'Parasite' makes Oscars history with stunning best picture win

South Korean black comedy "Parasite" made movie history at the Oscars on Feb. 9, becoming the first non-English-language film to win the best picture award, Hollywood's biggest prize of all.

A genre-defying thriller about a poor family infiltrating a wealthy household, "Parasite" won four awards, stunning the pundits who believed the Academy would never crown a subtitled Asian movie.

"It's such a great honor. I feel like I'll wake up to find it's all a dream. It all feels very surreal," a jubilant Bong Joon Ho  told journalists backstage, calling the night "crazy."

"Parasite" also won the Oscar for best international feature, and became the first Asian film to scoop best original screenplay.

"I thought I was done for the day and ready to relax," Bong had said upon winning best director honors, before promising to "drink until next morning."           

Bong also paid tribute on stage to his childhood hero and fellow nominee Martin Scorsese, drawing a standing ovation for the veteran director of "The Irishman," which went home empty-handed. But a bigger shock was in store as the movie beat frontrunner "1917" to win best picture, the night's final prize.

"It feels like a very opportune moment in history is happening right now," producer Kwak Sin-ae told an audience of Tinseltown A-listers, who cheered the film's wins throughout the night at the Dolby Theater.

Bong predicted that "naturally we will come to a day" when "a foreign language film winning this won't be much of an issue."            The pre-Oscars favorite "1917," Sam Mendes's innovative and personal World War I movie about two soldiers crossing no-man's-land, had to settle for best cinematography, visual effects and sound mixing prizes.

The movie,...