[Movie 2010] I Saw The Devil, 악마를 보았다

[rubie]

March 25, 2014

12th Florence Korean Film Fest Screens Over 30 Features

Includes Special Retrospective CHOI Min-sik 

by Pierce Conran KOFIC

The longest running celebration of Korean cinema in Europe, the Florence Korean Film Festival is now in its 12th year. The festival kicked off last Friday (March 21st) with a screening of opening film Hide and Seek, with director HUH Jung in attendance. The hit thriller also served as the opening film for the London Korean Film Festival last November. Over 30 features are peppered throughout the program this year, which includes current commercial and indie flims, various classic works and an eight films retrospective dedicated to actor CHOI Min-sik. Among festival favorites, LEE Su-jin’s Han Gong-ju, YEON Sangho’s The Fake, NOH Young-seok’s Intruders, KIM Ki-duk’s Moebius and HONG Sangsoo’s Our Sunhi will all be screened. Commercial favorites include Bong Joon Ho’s Snowpiercer and JANG Cheol-su’s Secretly Greatly. The sidebar on CHOI Min-sik, who will be present in Florence, stretches from SONG Hae-sung’s Failan (2001) and IM Kwon-taek’s Chihwaseon (2002) all the way to last year’s New World from director PARK Hoon-jung. Late night screenings will feature horror and strong genre films such as LEE Yong-ju’s Possessed (2009), the omnibus Horror Stories 2, JANG Cheol-su’s Bedevilled (2010) and KIM Jee-woon’s I Saw the Devil. Closing the festival on March 30th will be a screening of SONG Hae-sung’s family dramedy Boomerang Family.

[rubie]

March 25, 2014

Choi Min Sik Speaks of His Theory of Acting at Florence Korea Film Fest

Source: BNTNews

[by Cho Suyoun] Actor Choi Min Sik was specially invited to the 12th Florence Korea Film Fest and was interviewed by Italian media for 90 minutes.

CJES Entertainment announced today that actor Choi Min Sik was invited as a guest to the 12th Florence Korean Film Fest in last week. As the star holds an individual exhibition at the fest, he had an official conference with 20 Italian media including ‘Best Movie’ and ‘Magnolia TV.’ Due to the heated competition in coverage among media, the conference and interview lasted more than an hour.

During the interview, local reporters asked the actor mainly about his opinion regarding the status of Korean film industry, theory of acting and the overall film shooting system.

Choi first answered by telling his theory of acting. “As an actor, I believe that the most important virtues are understanding what the director wishes to tell the world and expressing the thematic consciousness by continuously communicating with the director.”

Then the actor continued by saying as follows. “It’s the audience who lets us recognize that film not only entertains us, but is also deeply involved in our lives by giving a great influence. Therefore, I’m very honored to be invited to this festival, in which films are selected by the audience. I will happily enjoy the fest as a cineaste before I leave.”

After the conference ended, reporters from media ‘Corriere della serra’ and ‘La Republicca’ showed respects to Choi Min Sik as he clearly explained his thought about acting and film industry. Choi Min Sik will stay in Florence until the night of March 25 as he meets the audience directly after his hit film ‘Old Boy’ is played. (photo by CJES Entertainment)

[rubie]

Related excerpt only -- full article at the original source

March 28, 2014
Cinema of Unease By : Wayne McCallumhttp://theadvisorcambodia.com/2014/03/cinema-unease/

I Saw The Devil & The Man From Nowhere: Revenge, anyone?
In I Saw The Devil, a detective played by Korean heartthrob Lee Byung-hun seeks to avenge the brutal murder of his pregnant wife. So far, so noir. Going further, the aggrieved fiancé seeks retribution – not by simply eliminating his nemesis, played by Old Boy’s Choi Min-sik, but through a slow process of psychological dismemberment, played out across a set of increasingly violent encounters. The resulting episodes, each one more visceral than the last, generate a steady feeling of unease until, before the end, you find yourself asking: ‘Who’s the real devil?’
Revenge and justice unfold more slowly in The Man From Nowhere. A pawn-shop owner with a furtive past is driven to extremes to save the life of a streetwise young girl. Not unlike the protagonists in Company Man and Bittersweet Life, the lead character, played by Won Bin, does his initial best to deny attachment to anyone. That he ultimately succumbs to his feelings and chooses to confront his past to save the child places The Man firmly in the KNW camp.
Criticised by some as a Leon knock-off, The Man rises above with the quality of its filmmaking and the sheer scale of its violence. The penultimate showdown – featuring knives, guns and an eyeball in a jar – is one of the greatest choreographed scenes of scripted violence in recent cinema. And while the likes of Tarantino have come to give the ‘Hollywood showdown’ a cartoon-like quality (think Django Unchained), the makers of The Man and I Saw The Devil are deadly serious (perhaps too much so?).
Both films also highlight another quality of KNW: the use of constraint to build tension. This ruse, repeated in A Company Man and I Saw The Devil, has the twin effect of adding a sense of inner strength to the protagonist, while making the moment they finally unleash even more compelling and powerful.
Yet violence and revenge remain complex beasts. For one, there’s a refusal to bow to Hollywood notions of justice and happy hereafters. Killers aren’t caught (Memories) or are able to commit their final crime (I Saw The Devil, The Chaser), while ‘heroes’, exposed by their acts of retribution, lose their valued unanimity or freedom (The Man, Perfect Number). What we’re left with is a muddy notion of revenge, where protagonists and those around them are left dead or scarred and we, as the audience, can identify neither a winner nor a feeling of satisfaction.

[rubie]

March 28, 2014
The ‘Why?’ in Korea’s Revenge ThrillersExploring the Roots of Korean Cinema’s Genre Staple
by Pierce Conran KOFIC
 
 ‘Revenge is a confession of pain’ – Latin Proverb As the unofficial hub for modern revenge narratives, the Korean film industry has, unintentionally, cultivated an image of itself as a national cinema fixated on stylish bloodletting. While true that Korea is the most prolific producer of revenge films, and that they often operate within the theater of the grotesque, such a reading is shortsighted and ignores the social mores that have led to this profligate meting out of payback. The obvious question raised by the prevalence of revenge in Korean cinema is, why? While a seemingly simple query, it has no straightforward answer and can be approached from any number of aesthetic, sociological or historical angles. Revenge as a narrative device stretches as far back as the birth of storytelling. Straightforward, easy to follow and emotionally charged, it is an effective way of relaying an engaging story to a receptive audience. Following its popularity in Greek mythology and literature through the ages, revenge was embraced by filmmakers, who were seduced by its simplicity and the way it easily lends itself to genre cinema. Films like Death Wish (1974) were able to fetishize violence with narratives that required the frequent, and often bloody, dispatch of antagonists. 

When revenge caught on in Korea cinema, shortly after its resurgence in the late 1990s, buoyed by the international success of PARK Chan-wook’s revenge trilogy (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, 2002; Oldboy, 2003; Lady Vengeance, 2005), it wasn’t long before the industry developed a reputation as a purveyor of vengeful cinematic fare. The embrace of revenge thrillers in Korea may have been an unconscious attempt to develop a recognizable genre brand for the country’s film industry in the wake of Oldboy’s global recognition, much like the way that Hong Kong is known for its kung fu films or Japan has spent years churning samurai flicks. However, in a technically advanced industry that has proven adept at producing a kaleidoscopic array of commercial and independent cinema, this branding never quite came to fruition. Considering the theme’s enduring popularity in Korean cinema, evidenced by hits such as The Man from Nowhere (2010), it’s no surprise that local filmmakers have returned to revenge again and again. But even early on it was suggested that there was more at play than mere aesthetic appeal. Academic studies have suggested that revenge is used as a means of post-traumatic recovery. Psychological scars inflicted by the colonial era, the Korean War, the separation of the peninsula and the subsequent military regimes run deep and offer numerous incentives to employ revenge as a metaphorical device for the recuperation of a lost national identity. In his book ‘Virtual Hallyu: Korean Cinema of the Global Era,’ Kyung Hyun KIM refers to the colonial era as an ‘enigmatic but seductive little kernel.’ Korean filmmakers are caught between the need to remember and forget. The fear of forgetting the past undergirds many of contemporary Korean cinema’s narratives, while the need to forget it has hidden Korea’s difficult history in allegorical tales. This has also led Korean filmmakers to develop a fascination with amnesia. In Oldboy, CHOI Min-sik’s character OH Dal-su is forgotten by society following a 15-year incarceration and, following the film’s twist climax, he deliberately employs a hypnotist to ride him of his memories. Similarly, at the end of JANG Cheol-soo’s Bedevilled (2010), the antihero KIM Bok-nam loses her mind and presumably her memory, having completed her cycle of revenge. These quests for revenge can be read as privatized analogies of national trauma, but, since fixing the past is not an option, there is nothing left to do but die, go crazy or forget.  Revenge in Korean films is typically initiated when characters become marginalized from the status quo. When a loved one is taken from them (I Saw the Devil, 2010) or they are betrayed by those they have put their faith in (A Bittersweet Life, 2005), they lose the link to their ordinary lives, and, dislocated and shunned by society, they go on the rampage. However, echoing the Count of Monte Cristo’s lifelong scheme, revenge is seldom spontaneous in Korean films. Those wishing to get even go to great lengths to carry out their retribution. OH Dal-su’s tormentor spends 15 years setting his plan in motion while Lady Vengeance’s Geum-ja concocts her meticulous plan during her years in prison. In last year’s The Fives, Eun-a enrolls four co-conspirators into an elaborate scheme. Characters in Korean films, having lost their raison d’être, become consumed with revenge and devote all their energies towards exacting it. 
 Characters in Korean films often harbor past traumas and the result is a special feeling or emotion known as ‘han,’ which is notoriously hard to translate. Theologian SUH Nam-dong describes ‘han’ as:  “a feeling of unresolved resentment against injustices suffered, a sense of  helplessness because of the overwhelming odds against one, a feeling of acute pain in one's guts and bowels, making the whole body writhe and squirm, and an obstinate urge to take revenge and to right the wrong—all these combined.” Revenge, as executed in Korean cinema, seems to both embody this notion of ‘han’ and directly contradict it. It’s as though the pent-up trauma, which has remained ebbing below the surface is suddenly unleashed in a flurry of violence. Again, once this energy is spent, even if the actions are justified (as they frequently are), it is impossible to lead a normal life again. Another way one could look at revenge in Korean cinema is that following the democratization of South Korea in 1988 (it’s not accident that Oldboy begins that year) Korean citizen experienced freedom from oppression for the first time. No longer shackled to the whims of an authoritarian regime, Koreans could go about beginning to right the wrongs they had been dealt. Of course, mistrust of authority leads these activities down the vigilantism route rather than legal means. What’s more, Korean films (not just revenge thrillers) tend to depict Korea’s judiciary as corrupt and its enforcement branches as hapless, with police officers frequently winding up as the butt of jokes. Over time, the theme of revenge has also evolved along with the local film industry. Though traditionally fixating on private cases of vengeance (whether metaphorical or not), of late Korean films have been more direct, aligning revenge directly with historical traumas. 2012’s 26 Years, a crowdfunded work based on a web comic, boldly featured a group of descendants of Gwangju massacre victims who seek to assassinate the former president CHUN Doo-hwan. Also, in a field mostly dominated by men, Korean cinema has increasingly made space for women-driven revenge narratives. Films like Lady Vengeance and Princess Aurora (both 2005) already explored slightly different preoccupations, mining genre roles, both recent fare such as Azooma, Don’t Cry Mommy and Fatal (all 2012) have sought to redress issues concerning sexual abuse, frequently carried out against teenage girls. The above observations merely illustrate just how complex the theme of revenge has become in Korean cinema. With more titles appearing every year and many of those furthering the boundaries of revenge as a narrative device and thematic tool, the question of why in Korea’s revenge cinema is likely to lead to even more complicated answers down the road. As the old Latin proverb goes, revenge may well be a confession of pain but if we the audience continue to seek it out as means of entertainment, then what does that say about us? By Pierce Conran

[rubie]

April 6, 2014
Korean stars grace Hollywood moviesA record number of actors will play major roles in US blockbusters
By Park Si-soo The Korea Times
Ha Ji-won, from left, Lee Byung-hun and Soo Hyun. Including them, a growing number of Korean actors have been given the opportunity to play with global movie stars in Hollywood films this year. / Korea Times files
Are Korean actors increasingly wanted in Hollywood, or is it a sheer coincidence that a record number of them will have the opportunity to feature in Hollywood films this year?
So far five Korean actors — Lee Byung-hun, Choi Min-sik, Jung Ji-hoon, Bae Doo-na, Soo Hyun — are set to play in a Hollywood movie or are awaiting the release of their film.
Lee Byung-hun is set to appear in Hollywood blockbuster “Terminator: Genesis,” in which he will perform with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke and Emilia Clarke among others. He will leave for the United States later this month to start shooting in early May, according to his management agency BH Entertainment. It’s unclear what role he will play, but rumor has it that it will be something of a “doozy.”
The fifth sequel of the famous sci-fi action flick “The Terminator,” released in 1984, is Lee’s fourth casting in a Hollywood film, after “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” (2009), “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” (2013) and “RED 2” (2013).
His upcoming casting was announced last Tuesday, roughly one month after actress Kim Soo-hyun was confirmed to be acting in another Hollywood blockbuster “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” which is currently being filmed in Korea. Her exact role in the film is unknown, but an unidentified Marvel official was quoted as saying in a report that Kim may be playing a doctor with connections to Ultron, who is tasked with Tony Stark’s (Iron Man) medical care.
 Choi Min-sik
It’s a “substantial” supporting role that is more than just a background character, said the official.
Veteran actor Choi Min-sik, known for his acclaimed role in “Oldboy,” performed with Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman and Analeigh Tipton in renowned French director Luc Besson’s science fiction movie “Lucy.” The film’s trailer made its online debut last Thursday, in which Choi portrays a mid-level manager of a drug trafficking syndicate in Taiwan who chases the protagonist “Lucy” played by Johansson. The film will hit domestic theaters in August.
K-pop singer and actor Jung Ji-hoon, better known as Rain, recently completed filming of his second Hollywood movie “The Prince.” He made his Hollywood debut in 2008 in “Speed Racer.” In the new film, he plays alongside Bruce Willis, John Cusack and Jason Patric. “The Prince” is expected to be released at the end of the year.
Actress Bae Doo-na’s second Hollywood film “Jupiter Ascending” will be released in July. The first American film she appeared in was “Cloud Atlas” (2012), a sci-fi epic in which she appeared along with such major Hollywood stars as Tom Hanks and Halle Berry. Both films were directed by renowned American sibling director duo Andy and Lana Wachowski.
Challengers
Actress Ha Ji-won is expected to enter the American film scene in the near future. In August last year, she signed a contract with the United Talent Agency (UTA) that represents Johnny Depp, Harrison Ford, Gwenyth Paltrow, and other A-list Hollywood actors. It was the first time that a Korean actor signed with the agency.
Her UTA representatives are said to be eyeing international roles in films and TV as well as digital media and endorsements for the actress known for roles on both the big and small screens, including the internationally popular Korean TV drama “Secret Garden,” period drama “Hwang Jini” and big-budget monster flick “Sector 7.” They are also looking into Korea-U.S. co-productions.
Actor Ha Jung-woo has openly said that he will go to Hollywood with his own work. He played a leading role in several hit films such as “The Terror Live” (2013), “The Yellow Sea” (2010) and “The Chaser” (2008), and made his directorial debut with the comedy film “Fasten Your Seatbelt” in 2013.
“While watching a film directed by a Korean, ‘Snowpiercer,’ which employs Hollywood staff, I thought there is no reason to wait any longer,” Ha was quoted as saying in an interview published by movie magazine “Max Movie” last October. “So I plan to go to Hollywood with my own work, although it wouldn’t be as big-scale as ‘Snowpiercer,’ with my own style.”
Ha went on, “I’m already collaborating with a production company in Hollywood. A script writer is working on a script with me as the main character of a movie.”
He said, “Instead of a rushed collaboration, I plan to make an independent American movie using American staff and actors. My plan is to make a movie that would sell in the United States.” He cited “Juno” (2007) and “District 9” (2009) as successful models.
English matters
Film experts say that the ability to speak English fluently is the common factor among those who recently landed Hollywood roles. 
“It’s still uncomfortable for me to speak in English. But I try to improve it through trial and error,” said Lee Byung-hun during a TV interview last July. He is said to have improved his English proficiency through private tutoring and casual conversation with English-speaking foreign friends.
Jung Ji-hoon is widely known to have learned English from actor Lee Bum-soo’s wife Lee Yoon-jin, a professional Korean-English interpreter.
“I started teaching him (Rain) with his U.S. debut only 100 days away,” interpreter Lee said. “Back then he did not have enough time to learn English step by step. So my teaching was focused on how to deliver ‘key messages’ in English during interviews there. Actually there is no problem catching a speaker’s key message with only a couple of words or sentences.”
Bae Doo-na seems to be another trial-and-error English learner like actor Lee. “I acted in ‘Cloud Atlas’ with English that I learned during my high school years,” Bae said in an interview last year. “I managed to film my scenes through countless trial-and-error. Many of those who watched the movie think I’m a fluent English speaker, but that’s really not the case. I still feel uncomfortable speaking in English.”
Following the production, she stayed in London for six months to learn English, according to her management agency.

Source: Media Today

[rubie]

Published on Dec 1, 2013 by Hyojoo Song

Jung Doo Hong The Korean Bruce Lee

Is the acknowledged creator of "Koreanized" action, the rough-and-realistic Korean style of action and fight choreography.
Directs almost every famous Korean action film since the mid 1990s to now.
Was Lee Byung Hun's personal martial arts trainer and stuntman(for the more dangerous and difficult stunts) when he did work in Hollywood for Red 2 and the G.I. Joe Franchise.He thus gained recognition in America as well as Asia.
Jung Doo Hong is a high ranked professional and black belt in Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, Boxing, Kumdo, Taekkyeon and Mixed Martial arts. He even tried his skill in the professional ring and knocked his opponent out in the first minute of the first round.
What separates Jung Do Hong from other martial artists and other martial arts choreographers is his willingness to try new things. Things never tried before like the spectacle action in The Good The Bad The Weird, gore action in I saw the Devil, mobster style realistic fighting in A Bittersweet Life and high flying high kick frenzy in The City of Violence.
He currently runs a school for Martial arts Action and stunts whilst being occupied with action directing 4 to 6 movies per year.
The City of Violence was Jung Doo Hong's first time as the lead in a film and received good reviews for his strong performance.
Remains very close friends in particular with Lee Byung-Hun (A Bittersweet Life) Yu Oh Seong (Friend/Chingu) and Jung Woo Sung (Musa).
Santa Esmerelda - please don't let me be misunderstood

[rubie]

Her last birthday

[rubie]

Thanks to the highlight at LBH DC, original pencil artwork credit: http://blog.naver.com/hg0513

[rubie]

April 30, 2014  15 Great South Korean Crime Films That Are Worth Your Time
BY EMILIO SANTONI Taste of Cinema
When it comes to bleak stylish thrillers and crime films, it’s hard to beat the South Koreans nowadays and all the movies listed below are fine examples of that statement. Whereas the South Korean film industry had been heavily state-regulated until the late eighties, the first fully non-government funded film, Marriage Story, appeared in 1992. Although films started to suffer less from censorship, the state still placed strict limits on the number of foreign films which were allowed to be shown in the country which made the local film industry thrive.
In 1999 Shiri was released, a spy thriller which did so well that it sold more tickets than Titanic in South Korea that year. Due to this movie’s success, larger budget films started being produced and crime thrillers gained enormously in popularity. Two years later, the gangster coming-of-age drama Friend eclipsed Shiri’s earlier sales records but it wasn’t until Chan-Wook Park’s Oldboy in 2003 that the stylish South Korean crime thriller really came of age and that critics in the West started paying attention.
Ever since, South Korea has been the undisputed champion of the genre as a plethora of films with intricate twist-filled screenplays, stunning production design and cinematography, dark themes, powerhouse performances and edge-of-your-seat storylines have found their way to the screen. Whilst it should be noted that South Korea cinema produces far more than just crime films and thrillers, there’s no denying that the nation has a real knack for the genre and that it’s these movies which have gathered most attention abroad. If there have been two defining features of these films, they would have to be their über-stylish visuals and downbeat bleak themes. All the movies listed below are prime examples of at least one, if not both, of these qualities and are essential viewing for those with a serious interest in thrillers or crime dramas.
15. The Berlin File (Seung-Wan Ryoo, 2013)With its non-Korean setting (Berlin as you might have guessed from the title of the movie) and sweeping action set pieces, The Berlin File revolves around Jong-Seong, a North Korean agent who becomes exposed when an illegal arms deal goes wrong. In the aftermath no one is sure whose side Jong-Seong and his wife, who is a translator at the North Korean embassy, belong to and soon the CIA as well as the North and South Korean intelligence agencies are all after them. Forced into a corner, Jong-Seong will need to make a decision as to where his royalties lie: his wife or his country.
Probably the most straight-forward action movie on this list, The Berlin File is maybe easiest described as a South Korean Jason Bourne film. A spy thriller with a clear emphasis on action setpieces and not so much the bleak thematic undercurrent of virtually all other films on this list,
The Berlin File is a great and easy introduction to Korean crime thrillers for Western audiences who might not be familiar with any of the films in this article yet. A clear commercial genre film, The Berlin File looks, feels and sounds great. The only thing letting this one down a bit is the convoluted plot and the sense that you have seen most of this before. Still, it’s well done and if you like spy thrillers, chances are you will not be disappointed by this action-packed spy flick.
14. Montage (Jeong Geun-Seop, 2013)15 years ago a girl was kidnapped and never found. Just days before the case’s statute of limitations expires, someone places a flower at the scene of the crime, a location which was only known to the girl’s mother, the detective that took on the case and the kidnapper himself. Then, a few days later, another kidnapping occurs which bears striking resemblances to the 15 year old unsolved case. Three people now all get involved in this new kidnapping, desperately trying to solve it: the grandfather whose grandchild was taken right from under his nose, the mother of the girl who was kidnapped 15 years ago and has never stopped looking for her and the detective who has been haunted by the 15 year old case which he has never been able to solve.
Montage starts out as your average suspense thriller and takes its time getting to the second part of the movie, tricking the audience into thinking that this is just your standard pot-boiler. But once the screenplay starts revealing more and some of the character’s motivations are brought to light, the film becomes a whole different beast and some of the events in the first half take on a totally different meaning. A more quiet and pondering mystery than most of the other entries on this list, Montage is a well directed tense thriller with a lot more to say than one might initially expect.
13. I Saw The Devil (Kim Jee-Woon, 2010)


When Kyung-Chul, a serial killer, murders Joo-Yun on a snowy night and scatters her body parts, he doesn’t realise he couldn’t have selected a worse victim. Not only is her father a police squad leader, her boyfriend, Soo-Hyun, is a secret service agent of the National Intelligence Service, who becomes determined to track down the killer and make him pay. Given leads on some suspects by his father-in-law, Soo-Hyun soon manages to locate the killer. But instead of bringing him to justice, he places a tracking device on him and keeps tormenting the killer, in the process even capturing a vicious cannibal and his girlfriend who Kyung-Chul has been supplying with victimes. But once the killer finds out how Soo-Hyun is tracing him and why, he decides to go after Joo-Yun’s family to exact revenge.
You know that things are going to get nasty when South Korea decided to censor I Saw The Devil for its extreme graphic violence. Kim Jee-Woon’s answer to Chan-Wook Park Vengeance Trilogy, the film suffers in comparison and never manages to reach the same heights. But if stylish brutal films are your cup of tea than there’s plenty to like here. Violent, disturbing and with two of Korea’s greatest stars doing what they do best, I Saw The Devil is another noteworthy South Korean entry in the revenge movie genre and well worth seeing for lovers of these types of film, even though at times the story really doesn’t make all that much sense.
12. Mother (Joon-Ho Bong, 2009)Do-Joon is a shy and mentally slow young man in his twenties who is looked after by his over-protective mother. Do-Joon hangs out with Jin-Tae a lot, who the mother sees as a potential bad influence on this easily swayed Do-Joon. One day a girl is found murdered and circumstantial evidence leads the police to Do-Joon. The boy is arrested and easily convinced into signing a confession even though he doesn’t seem to recall having anything to do with the crime. His mother, convinced that her son could never have committed such a terrible act and that he might in fact be covering for Jin-Tae, starts trying to prove her son’s innocence but the deeper she digs, the more complicated the truth seems to become.
Jooh-Ho Bong’s follow-up to his international breakthrough hit, The Host, is a mystery crime drama in which the director once again manages to give his own personal twist to genre he’s working in. Featuring great performances from all involved and controlled direction by Bong, the film is filled with ambiguity and at times genuinely heartfelt. The movie was nominated for and went on to win a whole slate of awards at various international film festivals.
11. Breathless (Ik-Joon Yang, 2008)Song-Hoon is an enforcer for a local loan shark. And as the man is basically rage personified, he’s damn good at his job. Violent, brutal, obnoxious, swearing incessantly and intimidating as hell, Song-Hoon is not to be messed with and will take down anyone for very little reason. One day he accidentally spits on a schoolgirl, who tells him to get lost, and true to his nature he proceeds to knock her out. Sensing that he might have overreacted, he stays around till she wakes up and then offers to buy the still deviant girl a beer. From here on in the two develop a cautionary friendship and slowly but surely the girl manages to awake a gentler side in Sang-Hoon, which leads him to reconsider his life choices.
Breathless is without a doubt the most low-key and low-budget entry on this list. Directed, produced, written and edited by Jang Ik-June, who on top of all those duties also manages to star in the movie, Breathless is a triumph of independent and low-budget filmmaking. Grim as hell and just as bleak as the larger productions found in this article, the movie refuses to give easy or crowd pleasing answers. Another festival favourite, the film managed to take home more than twenty awards at various international festivals.
10. Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (Chan-Wook Park, 2005)Lee Geum-Ja was in her early twenties when she was convicted for the kidnapping and murder of a young boy. Because of her age and innocent looks the case became a media circus and her story has been followed by many, even during her reduced 13 year prison sentence in which she became a model prisoner and made many friends on the inside. As she leaves jail, a fan procession is awaiting her outside but Lee Geum-Ja pays them no mind and immediately starts working on a plan she has been preparing for the last 13 years: revenge.
The closing chapter of Chan-Wook Park’s critically acclaimed Vengeance Trilogy, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is possibly the lightest entry in the series, which doesn’t mean we are not dealing with some serious sick subject matter here. The film has a much brighter colour palette then the previous two entries in the trilogy and tones down the visceral and brutal violence but also feels like the most personal entry in the series. If Lady Vengeance seems to fall slightly short, it’s only because it lacks the intensity of the first two films. Taken on its own merits, this is a stunning and unique vision from a director at the top of his game.
9. Memories of Murder (Joon-Ho Bong, 2003)A series of rapes and murders are occurring in a rural area in South Korea in 1986. The local small town cop assigned to the case, Park Doo-Man, has no idea how to handle the situation. After he arrests the wrong person an expert from Seoul , Seo Tae-Yoon, is sent over to help with the investigation. Both men’s styles couldn’t be more different as the local cop is used to beating confessions out of his suspects whilst Seo takes a more pragmatic investigative approach. Initially Park isn’t even convinced he is dealing with a serial killer until Seo’s predictions come true and another woman is found raped and murdered. But as the investigation is not providing any results, both men seem to slowly be reaching the end of their tether.
Based on a real case which took place between 1986 and 1991 and which constituted the country’s first recorded serial killings, Memories of Murder was a huge critical as well as commercial success upon its release. It was also one of the films that really upped the ante for South Korean filmmaking at the time. The film clearly deals with the rapidly changing political situation in South Korea in the late eighties as the country was emerging from a dictatorship as exemplified by the local police force’s brutal tactics. But despite the dark subject matter, the film also manages to be darkly humorous and it put its director, Jooh-Ho Bong, clearly on the map.
8. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (Chan-Wook Park, 2002)Ryu is a deaf-mute who is working in a factory to support his ill sister who is in dire need of a kidney transplant. Unfortunately Ryu is not a match so he can’t donate one of his kidneys to her and on top of that he also loses his job. He decides to get a kidney of the black organ-trading market with his pay-out but the gangsters he deals with end up screwing him over and steal his money and kidney without giving him another kidney in return.
Only then is he contacted by the hospital as a suitable transplant has been found but now he lacks the money to pay for the operation. Ryu’s radical terrorist girlfriend than convinces him to kidnap a girl from a rich industrialist to pay for the operation. But things do not go according to plan and soon every single character in the movie is out for revenge on one another.
The first film in Chan-Wook Park’s acclaimed Vengeance Trilogy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is the perfect date film if you want to ensure that you never go on a second one. Taking depressing and bleakness to whole new heights, the movie can be hard to sit through, especially for those who go to the movies to forget about their daily worries with some escapist entertainment.
This is also not an action film so if that’s what you like about Korean thrillers, this might not be the best selection on this list. But after all those warnings, let it be known that Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is a masterpiece in stylish pessimism and disturbing darkness. A nihilistic masterpiece.
7. The Yellow Sea (Hong-Jin Na, 2010)Gu-Nam is a cab driver in Yanji city, located near the borders of China, Russia and North Korea and home to a great number of Chinese-Koreans known as Joseonjok. His wife left for Korea over six months ago to make some extra money but he hasn’t heard from her since and on top of this he also has some serious gambling debts. So when the opportunity arises to go to Korea to carry out a well-paid hit for a local gangster, Gu-Nam grabs the opportunity, figuring he will also be able to look for his wife whilst he’s there. Upon arrival however it turns out that it’s all an elaborate set-up and soon the lonely Korean finds himself chased by the police, the South Korean mob, Chinese triads and a cold-blooded assassin.
After The Chaser (which we’ll find further down this list), director Hong-Jin Na delivered another action-packed thriller with The Yellow Sea. Whilst not as intricately plotted and tight as his previous effort, The Yellow Sea is a two-hour-plus gritty drama with some incredible suspense and action sequences.
Well choreographed and with stunning and moody cinematography, the movie captures the viewer in the first half as it sets up the plot and characters, only to go completely overboard during the second half, which seems to be one long violent outburst of endless fights and mayhem with handheld weapons due to South Korea’s extremely tough gun laws. Bleak, gritty, kinetic and intense, The Yellow Sea is an action thriller of the highest order.
6. New World (Hoon-Jung Park, 2013)After having been undercover in South Korea’s largest crime syndicate, Ja-Sung has found himself in the position of being the right-hand man of the organisation’s second in charge, Jung Chung. But when the big boss is suddenly killed in a car accident, a power struggle develops between the second and third in charge and Ja-Sung, who has been desperate to leave his undercover life behind and start afresh with his pregnant wife, finds himself forced to stay as his commanding chief sees this as a prime opportunity for the police to gain full control of the organisation. And to make matters worse it’s abundantly clear that Jung Chung sees him as a genuine friend whereas his commanding officer is treating him like mere bait.
Basically the South Korean version of Infernal Affairs/The Departed, New World manages to present its often seen story of the deep-undercover cop in a criminal organisation, torn between loyalties between his gangster friends and police buddies, in such a confident and inspired manner that it still feels fresh.
If you liked Infernal Affairs or it’s American remake The Departed, New World is an absolute must-see movie. Director Hoon-Jung Park keeps building the tension masterfully as the film progresses but also manges to inject the proceedings with genuine emotional depth, even going for straight-up melodrama at times, without ever feeling forced. Whilst not the most original storyline, New World manages to be one of the best films in its genre and should not be missed.
5. The Man from Nowhere (Jeong-beom Lee, 2010)Cha Tae-Sik used to be a special forces agent until his wife and child were violently taken from him. Nowadays he lives a solitary life as a pawnshop owner, shut off from the world and seemingly not very interested in ever rejoining society. That’s until he meets the young girl who lives next door. Clearly neglected by her drug addicted mother, the two strike up an unlikely friendship. But when the mother makes the vital mistake of stealing drugs from a powerful crime lord, she and her daughter are taken by gangsters and it’s up to Cha Tae-Sik to set things straight. Initially striking a deal with the mob, Cha Tae-Sik soon finds himself besieged from all sides as both the police and various underworld figures are on his trail.
Bleak as hell and dealing with horrific themes like child abuse, organ trafficking, drug addiction, kidnapping and murder, The Man from Nowhere still manages to find a lot of heart and package the whole as a kinetic action thriller. If you like your action dark and violent and you haven’t seen this The Man from Nowhere, this movie should be on the top of your list.
4. A Dirty Carnival (Ha Yoo, 2006)A Dirty Carnival tells the story of Byeong-Du, a small-time enforcer in a local triad, who seems to solely be in the business out of necessity to support his family. With no father around, a bunch of younger siblings and a mother who is terminally ill, all of them are on the brink of being evicted and it’s up to Byeong-Du to make sure this doesn’t happen.
When he sees a chance of climbing the ranks in his organisation by killing a corrupt prosecutor for his big boss, Byeong-Du grabs the opportunity but by doing so he also invokes the ire of his direct superior, who he bypassed by working directly for their organisation’s president. Additionally he runs into an old friend from his high school days who is now a film director and who would love to get inside information on the triads in order to invigorate his film career. When Byeong-Du does so he further complicates matters for himself and his family.
A slick neo-noir and poignant melodrama, A Dirty Carnival does not glamorise the gangster lifestyle and clearly shows how for many it’s simply a dead-end career path. Just like in the previously mentioned The Yellow Sea, the action scenes are sudden and brutal as strict South Korean gun laws have made baseball bats, knives and axes the weapons of choice for small-time gangsters. A dark and sparse gangster film, A Dirty Carnival is a superior example of South Korean genre dominance.
3. A Bittersweet Life (Kim Jee-Woon, 2005)


A Bittersweet Life is basically the embodiment of a super stylish gangster flick. This fantastic film manages to go effortlessly from dramatic to violent to contemplative without ever skipping a beat. The story involves a gangster’s right-hand man, who is given the seemingly simple task to look after the gangster’s younger lover in his absence, who he suspects is having an affair with a younger man. The normally cold and collected enforcer however starts to develop feelings for the young lady whilst at the same time getting in trouble with a rival gang.
Wonderfully shot and edited and featuring a great performance from the lead, Lee Byeong-Heon, whom western audiences might know from those awful GI Joe movies, A Bittersweet Life is yet another prime example of how Korea is completely on top of the crime film genre. The film also has a fantastic score which often offsets the brutality on screen. If you like gangster films, this is simply compulsory viewing.
2. The Chaser (Hong-Jin Na, 2008)Jung-ho is a ex-policeman who has turned to pimping. Lately two of his girls have disappeared without clearing their debts and he is starting to suspect foul play. When he gets a call for another girl, he sends off Mi-jin but realises too late that the number belongs to the same man who hired the last girl who disappeared. His old detective skills kick in and he goes to investigate and actually manages to catch the suspect after a lengthy chase but both men are arrested and taken to the police station. There the killer admits to murdering the women but police can’t hold him due to lack of any physical evidence. Now Jung-ho only has twelve hours to find Mi-jin, who might still be alive somewhere.
The Chaser was the debut for director Hong-jin Na, who delivered a very tense and elaborately plotted thrill-ride with his very first movie. The film took home a whole bunch of various Korean film awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Editing. Although it’s not as well known as Park Chan-Wook’s Vengeance Trilogy, this movie comes just as highly recommended.
1. Oldboy (Chan-Wook Park, 2003)The film deals with Oh Dae-su, a husband and father, who on the day of his daughter’s birthday is kidnapped and placed in solitary confinement in a hotel-like prison for reasons which remain unknown to him nor is he told how long he will be imprisoned. During his stay in the cell, he learns through the television in his cell that his wife has been murdered and that he is the prime suspect although his whereabouts are unknown to the police.
Then suddenly, after 15 years, he is released. He receives a cellphone from a stranger and then a call from his captor. When Oh Dae-su asks who he is talking to, the captor answers that the who is not important but that he should be thinking about the why instead. From there on in, it becomes a race against the clock to find his tormentor and exact revenge as he is only given a day to solve the mystery.
Oldboy is the middle film in Korean director Park Chan-Wook’s Vengeance Trilogy, preceded by Sympathy for Mr Vengeance and followed by Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. The films are thematically linked but not narratively, so there is no need to see the other movies to be able to enjoy Oldboy (although I still highly recommend to see all three of them, otherwise they wouldn’t all be on this list).
If there is one thing the Korean are good at, it’s making dark depressing and tense thrillers and amongst those Oldboy is probably the very best. It certainly is the film that got the West’s attention focused on the booming Korean film industry as Oldboy won the Special Jury Prize at Cannes and a whole other string of nominations and awards worldwide. An obvious but deserving choice for the number one spot on this list, Oldboy is a modern classic.
Laugh and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone.
Author Bio: Emilio has been a movie buff for as long as he can remember and holds a Masters Degree in Cinema Studies from the University of Amsterdam. Critical and eclectic in taste, he has been described to “love film but hate all movies”. For daily suggestions on what to watch, check out his Just Good Movies Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/goodmoviesuggestions.

[rubie]

Related excerpts from article at The Playlist@IndieWire
June 26 2014
Primer: 10 Essential Films Of The Korean New Wave
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/primer-10-essential-films-of-the-korean-new-wave-20140626?page=1#blogPostHeaderPanel


"I Saw The Devil" (2010)While we hope we've listed a few alternatives to the fetishized violence of the Korean take on the revenge movie, there is a reason it's probably become the most recognisable and iconic territory that Hallyuwood films have claimed, at least in the international consciousness. And that's because it's a genre that not just Park Chan-wook is fascinated by, but that many of the others have worked in too, most notably Kim Ji-woon, whose horror entry "A Tale of Two Sisters" is also on this list. Genre polyglot Kim's take on the vengeance thriller is fully as sick, slick and inventively disturbing in its violence as "Oldboy" and the comparison is doubly apt as it also stars "Oldboy" icon Choi Min-sik. But here Choi plays not the perpetrator of revenge, but its object, a deranged, utterly conscienceless serial rapist and murderer who becomes the prey of the boyfriend of one of his victims (Lee Byung-hun). It's astoundingly gory stuff, and the graphic portrayal of the killer's crimes against women makes for some queasy, deeply discomfiting viewing. And yet, there's the oddest throughline of almost meditative sadness that runs through the bloodletting and the misogyny like a current, and which, coupled with Kim's eye for astonishing composition and coloring, saves this lurid, salacious story from all-out exploitation. Though it's that too. Tracing the boyfriend's descent to a level of madness that rivals the killer's in his frantic, empty and ultimately counterproductive pursuit of revenge, the film's splashy, gross-out credentials are impeccable, but it's the overarching, incisive portrayal of the futility of revenge, and the unconquerable power of evil over good that is its most chilling and lasting impression.,,,
And of the directors we have covered, there will no doubt be those aghast that we didn't include Kim Ji-woon's entertainingly gonzo but wildly uneven "The Good The Bad & The Weird" or 2005's terrific mob crime film "A Bittersweet Life," (a U.S. remake of which is currently in the works from Allen Hughes), Hong Sang-soo's "In Another Country," "The Woman on the Beach" or "Turning Gate," and Park Chan-wook's vampire priest yarn "Thirst," while Lee Chang-dong's "Peppermint Candy" (mentioned above) and Bong Joon-ho's "Mother" and "Barking Dogs Never Bite" are both strong early entries to the canon, the latter starring Bong regular and "Cloud Atlas" standout Bae Doona.

[rubie]

June 29, 2014
5 similarities between Mohit Suri’s Ek Villain and Korean film I Saw The Devil
by Avinash Lohana BollywoodLife.com

With so many similarities in the plot, we wonder why the filmmaker been in a denial mode all along…
Filmmaker Mohit Suri has always denied that his film Ek Villain is inspired by the Korean film – I Saw The Devil. However, after watching both the films we found five shocking similarities between the two films. I Read on to find out these similarities and let us know if you agree with us.
Storyline: The basic plot of Mohit’s Ek Villain and Park Hoon-Jung’s I Saw The Devil is same. The psychotic serial killer murders the lead protagonist’s lady love. Thus the hero is eventually seeking vengeance. The only difference is that Sidharth Malhotra’s character is Ek Villain is a gangster while the protagonist (Lee Byung-hun) in Korean film is an agent in the National Intelligence Service.
Scenes: There is one similar scene in both the films where serial killers (Riteish Deshmukh – Ek Villain and Choi Min-sik – I Saw The Devil) are admitted in the hospital due to some injuries. Both attack a nurse in the hospital only to be saved by the hero of the film.
Turning point: The criminals in both the films are random serial killers. They kill random victims and hence have no idea about why they are being chased by the male protagonist. In both these films it was the killer’s friend who helps them identify the real reason to be chased.
Death of the leading heroine: In both these films the heroine gets killed in the first few minutes of the film.
Killing the girl’s father: To attract the protagonist’s attention, the real villains in both these films targeted the heroine’s father.

[rubie]

September 15, 2014
‘The Guest's’ Adam Wingard, Simon Barrett to Tackle ‘I Saw the Devil’ Remake (Exclusive)
ByJeff Sneider The Wrap
Just days before their latest genre film “The Guest” hits theaters, Simon Barrett and Adam Wingard are nearing a deal to write and direct an English-language remake of Kim Jee-Woon's 2010 South Korean serial killer thriller “I Saw the Devil,” TheWrap has learned.
Snoot Entertainment, the company behind “The Guest” and “You're Next,” has also boarded the project. Snoot's Keith Calder and Jessica Calder will produce with Adi Shankar (“Dredd”) and Spencer Silna.
The original “I Saw the Devil” is a classic revenge tale about an elite special agent (“G.I. Joe's” Lee Byung-hun) whose pregnant fiancé is murdered by an evil madman (“Oldboy's'” Choi Min-sik), prompting him to lure the killer into an increasingly violent and twisted game of cat-and-mouse.
Like Denis Villeneuve‘s “Prisoners,” the premise of “I Saw the Devil” basically asks the question, “what happens when the hero becomes a monster himself?”
“I Saw the Devil” is character-driven rather than plot-driven, as the mystery of the killer's identity is revealed early on. As the lines between good and evil become blurred, the film pushes the concept of revenge to its most extreme limits, effectively transcending the police procedural and serial killer genres in surprising and thrilling new ways.
The deal has been in the works for some time now, as Barrett has already started writing the script and director Wingard has begun meeting with actors, an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap.
CAA will represent domestic rights to the “I Saw the Devil” remake, having packaged the project and set up the rights with Shankar and Silna's production company.
Wingard and Barrett previously collaborated on “A Horrible Way to Die,” “V/H/S” and “You're Next,” which made them darlings of the genre community.
Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Leland Orser and Lance Reddick star in “The Guest,” which Picturehouse opens on Wednesday, Sept. 17. The thriller earned strong reviews at both Sundance and Toronto.
Snoot Entertainment's upcoming releases include the Mary Elizabeth Winstead thriller “Faults,” which Screen Media Films will release on March 6, 2015.
Wingard is represented by CAA, Jeremy Platt Management and attorney Ryan Pastorek, the latter of whom also represents Barrett along with WME.

[rubie]

September 15, 2014
I Saw The Devil Remake Lands You’re Next And The Guest Duo Adam Wingard And Simon Barrett
Isaac Feldberg We Got This Covered

Last December, we heard that producers Adi Shankar and Spencer Silna had picked up English-language rights to Kim Ji-woon’s cult thriller I Saw The Devil, with intentions to mount an American redo, and now that project is coming together with director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett, the wildly talented duo behind You’re Next and The Guest.

The pair, whose past efforts have earned them a significant fan following, will both write and direct the remake, and reports indicate that they’ve been quietly working on the project for some time. Wingard has started meeting with actors, while Barrett is apparently deep into scripting.
Keith Calder, who is producing the project with Snoot Entertainment, confirmed the news via Twitter:
It’s expected that the original film’s basic premise will remain intact. In the twisted thriller, an elite special agent (Lee Byung-hun) goes on the warpath after his pregnant fiancé is murdered by an evil maniac (Choi Min-sik). Desperate for revenge, the agent lures the killer into a violent game of cat-and-mouse. However, as he crosses all sorts of lines to take down his target, it becomes clear that, to catch a monster, the agent may have to become one himself.
Wingard and Barrett have delivered two phenomenal, stylish and deliciously twisted thrillers in a row, and their skillset makes me think they’ll be perfect for I Saw the Devil. Though the original film is brilliant and definitely worth seeing as soon as humanly possible if you haven’t already, this is one remake that I’m finding myself very excited for.
Source: TheWrap

[rubie]

Source: Flicks and Bits

[rubie]

September 16, 2014

I SAW THE DEVIL to Get Remake Treatment

Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett on Board to Direct and Write

by Pierce Conran KOBIZ  

KIM Jee-woon’s violent revenge thriller I Saw the Devil has developed quite a reputation internationally since it bowed in 2010 and now a Hollywood remake is underway with director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett on board. Staring LEE Byung-hun and CHOI Min-shik, the original dealt with the cat and mouse game played by a rogue National Intelligence Service agent who chases after the serial killer who brutally murdered his fiancé. With the killer’s identity revealed early on, the film follows the agent’s cruel quest for vengeance as he opts to harass and torture the killer rather than arrest or murder, revealing himself to capable of equally monstrous acts. Wingard and Barrett are growing names in the genre filmmaking community, having made You’re Next (2011) and this year’s The Guest, as well as participating the V/H/S and ABCs of Death omnibus series. The film will be produced by Jessica and Keith Calder of Snoot Entertainment (behind You’re Next and The Guest) and Adi Shankar and Spencer Silna. Reports indicate that the project has been on the cards for some time script work and casting already underway. The news makes I Saw the Devil the latest in a long list of high profile Korean releases remade in Tinseltown, which includes Spike Lee’s take on Oldboy (2003) that was released last year.

[rubie]

Published on September 10, 2014 by Adi Shankar 

[rubie]

September 16, 2014 

Groundbreaking South Korean Revenge Film 'I Saw The Devil’ To Get U.S. Makeover

By Tony Sokol KpopStarz   

 

"I Saw The Devil," one of the most violent and depraved films to come out of South Korea in recent years, will be remade for American audiences.

Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett, the creative team behind the newly released genre film "The Guest," are nearing a deal to write and direct an English-Language version of the psychological thriller, according to The Wrap. The remake was first announced in December.

Released in 2010, the original "I Saw the Devil" showed how much more South Korean filmmakers could get away with than western directors. Directed by Kim Jee-Woon, it was an ultra-violent film that didn't waste one frame of its two-and-a-half hour running time.

"I Saw The Devil" starred Choi Min-sik from the film "Oldboy," which was remade last year by Spike Lee, as Kyung-chul, a psychopath and serial killer. One of his victims is the pregnant fiancé of special agent Joo-yeon, played by Lee Byung-hun, from the film "G.I. Joe."

The special agent, who has been level-headed and professional his entire career, becomes a monster as he repeatedly captures, tortures, releases and captures the serial killer over and over again. The cat and mouse game gets increasingly bizarre with each repetition.

 "I Saw the Devil" was  driven by character rather than plot. It pushed the limits of revenge films, police procedurals and serial killer movies to make for groundbreaking suspense. Jee-woon paid homage to classic indie horror films like "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" as he forged his own territory.

Besides moving the story to the United States, there is no word on how else Barrett and Wingard, who worked together on the films "A Horrible Way to Die," "V/H/S" and "You're Next," will change the film.The film will be produced by Snoot Entertainment, who made "The Guest" and "You're Next." 

[rubie]

‘You’re Next’ Filmmakers Developing ‘I Saw the Devil’ Remake

Published by H. Shaw-Williams Screen Rant

Last year’s release of Spike Lee’s Oldboy did little to inspire confidence in American remakes of Asian films, as the Josh Brolin-led mystery thriller flopped hard at the box office and was met with a tepid response from critics. The horror genre in particular frequently finds filmmakers raiding the World Cinema shelves in search of their next plot, and the few examples of great remakes don’t quite make up for the flood of bad ones.

Nonetheless it’s important try and resist a kneejerk negative response as details regarding another US remake of a Korean film come to light. I Saw the Devil, Kim Jee-woon’s twisted and violent story of revenge, has a remake in development by screenwriter Simon Barrett and director Adam Wingard, who have previously collaborated on horror films like You’re Next and V/H/S.

I Saw the Devil is a cat and mouse tale about a secret service agent (Lee Byung-hun) whose fiancée is brutally murdered and dismembered by a serial killer (Oldboy‘s Choi Min-sik), and who decides to take his revenge through the relentless pursuit and torture of the killer. Producer Adi Shankar announced that Wingard and Barrett had joined the project in a vlog, adding that Snoot Entertainment (the production company behind Wingard and Barrett’s latest collaborative effort The Guest) has also boarded the I Saw the Devil remake. According to The Wrap, Wingard has already begun to meet with actors and Barrett is currently working on the script.

The Guest, which sees Wingard and Barrett branching out into the thriller genre with a story about a mysterious stranger who inserts himself into the life of a grieving nuclear family, has received overwhelmingly positive reviews since it premiered at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. You’re Next was also praised by critics for taking the somewhat stale home invasion horror trope and turning it on its head.

While they seem most at home with material that has an underlying comic edge, Wingard and Barrett are a strong filmmaking team and their version of I Saw the Devil could potentially be an interesting new take on the story. A lot of remakes suffer from adhering too slavishly to the source material, and the almost oppressively grim story of I Saw the Devil could easily benefit from some of Barrett and Wingard’s wry humor.

Are you willing to give this remake a chance, or do you think I Saw the Devil should have been left alone?
We’ll keep you updated on I Saw the Devil as development continues.
Source: Adi Shankar, TheWrap

[rubie]

Credit to original sharing

[rubie]

Thanks to Barbara at LBH soompi
Poster seen in BH Entertainment:Photo Credit:  LBH Baidu Fan Club