The holiday movie season is upon us, and one of the most anticipated releases, Oldboy, will kick it off in a most bloody way. But before the remake hits theaters just in time to nauseate overstuffed Thanksgiving audiences, the web was kind enough to deliver a bit more insight to the film.
Spike Lee’s take on Chan-wook Park‘s revenge thriller may have eluded critics on the festival circuit, but one insider did manage to shed some light on it. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, lead star Josh Brolin expressed his preference for the three-hour director’s cut as opposed to the theatrical version, saying that it was “both quieter and filled with more character-centric moments.” His opinion seems to indicate a more action-driven film, and, in effect, a departure from Lee’s usual penchant for dialogue and character interaction. It also means that fans can, hopefully, look forward to the longer cut on the coming DVD/Blu-ray release.
A new red band spot also arrived to help movie goers prepare for inevitable violence and gore, only this one has a fun twist. In it, Brolin’s character Joe Doucett goes from rigorous exercise to beating up bad guys in what’s packaged as a sort of commercial for the Oldboy workout. It’s certainly a much lighter experience compared to the straight-forward red band trailer we posted this summer. See the video, courtesy of Esquire, below, along with a featurette on Brolin’s transformation.
Oldboy opens in theaters on Nov. 27th.
What do you think about Brolin’s statement? Do you think it will color your view of the film at all?