Parasite | Blu-ray (Criterion)
RELEASE DATE: October 27, 2020
The Winner of the prestigious Palme d’Or (more importantly, it has been stamped “Certified On Fire” by our vey own Paul Bramhall) is making its way to Blu-ray on October 27, 2020, courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
Acclaimed South Korean director Bong Joon-ho (Okja) is back with Parasite (read our non-spoiler review), a black comedy/thriller starring the Bong’s frequent collaborator, Song Kang-ho (Memories of Murder).
Two families in Seoul—one barely scraping by in a dank semibasement in a low-lying neighborhood, the other living in luxury in a modern architectural marvel overlooking the city—find themselves on a collision course that will lay bare the dark contradictions of capitalism with shocking ferocity. A bravura showcase for its director’s meticulously constructed set pieces, bolstered by a brilliant ensemble cast and stunning production design, Parasite cemented the New Korean Cinema as a full-fledged international force when it swept almost every major prize from Cannes to the Academy Awards, where it made history as the first non-English-language film to win the Oscar for best picture.
Parasite also stars Jang Hye-jin (Secret Sunshine), Park So-dam (The Priests), Choi Woo-shik (Golden Slumber), Lee Sun-kyun (The Advocate: A Missing Body) and Jo Yeo-jeong (The Target).
Special Features:
- New 4K Digital Master approved by director Bong Joon Ho and director of photography Hong Kyung Pyo, with Dolby Atmos soundtrack
- New audio commentary featuring Bong and critic Tony Rayns
- Black-and-white version of the film with a new introduction by Bong, and Dolby Atmos soundtrack
- New conversation between Bong and critic Darcy Paquet
- New interviews with Hong, production designer Lee Ha Jun, and editor Yang Jinmo
- New program about the New Korean Cinema movement featuring Bong and filmmaker Park Chan Wook (Oldboy)
- Cannes Film Festival press conference from 2019 featuring Bong and members of the cast
- Master class featuring Bong from the 2019 Lumière Festival in Lyon, France
- Storyboard comparison
- Trailers
- Plus: An essay by critic Inkoo Kang
Pre-order Parasite from Amazon.com today!
There’s a listing for this up on Barnes & Noble’s website, but no stock or price listed yet. Time to furiously refresh the page and see if I can get it as part of the 50% off sale before it ends.
My Universal BR is obsolete.
Yup. I shouldn’t have bought mine so early. Since then, we’ve received a 4K HDR release, and now there’s a Criterion release looming on the horizon as well.
Personally, I don’t think the upgrade to 4K is meaningful enough for me to buy it, however I’d love to own the Criterion. The B&W cut of the movie and the other additional supplements would make it totally worth it. I love that cover art as well.
It’s up for pre-order now on Barnes and Noble, but unfortunately not included in the 50% off sale. Dang. Maybe next time.