BuzzSugar

Remake News: Casting Mr. Miyagi and a Return to Eden

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:30:19 -0800

Two remake-related items making news today:

The makers of The Karate Kid remake have found their Mr. Miyagi in Jackie Chan.
The remake of East of Eden is really happening, as evidenced by the hiring of a director (Tom Hooper, who directed John Adams) and a screenwriter (Christopher Hampton, who wrote the Atonement screenplay).

Some thoughts:

My feelings about a remake of The Karate Kid starring Jaden Smith aside, Mr. Miyagi is many things Jackie Chan isn't: Calm, reasonable, wise, deliberate. Jackie Chan is an entertaining guy but let's face it, he's totally ~~spazzy~~ high energy. I mean, I might actually die of laughter if I find myself in a movie theater watching Jackie Chan seriously delivering the line, "Wax on. Wax off."
And East of Eden. I really like the book and I understand why a director would want to try his hand at bringing this tale to the big screen (again), but the original version, starring the beautiful James Dean, is pretty perfect. It's a little sad but totally expected from Hollywood at this point.

What do you think of this news? Disappointing? Exciting? A little of both?

Source and Source

A Chat With My Boyfriend About the Day the Earth Stood Still

BuzzSugar — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:55:07 -0800

The last time I chatted with my boyfriend about movies here we discussed Brendan Fraser, mummies, and Yetis and it was a lot of fun. So, I recruited him again for The Day the Earth Stood Still, a remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic of the same name.

I had a feeling that despite a pretty neat-looking cast (Jennifer Connelly, Keanu Reeves, Kathy Bates, Will Smith's kid Jaden, Mad Men's Jon Hamm, and John Cleese - John Cleese!) this movie might not turn out to be all that great. My male companion was skeptical as well but we both agreed to keep an open mind going in. Now I'm here to report that we immediately came to the same conclusion upon exiting the theater: Lame.

To see our thoughts on the film, including a debate about seeing Brendan Fraser movies for the rest of your life versus Keanu Reeves movies, just read more.

Keanu Reeves plays the alien who comes to earth to warn humans to get it together or he'll blow them all up. He is cold and unfeeling. In other words, he is once again well cast. We talk about Reeves and more below, with the bold parts indicating my words and the regular type being his.

You've seen the original and liked it. Are you mad at the people who remade this movie?
Yeah, well the original was fresh and new at the time but this version is like beating a dead horse . . . just tired. It could have been great, but everything about it seems like a ripoff of other movies like Transformers, Matrix, etc. . . not to mention all the product placement. The save-the-planet message is kind of lost with all those corporate labels splashed around.

Does the original have such a hammy environmental message? Do people run around saying, "We can change! We're at the precipice!"
The original is all about the aliens being concerned about the destructive nuclear nature of mankind. It doesn't have any environmental message, just "stop blowing stuff up or we'll blow you up!" The current version seems more like Al Gore and Leo Dicaprio wrote the script.

OK, if you had to choose between only watching Keanu Reeves movies or only Brendan Fraser movies for the rest of your life, which would you pick?
Neither. I'd kill myself. Wait, if it was Point Break or School Ties over and over again, then maybe. Well, actually . . . no, I'd kill myself.

I'm tempted to lump this flick in with the likes of say, Independence Day, to give folks an idea of what they're in for, but honestly I don't think this movie is nearly as fun.
It is similar to Independence Day in that the supporting cast is pretty awesome, like Jon Hamm, James Fong, and John Cleese. But Independence Day is so much better because the main characters actually communicate with the audience, whereas Keanu is like Neo 2.0.

In the first one, is the main scientist a hot lady like Jennifer Connelly and does she have a little kid?
She lives in a boarding house and is a secretary or something, so it's an update to make her a scientist. And she's hot in the '50s pointy-boob way. Yes, she has a kid, and in that one, he blows it by telling the secretary's boyfriend (some government stooge) that he saw the alien go in the spaceship. In both the older version and this one, though, there's still that "my buddy, the alien" vibe.

Photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Jaden Smith = The Next Karate Kid?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:30:32 -0800

We all know that Hollywood is extremely remake-happy these days, so I'm not even going to resist the Karate Kid remake news because it was probably bound to happen, right? Now moving onto the casting: Jaden Smith is first in line to play the lead role, the Kid himself, in a new version of the 1984 pop culture staple. Variety has more info:

The script is being written by Chris Murphy, and the film will shoot next year in Beijing and other cities. While the new film will be set in that exotic locale, it will borrow elements of the original plot, wherein a bullied youth learns to stand up for himself with the help of an eccentric mentor.

The younger Smith, who next stars in The Day the Earth Stood Still, is a martial arts practitioner.

That little Jaden Smith is so adorable. Thoughts on the next Karate Kid? Are you annoyed this is being remade at all? If it has to happen, is Jaden a good fit?

Source and source

Movie Preview: The Day the Earth Stood Still

BuzzSugar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:15:10 -0700

The modern remake of the 1951 sci-fi film The Day the Earth Stood Still attempts to update the older version, shifting its themes from Cold War political tension and the threat of human violence to the imminence of environmental retaliation from an abused Earth. Keanu Reeves, who plays the protagonist in this new version, explains:

The first one was borne out of the cold war and nuclear détente. Klaatu came and was saying cease and desist with your violence. If you can’t do it yourselves we’re going to do it. That was the film of that day. The version I was just working on, instead of being man against man, it’s more about man against nature. My Klaatu says that if the Earth dies, you die. If you die, the earth survives. I’m a friend to the earth.

The movie joins a few other recent films with possibly green messages. This one, with its apocalyptic setting, also stars Jennifer Connolly, Will Smith's kid Jaden, and Mad Men's Jon Hamm. I love most of the cast (though not all of it), but I don't know how I feel about the trailer for this one; it's just not pulling me in. The Day the Earth Stood Still opens December 12. To check out the trailer, read more.

Source

Buzz News Roundup, 3/14

BuzzSugar — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:30:40 -0700

Will Smith's kids Willow and Jaden will star in Amulet, a fantasy feature film their father is producing, Zap2it reports.
The creators of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are working on a comedy series for Fox set aboard a spaceship, Variety reports.
Rob Thomas isn't just penning a remake of 90210 - he's also gotten the OK to remake his own series, Cupid, for ABC, writes the Hollywood Reporter.
Sheryl Crow has told the Associated Press that she has plans to collaborate with Fleetwood Mac.
TV Guide reports that the CW has picked up a horror-themed reality show from director Sam Raimi.
Yes, it's true: Paris Hilton will use her MTV reality show to find a new BFF; details are at The Futon Critic.
ComingSoon reports that Sarah Michelle Gellar is in talks for the lead role in the indie drama Veronika Decides to Die, replacing Kate Bosworth.

Source

Buzz News Roundup, 1/16

BuzzSugar — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:31:56 -0800

The American Idol premiere was its lowest rated in four years, TV Week reports - but it still got more than 33 million viewers.
Variety has more details on Apple's new iTunes movie rental service.
Studios have canceled dozens of deals with producers as a result of the strike, writes The Hollywood Reporter.
While the Grammys and Oscars are in question, the NAACP Image Awards will go on as planned, the New York Times reports.
Forest Whitaker may star in Patriots, a post-Katrina sports drama directed by Tim Story, writes ComingSoon.
According to Billboard, Alicia Keys' album returns to its No. 1 spot on the charts, though the Juno soundtrack is up there, too, coming in as the No. 3 bestselling album in the country.
The Hollywood Reporter has news that Will Smith's son Jaden Smith will star in the sci-fi thriller The Day the Earth Stood Still.
According to ComingSoon, the director of 27 Dresses, Anne Fletcher, has signed on to direct Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock in the romantic comedy The Proposal.
The Decemberists' Colin Meloy will release a live solo album in April, Pitchfork reports.

Photo courtesy of Fox

The Results Are in: Recast "Diff'rent Strokes"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 May 2007 16:50:25 -0700

Every Wednesday on BuzzSugar, I post a Recast challenge, where I ask you to choose new actors for a classic TV show or movie. The reader who submits the best cast wins a BuzzSugar t-shirt!

This week, everyone had great ideas for a modern makeover to the 1978 cast of "Diff'rent Strokes." I loved that CaterpillarGirl drew from the "Lost" cast, putting Terry O'Quinn in the role of Mr. Drummond and Malcolm David Kelly (Walt) as Willis. I also loved some of the Mrs. Garrett ideas, from Jinx's Bonnie Hunt to glam sugar and sascha9000's pick of Kathy Bates.

Overall, though, my favorite cast comes from RCLdesigngirl! To see her cast list and a new cast photo, read more

RCLdesigngirl's cast:
Mr. Drummond: Ken Jenkins
Kimberly: Sophia Bush
Arnold: Jaden Smith
Willis: Gaius Charles
Mrs. Garret: Phyllis Smith