Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
Good morning, world. I'm going to use the same first paragraph on each of the stories I post this morning, because I want to make sure it's read by as many visitors to the site as possible this morning. In everyone's rush to view the Oscars, the Independent Spirit Awards got overlooked, as usual, and I want to send all congratulations out to such worthy winners as Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek, Chris Nolan and Carrie-Anne Moss, Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff and Steve Buscemi, and MEMENTO and AMELIE. That's not to slight the remarkable accomplishment of Halle Berry and Denzel Washington last night, but simply to recognize that a lot of worthy people picked up awards this weekend, and there's more than one game in town.
And now, as we bask in the glow of what went right this weekend, let's take a look at the remake announcements for the week, a strange and mixed bag if I've ever seen one. Even though I think it's vile, I can understand remaking SEVEN SAMURAI or RING or THE IN-LAWS or WESTWORLD on some sad level because of commercial potential. But this week's list of announcements is less than predictable. In fact... it's downright bizarre.
We first mentioned the possibility of a WICKER MAN remake a little over a year ago, and in that article, Christopher Lee reacts in horror to the rumor that Joe (BLAIR WITCH 2) Berlinger is contemplating a remake of the 1973 cult film that is one of those love it/hate it affairs, an oddity that I find mesmerizing, no matter what cut of the film you see.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY!!
Now the word is that Universal is going to produce a direct remake of the film with Nicolas Cage starring for Neil LaBute. I have to admit, LaBute gives this a bit of pedigree. This is like Chris Nolan taking on INSOMNIA. This is a filmmaker to be reckoned with, and it's strong source material. According to VARIETY, LaBute will update the story of a policeman who stumbles onto a colony of modern pagans while searching for a girl who has vanished, and he will move the setting to America. That's exactly what Chris Lee didn't want to see happen.
When Jonathan Bing wrote in VARIETY that there were two remakes of WICKER MAN in the works, he somewhat misrepresented the nature of THE RIDING OF THE LADDIE, the film that Robin Hardy (who directed the original WICKER MAN) and Christopher Lee are trying to get off the ground. Again... go back to that first story on AICN, and you'll read a good description of the project, straight from Christopher Lee himself. It sounds more like a FIERCE CREATURES to FISH CALLED WANDA sort of thing. It's not so much a sequel as it is a film that was made by many of the same people that explores similar themes or ideas. Still... whatever Hardy and Lee want to do together is worth paying attention to, so I'm glad to see it getting the ink.
Under the category of "sounds innocuous and forgettable, and might just as well premiere at Blockbuster Video" is where I'm going to file the announced remake of MISTER BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE.
READ ALL ABOUT IT RIGHT HERE!!
You ever seen the original? It's an amiable, sweet-natured Cary Grant/Myrna Loy movie. Pardon me while I make Homer Simpson yummy sounds and just say "Myrna Loy" repeatedly for a moment...
Okay. Steve Carr? NEXT FRIDAY and DR. DOLITTLE 2? I guess he's proven he can make a film that has a beginning, a middle, and an end, but he's one of these guys like Raja Gosnell... can anyone tell who's behind the camera when watching one of his movies? Does he have a discernible style of any kind? A signature? A pulse?
The original BLANDINGS won a nomination for a WGA Award the year it was released, and it is a relic of a bygone day, when comedy was all about character and charm and actual wit. The dialogue in BLANDINGS is sharp and smart even now. Compared to what passes as "snap" in Carr's films, this is a lost art, and I can't imagine he'll suddenly become the crackerjack comic director this film needs.
Now, Gary Gray... him, I like. He's not consistent, but I'll be damned if I can dismiss the first FRIDAY, a film that shouldn't be as funny as it is. Gray showed a great sense of play there, helped along by a genuinely funny script by DJ Pooh and Ice Cube and star-making performances by Chris Tucker and John Witherspoon. I'd trust him with a really good comedy script.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY!!
Oh, man, I hope they give him a good script to work with. Please, Paramount, give him a good script to work with. THE ITALIAN JOB is one of those caper films that holds up, that's actually still breezy and fun and witty. It's got a good cast, including a young Michael Caine, Noel Coward, and Benny Hill, and as a kid, this was one of those movies I had an almost preposterous love for, thanks in large part to that crazed car chase.
The worst thing to do to this would be to bog it down with big stars. Instead, let Gray find a good strong character comedy cast like in FRIDAY and really mine them for gold. There's a lot of roles in this story, and it could pay off as a fast-paced modern ride.
And finally, there's the story that ran over at The Hollywood Reporter.com about a proposed remaked of BILLY LIAR by Artisan.
"Will Rokos, Academy Award nominee for original screenplay for MONSTER'S BALL, has been signed by Artisan Pictures to write the script for a remake of John Schlesinger's 1963 classic BILLY LIAR. Paul A. Kaufman, who brought the project to Artisan, is set to produce. The remake will be an updated version of the original story about a man who escapes his dreary small-town life by creating extensive fantasies. Two women are drawn in by his storytelling and believe that they are set to marry him, while a third woman leads him to wonder whether he can live without lying at all. 'Remaking this film with Will's writing continues Artisan Pictures' mandate to engage strong writing in support of good ideas, and we are excited to be working with him,' Artisan Pictures CEO Bob Cooper said."
I just saw this film recently myself for the first time. It's an interesting picture, if a bit dated and distinctly English. Tom Courtenay is very good in the lead role, a sort of harmless dreamer who has no idea how complicated and difficult his constant lying can make things. He maintains a sort of juggling act, keeping one truth playing off another, and part of what makes the film so interesting is wondering when exactly the first ball is going to drop. The film benefits greatly from the presence of a young and luminous Julie Christie as the girl who may represent Billy's one chance at living the life he's only brave enough to lie about. I wish them well with this one... it's going to need pretty much a complete overhaul, and Rokos may end up just using the suggestions that the original has laid out.
If post-Oscar lunacy doesn't gum up the works too much, we should get more remakes announced this week, a little more snow for the avalanche, and if so, I'll be back with another "Remake THIS!" for you then.
"Moriarty" out.
