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"The Women"

hepkitten

One of the Regulars
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153
Location
Portland, Oregon
To me, what makes The Women sacred is the dialogue...whip-smart, whip-fast, from poignant to scathingly hilarious to just plain scathing.

I can't imagine that level of screenwriting coming out of today's Hollywood...and the trailer doesn't make me optimistic. Looks like yet another movie-length sitcom.
 

RedHotRidinHood

Practically Family
Messages
786
Location
Phoenix
Well, as far as I'm concerned I'm not wasting my money on it. Most of those actresses annoy me. Annette Benning looks like she has a new face-she looks "odd". How can anyone even compare the new one to the old one??!! I cannot stand Eva Mendes-she just looks cheap.

And not to mention (excuse me while I am a total girl here)-there's won't be an amazing fashion show in the middle of it like in the original!!!
 

LizzieMaine

Bartender
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33,825
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Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
I think it's going to be very difficult to adapt the script to a modern setting -- it was written based on a very 1930s concept of dynamics between the sexes, which I just can't see fitting into a 2008 sort of mindset. They can change and adapt it and rewrite the characters -- but then, it won't be Luce's play or characters anymore.

Now, if they'd done it as a period piece, with period costumes and settings, I'd be *very* excited!
 

Lauren

Distinguished Service Award
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5,060
Location
Sunny California
hepkitten said:
To me, what makes The Women sacred is the dialogue...whip-smart, whip-fast, from poignant to scathingly hilarious to just plain scathing.

I totally agree. We can have all the Buck Winston's, Jungle Red's, and Black's Fifth Avenues they want to throw at us, but it's just not the same without the original dialog.
 

Forgotten Man

One Too Many
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1,944
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City Dump 32 E. River Sutton Place.
A fun movie, (The original) even for a guy... well, this guy anyway.

I recall seeing it the first time on TCM and just goin' nuts when the surprise Technicolor scene came on... I didn't know that was in there when I started to watch it... I was blown away. Now, that was many years ago when I didn't know much about movies of the 30s and 40s... It was a real nice surprise.

And I agree, the dialog is what makes that film very special... or any old movie for that matter... they had a very unique and special way of talking in movies of that era... that's what I like about the old movies is the "one liners" and quick comebacks... totally insulting someone with a smooth and cool head about it... and a smile some times lol Something they totally don't get today in movies... I'm sure the remake will tank in this circle.

"The Women" from 1939= :arated: in my book! The remake, well I'll see it when it comes out on DVD.
 

Ms. McGraw

One of the Regulars
Messages
137
Location
Ohio
I saw a trailer for this in the theater and almost threw up into my popcorn!! The Women is one of my all time favorites!!!! Not only will I NOT go see it I turned around in the theater and informed the teenagers behind me that were talking about seeing it to take the price of admission and go rent the original. I assured them they'd be MUCH happier and much better for it in the end. Yeah, it was kind of an opinionated jerk move, but sometimes I'm just an opinionated jerk and I'm ok with that.
 

K.D. Lightner

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,354
Location
Des Moines, IA
Can't imagine they can duplicate the original energy of that classic film. They have to update it and make it more savage as the original would not play in this day and age.

I saw it only once, but in a room full of gay men. Was that a hoot!!

karol
 

dahliaoleander

One of the Regulars
Messages
273
Location
Los Angeles
From what I've seen in the trailer thsi seems to sum it up.

The women (2008) - 1939 - witty dialogue - Norma - Joan Fontaine -Joan Crawford - Rosalind Russel - Marjorie Main - Virginia Weidler + Sex & The City + sub-par socialite & potential catfight comedy = Remake

The worst thing is I hear Mick Jaggers production company is handling this. (I'm a stones fan)

Plus the whole thing is miscast: (Except for Bette Midler as the countess)

Meg is an okay actress But I think I can safely say she is NO NORMA SHEARER :eusa_doh:
And Annette as Rosalind? [huh]
One of the chars as a lesbian played by Jada Pinkett? :eek:

And Eva...

See the way I see it in the old movie, the whole thing about Joan's role is that she could pass as a high society girl.

All they seem to got from it is that she was a home-wrecking whore that used sex to get to be Mrs. Mary Haines...

(Ahem! Someone didn't do their homework!)

They neglected to look further than that and just seemed to close their eyes and play pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, to choose a random sexpot actress to fill in.

(Though I like Eva, ithing sheis MISCAAAAAAAAAST! BOY! IS SHE MISCAST!)

Rant Over.
 

K.D. Lightner

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,354
Location
Des Moines, IA
Remakes

That they would fail with The Women is a no-brainer, I think most remakes are dismal failures.

Many remakes from the silent era were probably better because of new technology (like sound), but .... are there any modern films, i.e., films with sound, that had remakes better than the original?

I recall reading that Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which was an early 50's film, was remade in the late 70's and many consider it better or equal to the original. I hear they're remaking it again....

Just curious.

karol
 

Feraud

Bartender
Messages
17,188
Location
Hardlucksville, NY
K.D. Lightner said:
I recall reading that Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which was an early 50's film, was remade in the late 70's and many consider it better or equal to the original. I hear they're remaking it again....

Just curious.

karol
Again?? They just remade this with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig in 07!
 

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