Kevin's Watch

So there's going to be an Oldboy remake. I'll wait while you read the linked article.......

I can't think of two less-appropriate people to be involved with this film.

A slew of Asian remakes have found their way into American theaters and onto development slates in the past few years. Screenwriter William Monahan won the best adapted screenplay Oscar in 2007 for translating the Hong Kong thriller "Infernal Affairs" into the 2006 best picture winner "The Departed," at Warner Bros. And Brad Ingelsby is adapting the 2000 Korean gangster movie "Die Bad," which "Quantum of Solace" director Marc Forster is negotiating to helm for Universal.

Haven't seen "Die Bad" but I was somewhat disappointed with infernal affairs --> departed (departed was a lot funnier, but still more boring for me in the srs parts).

I'm not really a huge fan of hollywood remakes generally. Can't really think of other examples though. I just ain't.

Well, I guess one would be Hidden Fortress into Star Wars (fairly weak link), but even though I'm one of those bastards who doesn't really appreciate Star Wars I can't really claim to be a big fan of Hidden Fortress either.

Shall we Dance was a good movie, although that's because they changed the focus in the remake to be more culturally relevant.

The link didn't work for me, but I did see the words "DreamWorks" and Old Boy in the title. That's enough to convince me the remake will be an absolute joke.

Old Boy is a solid masterpiece. Probably one of the ten best films of the last twenty years. Any remake of it will be an exercise in futility.

I wouldn't call Star Wars a remake of the Hidden Fortress. There's really only one major similarity - the narrative choice of telling the story from the two lowest characters (disreputable peasants or droids). Beyond that, and a couple of Kurosawa style wipe shots in Star Wars, they have nothing very much in common. Hidden Fortress is the more accomplished film, being perfect for what it is; while Star Wars is good with very deep script flaws.

Steve Spielberg is directing Will Smith in an Americanization of Oldboy. I'm pretty sure this is a sign of the Apocalypse.

Cail wrote:Steve Spielberg is directing Will Smith in an Americanization of Oldboy.

Ahhh...now I must go and shoot myself.

Cail wrote:Steve Spielberg is directing Will Smith in an Americanization of Oldboy. I'm pretty sure this is a sign of the Apocalypse.

My. God. Leave it to us Americans to put squeaky, rubbery brand name people on things that were originally unique.

First Indiana Jones and now this, I'm depressed.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

I suppose a spielberg/dreamworks/smith remake might encourage more people to watch the original?

Whether it's adapted from the film or the manga, I still can't quite imagine putting those two and the subject matter of Oldboy together...

All their insisting that it's an adaptation of the comic and not the film just sounds like a really lame attempt to divert attention from the fact that they are trying to remake a masterpiece. It's like Uwe Boll doing a remake of Jaws and claiming his is based off the Benchley novel, and has nothing to do with the film.

If nothing else, this remake will be good for taking the piss out of.

Is Oldboy that good? It's been in my Blockbuster queue forever, on "long term wait."

Yeah, it's really that good.

OK, I guess I'll just have to be patient then. No telling when I'll ever get it.

It's blow-your-mind good, dlb! Though saying that, I watched it knowing nothing about it and with no expectations. Make sure the kids are in bed!

(and when you've watched it, get r-point next)

To be honest, I still prefer Lady Vengeance. Guess I'm just sentimental.

Okay. I'm gonna have to watch all three tx to your guys' posimojo on 'em.

I don't like remakes much, but Departed rocked!