Mark Stern

Voices

SCOTUS hearing, but not listening, on same-sex marriage

Last week, the Supreme Court herd oral arguments in two gay rights cases involving Proposition 8 (which banned same-sex marriage in California) and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA, which... Read more

By April 3, 2013

Leisure

You rotten, dirty Motherfu—

The rural South Korean town in Joon-ho Bong’s Mother is a dark, ominous place for the film’s setting. The weather is always rainy or overcast, the town’s hills are covered with tombstones and soggy debris, the residents constantly lurking in alleyways or suspiciously peering out windows. It’s a town full of secrets, but Bong doesn’t distract us with superfluous details.

By March 25, 2010

Leisure

Director Bong Joon-ho on Mother and incest

South Korean director Bong Joon-ho has been making critically-lauded films for over a decade, striking international box office gold in 2006 with The Host, the highest grossing South Korean film of all time. Through a translator, Bong discussed Western cinema, the role of sex in film, and the importance of actors’ input with the Voice’s Mark Stern.

By March 18, 2010

Leisure

Critical Voices: Alec Ounsworth – Mo’ Beauty

Alec Ounsworth may have a voice that makes Bob Dylan sound like Frank Sinatra, but on Mo’ Beauty, he reveals a bluesy sensibility with enough vibrancy to make even Thom... Read more

By October 22, 2009