Oldboy (November 27, 2013)

[Viq]

Wait really? Why was Lady Vengeance better than Oldboy? One of my TAs had told me the same, I've watched both, but Oldboy was wayyyy better.

I think I was valuing novelty+twist-value over maybe artistic direction? Or maybe not--what makes LV better? Curious to see what I'm missing.

There's a few things. Obviously the storyline is more compelling and intricate in LV. The overall art direction is also beyond what Park Chan-wook put together in Oldboy. There's actually two versions of the movie. The first is the normal one that you've probably seen. The second is one that was the director's pet project, and his actual intention for the movie. It begins in color, and gradually fades to black & white. It was known as the Fade to White version, if you want to try and find that. It really does an excellent job of highlighting various themes as the plot progresses.

The main reason I prefer LV is something that I'm not sure I can help you to understand that much. The standard English subtitles do a great job of expressing the story, but fail to cover the nuance of the script. When I first watched it, I felt as though I was watching a thriller. In reality, it is truly a dark comedy. Korean is an incredibly subtle language, and Park Chan-wook wrote a brilliant script with many lines that can have multiple meanings within the context of their scene. It's a very clever and funny movie, however that part of it is almost entirely lost in translation. It wasn't until I was able to watch it without subtitles that I really felt that I was able to understand and appreciate it.

This all isn't to take anything away from Oldboy, btw. I still love that movie, but it's more straightforward in a what you see is what you get kind of way. Oldboy is a great thriller with a fantastic twist at the end, but compared to LV it simply feels like it's lacking a dimension.

[MaachaQ]

Somehow I didn't see this thread earlier when I posted in Misc thread ^^; Could be good, could be oh so bad

[Meph]

atleast they didnt cast nic cage which was the idea back in 2007

[6souls]

http://geektyrant.com/storage/0998-p...lease-date.jpg

Spike Lee's Oldboy remake was originally scheduled to be released on October 11th, 2013 now it will be released on October 25th, 2013. It's not a drastic change, only two weeks. It moves the remake away from Sin City: A Dame to Kill, and closer to both Ender's Game and Thor: The Dark World.

The movie stars Josh Brolin as Joe Doucett, with Elizabeth Olsen, Sharlto Copley, and Samuel L. Jackson. Here's the synopsis:

OLDBOY follows the story of an advertising executive (Josh Brolin) who is kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement without any indication of his captor’s motive. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his bizarre and torturous punishment only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment. His quest for revenge leads him into an ill-fated relationship with a young social worker (Elizabeth Olsen) and ultimately to an illusive man (Sharlto Copley) who allegedly holds the key to his salvation.

http://geektyrant.com/news/2013/5/24...ease-date.html
https://twitter.com/intent/user?scre...w_p=tweetembed

[Silenka]

I legitimately don't get it. This is already a movie and supposedly a fantastic one at that (I haven't watched it yet, I will though). It's even on Netflix. Why are they making another version of it? Because it's Korean and Americans cry when they see subtitles?

[Moss]

Protip: If you don't want the original "ruined" for you (whatever that means), DONT FUCKING SEE IT

I'm intrigued to see what they do with it

[Kalmado]

I legitimately don't get it. This is already a movie and supposedly a fantastic one at that (I haven't watched it yet, I will though). It's even on Netflix. Why are they making another version of it? Because it's Korean and Americans cry when they see subtitles?

I think I can speak for every BG'er that has seen Old Boy when I say it is a must watch movie with the strong possibility it will change the way you look at thrillers. I personally feel the remake is a money grab at something that was a huge success elsewhere. I wish they wouldn't do this to one of the greatest movies ever made. You do not see Korea (or any other country) attempting to remake a US movie that was a huge success such as The Matrix(2 and 3 do not exist!). Maybe not the best example, but the point stands.

Regarding Lady Vengeance, that movie as well is just amazing on so many levels. It's slower than Old Boy, but the story is deeper and the overall feel of the movie is more methodical. Choi Min-sik (Oh Dae-su from Old Boy) is fantastic in LV as well. The soundtrack is gripping that really moves you. Unfortunately Murka is trying to remake this fantastic piece of art as well with Charlize Theron as the lead.

[Xno Kappa]

[Dimmauk]

I think I can speak for every BG'er that has seen Old Boy when I say it is a must watch movie with the strong possibility it will change the way you look at thrillers. I personally feel the remake is a money grab at something that was a huge success elsewhere. I wish they wouldn't do this to one of the greatest movies ever made. You do not see Korea (or any other country) attempting to remake a US movie that was a huge success such as The Matrix(2 and 3 do not exist!). Maybe not the best example, but the point stands.

Regarding Lady Vengeance, that movie as well is just amazing on so many levels. It's slower than Old Boy, but the story is deeper and the overall feel of the movie is more methodical. Choi Min-sik (Oh Dae-su from Old Boy) is fantastic in LV as well. The soundtrack is gripping that really moves you. Unfortunately Murka is trying to remake this fantastic piece of art as well with Charlize Theron as the lead.

Totally agree with everything here.

I guess we are just running out of American movies to remake and ruin, so we are looking at foreign films now.

[6souls]

so we are looking at foreign films now.

Now? Hollywood has been remaking foreign films for over 10 years.

For example..

Ringu (1998)


The Ring (2002)

[Dimmauk]

LOL true

[Kalmado]

I believe The Grudge is another. I'm sure there are many more. I'd be curious to see the reaction from Hollywood and/or the media in general if say China remade a movie everyone regarded as a movie never to forget or something of that nature. Just to throw a few out there: Pulp Fiction, Silence of the Lambs, Rocky, etc. To be more on point with the comparison for Old Boy, since it was made in 2003 it would be like remaking Kill Bill 1 or Bruce Almighty. I would not be ok with trying to see the asian (or any other cultures) adaptation of either movie myself.

[SamanosukeShiva]

But we're 'MURICA, your argument is invalid.

[chazzyphizzle]

the departed, girl with the dragon tattoo, there are tons of others. let the right one in, did anybody even watch that?

[Dimmauk]

I dont know, I find it hard to believe that no foreign film industry has remade any American movies.

[6souls]

India's Bollywood frequently does remakes, nobody ever watches them outside of India, though.

[Silenka]

I dont know, I find it hard to believe that no foreign film industry has remade any American movies.

It's much less common, I think... Americans are all "hurr Hollywood onry, fuck foreign films, no one goes to see those, shove them in some film festival in a corner somewhere" while the rest of the world consumes the media the US creates by dubbing it into their own language and releasing it around the same timeframe as the US gets it. I mean, there are definitely some foreign films that gain recognition here and a lot of people go to see but they are few and far between... and since the foreign market consumes so much of our media, they feel less need to make localized remakes. That's my assumption, anyway.

[Tyrath]

Protip: If you don't want the original "ruined" for you (whatever that means), DONT FUCKING SEE IT

This is the truest thing said in this thread. Maybe other than "Go fucking see Old Boy now"

[Elcura]

Randomly, I doubt the music will be as good. Soundtrack to Oldboy is easily one of my favourites (especially in context). So much can go wrong with this.

[Blarg]

Protip: If you don't want the original "ruined" for you (whatever that means), DONT FUCKING SEE IT

I'm intrigued to see what they do with it

Ya, people who act like that bother me too. Here's a tip for them. If the remake sucks and you don't watch it you don't lose anything. If the remake is good and you see it you saw a good movie and came out ahead.

The only legitimate critique that I can see about remakes is that those movies take the place of a possibly original movie being made which certainly happens but there are so many movies made a year it probably doesn't make a huge difference. A truly great script that is original is going to be made anyway.