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mplo's Replies
Thank you again for your input, Otter. You've made some very good points, but what's equally important, however, is that, in the event that the film West Side Story was re-made, the romantic relations between Tony and Maria, as well as Bernardo and Anita, as well as the other Jets and Sharks and their girls would be way steamier and more sexually explicit. The playground and street skirmishes between the Jets and Sharks would be much more damaging, the language and racia/ethnic expressions a lot harsher and "bluer", and Lt. Schrank and Ofcr. Krupke would be much rougher and even more overt in their hatred of both the Sharks and the Jets.
Moreover, the Rumble would be carried out with automatic weapons, rather than fisticuffs and/or switchblades, and the deaths of Riff, Bernardo and Tony would be far bloodier. I personally think that West Side Story should be left alone. Steven Spielberg has done some awesome films, but he'd be better off leaving West Side Story alone and doing something else.
What's really funny is that our generation never demanded re-makes of movies that our parents' generation saw and liked a great deal in order to fit our opinions and suit our likings. Why should this generation demand a re-make of what's a beautiful classic movie-musical to suit their ways of thinking? They shouldn't, imho.
That's not true, MovieManCin2. People don't have to die for our freedoms in order to be heroes/heroines.
The ACLU has done much more than you care to believe in order to protect people's rights, and is nothing to sneeze at.
There are at least 3 independent, non-profit movie theatres in my area, 2 of which I hold annual memberships to, and give a donation to every year. All three of them have played West Side Story, Wizard of Oz, and Sound of Music on occasion, to name afew films.
I frankly don't think that a re-make of the film West Side Story is a good idea. It would more than likely be turned into a junky piece of hip-hop, rap-infested mess with no style or substance to it.
Thank you for your input, MissMargoChanning. I saw the film "The Music Man", back in the summer of 1962, when it first came out. I also liked "Oklahoma", but it was far better on stage than on screen.
As for "Carousel" and "Grease", since I never saw these two latter musicals, either on screen or on stage, however, I'm not able to compare them with anything.
I know I could write about West Side Story without getting into trouble here. Everybody has their own tastes. The world would be an awfully dull place if everybody had the same likes/dislikes, thought the same way, or had the same ideas or ways of thinking.
I see where you're coming from, Otter, but, due to my intense love for the film West Side Story, I'm more than willing to overlook the dubbing that goes on in the film. I felt that Natalie Wood did okay as Maria. Even Richard Beymer, who I've always regarded as sort of a weak, lacklustre Tony, comes off as being more vital and alive when West Side Story is shown on a great big, wide movie theatre screen.
I've made a point of not buying any DVD players, first because I prefer to see movies, especially movies like West Side Story, on a great big, wide movie theatre screen, with the lights down low, and to share the experience with a whole bunch of other people, whether I know them or not. Secondly, I'm not the kind of person who enjoys always watching films on a DVD, or on television. Thirdly, a decent Blu-Ray DVD player can be prohibitively expensive, and regular DVD's cannot be played on them. If I lived out in the boonies or the 'burbs, I might consider getting a home theatre system, but since I don't, I hold memberships to two independent, non-profit movie theatres in my general area.
That's very true, MissMargoChanning. Sooner or later, things had to change...some for the better, some for worse.
The fact that sexual assault/rape went unreported back in the late 1960's was rather disgraceful, and didn't help much, either.
I have an obsessive love for the film West Side Story, at large, and I make a point of seeing it when it comes around, be it on TV or on a great big, wide screen, in a real movie theatre, with the lights down low. I've even made special road trips to neighboring states, or to the opposite end of the Bay State, in order to see it, as well.
I've seen some screenings of West Side Story that are digitally restored, remastered, cleaned up and reprinted, and restored to its former glory and color. It's great.
There are digital restoring/remastered and cleaned-up and reprinted and hi-definition versions of the film West Side Story. I've seen afew screenings of that.
They must've revamped the Blu-Ray version of West Side Story a great deal then, because when WSS first came out in Blu-Ray about six years ago, there were many things wrong with it, which resulted in many irate customers either returning their Blu-Ray version of West Side Story, or rescinding their backorders. Maybe that's what resulted in its improvement.
Our veterans weren't the only ones who helped protestors procure their rights to do so, however. The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) has also contributed a great deal to helping people assert their rights to free speech.
Here's another thing that I read/heard: Despite the fact that many people claim that the original 1969 Woodstock Festival had no violent incidents, there were many sexual assaults/rapes, which went unreported. That's how sexual assault/rape was handled back in the late 1960's.
That would not work. A person who assaults another person, breaks his/her jaw, and steals his/her money is guilty..period.
Very true, Catbookss! Well said. Thanks.
Unfortunately, an awful lot of people who are the victims of sexual abuse/harassment, and/or rape are afraid to report it, for fear of losing their jobs, being ostracized by family and friends, and due to the very stigma of being a victim to such behaviors, especially rape. Another reason why so many people are afraid to report sexual harassment, rape, or any other abuse is because, in the vast majority of cases, especially rape, the rapist and the victim know each other, either as longtime friends, or acquaintances. Eight or nine times out of ten, that's the case.
Some accusations, however, are not just simply figments of certain people's imaginations, but they're legitimate, and the perpetrators deserve to be exposed for their lousy public and personal behaviors.
The original film West Side Story should be left alone.
I think that if the film West Side Story were to be made today, it would be turned into a junky, hyped-up, hip-hop, gagster-rap musical. Not good, at all. Here's hoping that the plug gets pulled on that one.
If you think that's bad, I got threatened with being banned from dailykos.com for writing too many diaries about the film West Side Story, a film that I love writing about, due to its being my all-time favorite movie.
There was a time when we used to burn trash out in our tiny incinerator, and also rake leaves, and then make bonfires. Nobody can do that anymore, no matter where they are.
My opinion of movies that couldn't be made today, regardless of what anybody else says or thinks, is....would you all believe...West Side Story.
There's supposedly a re-make of West Side Story that's happening under Steve Spielberg and Tony Kushner, but I frankly think that it'll never, ever beat the old, original 1961 film version of such a classic movie-musical.