Sack FULL of Remakes...

It seems as if every time a movie comes up while talking with Banky and Clara, I unfortunately tell them, “It’s being remade.” It usually elicits eye rolls from them, too.

I just heard a rumor that El Orfanato (The Orphanage) is being redone in English. *eye roll*
In a sea of mediocre to lousy scary movies, The Orphanage is one of the few truly creepy and clever ones. Why risk tainting it by a so-so or terrible remake? (Oh sure, there’s a chance it will be good. But there’s no need for it to even be good when the original is superior to start.)

Another reason it seems to make no sense is: Hasn’t everyone who’s going to see this movie already (in theory) seen it? I mean, it pretty much infiltrated the Hollywood market. Quite publicized, quite popular. Thus, who (in theory) is going to bother to go see a remake? I suppose those who are put off by subtitles. Which, to me, is a shame that people are.

And for anyone who doesn’t already know, The Orphanage is derived from Peter Pan. Writer Sergio G. Sánchez had been so unnerved by the idea/image of a mother waiting desperately at the window for her child(ren) to return. He crafted this cool horror movie around the sad and spooky concept. Notice how many times a window is shown in the flick. That, and the little boy in it is reading Peter Pan. There are a few other more than obvious references as well.

I know I am still haunted by the sack-headed kid.

And no matter how much we complain, the unnecessary remakes will just keep coming…

Just Thought I'd Share...

Every time I hear these lyrics, I love them all over again:

My heart beat beats me senselessly
Why’s everything gotta be so intense with me?
I’m tryin’ to handle all this unpredictability
In all probability…

And later in the song, I also like:

Oh I waited for fact to come of fiction
And you fit my description

(Lyrics from “Long Shot” by Kelly Clarkson)

Wendy's Story?

Here’s another all-new musical variation on Peter Pan called Wendy.
It’s done by Jigsaw Theatre Company in Australia.
Not much info is available as of now, for the production is "coming soon." But you can read a little more about it here.
I really like this image of theirs.

The focus here is that Wendy is more of a modern young lady.
Pan with a feminist twist.

Amy Alexis Richards knows this variation quite well. ;)

Pan's at Yet Another Window...

This book, Hook & Jill by Andrea Jones, came to my attention yesterday.
Interesting, no?

If you’re wondering, I’m not concerned about contradictions with this particular novel. For you see, it’s not a direct addition/continuation to Barrie’s story. Rather it seems to be a re-telling, or a re-imagining.

What does make me cock my head, though, is that emphasis is being placed on the Neverland as dark, sinister and highly dangerous... as if this were something special this time around. Okay, yes… but how is that different from what Barrie portrays? Perhaps Ms. Jones means darker still?

And I have to admit I’m quite curious about “Jill.” The only thing that comes to mind is the Hogan movie version when Wendy declares herself as “Red Handed Jill” which is a variation from John’s name for himself, “Red Handed Jack.”

I’ll just have to get the book and find out, eh?

Learn more about this new book here.

Jones-in for More
I'm HOOKed.

WARNING: Hook & Jill is not a novel for children, as Ms. Jones will be quick to say herself. This adventure explores the grown-up side of Barrie’s tale.

Et tu, Hairë?

Some say that leaving one's mark on the world is highly desirable.
Well, does it get any more mark-ed than having people name themselves after you?
Not just name themselves after you, but shift the meaning of the nomenclature such as to represent a title of respect?
Not just a title of respect, but a full-blown superior and authoritative position?
What am I talking about? Caesar.

The name Caesar conjures up quite a bit along with it. But...truthfully, it's just a name. A familial cognomen. And yet, this name has been adopted by other guys in other countries hundreds of years later. For if you didn't already know, the words Kaiser and Czar are derived from Caesar. Imagine that. Somebody says, "Hey, I want to be the 'Caesar' of my country." The word for leader could have been used. Or law-giver. Or "top man." Or Big Cheese. Just about anything... but no, they wanted the name of a guy(s) in the past. Talk about flattery and admiration.

What makes it even more special is the origin of the word/name Caesar. According to Wikipedia, it's a kind of family nickname, passed down to the next generation. And it means: Hairy.

The Hairy of Russia?

Maybe it's just me, but I find it interesting, disturbing and pleasant all at once.
That's quite a mark.
(Not to mention pizza and gambling.)

*The pic used is Caesar from the French comics Asterix written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo. I rather enjoy Asterix. :)

If Knowledge Is Power, Then Cartoons Are Mighty (Mouse)

Yesterday, I watched CA$H CAB. I do quite frequently, actually. I let the TiVo gather them up and when I need to “veg” with some intellectual pepper, they’re always there to watch. (If you don’t know the show, you’re missing out. Everyone I have ever suggested it to loves it or had already loved it…and I learned about it from Ellen. NUTSHELL: People earn cash money for answering trivia questions while on route to their destination in a taxi.)

Okay, well, one of the questions had been to the effect of: What childhood malady is associated with cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk? I knew the answer (yea me!) but the people in the cab did not. I don’t mean that as a jab at them. It’s not like one often hears of the Mumps. (And does it even occur with frequency anymore? I’m not sure.) But again, it’s not something that comes up every day. Also, their ages seemed comparable to mine, no more than five years younger. So I wondered… why did I know it?

After moments of searching, I realized that I saw it on a cartoon as a kid. I don’t remember which one, but that brings me to my point.

Cartoons, classic cartoons at the very least, are quite educational. By classic I mean such as Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry. Amid the craziness and shenanigans, there’s real information contained within them.

That’s how I knew about the Mumps, as I said. But there’s much more. Of course, there’s the ever popular exposure to classical music and operas. Spot-on caricatures of “old” celebrities abound. Weird historical trivia… such as the Zoot Suit that Tom “needed.” The expression “The Long Arm of the Law.” Poetry, like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “Hiawatha.” Info on the World Wars. The Robin Hood legend (in both Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry). Wile E. Coyote’s personality and plight is based on Native American stories of coyotes. That’s just what came to mind right now… if I (or you) thought longer, I’m sure other bits would come to mind.

So don’t dismiss cartoons as useless visual gibberish… there’s plenty packed into them.

Some Advice...

I'm quite surprised that more people have not covered the song "Very Good Advice" from Walt Disney's version of Alice in Wonderland. It seems like the kind of ditty that someone like Bette Midler, Bjork or Barbra Streisand would be all over. (They could, of course, eliminate the crying part. [Not that it isn't appropriate in the film.]) I'd also like to hear Kelly Clarkson do a version of it. (But then, I'd like to hear her sing just about anything.)

That, and it's one of Bart's favorites.