Thursday, September 13, 2018

Thursday Movie Picks - Good Remakes

Written as part of the weekly blogathon hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. Join in the fun by picking three movies that fit the week's theme and writing a bit about them.

Look, as much as I hate to admit it, every once in a while Hollywood remakes one of its own movies and it's... not... bad. And on rare occasions, it even improves on the original.

Shocking, I know. But true! Granted, it doesn't happen very much these days, but by the sound of it, A Star Is Born, of all things, is at the very least as good as the 30s and 50s versions, and better than the 70s version. I remain skeptical, but perhaps it will indeed join the ranks of these great remakes!

The Man Who Knew Too Much (Alfred Hitchcock, 1956) As Hitch himself said, the original 1934 version with Peter Lorre is "the work of a talented amateur," while this remake "was made by a professional." Granted, the original is very good. But this one has Jimmy Stewart, Doris Day, "Que Sera, Sera", and of course the Albert Hall sequence, one of the best, most thrilling scenes in all of Hitchcock's filmography. Accuse it of being overwrought all you want, but this is one of my favorite Hitchcock films, often because its too much-ness is truly exciting.

The Ten Commandments (Cecil B. DeMille, 1956) And as long as we're talking about too much-ness, this film pretty much defines it. But in the best possible way. They don't make movies like this anymore, truly epic in every way. Every performance (Charlton Heston! Anne Baxter! Yul Brynner! Yvonne de Carlo! Judith Anderson! John Derek! DeMille himself!) is iconic, and the special effects sequences capture the kind of grandeur that you wouldn't have thought possible in 1956. It may be over three and a half hours long, but it's so entertaining that you don't even notice. DeMille's own silent version of this story is still worth seeing, but it's got nothing on this, one of the biggest spectacles the cinema has ever seen.

Ocean's Eleven (Steven Soderbergh, 2001) Yeah, sure, The Rat Pack, and all that, but even that classic brand of cool ain't got nothin' on what Soderbergh, Clooney, and Pitt cooked up here. Everything about this remake of Ocean's Eleven feels effortless, from the easy charisma and chemistry of the stars, to the slick cinematography, the playful editing, and most importantly, that iconic jazzy score. This is Hollywood product at its slickest, providing one hell of a good time that you can't replicate anywhere else. It's pure movie magic, with a twist that more than holds up to multiple viewings. Neat trick, that.

12 comments:

  1. We match on 2! I agree with you on both the first and last films. As for the 2nd..I almost picked this one as well and I love the over the top! “Oh Moses, you incredible fool.” “So shall it be written, so shall it be done!”. I love the 1923 film and love that parts of the scenery have been found in the desert. I always felt that Moses was a fool...he could have done so much more if he stayed to help out and be a good boss as opposed to bad boss Yul. He also became boring. Glad to see you back..missed ya!

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    1. lol Moses was TOTALLY a fool!

      Yes, it's been a busy time of year, but I am glad to be back!

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  2. I've only seen Ocean's Eleven, but the other two have me more intrigued.

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    1. You've NEVER seen The Ten Commandments?!?!? OMG WATCH IT IMMEDIATELY!!!

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  3. Hey welcome back! Wonderful choices and your introductory paragraph for some reason made me think about The Maltese Falcon (the final iconic version not the rough previous ones) and now I'm kicking myself for not thinking of it before! It's the definition of this week's theme!

    Anyway LOVE second version of The Man Who Knew Too Much and am in complete agreement with Hitch on the difference. I'm sure you know that Doris didn't think much of Que Sera, Sera when she recorded it initially. It fit well in its place in the film and that was about it, she reevaluted it once the song took off. That being said the first version is a decent film.

    The Ten Commandments!!!! It's hysterically funny and compulsively absorbing at the same time. Unimaginatively lush and cornball by turns with wildly varying performances, in a performance where she can only be referred to as MISS Anne Baxter consuming scenery at every opportunity she is the winner for most florid portrayal while Yvonne De Carlo provides the best most subdued piece of work. The tone is also all over the place but its as sinfully enjoyable as a box of chocolates.

    We match!! The Rat Pack Oceans is its own beast but Soderbergh streamlines it into something special. Marvelous movie.

    Beside our match my other two just popped into my head, but I'm still kicking myself about Falcon.

    Ocean’s Eleven (2001)-Freshly released from prison Danny Ocean (George Clooney) has a plan to pull off an elaborate heist of several Las Vegas casinos. He looks up his old pal Rusty (Brad Pitt) and together they gather a group of con men with various skill sets to pull it off. Excitement and merriment follow. The original Frank Sinatra/Dean Martin Rat Pack version has the germ of a very good idea and a very lackadaisical execution, the sequel improves on that idea in every aspect….well I wouldn’t say Julia Roberts is the equal of Angie Dickinson but otherwise it’s golden.

    3:10 to Yuma (2007)-In the Old West impoverished farmer Dan Evans (Christian Bale) hires on with Pinkerton men to transport outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) through the hardscrabble trip to Contention to be put on the 3:10 train to Yuma and prison. Through the many hardships on the trail the two men form a grudging respect for each other which is sorely tested when Wade’s gang is waiting at the end of the journey. Hard, tough minded Western is based very closely on the excellent 50’s version of the same name that stars Van Heflin & Glenn Ford in Bale & Crowe’s roles. Both very entertaining films the ’07 version benefits from the flashy supporting turn of Ben Foster as unhinged henchman Charlie Prince.

    Enchanted April (1992)-In 1920’s London upper middle class housewife Lottie Wilkins (Josie Lawrence) is neglected by her business minded husband and yearns to escape the constant rain and gloom of the city. Sensing her church acquaintance Rose Arbuthnot (Miranda Richardson) is in the same fix she proposes they rent an Italian villa for the month of April. Realizing they can’t quite afford it themselves they advertise for other ladies who might be interested. They receive only two replies, Caroline Dester (Polly Walker), a beautiful socialite seeking refuge from an endless string of facile admirers and Mrs. Fisher (Joan Plowright) a crusty, closed off lady who lives in her memories. After a hellious journey and a bumpy start the four women come under the spell of the beauty of the Italian villa (the cinematography is amazing) and surrounding grounds leading to a life changing experience. Based on a bestselling novel and originally filmed in a staid 30’s version (though with a good cast including Frank Morgan and Ann Harding) this adds a half an hour to the running time and vivid color to flesh out the story.

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    1. I am kicking myself for not thinking about The Maltese Falcon! Such a classic.

      I don't blame Doris Day for thinking Que Sera wasn't much of a song. It is a very simple song, after all. But it is a memorable one.

      Ah yes, MISS Anne Baxter swanning her way through the desert is just impossibly delicious. For all the "cast of thousands" spectacle, she's the biggest spectacle in the whole damn movie! It's one of my favorite performances of all time. Brilliantly self-aware camp.

      I can't believe I didn't realize there was a 1930s version of Enchanted April! I do enjoy that one very much (GAH THAT CAST!), but I haven't seen either version of 3:10 to Yuma.

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  4. I had no idea The Man Who Knew Too Much was a remake.

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    1. And a damn good one at that! I'm not surprised you didn't know, actually, since this one is so iconic.

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  5. I really need to see The Man Who Knew Too Much. Haven't seen either. I have seen The Ten Commandments, but not since I was a kid. I do, however, remember that it was all excess. And a big yes to Ocean's 11. Almost picked that one, myself.

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    1. Both versions of Man Who Knew Too Much are worth seeing.

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  6. Ah Ocean's 11....Clooney looking so fine and that awesome David Holmes' score! <3

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    1. Clooney was definitely at peak hotness in the Ocean's films. And good lord, that score! It's perfection. Instant cool.

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