Once Upon a Time in Hollywood...

I’ve already made it known that Forbidden Planet is one of the few film do-overs that I am excited about. Well, last night I learned that the script for the remake had leaked to the internet. What is it about human nature that we have to ruin and spoil? (I, too, am guilty to a degree. But generally I have limitations on how much I am willing to uncover about a work. I certainly don’t understand leaking a whole script!) And so, the entire screenplay is being scrapped and started up from scratch.

J. Michael Straczynski had this to say:
Meanwhile, on a wholly different note…not of triumph but of annoyance….because so much of the Forbidden Planet screenplay was leaked out, Warners and I have decided to chuck the screenplay in its entirety and start over. This is the direct result of the leaks that showed up on the nets, including detailed script reviews of a project that was barely a week old, and which would effectively destroy any anticipation of the movie because by the time it finally reached the screen in 2010 or thereabouts, the story would be old news. So we're starting fresh, and we're going to keep a tight lid on the script this
time.

So to the sites that say, "Where's the harm, it's not like they're gonna toss out the script because we blew the contents of same all over the nets," well, yes, that's exactly what it's like, and it's precisely your responsibility that a year's worth of work was destroyed.

So we start anew, with the determined hope that the next draft will be even better, and far more secure, than the last one.

Let’s hope it’s for the better, eh? Come on now, InterWeb Info Stalkers, don’t cause another delay. I really want to see this movie!

Another remake with merit is A Nightmare on Elm Street. I spoke about this one briefly in this post. It’s rapidly becoming more than a dream project. The director (Samuel Bayer), script (Wesley Strick) and location (right here in Chicago!) are set. I read a little about the changes to this one. Just enough to whet my appetite, unlike those who have to devour the whole feast like FP. Elm Street is being “updated.” That can be a dirty word sometimes. Or at least hackneyed. But in this case it seems they are using their heads. For instance, in this day and age of instant access to info, it stands to reason that the likes of an event such as your parents as teenagers taking down a child molester/killer would not be a hushed up secret to the Elm Street kids. In other words, they might as well just look it up instead of dragging the riddles of the past out of their parents. One of the kids will now have a podcast. Sounds about right. Bring it on. [Currently April 16, 2010]

And the other horror remake which I guess I am on the fence about, but holding slight hopes for is Hellraiser. Recently, Gary Tunnicliffe took a stab at a redesign of Pinhead, the head honcho Cenobite. I didn’t think he did too bad a job. No, I didn’t love it, but I could “see” it. Apparently, I had been dead wrong. Hellraiser creator Clive Barker spoke out about it, citing his reasons why the new version entirely missed the point of the character. And having heard him explain, it became clear what part of it didn’t sit right. I’m not going to outline it here (nor is there a picture) for this character, his visage and details are certainly not for the faint of heart. Quite horrific. If you’re interested, it’s out there in the ‘net. I just rather enjoyed an author saying, ‘Nope. That’s not my character.’ Let’s hope they find a suitable re-design. (Or maybe Pinhead should remain the same? [It should be noted that Tunnicliffe had stated that Pinhead did not need reinvented but tried it for the sheer challenge.])

Lastly, Heroes will be back for another season after Fugitives.

Well, amen.

Once and Future Cinema

Like many people, I’ve a love-hate relationship with Hollywood. That much should be evident in my posts about Tinseltown. Right now, however, I thought I’d mention some tidbits that actually seem as if things are going right for a change.

In this post I expressed my feelings on the remake of Forbidden Planet. In short, this is one update I can understand. Assuming it is handled with care, I am quite enthusiastic. Well, just before my Holiday break, I came across encouraging news. James Cameron has reportedly taken interest in tackling the project. Perhaps for some the over-saturation of Titanic leaves a sinking feeling. But one cannot deny it is beautifully filmed and executed expertly. And who can sneeze at the first two Terminator movies? His upcoming Sci-Fi venture Avatar features innovations in combining live-action photography and photorealistic CGI in 3-D invented by Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment. Supposedly it will revolutionize film and has Hollywood who’s-whos dropping their jaws. Who better to transport us to the Krell’s techno-magic on Altair IV? Let’s hope he’s not forbidden from doing so…

Though I am only vaguely familiar with the next film’s source material, I am much more familiar with the source of the source material. Kenneth Branagh has stepped up to direct the film version of the Marvel comic Thor. The fate of this movie has (like so many others) been all over the map. At one point the desired direction by the studio had me already buying a ticket. Shortly after, though, I felt ready to boycott it. Let me explain. Reportedly the majority of the film would take place in Asgard, the home of the Norse gods. (Drool!) But budget and production concerns scrapped the idea, opting to show very little of Asgard and focus on Earthly action. (Yawn!) Well, as of now, I’m thrilled that it is once again hailed as primarily about Norse mythology, with events unfolding in that realm. Myth is a passion of mine yet I am hard pressed to come up with a live-action film about the legendary Norse stories. I can think of two… and one of those had been a single scene that didn’t make the final cut. The film The Mask originally opened with an assemblage of the gods banishing the troublemaker god Loki into the infamous mask. Not the best depiction, but a depiction nevertheless. The other is the movie Erik the Viking. My apologies to anyone who liked this flick, but I did not. Except for when the gods appear toward the end. I quite enjoyed the spin put on it. But again, it’s not enough and/or feels non-existent. If there’s one complaint oft repeated about Hollywood it’s that nothing “new” is being done. Hollywood ransacked much of the Greco-Roman stories again and again – it’s time to see Norse myths. Well, Mr. Branagh, bring it on!

Another long gestating project is the big screen adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game. Now in this instance it’s not what’s being brought to the screen that makes me smile. It’s the fact that as of now, it won’t be coming to the screen. According to a MovieWeb article, the movie has been kiboshed on account of Card’s “disappointment in the film's thematic direction.” He won’t allow the movie to degenerate into a “action hero” flick at the sacrifice of the complex human relationships within his novel. In other words, he wants “an honest presentation of the story.” Can you blame him? Bravo, Mr. Card! My friends Sunshine and Doc Holiday adore this series. Despite their praise over the years, I am guilty of not yet reading the books. I know, I know…shame on me. I’ll rectify it. Let’s just hope that if a movie is made, it will both rectify the current situation and satisfy the author and his fans.

And lastly, a new pic from Where the Wild Things Are has surfaced. Not overly stunning, yet not without merit. I originally posted about this adaptation here.

Hosah for storytelling.

Not All is Forbidden

I’ve already expressed my feelings on remakes. You can find those posts here and here. I hope I made it clear that in some cases, a remake can be a good idea. One of those cases is happening. In fact, I’ve been waiting for this revamp for roughly twenty years.

Forbidden Planet, through no fault of its own, deserves an update. And as it stands, it’s an amazing piece of work. It’s rich in sets, acting, script and special effects. What they achieved is worthy of applause. Can you tell I liked it? If you have not seen it, I urge you to have a look. The 1956 movie is widely upheld as a classic.

Before I delve into why (and what) I am excited about seeing redone, let me tell you one of the reasons I liked the original. Forbidden Planet is based on William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. (Which happens to be my favorite of the Bard’s collection.) Substitute a planet for an island (that sounds familiar somehow), technology for magic (hmm, perhaps it influenced me more than I realized until now), a robot servant for a captive spirit and a horrendous monster for…well, a horrendous monster (of sorts.) It works quite well.

Now, as I said, the F/X in FP are terrific. But they are limited, of course, by the technology of the age. (Which is kind of funny, considering one of the points raised by the film.) Some of it is done via animation by Disney studio. Given today’s damn-near-real F/X (meaning a combination of advanced animatronics, blue/green screen, models and Computer Generated Imagery) the bar can be raised quite high. And the original had already reached the stars. So there’s one aspect that would benefit from a remake.

It seems to me the message of the film (though not exactly steeped in unique) is now more relevant than ever. Here we are realizing dreams of our Science Fiction stories. How far can we take it? How far should we? I don’t have an answer, but FP can provide a slap in the face of the potential triumphs and dangers once more. Especially with the strides we have made since the original.

I ‘d like to see a tad more “action” put into the movie. No, I am not talking about revamping it into some shoot-em-up-let’s-see-how-many-explosions-we-can-stuff-into-two-hours type of action. Not an overkill. It’s just that the story can be rather heady. Certainly not a bad thing. If it did not have this element it wouldn’t be a masterpiece. For I hope we all know that spectacle without substance is often a waste of time. But I also know that some people have complained of the “slow parts” of FP. Thus, a little pepper of more “action” will be welcome. It isn’t as if such scenes would need to be haphazardly thrown in just for the hell of it. There are plenty of places in the script to turn up the volume a little.

I also think Leslie Nielsen should return for the new version. But this time in the role of Dr. Edward Morbius. I certainly don’t suggest him in the sense of his delightful “ridiculum” he is now known for in such works as Police Squad!/Naked Gun. He can be quite serious and dramatic. If you don’t believe me, watch his performance as Commander J. J. Adams in FP. I’m a believer in using actors from the original to be in remakes, provided that the remake is “good” and the re-casting seems appropriate. I can see Nielsen as the courteous but foreboding Morbius. I feel he would do justice to Walter Pidgeon's compelling character.

The real question, of course, is the design of Robby the Robot. To keep or not to keep? On one hand, he’s truly iconic and should not be tampered with out of respect. On the other, his goofy (said with admiration) appearance might not fit the repackaging of the movie. I’m just not sure about it. [I do know that in the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still (regardless of its merit or foibles) they tinkered with the famous sleek robot guardian Gort only to discover that he’s just not Gort without utilizing the original design. So now he looks just the same, only fine-tuned.] Let us hope there is a happy medium.

Lastly, and it should go without saying, they will need to keep the integrity, spirit and quality of the original. Not often achieved. But not impossible, either.

So there you have it… one of the few remakes to which I will nod in eager assent.
Unfortunately, we have to wait until 2010 to see the results. But after my double decade wait for it, it’s not so bad. Let’s hope we can say at least that much of the new movie.