BuzzSugar

Watch, Pass, TiVo, or Rent: Fame

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:30:31 -0700

I had semi-cynical feelings about the remake of Fame when I first heard it was being cast, but flash ahead two years later, and the trailer has me kind of pumped to see it on Friday. The music numbers look flashy, and it's got So You Think You Can Dance alum Kherington Payne, so I fully expect to be toe-tapping in my seat.

But here's the dilemma: I also really loved the original Fame. The characters were just these fragile, but impassioned people - and there were pirouettes on cars! It will always have a place on my list of dance movies.

I still want to see this new version - 'cause basically I'll see any film that features Capezios - but I'm hoping that it's different enough from its predecessor so I can just enjoy it for what it is: a total guilty pleasure.

Are you going to check out Fame this weekend? Or will you wait until it comes out on DVD, so you can do your dancing at home?

First Real Fame Trailer Looks Cute

BuzzSugar — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 05:30:14 -0700

We've met the dancers and the director, and now there's a trailer for the actual Fame remake itself. As a fan of dance movies in general (even documentaries that include dancing), I'm already interested in this movie and the trailer only increased my curiosity. Take a peek at the preview and tell me: Will the Fame remake be included in future "greatest dance movies" lists?

Fame opens Sept. 25. To check out the trailer, read more.

Photo courtesy of MGM

Meet Some of the Fame Dancers

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:30:08 -0800

There's no official trailer yet for the Fame remake, but we now have a little taste of what we can expect to see - at least in terms of the dancing - when the movie hits theaters Sept. 25. And, as far as the dancing goes, it looks like this might be a pretty entertaining movie. In this video the movie's director, Kevin Tancharoen, mentions that they auditioned over 700 dancers for the film. Can you imagine making it through that audition process and being picked for the cast - out of 700 people? Maybe it's because I'm not exactly, ah, a gifted two-stepper, but I'm pretty darn impressed by people who can truly do it. I'm excited to see a full-on preview for this movie, but for now I'm enjoying this video with some interviews (including a few thoughts from former So You Think You Can Dance contestant Kherington Payne) and lots of dancing. To see it for yourself, read more.

Photo courtesy of MGM

Fame Remake Cast Shapes Up - And Includes Kherington!

BuzzSugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:37:16 -0700

The remake of the 1980 musical movie Fame is getting a cast together, and so far there are nine actors who think they're gonna live forever. Notable names among them: Thomas Dekker of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (and the guy who played Claire's possibly gay best friend on Heroes before leaving the show) and So You Think You Can Dance's Kherington Payne. The Hollywood Reporter has more details:

Much like in the Oscar-winning original, directed by Alan Parker, the story will track the failures and fortunes of super-ambitious young performers and their teachers as they navigate a school year at the prestigious High School for the Performing Arts in New York.

"In many ways, the idea of pursuing a career in dance or music or acting is much more palpable now," MGM chairman Mary Parent said. "Anyone with a page on a social networking site is instantly 'famous,' and anyone with a digital camera is a potential filmmaker. The negotiation between fame and real talent is much more immediate and something with which audiences are familiar, and there's a universal relatability to experiencing the trials and tribulations associated with pursuing one's dream, regardless of the arena."

So, this is that "unique opportunity" Kherington mentioned in LA last week! It seems like a smart move for her. And it's actually a pretty good point that a story like this will be interpreted in a very different way now in comparison to when the original hit theaters in 1980. Do you think this story is more relevant today? Or are we spent on shows and movies about talent competitions and trying to realize dreams of becoming a famous dancer/singer/designer/chef/pet groomer?

Kherington photo courtesy of Fox and source

Baby May Come Out of Her Corner For a Dirty Dancing Remake

BuzzSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:30:00 -0700

It's starting to feel like a week never goes by without news of a movie remake, and I have a feeling you're all going to have some strong opinions about this one. According to a tweet from Production Weekly, there's a remake of Dirty Dancing in the works. Details are still sketchy, but apparently the script will be written by Julia Dahl. Personally, I'm a little worried about messing with a classic - wasn't the Havana Nights sequel enough?

On the other hand, I have to admit that I'm looking forward to the remake of Fame, with fresh talent and new 21st century setting (check out a hot new trailer after the jump). I was also impressed with Channing Tatum's spot-on impression of Patrick Swayze from a few weeks ago, but I'm not sure I can imagine new actors doing justice to the original - Dirty Dancing's '80s setting and utterly cheesy dialogue are inherent in its wonder. A couple of years ago, you all weighed in on who would make the perfect Baby and Johnny, but who would you cast now that it is really happening?

To see the new Fame trailer, just read more.

What Do You Think About a Remake of Fame?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 06:06:53 -0700

My Recast challenges are all in good fun, but here's a film that actually will be recast in the near future: Fame. MGM COO Rick Sands has said:

"We'll update it, (but) we'll still keep some of the songs. The script is being written right now, but we are keeping it under wraps. There will be a strong musical component, though."

Groan. I'm imagining Step Up but with singing, too. And where will they get these singers? My money says they'll tap the ever-growing "American Idol" reject pile. But hey, maybe I'm being too cynical and it will be super awesome. What do you think about a Fame remake?

Biggest Headline of '09: Remake Mayhem

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:30:00 -0800

Everything old was new again in the entertainment world in 2009! The Hollywood powers that be decided that the past was the richest mine of inspiration, as evidenced by the scads of remakes in movies and TV.

The small screen has recycled '90s night soaps Melrose Place and 90210 to mixed results, while new ones were announced: look for a version of Charlie's Angels in the future. Some TV shows were mercifully declared dead in the water in the case of a US version of UK show Absolutely Fabulous.

In theaters, this year saw '70s and '80s flicks The Stepfather and Fame, but the list for planned movie remakes is long: Girls Just Want to Have Fun, The Neverending Story, Little Shop of Horrors, and Footloose are all in the works.

To read more about 2009's year in remakes, just read more.

Some aim to freshen up successful franchises, like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Karate Kid, while others even have famous names of current stars attached to reinvigorate them, like Ashley Tisdale in Teen Witch, Rihanna and Channing Tatum possibly in a The Bodyguard remake, and Drop Dead Fred with Russell Brand in the title role.

As much as I love classics, there are some I won't mind a remake of; I'm interested in another take at East of Eden, while Adam Shankman, who made a pretty good updated Hairspray, will try his hand at Bye Bye Birdie.

They even cross genres, from movies remade from TV shows (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which went from movies to TV, and will go back to movies) to TV shows remade from movies (the Teen Wolf TV show and a Heathers show).

What remake news excited - or angered - you in 2009?

Don't forget to check out the rest of my Best of 2009 coverage!

Buzz's Favorite Dance Flicks

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:30:30 -0700

Remake Fame comes out on Friday, with a whole new cast of kids as talented students. The number one reason I'd see it: the dance numbers. It doesn't matter what style, I am a sucker for dance movies. As bad as the plot and dialogue might be, when the dance sequence comes on, it's just so . . . fun! There's no better way to describe it, and since I consider myself a dance movie aficionado, I'm sharing my favorites.

View Slideshow ›

Anne Frank + Disney + Mamet = What?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:30:32 -0700

My first reaction to this movie news today was, "Well, at least it's not another sequel or straight-up remake." Rather, Disney and writer/director David Mamet are getting together to reimagine the story of Anne Frank. Here's more:

The film will be an amalgamation of the famed diary; the stage adaptation by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich; and Mamet's own original take on the material that could reframe the story as a young girl's rite of passage.

[Producer Andrew] Braunsberg, best known for producing Being There, spent a year gathering the rights from the Anne Frank Estate as well as the estates of Hackett and Goodrich. He met with ICM's John Burnham, who recommended Mamet. Mamet sparked to the opportunity tell the story, and he is already writing the script.

Whenever I see Mamet's name I think of his way with satire and his characters' sometimes, ah, colorful language. Though I wouldn't have thought to put him on an Anne Frank project, I'm actually really excited to see how he shapes the well-known story.

Source and IMDB

Movie Preview: Fame

BuzzSugar — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:45:16 -0700

Dance movie alert! All you fans of dance movies know that I'm talking to you - it doesn't matter how trite or lame it looks, we're still going to see it. And interestingly, the Fame remake, opening Sept. 25, doesn't look too bad. It's still the same old follow-your-dreams, I'm-gonna-live-forever, "somebody's gotta make it out there, why can't it be me?" stuff, but, you know, all new actors and a modern update.

The story focuses on a bunch of kids attending the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. So yes, the kids in this movie perform more than just dance but let's face it, the dance is why I'll watch. To check out the full-length Fame trailer, read more.

Photo courtesy of MGM