Movies
[BD Review] Dickson Says ‘Oldboy’ Won’t Shock “Us”
One of my biggest worries was that Spike Lee’s Oldboy wouldn’t be able to gain any traction with fans of Park Chan-wook’s original masterpiece. We know the twists, turns and reason that Josh Brolin’s character is locked up for all of those years. How can it be engaging when we know almost everything before stepping foot in a theater? While I never expected it to be as good as the original, I was hoping that an American version would at least find a way to be engaging to those familiar with it. While it’s not, Evan Dickson at least says it’s “good”.
“Spike Lee’s Oldboy is not as good as Chan-wook Park’s Oldboy. There’s no contest here,” Dickson says in his review. “It’s very unlikely that we’ll look back on it in 10 years as some kind of cult classic. But is Spike Lee’s Oldboy any good at all? Actually… yes.
“The main issue with the film is that Lee and screenwriter Mark Protosevich clearly had an ambition to explore the material’s themes in an American context, but they can’t really decide on an angle,” he says of the film’s biggest issue. “The concept of revenge means something completely different here than it does in the East, but whatever re-assessing they might be doing doesn’t really come across.
“Still, even if all the gears here don’t work there are enough functional ones spinning to keep Lee’s interpretation engaging and entertaining.“
Click any link above for the entire review.
Sunrise Films has announced the official North American release of William Bagley‘s horror comedy Hold the Fort, and it’s accompanied by an energetic new trailer.
Hold the Fort debuts on digital platforms on June 23.
In the film, “Lucas and Jenny think their life is finally coming together when the couple become homeowners. Little do they know that their new house comes with a big catch. Lucas and Jenny soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when they become trapped in a battle between their Homeowners Association and an onslaught of monsters from hell. The horror-comedy takes the timely concern of home-ownership and wraps this up in an entertaining action-packed thrill ride.“
Watch the new trailer below, which introduces one wild HOA gathering during an equinox. Things get bloody fast.
Chris Mayers (Adult Swim Yule Log), Haley Leary (“The Walking Dead”), Levi Burdick, and Julian Smith star.
William Bagley writes and directs, in addition to producing with Smith, Matt Dodd, Luke Williams, and Tim Reis (Adult Swim Yule Log).
Ahead of the release, Bagley said, “My goal with this film was to make a hilarious, fast-paced thrill ride while also telling a great story with heart. Hopefully, through all the blood, laughs, fights, and gags, you leave the film feeling inspired to tackle whatever life throws at you.“
Hold the Fort premiered at Fantasia last summer before going on to play FrightFest London, Toronto After Dark, and Beyond Fest.
I wrote in my review, “It’s an infectiously charming assemblage of jokes and monster vignettes bound together by a barebones plot with not much on its mind beyond delivering an entertaining time.”
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