself to find a cure for the virus so she can save her daughter, and potentially the rest of the country. With close-ups of people sneezing and slow motion shots of spit flying into mouths, the film reminded me of a public service announce- ment I saw as a child declaring “coughs and sneezes spread diseases.” A little dramatic, perhaps, but I don’t doubt for a second that the situation presented in “The Flu” (2013) could really happen. How many times have you shared a bowl of kimchi jjigae in a restau- rant with several friends? Or even worse, how many times has a random person coughed into your face on the Seoul subway? Forget Kim Jong-un’s nukes — all he would need to do if he really wanted to take over the South would be to send in a double agent with a cold during flu season. “The Flu” does have its moments, particularly in the way the infected try to force politicians’ hands into giving them the help they need. But the film is overacted and uses unnecessary comedy in the early stages, meaning the tran- sition from slapstick comedy to serious drama never really feels believable. A decent effort, but not in the same league as films like Steven Soderbergh’s “Side Effects” (2013) or even the first segment of Korea’s own “Doomsday Book” (2012). R Action / Drama / Sci-f 121 minutes Rated Killer Toon (더 웹툰) Directed by Kim yong-gyun Ji-yoon (Lee Si-yeong) is a recluse who of- ten has trouble distinguishing between fantasy and reality. The only contact she has with the outside world is through her psychiatrist, who tries to make sense of the strange things she sees. These visions, however, have made Ji- yoon famous, as she uses them in her popular webtoon. Days before the release of her latest work, things become complicated as several of the grizzly murders she’s depicted on her computer screen start happening exactly as they were written. First comes the grisly murder of the manager of her webtoon series, whose past is revealed to be a bit spotty. Then, a news announcer is electrocuted, just as Ji-yoon predicted. And finally, the local morgue owner, who himself has several large skeletons in his closet, is brutally murdered by something not of this world. While the police initially presume the first two deaths are suicides, they start to piece together these strange coincidences, theorize that Ji-yoon is acting out her gruesome stories and begin to suspect that she’s involved in the murders. As one might expect, director Kim Yong-gyun takes inspiration from classics such as the “Ju- on” series (1998-2014) and “Ring” (1998). I mean, what Asian horror film is complete with- out a pale ghostly lady in white with black hair? But like most K-horror films, the first hour of “Killer Toon” (2013) is filled with some good scares and jumps, while the second hour has you trying to work out who the evil spirit actu- ally is and what connection it has to our main characters. I don’t think anyone will be too shocked when any of the predictable plot twists are revealed, but it’s an enjoyable enough ride watching them take place. The film was a huge success for a horror film at the box office, but “Killer Toon” is more in line with lower end K-horror films like “The Cat” (2011) and “APT” (2006) than classics like “A Tale of Two Sisters” (2003). Rated R Crime / Horror / Thriller 104 minutes
109page
109page