NEWS: Josh Brolin As Oldboy

One of my all-time favourite films is about to get molested by Spike Lee as he gives Oldboy a going over. Oh and Josh Brolin's going to be in it.


Do you remember when Spike Lee used to make films about racial equality? Some that were a bit hard hitting? Maybe he feels with Obama President that everything is equal, but whatever it is, why is he doing Oldboy? Handled so carefully by one of my favourite directors Chan-Wook Park, it's hard to think that such an effortlessly perfect film should be put under the Hollywood gloss.

In any case, they are doing it and will ruin it for the millions of people that will see it, then see the original and say the original is better - but then these are the people who should just watch the original anyway.

In any case, Josh Brolin is going to be in it and I like him, so it can't be too bad, and Christian Bale is rumoured to be playing the rich, young man out for blood. Also it will apparently be closer to the original manga rather than the Korean film - which at least promises to be different. However because Roy Lee is producing it, after converting Infernal Affairs for The Departed, people are hoping it will be a high caliber. However, I thought The Departed was a shoddy interpretation of Infernal Affairs to be honest, so I'm not that bothered. Also, this was the film I took my girlfriend to see on our first date, almost 7 years to the day ... wow ....

NEWS: Colin Firth To Star In Park-Chan Wook's "Stoker" Written By ... Wentworth Miller?

Colin Firth seems to be getting better and better in my eyes - but still has a long way to go to prove he is one of the best actors on the planet at the moment. A very long way. But working with one of my favourite directors helps.

The last Park-Chan Wook film I saw was "I'm A Cyborg" but since then, I've wanted to see the short "Night Fishing" (mentioned in this blog last year) and "Thirst" - which I haven't seen, but it's supposed to be good. Unfortunately, as much as I thought "I'm A Cyborg" was good, it wasn't great. But then "Oldboy" was amazing and was actually what I saw on my first date with the girlfriend. Though we had seen about a million films beforehand together. But this was 'official', you know.

Anyway, Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska will be in his first English-language film and will be written by Wentworth Miller. You know, the main guy in Prison Break? Resident Evil 3D? That guy. You know he's gay right? He's written the screenplay. No-one else seems to be finding this quite strange seeing as this is his first screenplay.

The film is about Vampires, much like "Thirst", but completely different. Forget the fangs and blood. This is about someone who 'preys on the innocent'. Firth has made it clear he wants to move away from his British, stereotypically posh boy image and concentrate on expanding his horizons. If you've won Best Actor then you can pretty much do what you want safe in the knowledge that you've achieved the world's highest honour. It'll be great to see him do something different as part of the reason why I can't stand him is he is so painfully British and bland, so hopefully doing some evil horror stuff in an intelligent Wook film will do the business. However, maybe Park-Chan Wook is selling out? A-list line-up with a screenplay written by a TV actor? I don't think he is but I imagine by hiring Firth, it might be more to draw audiences in rather than credibility. Just a thought.