I've traced this news back to the beginning of the week through Tokyograph, NipponCinema, Quiet Earth, finally to Dread Central. So you know it must be true. During that time I threw up in my mouth. Twice.
If there is one thing that we love to do around here at Twitch we sure love to pick on Japanese cult director Ryuhei Kitamura. I won't hedge any bets on it but if you ask all of our writers to name directors that frustrate us, because their level of talent compared to their bewildering output is staggering, Kitamura will likely be on each list. So it will come as no surprise if you hear the collective shaking of our fists to the heavens when we read that Kitamura has announced that he wants to remake the one film that garnered him international attention, that planted him on the cult-genre radar, that made us sit down and watch it over and over again and then endure a lot of crap films that followed afterwards, that one film - Versus.
Kitamura just announced that he's working on an American version of Versus. He just finished a draft of the script and will do one more to polish it up. It's going to be a few years before it's made, as he's doing an action film first, but he stated, and I quote: "The US Versus will be insane!"
Apparently he made this announcement at FantAsia? I blame the audience listening to him make this announcement for not getting out of your seats, running down to him, start slapping him on the forehead many times and saying, 'Bad! Bad Kitamura! Bad boy!' Holy hell! Do we really need another version of this? And what exactly does 'polish it up' mean? For his sake I hope it means cut 30 minutes from it! And can anything be more insane than the original? Good god man. Zombies. Katanas. Assassins. Female Assassins. Female Assassins in leather. Guns. Lots of guns! What could Kitamura possibly do any different to the original to make it any more insane? Does Kitamura think he has Hollowood clout now because he made Midnight Meat Train a film that won't get a wide release in the States and nothing here in Canada [unless you count the one time screening at CinemaCabre next month]?
Versus does not need to be remade. It's fine the way it is.
I apologize to those who can hear my seething coming through over the internet.
"And what exactly does ‘polish it up’ mean? For his sake I hope it means cut 30 minutes from it!"
-truer words were never spoken. Preach it Mack.
Who cares if they remake it - this film sucks first of all - it can't get any worse. Awesome trailer, awful movie.
Way to go Kitamura, fuck up the only good thing you've ever done.
Hey, Kitamura did a lot of great things. There was VERSUS and then, uh... um... let's see... Okay, I'm gonna have to get back to you.
This isn't the worst thing that could happen. I think Kitamura could do wonderful things with a bigger budget. It could be an El Mariachi/Desperado kind of thing, where the original is a much loved fan favorite and the remake is fun popcorn flick. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to open the door for other remakes.
I like his films more than most people, but damn, what the fuck is the point in remaking Versus in america? Completely retarded.
I understand the appeal of Versus, but I always thought it sucked to begin with. But the premise.... So awesome. And what a slick DVD cover... Everytime I see that Tin Box special edition at Best Buy, I keep fighting the urge to buy it. It looks so slick and badass. But then memories of Paul Anderson, Resident Evil style action with Red Headed Female ninjas running up trees, screaming & acting like spider monkeys come back to mind.
Am I the only person who thinks Azumi is Kitmura's only decent flick? The fight choreography was pretty bad, but at least I had a pretty face to look at, polished cinematography veruses the muddy, ugly look of VS. And the pacing wasn't a total mess. It was still way too long, but not nearly as aggravating.
But yeah, Kitamura is pretty bad all around. I want to believe Midnight Meat Train will be awesome, but I can't possibly imagine Kitamura building atmosophere and dread.
I remember seeing both Sky High and Alive in the theaters while living in Tokyo and asking my friend if they'd made any more sense in Japanese. "No, they still suck. But you Americans like Versus. We think that sucks here too. We don't know why he keeps getting money to make films."
I think it's safe to say at this point that Kitamura just doesn't have the goods. He isn't a good director. Versus was a fun, gory, low budget action flick. It showed a lot of potential but he's never delivered. He's already a has-been, that's why he's remaking Versus. Its like a one hit wonder band releasing a best of album, there's nothing left.
the original sucked and the remake will suck. no news here.
At first I was thinking "Yea this could be another Evil Dead/Evil Dead 2" kinda thing but as soon as I read "he’s working on an American version of Versus" that just pissed me off.
I have high hopes for Midnight Meat Train , but most his other films have been big ass disappointments. The only reason to do this in the states: more money. There is no other possible reason. Hasn't history taught him anything: Tsui Hark, Pang Brothers, Hideo Nakata.... Their Asian sensitivities is what makes them interesting directors. Trying to reproduce their success for US production companies and a US audience is a big mistake.
I caught Midnight Meat Train at Fantasia (Soon to be reviewed at FILMJUNKIES.CA *shameless plug*) and I can confidently say the man has successfully streamlined his bloated cinematic bag of tricks(The flick runs a quick 100 minutes)but he hasn't lost any of the ultra-sticky gore and energetic visual flourishes. The flick is easiest is most linear and "sucessfull" (If not the most fun) flick. It never feels like he's jumping through hoops to calm his 16 (!) producers.
I like Versus, is a low-budget classic that had more to gain if he had cut all the over the top characters and I like very much of Azumi but after that he just gone worst and worst.
Aragami was any good?? I like the Dual Project concept.
Hope that Midnight Meat Train change that.
If I hadn't already seen VERSUS, I think I would've liked ARAGAMI a lot more. The fact that it was so blatant a recycling of themes (as was ALIVE) kind of soured me on it. That said, I probably find ARAGAMI his most tolerable work and have wedged on my DVD shelves.
Alive is his most tolerable one, and mostly just for Hideo Sakaki being in the main role.
I think Kitamura is a good stylistic director, he just writes awful screenplays. I wish he would just completely wash his hands of the writing process and stick to directing other people's material. That's why Azumi didn't suck. That's also why Tak Sakaguchi's "Samurai Zombie" will suck.
Aragami, Versus and parts of Azumi I can go for. Guy should stick to short features...he even ballsed up Metal Gear on the N64 with his balletic shite.
Though, Rhythyx - X's comments did make me laugh, especially his mini Dark Knight rant.
Well played, Swarez :)
Sorry Guys, I'm a complete Kitamura apologist.
Yes, his films are bloated, full of stuff that needs a damn good cuttin', the stories and wafer thin and often useless but despite these things, I still side with him.
He really helped the Japanese film industry in many ways.
Before him, you had to be at least 40-50 yrs old to direct.
You had to do what the studio told you, always.
You had to cast boy/girl band singers in lead roles and attempt to make them look bad ass.
Kitamura fought against all of this, clashing with producers and always trying to change the static, dull style of Japanese cinema.
I completely agree with you on the things you've written but he knows how to make the most of a set and simple lighting setup. He knows how to charge up an action scene [thanks to Uden Flameworks though].
I love Godzilla but loathe what he did, according to some producers, they'll never let him work in Japan again [Final Wars was 20 Mill, one of the most costly J films ever made] but I still think despite his track record of cinema, he's made it much easier to make films here in Japan and he's shown that you can inject nice action into typical TV fare.
Aragami is nice, Versus has energy and verve. Sky High is well shot. Good enough for me.
Why apologize for defending something you like, especially when in the company of a bunch of people who clearly have no other purpose than to rain on other people's parades?
Polish the script? Versus had a script?
Bee. I ask again. How is it elitist to not like the guy's films.
Because Ryuhei Kitamura is a man who makes films that highlight the social injustices facing members of the proletariat while striking a blow at the fascist oppressors that attempt to keep them down slaving in the figurative dilithium mines. Films like LOVEDEATH, where the dildo gun represents the totalitarian forces' eagerness to rape the very spirit of the working people of the world. Kitamura is mankind's last, best hope at achieving freedom, using the Lion's Roar technique to [i]shatter these damnable chains[/i]!
Or are you one of [i]them[/i], Swarez? I think you might be.
Me? No, no no. No!
But those are some compelling arguments there Rhythm.
You had me at "dildo gun represents the totalitarian forces’ eagerness to rape the very spirit of the working people of the world."