Author: Trafficblast

Following the swift removal of Dangen Entertainment CEO Ben Judd, the Japanese indie publisher is now offering its developers the option of reconsidering their contracts with the company.

Dan Stern, the current CEO of Dangen, said in a statement that “all developers will be free to reconsider contracts and decide whether or not they would like to continue forward with Dangen under its new management.” According to Stern, Dangen has reached out to its developers–including those working on Devil Engine and Fight Knight–and hopes to resolve these matters as quickly as possible.

This news follows Stern stepping into Ben Judd’s shoes as CEO earlier this month. Judd, who co-founded Dangen in 2017, was accused of mismanagement and sexual harassment by multiple individuals who have worked with him in the past. The allegations led to Judd stepping down as CEO, saying in a statement, “For the foreseeable future, I will be focusing on fixing some of the issues that have come to light as well as spending time with my family. They believe in me and I want to work hard to grow in a way that justifies that faith. I am truly sorry.”

Regarding the studios working on Devil Engine and Fight Knight, Stern said he has “reached out to [those] developers with a clear path toward mutually agreed separation.” He also specified that if any studio wishes to part ways with the publisher, all of Dangen’s marketing materials will be removed from those projects, ownership of store pages will be given back to the developers, and final payments (especially to the Devil Engine team) will be resolved when invoices are received.

Dangen Entertainment is the publisher of many indie games, including 2D fighter Pocket Rumble, action-platformer Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, upcoming beat-em-up The TakeOver, and more. The company is perhaps best known for the 2018 critically acclaimed indie action-puzzler Iconoclasts, which received a 9/10 in our review.

The award for best film of 2019 goes to Parasite. Parasite is an unforgettable film that caught us completely by surprise, captivated us, defied genres, and subverted our expectations. This Korean black comedy was masterfully directed and co-written by Bong Joon-ho, known for his hit films The Host and Snowpiercer. It’s best to go into watching this film knowing as few details as possible, so we won’t reveal anything major here. Letting the events of the film sneak up on you is a key part of what makes this film such a thrilling ride. But trust us when we say, this is the must-watch movie of 2019.

Parasite follows the struggling Kim family. A young man named Ki-woo, his sister Ki-jeong, his father Ki-taek and his mother Chung-sook live together in a cramped basement apartment and work odd jobs like assembling pizza delivery boxes to get by. When Ki-woo’s friend Min is about to travel abroad, he recommends Ki-woo as a replacement in his position as an English tutor for the teenage daughter of the wealthy Park family. Ki-woo uses forged documents made by his sister to pretend to be a college student and gets the job. Eventually, his other family members scheme their way into getting jobs with the rich but naive Park family.

As our reviewer Rafael Motamayor wrote, “The result is a symbiotic yet fragile relationship where both families depend on each other, but greed and class prejudice threaten to destroy them both.” Like Joon-ho’s previous Snowpiercer, at the core of the film is a strong commentary on social class division. We think about the title and wonder who the parasites are. Perhaps it’s everyone involved, as both families are feeding off of each other.

Parasite starts out clearly as a slapstick comedy and evolves into something much darker. By the end, it cannot be defined by any single genre. It mixes elements of satire, thriller, and horror, keeping you locked in suspense until the very end. Adding to the tension is the superb cinematography. Cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo utilized lighting, rain, and vertical compositions to show the contrast between the rich and poor families. The home of the Park family is bathed in sunshine, while strong rains and darkness flood the home of the Kims. The smooth, purposeful camera movements are accompanied by a haunting, operatic score from Jung Jae-il, that effectively make you feel every twist or revelation in your bones.

The film is perfectly cast, with each actor delivering incredibly strong performances. Particularly Park So-dam as the daughter, Kim Ki-jeong, who is clearly the smartest person among the cast of characters. It’s devilishly entertaining to watch the Kims each work their way into employment with the Parks. As our reviewer Rafael Motamayor wrote, “By having the actors hold back and reveal their true personalities little by little, it presents us with enough perspectives that the audience can see their own beliefs reflected and their biases confronted.”

Parasite is the kind of film that will stick with you for days, and make you want to talk about it. It’s thrilling, stressful, at times hilarious, and haunting. It takes you on an unforgettable ride resulting in an ending that you will never see coming. The class divide at the heart of the film is something that is universally relatable, and will make you question your own biases. Bong Joon-ho is a master filmmaker.

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