As the latest Twilight fan-fic opens nationwide, it seems only fitting that I finally get around to writing something about a South Korean vampire film I watched a few weeks ago at The Uptown Theatre. Now most people know director Park Chan-wook for his Vengeance trilogy (Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, Oldboy and Lady Vengeance) or possibly for his segment from the horror film Three Extremes making him one of the better known foreign language film makers in the US. So when I heard he’d be making a vampire film, I was excited at the possibilities, but I got something I never expected.

Thirst follows the story of a priest who undergoes an experimental treatment, during the course of which a blood transfusion transforms him into a vampire. Soon he discovers that if he doesn’t feed, that his disease will return, thus he must soon abandon his morality in order to survive. But that is scarcely his furthest fall.

You see, our priest has a secret, he’s in love with his friend’s wife. And his hunger isn’t simply for blood, but for other things just as carnal. Thus, our intrepid hero must slowly abandon his faith in order to satiate his growing desires. And that’s when Thirst truly blossoms into a modern masterpiece of film making.

While Thirst is a morality play to be sure, and it is full of horror elements, at its heart it is a romance, though a very twisted and dysfunctional one to be sure. As our priest falls deeper in love with the woman of his desires, he makes a rather foolish step that propels the two of them into an unending struggle for dominance of their lives, their relationship and of their hunger.

Following in the footsteps of last year’s outstanding vampire film Let the Right One In, Thirst creates complex and realistic characters that are thrust into worlds they can scarcely imagine let alone control, try as they might. These are people with faults and flaws, and simply craving the taste of blood won’t change that, but it just might amplify their flaws. Thirst simply isn’t just the best vampire movie of the year, its one of the year’s best movies, period.

Tags: film, Foreign, foreign language, Horror, horror film, lady vengeance, Let the Right One In, movie, Movies, oldboy, Park Chan-wook, South Korea, sympathy for mr vengeance, The Uptown, The Uptown Theatre, Thirst, three extremes, trailer, Twilight, vampire, vampire film, vengeance trilogy

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Afghan Star is getting its released date pushed, for the fourth time. Of course this is a better fate then Park Chan-wook’s latest film Thirst, which has been dropped and will not open in Minneapolis. This after being delayed twice, and after having an intial release date scheduled a full six weeks after its Chicago opening. As far as I can tell, Thirst only played in Chicago, New York and LA and that is it for the US, which is truly ridiculous. Word is trickling out that the studio (Focus Features/Universal) simply didn’t want to pay to strike prints, let alone market the film. Evidently they thought marketing a vampire film to modern day filmgoer’s was a risk not worth taking. Probably because they are idiots.

In other news Young Victoria had its release date pushed and … ohh … it says here Universal sucks. So it must be true. Hopefully one of the local Independent theatres(The Heights, Parkway or Riverview, I’m not picky) picks up the slack (Hey Trylon, throw us a freaking bone please!) and releases the film so Minneapolis film lovers have a chance to watch it in theatres.

*** – Denotes recommended viewing
All dates subject to change

09/25 Burning Plain Uptown (tentative)
09/25 Paris Uptown/Edina
09/25 Somers Town Lagoon ***
09/25 Afghan Star Lagoon (NEW DATE)
09/25 The Other Man Edina (tentative)

10/02 A Serious Man Uptown ***
10/02 Capitalism: A Love Story Lagoon
10/02 No Impact Man Lagoon
10/02 Flame & Citron Edina

10/09 Earth Days Lagoon
10/09 The Boys Are Back Edina
10/09 Amreeka Edina
10/09 Unmistaken Child Lagoon

10/16 Still Walking Lagoon
10/16 Coco Before Chanel Edina
10/16 More Than A Game Lagoon

10/23 An Education Uptown
10/23 The Horse Boy Lagoon
10/23 Damned United Lagoon
10/23 Amelia Lagoon

10/30 New York, I Love You Uptown/Lagoon
10/30 Canyon Lagoon

11/06 Antichrist Uptown
11/06 Skin Edina

11/13 Crude Lagoon

11/20 We Live in Public Lagoon
11/20 Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire Lagoon

11/25 The Road Edina ***

11/27 RED CLIFF Uptown
11/27 Oh My God? Lagoon
11/27 Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans Lagoon

12/04 The Strip Lagoon (NEW)

12/11 William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe Lagoon

12/18 The Maid Edina
12/18 Young Victoria Edina (NEW DATE)

12/25 Broken Embraces Uptown

2/12 Rashomon Lagoon ***

Tags: A Serious Man, Afghan Star, Amelia, Amreeka, An Education, Antichrist, bad lieutenant, Broken Embraces, Burning Plain, Canyon, Capitalism: A Love Story, Chicago, Coco Before Chanel, Coming Soon, Crude, Damned United, Earth Days, edina, film, Focus Features, lagoon, Minneapolis, More, More Than A Game, No Impact Man, Oh My God?, Other Man, Paris, Park Chan-wook, Parkway, port of call new orleans, Precious: Based on the Novel, Rashomon, Red Cliff, release date, Skin, somers town, Still Walking, The Boys Are Back, The Heights, The Horse Boy, The Maid, The Road, The Strip, Thirst, Trylon, Universal, Unmistaken Child, Uptown, vampire, vampire film, We Live in Public, william kunstler, William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe, Young Victoria