About Movies, not Nature (includes swearing)

[urbpan]

Let the destroying of childhood memories commence!
With new versions of
Willie Wonka
Hitchhiker's Guide
The Pink Panther
Star Wars
Batman
War of the Worlds

pleasedontsuckpleasedontsuckpleasedontsuck

(Go ahead and fuck up The Dukes of Hazzard, The Longest Yard, The Bad News Bears, and Bewitched, I don't care.)

Comments

[badnoodles.livejournal.com]

I have a small amount of hope that Willy Wonka will be good. I generally like Tim Burton's work as a director, and if there's anyone that can pull off simultaneously creepy and benevolent like Gene Wilder, it's Johnny Depp.

HGTTG doesn't bother me too much plotwise- none of the versions have followed each other - but if it's not funny, I'll be sad.

Pink Panther looks so awful it hurts.

I've given up on Star Wars. Sure, I'll go see it, but I'm so ambivalent that it can't make me any sadder or more disappointed with the prequel trilogy.

I don't know enough about Batman or WotW, except that Christian Bale was a convincing enough "brooding badass" in Equilibrium that he can probably do justice to the Dark Knight - certainly better than George Clooney, at any rate.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I feel the same way about Willy Wonka ("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," in fact, the same title as the book, which is encouraging). Tim Burton should get it right, and Johnny Depp has shown that he can bring life to bull plop like "Blow" and "Sleepy Hollow."

Steve Martin should know better than to try to walk in Peter Sellers' footsteps. Very dangerous.

I also feel the same way about Star Wars. It can't get worse, right? At least there seems to be lots of wookiees. Hopefully gorilla suits and not cgi.

Batman, well, you gotta love Batman. Maybe this will be the first good Batman movie.

Hitchhiker's Guide is making me really nervous. With Douglas Adams dead the potential to screw it up is great. It has to be funny, or they will have missed the point entirely (hollywood never does that, does it?)

Cruel Shows

[brush-rat.livejournal.com]

Steve Martin seems to making a career out of remaking movies he really shouldn't, which is a shame, because he can be brilliant when he wants to. Anyone see "The Spanish Prisoner?"

Star wars? Eh, whatever. War of the Worlds? just can't imagine any reason to see it. Pink Panther? Cripes, even Seller couldn't to a decent Seller impression in the last couple flicks. Willy Wonka. My first thought when I heard it was being made was to wonder why. Depp and Burton. Okay, that' seems worth the remake. Batman. Well, I thought the first Burton one was fine. This looks promising.

Hitchhikers Guide is my hands down favorite book, so I was extremely nervous about the film. Of course, the special effects have got to beat the Dr. Who cast offs of the original movie. I became much less nervous after reading an interview with the writer, who seems to get it and seems to be generally concerned that D.A. isn't around to finish the script. Of course, they had to tack Hollywood conventions on to it, stapling on what I imagine will be an unwieldy villain and love story, but these were concessions D.A. had already made before his untimely passing (does anyone have a timely passing?) The important point to remember is that there have been a number of different versions of the story already (radio play, TV show, book, sequels, comics, a coffee table book and other stuff I'm too tired to remember.) No version has destroyed the others. Casting looks good. I'm particularly happy to see the Galaxy Quest reunion and Arthur looks pretty much just the way he did in my head. I certainly didn't picture Ford that way, but the footage I've seen looks like he's got it down. I perused the press kit for a few minutes today, but I didn't gain any major insights from the quick glance.

P.S. The longest Yard? Adam Sandler as a Bad Ass crashed and burned football player. I have trouble imagining him athletic enough to play a convincing golfer, yet he keeps making sports films. How did he blow the audition for Fever Pitch? Actually, the whole concept makes me want to track down the original, which I remember loving as a kid. It'll probably turn out to be painful to watch if i do track it down.

As for the remake, I'm going to predict that Caretaker somehow survives and Adam Sandler is acquitted and released from prison by the end. Oh yeah, and he'll marry the wardens secretary, played, no doubt, by Drew Barrymore.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

I've given up on Star Wars. Sure, I'll go see it, but I'm so ambivalent that it can't make me any sadder or more disappointed with the prequel trilogy.

I feel the same way about Star Wars and it makes me sad. I kinda wish Peter Jackson would take it over.

[ms-cantrell.livejournal.com]

ok. the willie wonka isn't a remake, is it? i thought it was a continuation. i'm really not optimistic about hitchhiker's guide. it seems way too ambitious.

[miz-geek.livejournal.com]

My fingers are crossed, at least for Willie Wonka and Hitchhiker's. I hadn't even known about Pink Panther. I've mostly given up on remakes. That way it's possible I'll be pleasantly surprised. Not likely, but possible.

[zipotle.livejournal.com]

Apparently they're redoing Charlotte's Web too! WTF?!?

[omphalina.livejournal.com]

Don't know about Willy Wonka. I mean, the first version was perfect! A masterpiece! But Depp and Burton rock, especially as collaborators. Somehow a remake, though, just seems...well...wrong!