Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
A blockbuster hit in Korea, “Thieves” features an all-star cast that includes Jun Ji-Hyun and Lee Jung-Jae. (The duo shared the big screen in the 2000 film “Il Mare” — the film that was later remade as “The Lake House” with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.)
“Doggy Poo” is based on Kwon Jung-saeng’s 1968 children’s book of the same name. During that time period, South Korea was still in the process of recovering from the Korean War. It was still decades away from becoming the high-tech, wealthy country it is today. And I can’t help but wonder if the book wasn’t an allegory for how its citizens must sacrifice themselves (brutal work conditions, relentless hours spent studying at school) for the greater good of the country.
Sex Is Zero is to South Korea what Porky’s, American Pie, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High are to the United States. The Korean film has all the classic elements of a sex comedy: gratuitous breast shots, unusual use of bodily fluids, and a plot that’s secondary to the physical comedic skills of the actors.