district 9 (belatedly)

District 9 "ALIENS PROHIBITED" sign in a bar near Sadang station.

One of the few infuriating things for me about living in Korea is that all the movies I seem to like take months to get here, or just don't bother coming at all. District 9 just came out this weekend and I have to wait two more for Inglourious Basterds; Where the Wild Things Are doesn't have a release date yet (probably won't open until December, at least). I'm still holding out hope for A Serious Man to hit the one indie theater in Jongno, which typically tilts European in its selection, but indies that I was looking forward to this summer like Moon or Cold Souls are out of the question.

In fact, the entire Korean moviegoing experience is quite different--reserved seating, for starters. At the concessions counter, squid jerky is one of the most popular snacks, and when you buy nachos, instead of getting hot cheese in the tray and chips in a bag, you get chips in the tray and cheese in a packet. Downsides: The popcorn is not very salty, and no salt shakers are provided (necessitating that I bring my own). Upsides: I am informed that the government recently passed a law prohibiting theaters from preventing you from bringing in your own beverages, including alcohol.



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