Ìý User Rating 
Asian cinema continues to outdo Hollywood when it comes to genuinely frightening (as opposed to merely gross) horror films. The Host, by Korean director Bong Joon-ho, is an example of the "delightfully extreme" nightmare visions that come out of this corner of the world. It sees a family rocked by the abduction of their youngest girl by a bizarre sewer-dwelling beastie...
Digging Deep
This two-disc DVD is positively spilling over with extras. Bong Joon-ho revisits the Han River in Seoul where most of the film was shot and talks about bringing "one of those crazy ideas I've had since high school" to fruition on the big screen. Another featurette sees him in action on the set, getting the actors to respond to the imaginary monster. He's obviously a very persuasive fellow. In Memories Of The Sewer, cast and crew reflect on the real-life nightmare of working knee-deep in poop. "The stench," says one, "was beyond imagination."
Apart from having to hold his breath for prolonged periods, bringing the creature to life was the most daunting challenge for Joon-ho. A batch of four featurettes demystifies the process from his early sketches to the intricate process of crafting models, scanning them into a computer and building a life-size animatronic puppet. Between working on The Lord Of The Rings and King Kong, the folks at Weta Digital managed to make "a big pink fish" look like something truly terrifying... The CG elements are then stripped down in a demo reel and the faulty off-cuts are showcased in a Monty Pyhthon-esque gag reel.
The Remains Of The Slay
23 minutes of deleted footage vary from quick cutaways of the monster to longer, more brooding moments between members of the Park family. A dinner scene between Park Hee-bong (Byung Hee-bong) and his young son Gang-du (Song Gang-ho) conveys all the tenderness, mischief and haunting sense of unease that runs throughout the film - dad getting set to spring a birthday surprise. For those who want a bit more in the way of high-octane action, archery whizz Nam-joo (Bae Du-na) battles the beast with her trusty bow and flaming arrows.
A cluster of other featurettes look at production design, sound effects and practical effects like the sewer beast thrashing about in the water and spewing up a human being. Most humble actor Oh Dal-soo also gets a shout as the voice of the sewer mutant, apparently taking inspiration from Andy Serkis and his snarling performance as King Kong. More interviews and fly-on-the-wall profiles of cast and crew round off the bonus disc. True horror buffs will definitely want to get their mitts on this monster-sized package.
EXTRA FEATURES
The Host DVD is released on Monday 5th March 2007.
