Oldboy

Irv Slifkin -- Video Business, 6/28/2005

Color, R (extreme violence, mature themes, drug use, nudity), 115 min., DVD $24.95, UMD $24.99, Korean with English and Spanish subtitles

DVD: director/cinematographer's commentary, five deleted scenes, interview with director

Street: Aug. 23, Prebook: July 26

First Run: L, April 2005, <$1 mil.

Cast: Chow Min sik (Shiri), Kang Hye-jeong (Attack the Gas Station), Yu Jie-tae (Nabi), Kim Beong-ok

Director: Chan-wook Park

TARTAN/TLA

Seoul businessman Dae Su (Min-Sik) is abducted and put in an apartment prison, where he's regularly given food through a slot, drugged and framed for the murder of his wife and young daughter. When he's released after 15 years, he's given five days to find the person responsible for his imprisonment. Oldboy makes it to DVD surrounded with a recent theatrical release in major markets, strong buzz based on word of mouth and a healthy cult following. This take-no-prisoners revenge flick oozes with nihilism and scenes of unsettling violence (dental torture, anyone?) and other disturbances (live octopus dinner, kids?), but also showcases a bona fide sophistication and talent behind the camera whose frenetic style is a real attention getter. The growing audience for Korean movies (and Asian pictures in general) are sure to gobble up the title, while open-minded American action fanatics might just give in based on the feedback they've heard to make it a crossover hit. In other words, expect strong sales from fan boys and converts alike.