Movies with enough prestige to get anniversary restorations are expected to emerge looking and sounding better than ever. But some filmmakers also take the opportunity to make tweaks, editing certain scenes differently or making small changes that improve (or don’t) the original.
Bong Joon Ho’s 2006 monster movie The Host is getting a theatrical showcase to celebrate its new 4K makeover, and the Oscar-winning director understands the urge to revisit and fiddle with one’s past output.
However, he instead focused on making the film as it stands appear as flawless as possible. He told Variety that the goal was to give viewers the sensation of watching a brand-new 35mm print, noting, “Ironically, we were using digital technology to enhance the film look of the movie.”
What’s more, wrote Variety, “Because the effects work was done in 2005 and 2006, before 4K was available, those shots had to be upscaled. Bong says the team took care that the creature still blended convincingly with the actors and their surroundings.”
He told the trade he’s happy with how The Host looks in 4K, but “he still spots minor flaws in the CGI when he watches the film now, along with parts that leave him slightly dissatisfied.”
However, he’s able to live with that slight dissatisfaction for a very good reason.
“I believe that the film is a record of what I was as a filmmaker at the time, and so I do not have any wishes to correct that,” Bong told Variety. “Just like we don’t edit or rewrite our journals, I feel like it should just be left as it is.”
The Host is returning to theaters starting November 20.
Want more io9 news? Check out the best movies and TV shows to stream this month and all the upcoming sci-fi, fantasy, and horror books that should be on your radar.
