Ya know how STRANGERS ON A TRAIN is a deeply flawed film screaming to be remade' Well Antoine Fuqua...

Hey folks, Harry here... Once again the thoughtlessness of Hollywood just irks me. Today over at The Hollywood Reporter, the lovely Zorianna Kit is reporting that the very talented and promising filmmaker, Antoine Fuqua is in negotiations to direct a "reconception" of Patricia Highsmith's novel... STRANGERS ON A TRAIN.

Ok, first off.... WHAT THE HELL FOR? STRANGERS ON A TRAIN is one of the PERFECT Hitchcock films. This is one that isn't flawed in the least. It is, from beginning to end, a work of unfettered genius... realized without room for improvement. It is one of the most breathtaking works of cinematic beauty. Note perfect performances, music, framing... everything. The film has already been remade twice as ONCE YOU KISS A STRANGER in 1969 then again as ONCE YOU MEET A STRANGER in 1996. OH, and as if to assure that there was no need at a reconception the entire novel was spoofed in the very funny THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN back in 1987. Suffice to say, those three films didn't wax an inch of Hitchcock's gloriously shiny head. Not only that, but the original film has been featured in referenced in over 18 other movies that I know of. In terms of Suspense films, this is holy ground.

Now what particularly perturbs me is that I feel Antoine Fuqua is an exceptionally promising filmmaker that could, if he chooses his projects carefully and precisely... well he could be a significant director. The recent look at his most recent film, TEARS OF THE SUN, by Mr Beaks provided us with the hope that Antoine has another promising film coming soon! (Click Here To Read About That Film According To Mr Thesaurus) Then after he's finished with that film, he's supposed to helm THE JACKET with Colin Farrell. So far he's steered clear of trying to repeat what Hollywood has done before. This is a very important decision for his career. For a fourth film, does he really want to cease moving towards new and unrealized material, or does he wish to simply regurgitate that which is unassailable in terms of perfection?

Instead, I suggest that Antoine Fuqua further explore my fellow Texan's literary tomes and choose a novel of hers that is perhaps less well known. One that hasn't been turned into an absolute masterpiece.

Like THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY. The film was made into a basically unseen German film in 1996 starring folks, that due to my limited knowledge of modern German cinema, I'm not familiar with. It involves some of the same themes of STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, except it is a different story. Set in Greece it follows an odd husband and wife team on vacation. The husband is crooked and his wife wanders a bit, if'n ya get my meaning folks. They knock off a cop there, of course by accident, and wouldn't ya know it, there's a witness... This American chap that decides to help them cover it up. But just as all good Highsmith novels... It couldn't end there. Instead we end up in a thrilling bit of cat and mouse, backstabbing and all sorts of great hijinks throughout Europe. PERFECT MATERIAL FOR A MOVIE!

Ok, wanna do a different one? Ok, how about THE CRY OF THE OWL. It was made into a French film in 1987 starring the absolutely delicious goddess Mathilda May (who won a César for Most Promising Actress with her performance in this), but again this wasn't as great as the novel, and while a good movie, it didn't fully realize the material. The film follows a man that becomes intrigued and obsessed with a beautiful woman he observes from his window named Juliette. He's divorced, broken hearted, and there's something enticing about her. Dead folk start showing up, and our hero is accused and suspected by everyone as being the culpret. There's a bit of THE MONSTERS ON MULBERRY STREET here and a tad of THE OX-BOW INCIDENT, but this is another great story that hasn't been fully realized here.

Then there's EDITH'S DIARY which is just a fantastic read. It's about a typical happy housewife. From all outward appearances she's a real Betty Crocker, one day though she's given a diary and she's bored with her life, so everyday she creates a different one in the diary... unleashing those other thoughts she had as she was slicing the celery, trimming the verge and waxing the linoleum. As she writes she begins to descend into madness. The novel is absolute genius, and was turned into an extremely hard to find German film from the late eighties that was very very very good, that I happened to see on Satellite about a decade ago. This is a work crying out for an amazing filmmaker to take a whack at. It has the writer as madman visions of H.P. Lovecraft and Charlie Kaufman, but the disturbed psychomania of strong stunning femme films like ROSEMARY'S BABY! This could be genius in the hands a filmmaker such as Antoine, though I've always wanted the Coen Brothers to take a shot at this one personally! Perfect material for Naomi Watts!

The point is, if you're going to explore the work of Patricia Highsmith, there is actually even better work than STRANGERS ON A TRAIN to adapt. Look what happened when Anthony Minghella dug into her bibliography and pulled out THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY... He made an amazing film of stunning power, that stands alone as the seminal adaptation of the material. I'm sure that David Seltzer has turned in a very nice script with the material, but honestly... take a hard look at it, does it really offer anything new to what Hitchcock, Ben Hecht, Raymond Chandler, Whitfield Cook and Czenzi Ormonde did with the original Highsmith? Sure you can make it HARDER, more VISCERAL. However, when compared to the elegance and simplicity and artistry of Hitchcock, it will come off as being crude and juvenile. Dig into Patricia Highsmith's novels... There is so much there that a filmmaker of the sheer talent that Antoine has exhibited, could really and truly shine with. And could add something new for us to shriek at. That's all that I'm really saying here.

To further illustrate my point, I read this morning in Variety in an article by Michael Fleming that Jonathan Demme is negotiating to direct that remake of THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. Now, notice what happens when this highly talented filmmaker was filming works based upon exquisite literary material like SILENCE OF THE LAMBS or PHILADELPHIA... but what happened when he decided to remake a classic like CHARADE? He fell flat on his face. Now he's pursuing a remake of MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. Now personally, if remaking a work of Sinatra - the best possible film would be SUDDENLY... but if you're stuck on the literary background of THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, go back to the source... Go back to Richard Condon and explore his fantastic novels like MILE HIGH, WINTER KILLS, AN INFINITY OF MIRRORS or THE WHISPER OF THE AXE. When you find a great film, based on a novel, instead of wanting to remake that great film, find the other novels. That's what John Huston did, and he wound up with the fucking fantastic PRIZZI'S HONOR.

Directors like Jonathan Demme and Antoine Fuqua are better than this sort of thing. There is rich original material with authors like Richard Condon and Patricia Highsmith. Stories that have yet to be told on the silver screen... Perhaps even their best stories. Don't just regurgitate. Be vital, do something with a little more thought than just remaking movies you've heard of. Visit a fucking library!!! The problem with so many folks making films today is that they don't actually read, but they have seen movies. I've seen a lot of movies too, but... When I see a great movie, for my reading material, I discover what else those authors have done. Everyone is so desperate for material, and there is so much of it out there. News like Fuqua and Demme remaking classics... it's just masturbation. A waste of time, but it feels good to unload.