AUDITION is a 1999 cringe-inducing cult film adapted from Ryu Murakami's novel of the same name by Japanese director Takashi Miike. You have likely seen it or have been told that you HAVE TO SEE IT by friends and strange relatives. It features a notable torture scene, which is actually very brief and you only get a few shots showing the actual torture. The scene which helped with the movies cult status focuses more on the character Asami's sadistic enjoyment of what she's doing, and boy does she love herself some torture.
The original focused on a lonely widower who gets more than he bargains for when he puts out a fake casting call to find a new girlfriend. I know a lot of people don't like subtitles, so for them they can look forward to an upcoming remake of the Japanese film with an American setting and American cast. The way I see it, this could hopefully get people searching out the original; I did that for THE GRUDGE (JU-ON: THE GRUDGE) and THE RING (RINGU) and I definitely enjoyed those Japanese horror classics more than their American counterparts.
Check out the original trailer:
This time around AUDITION‘s unlucky protagonist is Sam Davis, who lives alone with his son following the death of his wife seven years prior and is convinced by a filmmaker friend to stage the fake auditions. The former ballerina with a mysterious past he falls for is now named Evie Lawrence. Richard Gray is directing the remake and plans to shoot this fall.
As long as this remake is happening, we might as well throw out casting suggestions. Gray's SUMMER CODA starred the lovely Rachael Taylor (TRANSFORMERS), how's that for Evie?