Kindle Vella

[Pajamaman]

The problem with remakes is that the original is remade because the original often contained something inspired--i.e. the lightning in the bottle. That lightning is impossible to recapture.

I would prefer that movie-makers did something original. But it seems to me that they play it safe these days. It's become more about money than art than ever before. Coppola said that Apocalypse Now would never be made in current times because financers would never take that kind of chance nowadays. No more Ben Hurs, no more Thief of Baghdads, lots of Spider Man.

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Movies like 300 and the HBO series Spartacus make me a lot more sympathetic to complaints about gratuitous T&A. I actually liked both (well, the first season of Spartacus, the second season was terrible), in part because ancient Greek and Roman history is one of my hobbies(not that either are very accurate from a historical basis), but nudity and guys in loin clothes was a bit over the top. I'm sure others enjoy it, though.

If you haven't read the original novel Spartacus, I recommend it. It's a great work conceived by the author while imprisoned during the McCarthy era. It's nothing like the film; a different story altogether.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

With their nurses and walkers.

Because 65 is so old and decrepit.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

CHiPs was remade as a movie and it was terrible.

The Fantasy Island movie is also terrible. It was made into a horror movie.

Why anyone would expect either movie to be anything but terrible given the source material is beyond me. Were you forced to endure these movies at gunpoint?

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by John F

Actually, I was expecting Hitch to comment on the male eye candy.

On 300?

Oh, hubba hubba. No doubt.

Let's face it--Gerard Butler has never looked that good. And just about all the rest, too. (Michael Fassbender....) Hell, for that matter, Lena Headey looked fantastic, for those on the other side of the street, although I don't think she had a six-pack. Don't recall.

Hitch

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

CHiPs was remade as a movie and it was terrible.

The Fantasy Island movie is also terrible. It was made into a horror movie.

On no! CHiPs and Fantasy Island? Please don't desecrate those classics! If they ever touch B.J. and the Bear, it's on!

One movie that may be terrible (I've not seen) is the Banana Splits movie. It was made into some sort of slasher movie.

Thanks for the reminder. I've wanted to see that one!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Luffy

Spielberg is finished. His BFG movie was terrible. He will go down in history as one of the greats, but he no longer knows how to put together good scenes like he did in Saving Private Ryan, and Schindler's List.

I never saw the original BFG. But I did like the remake of BFG.

But I've seen both versions of The Witches and the remake is not nearly as good as the original.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is so much better then Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I like Wilder as Wonka much better then I did Depp.

Why is it that some TV shows get made into movies and the moves are awful and not really like the TV series? Not all movies from TV series are bad. Some are good.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Oh, c'mon Luffy....are you saying that a director can't have one lousy movie? In what reality? Every director in the universe has at least one crap movie, if not more. Personally, I hated his War of the Worlds remake a LOT more. (I thought if I had to hear that kid scream one. more. time. I'd stand up and shoot the screen--or gouge my own ears out. Anything to make it stop.)

Even Hitchcock had failures. And look, Hollyweird is still giving whats-is-name money--M. Night Shymalan (sp?) and sweet Moses, that guy has had failure after failure.

Hitch

I really like the original War of the Worlds. The Tom Cruise remake is dreadful. So is the Fox TV series.

The Day the Earth Stood Still is really good. But the remake, stinks.

The Thing is a remake that's much better then the original.

The Little Shop of Horrors remake is much better then the original. The camp in the remake helps to make it better.

The original Casino Royale was terrible before the remake was even an idea. The remake is much better even though it's completely different.

I've not seen the original, but I have seen the Judy Garland and Lady Gaga versions of A Star is Born. I like the Lady Gaga version better.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by issybird

Why anyone would expect either movie to be anything but terrible given the source material is beyond me. Were you forced to endure these movies at gunpoint?

But the movies could have been so much better. One I saw in the theater when I had an unlimited movie subscription and the other I saw on my movie subscription with my TV service provider.

CHiPs and Fantasy Island were TV shows I used to watch. I'm waiting for The Love Boat movie.

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I never saw the original BFG. But I did like the remake of BFG.

The titular BFG was badly miscast, IMO. I don't even want the BFG to look like Quentin Blake's sketches. But I do feel strongly about the BFG himslef.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've not seen the original, but I have seen the Judy Garland and Lady Gaga versions of A Star is Born. I like the Lady Gaga version better.

Well, see, what I said? Different horses, different courses.

I hated the Gaga version. I loved him in the role; but everytime she opened her mouth, I kept waiting for the big moment. The moment where you're blown away by her voice, right? Like Steisand, or even, for that matter, that scene in Burlesque where Chistina Aquilar breaks out in song on the stage and floors you. And it never came. I assumed that Gaga, like all the other ladies before her who'd had the role, could bloody SING. I mean, that dropdead, knock-you-out voice...and it just never happened.

I found all the poor-pitiful-me, I'm not beautiful stuff really offputting, too. I mean, Streisand isn't winning any beauty contests any time soon, either. I could have forgiven a lot for THAT type of voice, but it's not there. I loved Garland's version and Streisand's. This one? Man, honestly, I thought casting her ruined it. Loved Bradley Cooper in it, though. He continues to surprise me with his acting chops.

Hitch

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I really like the original War of the Worlds. The Tom Cruise remake is dreadful. So is the Fox TV series.

So is the book funnily enough. Starts okay, I guess. The ending is the biggest deux ex machina EVER!

[Deskisamess]

Love love love the Judy Garland SIB, the song early on, The Man that Got Away, is amazing. It's too bad some scenes were lost, and have still photos used at those points. I also like the Janet Gaynor version because I like Fredric March.

I've never watched the one with Streisand, because I don't like her. We have the new one recorded but haven't watched it yet. I'm not really a Gaga fan, mostly because we don't really follow current music. She has a good voice, but nobody sings like Judy.

I'm of the opinion this movie didn't need remaking.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

Love love love the Judy Garland SIB, the song early on, The Man that Got Away, is amazing. It's too bad some scenes were lost, and have still photos used at those points. I also like the Janet Gaynor version because I like Fredric March.

I've never watched the one with Streisand, because I don't like her. We have the new one recorded but haven't watched it yet. I'm not really a Gaga fan, mostly because we don't really follow current music. She has a good voice, but nobody sings like Judy.

I'm of the opinion this movie didn't need remaking.

I'm with you there. I liked the Cooper casting, and before anybody thinks "oh, yeah, her, well, he's hunky," that wasn't it. (Okay, mostly not it.) He did a nice job with the part.

But Garland and Streisand...I mean, talk about setting the bar. I didn't luv for Streisand's character portrayal, but she actually did a decent job with it. Better than I expected. And Kristofferson...well, he was bloody perfect for it. Born to play that part.

But Gaga's voice ain't nuthin' to write home about. I mean, as I mentioned earlier, being a bit (ahem) older, I never followed or knew anything about "Xtina," (Christina Aquilera) and to my shame, wrote her off as some pop tartlet. Never gave her a moment's thought. One day, Mr. Htich and I are sitting here, nuthin' on the Boob Tube, we see this movie and altho it's been roundly panned, we both love Cher, (another enjoyable voice!) so I turn it on. Mostly as background noise, while we're both reading.

Holymother, when that girl opened her mouth in the big "the show must go on" scene, if I'dda had knitting, I'dda dropped it. The one song she'd done earlier, in the opening small-town-girl-in-the-cafe shtick, was nothing. This? I was amazed that I'd never heard her before, old or not. And she blows it out, in every other piece, throughout.

THAT, to me, is the kind of moment I want, when I watch SIB. Garland, Streisand (honestly, can't pull the Gaynor version in my noggin, atm), they have that. Gaga simply doesn't and it really brought the quality of the film, the impact, all of it, down. Doooowwwwwn. Of course, that's must MHO, YMMV.

Hitch

[Deskisamess]

The version with Janet Gaynor isn't a "musical" so she doesn't sing. It was made in 1937, and won an Oscar for Best Writing and Original Story. Gaynor and March were both nominated as well. It is the original SIB.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

The version with Janet Gaynor isn't a "musical" so she doesn't sing. It was made in 1937, and won an Oscar for Best Writing and Original Story. Gaynor and March were both nominated as well. It is the original SIB.

That's why I couldn't yank it out of my brain. I remember March, but her--not so much. I'll have to scrounge it up and rewatch it.

Thks!

Hitch