Commentary | The Movie Rat

5 Reasons the Suspiria Remake May Not Be The Worst Thing in the History of the Universe

Posted on April 19, 2012 by bernardovillela

Suspiria (International Classics)

I am not a proponent of remakes in general and certainly am not a fan of the idea of a Suspiria remake, however, in light of recent information I am more positive than I was.

5. Possibility of Reviving A Classic

A common fear with a remake is that the original will be replaced with Suspiria it will likely not be the case. Aside from horror buffs you hardly every heard mention of this film before, when news of the remake first broke people are talking about Argento’s version more than ever before and good or bad the release of the remake will likely revive interest in viewing the original.

4. The Road Less Traveled Theory

Another reason this film may not be such a bad thing is something I’m calling The Road Less Traveled Theory, meaning that in remakes people always seem to be wary of seeing iconic scenes re-interpreted, likely the fault of the Psycho remake. I have reason to believe the story will be updated somewhat and the film is one of such intricacies that there are other avenues to explore and other ways to portray things and it’ll likely look like a very different movie.

3. Natalie Portman

Initial Reports way back when, speculated she might be in the running for the film, yet she stands sort of as a symbol of the positive casting possibilities this film has. Portman, or someone like her, is a positive because I have a feeling based on the inherent tension of Suspiria, plus the fact that David Gordon Green always gives his actors something to sink their teeth into, we should see her (whomever she may be) best.

2. David Gordon Green

You have at the helm of this project a man who has not only directed such diverse ventures as Undertow, Pineapple Express and The Sitter but also someone who is writing the adaptation. So you have not the puppet of some studio, I don’t think Green has yet been accused of that but a man fully invested in bringing his vision of this tale to the screen. Whether or not you like the adaptation presented is another thing entirely but it should be a focused and skillful interpretation of the story.

1. Argento’s Blessing

Up until recently this project had proceeded through pre-production stages without talking to Dario Argento and beyond not getting a seal of approval they hadn’t officially been granted the rights of adaptation, which is a hairy situation to be in. Now Argento has conceded because he has come around to the viewpoint that he is “convinced that his movie is a masterpiece and can’t be overshadowed.”

Which is a fair enough point. Why people get up in arms about remakes is usually due to the “How Dare You” syndrome we fall victim to when hearing about it. Indeed, there has been a rash of remakes of films that can’t be topped recently but in truth they, and similarly sequels, do not truly detract from the original inherently, it is our perception that skews. Similarly, if we really were so sick of all these retreads we would stay away en masse. While those who don’t know any better will flock out to see these films, the fact of the matter is the information is out there to be had so if you’re going to see a remake at least see it knowingly. The internet is a great thing sometimes.

These are the reasons I am not as scared as I once was. Fingers crossed.

Rewind Commentary- The Plight of the Uncredited

Posted on April 18, 2012 by bernardovillela

Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic (ESPN)

As those who know me, and if such a person exists, cyberstalk me know I created this blog after writing on another site, which shall remain nameless, for a while. The point is, I have material sitting around waiting to be re-used on occasion I will re-post them here. Some of those articles may have been extemporaneous at the time but are slightly random now, hence the new title and little intro, regardless enjoy!

A few days before Just Wright was released, the Queen Latifah basketball-related project (yeah, I nearly forgot about it too), I was watching Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN2 and they related how they were upset because not only did they provide their voices but shot a cameo which stayed in the cut of the film but were uncredited in the closing titles. While they merely provided a sound bite for Valentine’s Day and were listed in the closing credits.

Similarly, when I saw Clash of the Titans I was surprised to find that Young Perseus, the one with a speaking part not the baby, was also uncredited. Only recently did the IMDb figure out his name is Otto Farrant and list him in the uncredited section of the cast.

The question is, though: why are these people uncredited? I understand not crediting Angry Fan #52 or some other extra an audience member might single out but no one else would but these are people all who had speaking parts, the first scenario was and “as themselves” cameo but deserves noting and the second instance was an actor playing the younger version of the protagonist. What gives?

Hopefully, this is an aberration and not a trend either way I don’t like it. Those who work on a film whether on screen or behind the scene deserve their credit.

Theme Parks and Alternative Film Forms

Posted on March 29, 2012 by bernardovillela

Disney Hollywood Studios' Fantasmic

When going on a vacation to the Disney Parks there is less time to take in movies, Disney or otherwise, however, that does not mean there isn’t fodder to sate your cinematic thirsts while there. Here are some of the sights I saw that met that requirement.

The Magic Kingdom

Mickey’s PhilharMagic

3D is a theme at many of these cinematic attractions, I stumbled upon this attraction with little knowledge of what it was but I absolutely loved it. It’s a great mix of new and old of Disney and music and it’s brilliant.

Epcot

Disney 360 presentations is the preferred mode of conveying the aural-visual message crafted by each nation’s tourism board that so chooses to have a film in the park.

With the 360 the name is very indicative: there are projectors and screens above you that surround you on all sides. At times the visual you get is panoramic at others these screens show different imagery, which encourage you to turn yourself about such that you don’t sit to watch said film but rather stand in rows with a bar to lean on should you need it. I certainly tried to take in as much as I could here. The countries in Epcot with 360 films are China, Canada and France.

The only country offering a tourism film not in 360 is Norway whose 5 minute short is added on to the end of their water ride. Ironically, it’s also my favorite of the films because it’s the most artistic and least hey-this-was-commissioned-by-the-tourism-board film of the bunch.

Yet this isn’t the only place Epcot incorporate moving imagery. In Mexico there’s the Gran Fiesta Tour starring the Three Caballeros (Panchito, Jose Carioca and Donald Duck) where in they appear animated on screens many times, in all directions during your boat ride which is a great way to get a chuckle and cool off.

Disney Hollywood Studios

Star Tours

Is clearly one of the more popular attractions at the park being a Star Wars flight simulator. The imagery is great and there’s little actual motion needed to suggest the movements.

Another example of this if you’re really park-hopping can be found at Universal in the Spider-Man ride.

Muppet-Vision 3D

Is a great little show with jumping out at you 3D imagery mixed with live performers (i.e. Muppets) in a wonderful theater which is built to replicate the Muppets’ performance space.

Fantasmic

Is the night-time spectacular that closes the park. It features one of the largest conglomerations of characters you’re likely to find and features many images both old and new projected onto a wall created by water jets.

There are also live-action shows like some stunt demonstration shows Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular and Lights, Motors, Action; a great car stunt demonstration show.

Then in this more film-centric park there are more literal films and exhibits like Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream and The Magic of Disney Animation.

This is all just based on what I saw while I was at the park, there were a few things I missed that likely qualify. Ultimately, yes, it is a getaway but that’s not to say there aren’t alternate film forms that can be observed and admired both here and at other parks. Be on the lookout for them.

Dine-In Movies an Introduction and Review

Posted on March 27, 2012 by bernardovillela

My view of the adjacent row at the AMC 24 in Orland, FL

While I was in Orlando I wanted to try and take advantage of as many things as I possibly could. Seeing as this trip was very Disney-centric and I hadn’t been in eons (there were only two parks when I went) I wanted to try and take advantage of everything that park had to offer.

One thing I wanted to find out more about was Downtown Disney, which seemed on my knowledge to be Disney’s answer to CityWalk at the Universal Parks. To a large extent I was right and I discovered that there at Downtown Disney there was an AMC 24, which I was likely to attend regardless, however, what was surprising and unique about this one is that four screens were siphoned off to a separate section of the theater and offer a dine-in experience.

Eating and the movies have been linked since the very beginning but never had I heard of such a literal take. I was so intrigued I had to try it. To be honest I was surprised once I was introduced to the notion why it isn’t more prevalent as concessions are where exhibitors make most of their money. Yes, I was are of places like the Alamo Drafthouse but it’s not set-up like this.

Sadly, we were getting informed very late and deciding on the fly so it was a rushed arrival and film choice was limited at that time of night but it needed trying.

Essentially you book your seat (much like in a restaurant or in a theatre where they have reserved seating) and there is a bar-table across your row. There’s salt and pepper already there, ketchup, cutlery and a napkin. The seat is incredibly comfortable like the finest stadium seating has to offer. An added bonus is that there’s a footrest underneath to improve the reclining experience.

What I had was a fruit salad, which was rather fresh and big (it’s easy to do but doesn’t often happen with fruit salad), an order of French fries (generous portions and above average in quality) and cake lollipops for dessert (a first so I have no frame of reference but the cake was incredibly moist and the coating delectable). The soda sizes, since it’s a movie theatre whose large is a tub-o-soda, are also plentiful and I believe refills are free. The wine list is rather good considering the kind of joint it is, however, what must be taken into account are pricing (it’ll add to your per-head total) and do you want to drink during said film, usually my answer to that is no.

I might suggest you do two courses if you’re watching your spending, as it was a vacation it wasn’t as much of a concern. I have a tendency to love the first row, which had my party nicely isolated from the crowd but it did make viewing/eating more challenging. You are accustomed to a box and a soda in an armrest when you factor in utensils and plates there are more machinations that divert your eyes. However, it was a very pleasurable experience overall, regardless. It’s one I’d recommend anyone try once and that I’d like to try anew.

For information such as menu and locations please visit AMC’s site.

Home Alone Again, Naturally

Posted on March 26, 2012 by bernardovillela

Christian Martyn strikes the classic pose (Christian Martyn Facebook Fan page)

I like to when possible post an update on a prior story. It seems nearly impossible in this day and age to make a speculative list because anything is fair game from the inspired to the ridiculous. Even when joking the sensitive movie fan has to be careful because every thing is possible.

I say all that as a brief introduction to this factoid: a while back I did a list of franchises which could use a reboot. On this list I included the Home Alone series. It was included mainly for two reasons: one, it was largely conceptual to begin with once the McAllister family was no longer in the mix and two, because the third installment proved rather enjoyable.

A while back I heard randomly on Twitter that there was a casting announcement out for Home Alone 5 and much to my surprise it started filming soon thereafter. So yes, it’s on its way and that one can come off the list.

What’s good to hear is that there seem to be some good names attached Peter Hewitt directing (Thunderpants, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey) and very importantly in the cast the underrated and underutilized Debi Mazar and as the kids who are alone there is Christian Martyn a talented and affable actor I first saw in Snowmen and Jodelle Ferland whose had brilliant turns in Case 39 and on the Hub Network’s The Haunting Hour.

Now with the element of having two kids stuck and the subtitle Alone in the Dark this installment seems like it’ll add a few more wrinkles to the equation but come closer to the its original roots than part 4 did. This film is slated to air on TV in December of this year. This post will be updated if and when developments occur.

10 Keys to a Better Life as a Fanboy: 10. Be Open

Posted on March 25, 2012 by bernardovillela

One of the many adaptation of this classic tale. (Paramount)

This series of articles is designed to help you, the fan, try and divorce yourself from your attachment to source material and judge a film on its own merits and not in comparison to another work. These tips come from my own experience. I hope they are helpful.

Typically if I like a character I want as much of that character as I can get in as many possible incarnations as I can get and clearly there are some who feel this way just look at film franchise and the entire comic book world, which is based on characters crossing-over and being attached to multiple titles. If you want to see a character as much as possible wouldn’t it stand to reason you want to see them more than one way?

Not necessarily misrepresented but rather reinterpreted? Ultimately, the question boils down to: do you savor variety?

Of course, you want the movie to be as good or better than the source but why on earth should it be identical? If you want the same story, read it over again. Be open a change or to a different vision. If all you want is regurgitation you’re just feeding the sequel and remake machine. If a film takes a risk and re-envisions a character or story go with it. Give it a chance it may surprise you and you may surprise yourself.

10 Keys to a Better Life as a Fanboy: 9. Remember What it is You Liked

Posted on March 24, 2012 by bernardovillela

Gracie Films

I mentioned this in a previous entry but it deserves its own entry because it deserves to be addressed almost like an aside. Here’s the deal: sometimes it seems like people like to complain just to hear themselves complain and then they go back to the box office over and over again just to be disappointed all over again. The first tip is if you’re really that irate stop going.

All this nit-picky complaining certainly didn’t get the source material beloved so again there seems to be some of a higher bar set for the film, as if should it not match the source material it’s a sin. At the end of the day it’s just a movie. There are plenty of bad ones out there, terrible ones too but rarely am I angered. If I am angered it’s usually the film has reached incomprehensible levels of godawfulness.

Now granted sometimes complaints or issues are what stick with us even after a good film but if you keep going back for more like a glutton for cinematic punishment you should stop or refocus your energy. If you don’t see what it is that made you like a given story in the first place then fine, however, if you admit the spirit of the tale is still there but you’re obsessing over the omitted minutiae then you’re missing the forest for the trees.

10 Keys to a Better Life as a Fanboy: 8. It Won’t Change a Thing

Posted on March 23, 2012 by bernardovillela

Jeremy Sumpter and Rachel Hurd-Wood in Peter Pan (Universal)

The problem I think a lot of people have, and it’s a nasty trap that I’ve seen ensnare many, is that people seem to think that films are somehow definitive; as if that’s the final word on the work and that’s how it will be remembered for all eternity. While it’s true in a theoretical sense that film may be the most concrete and immutable art it by no means claims to be the coda, furthermore the verdict on the worth of a given piece of narrative.

Your favorite book or comic is being adapted into a film and you are pissed? Why bother? What for? I’ll explain why and this even works for remakes to an extent. It still doesn’t change an iota of the written piece that you love so dearly. If you disliked the mini-series based on Stephen King’s It the words in your copy won’t smear.

That’s an extremely hyperbolic example but surely you catch my drift. It’s all about perception and those can change as much as anything. So while it will be next to impossible for the film adaptation of The Catcher in the Rye to match the book in terms of acclaim I won’t deny it’d be interesting to see.

Not only is it waste of your ire to rail against an adaptation of something you love, it also is to an extent pointless, that piece you hold so dear is still there.

I’ve seen The Little Prince butchered on film. It’s still one of my favorite books and I can always turn to it and know that the story will turn out in my head just the way I see it. Just the way I interpret Exupéry’s words.

And that’s another thing: every adaptation is just an interpretation of a director’s vision regardless of how involved a studio is. It is by no means definitive, lest you agree, it’s just a variation on a theme. I personally think P.J. Hogan perfected Peter Pan and Spike Jonze got Where The Wild Things Are, others may disagree.

We all have baggage; it’s best to check yours before entering the auditorium lest it weigh you down. 

10 Keys to a Better Life as a Fanboy: 7. Suspend Disbelief (aka Get Into It)

Posted on March 22, 2012 by bernardovillela

Many of these topics do overlap one another but attack problems from different angles. This tip really comes into play if you’ve already managed to ignore number four. So here’s how:
You’re sitting in the dark of the matinee and you’ve got your 80 oz. soda and obese-family-size Twizzlers and you’re watching the same lame slides come across the screen repeatedly. The trailers for blockbusters-yet-to-be keep you only mildly amused. All this idle time has got you anticipating the film more than you had been before and you start thinking about how this director will handle the material? Or how such-and-such will do in this part and how the casting of character X will pan out. Boom. All the things you were supposed to ignore are back and suddenly the film starts and it’s distracting you.

This is where you have to grab the bull by the horns and just lose yourself in the story. Remember what it is that drew you to this material in the first place and look for it. If you find great, if not the film failed to an extent. Again this is not an attempt to excuse the film but just setting yourself up to try and judge the film before you and not measuring against another kind of work entirely.

10 Keys to a Better Life as a Fanboy: 6. The Perils and Merits of Series

Posted on March 21, 2012 by bernardovillela

Vista Library

The aforementioned tips are all well and good when you are the fan of a standalone piece in another medium and it is being adapted into a standalone, for the time being, film. Things get more complicated when your book or comic or what have you is part of a series. Any series will have its own arc and structure in its greater tale aside from just the structure of the single volume.

This is where you might have to breathe deep and learn some relaxation techniques. If an element, say Hermione’s quest to end the enslavement of House elves, is left out of one film it will be left out of each subsequent film until it becomes absolutely, positively crucial to the structuring of the story. So some of the subplots that enrich a book will invariably fall by the wayside, which is why comparing mediums is dangerous.

I don’t want a novel that reads like a screenplay. I want detail, inner monologue, I want it to be possible to take two pages to describe five seconds of a character’s life. Each medium has its strengths and to expect a film to be a pictographic facsimile of a book is unrealistic. Sticking to the Harry Potter theme The Deathly Hallows is 759 pages long. If those pages were screenplay pages you’d be looking at a 12 and 1/2 hour movie. So even with two films telling the tale of one book you’re looking at roughly 40% of the material in the book covered.

So it’s a fact of life that the movie by necessity can and will leave things out and change things.

Conversely, you need to look at the film within the context of the series. You can compare it to past films but also bear in mind: how did it advance the story, did it up the stakes, is it leaving the table set nicely for a subsequent edition should there be one?