list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around What Dreams May Come on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/What_Dreams_May_Come/128227/default.aspx Title: What Dreams May Come
Year: 1998
Director: Vincent Ward
Plot: Based on a metaphysical 1978 novel by science fiction and horror author Richard Matheson, this romantic fantasy-drama won an Oscar for its expensive and impressive visual vistas depicting an imaginative afterlife. Robin Williams stars as Chris Nielsen, a doctor who has suffered with his artist wife Annie (Annabella Sciorra) through the devastating loss of their children, Marie and Ian, who were killed in a car accident. Although Annie's all-consuming depression nearly destroyed their marriage, the couple rebuilt their relationship and are now living out a comfortable middle age. Stopping one night to help a motorist in a wreck, Chris is struck by a car and killed. At first confused about where he is, Chris meets Albert (Cuba Gooding Jr.), a spiritual guide who helps him to realize he's passed away and that he must move on to the next world. After trying with only limited success to communicate with the devastated Annie, Chris moves on and discovers an afterlife that can become whatever one envisions, where even his pet dog awaits him. What Chris envisions as paradise are the paintings of his wife, and he happily takes up residence there, awaiting the far-off day when Annie will eventually join him. He also meets his children, although they have chosen different appearances than the ones they had in life. Then tragedy strikes when Annie, inconsolable, commits suicide and goes to Hell. Although it is rarely done, Chris insists on traveling there, risking his eternal soul to save the woman he loves. Accompanied part of the way by Albert and a wizened guide called The Tracker (Max von Sydow), Chris finally reaches Annie in Hell, and must convince her of the truth in order to release her from her dark prison. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 48
Number of Lists: 46
Number of blog posts: 10
Number of discussion threads: 1
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Tue, 12 May 2009 02:50:43 GMTWhat Dreams May Come1998Vincent WardBased on a metaphysical 1978 novel by science fiction and horror author <a href="/players/P___101691/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Richard Matheson</a>, this romantic fantasy-drama won an Oscar for its expensive and impressive visual vistas depicting an imaginative afterlife. <a href="/players/P___116900/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Robin Williams</a> stars as Chris Nielsen, a doctor who has suffered with his artist wife Annie (<a href="/players/P____63988/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Annabella Sciorra</a>) through the devastating loss of their children, Marie and Ian, who were killed in a car accident. Although Annie's all-consuming depression nearly destroyed their marriage, the couple rebuilt their relationship and are now living out a comfortable middle age. Stopping one night to help a motorist in a wreck, Chris is struck by a car and killed. At first confused about where he is, Chris meets Albert (Cuba Gooding Jr.), a spiritual guide who helps him to realize he's passed away and that he must move on to the next world. After trying with only limited success to communicate with the devastated Annie, Chris moves on and discovers an afterlife that can become whatever one envisions, where even his pet dog awaits him. What Chris envisions as paradise are the paintings of his wife, and he happily takes up residence there, awaiting the far-off day when Annie will eventually join him. He also meets his children, although they have chosen different appearances than the ones they had in life. Then tragedy strikes when Annie, inconsolable, commits suicide and goes to Hell. Although it is rarely done, Chris insists on traveling there, risking his eternal soul to save the woman he loves. Accompanied part of the way by Albert and a wizened guide called The Tracker (<a href="/players/P____69424/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Max von Sydow</a>), Chris finally reaches Annie in Hell, and must convince her of the truth in order to release her from her dark prison. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide48Tag Target (>10)461013http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u39616ig7t7.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/What_Dreams_May_Come/128227/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/joem18b/archive/2009/3/31/41355.aspx Post By: joem18b
Post To: joem18b Blog
Post Date: 3/31/2009 1:50:34 AM
Body: No sooner did I post my thoughts on the worst movie ever made, than Simon Mayo, Mark Kermode's sidekick, weighed in with Knowing as his "worst" candidate, on their 3/27 podcast. Kermode properly told Mayo the same thing that I wrote in my post: Dude, you've missed a lot of bad movies if Knowing is the worst you've ever seen. But then Kermode, who ought to know better, turned around and suggested What Dreams May Come as a reasonable "worst" candidate of his own. Proving that no one is immune to worstitis, the irresistable urge to go the limit when describing a movie that you (you) didn't like.It's never just once with these worst-enders. I know because I've checked. Can it be that each time they name a new "worst," it's truly worse than the last worst one that they named? Do they announce their worst car when they buy it? Their worst house? Their worst wife? Their worst newborn?Tell me that the movies aren't just getting worster and worster. Tell me that there is bestitis out there as well.I googled "Greatest Movie Ever Made." 79,700 hits, including Citizen Kane, of course, and IMDB's Shawshank, and The Dark Knight from the fanboys. But also Conan the Barbarian, I Am Legend, Last Year at Marienbad, Shogun Assassin, and Elf.I'm ignoring Peter Igluishvilli's choice of Lions for Lambs as his "worst," as he is only ten years old, just arrived from the woods east of Kutaisi on the Rioni river, and in his life has seen only one other movie, "The House Bunny" (his "greatest").It seems that "best" and "worst" appraisals are skewed toward the young, not the old, where the judgement would be based upon a greater number of movies seen. Suppose, for example, that a 110-year-old individual has been watching 100 movies/year since the age of 10. Now suppose that I ask him or her to name the "best" movie out of those 10,000 movies that he or she has seen, and suppose that he or she responds, "Elf." That would indicate some advanced degree of dementia in the cinematic portion of his or her brainpan."Greatest Movie I've Ever Seen" 2,370. Shattered, Hancock, Revolver, Valkyrie, Titanic."Best Movie I've Seen" 85,500 Hmm. Best in a while. Best this year. Best of its kind. Best is more provisional than worst, it seems."Best Movie Ever Made" 110,000. Well, well. "The Best Movie Ever Made" (1997). Directed by Steve Bencich. Otherwise, Easy Rider, Commando ("This is the best movie ever made, it should have won 1 million Oscars." Nice), Showgirls, Crash.There seem to be more worsts than bests. Easier to make a bad movie than a good one? "Greatest" picks are less great than "Worst" picks are worse. That is, "greatest" picks are more often bad than "worst" picks are good. What does this mean? That movies are generally worse than we imagine, but, hey, not that bad? Or is it that the motivations behind choosing best and worst are entirely different? Worst springs from disappointment and hurt and a cynical abandonment of hope, a cry for help, abuse from the abused, denial of death, turning away from the void, a disgust at wasting 10 bucks or so, plus parking, coke, and popcorn. Best is warmed cockles or weepy moments or laughter (forgetting) or relief that it wasn't you, or whatever it is that makes art art.Since there's a thin line between love and hate, it's no suprise that there are movies listed as both the best and worst ever made. Showgirls, Crash, Hancock, and Citizen Kane all qualify. The U.S. elected George Bush, twice, and then Barak Obama, so why can't Hancock and Kane be brothers?I called a guy who listed Zombie Breakfast as his worst. I thought Breakfast wasn't bad. Bad? he said. It was terrible! Undoubtedly the worst movie ever made! I asked him if he'd seen the sequel, Zombie Brunch, a real stinker. Seen it? he said. Yeah, I saw it. It was ten times as bad as Zombie Breakfast. The worst!
]]>Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:50:34 GMTjoem18bjoem18b Blog3/31/2009 1:50:34 AMNo sooner did I post my thoughts on the worst movie ever made, than Simon Mayo, Mark Kermode's sidekick, weighed in with Knowing as his "worst" candidate, on their 3/27 podcast. Kermode properly told Mayo the same thing that I wrote in my post: Dude, you've missed a lot of bad movies if Knowing is the worst you've ever seen. But then Kermode, who ought to know better, turned around and suggested What Dreams May Come as a reasonable "worst" candidate of his own. Proving that no one is immune to worstitis, the irresistable urge to go the limit when describing a movie that you (you) didn't like.It's never just once with these worst-enders. I know because I've checked. Can it be that each time they name a new "worst," it's truly worse than the last worst one that they named? Do they announce their worst car when they buy it? Their worst house? Their worst wife? Their worst newborn?Tell me that the movies aren't just getting worster and worster. Tell me that there is bestitis out there as well.I googled "Greatest Movie Ever Made." 79,700 hits, including Citizen Kane, of course, and IMDB's Shawshank, and The Dark Knight from the fanboys. But also Conan the Barbarian, I Am Legend, Last Year at Marienbad, Shogun Assassin, and Elf.I'm ignoring Peter Igluishvilli's choice of Lions for Lambs as his "worst," as he is only ten years old, just arrived from the woods east of Kutaisi on the Rioni river, and in his life has seen only one other movie, "The House Bunny" (his "greatest").It seems that "best" and "worst" appraisals are skewed toward the young, not the old, where the judgement would be based upon a greater number of movies seen. Suppose, for example, that a 110-year-old individual has been watching 100 movies/year since the age of 10. Now suppose that I ask him or her to name the "best" movie out of those 10,000 movies that he or she has seen, and suppose that he or she responds, "Elf." That would indicate some advanced degree of dementia in the cinematic portion of his or her brainpan."Greatest Movie I've Ever Seen" 2,370. Shattered, Hancock, Revolver, Valkyrie, Titanic."Best Movie I've Seen" 85,500 Hmm. Best in a while. Best this year. Best of its kind. Best is more provisional than worst, it seems."Best Movie Ever Made" 110,000. Well, well. "The Best Movie Ever Made" (1997). Directed by Steve Bencich. Otherwise, Easy Rider, Commando ("This is the best movie ever made, it should have won 1 million Oscars." Nice), Showgirls, Crash.There seem to be more worsts than bests. Easier to make a bad movie than a good one? "Greatest" picks are less great than "Worst" picks are worse. That is, "greatest" picks are more often bad than "worst" picks are good. What does this mean? That movies are generally worse than we imagine, but, hey, not that bad? Or is it that the motivations behind choosing best and worst are entirely different? Worst springs from disappointment and hurt and a cynical abandonment of hope, a cry for help, abuse from the abused, denial of death, turning away from the void, a disgust at wasting 10 bucks or so, plus parking, coke, and popcorn. Best is warmed cockles or weepy moments or laughter (forgetting) or relief that it wasn't you, or whatever it is that makes art art.Since there's a thin line between love and hate, it's no suprise that there are movies listed as both the best and worst ever made. Showgirls, Crash, Hancock, and Citizen Kane all qualify. The U.S. elected George Bush, twice, and then Barak Obama, so why can't Hancock and Kane be brothers?I called a guy who listed Zombie Breakfast as his worst. I thought Breakfast wasn't bad. Bad? he said. It was terrible! Undoubtedly the worst movie ever made! I asked him if he'd seen the sequel, Zombie Brunch, a real stinker. Seen it? he said. Yeah, I saw it. It was ten times as bad as Zombie Breakfast. The worst! http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/1/5/39117.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 1/5/2009 5:01:02 PM
Body: Out of all the cinematic staples, the so-called “magical negro” is the worst to define and discuss due to it being the mother of all loaded terms. A catch-all phrase used to describe how African-Americans in film tend to be superhuman physically, spiritually or both, it’s currently in the midst of the pop cultural zeitgeist thanks to a crappy song and New Year’s faux-pas. Anytime someone sees a black character used as a story tool in a film — in the case of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Queenie (Taraji P. Henson) originally didn’t exist in Fitzgerald’s story — there is a mild cry of “There! There! I see a magical negro in the distance! Yes! There!” One should wonder why Eric Roth deemed it necessary to suddenly introduce the character as a framing device for guiding the CGI Man-Child about, but that’s up to anyone who can be assed to sit through that three hour bore. So, we’ve taken it upon ourselves—and in full expectation of the eventual backlash that will come from one friend of ours, Odienator at Big Media Vandalism—to deconstruct the favorite crutch of Stephen King, the Wachowski Brothers and whoever else has a problem understanding just what makes the worst stereotype the worst stereotype. The “Morgan Freeman” As Seen In: Bruce Almighty, Evan Almighty, The Shawshank Redemption A controversial choice, sure, and quite possibly a lazy choice. But Morgan Freeman has so deeply inserted himself in our culture as the wise, old teacher that him playing a seductively raging pimp in Street Smart seems impossible. Yet his gravely, nurturing voice seems to soothe us into believing whatever he says. And for some reason, he’s now playing into the comfortable role that he’s been typecast as since Driving Miss Daisy–the wiry, coy helper who can do fine on his own, but decides to help the Lead instead. In a way, Freeman became unintentionally responsible for confusing any black actor in any role as falling under the “magic negro” cliché. The Angel As Seen In: The Family Man, The Legend of Bagger Vance, What Dreams May Come, The Preacher’s Wife Every so often, a Successful White Guy finds himself with an overwhelming problem: his girlfriend left him, he’s too rich and successful, he realizes he’s Robin Williams. And lo, a loosely defined but altruistic Black Man will appear with unknown powers to set the S.W.G. straight. Sometimes, he’ll appear as Don Cheadle. Other times, he’ll be Will Smith, emerging from the woods and help you get your (golf) game back. And rarely, he’ll be Cuba Gooding, Jr. (and later Max von Sydow) or Denzel Washington, who’ll help you re-connect with your loved ones. Best shown through the utter ridiculousness from Bagger Vance, The Angel provides a fresh start to our troubled lead character, who must pretend to have his angst quickly fixed by the folksy and whimsical lessons given by their winged friends. Ultimately, there’s a generic life lesson learned (”keep family close, don’t let work get in the way, learn golf”) that benefits both the Angel and the S.W.G. (and in case of Preacher’s Wife, Courtney Vance.) The Innocent As Seen In: The Green Mile, Radio We’re pushing it with Radio here, but hold on. The Innocent is normally portrayed by a large, intimidating figure (Michael Clarke Duncan) or, if you’re Cuba Gooding Jr., a “full retard.” Everything is child-like to them and they’re incapable of controlling their own strength–or knowingly acting as if they have mental problems for critical acclaim. And they posses a great inner spirit that seems almost magical. Not to mention their sympathetic white friends (Tom Hanks, Ed Harris) feel pity for them based on their short-comings, but are won over by their child-like sympathy–and curing their tract infections. The Teacher As Seen In: The Matrix Trilogy, The Secret Life of Bees, The Shining Whether they’re telling Keanu to free his mind, teaching Dakota Fanning about the blues and selling her precious honey, or demonstrating how to talk with your index finger–The Teacher is there. While the role could be played by anyone, here we’re given figures that seem to have all the knowledge in the world, yet all they can be is a foil to pass that onto another character–normally the dopey white guy or gal. As Spike Lee once asked, “How is it that black people have these powers but they use them for the benefit of white people?” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:01:02 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com1/5/2009 5:01:02 PMOut of all the cinematic staples, the so-called “magical negro” is the worst to define and discuss due to it being the mother of all loaded terms. A catch-all phrase used to describe how African-Americans in film tend to be superhuman physically, spiritually or both, it’s currently in the midst of the pop cultural zeitgeist thanks to a crappy song and New Year’s faux-pas. Anytime someone sees a black character used as a story tool in a film — in the case of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Queenie (Taraji P. Henson) originally didn’t exist in Fitzgerald’s story — there is a mild cry of “There! There! I see a magical negro in the distance! Yes! There!” One should wonder why Eric Roth deemed it necessary to suddenly introduce the character as a framing device for guiding the CGI Man-Child about, but that’s up to anyone who can be assed to sit through that three hour bore. So, we’ve taken it upon ourselves—and in full expectation of the eventual backlash that will come from one friend of ours, Odienator at Big Media Vandalism—to deconstruct the favorite crutch of Stephen King, the Wachowski Brothers and whoever else has a problem understanding just what makes the worst stereotype the worst stereotype. The “Morgan Freeman” As Seen In: Bruce Almighty, Evan Almighty, The Shawshank Redemption A controversial choice, sure, and quite possibly a lazy choice. But Morgan Freeman has so deeply inserted himself in our culture as the wise, old teacher that him playing a seductively raging pimp in Street Smart seems impossible. Yet his gravely, nurturing voice seems to soothe us into believing whatever he says. And for some reason, he’s now playing into the comfortable role that he’s been typecast as since Driving Miss Daisy–the wiry, coy helper who can do fine on his own, but decides to help the Lead instead. In a way, Freeman became unintentionally responsible for confusing any black actor in any role as falling under the “magic negro” cliché. The Angel As Seen In: The Family Man, The Legend of Bagger Vance, What Dreams May Come, The Preacher’s Wife Every so often, a Successful White Guy finds himself with an overwhelming problem: his girlfriend left him, he’s too rich and successful, he realizes he’s Robin Williams. And lo, a loosely defined but altruistic Black Man will appear with unknown powers to set the S.W.G. straight. Sometimes, he’ll appear as Don Cheadle. Other times, he’ll be Will Smith, emerging from the woods and help you get your (golf) game back. And rarely, he’ll be Cuba Gooding, Jr. (and later Max von Sydow) or Denzel Washington, who’ll help you re-connect with your loved ones. Best shown through the utter ridiculousness from Bagger Vance, The Angel provides a fresh start to our troubled lead character, who must pretend to have his angst quickly fixed by the folksy and whimsical lessons given by their winged friends. Ultimately, there’s a generic life lesson learned (”keep family close, don’t let work get in the way, learn golf”) that benefits both the Angel and the S.W.G. (and in case of Preacher’s Wife, Courtney Vance.) The Innocent As Seen In: The Green Mile, Radio We’re pushing it with Radio here, but hold on. The Innocent is normally portrayed by a large, intimidating figure (Michael Clarke Duncan) or, if you’re Cuba Gooding Jr., a “full retard.” Everything is child-like to them and they’re incapable of controlling their own strength–or knowingly acting as if they have mental problems for critical acclaim. And they posses a great inner spirit that seems almost magical. Not to mention their sympathetic white friends (Tom Hanks, Ed Harris) feel pity for them based on their short-comings, but are won over by their child-like sympathy–and curing their tract infections. The Teacher As Seen In: The Matrix Trilogy, The Secret Life of Bees, The Shining Whether they’re telling Keanu to free his mind, teaching Dakota Fanning about the blues and selling her precious honey, or demonstrating how to talk with your index finger–The Teacher is there. While the role could be played by anyone, here we’re given figures that seem to have all the knowledge in the world, yet all they can be is a foil to pass that onto another character–normally the dopey white guy or gal. As Spike Lee once asked, “How is it that black people have these powers but they use them for the benefit of white people?” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/9/24/35507.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/24/2008 5:00:59 PM
Body: Yesterday I wrote of the news that Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov is helming an effects-heavy adaptation of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. It’s not entirely shocking, but it does still seem like a cruel joke. More specifically, it sounds like something Jasper Fforde would jest about in his Thursday Next novels. Of course, the news came just as I’m in the middle of Fforde’s latest, First Among Sequels, in which Pride and Prejudice is turned into a reality TV show. Although I’m not exactly well read as far as literary classics go, I’ve been wondering what other revered books (particularly those in the public domain) could be reworked as potential summer blockbusters. Obviously, there are certain sci-fi, fantasy and adventure novels that work, yet the fitting fictions of Verne, Wells, Burroughs, Dumas and others are already fodder for cheap movies with lots of action and/or special effects. Therefore, I’ve tried to limit my choices to those books that aren’t such easy candidates for a Memorial Day weekend opening. 1. The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri Dante’s epic poem has inspired a few films over the years, including the hugely successful 1911 silent L’Inferno, but it’s about time for Hollywood to bastardize the otherworldly tale with lots of computer-generated visuals. Maybe you’re thinking that What Dreams Come already made some attempt at this, and it failed at the box office. Sure, but it was still an awesome spectacle of a film. Now, think of something similar starring Will Smith as Dante. And some rewrites to allow for more fight scenes (yes, even in Heaven). The poem will be divided into a trilogy of films, of course. 2. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift Georges Méliès, the original visual-effects cinema showman, made the first adaptation of Swift’s satire, and a later version featured special effects from stop-motion master Ray Harryhausen. The last adaptation also had decent effects, at least for a TV miniseries, but it’s high time for a new big screen attempt, which shall employ all the latest effects innovations. And Will Ferrell. It should also have a more contemporary setting and lose all the allegory and commentary stuff. Nobody needs to be thinking about antiquated messages at the multiplex; they just want to watch giant people destroying little cities, pirate attacks and other straightforward spectacles. 3. Candide by Voltaire Similarly, Voltaire’s satire could be made into a more straightforward adventure through life’s calamities. And yet just by adhering to the basic plot, the main idea could still be communicated without making the audience think they’ve actually been made to think about it. It should probably be modernized, and it should probably star Shia LaBeouf. 4. Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini I guess a modernization of this classic would seem like just any other movie about a man forced into hiding as an actor, and a more faithful adaptation would probably not feature a better swordfight than the one in MGM’s 1952 version. So, it should be reset in the future, should star James Franco, who is due for more action and more comedy, and be some kind of cross between Sister Act and Star Wars. 5. Oedipus Rex by Sophocles I’m picturing Nicolas Cage in yet another movie involving prophecies. Only in this one, he not only can’t avoid killing his father and mating with his mother, he also fails to save the world from an apocalypse. See, the movie is about how you can’t change your destiny, and it’s also about a lot of cool and disastrous destruction occurring at the film’s climax. 6. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Matt Damon is reunited with director Terry Gilliam for an absurd action movie that’s as much The Bourne Identity as it is The Metamorphosis. Damon plays Gregor, a man who wakes up one day to find he’s a giant bug. That’s about as far as Kafka’s story is retained. From there, he must go on the run while being chased by an organization of pest control operatives in an attempt to find out why he’s transformed and how he can return to human form. 7. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson I know, it’s been filmed a billion times, and it’s technically one of those books I wanted to exclude on account of its ease in becoming a blockbuster. But here’s the thing: it would be completely different this time, and I don’t mean because it will be set in space. That’s already been done. No, instead, thanks to the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the story of Jim Hawkins (Cameron Bright) and Long John Silver (Gerard Butler) will include some paranormal additions, courtesy of Hollywood’s idea of poetic license. 8. The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulwer-Lytton I don’t know if this is still considered a classic, but as long as the adaptation of Robert Harris’ Pompeii book (which was once to be directed by Roman Polanski) is struggling to get made, now is the chance for some big producer to get a blockbuster made out of this book. And worse comes to worse, there ends up being competing Pompeii movies, which would fit in with the tradition of disaster movies anyway. 9. The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain In a way, this movie will just be a combo of Trading Places and Face/Off, but it will have that more respectable title and a less respectable script. And Nic Cage can again play twins. 10. Don Quixote by Cervantes Many of cinema’s greatest filmmakers have had the ambition to make a great adaptation of Cervantes’ masterpiece. And now it’s time for Michael Bay to admit he’d also like to give it a try. And with a big enough budget, he’ll succeed, though it won’t exactly be faithful to the book. Instead it will be about a man (Nic Cage again) who’s seen too many action movies and so, with great delusions, takes it upon himself to become an action hero. I can’t wait to watch all those windmills explode! Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:00:59 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com9/24/2008 5:00:59 PMYesterday I wrote of the news that Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov is helming an effects-heavy adaptation of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. It’s not entirely shocking, but it does still seem like a cruel joke. More specifically, it sounds like something Jasper Fforde would jest about in his Thursday Next novels. Of course, the news came just as I’m in the middle of Fforde’s latest, First Among Sequels, in which Pride and Prejudice is turned into a reality TV show. Although I’m not exactly well read as far as literary classics go, I’ve been wondering what other revered books (particularly those in the public domain) could be reworked as potential summer blockbusters. Obviously, there are certain sci-fi, fantasy and adventure novels that work, yet the fitting fictions of Verne, Wells, Burroughs, Dumas and others are already fodder for cheap movies with lots of action and/or special effects. Therefore, I’ve tried to limit my choices to those books that aren’t such easy candidates for a Memorial Day weekend opening. 1. The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri Dante’s epic poem has inspired a few films over the years, including the hugely successful 1911 silent L’Inferno, but it’s about time for Hollywood to bastardize the otherworldly tale with lots of computer-generated visuals. Maybe you’re thinking that What Dreams Come already made some attempt at this, and it failed at the box office. Sure, but it was still an awesome spectacle of a film. Now, think of something similar starring Will Smith as Dante. And some rewrites to allow for more fight scenes (yes, even in Heaven). The poem will be divided into a trilogy of films, of course. 2. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift Georges Méliès, the original visual-effects cinema showman, made the first adaptation of Swift’s satire, and a later version featured special effects from stop-motion master Ray Harryhausen. The last adaptation also had decent effects, at least for a TV miniseries, but it’s high time for a new big screen attempt, which shall employ all the latest effects innovations. And Will Ferrell. It should also have a more contemporary setting and lose all the allegory and commentary stuff. Nobody needs to be thinking about antiquated messages at the multiplex; they just want to watch giant people destroying little cities, pirate attacks and other straightforward spectacles. 3. Candide by Voltaire Similarly, Voltaire’s satire could be made into a more straightforward adventure through life’s calamities. And yet just by adhering to the basic plot, the main idea could still be communicated without making the audience think they’ve actually been made to think about it. It should probably be modernized, and it should probably star Shia LaBeouf. 4. Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini I guess a modernization of this classic would seem like just any other movie about a man forced into hiding as an actor, and a more faithful adaptation would probably not feature a better swordfight than the one in MGM’s 1952 version. So, it should be reset in the future, should star James Franco, who is due for more action and more comedy, and be some kind of cross between Sister Act and Star Wars. 5. Oedipus Rex by Sophocles I’m picturing Nicolas Cage in yet another movie involving prophecies. Only in this one, he not only can’t avoid killing his father and mating with his mother, he also fails to save the world from an apocalypse. See, the movie is about how you can’t change your destiny, and it’s also about a lot of cool and disastrous destruction occurring at the film’s climax. 6. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Matt Damon is reunited with director Terry Gilliam for an absurd action movie that’s as much The Bourne Identity as it is The Metamorphosis. Damon plays Gregor, a man who wakes up one day to find he’s a giant bug. That’s about as far as Kafka’s story is retained. From there, he must go on the run while being chased by an organization of pest control operatives in an attempt to find out why he’s transformed and how he can return to human form. 7. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson I know, it’s been filmed a billion times, and it’s technically one of those books I wanted to exclude on account of its ease in becoming a blockbuster. But here’s the thing: it would be completely different this time, and I don’t mean because it will be set in space. That’s already been done. No, instead, thanks to the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the story of Jim Hawkins (Cameron Bright) and Long John Silver (Gerard Butler) will include some paranormal additions, courtesy of Hollywood’s idea of poetic license. 8. The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulwer-Lytton I don’t know if this is still considered a classic, but as long as the adaptation of Robert Harris’ Pompeii book (which was once to be directed by Roman Polanski) is struggling to get made, now is the chance for some big producer to get a blockbuster made out of this book. And worse comes to worse, there ends up being competing Pompeii movies, which would fit in with the tradition of disaster movies anyway. 9. The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain In a way, this movie will just be a combo of Trading Places and Face/Off, but it will have that more respectable title and a less respectable script. And Nic Cage can again play twins. 10. Don Quixote by Cervantes Many of cinema’s greatest filmmakers have had the ambition to make a great adaptation of Cervantes’ masterpiece. And now it’s time for Michael Bay to admit he’d also like to give it a try. And with a big enough budget, he’ll succeed, though it won’t exactly be faithful to the book. Instead it will be about a man (Nic Cage again) who’s seen too many action movies and so, with great delusions, takes it upon himself to become an action hero. I can’t wait to watch all those windmills explode! Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/2/28/25681.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 2/28/2008 3:00:49 PM
Body: Call me crazy (again), but I really like Tarsem’s debut feature, The Cell. If I had any complaints, though, it would be that there wasn’t enough visual stimuli. I’m sure others would have preferred a better story instead, but I have a greater appreciation for those films that are primarily meant to be looked at, and not as much followed. Favorites include Terry Giliam’s The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Julie Taymor’s Titus and Zhang Yimou’s Hero, though I could probably go on and on. It’s an interesting affection coming from me, a guy occasionally inclined to criticize Hollywood’s spectacle-over-substance model of blockbustering. But I can’t help falling for a combination of beautiful cinematography and art direction. I shouldn’t, but I’ll even admit to enjoying What Dreams May Come – with my eyes wide open and my ears plugged shut, of course. The problem, though, with filmmakers like Tarsem and the rest is that eventually their painterly visions may dry up or become repetitive or obvious, or they’ll simply fail to reach enough of an audience that they cease to acquire enough funding to adequately present their style believably. I’ve already grown bored with Taymor and Zhang (Gilliam hopefully still has some surprises), and I’m thinking it won’t take long for me to tire of Tarsem, too. As gorgeous as his sophomore effort, The Fall, looks, it also seems a bit cheap, as if it had only the budget of one of his music videos (he directed R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion” and Deep Forest’s “Lullaby”). Yet perhaps it only feels like that to me now because I’m viewing the film as a short montage of shots. I’m willing to give any of these visionary filmmakers a chance until they disappoint me enough that I scream (figuratively, through criticism, that is — see any of my mentions of Taymor’s Across the Universe around the web). (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:00:49 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com2/28/2008 3:00:49 PM Call me crazy (again), but I really like Tarsem’s debut feature, The Cell. If I had any complaints, though, it would be that there wasn’t enough visual stimuli. I’m sure others would have preferred a better story instead, but I have a greater appreciation for those films that are primarily meant to be looked at, and not as much followed. Favorites include Terry Giliam’s The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Julie Taymor’s Titus and Zhang Yimou’s Hero, though I could probably go on and on. It’s an interesting affection coming from me, a guy occasionally inclined to criticize Hollywood’s spectacle-over-substance model of blockbustering. But I can’t help falling for a combination of beautiful cinematography and art direction. I shouldn’t, but I’ll even admit to enjoying What Dreams May Come – with my eyes wide open and my ears plugged shut, of course. The problem, though, with filmmakers like Tarsem and the rest is that eventually their painterly visions may dry up or become repetitive or obvious, or they’ll simply fail to reach enough of an audience that they cease to acquire enough funding to adequately present their style believably. I’ve already grown bored with Taymor and Zhang (Gilliam hopefully still has some surprises), and I’m thinking it won’t take long for me to tire of Tarsem, too. As gorgeous as his sophomore effort, The Fall, looks, it also seems a bit cheap, as if it had only the budget of one of his music videos (he directed R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion” and Deep Forest’s “Lullaby”). Yet perhaps it only feels like that to me now because I’m viewing the film as a short montage of shots. I’m willing to give any of these visionary filmmakers a chance until they disappoint me enough that I scream (figuratively, through criticism, that is — see any of my mentions of Taymor’s Across the Universe around the web). (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/mythman/archive/2008/2/21/25426.aspx Post By: mythman
Post To: Watch Everything and Still See ONLY What Is Good
Post Date: 2/21/2008 2:00:57 PM
Body: 1pointsAfter Chris Nielsen (Robin Williams' character) dies and continues to follow his wife around, Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character said something very revealing: read more Originally posted on:mythman's Xombyte
]]>Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:00:57 GMTmythmanWatch Everything and Still See ONLY What Is Good2/21/2008 2:00:57 PM1pointsAfter Chris Nielsen (Robin Williams' character) dies and continues to follow his wife around, Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character said something very revealing: read more Originally posted on:mythman's Xombyte http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2007/11/20/21866.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 11/20/2007 5:01:39 PM
Body: Mick LaSalle asked us last week what movie we would like to be inside (instead of Beowulf, which we can sort of feel like we’re in). Personally, I think being inside The Wizard of Oz would be awful. I might even prefer The Wiz, and I’d hate to be in The Wiz. I’d even prefer to hang out with Fred Savage in The Wizard, and I don’t play video games. My answers: anything Capra (well, almost anything — no Why We Fight docs); anything Marx Brothers; anything Muppets; anything Miyazaki; Amelie; Close Encounters of the Third Kind; The Goonies (why not?); and What Dreams May Come (the movie was bad; the setting was beautiful). In honor of me writing more about Enchanted than Karina ever would dream of, I present Rob’s review from his I don’t like Renee Zellweger blog, to show I’m not the only blogger addressing such mainstream fare. Like me, Rob found the movie to be “uninspired,” though he was apparently “disappointed” (I had a low expectation to begin with) and even notes that Amy Adams might have another chance at an Oscar (she’s cute, but ultimately annoying — though differently than she was in Junebug). Anyway, shockingly, the movie currently has a 100% approval on Rotten Tomatoes. We’ll see if that lasts. If only more of us bloggers were writing about it … Apparently if you have a video clip of yourself negatively reviewing a 20th Century Fox release, the studio will have it removed, despite it being neither illegal nor their place to do so. Are long movie titles bad for box office? Only when they’re abbreviated as diseases. “Cholera” = bad. “Pirates”; “Narnia”; “Harry Potter” = good. I love t-shirts, and I love this design, but weren’t there movie adaptations before 1920? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 20 Nov 2007 22:01:39 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com11/20/2007 5:01:39 PM Mick LaSalle asked us last week what movie we would like to be inside (instead of Beowulf, which we can sort of feel like we’re in). Personally, I think being inside The Wizard of Oz would be awful. I might even prefer The Wiz, and I’d hate to be in The Wiz. I’d even prefer to hang out with Fred Savage in The Wizard, and I don’t play video games. My answers: anything Capra (well, almost anything — no Why We Fight docs); anything Marx Brothers; anything Muppets; anything Miyazaki; Amelie; Close Encounters of the Third Kind; The Goonies (why not?); and What Dreams May Come (the movie was bad; the setting was beautiful). In honor of me writing more about Enchanted than Karina ever would dream of, I present Rob’s review from his I don’t like Renee Zellweger blog, to show I’m not the only blogger addressing such mainstream fare. Like me, Rob found the movie to be “uninspired,” though he was apparently “disappointed” (I had a low expectation to begin with) and even notes that Amy Adams might have another chance at an Oscar (she’s cute, but ultimately annoying — though differently than she was in Junebug). Anyway, shockingly, the movie currently has a 100% approval on Rotten Tomatoes. We’ll see if that lasts. If only more of us bloggers were writing about it … Apparently if you have a video clip of yourself negatively reviewing a 20th Century Fox release, the studio will have it removed, despite it being neither illegal nor their place to do so. Are long movie titles bad for box office? Only when they’re abbreviated as diseases. “Cholera” = bad. “Pirates”; “Narnia”; “Harry Potter” = good. I love t-shirts, and I love this design, but weren’t there movie adaptations before 1920? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/mythman/archive/2007/7/25/16284.aspx Post By: mythman
Post To: Watch Everything and Still See ONLY What Is Good
Post Date: 7/25/2007 9:54:15 PM
Body: Yep, reliving my childhood again.When I watched it this time, my focus was drawn to two points: Atreyu unable to escape from Fantasia riding the Luck Dragon through The Nothing over the Sea of Possibility ... metaphorical, much?... and Atreyu's confrontation of G`mork.G`mork ... I was always afraid of him as a kid, but now he seems like a friend of mine. "I am a servant of the master of The Nothing. I aid The Nothing in Destroying Hope ... [Why?] Because people without hope are easy to control." Yes!But it all came together for me with What Dreams May Come. I won't say much more except something strange, like "before- and after adulthood."Before I started watching What Dreams May Come, I saw Anne Hathaway, 24, in Ok! First Celebrity News; and she reminded me of The Childlike Empress ... maybe she did play the Empress, though probably not---but I'm not putting it past her.
]]>Thu, 26 Jul 2007 01:54:15 GMTmythmanWatch Everything and Still See ONLY What Is Good7/25/2007 9:54:15 PMYep, reliving my childhood again.When I watched it this time, my focus was drawn to two points: Atreyu unable to escape from Fantasia riding the Luck Dragon through The Nothing over the Sea of Possibility ... metaphorical, much?... and Atreyu&#39;s confrontation of G`mork.G`mork ... I was always afraid of him as a kid, but now he seems like a friend of mine. &quot;I am a servant of the master of The Nothing. I aid The Nothing in Destroying Hope ... [Why?] Because people without hope are easy to control.&quot; Yes!But it all came together for me with What Dreams May Come. I won&#39;t say much more except something strange, like &quot;before- and after adulthood.&quot;Before I started watching What Dreams May Come, I saw Anne Hathaway, 24, in Ok! First Celebrity News; and she reminded me of The Childlike Empress ... maybe she did play the Empress, though probably not---but I&#39;m not putting it past her. http://www.spout.com/groups/movie_maniacs/Re_Robin_Williams_really_versatile/248/6981/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: movie_maniacs
Post Date: 4/12/2007 4:58:11 PM
Body: Dead Poets Society and Good Will Hunting maybe?I actually like What Dreams May Come fairly well too.
]]>Thu, 12 Apr 2007 20:58:11 GMTRisseladamovie_maniacs4/12/2007 4:58:11 PMDead Poets Society and Good Will Hunting maybe?I actually like What Dreams May Come fairly well too. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/death/MemberTagFilms.aspxdeath
Number of films tagged: 4306

Number of people who tagged: 140

Number of times used: 526

]]>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:27:13 GMT4306140526Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/suicide/MemberTagFilms.aspxsuicide
Number of films tagged: 1828

Number of people who tagged: 80

Number of times used: 185

]]>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:40:50 GMT182880185Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/surreal/MemberTagFilms.aspxsurreal
Number of films tagged: 73

Number of people who tagged: 73

Number of times used: 134

]]>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:29:29 GMT7373134Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/epic/MemberTagFilms.aspxepic
Number of films tagged: 63

Number of people who tagged: 58

Number of times used: 104

]]>Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:08:37 GMT6358104Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/bizarre/MemberTagFilms.aspxbizarre
Number of films tagged: 228

Number of people who tagged: 53

Number of times used: 113

]]>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:12:13 GMT22853113Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/journey/MemberTagFilms.aspxjourney
Number of films tagged: 1175

Number of people who tagged: 50

Number of times used: 124

]]>Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:02:52 GMT117550124Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/artist/MemberTagFilms.aspxartist
Number of films tagged: 2120

Number of people who tagged: 38

Number of times used: 75

]]>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:50:40 GMT21203875Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/touching/MemberTagFilms.aspxtouching
Number of films tagged: 87

Number of people who tagged: 36

Number of times used: 110

]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:15:29 GMT8736110Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/imagination/MemberTagFilms.aspximagination
Number of films tagged: 544

Number of people who tagged: 30

Number of times used: 51

]]>Sat, 20 Jun 2009 23:49:14 GMT5443051Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/accident/MemberTagFilms.aspxaccident
Number of films tagged: 1329

Number of people who tagged: 27

Number of times used: 62

]]>Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:32:36 GMT13292762Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/true-love/MemberTagFilms.aspxtrue-love
Number of films tagged: 24

Number of people who tagged: 25

Number of times used: 37

]]>Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:44:54 GMT242537Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/hell/MemberTagFilms.aspxhell
Number of films tagged: 118

Number of people who tagged: 23

Number of times used: 33

]]>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:06:49 GMT1182333Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/reunion/MemberTagFilms.aspxreunion
Number of films tagged: 943

Number of people who tagged: 23

Number of times used: 45

]]>Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:13:22 GMT9432345Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/afterlife/MemberTagFilms.aspxafterlife
Number of films tagged: 319

Number of people who tagged: 19

Number of times used: 28

]]>Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:13:22 GMT3191928Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/incredible/MemberTagFilms.aspxincredible
Number of films tagged: 16

Number of people who tagged: 17

Number of times used: 18

]]>Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:18:24 GMT161718Tag