LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Dirty Dancing” is coming back to the big screen.
Lionsgate says it is remaking the 1987 film that starred Jennifer Grey as a naïve dance student and Patrick Swayze as her teacher and lover.
The studio said Monday that Kenny Ortega, who choreographed the original film, will direct the remake.
Ortega says he is eager to discover and cast “the next breakout triple-threats” to define dancing for a generation, the way Swayze did in the original “Dirty Dancing.”
I know, I know, the original was far from perfect…but it had a cheeseytasticness about it that you can’t (and shouldn’t) try to replicate or redo…someone could lose an eye or something!
And I don’t really care if Kenny Oretga is choreographing it (though that is probably the single redeeming factor in the entire atrocious idea), no one, NO ONE can be “the new Patrick Swayze” and they will NEVER, EVER replace Jennifer Grey’s nose! (You know you were thinkin’ it, it’s alright…look, I’ve got before and afters:
You can’t “fix” cute. There’s nothing to fix after all. She is still cute…just different. Oh well.)
Anyway…all this to say the following:
Dear Movie Studios,
Are you really so out of ideas that you have to regurgitate story lines from a mere 2 decades ago? Is creativity completely dead or something? Seriously! GO MAKE NEW MOVIES and STOP STEALING the movies from my youth!!!
Good gravy, what’s next?! You gonna remake “The Goonies” too?
…you probably think I’m talking about “Twilight”, right?
*gag*
The “Bella” I’m talking about in this post is actually a jewel of an independent film that slipped through the cinema cracks of 2006. I recognized exactly no one in the entire cast and was likewise completely oblivious of the director (Alejandro Gomez Monteverde) and any of his previous projects.
The story itself is very simple, a one day snapshot in the lives of two people: “He is a an international soccer star is on his way to sign a multi-million dollar contract when a series of events unfold that bring his career to an abrupt end. She is a beautiful waitress, struggling to make it in New York City, discovers something about herself that she’s unprepared for. In one irreversible moment, their lives are turned upside down… until a simple gesture of kindness brings them both together, turning an ordinary day to an unforgettable experience.”
A tad confusing with flash back scenes colliding with the current timeline of the movie, but any “Lostie” will easily get over that, lol! The real payoff, if you’ve paid attention to the entire story (and sub stories) is the last five minutes or so of the movie.
A word of caution: This is a film for lovers of real cinema. If you’re a fan of likes of “Big Momma’s House” and “Dumb and Dumber”, this film probably isn’t for you.
You might recall my horror at the news of the “Footloose” remake I posted about last year (and believe me, I’m still horrified at the thought)…and on the whole, MOST remakes are a very bad idea because they take an untouchable original and try to “improve” it. ROFLMAO!!!! It is almost impossible to improve upon cheesy perfection. Period. All that will happen is all that cheese will be multiplied into an ooey, gooey, undefinable mess that will do nothing less than melt all over the place and stick to bottom of everyone’s shoes. Nasty.
“You know, I think everybody wants to go to Sudan but, is it going to help the children? Or is it going to satisfy that person? You know, a lot of people in America, we’re after self-satisfaction. So, we will spend thousands and thousands of dollars for self-satisfaction but we didn’t rescue anyone. If it cost you $5,000 to go to Sudan, if it would, you’ve done nothing besides went there for self-satisfaction. If you gave me $5,000, I could rescue 20 kids. So, you know, what’s more valuable? You know, it’s all about rescuing kids.”
‘Babies’ Trailer. Release: Apr 16, 2010. Simultaneously follows four babies around the world — from birth to first steps, the first year of their lives.
The children are, respectively, in order of on-screen introduction:
Ponijao, who lives with her family near Opuwo, Namibia
Bayarjargal, who resides with his family in Mongolia, near Bayanchandmani
Mari, who lives with her family in Tokyo, Japan
Hattie, who resides with her family in the United States, in San Francisco.
The truly sad thing about this movie is it really is the very last we shall ever see of Heath Ledger on the silver screen. For some reason, the fact that this final work was still out there, still unfinished somehow kept him alive in at least a small capacity.
As happy as I am to see it, I also have those sad mixed emotions of watching the last flickering images of a gifted actor that left here long before he was meant to. Bittersweet indeed.
Releasing on December 25, 2009. See three other scenes from the movie here: Yahoo! Movies
Hungry for more from “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer?
Her novel “The Host” just got picked up for the big screen. “The Truman Show” and “Gattaca” screenwriter Andrew Niccol will develop the script, according to Variety.
Apparently, when the producers asked Meyer what her fave sci-fi flicks were, Meyer mentioned both “The Truman Show” and “Gattaca” in the top five.
Like “Twilight,” “The Host” is a love story. Of a sort.
But no bloodsuckers. This time it’s benign extraterrestrial parasites called Souls. One such Soul – dubbed the Wanderer — joins itself to a dying human to find the survivors of the human race.
Wow. Not exactly the stuff of teen romantic dreams. But maybe there’s a role for Robert Pattinson in there somewhere?
What do you think about “The Host?” Have you read it? It is as compelling as the “Twilight” series?
Got any casting ideas/suggestions?
Well…this could be interesting. I think it has the possibility of being great or going epically sideways. It could come off as looking like a glamed-over version of “Stargate: Atlantis”, or, might even approach the level of cool that (I hope) the upcoming “Avatar” looks to have. I guess we shall see. ;)
