OldBoy

There has been much talk recently about the prospect of Will Smith and Steven Spielberg teaming up to do a remake of the Korean classic "OldBoy". While I think no matter who acts and directs this film, there will be die hard "OldBoy" fans out there groaning (including myself), I think there is legitimacy to the fear of this teaming. Personally I think Spielberg could handle this, but with Will Smith involved it will most definitely go from a stylish, yet gritty dark revenge story, to a slick, flashy commercial piece, with Will Smith crackin' the occasional hip joke.

The most recent news is that Will Smith has reportedly said that the film will not be a direct remake of the Korean film, but an interpretation of the manga the Korean film was based on. Apparently the Korean film added a lot of the more unsavory elements that made us squirm through the final third. Personally while the Korean film is still a masterpiece as far as style, acting, pacing, and crawl out of your skin surprise ending, I'm all for doing without the gag inducing reveal (which makes it a hard one to justify repeat viewings). But the reality is that, while this news may calm some angry fans who scoff at someone remaking their beloved film, it still will produce the same result. Seriously Will Smith, I would be delighted if you would prove me wrong. Here's the trailer to the original:

The Host

So there are reports on the net that director Gore Verbinski, of Pirates of the Caribbean fame, is set to direct the remake of Korean monster flick "The Host". Well, he'll get the monster action right, thats for sure, but not much else I fear. One of the things that made the Korean blockbuster so good, was the dis functional family coming together to bring back their daughter from the grips of a giant sea creature. Emotional depth has never been Gore's strong suit, so in my opinion this will be another brilliant Hollywood spectacle that nobody cares about. The last thing we need is another "Godzilla" with Matthew B. on our hands. If you haven't seen "The Host" go rent the DVD now, here's the trailer:

***CORRECTION---I've found out recently that Gore Verbinski will only produce the remake, while Fredrik Bond, who has previously done Nike commercials will direct. Well, the previous article still applies only things are slightly more bleak.***