tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post8373306903319639595..comments2024-03-05T21:05:36.848-05:00Comments on CommentaramaFilms: The Great (film) Debates vol. 87AndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-88339808614226116172013-07-29T17:58:51.109-04:002013-07-29T17:58:51.109-04:00djskit, Zardoz. LOL! Wow, what a turd of a movie....djskit, <i>Zardoz</i>. LOL! Wow, what a turd of a movie. Thank God the fashion sense never caught on either... except in <i>Borat</i>.<br />AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-30011265828159426592013-07-29T12:47:11.188-04:002013-07-29T12:47:11.188-04:00John Boorman re-made it alreday in 1974 - It was c...John Boorman re-made it alreday in 1974 - It was called Zardoz.<br /><br />Zed even flies over the rainbow to a magical world and throws water on the Wicked Witch of the Tabernacle. Give me a few more minutes and I could come up with more...djskithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13497045723185560102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-26997662550370493912013-07-29T07:48:32.783-04:002013-07-29T07:48:32.783-04:00@Bev: thanks for nominating my portmanteau for add...@Bev: thanks for nominating my portmanteau for addition to the Commentarama-nary. As far as I know, I came up with it on my own so there are no copyright issues to iron out. I used it here at least once before, I think when we were challenged to say something nice about Episode I. (Another sequel.)Dave Olsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-56710996462368290822013-07-29T00:52:23.924-04:002013-07-29T00:52:23.924-04:00Oh, and speaking on the subject of the 1939 film&#...Oh, and speaking on the subject of the 1939 film's re-watchability, Ray Bolger was asked several times about the film's ongoing popularity. Bolger played the Scarecrow in the film. He later stated that it was a stage version of the book that he saw as a child that inspired him to become an actor. When he was cast in the movie, it was originally as the Tin Man. Bolger then begged the producers to allow him to switch roles with Buddy Ebsen and play the Scarecrow. The producers, thankfully, granted his wish. (Ebsen, it should be noted, suffered a severe illness due to the Tin Man makeup and had to be replaced by Jack Haley.)<br /><br />Anyway, to get back to the point...Bolger was asked, because of the increasingly frequent showings of WOZ on TV, if he ever got royalty checks from the film. He answered, "Nope. Just immortality. I'll settle for that." I think he called it right. Rustbelthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12190297078043033514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-10296768620105002892013-07-29T00:49:03.794-04:002013-07-29T00:49:03.794-04:00"I'm not going there" LOL! Good man..."I'm not going there" LOL! Good man. <i>Tin Man</i> was actually the first time I realized just how worthless she was as an actress. "Oh, my parents were killed? Huh. Wow. I am really upset by that. (yawn)"<br /><br />Good point about the difference between remakes and just doing it again. It's hard to call something a remake when it's done 60 years late in a completely different way from source material other than the first film.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-80797088681673298832013-07-29T00:43:40.615-04:002013-07-29T00:43:40.615-04:00Outlaw, It's all about decreasing the risk... ...Outlaw, It's all about decreasing the risk... repeat what's already been proven to work.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-16008285461243270842013-07-29T00:37:47.279-04:002013-07-29T00:37:47.279-04:00Honestly, I'm not sure if the word 'remake...Honestly, I'm not sure if the word 'remake' can really be applied to the WOZ, since it's based on a book. As tryanmax noted, the story had already been filmed twice when the 1939 movie came out. And there are other versions I've seen or heard about since then. Most have been animated (there was one really good one that stuck closer to the source materal and included several details cut from the 1939 film- the many forms or disguises of the wizard, the witch's raven and wolf armies, and the Good Witch of the South- but for the life of me, I've never been able to find it.) And then there are the live action versions like 'the Wiz' ('70's blaxplotiation film) and 'Tin Man' (SyFy min-series version starring Zo...Zo...I'm not going there.)<br />I guess what I'm saying is that the story has been filmed several times like most classic fairy tales. But like trying to compete with Disney's best fairy tale animated films, no version of WOZ can live up to the 1939 movie. It's not like they didn't try. Rather, it's like K said- in 1939, they caught lightning in a bottle. <br /><br />It's kind of like Dracula. I went to Wikipedia and gave up trying to (forgive the pun) count the number of versions, sequels and variations. But think about it. Is Francis Coppola's 1992 version a remake of the 1931 film starring Bela Lugosi? Nah. They're just different versions, focusing on different material from the novel, Stoker's play version, and plenty of material added for the heck of it. (Hm...could best version of Dracula be a Great Film Debate for this coming October?) Rustbelthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12190297078043033514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-58251497108317949762013-07-28T22:48:42.367-04:002013-07-28T22:48:42.367-04:00I guess I'm alone in thinking that Sam Raimi d...I guess I'm alone in thinking that Sam Raimi did a pretty good job. Oh well, I enjoyed OZ the Great and Powerful...but I wasn't expecting much.<br /><br />Hollywood would do well to quit remaking films (and here's a novel suggestion) try making more new stuff.Outlaw13https://www.blogger.com/profile/17232117096525959967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-59238088092918319412013-07-28T22:45:57.981-04:002013-07-28T22:45:57.981-04:00T-Rav, I'll check it out when it hits HBO. Th...T-Rav, I'll check it out when it hits HBO. The RLM guys are normally pretty good.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-88472696610233336792013-07-28T22:45:29.784-04:002013-07-28T22:45:29.784-04:00Jason, the only think I can think is that since th...Jason, the only think I can think is that since those properties don't already have a history of success, Hollywood isn't interested in stealing them.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-66733201587975279492013-07-28T20:20:09.094-04:002013-07-28T20:20:09.094-04:00Scott, Burton is "weird" in a very safe ...Scott, Burton is "weird" in a very safe way. Maybe he wasn't the first time, but since then he's become very banal. He takes no risks. He does nothing unexpected. He just makes everything dark and evil looking even as it is no different than anything else.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-46129254686384408412013-07-28T18:11:32.305-04:002013-07-28T18:11:32.305-04:00Jed, I honestly didn't remember answering this...Jed, I honestly didn't remember answering this question either, so don't feel bad. <br /><br />Andrew, the RLM guys gave <i>Pacific Rim</i> a surprisingly positive review, so I don't know, it might be good.T-Ravhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10861218035729479354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-39742944081557705512013-07-28T17:25:28.646-04:002013-07-28T17:25:28.646-04:00“As for the sequels, there is a lot of material th...“As for the sequels, there is a lot of material there for "a franchise" and I'm a little surprised no one has tried it yet.”<br /><br />It’s actually quite funny when you consider how Hollywood will remake book adaptations like Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory or try to stretch one book into multiple movies (Twilight: Breaking Dawn, Harry Potter and the Deadly Hollows, The Hobbit), and here you have 13 OZ sequels written by Frank Baum alone that are nearly completely untapped. And they're in the public domain, no less! Anybody could do them. <br />Jasonhttp://www.rigelchase.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-80599252465438590242013-07-28T15:35:34.858-04:002013-07-28T15:35:34.858-04:00Andrew -
Burton was always "weird" but...Andrew - <br /><br />Burton was always "weird" but the establishment (whatever that is in this case) saw that and co-opted it. Burton now has to move on to something else and <a href="http://www.deadline.com/2013/04/tim-burton-to-direct-big-eyes-the-weinstein-company-putting-finishing-brush-strokes-on-deal-for-painting-saga/" rel="nofollow">it looks like he is.</a><br /><br />I don't blame him for his imitators.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-25072733983563022772013-07-28T13:52:21.023-04:002013-07-28T13:52:21.023-04:00Jed, LOL! In truth, Weiner strikes me more as The...Jed, LOL! In truth, Weiner strikes me more as The Great And Powerful Oz (a faker who hides behind text messaging) or as a winged monkey... all politicians are winged monkeys.<br /><br />Seriously though, couldn't you imagine a hundred midgets with their faces digitally altered to appear like Bill Clinton all singing about being members of the Lollypop Guild?AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-87874444711894423322013-07-28T13:49:59.721-04:002013-07-28T13:49:59.721-04:00Jason, I think the problem goes back to the fact t...Jason, I think the problem goes back to the fact that we are in the age of the villain. Every film now needs a villain, which means every film needs a hero to save the little people from the villain. It's everywhere in film now. It's really kind of pathetic.<br /><br />As for the sequels, there is a lot of material there for "a franchise" and I'm a little surprised no one has tried it yet.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-66977990778389944242013-07-28T13:49:44.983-04:002013-07-28T13:49:44.983-04:00are you saying, Andrew, that you would be afraid t...are you saying, Andrew, that you would be afraid to cast Weiner in the "roll" of the wicked witch, for fear he might "pull out" at the last minute. Still, paint his face green, put a floppy black witch hat on him and voila .....Tennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-90898932354083436392013-07-28T13:47:40.750-04:002013-07-28T13:47:40.750-04:00Bev, We should definitely add that to the Commenta...Bev, We should definitely add that to the Commentarama-nary!<br /><br />As for Franco and Kunis, neither impressed me. Neither felt right for the parts somehow.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-51053430009794509902013-07-28T13:46:18.267-04:002013-07-28T13:46:18.267-04:00tryanmax, That's what I thought Pacific Rim wo...tryanmax, That's what I thought <i>Pacific Rim</i> would be, but people kept telling me "no, no, it's more than that." I'll see it when it hits HBO.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-42035294458898898642013-07-28T13:45:11.301-04:002013-07-28T13:45:11.301-04:00tryanmax, The remake of Psycho was completely poin...tryanmax, The remake of <i>Psycho</i> was completely pointless. It felt like exploitation... "let's make the exact same film scene by scene only with new actors... then we'll profit!!" It was pointless and cynical.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-19228269850124126272013-07-28T13:44:24.105-04:002013-07-28T13:44:24.105-04:00Dave, I don't think reboots are a problem so m...Dave, I don't think reboots are a problem so much as bad reboots are a problem and a lack of anything else.<br /><br />The original book is very different than the film and would not make a good movie. It's not at all what people think.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-28255891286658784172013-07-28T13:41:24.245-04:002013-07-28T13:41:24.245-04:00tryanmax, I'm not a fan of Burton versions eit...tryanmax, I'm not a fan of Burton versions either. He's a one trick pony and his vision isn't interesting to me... it's just "establishment weird." If you were going to remake this film, I definitely think you need to pick someone with a real vision or someone with a great new spin on it. I don't think you can do a straight up version or just a "weird" straight up version (Burton).<br /><br />Cookies and punch.... yum.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-23350127038330900262013-07-28T13:31:28.210-04:002013-07-28T13:31:28.210-04:00Scott, I see this film about once a year and it ne...Scott, I see this film about once a year and it never grows old.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-35947121403351459332013-07-28T13:30:19.671-04:002013-07-28T13:30:19.671-04:00Mycroft, WOZ has a very high re-watchability facto...Mycroft, WOZ has a very high re-watchability factor. Nothing about it seems to get old. It's really kind of amazing if you think about it. And it's amazing how many of its lines have made it into the culture and now appear in other films, songs and books regularly.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-9758795119161283282013-07-28T13:28:58.856-04:002013-07-28T13:28:58.856-04:00K, There is something amazingly special about this...K, There is something amazingly special about this film and you could never repeat it. Perhaps that's why no one has tried directly? Maybe there are just some films that can't be copied?AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.com