To Rerelease or to Remake? That is the Question.

Dirty Dancing-1987

          Yesterday, I sat in a theater at Regal Quaker Crossing, waiting for The Lion King in 3D to begin, and I couldn't help but think back fifteen years to a time when I was five years old, siting in a red cushioned chair, waiting in extreme anticipation, for the same movie to begin. As this thought dawned on me, I not only reflected on the idea of how old I must be to see this movie both when it was originally released and again re-released, but also how truly amazing a film must be to remember seeing it when you were only five years old.

          The way I see it, there are two ways to be certain that a film is great; one, you can pin-point the exact moment you first saw the film and in a sense, the film literally leaves an imprint in both your memory and even your life. You remember how old you were, who you were with, and where you were when you first saw it. Or, you never remember a time in which the film wasn't part of your life. Some films are so significant that it seems that there was never a time in your life when you weren't watching it. These characters have become best friends, with whom you've fallen in love with, traveled with, and even spoken with, as you can remember by heart the lines and dialogue from the film, that you have recited on countless occasions. It is very difficult to say which way is more powerful, but both become indicative of representing truly amazing and classic films.

          With this thought it mind, I couldn't help but think about my growing frustration with the recent bombardment of recycled films. The Karate Kid, Dirty Dancing, Footloose, About Last Night, and Grease...all films that hold a cherished place in my heart and are significant in one of the ways I originally discussed. These classics in my mind are now being ripped to shreds by the film industry and for what reason? To make more money. All of these films have become iconic pop culture films, that have been re-released half a dozen times, and continue to make the film industry millions of dollars. Why can't this be enough?

          The reason why we love these films are for there originality! There ability to take chances and give audiences story lines that haven't been done before! By remaking these films we are taking away there imagination and brilliance. It's as simple as that. And not to mention characters that can't be replaced by other actors. These films have become so ingrained in our minds that we can not picture other actors playing these iconic roles. In a sense, they have become stereotyped. Can you imagine Justin Timberlake saying, “Nobody puts baby in a corner?” Or the cast of Glee singing songs like, “Summer Lovin'” or “Grease Lightning” together on the big screen for anything other than an episode on there show? No. Because not only does it not make sense, no one can take it seriously! What happened to our imagination's or lack there of, that we are now being forced to carbon copy the classics?

          Dirty Dancing was innovative for it's time because it featured a woman who not only got pregnant out of wed-lock, but also had an abortion. Patrick Swayze's character is close to thirty, while Jennifer Grey plays a seventeen year old girl. Do you think that parents want to take children to theaters to see a movie, made by the creators of High School Musical, I might add, and watch Selena Gomez get it on with Matt Damon? No, because even to adults that is creepy, not to mention that in today's society it would be considered robbing the cradle! And changing just a few of the story lines would change the entire film, taking away from the film's original integrity. And what would we be left with, another teeny bopper High School Musical...because I can see why we would need more of those.

          As a moviegoer, I can not criticize the film industry for re-releasing films in the theaters to make more money, because I love going to see these classic films in the theater over and over again. With this it gives viewers an even bigger sense of comrodery. Yesterday I sat in a theater, filled with over a hundred people, from ages of about one to sixty-five, while everyone sang the song “Hakuna Matata” together like a chorus line. As a lover of film it gave me goose bumps and sent chills down my spine. It makes the film all the more special to it's viewers.

          With that being said, it's not necessary to remake these films. Simply follow along in the footsteps of Disney and re-release it in theaters for a short length of time. In classic works of literature like Shakespeare and Jane Austen, no one would ever dare say, “Wow, we've really made a lot of money in the past from these works, let's find someone to re-write them and we'll re-release them to the public.” That would be insane! And like those classic novels or poetry, classic films also shouldn't be rewritten. Let moviegoers have imprints of there favorite films, characters, and quotes in there minds. Don't try to reinvent them. They are classics for a reason.


The Lion King-1994



Grease-1978



 





A New Face that Isn't So New

        I don't know how many of you guys have heard of actor Pablo Schreiber but he is fantastic (and I don't even mean just for his looks, although they do add to his appeal :) ). I first saw him in the 2010 independent film, Happythankyoumoreplease, directed by Josh Radnor. And then caught him on a few episodes of the newest season of Weeds, where he plays Nancy Botwin's Army, drug supplier, Demetri.
        After finding myself in need of a new series to watch, a few friends spoke very highly of the HBO series, The Wire and I began doing some research of my own. When I realized he was in the second season I thought, "That's it! I have to watch this series for this reason alone!" I again was pleasantly surprised to find completely different character portrayals than that of both the characters he played in Happythankyoumoreplease and Weeds. Schreiber shines in Happythankyoumoreplease, as a moralistic golden boy, in love with his girlfriend, as he pushes to make a new life for himself by attempting to persuade his girlfriend into moving out of New York City. He proves valiant after being ecstatically surprised by an unplanned pregnancy, that his girlfriend believes he will be unhappy off. In Weeds, Schreiber’s character is the mysterious type, with intense sexuality and added darkness. You never know what his character is actually thinking or how he might react. Everything about his character is extremely dangerous. Queue Nick Sobotka, strong silent type, working on the Baltimore port with connections to the criminal underworld on The Wire. As you can see, from just these three characters Schreiber’s distinctiveness can already be viewed.
        While I was only about half-way through the second season I couldn’t help but find myself being continually impressed by this actor. At this point, my interest was piqued and I couldn’t help but wonder who this tremendously gorgeous and wonderfully gifted new actor was?!? I quickly IMDB’d him and to my surprise learned he wasn’t new at all! His IMDB credential’s date back to 2001, with a role in the film Bubble Boy and also included films such as, The Manchurian Candidate, Lords of Dogtown, and even Vicky Cristina Barcelona. He also had roles in television shows Dirt, The Black Donnellys, Numb3ers, and It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. Also to my surprise, I realized that a large portion of Schreiber’s career has included many on and off Broadway shows, even earning a Tony nod for his participation in Clifford Odets classic “Awake and Sing!” (IMDB).
        Through this, I can’t help but note Schreiber’s extreme versatility as an actor and knack for choosing interesting and even odd-ball characters at times. Although I don’t see a large list of cinematic roles lined up for Schreiber in the immediate future on IMDB, he is continuing to pop up in numerous television programs including CBS’ new television program, A Gifted Man, and a new movie filmed not too far from Buffalo, in Rochester, entitled, After. While he may not yet be a house-hold name and may not ever be as recognized as huge main stream actors, I am predicting big things from Pablo Schreiber. I think he is on the fast-track and will quickly gain a larger status. I can only hope that he doesn’t lose his mysterious and quirky charm found in his recent choices of independent films and unique portrayal of television characters that I, myself, have very quickly fallen in love with.

***Images courtesy of imdb.com***

 

Schreiber as "Demetri" on Weeds

The Hamburg Palace Theatre

The Hamburg Palace Theatre is without a doubt one of the best kept secrets in Buffalo. Residing in the quaint and hospitable village of Hamburg, this gorgeous and dazzling theatre dates back to January of 1926 and has been renovated and refurbished to hold true to its elegant atmosphere of the 1920’s. The buildings ambiance is romantic and mysterious. Passerby’s cannot help but to stop in for a bucket of popcorn and a showing of their favorite film. The prices are extremely reasonable and all different genres and styles of films are shown from week to week. Here is a short video of an interview, with owner Jay Ruof, about his feelings regarding The Hamburg Palace Theatre.

Pictured above: Jay Ruof

Where the Wild Things Are

Where the Wild Things Are, directed by Spike Jonze (also directed Being John Malkovich), was an interesting adaptation of the children’s classic book. As a child, I grew up reading this wonderfully creative short story about a little boy, exploring a magical world filled with amazing and fascinating creatures. To say that this film shocked and intrigued many is an understatement, as many couldn’t really slot it into any genre, children or adult. It is very grown up, with themes of isolation and family tensions, which surprised many. Most believed they would be seeing a cheerful and playful adaptation of the children’s book, and were surprised by the dark and caliginous images and moods that radiate from the films core.

Although the film has somber feelings at times, it crosses lines of both adult and children and most importantly, doesn’t dumb down it’s audiences by any stretch of the imagination. Childhood emotions, especially those of a child coming from a broken family, are captured perfectly throughout the film. But not all viewers liked or even agreed with Jonze’s adaptation. Provided is a podcast of an interview done with fellow Hilbert College student Peggy Shea. Together we discussed the strengths and weakness of the film and her personal opinion after viewing Where the Wild Things Are (image courtesy www.impawards.com).

Click here to hear the Where the Wild Things Are Podcast

At right: Peggy Shea.

Want to check it out for yourself? Click here to view the full trailer of Where the Wild Things Are courtesy of IMDB.com