Somewhere a kitten has died. Kitamura announces he wants to remake ‘Versus’

Reader Comments

1. Kurt Halfyard 07/25/2008 @ 6:27am

   “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.

2. toddly6666 07/25/2008 @ 6:44am

   Who cares if they remake it - this film sucks first of all - it can’t get any worse. Awesome trailer, awful movie.

3. Swarez 07/25/2008 @ 7:00am

   Way to go Kitamura, fuck up the only good thing you’ve ever done.

4. JustinD 07/25/2008 @ 7:15am

   He did indeed say this at Fantasia.

   How do you fuck something up that already exists? I feel sweaty. There’s a lot of unnecessary rage in the room.

5. sarkoffagus 07/25/2008 @ 7:26am

   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.

6. PeachHipGirl 07/25/2008 @ 7:29am

   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.

7. Zwanster03 07/25/2008 @ 7:37am

   I like his films more than most people, but damn, what the fuck is the point in remaking Versus in america? Completely retarded.

8. indiemaker0583 07/25/2008 @ 8:08am

   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.”

9. Pelle 07/25/2008 @ 8:12am

   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.

10. Collin Armstrong 07/25/2008 @ 8:32am

    Oy vey.  Not what the film world needs.  Mack, you know us well.

    I hold out hope for MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN all the same.

11. Rhythm-X 07/25/2008 @ 8:32am

    VERSUS was a watchable rental.  GODZILLA FINAL WARS was one of the biggest wasted opportunities I’ve ever seen.  Watching extended (and bad) kung fu sequences in what’s supposed to be Godzilla’s grand send-off made me never want to see any of his films ever again, including the one that seemed like a watchable rental at the time.  That’s all I have to say about this guy.  If he can redeem himself with the MEAT TRAIN, good for him.  But I bet there’s guys dressed like Neo flying around in that as well, somewhere.

12. cracked 07/25/2008 @ 9:22am

    the original sucked and the remake will suck. no news here.

13. Jahsoldier 07/25/2008 @ 10:00am

    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.

14. JustinD 07/25/2008 @ 11:17am

    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.

15. Ivo Brito 07/25/2008 @ 11:51am

    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.

16. Collin Armstrong 07/25/2008 @ 1:08pm

    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.

17. ChevalierAguila 07/25/2008 @ 1:42pm

    Alive is his most tolerable one, and mostly just for Hideo Sakaki being in the main role.

18. crazybee 07/25/2008 @ 2:48pm

    I’ve never seen so many snooty elitist “haters” on one site before.

19. Nippon Cinema 07/25/2008 @ 3:24pm

    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.

20. Rhythm-X 07/25/2008 @ 4:39pm

    It’s not MY fault the guy’s movies suck.  Tell you what - in future I’ll lie about it to protect the feelings of people who aren’t comfortable enough with the things they like to defend them without attacking the people who disagree with them as “snooty haters”.  You sound like the people shitting on anyone who thought that DARK KNIGHT was anything less than a blowjob combined with the Rapture multiplied by a really good slice of chocolate cake with a side order of money in a bowl.

21. Rhythm-X 07/25/2008 @ 4:46pm

    Snooty ELITIST haters, sorry.  Think I’ll go watch FINAL WARS.  It has the shitty martial arts action lacking from other, lesser Godzilla films.

22. Swarez 07/25/2008 @ 5:49pm

    What’s snooty and elitist about not liking the guy’s films?

    I liked Versus and Azumi but I will never forgive the guy who single handedly destroyed the Godzilla franchise.

23. BtoFu 07/25/2008 @ 6:23pm

    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.

24. JustinD 07/25/2008 @ 6:37pm

    I have to side with Crazybee on this one. Some of the comments seem to be from people who had their lunch money stolen from Kitamura since the 1’st grade.

    I see a Versus Remake as this - Zombies in a Forest with Kung-Fu. There’s nothing more to it. It caters to an audience that lives off of style and nothing else. Substance, characters and a tight quick moving story are not his strengths.

25. JustinD 07/25/2008 @ 6:38pm

    Though, Rhythyx - X’s comments did make me laugh, especially his mini Dark Knight rant.

26. Swarez 07/25/2008 @ 6:52pm

    Funny, you never hear people say “Elitist snooties” when the subject is about Brett Rattner, McG or Paul W.S. Anderson.

27. Collin Armstrong 07/25/2008 @ 7:45pm

    Well played, Swarez

28. Brad 07/25/2008 @ 7:48pm

    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.

29. crazybee 07/26/2008 @ 6:55am

    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?

30. Novastar 07/26/2008 @ 10:14am

    Polish the script? Versus had a script?

31. Swarez 07/26/2008 @ 11:53am

    Bee. I ask again. How is it elitist to not like the guy’s films.

32. Rhythm-X 07/26/2008 @ 1:27pm

    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 shatter these damnable chains!

    Or are you one of them, Swarez?  I think you might be.

33. Swarez 07/26/2008 @ 8:32pm

    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.”

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