"And we know you turn the sound up when your parents are gone, yeah!"
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"You better come on down
and meet the nicest
kids in town!"Things I saw on Rotten Tomatoes this afternoon:
Grease 1 + Grease 2 = unexpected victory!
Wow. I mean, it wasn't as if I was hoping for the remake of the remake of the cult classic to fail, but...man! I did NOT expect such a high average rating, ESPECIALLY from "The Cream of the Crop". Well, good for them! This may also mean that I am rethinking my decision to avoid seeing Travolta in that fat suit yet again.
TRACK LISTING: Clarke Thorell (and also James Marsden), "The Nicest Kids in Town"
[NOTE: The book in the image above is my cherished copy of Grease: The Filmnovel (fourth title down in the preceding link, in case you don't see it after clicking through). The still-frame on the TV behind the book is taken from the film version of Grease, which at the time was hailed as "the Hairspray of its generation!" That last bit may or may not be a lie.]
[UPDATE 22-Jul-07: I ended up going to see Hairspray this afternoon! By myself! Which is kind of sad! But anyway, it was fun, even though I probably could have waited to rent it or something. I enjoyed spotting my city in its Baltimorean incarnation, especially that building on Dupont that I love, which took on the demanding role of the WYZT studio. Also, I now have an answer to the "what period piece is being filmed here" question that popped into my head the time I walked by Lord Lansdowne and saw an old-timey bus out front.]
[UPDATE 22-Jul-07: I ended up going to see Hairspray this afternoon! By myself! Which is kind of sad! But anyway, it was fun, even though I probably could have waited to rent it or something. I enjoyed spotting my city in its Baltimorean incarnation, especially that building on Dupont that I love, which took on the demanding role of the WYZT studio. Also, I now have an answer to the "what period piece is being filmed here" question that popped into my head the time I walked by Lord Lansdowne and saw an old-timey bus out front.]
7 comments:
Man, they didn't even film it in Baltimore? For shame. I don't know why anyone would remake a movie that is absolutely pitch-perfect from start to finish, or why they'd get rid of the great way-retro soundtrack in favour of contemporary pop (or so I've been told).
That said, I don't think John Waters is suffering, nor, I imagine, are Divine's mom and dad (if they're still around), so it could be a lot worse.
If you have a taste for John Waters, incidentally, you MUST see This Filthy World, which is just him talking for 90 minutes and is at no point boring even for a moment. Few movies I've seen recently are as satisfying as that.
Well, that the remake of the remake wasn't filmed in Baltimore isn't surprising -- unfortunate, maybe, but on the plus side it brought a bit of money to our local film crews. As for the soundtrack, the film isn't blameless, but as it's the screen version of the musical version of the original, we'll have to lay the blame for the music switch on the people who developed the stage show. (The music in the new versions isn't my thing, but I'll give Marc Shaiman a pass as he seems to have a good sense of humour and likes to stick the occasional double entendre in his work.)
Also, John Waters has a cameo in the opening number ("Good Morning Baltimore") -- he plays the flasher next door, and it's nice to see him involved. Ricki Lake is also in the film, playing a William Morris agent who watches the teen pageant at the end of the film. Like Waters, her role is a non-speaking one.
It is unfortunate that Waters doesn't get to speak in this new version, as I LOVE hearing him speak and so should everyone else. I have been trying to find a screening of that John Waters film (directed by Jeff Garlin, no?) -- or at least a DVD copy to rent -- for AGES. It's harder than I thought it would be. I wonder if I should just find a copy for sale.
Anyway, a commenter on the Onion review of the most recent Hairspray incarnation likened Waters' endorsement of both the film and stage remakes to his fondness for trash and kitsch and things that in general aren't very, um, "good". I don't know if that's true (another commenter on the thread disputes it and backs the negation up with a pretty solid argument...which of course I cannot remember), but it would be funny if it were. Also very post-modern and meta and what have you, perhaps.
apparently they're going to make a musical of "cry-baby" as well.
i kinda liked the musical. it's not the original movie, and that's fine.
and john travolta in a fat suit is altogether frightening and entertaining.
I think John Waters is TOTALLY behind the Cry-Baby musical, which makes sense, as it was a very musical film. Man, that "teardrops...are falling" song always gets stuck in my head, but in a good way.
i just dug out my cry-baby sndtck. wane some mp3s?
Are you kidding? You can send me the "teardrops are falling" song? Yes, please! xoxo
will do. i also have "rubber biscuit", and the theme song and "high school hellcats".
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