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‘I Saw the Devil’ is Devastating, Fascinating, and Totally Amazing

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I Saw the Devil

Kim Jee-woon (A Tale of Two Sisters, The Good The Bad and The Weird) has created a masterpiece of tension, terror and tragedy in his 2010 film, I Saw the Devil.

It was announced in 2014 that Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett (The Guest, You’re Next) have been slated to create the American remake (Click here for more info). For a film that is so uniquely intense, brutal, and heartbreaking, it will certainly provide a challenge.

In I Saw the Devil, NIS agent Kim Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun, The Magnificent Seven) embarks on a quest of revenge when his fiancée is brutally killed by a psychopathic murderer, Jang Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik, Oldboy). Their twisted game of cat-and-mouse descends into chaos as they engage in ruthless acts of ferocious retaliation.

First off, let me just say that the casting is perfection. Lee Byung-hun and Choi Min-sik are captivating as they trade the roles of hunter and prey. Their characters are both unstoppable forces and immovable objects, trapped in a battle of life and death.

It’s absolutely fascinating to watch how they travel further and further into darkness, knowing that there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. Both actors bring their A-game and, for such a bleak film, they make it very enjoyable.

via IMDb

I Saw the Devil is unflinching in its approach, taking the audience on a violent journey into madness. We spend the first act of the film in observation mode, tracking our hero and villain separately to show their dedication to their work.

Soo-hyun is sharp, focused, and committed to tracking down his fiancée’s killer. Kyung-chul is a savage and vicious opportunist, finding his victims as often as he can.

The second act is where we really have some fun. The first meeting between Kyung-chul and Soo-hyun thunders in like a freight train. From there, the action does not let up as Kyung-chul frantically tries to get the upper hand in this demented game of catch-and-release. He’s tired, furious, and completely bewildered. With moments of the darkest slapstick comedy you’ll ever see, it’s incredible to watch.

via IMDb

The film has justifiably received high praise for its cinematography and direction. Every action sequence is brilliantly shot, showing the full power and frantic skill of each character.

There’s one scene in particular that involves a tracking shot in a moving vehicle that strikes a balance somewhere between bizarre comedy and horrific violence. It’s gloriously filmed, visually striking and very bloody.

As a whole, the practical effects are visceral. Each torturous act is filmed from a close angle and the shots are held to completion. Just like our villain, there’s no way for the viewer to escape.

via IMDb

Ultimately, I Saw the Devil is sincerely haunting. It shows us how, even as civilized people, we can be horrifically destructive. All-encompassing hatred will transform and consume. In our natural world, the real devils are not demonic, they’re human.

Honestly, I could go on for days about the emotional landslide of this film and how it will punch you in the gut and leave you breathless. However, it would probably either be a paragraph of spoilers or just a lot of passionately unintelligible sounds that do not translate well as text. Mostly the latter.

There are so many reasons why it’s a personal favorite. This two-and-a-half-hour march of complete devastation is so absolutely heavy, but oh my god I love it. The acts of violence are insanely intense, and every single time they still make me squirm.

It’s a film that is, at times, gruesomely difficult. However, once you start watching, it’s impossible to turn away.

via IMDb

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New ‘MaXXXine’ Image is Pure 80s Costume Core

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A24 has unveiled a captivating new image of Mia Goth in her role as the titular character in “MaXXXine”. This release comes approximately a year and a half after the previous installment in Ti West’s expansive horror saga, which covers more than seven decades.

MaXXXine Official Trailer

His latest continues the story arc of freckle-faced aspiring starlet Maxine Minx from the first film X which took place in Texas in 1979. With stars in her eyes and blood on her hands, Maxine moves into a new decade and a new city, Hollywood, in pursuit of an acting career, “But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.”

The photo below is the latest snapshot released from the film and shows Maxine in full Thunderdome drag amid a crowd of teased hair and rebellious 80s fashion.

MaXXXine is set to open in theaters on July 5.

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Netflix Releases First BTS ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Footage

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It’s been three long years since Netflix unleashed the bloody, but enjoyable Fear Street on its platform. Released in a tryptic fashion, the streamer broke up the story into three episodes, each taking place in a different decade which by the finale were all tied together.

Now, the streamer is in production for its sequel Fear Street: Prom Queen which brings the story into the 80s. Netflix gives a synopsis of what to expect from Prom Queen on their blog site Tudum:

“Welcome back to Shadyside. In this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. But when a gutsy outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of ’88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.” 

Based on R.L. Stine’s massive series of Fear Street novels and spin-offs, this chapter is number 15 in the series and was published in 1992.

Fear Street: Prom Queen features a killer ensemble cast, including India Fowler (The Nevers, Insomnia), Suzanna Son (Red Rocket, The Idol), Fina Strazza (Paper Girls, Above the Shadows), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Cinnamon), Ella Rubin (The Idea of You), Chris Klein (Sweet Magnolias, American Pie), Lili Taylor (Outer Range, Manhunt) and Katherine Waterston (The End We Start From, Perry Mason).

No word on when Netflix will drop the series into its catalog.

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Live Action Scooby-Doo Reboot Series In Works at Netflix

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Scooby Doo Live Action Netflix

The ghosthunting Great Dane with an anxiety problem, Scooby-Doo, is getting a reboot and Netflix is picking up the tab. Variety is reporting that the iconic show is becoming an hour-long series for the streamer although no details have been confirmed. In fact, Netflix execs declined to comment.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!

If the project is a go, this would be the first live-action movie based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon since 2018’s Daphne & Velma. Before that, there were two theatrical live-action movies, Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), then two sequels that premiered on The Cartoon Network.

Currently, the adult-oriented Velma is streaming on Max.

Scooby-Doo originated in 1969 under the creative team Hanna-Barbera. The cartoon follows a group of teenagers who investigate supernatural happenings. Known as Mystery Inc., the crew consists of Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and his best friend, a talking dog named Scooby-Doo.

Scooby-Doo

Normally the episodes revealed the hauntings they encountered were hoaxes developed by land-owners or other nefarious characters hoping to scare people away from their properties. The original TV series named Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! ran from 1969 to 1986. It was so successful that movie stars and pop culture icons would make guest appearances as themselves in the series.

Celebrities such as Sonny & Cher, KISS, Don Knotts, and The Harlem Globetrotters made cameos as did Vincent Price who portrayed Vincent Van Ghoul in a few episodes.

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