Adora
11-16-2004, 09:51 PM
Okay... so there's been a little bit of discussion of the phenomenon of remakes/covers in the Depp-Burton-Willy-Wonka thread.
But I think I just witnessed teh most depressing remakes I've ever seen last night.
I don't know how many of you have seen Lars Von Trier's The Kingdom. I think it's one of the best miniseries to ever be made. It was spooky and creepy and it had hilarious Dane/Dutch in-jokes and it was where Trier cut his teeth and developed most of the techniques he then brought to Dogme 95, one of the most important recent film movements.
And then Stephen King remade it into Kingdom Hospital.
I was seriously willing to give it a go at first. I was willing to put my deep love of the first aside and see what another film-maker (yes, even if it was a CRAP one) did with it, because the original had so much fucking good material, I didn't think you could go too wrong.
Oh gods was I stupid. THE PAIN! THE BURNINATION! I hope Stephen King dies painfully, and Lars follows in some similar way for selling out like that. Seriously, it was BAD and completely not-creepy-at-all. It was just stupid, because King somehow thought putting weird pop-songs in at inopportune moments would improve it. I changed the channel back to something good when it got to the part where the old Southern lady showed up, because I knew what role she would be filling, and the thought of it made me gag. One of the things that made the other so creepy and spooky was Lars' use of handheld digital and lower-quality film, so its like you were always in the action. His characters, whilst a bit strange, weren't stereotypes, which of course King obviously can't work with (git). And I don't know if any of you have watched it and can tell me, but I have my doubts about King remaining true to the parts of the original that actually matter (like giant half-man/demon-baby things being born).
It's not that I'm against remakes/covers/adaptations/whatevers on principle, but I'm against cynical crap marketing excercises like this, especially when Stephen King sticks his name on it like somehow, the intellectual property is his (which it so isn't).
Okay, I've had my rant.
Oh, and using that "Bye Bye Baby" song as the opening theme is really stupid too.
But I think I just witnessed teh most depressing remakes I've ever seen last night.
I don't know how many of you have seen Lars Von Trier's The Kingdom. I think it's one of the best miniseries to ever be made. It was spooky and creepy and it had hilarious Dane/Dutch in-jokes and it was where Trier cut his teeth and developed most of the techniques he then brought to Dogme 95, one of the most important recent film movements.
And then Stephen King remade it into Kingdom Hospital.
I was seriously willing to give it a go at first. I was willing to put my deep love of the first aside and see what another film-maker (yes, even if it was a CRAP one) did with it, because the original had so much fucking good material, I didn't think you could go too wrong.
Oh gods was I stupid. THE PAIN! THE BURNINATION! I hope Stephen King dies painfully, and Lars follows in some similar way for selling out like that. Seriously, it was BAD and completely not-creepy-at-all. It was just stupid, because King somehow thought putting weird pop-songs in at inopportune moments would improve it. I changed the channel back to something good when it got to the part where the old Southern lady showed up, because I knew what role she would be filling, and the thought of it made me gag. One of the things that made the other so creepy and spooky was Lars' use of handheld digital and lower-quality film, so its like you were always in the action. His characters, whilst a bit strange, weren't stereotypes, which of course King obviously can't work with (git). And I don't know if any of you have watched it and can tell me, but I have my doubts about King remaining true to the parts of the original that actually matter (like giant half-man/demon-baby things being born).
It's not that I'm against remakes/covers/adaptations/whatevers on principle, but I'm against cynical crap marketing excercises like this, especially when Stephen King sticks his name on it like somehow, the intellectual property is his (which it so isn't).
Okay, I've had my rant.
Oh, and using that "Bye Bye Baby" song as the opening theme is really stupid too.