It's unusual that Michael Haneke would say much about his films, but he has said a few words about his U.S. remake of Funny Games (Filmstalker review), or as some would call it Funny Games U.S., indeed even the film's titles call it that.

Whichever the title I wholeheartedly recommend you watch it, and Haneke agrees that perhaps it's the U.S. version that's the better.

Michael Haneke said of the film and the U.S. remake:

"I'm trying to find ways to show violence as it really is: it is not something that you can swallow. I want to show the reality of violence, the pain, the wounding of another human being.

Recently a friend and critic who recently watched FUNNY GAMES US said to me 'now the film is where it belongs.' He is right. When I first envisioned FUNNY GAMES in the middle of the 90s, it was my intention to have an American audience watch the movie. It is a reaction to a certain American Cinema, its violence, its naiveté, the way American Cinema toys with human beings. In many American films violence is made consumable."

I think he's hit the mark totally with what he's set out to do, and I shan't go into all that now, instead I suggest you read the review of the film and understand just why this is a film that talks straight to the American audience. It's definitely something you should see.

The film tells the story of a family who head to their holiday home and are held hostage, tormented and tortured by two young men and stars the great talents of Tim Roth, Naomi Watts, Michael Pitt and Brady Corbet.

To give you a little taster I have two different teasers for you to watch. There's the one entitled William Tell [QT:L:Stream] and the other is called Charming [QT:L:Stream].