MovieChat Forums > Janghwa, Hongryun (2003) Discussion > Did you see this or the remake first?

Did you see this or the remake first?

posted 15 years ago by generouspalmstroke
50 replies | jump to latest

I've personally never seen "The Uninvited" (though I've heard it's decent) so obviously the original for me. I think the order of which you see them really impacts your view.

I was breath-taken with the depth and drama of this movie, but after two friends and I watched it, all they did was compare it to the "The Uninvited" which I find unfair. Because they knew of the twist at the end they weren't emotionally involved throughout. And even then when I explained to them the step-mom thing (in which Su-mi is creating scenarios in her head where she plays herself and her step-mother to be there for Su-yeong) they didn't seem to care. It's my understanding "The Uninvited" didn't delve this far in, but still they were dispondant.

They always say whichever you see first you like more, which is really too bad for anyone who saw the remake before this gem.

[–] ToHelenBackAgain 12 years ago

I saw this one first, and it knocked my socks off.

The Uninvited, as best I can recall, I didn't realize to be a re-make of A Tale of Two Sisters. The "one child isn't real" trope has long been a staple of psychological horror. I don't think I made any connection between the two at the time, though both reminded me of a 1972 American film with the same conceit, which was quite good, if not in a league with Two Sisters. I'll name it in tags so as not to spoil for anyone who hasn't seen it: It's called The Other.

I didn't expect much from The Uninvited, so I wasn't disappointed. I only watched it because I like Emily Browning. With such a slight reason to sit through something, it's pretty well bound to be at least mildly enjoyable, even if it's utter, irredeemable dreck. Hey, it was better than The Return, and I watched that just because Sarah Michelle Gellar stars in it (yep, I actually got through the whole dreary thing).

But A Tale of Two Sisters is a masterpiece. The casting is perfection, as well. I read that the director originally wanted another actress to play Su-mi, and I am so glad she turned it down! I think they got exactly the right person in Su-jeong Lim. She conveyed Su-mi's anguish, rage, and deep, driving guilt subtly, but powerfully. It's so convincingly real that I get an actual physical ache in my chest, in empathy for Su-mi, when I watch this film.

"You said you'd met more interesting artichokes." "Well, he was alive then."

[–] Roddenhyzer 11 years ago

I saw the remake first, unaware that it actually was a remake of this movie (which I had on my To-Watch list for a very long time). Of course this spoiled the twist for me, which really marred my enjoyment of "Tale", because I kept looking for clues leading up to the twist rather than just watching the movie.

They always say whichever you see first you like more, which is really too bad for anyone who saw the remake before this gem.

That's often true, I guess, but in this case, I still prefer the original. I couldn't get over the incredibly annoying character of Alex in the remake and the exaggerated, almost comical "b!tchiness" of the stepmother-to-be. At least in "Tale", the stepmother's hostility and coldness were explained by the fact that both, the sister and her, were figments of the girl's imagination.

[–] Cman710 11 years ago

I saw this first, and I'm on the fence about my enjoyment of this one. The first time I watched it, I was younger, and didn't like it much at all. I just found it overall boring and uninteresting.

When i watched it when I got older, I liked it more. I still don't think I love it as much as others do. But I do like it a lot and find the storyline brilliant now that I better understood it all.

That being said I really enjoy The Uninvited as well. I think that it was an interesting take on the source material. And I especially liked how at the end, they took their own "final twist" into it rather than just going with making it completely the same as the original...
The reveal that "Mildred Kemp" was her neighbor in the mental institution the whole time sent chills up my spine when I first saw it. I thought that was excellently handled.

[–] overseer-3 10 years ago

Will someone please bring me a barf bag. I feel ill after reading Cman's pathetic, ridiculous post. LOL.

[–] amandadawnblock 10 years ago

I saw the remake back when it was first released on DVD. My cousin had talked it up like crazy, having seen it in theaters, so I was excited going in but ultimately I found it to be one of those movies that's a fun, pretty mindless watch but doesn't stick with you the way a good horror movie should. I agree with the assessment that it was definitely made for the teenage audience and it shows. I think it's a fun movie for when I want to just turn my brain off and be scared.

Now I should mention that I only found out that it was a remake two or three years ago. I kept meaning to watch ATOTS but kept getting distracted (or had trouble finding it) until tonight. I just finished this movie and I must say that it is definitely going to be sticking with me for a long time.

I think it's really difficult to even compare these two films because they are such vastly different movies in totally different categories. I will say that for me, ATOTS was definitely a much scarier and touching film filled with so many little nuances and haunting imagery.

[–] 10 years ago

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