Each week, the Flyer will feature adoptable dogs and cats from Memphis Animal Services. All photos are credited to Memphis Pets Alive. More pictures and more information can be found on the Memphis Pets Alive Facebook page.
[slideshow-1]
Month: November 2019
Report: Thanksgiving Day Dinner Costs Up 1 Cent Over Last Year
Thanksgiving dinner will cost one penny more this year than it did last year, according to an annual survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).
The agriculture advocacy group tapped more than 250 volunteer shoppers for the survey. They reported prices at grocery stores in 38 states for this year’s survey. AFBF has conducted the survey since 1986.
This year, the average American Thanksgiving Day dinner for 10 will cost $48.91, or less than $5 per person, according to the AFBF survey. This dinner includes a 16-pound turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10 with plenty for leftovers, the survey says.
[pdf-1] “The average cost of this year’s Thanksgiving dinner is essentially unchanged from last year, after three years of decline since 2015,” said AFBF chief economist Dr. John Newton. “Americans continue to enjoy the most affordable food supply in the world, but most don’t realize only 8 cents of every dollar consumers spend on food goes to farmers.”
There were some price changes this year on individual items. Prices increased on dinner rolls, sweet potatoes, and milk. Prices decreased on turkey, cubed bread stuffing, and canned pumpkin pie mix.
American Farm Bureau Federation
The price for Thanksgiving dinner is down by 1 cent this year.
“Celebrating Thanksgiving is a family tradition for millions of Americans, but the rising costs of meat, dairy, and fresh produce can be a big concern,” said Ann Berry, professor and family economics expert with University of Tennessee Extension. “Seeing such a small increase [on Thanksgiving staples] is a big encouragement to many people. Budgeting for the big Thanksgiving meal can be burdensome, but prices holding steady will help many through the holiday.”
To make Thanksgiving celebrations more affordable, Berry suggested asking friends and family to bring an item and limit the number of dishes served.
TDOT
More than 1.3 million Tennesseans will hit the road this Thanksgiving holiday in what AAA is projecting to be the second-highest Thanksgiving travel volume since the auto group began tracking in 2000.
More than 55 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more away from their homes over the next few days, according to AAA’s annual report. The figure is up by 1.6 million travelers over last year and just shy of the record set in 2005.
“Millions of thankful Americans are starting the holiday season off right with a Thanksgiving getaway,” said Paula Twidale, vice president of AAA Travel. “Strong economic fundamentals are motivating Americans to venture out this holiday in near-record numbers. Consumer spending remains strong, thanks to increasing wages, disposable income, and household wealth, and travel remains one of their top priorities for the holiday season.”
In all, 49.3 million Americans will make their trips on the roads, according to AAA. In Tennessee, 1.2 million travelers will hit the road this year. With that, AAA said roads will be the worst on Wednesday.
“With record levels of travelers and persistent population growth in the country’s major metropolitan areas, drivers must prepare for major delays,” said Trevor Reed, transportation analyst at INRIX, a traffic data company. “Although travel times will peak on Wednesday afternoon nationally, travelers should expect much heavier than normal congestion throughout the week.”
AAA
Fuel prices
While fuel prices have been up and down lately, they are now slightly cheaper than the national average at the same time last year. As of Tuesday morning, Tennessee regular gas prices were about $2.30, the same as they were a year ago. Average prices in Shelby County and Memphis were $2.34 on Tuesday.
Tennessee is one of this week’s cheapest gas markets, AAA said. The nation’s top 10 least expensive markets are: Louisiana ($2.21), Mississippi ($2.22), Texas ($2.25), Missouri ($2.25), Alabama ($2.27), Oklahoma ($2.28), South Carolina ($2.28), Arkansas ($2.29), Tennessee ($2.30), and Virginia ($2.31).
AAA
No lane closure, but added law enforcement
For the busy travel holiday, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has halted all lane closures on interstates and state highways.
“This is the most traveled holiday of the year,” said TDOT Commissioner Clay Bright. “Halting road work during this busy time will provide maximum capacity on our highways and help alleviate congestion, especially during the predicted peak travel days of Wednesday and Sunday. TDOT’s regional HELP Trucks will also be working throughout the holiday weekend to assist with incidents that may occur along the interstates.”
If you’re driving I-40, watch for Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers stationed at least every 20 miles. The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security and TDOT have partnered with law enforcement across the state for the I-40 Challenge, with the goal of having zero fatalities on the 455 miles of I-40 in Tennessee. Troopers will be out on I-40 and expect increased law enforcement on all highways.
Categories
17 Thoughts on Tiger Football
Has the University of Memphis ever hosted a bigger Senior Day at the Liberty Bowl? A quick summary of what’s at stake for the home team in Friday’s nationally televised contest between the 17th-ranked Tigers (10-1) and the 18th-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats (10-1):
1) The American Athletic Conference’s West Division title, which would mean . . .
2) The AAC Championship game at the Liberty Bowl on December 7th, which could mean . . .
3) A Cotton Bowl berth for Memphis should the Tigers win the AAC title (by beating the Bearcats twice in two weeks).
It’s a time for deep breaths. Especially for 17 seniors who will be honored before Friday’s kickoff. Unless they redshirted for the 2015 season, this class has only known coach Mike Norvell’s way, which has been good enough (so far) for 36 wins in four years.
Make sure you’re standing when these eight players are introduced. Whether it’s special teams or the scout squad, these Tigers made their impact without fanfare or regular game starts. But their sweat in the weight room and their commitment in the film room was every bit as genuine as those of a four-year starter: Keith Brigham (DL), Joey Bryant (DB), Chris Claybrooks (DB), Colton Cochran (DB, St. Benedict), Desmond Hawkins (DL, Craigmont High), Ladarius Jordan (DB, St. Benedict), Jeremiah Maclin (DL, Southaven), Traveon Samuel (WR/RB).
Kedarian Jones has caught a touchdown pass in each of his four seasons as a Tiger. He’s averaged 14.5 yards per catch this season with 465 yards on 32 receptions.
Jonathan Wilson has started at least eight games on the Tiger defensive line all four years. He’s accumulated 12 sacks and earned All-Academic recognition after the 2017 season.
Larry Kuzniewski
Antonio Gibson on ‘Antonio Gibson Day’ at the Liberty Bowl.
Antonio Gibson had the game of his life on precisely the right night. With ABC broadcasting the Tigers’ November 2nd showdown with SMU to a national audience, Gibson set a Tiger record with 386 all-purpose yards to help Memphis earn the win. He scored touchdowns on a 50-yard pass reception, a 97-yard kickoff return, and a 78-yard run from scrimmage. Gibson played only two seasons in blue and gray, but left a mark that will be celebrated for generations.
Much of his senior season has been compromised by injury, but Patrick Taylor will go into the books as an all-time Tiger great. Playing a supporting role to All-American Darrell Henderson in 2018, Taylor rushed for 1,122 yards and scored 18 touchdowns (two of them on receptions). His 2,778 career rushing yards are second only to DeAngelo Williams and his 38 touchdowns are fourth in Memphis history.
Joey Magnifico (St. Benedict) will leave the U of M as the most accomplished tight end in the program’s history. He enters the Cincinnati game with 70 career receptions for 1,060 yards and 12 touchdowns. Blessed with NFL size (6’4″, 240 lbs.), Magnifico may be catching passes on Sundays a year from now.
Austin Hall (Collierville High School) has been an anchor for the Tiger defense since his redshirt-freshman season when he started 11 games for Mike Norvell’s first team. Playing a hybrid linebacker/safety position, Hall has been a disruptor and one of the heaviest tacklers in recent Memphis history. A member of multiple All-Academic teams during his college career, Hall will leave the U of M with a degree in criminal justice.
Bryce Huff didn’t become a regular starter (at linebacker) until his junior season, but has impacted games — often in the opponent’s backfield — ever since. He moved to defensive end this season and leads Memphis in both sacks (4) and tackles-for-loss (10.5). Like Hall, Huff has earned All-Academic honors from the AAC.
You don’t set scoring records without a strong offensive line. And center Dustin Woodard has anchored this year’s blocking unit for quarterback Brady White and friends. Woodard started 24 games, primarily at left guard, his first two seasons; moved to right guard (14 starts) as a junior, then took over snapping duties this fall. A two-time AAC All-Academic honoree, Woodard earned all-conference recognition in 2018 and is a candidate this season. Scottie Dill (Briarcrest) took over right-tackle duties this season after three years in a reserve roll. He’s seen action in 51 games as a Tiger.
Shelby Farms Park installed the region’s first and “only eco-friendly outdoor skating rink” this week.
The “Glice” rink is the park’s newest addition to Starry Nights, which opens on Friday, November 29th and runs until January 3rd.
So, what is a Glice rink exactly? Glice is a Swiss brand formed in 2012 that engineers eco-friendly skating rinks.
The synthetic rinks are made to look and feel like ice, but are actually made from heat-pressured polymers. This means it doesn’t require water or electricity to operate. Additionally, all of the materials used for the rink are 100 percent recyclable. And because it’s synthetic ice, it can be used in any temperature.
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Compared to conventional refrigerated ice rinks, in one month a 2,000-square-foot Glice rink saves a little over 2,600 gallons of water and the equivalent of the average monthly energy consumption of 200 households, according to Glice.
Angie Whitfield, marketing and communications manager for Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, said the Glice rink is “the greenest option possible for winter fun. It really aligns perfectly with our mission of environmental sustainability.”
The 3,150 square foot rink will be located on the lawn of the First Horizon Foundation Visitor Center near Hyde Lake. It’ll be open from noon-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and noon-10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Find more information on the Starry Nights site.
Check out the video below to see how Glice rinks are installed.
Shelby Farms Installs Zero-Water, Zero-Energy Ice Rink Alternative
What We Can’t Know is an occasional series on what government officials hide from taxpayers.
Neither the Memphis Zoo nor, apparently, the city of Memphis will release surveillance video of a man shooting himself in the leg last month, as he tried to enter the zoo with a gun.
Guns are legal at the zoo but guests are required to check in at the front gate and present a gun permit. Zoo officials said last month the policy will change but haven’t yet said publicly how it will change.
Police said the man was walking across the parking lot, put his hand in his pocket, and his gun went off, hitting him in the upper thigh. He was taken to Regional One Medical in non-critical condition, according to a story from WREG.
At the time of the incident, Nick Harmeier, the zoo’s chief marketing officer, said the gun policy “would not have been looked at on the front end, but what happened this week definitely sparked us to say ‘hey this is something we really need to dig into.”
[pullquote-1] The Flyer requested a copy of the shooting footage the week it happened, but got no response from Harmeier. A week later, the Flyer emailed Harmeier asking, “do you have any intention of fulfilling my request for the video?” Harmeier responded, “we do not plan on releasing any footage.”
The Flyer asked a public information official at Memphis City Hall for guidance on the issue and, perhaps, for the video itself if it was, indeed, public record. On October 30th, Dan Springer, deputy director of media affairs in Mayor Jim Strickland’s office, responded to the request by saying, simply, ”checking.” Springer did not respond to follow-up requests in following weeks.
In February, Strickland publicly committed to transparency in government. At the time, though, he was launching a new city data site that offers information on city priorities like jobs, public safety, good government, youth, and neighborhoods.
“Memphians deserve an open and honest government they trust, and when I ran for mayor, I promised that I would measure results of how we’re performing, share those results with the public, and hold the city accountable,” Strickland said.
[pullquote-2] Of course, public officials have latitude to make decisions on what information is shared with the public on a case-by-case basis, thanks to state law. A review of the state’s open records law last year found 538 exceptions to the rule.
A legal exception is possible in the case of the video of a man shooting himself in the leg at the zoo, but neither the city nor the zoo offered any reason why the video was not made public.
Lee Pope, Tennessee open records counsel in the state comptroller’s Office of Open Records Counsel, said the “Tennessee Public Records Act (TPRA) provides that governmental entities must make public records promptly available for inspection to Tennessee citizens, unless otherwise provided by state law.” Apparently, state law makes a provision for the video of a man shooting himself in the leg at the Memphis Zoo.
“State law makes information and records related to the security of government property, including surveillance recordings, confidential,” Pope wrote. “That said, this state law exception to the TPRA does provide that segments of a surveillance recording may be made public when they include an act or incident involving public safety, security, or possible criminal activity.
[pullquote-3] “However, it is still within the discretion of a governmental entity whether to release such surveillance recordings that are otherwise made confidential under state law. As such, it appears the Memphis Zoo, which we believe is government property owned by the city of Memphis, may deny a public record request for access to government security surveillance recordings.”
While the shooting video has not been released, there is precedent in Memphis for releasing video involving public safety, security, or possible criminal activity. In July, public safety officials released two surveillance videos and the graphic, body-camera footage of the police shooting of Terrance Deshun Carlton.
Trevor Benitone
A non-Academy Award winner wearing glasses with an Academy Award winner at the Moonshine Ball. Morgan Freeman was a guest at the event, held November 22nd.
It’s always great to see Morgan Freeman at an event. The Academy Award winning actor, who’s been in so many movies, adds more than a touch of class when he attends a party. Freeman, who attended with Dr. Linda Keena, was at Pat Kerr Tigrett’s Moonshine Ball, which was held November 22nd at Graceland Exhibition Center.
I first took Freeman’s name at an event for a newspaper story when former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela was in Memphis to receive the National Civil Rights Museum’s International Freedom Award in November, 2000 at The Peabody.
I’ve run into him at restaurants, including the old Madidi, which he owned in Clarksdale, and Chez Philippe. I was at his Clarksdale club, Ground Zero, which he owns with Bill Luckett, when it opened in 2000.
Tigrett says she’s known Freeman for 10 years. “I’ve known him for quite a while,” she says. “Many years he’s been at our Blues Ball, primarily over at Gibson’s.”
She has “an adorable” photo of Freeman playing the drums at his short-lived second location of Ground Zero, which was across the street from Gibson Guitar Factory.
“He’s been (to the Blues Ball) several times and he’s been up here (Tigrett’s downtown penthouse) for cocktails with friends.”
And, Tigrett says, “We were both on a documentary being done on the Mississippi River.”
Asked how she’d describe him, Tigrett says, “A fun, smart gentleman.”
Moonshine Ball guests would agree. Freeman graciously posed for photographs with fans. He also was served chicken and dressing from The Cupboard at the Moonshine Ball buffet, which featured area restaurants.
And Freeman asked me at one point to give him my hair.
Michael Donahue
Attending the Moonshine Ball: Francine Luckett, Alston Meeks, Dr. Derek Miles, Morgan Freeman, Dr. Linda Keena, and Bill Luckett.
MIchael Donahue
If Blue Angel and I really had just wrestled at the recent La Luche Libra event, they’d still be untangling me from the ring’s ropes.
It was cool getting to interview Blue Angel at the Memphis La Lucha Libre Wrestling event, which was held November 10th at 3766 Ridgeway Road.
And Blue Angel, a Mexican wrestler or luchadore, is cool. And he kept his cool while we talked. This was after he was in two back-to-back matches, where he did backflips, front flips, tossed his opponent, Hijo de Fishman, and was thrown around.
He was fun to watch. And the crowd loved him. “I’m fortunate enough to go over with the crowds,” says Blue Angel as we talked after his second match. “I’ve been told multiple times I have an angel on my side. So, I always come out the fan favorite. And that’s a big boost for me to just come out here and put on a great show.”
La Lucha Libre is fun to watch. (See my cover story in this week’s Memphis Flyer And there’s a video.)
Mexican wrestlers wear masks. The one Blue Angel wore had a winged design, which was made by Memphis’s own Enrique Reyes.
Reyes, who puts on the Memphis La Lucha Libre Wrestling events in Memphis, made three masks for Blue Angel. “I cherish every one of them,” Blue Angel says. “It’s hard to let go when people want to buy them. But I still have all three.”
Michael Donahue
Heart Full of Soul
Napa Cafe and Stax Music Academy teamed up for another “Heart Full of Soul,” which was held November 11th at the East Memphis restaurant.
Stax students performed during the multi-course wine dinner. So, guests were treated to some Wilson Pickett, Isaac Hayes, David Porter, and Otis Redding with their grilled swordfish and Dusty Springfield, Candi Stratton, and Elvis Presley with their pepper-crusted pork tenderloin.
Owner Glenda Hastings opened Napa Cafe for the eighth-annual Stax Music Academy fundraiser presented by Radians Inc. Bergevin Lane Winery provided the wines.
This year’s Heart Full of Soul was a tribute to the Memphis Horns.
MIchael Donahue
Heart Full of Soul
Michael Donahue
Miles Tamboli at the soft opening of his restaurant, Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizzza.
Those lucky enough to attend the October 30th soft opening of Miles Tamboli’s restaurant, Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza at 1761 Madison, got to order from the full menu – gratis. And, as his invitation read, “All dishes will be served at full portion size, so come hungry!”
So, guests could order everything from “creamy bucatini with pecorino cheese” to “Tamboli’s famous meat lasagna” to “panna cotta with salted caramel and pistachio brittle crumb.”
Tamboli’s restaurant now is open to the public.
Michael Donahue
Markie Maloof Scott and Dave Scott at Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza soft opening.
MIchael Donahue
Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza soft opening.
Michael Donahue
Lindsey Burgess at Jarty Party.
Eric Bourgeois hosted “Jarty Party,” which was held behind his apartment on South Main.
Jarty Party?
They called it a “Jarty Party” because it was “jean/denim themed,” Bourgeois says Everybody was supposed to wear denim.
“We decided on a Jarty Party theme because it would be a fun departure from the normal themes – ‘80s, neon, jersey, etc. – while allowing people to be creative and have fun at the same time with something they likely already had in their wardrobe.”
They usually throw some type of big function at their place, but, Bourgeois says, “This was the first time doing a daytime party outside. My landlord recently redid the back lot behind our building, and this gave us the opportunity to bring in some talented friends for food – Glaze Hardage with the paella – and music – Ryan Haskett as the DJ.”
Hardage’s paella was delicious! And it served as a birthday cake of sorts for Bourgeois, who says the event also served as a party to celebrate his 26th birthday.
MIchael Donahue
Jon Bringle and Eric Bourgeois at Jarty Party.
Michael Donahue
Glaze Hardage at Jarty Party.
Michael Donahue
Logan Landry and Sampson at Jarty Party.
Michael Donahue
Tyler Beard and Shelby Garrison at Jarty Party.
Michael Donahue
Alice Higdon is retiring her red boa – as far as being Red Boa chair – at of this year’s event, which was held Nov. 15th at Memphis Botanic Garden. She is with Daniel Reid at the10th annual Red Boa Ball fundraiser for the American Red Cross of the Mid-South.
Michael Donahue
Red Boa Ball
Michael Donahue
Red Boa Ball
About 320 people attended the Signature Chefs Gala, which was held novz 14…..at the Guest House at Graceland. More than $100,000 was raised at the event, a fundraiser for the March of Dimes.
Lisa Ansley and Holly Mount chaired the event.
Michael Donahue
Lisa Ansley and Holly Mount at Signature Chefs Gala.
Michael Donahue
Sweet Magnolia Ice Cream owner Hugh Balthrop celebrated his birthday at the Signature Chefs Gala.
Michael Donahue
Nick Chamoun at Signature Chefs Gala.
Michael Donahue
Chef Edouardo Jordan of Seattle was guest chef in the Enjoy Aim Guest Chef Series, which was held November 17th at The Gray Canary. With him are restaurant owners Michael Hudman and Andy Ticer.
MIchael Donahue
Spencer McMillin and Kelley English from Restaurant Iris and The Second Line teamed up for the Caritas Community Center & Cafe Chef Partnership Dinner, which was held November 14th.
Michael Donahue
Chef Partnership Dinner at Caritas Community Center & Cafe.
WE SAW YOU AROUND TOWN
Michael Donahue
Jerry Lawler and TorRaunce Echols at Gibson’s Donuts.
MIchael Donahue
Andrea Norsworthy and Trace Austin at Kroger.
Michael Donahue
Brandon Closson and Brantley Martin at Kroger.
Michael Donahue
Jordan Buchanan with his bread pudding at Ave Maria Home’s Assisted Living Fall Dinner sponsored by US Foods, one of its food vendors.
Corky’s Ribs & BBQ just announced a partnership and a co-branded barbeque sauce with University of Memphis head men’s basketball coach Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway.
According to the press release, “Penny’s All the Smoke BBQ Sauce” will be available at the four Memphis-area Corky’s locations for $4.99 per bottle and can be shipped nationally online in bundles of three for $24.99 or 12 for $59.99 at corkysbbq.com beginning Wednesday, Nov. 25th. The All the Smoke sauce will be available in Memphis-area grocery stores soon.
“Corky’s has been in Memphis serving barbecue to Memphians and visitors for over 35 years, and we believe there’s not a better spokesperson for the city, or for Corky’s, than Penny Hardaway,” said Barry Pelts, co-president of Corky’s BBQ, in the press release. “What Penny has done in a short period of time with the men’s basketball program is nothing short of exceptional. We couldn’t be prouder or more excited to have him working with Corky’s, and we are looking forward to a great partnership.”
Categories
A Taste of Fireside Ale
A lot of people will tell you that the American amber is an all-American style, that these beers sprang from nowhere, but don’t you believe them. This is America, man, the land where nearly everything came from someplace else.
The style is actually an American take on the Irish red, a lighter version of the heavy Scottish version of the English nut brown ale — the malty version of its cousin, the pale ale. Got it?
It’s enough to make a Brexit lawyer reach for a whiskey. But not a Kentucky bourbon because, you know, there is a trade war going on.
Memphis Made Brewing Co. | Facebook
I was trying to sort all of this out on a very cold afternoon when I slipped into Bounty on Broad, feeling about as arts district as I ever do, since the universe and my bank account forced me into nonfiction. My blood hadn’t quite thickened up for the winter, so I ordered a Memphis Made Fireside. I’d never tried it before and can’t really tell you why, other than that the name puts me off: I’m too hot-natured to drink something called Fireside.
Fortunately, I can admit when I’m completely and totally wrong. Fireside does have a great toasty finish and feel, but if you are looking for a stout or a Scottish ale, this isn’t it.
Amber/red is a style that sits somewhere in the middle — between the booming beers, like the heavily hopped ales and the big stouts, and the light lagers — especially the hot-weather lagers like the Mexican and Thai styles now appearing in local stores. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with the middle way; it certainly worked for the Buddha, and we could all use a little more of that. Fireside is a solid version of an American classic that has its origins across the seas. And it has the awards to prove it.
Fireside feels closer to the Irish red style, in that it avoids the aggressive hopping of many of the West Coast ambers. Ultimately light on the bitterness, it has a toasted medium malty bloom and sits at a drinkable 5 percent ABV. But, despite the name and all the warm flavor notes, it is a pretty light, clean beer. Other reviewers have called it “accessible” but I don’t quite understand that, unless you’ve got a bartender who pulls you a beer and then sets it on a shelf slightly out of reach. What it means to me is that you can drink Fireside on its own and not be bored, but if you’re hungry, it goes well with hearty pub-food favorites like burgers and pizza.
It’s available pretty much anywhere in Memphis, in either cans or on tap. It wasn’t on tap at Bounty — and if you’re there, try it with the quail or the pork carnitas — so a word on cans: Unless you are on a picnic, go ahead and pour your beer into a glass. This doesn’t much matter with the big-name pilsners, but craft beers are different creatures, and there is usually a lot going on (even in the ones not trying to be too clever). Your sense of smell plays a huge part in the taste experience — which is why everything tastes the same when you have a cold. You’re likely to miss Fireside’s aroma of toasted malt and light-caramel toffee finish when you’re sucking the thing out of a can. So listen to your grandmother and pour it into a glass because drinking a good beer out of a can is like plopping down $9 at the movies only to watch it with the sound off: You’ll be able to follow what’s going on, but it’s lacking.
Circling back around to another point of concern, if your bartender is setting your pints out of reach, then find another bar. Quickly.
Categories
Parasite
Choi Woo-shik, Song Kang-ho, Jang Hye-jin, and Park So-dam as a family of grifters in Parasite.
Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite premiered in Memphis while I was neck deep in watching films for the Indie Memphis Film Festival, so I’m just now getting around to seeing it. All I have to say is, Ho-ly crap.
Actually, that’s not all I have to say. I’ll have to watch it again to be sure, but I think Parasite may be a perfect film. There’s not a shot out of place or that is redundant, not a false character moment, not a bad or even mediocre performance, and not a wasted line. It’s a riveting — often jarring — watch from beginning to end, and it couldn’t be more relevant to the moment we live in.
Earlier this year, the director, who is probably best known in America for Snowpiercer, became the first Korean to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes. He expressed surprise that the film, which he thought was about a very specific dynamic in Korean culture, had been so universally well-received. But the story it tells, as outlandish as it is, is instantly relatable to anyone living in a capitalist society.
The protagonists of the story are the Kim family, who live a marginal existence scraping by in a Seoul semi-basement apartment. Their introduction, when they learn that their upstairs neighbor has discovered that they have been leeching off his wifi and password protected it, is a textbook of efficient and effective characterization. When son Ki-woo’s (Choi Woo-shik) well-meaning friend Min-hyuk (Park Seo-joon) gifts the family a “scholar’s rock,” a Korean keepsake said to bring wealth to the household, their fortunes seem to turn around. First, Ki-woo gets an opportunity to become an English tutor to the cute teenage daughter of the wealthy Park family, Da-hye (Jung Ji-so). But first, he has to get his sister Ki-Jeong (Park So-dam, first among equals in this amazing cast) to forge his college credentials. The pair of siblings camping out in a crowded Seoul cyber-cafe, while Ki-Jeong “earns her degree in document forging,” is one of those perfectly constructed, fleeting shots that stuck with me long after the film was over.
Searching for free wi-fi in the Kim family bathroom.
Once Ki-woo is ensconced in the wealthy Park household, he sets about setting up his family by driving off their hired help, and replacing them with Kims. First is Ki-Jeong, who effortlessly scams the young, anxiety-ridden mother Yeong-gyo (Choi Yeong-gyo, using her real name for the part) into believing she’s an art therapist for their disturbed young son Da-song (Jung Hyun-joon). Then father Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho) muscles his way in as a driver. Finally, mother Chung-sook (Jang Hye-jin) displaces the elderly housekeeper Moon-gwang (Lee Jung-eun). The money is rolling in for the Kims, and they have all the food and booze they can steal from the Parks’ overflowing larders. But Moon-gwang has a secret that goes beyond any scam the Kims are pulling, and deception after deception starts piling up as the two lower-class families are pitted against each other in an effort to keep getting paid for menial tasks.
I feel like I’ve already given away too much of the plot of Parasite, but the film’s second half goes completely off the rails in constantly surprising ways. The most striking thing about Bong Joon-ho’s vision of class is that wealth completely fails to bring pleasure to the wealthy, and poverty is all about avoiding pain for the Kims. Parasite is at once a comedy and a Hitchcockian thriller with shades of mid-period Cohen Bros thrown in for good ironic measure. This film is a solid must-see for anyone who values quality filmmaking with something to say.
Parasite