UFO Viewings: Oh Boy! (1)

- Nothing is more twisted than the truth.
- Wow! What was that?
- That was a movie!

UFO Viewings: Oh Boy! (1)

(Special thanks to Ghassan)

Chanwook Park

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Why would Spike Lee spend thirty million dollars and a year of his life remaking/interpreting/whatever a successful Asian movie by Korean director Chanwook Park?
This question is posed by someone who has not yet found the time to see Lee's movie!
The original Korean movie "Oldboy 2003" is purported by some to rank number 18 of the best 100 non-English speaking movies; or world cinema movies!
In November 2013 a Hollywood company released Spike Lee's 'Oldboy'.
The cuts made to the original film footage by the production company are deemed by some critics one of the reasons why the movie flopped from its first week. Other critics added that cultural differences are behind this apparent fiscal failure(?).
Cultural differences cited were: that the West looks differently at revenge (!) and that, in the West, movies ought to have happy endings (!). Hollywood is known to have this tradition of fixing scripts to reach happy endings for movies. That's how they understand 'entertainment'!

Spike Lee

The weird story behind the remake of this powerful Korean movie starts by a rumor that Spielberg and Will Smith are going to do it. Then they renege. Then Spike Lee comes forward and says he would do it but promises not to Americanize it! Movie-goers in this capitalist world were at one time skeptic about Lee's ability to (re)make the movie and at other times glad that he was going to keep the same Korean story intact. The Korean story was traced back to a Japanese origin! Haha!
As a result of this conflict about (a) remakes as a stupid Hollywood way of producing films based on a 'sincere' wish to rid the viewer of reading captions, (b) the ideal American way of ending films, (c) the American way of not showing too much violence!, (d) the American way of not 'glorifying' revenge and (e) and (f). As a result of these factors the turnover at the box office for Spike Lee's movie was down for week one, two and possibly until this week in December of 2013.
Spike Lee is known for his other strong movies: Do The Right Thing, The 25th Hour, Malcolm X and The Inside Man.


Here is the trailer for Spike Lee's interpretation of Oldboy:

Strong trailer, I believe!

Lee's Oldboy stars Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Sharlto Copley, Samuel L. Jackson. 
Now before you go see (or order) Spike Lee's movie, I have found for you the original Korean movie to watch for FREE! 
But, before you watch the Korean movie "Oldboy 2003" I must tell you: This is a very powerful movie. A visual stunner with wonderful acting and a very complex story. A 'Kafka-esque Trial' that also draws from Kafka's 'Metamorphosis' in a torturing account of human existence! 
I will be back to see what can be written about Spike Lee's Old Boy!
Original Oldboy movie is fraught with visual beauty and rich in pleasurable scenes. One fight scene has particularly drawn the attention of cinema buffs when they found that the hallway fight (from 3:38 in the clip below) was actually shot horizontally as 'single' shot with a steady camera. Watch and measure the degree of aesthetic value (or the lack of it!). I have not seen Spike Lees version but I learned that he did this fight scene differently employing different angles. This way we will have the pleasure of comparing and......enjoying!

Watch The Fight Scene in Original 'Oldboy'

  

Now! Watch the full original Korean movie Oldboy here:

Important Note: This is an R-rated movie (sex, violence and bad words). Not for <18. 

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