...using the novelization of the story, which is actually quite good. The music blows, and it's a distraction from what could otherwise be a gritty, urban endeavor. Long as they don't ghetto it up like they tried to with so many other movies, it could be a gem. The story is there...
"Hey...I like that...I like that!!" Terry Silver Karate Kid III
It seems the remake in development is a self indulgent project by Steven Spielberg that will white wash the title role (the three women in contention for Maria are all white, blue eyed, and blonde haired [at least naturally]).
shareIt seems the remake in development is a self indulgent project by Steven Spielberg that will white wash the title role (the three women in contention for Maria are all white, blue eyed, and blonde haired [at least naturally]).
I'd like to see Florence Welch play Riff's g/f. Not sure if the character sang, tho.
shareRiff's girlfriend, Graziella, doesn't sing, except in the "Cool" scene, which, in the film version of West Side Story, is closer to the end of the film.
I don't know Florence Welch, so I have no comparison(s) to make, but I still remain a nay-sayer when it comes to a re-make of this iconic classic.
You all know where I stand on this one!
Here are a few others to "remake:"
Gone With the Wind
Casablanca
Singin' in the Rain
You don't mess with absolute perfection. And West Side Story is perfection, warts and all.
Brava, leader-7!! This:
You don't mess with absolute perfection. And West Side Story is perfection, warts and all.
Great to hear from you. And delighted you agreee. ;-)
Thanks, leader-7!
Great to hear from you, too! I watched the TCM airing of West Side Story just this past Thursday night, which I enjoyed immensely, as usual. My 6.5 year old pet Congo African Grey Parrot, Aziza, also watched it with me, and enjoyed it just about as much! there's another airing of WSS on TCM coming on Monday, July 4th, at 5:15 p. m., and there's a screening of the film West Side Story in 70mm coming to the Somerville Theatre, not far from where I live, in late September, as part of their week-long 70mm film presentation series, which I plan to go to, and invite my sister and a friend of mine, if they're interested in coming along. The Tickets aren't on sale yet, however. I'm watching and waiting for it. . I'm so excited! It may strike some people a little bit weird that I get so excited over a 55 year old film, but what the heck? I just relax and enjoy it!!
"The music blows" ....haha! Are you a troll, or only 10 years old? I guess you think the collective work of Mozart should be erased and brought up to date by Kanye West or something :)
shareThe music blows, are you insane.
shareA very uninformed op. What a dumb cluck to say that The Music Blows. I'd like to see this person try to write anything better.
shareHi, modica! Did you attend the screening of West Side Story in the New York City area? If so, did you enjoy it? How was the film? Were there a lot of people in the theatre? Just curious.
shareYes, I went to the showing and it was very enjoyable. The print was very good and the sound was great. The theater was pretty packed and everyone seemed to enjoy it. They also served mimosas during the show. They were very tasty indeed.
shareGlad that you went to the showing of the film West Side Story, that the print was very good, and the sound was great. Glad everybody seemed to enjoy it. Sounds like you had a great time! What are mimosas, btw? Just curious.
shareThe laughing part is, the OP is an English Teacher. Dumb fuck obviously never heard of Shakespeare!!!!
shareFrankly, I think that West Side Story is a fantastic classic that should be left the hell alone!
shareNot reading the replies, I'll say --
You Are Nuts !
I can guaranty you any attempt to re-make WSS will go down in flames.
It would take a seriously visionary and thoughtful person to re-imagine WSS and surpass the original.
I'm not sure I can take you seriously, if we meet in the future. No disrespect intended, but WSS is that good.
I agree with you 100%!
Regardless of what anybody says or thinks, there are some classic films which should DEFINITELY NOT be touched, and West Side Story is one of them! The people who said that there'd never be a film like West Side Story again were right on their money.
I recently saw High Society for the first time. Didn't know it was a re-make of one of my favorites, The Philadelphia Story.
They even used the same names for the characters.
In that light, it was AWFUL ! If it were it's own movie and they subtly shifted some of narrative around, maybe it would have been o-k. Nothing wrong with looking at Grace Kelly for a couple hours. But comparing it to TPS is downright painful.
I'm just curious as to what you think of new stage adaptations?
I do realize that film is completely different, and I can't say that I want a remake of the movie. I was just thinking about if they were to remake it the same way they come out with a "new" production of a Broadway show, that it might not be so bad. But then again what would be the point?
It would take a better Theater Head than I to come up with something that would be considered WSS yet somehow different and better.
Considering the source material is Shakespeare, if someone wanted to re-adapt a story that reflects the themes of this tragedy, the field is wide open. If they chose to use the Bernstein / Sondheim music, I guess they could go through the estates and get rights, etc.
The music is beautiful, timeless, as is Shakespeare.
So I guess someone shouldn't try and change it, as much as they should just straight-up Revive it.
Cast the right people, (mixed ethnicity, idk), and just re-present it and give all the original creators their due.
I don't necessarily want a rap or hip-hop version, but I'm behind the times in that regard, so if someone can make that work -- that's o-k, too.
I stand solidly behind my opinion that a re-make of the film West Side Story just won't cut it...period. West Side Story is a timeless classic and a cinematic masterpiece that should just plain be left as it is. Any effort to re-make this film would not be such a hot idea, and, as some people have pointed out, would more than likely go up in flames, or over like a lead balloon--inotherwords, not too well. The idea that a re-make of West Side Story is a way to make this great golden oldie-but-keeper of a classic more accessible to younger viewers of today is pure malarkey. Introducing the 1961 original film West Side Story by periodic national re-releases into the movie theatres would be the best way to go.
Quite frankly, if people think I'm behind the times, that's their problem, not mine.
While I agree with you entirely, I also have to acknowledge that time moves on, and what moves me (or you) may not move a younger generation. I wish they were more in tune with the artistry it takes to create things like WSS or Casablanca (more going on than what appears !), but that's the nature of life -- young people want to create their own culture, not follow in their predecessors footsteps (see Rebel W/O a Cause). At some point a lot of them will figure it out, but as a group they will struggle and strive to create something that resonates with them -- even if it's Retro !
shareIt's true that younger generations do often prefer to create their own culture, and they have ways of thinking, talking and acting than their parents or grandparents did, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm strongly of the opinion that when it comes to the re-making of films that are already classics, that doesn't make the fact that they want something that the previous generation(s) enjoyed re-made to fit their own interpretation and culture right or proper. If today's younger generation(s) really want to create their own culture, they should find their own ways of doing it, and not by demanding that movies that are already classics be made to fit their cultural agenda.
I'm under the impression that today's younger generations would either not care if a great classic like the 1961 film version of West Side Story just simply went into the dustbin of history and simply bit the dust, or, if Steven Spielberg or any other director actually did get hold of the 1961 film West Side Story to create their own re-make of it just did whatever the hell they felt like doing with WSS, and then let it slip into the dustbin of history, never to be available again, except through DVD, video, or on TV.
It's one thing for today's younger generation(s) to want to create their own cultures, but they should also respect what's already there, and to respect the fact that many people also want old, original films., and not ghettoed-up re-makes of older classics films.
I'm in complete agreement with you,
except that what we want and what really happens likely won't align.
NBC keeps rolling out different versions of classic musicals.
Creates buzz, people get a chance to think about the source material, debate the merits --
Then the thing gets televised, maybe it's o-k, maybe not, and it sinks into Who-Cares-Land.
The classics will stand on their own legs -- unless they don't, and the Newer Generation will have created something else.
WSS is an update of Romeo & Juliet. Did a damn fine job of it. We almost forget it's Shakespeare.
Younger generations move us forward. How they do it, we have little control of.
One has to realize, however, that newer and different isn't necessarily and/or always better, plus younger generations don't always move a society forward, either. I don't think that this generation is moving us forward as a society, either.
Some things, imho, are simply better if and when they're kept as they are, and the film West Side Story is most definitely one of them.
I really don't think you have to worry about that happening, mplo. Truly great classics stand out on their own just fine. This has happened before with other movies and the original classics are always the ones remembered.
shareThank you, StrongRex. You've made a great point that's well taken.
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