Comments on: News bites: March 10, 2008

By: marcel

marcel — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 08:21:38 +0000

i’ve been wondering about this hollywood trend of remaking korean films & importing korean actors.. it’s an interesting connection considering what i understand to be the general climate in the entertainment industry with regard to culture and ethnicity.. as if hollywood’s stance is “let’s bank off other countries’ films & stars.. but people & cultures that are ‘different’ are still taboo here”.. as evidenced by the asian actors being relegated to typically orientalized “ninja assassin” or “laundry warrior” roles.. far be it from me to let hollywood or america at large know that not every asian person they lay eyes on is a martial arts master or gangster or whatnot .. it’s all a little off kilter imo.. but i guess there’ll always be room to grow..

By: hjk

hjk — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:10:14 +0000

Whew! Glad I’m not the only one who wasn’t thrilled with My Sassy Girl.

I have little hope for the Addicted remake Possession (even with Lee Pace – and I loved Buffy, but that was mostly because of Joss Whedon’s writing).

And Old Boy?? With Tom Cruise??? Oh, puh-leeze…..
LOL at #10 belleza’s comment…and rocketfuel’s #2. Haha!!

By: belleza

belleza — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:27:33 +0000

I think this is an old debate for me. When City of Angels came out, my cineaste friends were horrified how Wings of Desire was turned into yet another bathetic Meg Ryan vehicle. However, the rest of my friends LOVED the film, including . . uhh . . me.

Besides, Korea remaking Japanese product (hello KBS schedule of 2007!!) is a much bigger issue to the Korean Entertainment industry, and it probably deserves its own thread someday.

As an aside, I don’t think Hollywood is especially good at adapting source material where magic realism and non-spooky ghosts play a major part of the story. Lake House didn’t really work, and I’m wary how the Jennifer Garner version of Be With You will turn out.

By: javabeans

javabeans — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:05:14 +0000

I agree My Sassy Girl isn’t exactly remarkable cinema, and the Chaser doesn’t seem to be either, though i haven’t seen that one. But Tale of Two Sisters was a brilliant psychological thriller. And Il Mare was atmospheric and surprisingly moving.

By: belleza

belleza — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:51:42 +0000

Hollywood (as well as other major film industries) has adapted other country’s films for many years. Bringing an original script (or adapting a bestseller novel) is much less expensive than obtaining rights for a successful film. However horror movies are cheap to make and don’t require major stars to turn a profit, thus the glut of PG-rated Asian horror fare.

I understand the moderate backlash in the Asian American community (and the sentiment is not shared by the country of original film.) but it’s silly. Aside from Infernal Affairs (Monohan’s adaptation was brilliant), it’s not as if Hollywood is remaking great Asian cinema. Romantic comedies and horror movies, that’s about it. Now if they ever get around to adapting Battle Royale . . .

By: Jo

Jo — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:25:44 +0000

My Sassy Girl is being remade like everywhere. (It was a fun movie anyways)

By: yeoreum

yeoreum — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:59:40 +0000

@ Ter:

thank you for that EIA info you’ve given.. i kept on ignoring this coz i thought it wouldnt be entertaining.. i like lee min ki a lot..

thank you very much…

as for the hollywood remakes, I agree with Jenni… i hope they’ll show the Asian movie as it is.. the Lake House was not good at all…