The synopsis: An advertising executive is kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his punishment, only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment.
Read some semi-reliable early reactions over at Screenrant.
I like this poster, especially the well-defined choice of the Japanese/Chinese brush stroking style used for the film title.
And it’s a Spike Lee film.
‘Nuff said!
(Just hoping it won’t turn out to be another Inside Man. xD Would have been a waaaste of time and energy for this talented director. . . .)
Screen Rant’s “deranged masterpiece” notation makes this a must.
I miss the messy, off-the-cuff Spike Lee and this makes me think he’s back.
I love it. I love it. I love it.
It’s gonna zip by over the heads of the mainstream, but for cinephiles this is a joy to behold. Even if I didn’t know the story and all I had to go on was this poster I would be sold.
So this film, isn’t a joint?
that was the first thing i noticed too!
Best Remakes Ever
(off the top of my head)
William Friedkin’s SORCERER and David Cronenberg’s THE FLY
Ted finally finds his future wife and then this happens to her.
I like the talent behind it, there’s something striking to the poster…but only partially. It looks cartoony/goofy. There’s just something off about Brolin’s positioning.
I like the idea of Brolin emerging from a remote hole in the ground — but if I’d been involved in designing this artwork I would not have chosen the image of him climbing out of the trunk (wrong proportions and spoilery).
This makes it look like he’s Houdini or performing a contortionist stunt rather than finding escape or release from oblivion.
The distant figure in the bright raincoat with umbrella is eye-catching but it feels way too derivative. Makes me think of Don’t Look Now and appears as if they’re intending to replicate a quirky Asian aesthetic for no good reason.
I don’t want or need Oldboy to be reproduced with English language dubbing. That’s what the oddball marketing seems to be selling. I want an entirely new slant on the material — and I really trust that Spike Lee will deliver it.
Somebody needs to tell the marketing team that this isn’t a Tarantino exploitation genre mash-up. (and I hope to god it isn’t.) Do they not see that the tone of this poster isn’t tragic or menacing? Do they think Americans don’t recognize that the Mysterious Lady in Pink is practically a Japanese cliche?
Don’t get me wrong. I agree with glimmer that it’s refreshing to see them think outside the box (har har) , But this sets us up to expect something more clownish than intriguing.
Although I’ve not read it, the original manga is apparently more somber and thoughtful, and not nearly as dark and violent…I’m hoping this adaptation follows suit. It would be interesting to see those two different takes on the source material.
And don’t eveeeeen get me started on that How I Met Your Mother yellow umbrella…a bit of humor before my coffee.
You’re right and I didn’t even pay attention to the size of the trunk. I really feel like this poster has a European feel to it which makes me wonder what kind of a style Spike Lee will be going for. I have faith in Brolin most of the time as an actor but thinking now he may be too gruff, which could be what the part calls for once he’s relased. I loved the original but it didn’t need to be remade. Also, with all the colors on the poster…it’s got a jarring feel. Purple and yellow together against all the green and black? No sir.
I rented the original and couldn’t get past 20 minutes of it. I turned it off when he raped the young waitress (his daughter)….so I’m not sure about seeing this by Spike….will wait for the reviews.
I just can’t get behind this. Americans remaking foreign films within a few years of their release is the lamest, saddest kind of film-making. Especially something as unique as this film, which is so much about South Korea and the style of Chan-Wook, I just don’t see why this is in any way necessary.
The Korean film is an adaptation of a Japanese Manga of the same name, so I find it kind of funny to lament Americans re-adapting something that in itself was already an adaptation for lack of uniqueness.
Who knows, maybe we’ll get something closer to the original source material and two great films will come out of it?
Oh ok, I didn’t know it was based on Manga. If there is enough left in the source material to merit a different take on the story than that’s a different story. I just worry it’s going to be the usual, watered down, American remake, overdose on style, and lose the plot!
like this poster especially a surprise for a bigger american film(yeah, i know it’s remake) and the genres it’s gonna be lumped with. cool surprise. i hope they go with something like this when the newspaper ads/posters for theaters hits…