[Trailer 2] Oldboy
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When the first trailer for Oldboy was released, I spewed hate and vitriol over it. I love to analyze all forms of adaptations, whether it's between two different media, reboot, or remake, I like to see how the final adaptation is both similar and different from the original source. The best adaptations, in my eyes, strikes a comfortable balance between staying true to the soul, the concept of the source, while creating a wholly new experience that doesn't simply lean too strongly on the aforementioned source.
I strongly believe that, based off of both that first trailer and this new trailer, Spike Lee's Oldboy won't be able to distance itself enough from the 2003 original. Yet, despite this admission, I'm really excited to watch the film. After all, Oldboy was one of those instant classics, and I'm still interested to see what Spike Lee does with the story about a man (Josh Brolin) taking revenge on his captor that imprisoned him for 20 years.
Prove me wrong, Spike; I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong. Find out if I'm wrong or not when Oldboy hits theaters on November 27th.
[Video] Oldboy #EatTheClues clip + contest
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With only a month and a half away separating us from Spike Lee's remake of Oldboy's theatrical release, the marketing for the film is elevating to new heights. Recently, a new clip for Oldboy was released showing new footage of Josh Brolin's Joe Doucett investigating various Chinese restaurants to find the exact one his captives ordered food from to feed him over his 20 years of captivity.
For those unfamiliar with the Korean film adaptation of Oldboy, the hammer/fight scene is one of the film's most memorable scenes, both for its brutality, realistic, desperate fighting, and the technicality behind the long take. Considering the popularity of the scene, it's sure to play a major role in Spike's version. In an ingenious marketing move, a contest was created to win the hammer from the film. Contestants simply have to visit their local Chinese restaurant, take a photo of some dumplings, and tweet it to @FilmDistrict with the hashtag #EatTheClues until October 20th.
Good luck!
[Video] Behind the scenes Oldboy featurette
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Oldboy is going to be one of the most polarizing films of the year when it's released to theaters this November. Fans of the original Oldboy have been up in arms over the first trailer that released back in July. As I so eloquently put it, Spike Lee's American remake is practically a shot-for-shot re-envisioning; despite how amazing the Korean version was, when you're adapting a film for American audiences, you can't simply just re-tell the exact same story with the exact same shots. However, audiences that haven't seen or aren't familiar with Park Chan-wook's version were amazed by the latest trailer, and with good reason: Despite Spike's attempts at simply glazing over the Korean version with American shine, Oldboy, at its root, is an amazing revenge film.
Recently, a new behind the scenes featurette for the film was released that not only shared some mini-interviews with Samuel L. Jackson, Elizabeth Olsen, Josh Brolin, and Spike Lee, but also showed some new footage from the film. And, once again, based off of the new scenes shown, it looks like Spike isn't attempting to distance himself from the Korean version as much as he should. Sure, he attempts to reason this by attempting to claim his film is closer in line to the Oldboy manga and not the Korean film.
Reasonable excuse? Sure. However, it's just not working for me, Spike. I'll watch your version of Oldboy; I'll probably even enjoy it. Will I be happy with it or myself? Probably not.
Oldboy remake delayed until November
The first trailer for Spike Lee's American remake of Oldboy was met with a mixed reaction. As expected, cinephiles and fans of the original South Korean film were letdown and disappointed by Lee's decision to not stray far from Park Chan-wook's vision. However, those who have never seen the original film or were unaware of it were mesmerized and intrigued by the trailer. I have to admit, despite my minor hatred towards Lee's lack of risk taking, the source material still makes for a really good narrative.
However, the film has been delayed a month, moving from October 25th to November 27th. No word has been released detailed why the film was delayed, but if it's due to post-production to help ensure the film's up to snuff and cleaned up, I'm all for it. It also fits as the perfect Thanksgiving film to watch with the family... you know, with its story about revenge, captivity, excessive violence, and all of the spoiler-related themes the film explores.
[via /Film]
[Trailer] Oldboy
http://youtu.be/ZrLcnrnEqyI
Monday brought us the first official poster for Spike Lee's Oldboy remake. Today, the first trailer for the controversial remake has appeared. To summarize the film's plot, I'll simply share the film's official synopsis before I go in on Spike Lee's take:
OLDBOY is a provocative, visceral thriller that follows the story of an advertising executive (Josh Brolin) who is abruptly kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement. 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.
Sounds good, doesn't it? The problem I have with Spike Lee's Oldboy, as have a lot of my other film critics and peers, is that Lee's American remake appears to be a shot-for-shot remake of the South Korean classic. I'm somebody who champions and supports all forms of adaptations; I believe that taking material and bending it to become its own entity is one of the greatest things an artist can do with their art. However, what Lee has done, based off of this early trailer, is essentially take an already amazing film and simply re-shooting it in English (along with the typical muted Spike Lee look).
Why not just watch the original? Oldboy is streaming on Netflix Instant Watch right now (albeit with a terrible English dub). What made Oldboy an instant classic (the revenge plot, the visceral desperation of Oh Dae-Su, the gritty violence, the emotional/psychological ramifications facing Oh Dae-Su, etc.) seems to be exactly what Spike Lee is aping off of. I understand the business of remaking foreign films for American audiences, as such remakes will find a larger Stateside audience in English with American actors as opposed to being subtitled with foreign actors. However, at least take some liberties with the material, take risks with the material, do something different with it.
Now this might just be both the film critic and Oldboy fanatic within me, but based off of this initial trailer, I am not happy with the direction the remake seems to be going in. If the story sounds interesting to you, I highly suggest watching the South Korean original first. Absorb the world that Choi Min-sik and Park Chan-wook crafted a decade ago.
First official poster for Spike Lee's Oldboy remake
In all my years of writing about films, I think one of the most controversial stories I've covered is Spike Lee's American remake of the Korean classic, Oldboy. Part of director Park Chan-wook's Vengeance Trilogy, the 2003 adaptation of the manga of the same name captivated Korean cinema fans and film buffs alike with its tale of Oh Dae-su's 15 years of captivity and his revenge-driven journey to discover who ruined his life.
While Spike Lee is a talented director, many balked at the notion that he would be able to do the original film justice. The film's first official poster showcasing star Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men) escaping from a suitcase much like Oh Dae-su's in the original, albeit within a large field rather than the roof of a building. Various outlets are reporting that the poster is an actual still from the film and not a Photoshopped composite. The full poster, which you can see below, also features a tagline of sorts that reads, "Ask not why you were imprisoned. Ask why you were set free." Interesting.
I still have my reservations with the adaptation, but I'll keep an open mind as more information and footage will be coming out soon leading up to Oldboy's theatrical release this October.
[via Collider]
