Dibs

It’s always fun or at least psychedelic to imagine your fav books recast in alternate genres, alternate time periods, alternate countries and such. A sci-fi version of Breakfast at Tiffany’s; Beowulf as chick lit. So imagine Choderlos de Laclos’ Les Liaisons Dangereuses … set in 18th-century Korea! At least the century hasn’t changed from the novel’s original one. (The 1999 film Cruel Intentions fast-forwarded Laclos’ work to the present era, complete with pot, Sarah Michelle Gellar acting like Sarah Michelle Gellar, and a speedy Jaguar.) Korean director E J-yong has made yet another movie adaptation of the book: Untold Scandal, a blockbuster (as opposed to an art film) which broke box-office records in its opening weekend two days ago. Over 3 million ticketbuyers went to see it, tempted by a famous cast and by sex scenes that are far more explicit than in previous adaptations of the novel. “The dialogue is also elegant and rich in color, an extra bonus for native speakers of Korean,” reports Korean site Ohmynews.com.