list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around The Pink Panther 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/The_Pink_Panther/26748/default.aspx Title: The Pink Panther
Year: 1964
Director: Blake Edwards
Plot: In the first in a series of detective comedies from director Blake Edwards starring Peter Sellers as bumbling French Inspector Jacques Clouseau, the mishap-prone snoop is actually a supporting player. David Niven stars as Sir Charles Litton, a suave jewel thief known as "The Phantom." Vacationing in a deluxe Alpine resort, Litton's real purpose is to purloin the Pink Panther, a gem of enormous worth owned by a princess (Claudia Cardinale). On his trail for years, Inspector Clouseau keeps losing his quarry, perhaps because his wife Simone (Capucine) is Litton's lover and alerts him every time her husband draws near. Also after the Panther is Litton's American nephew, George (Robert Wagner). At a posh costume ball at the princess' villa, the bauble is stolen and Clouseau, still trying to determine the bandit's identity, is framed for the crime himself. The Pink Panther (1964) made Sellers and his Clouseau act so popular that the character moved to center stage in a series of farcical sequels. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 11
Number of Lists: 13
Number of blog posts: 3
Number of discussion threads: 2
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Tue, 12 May 2009 04:00:22 GMTThe Pink Panther1964Blake EdwardsIn the first in a series of detective comedies from director <a href="/players/P____88685/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Blake Edwards</a> starring <a href="/players/P____64447/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Peter Sellers</a> as bumbling French Inspector Jacques Clouseau, the mishap-prone snoop is actually a supporting player. <a href="/players/P____52791/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>David Niven</a> stars as Sir Charles Litton, a suave jewel thief known as "The Phantom." Vacationing in a deluxe Alpine resort, Litton's real purpose is to purloin the Pink Panther, a gem of enormous worth owned by a princess (<a href="/players/P____10829/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Claudia Cardinale</a>). On his trail for years, Inspector Clouseau keeps losing his quarry, perhaps because his wife Simone (<a href="/players/P____10776/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Capucine</a>) is Litton's lover and alerts him every time her husband draws near. Also after the Panther is Litton's American nephew, George (<a href="/players/P____74078/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Robert Wagner</a>). At a posh costume ball at the princess' villa, the bauble is stolen and Clouseau, still trying to determine the bandit's identity, is framed for the crime himself. The Pink Panther (1964) made Sellers and his Clouseau act so popular that the character moved to center stage in a series of farcical sequels. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide11Tag Target (>10)13323http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t71649emj1t.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/The_Pink_Panther/26748/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/3/26/41266.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 3/26/2009 10:01:24 AM
Body: Next week, Vin Diesel returns (along with Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordanna Brewster) to the Fast and the Furious franchise, which he’d abandoned after the first movie (he did have a cameo in part 3). When news first hit that he’d be reprising the role of Dominic Toretto for the fourth installment, simply titled Fast & Furious, most of us saw the actor as returning under a veil of shame. Because he initially departed the series with an inflated ego — and with it unrealistic salary demands — it does seem obvious that Diesel is now only desperately crawling back because his career failed to take off the way he’d hoped it would. This is quite sad considering not even Steve Guttenberg ever crawled back to the Police Academy movies, nor did Burt Reynolds ever get dragged back for a fourth Smokey and the Bandit. But there have been other shameful returns by stars to franchises they’d previously sat out of (whether the hiatus was of their own choosing or not). Only one of these may have been as desperate as Diesel now appears, but it’s worth looking at four additional actors and actresses who should be very embarrassed of their delayed reprisals. Karen Allen Returned to: Indiana Jones franchise with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) Karen Allen’s absence from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade after playing the female lead in Raiders of the Lost Ark was not because she believed herself above those sequels. Her character, Marion Ravenwood, simply wasn’t written into them. And her return to the series was surely not because her career needed a boost. Her relative disappearance from films after 1990 was actually for personal reasons (she wanted to devote time to raising her son), not necessarily because she could no longer garner significant roles. So why is she on this list? Because even though it must have been quite tempting to again work with Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford, especially in a role that is beloved by fans, she should have had a little more reserve, because she ended up looking like an easily employed, easily exploited actress. At least she didn’t have to swing through trees, and at least she didn’t receive the brunt of criticism with the film, but the latter fortune is also mostly because she’s given so little to do in the movie. Her participation in the film is largely forgettable, yet her association with the film is not. Instead of bothering with this very disappointing sequel, Allen should have held out for the more necessary Starman follow-up (continuing from where the TV series left off, of course). Sean Connery Returned to: James Bond franchise with Never Say Never Again (1983) Officially, it wasn’t exactly the James Bond franchise, because Never Say Never Again wasn’t made by EON Productions, though this clarification makes Sean Connery’s return to the role of 007 even more shameful. After Diamonds Are Forever, which had already marked his first delayed return as Bond (after the quick interruption of George Lazenby in the part with On Her Majesty’s Secret Service), the actor claimed he’d never return to the role he’d originated onscreen (this led to the film’s title), but obviously he was offered enough money to not only reprise the character but also to slap EON’s Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman in the face by agreeing to appear in an unofficial installment initially meant to directly compete head to head with EON’s own Octopussy, which starred Roger Moore as Bond. In agreeing to the film, Connery cemented his reputation for questionable career choices, most clearly influenced by big paychecks. Though he’d previously been enticed by huge offers, including the astonishing $2 million he demanded to come back to Bond for Diamonds, this time he showed a great lack of concern for fans of the Bond franchise through his apparent greediness. Given his love for big money, it’s surprising that he never sold himself out of retirement for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Maybe his asking price has just gotten so out of hand that even Lucas and Spielberg couldn’t afford him. Lorraine Gary Returned to: Jaws franchise with Jaws: The Revenge (1987) She hadn’t been onscreen in eight years, but Lorraine Gary’s absence from films following her appearance in Spielberg’s 1941 was reportedly her choice. Certainly with a husband as powerful as Sid Sheinberg (President of MCA, Inc. for more than 30 years), she didn’t really need to work, and yet for some odd reason she came out of retirement to reprise her role as Ellen Brody for the dreadful fourth installment of Jaws. According to a press release for the movie, Gary claims she was drawn to the script because of how well it explored her character, which deserved more development than Jaws and Jaws II had allowed for. Gary has also admitted that she was partly lured back with the appeal of playing opposite Michael Caine, romantically. But again, with a husband as powerful as Sheinberg, she probably could have been given a better film with which to come back and with which to make out with Caine. Now, she’s unfortunately more memorable for having starred in Jaws: The Revenge than for originating the role in the first film. Gene Hackman Returned to: Superman franchise with Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) Somewhat like Connery (his A Bridge Too Far costar), Gene Hackman ended up returning to a character thanks to a change in producers. He abandoned the Superman franchise after the first film — though he’d shot some scenes for Superman II, so he does appear in the sequel — because Alexander and Ilya Salkind fired Richard Donner as the director of the second installment. So, when new producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus took over the series, Hackman was fine with reprising his portrayal of Lex Luthor. Surely there was a big paycheck involved in addition to the appeal of new management, but with an ultimate budget of only $17 million (slashed from the planned $40 million), he couldn’t have gotten away with much. At least Christopher Reeve, in his deal to return to the series, was given the opportunity to star in a pet project, Street Smart. All Hackman ended up with was an embarrassing addition to his resume, one that displayed a lack of concern for Superman fans and a disappointing preference for pay over prestige. Peter Sellers Returned to: Pink Panther franchise with The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) Following The Pink Panther and its sequel, A Shot in the Dark, Peter Sellers declined to return to the series, and Alan Arkin took over the role for part 3, Inspector Clouseau. It made sense at the time, as Sellers was still doing quite well through the late 1960s. But after a number of flops in the early ‘70s, Sellers was wooed back to the franchise, obviously with the promise of a lot of money. And another two installments came about with reportedly increased paychecks. In fact, he was set to play Inspector Clouseau in another installment (the series’ seventh, his sixth), but he died before it went into production. Fortunately for his legacy, he also made the wonderful Being There before his death, so he didn’t go out completely on a desperation downturn. Like Sellers’ last few Pink Panther movies, the new Fast and the Furious installment will be a huge hit, but there is a cost of reputation and an increase of shame that comes with the returned wealth and popularity. Then again, Diesel probably isn’t sinking any lower than he did for The Pacifier, right? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:01:24 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com3/26/2009 10:01:24 AMNext week, Vin Diesel returns (along with Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordanna Brewster) to the Fast and the Furious franchise, which he’d abandoned after the first movie (he did have a cameo in part 3). When news first hit that he’d be reprising the role of Dominic Toretto for the fourth installment, simply titled Fast & Furious, most of us saw the actor as returning under a veil of shame. Because he initially departed the series with an inflated ego — and with it unrealistic salary demands — it does seem obvious that Diesel is now only desperately crawling back because his career failed to take off the way he’d hoped it would. This is quite sad considering not even Steve Guttenberg ever crawled back to the Police Academy movies, nor did Burt Reynolds ever get dragged back for a fourth Smokey and the Bandit. But there have been other shameful returns by stars to franchises they’d previously sat out of (whether the hiatus was of their own choosing or not). Only one of these may have been as desperate as Diesel now appears, but it’s worth looking at four additional actors and actresses who should be very embarrassed of their delayed reprisals. Karen Allen Returned to: Indiana Jones franchise with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) Karen Allen’s absence from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade after playing the female lead in Raiders of the Lost Ark was not because she believed herself above those sequels. Her character, Marion Ravenwood, simply wasn’t written into them. And her return to the series was surely not because her career needed a boost. Her relative disappearance from films after 1990 was actually for personal reasons (she wanted to devote time to raising her son), not necessarily because she could no longer garner significant roles. So why is she on this list? Because even though it must have been quite tempting to again work with Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford, especially in a role that is beloved by fans, she should have had a little more reserve, because she ended up looking like an easily employed, easily exploited actress. At least she didn’t have to swing through trees, and at least she didn’t receive the brunt of criticism with the film, but the latter fortune is also mostly because she’s given so little to do in the movie. Her participation in the film is largely forgettable, yet her association with the film is not. Instead of bothering with this very disappointing sequel, Allen should have held out for the more necessary Starman follow-up (continuing from where the TV series left off, of course). Sean Connery Returned to: James Bond franchise with Never Say Never Again (1983) Officially, it wasn’t exactly the James Bond franchise, because Never Say Never Again wasn’t made by EON Productions, though this clarification makes Sean Connery’s return to the role of 007 even more shameful. After Diamonds Are Forever, which had already marked his first delayed return as Bond (after the quick interruption of George Lazenby in the part with On Her Majesty’s Secret Service), the actor claimed he’d never return to the role he’d originated onscreen (this led to the film’s title), but obviously he was offered enough money to not only reprise the character but also to slap EON’s Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman in the face by agreeing to appear in an unofficial installment initially meant to directly compete head to head with EON’s own Octopussy, which starred Roger Moore as Bond. In agreeing to the film, Connery cemented his reputation for questionable career choices, most clearly influenced by big paychecks. Though he’d previously been enticed by huge offers, including the astonishing $2 million he demanded to come back to Bond for Diamonds, this time he showed a great lack of concern for fans of the Bond franchise through his apparent greediness. Given his love for big money, it’s surprising that he never sold himself out of retirement for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Maybe his asking price has just gotten so out of hand that even Lucas and Spielberg couldn’t afford him. Lorraine Gary Returned to: Jaws franchise with Jaws: The Revenge (1987) She hadn’t been onscreen in eight years, but Lorraine Gary’s absence from films following her appearance in Spielberg’s 1941 was reportedly her choice. Certainly with a husband as powerful as Sid Sheinberg (President of MCA, Inc. for more than 30 years), she didn’t really need to work, and yet for some odd reason she came out of retirement to reprise her role as Ellen Brody for the dreadful fourth installment of Jaws. According to a press release for the movie, Gary claims she was drawn to the script because of how well it explored her character, which deserved more development than Jaws and Jaws II had allowed for. Gary has also admitted that she was partly lured back with the appeal of playing opposite Michael Caine, romantically. But again, with a husband as powerful as Sheinberg, she probably could have been given a better film with which to come back and with which to make out with Caine. Now, she’s unfortunately more memorable for having starred in Jaws: The Revenge than for originating the role in the first film. Gene Hackman Returned to: Superman franchise with Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) Somewhat like Connery (his A Bridge Too Far costar), Gene Hackman ended up returning to a character thanks to a change in producers. He abandoned the Superman franchise after the first film — though he’d shot some scenes for Superman II, so he does appear in the sequel — because Alexander and Ilya Salkind fired Richard Donner as the director of the second installment. So, when new producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus took over the series, Hackman was fine with reprising his portrayal of Lex Luthor. Surely there was a big paycheck involved in addition to the appeal of new management, but with an ultimate budget of only $17 million (slashed from the planned $40 million), he couldn’t have gotten away with much. At least Christopher Reeve, in his deal to return to the series, was given the opportunity to star in a pet project, Street Smart. All Hackman ended up with was an embarrassing addition to his resume, one that displayed a lack of concern for Superman fans and a disappointing preference for pay over prestige. Peter Sellers Returned to: Pink Panther franchise with The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) Following The Pink Panther and its sequel, A Shot in the Dark, Peter Sellers declined to return to the series, and Alan Arkin took over the role for part 3, Inspector Clouseau. It made sense at the time, as Sellers was still doing quite well through the late 1960s. But after a number of flops in the early ‘70s, Sellers was wooed back to the franchise, obviously with the promise of a lot of money. And another two installments came about with reportedly increased paychecks. In fact, he was set to play Inspector Clouseau in another installment (the series’ seventh, his sixth), but he died before it went into production. Fortunately for his legacy, he also made the wonderful Being There before his death, so he didn’t go out completely on a desperation downturn. Like Sellers’ last few Pink Panther movies, the new Fast and the Furious installment will be a huge hit, but there is a cost of reputation and an increase of shame that comes with the returned wealth and popularity. Then again, Diesel probably isn’t sinking any lower than he did for The Pacifier, right? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Re_Make/The_face_of_the_remake/674/40040/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Re-Make
Post Date: 1/28/2009 4:54:41 PM
Body: I would like to nominate Steve Martin as the official face of the remake. And as a bonus honor, I would also like to nominate him as the representative of sequels to remakes as well. Here are his credentials: 1. Pennies from Heaven - a remake of the original British mini-series Pennies from Heaven 2. Little Shop of Horrors - a musical remake of the original Little Shop of Horrors 3. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - a remake of Bedtime Story 4. Father of the Bride - a remake of the original Father of the Bride 5. Mixed Nuts - a remake of Le Père Noël est une ordure 6. Father of the Bride Part II - a sequel to the remake of the original Father of the Bride 7. Sgt. Bilko - a remake of the original TV series The Phil Silvers Show 8. The Out-of-Towners - a remake of the original The Out of Towners 9. Cheaper by the Dozen - technically not a remake, but there already was another Cheaper by the Dozen movie based off of the same novel 10. Cheaper by the Dozen 2 - sequel to what I'm guessing is basically a remake 11. The Pink Panther - loose remake of the original The Pink Panther 12. The Pink Panther 2 - sequel to the remake of The Pink Panther 13. Martin is also currently slated to appear in a remake of Topper Those are his biggest credentials He was also in Roxanne which is based on the play Cyrano de Bergerac which has been done in movies many times. Also A Simple Twist of Fate was based on the book Silas Marner which had been made into a TV movie a decade earlier. I know I'm reaching with this last one. But still, can anyone think of a a person out there that could rival Steve Martin as the king of the remake? With so many remakes being done these days I'm sure there are many others up to the challenge.
]]>Wed, 28 Jan 2009 21:54:41 GMTRisseladaRe-Make1/28/2009 4:54:41 PMI would like to nominate Steve Martin as the official face of the remake. And as a bonus honor, I would also like to nominate him as the representative of sequels to remakes as well. Here are his credentials: 1. Pennies from Heaven - a remake of the original British mini-series Pennies from Heaven 2. Little Shop of Horrors - a musical remake of the original Little Shop of Horrors 3. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - a remake of Bedtime Story 4. Father of the Bride - a remake of the original Father of the Bride 5. Mixed Nuts - a remake of Le P&egrave;re No&euml;l est une ordure 6. Father of the Bride Part II - a sequel to the remake of the original Father of the Bride 7. Sgt. Bilko - a remake of the original TV series The Phil Silvers Show 8. The Out-of-Towners - a remake of the original The Out of Towners 9. Cheaper by the Dozen - technically not a remake, but there already was another Cheaper by the Dozen movie based off of the same novel 10. Cheaper by the Dozen 2 - sequel to what I'm guessing is basically a remake 11. The Pink Panther - loose remake of the original The Pink Panther 12. The Pink Panther 2 - sequel to the remake of The Pink Panther 13. Martin is also currently slated to appear in a remake of Topper Those are his biggest credentials He was also in Roxanne which is based on the play Cyrano de Bergerac which has been done in movies many times. Also A Simple Twist of Fate was based on the book Silas Marner which had been made into a TV movie a decade earlier. I know I'm reaching with this last one. But still, can anyone think of a a person out there that could rival Steve Martin as the king of the remake? With so many remakes being done these days I'm sure there are many others up to the challenge. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/6/16/31288.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 6/16/2008 5:01:14 PM
Body: The best time for a Get Smart movie would have been the late ’60s, when the original television series was still on the air. In fact, there was a theatrical Get Smart film in the works during the run of the show, but it was canceled when the theatrical release of Munster, Go Home! bombed at the box office. Many years later, in 1980, a Get Smart feature titled The Nude Bomb was released to theaters, but it also performed poorly. Now we’re getting a remake version starring Steve Carell in the role that was so iconically defined by the late Don Adams. Will it do the show justice? Reportedly the budget was $80 million, a significant amount of which was probably put towards pointless effects. But the best thing Warner Bros. could have done with that money is to give a large amount to series creators Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, who probably even today could churn out a better script than Failure to Launch scribes Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember. Despite its lack of original Get Smart talent, though, it could still be marginally funny. Yet the real problem is that it may be too outdated and obsolete for audiences to care. In the four decades since the show went off the air, there has been plenty of similar-themed movies, from spy spoofs to films with bumbling heroes. The following ten titles are the best evidence of why this new Get Smart movie is completely unnecessary: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery - It’s interesting that Get Smart is going up against a Mike Myers movie this weekend, because in a way it’s also going up against Myers’ Austin Powers movies, as well. Sure, spy parodies have been around in spades since around the time of the first James Bond movie, but nothing has been as popular as this series, which of course includes the much bigger-grossing sequels, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Austin Powers in Goldmember. Inspector Gadget - The original animated series was based on Get Smart and even featured the voice of Don Adams. Also like Get Smart, it was remade into a feature film with a different cast. However, it did find room to employ both Adams (as the voice of the dog, Brain) and Andy Dick (who had played Maxwell Smart’s son in a 1990s Get Smart series). Regardless, it was still a failure, both in terms of its box office gross and the way it ruined our childhood memory of the beloved cartoon. Perhaps if the Get Smart movie is good enough, then it could make up for Inspector Gadget (and its sequel), but it would have to be really, really good. The Pink Panther - You might say that Get Smart came about as a response to both the Bond films and the original Pink Panther movies, which featured a bumbling police inspector instead of a bumbling spy. The recent remake of The Pink Panther already showed us that some characters should really be forever remembered by their most iconic portrayer. In this case Steve Martin was nothing compared to Peter Sellers, while in the case of Get Smart, Steve Carell is only muddying the memory of Don Adams. Even if he does a good job, he’s just not the real Maxwell Smart. He should just be in another lame generic spy spoof instead. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy - Want to see Steve Carell act clueless? Watch Anchorman again, because he can’t top his performance as Brick Tamland. “I love lamp.” The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! - The show Police Squad was in a way like Get Smart, only with a clueless detective rather than a clueless spy (I guess it could be seen as more like The Pink Panther then?). Fortunately that series only took a few years to spin-off a feature film, and thanks to the genius of Jim Abrahams and the Zucker Bros., who are almost equal in spoofing ability to Mel Brooks, it is funnier than any single episode or film of Get Smart can be without Brooks’ involvement. Spy Hard - Leslie Nielsen starred as the bumbling detective in the Naked Gun movies and then later played a bumbling spy in this spoof. The result: if Nielsen hadn’t already supplanted the Maxwell Smart character earlier, he did so here, even if really, really poorly. The Man Who Knew Too Little - More clueless spy stuff, this one an underrated movie starring Bill Murray. It actually made less money than The Nude Bomb (even without an inflation adjustment), but I enjoyed it a lot, probably more than I’ll enjoy Get Smart. Johnny English - Yep, I’m still just listing the other recent spy spoofs. But, really, there’s a point. When even Rowan Atkinson has done the bumbling spy bit, it’s time to hang up on the idea. I Spy - Did I already point out that #s 6-10 are more spy comedies? And there’s a lot that I’m not even including! This one is significant because it’s also based on a hit TV series. And it was a huge bomb. Spies Like Us - The thing I like best about the original Get Smart, as well as a number of the films on this list, is that the incompetent hero isn’t really aware of how incompetent he really is. The best movie to utilize this premise, though, has to be Spies Like Us. But that movie came out toward the end of the Cold War, when spy stuff was seeming ridiculously outdated. Comparatively, Get Smart arrives post 9/11, when the fact that American intelligence is incompetent is not so funny anymore. I think that now audiences would much prefer to see more serious spy films, like the Bond reboot Casino Royale (note the significance of this film being kind of a remake of a Bond parody) and the Bourne Identity franchise. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:01:14 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com6/16/2008 5:01:14 PMThe best time for a Get Smart movie would have been the late ’60s, when the original television series was still on the air. In fact, there was a theatrical Get Smart film in the works during the run of the show, but it was canceled when the theatrical release of Munster, Go Home! bombed at the box office. Many years later, in 1980, a Get Smart feature titled The Nude Bomb was released to theaters, but it also performed poorly. Now we’re getting a remake version starring Steve Carell in the role that was so iconically defined by the late Don Adams. Will it do the show justice? Reportedly the budget was $80 million, a significant amount of which was probably put towards pointless effects. But the best thing Warner Bros. could have done with that money is to give a large amount to series creators Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, who probably even today could churn out a better script than Failure to Launch scribes Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember. Despite its lack of original Get Smart talent, though, it could still be marginally funny. Yet the real problem is that it may be too outdated and obsolete for audiences to care. In the four decades since the show went off the air, there has been plenty of similar-themed movies, from spy spoofs to films with bumbling heroes. The following ten titles are the best evidence of why this new Get Smart movie is completely unnecessary: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery - It’s interesting that Get Smart is going up against a Mike Myers movie this weekend, because in a way it’s also going up against Myers’ Austin Powers movies, as well. Sure, spy parodies have been around in spades since around the time of the first James Bond movie, but nothing has been as popular as this series, which of course includes the much bigger-grossing sequels, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Austin Powers in Goldmember. Inspector Gadget - The original animated series was based on Get Smart and even featured the voice of Don Adams. Also like Get Smart, it was remade into a feature film with a different cast. However, it did find room to employ both Adams (as the voice of the dog, Brain) and Andy Dick (who had played Maxwell Smart’s son in a 1990s Get Smart series). Regardless, it was still a failure, both in terms of its box office gross and the way it ruined our childhood memory of the beloved cartoon. Perhaps if the Get Smart movie is good enough, then it could make up for Inspector Gadget (and its sequel), but it would have to be really, really good. The Pink Panther - You might say that Get Smart came about as a response to both the Bond films and the original Pink Panther movies, which featured a bumbling police inspector instead of a bumbling spy. The recent remake of The Pink Panther already showed us that some characters should really be forever remembered by their most iconic portrayer. In this case Steve Martin was nothing compared to Peter Sellers, while in the case of Get Smart, Steve Carell is only muddying the memory of Don Adams. Even if he does a good job, he’s just not the real Maxwell Smart. He should just be in another lame generic spy spoof instead. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy - Want to see Steve Carell act clueless? Watch Anchorman again, because he can’t top his performance as Brick Tamland. “I love lamp.” The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! - The show Police Squad was in a way like Get Smart, only with a clueless detective rather than a clueless spy (I guess it could be seen as more like The Pink Panther then?). Fortunately that series only took a few years to spin-off a feature film, and thanks to the genius of Jim Abrahams and the Zucker Bros., who are almost equal in spoofing ability to Mel Brooks, it is funnier than any single episode or film of Get Smart can be without Brooks’ involvement. Spy Hard - Leslie Nielsen starred as the bumbling detective in the Naked Gun movies and then later played a bumbling spy in this spoof. The result: if Nielsen hadn’t already supplanted the Maxwell Smart character earlier, he did so here, even if really, really poorly. The Man Who Knew Too Little - More clueless spy stuff, this one an underrated movie starring Bill Murray. It actually made less money than The Nude Bomb (even without an inflation adjustment), but I enjoyed it a lot, probably more than I’ll enjoy Get Smart. Johnny English - Yep, I’m still just listing the other recent spy spoofs. But, really, there’s a point. When even Rowan Atkinson has done the bumbling spy bit, it’s time to hang up on the idea. I Spy - Did I already point out that #s 6-10 are more spy comedies? And there’s a lot that I’m not even including! This one is significant because it’s also based on a hit TV series. And it was a huge bomb. Spies Like Us - The thing I like best about the original Get Smart, as well as a number of the films on this list, is that the incompetent hero isn’t really aware of how incompetent he really is. The best movie to utilize this premise, though, has to be Spies Like Us. But that movie came out toward the end of the Cold War, when spy stuff was seeming ridiculously outdated. Comparatively, Get Smart arrives post 9/11, when the fact that American intelligence is incompetent is not so funny anymore. I think that now audiences would much prefer to see more serious spy films, like the Bond reboot Casino Royale (note the significance of this film being kind of a remake of a Bond parody) and the Bourne Identity franchise. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/tenenbaums/archive/2007/9/20/19972.aspx Post By: Tenenbaums
Post To: Tenenbaums Blog
Post Date: 9/20/2007 4:51:19 PM
Body: Note: If you're really interested in seeing the film, don't read any reviews. Just watch it and then read the reviews. The game is Russian Roulette spliced with Telephone. In a circle, hold a gun to the player's head in front of you after spinning your barrel a good ten seconds. Wait for the single dangling light bulb in the circle's center to light up, and fire. Losers die, winners play on. Everyone starts with one bullet and increases the ammunition to match each subsequent round to three. The final round is a duel where two players with four slugs each point a spun barreled pistol at each other's forehead and squeeze the trigger. Survive, and you walk away with a load of cash. Oh yeah, and your life.Sound intriguing? For Sébastien, a poor Mr. Fix-It struggling to support his family, the money is enough to lure him without any knowledge of the game. The winnings are also plenty for the crowd of high stakes gamblers, many of whom travel the circuits of even larger such games, betting on players to make the next round. However, you can't bet unless you have players and apparently there are seasoned veterans who regularly and enthusiastically enter such competitions. Such is the strange underworld portrayed in Géla Babluani's 13 Tzameti, a film wholly about chance: it is the force that allows Sébastien to get the roof-mending job at experienced dueler Jean-François' house; it collapses at the right time and right place just above a crucial conversation about the money; it leaves the letter in the open; and it sweeps the letter by wind into the yard for Sébastien's finding. It is also chance that permits Sébastien to compete in the game after reaching the "arena" and controls how he performs while playing. Absolutely no skill is involved. The gamblers talk about "experience," especially in the final "duel" round, but what kind of background is necessary to succeed at such a game? Sébastien also gambles with his life by following through with the letter's contents. All he knows is that a great deal of money is up for grabs and that he'll do just about anything (so he thinks) to get it. Yet when he enters the game, it is clear that he is not up to the assignment. Only when he is faced with sure death does he comply, wearing a murderer's mask for the sake of survival.After such an intriguing build-up, it's sadly impossible to stop there and discuss 13 Tzameti without mentioning the heart of the film. Making mention to a mysterious letter that leads to riches may be enough for Entertainment Weekly's Fall Movie Preview, but not for a full review. Actually, referencing the game at all is a spoiler of sorts as the concept and its initial directorial execution are the film's only details worth remembering. So, here goes: The first time the game's concept is presented is by far the film's best scene and also one of the best in recent cinema. The pace, editing, lack of soundtrack, and camera movement are gripping, putting it in the ranks of obvious moments from Death Proof, The Departed, The Bourne Ultimatum, and Children of Men. The camera slowly weaves between the varied emotion-riddled faces of players and gamblers as the "referee" barks out the rules, which are new and frightening to Sébastien and us. The game is shocking and the incredible danger ripples through rookies both on screen and off. Guns rarely look this menacing on film and a light bulb hasn't played a better role since Stalag 17. The scene is presented nearly in full in the film's trailer, proving again that previews typically give away far too much information. The scene itself may exist more successfully as a short film than the full length feature as, unfortunately, the rest of the film lacks anything close to the same intensity. Each subsequent round is increasingly less tense and less surprising as it becomes yawningly clear that Sébastien will progress to the final round. If he had been killed early on, Janet Leigh in Psycho-style, and another protagonist/perspective emerged, the film potentially could have been far more moving. Instead, it's quite plain.In a poor attempt to make the film more complex, the standard police investigation is hot on the case. The authorities spy on Jean-François, are knowledgeable of the whole murderous operation, and are just about to law down the law when...Sébastien gets off his train one station earlier than expected. Ooh, so close! Furthermore, the confident, strong lead detective is rendered downright Cluseau-ish after apprehending Sébastien and then buying his simple fib. Never has an cinematic officer so sure of himself pulled such a quick 180. We may be witnessing world record time in fully trusting a suspect mere seconds after swearing to his face that he's a liar. Apparently even the French have Keystone Cops. Though I'm confused by 13 Tzameti's cult status and comparisons to the likes of Fight Club, I'm curious to see how the U.S. remake will look. Written and directed by Babluani, this isn't exactly Infernal Affairs-The Departed territory. 13 Tzameti exists fine on its own...unless it were to be adapted into the proposed short film. Gus Van Sant's shot-by-shot remake of Psycho made more sense. At least that disaster was an interesting experiment in filmmaking.Overall, 13 Tzameti feels too one-dimensional to have any lasting impact. It's like a pre-season NFL game: it happened, but did it really mean anything? 13 Tzameti is definitely worth a viewing to feel the excitement of the cornerstone scene, but unworthy of repeat screenings. I can't think of another film that I would heartily recommend yet also give a bad review. Perhaps it is in this irony that Babluani succeeds. If so, well done. You may move on to the next round.
]]>Thu, 20 Sep 2007 20:51:19 GMTTenenbaumsTenenbaums Blog9/20/2007 4:51:19 PMNote: If you&#39;re really interested in seeing the film, don&#39;t read any reviews. Just watch it and then read the reviews. The game is Russian Roulette spliced with Telephone. In a circle, hold a gun to the player&#39;s head in front of you after spinning your barrel a good ten seconds. Wait for the single dangling light bulb in the circle&#39;s center to light up, and fire. Losers die, winners play on. Everyone starts with one bullet and increases the ammunition to match each subsequent round to three. The final round is a duel where two players with four slugs each point a spun barreled pistol at each other&#39;s forehead and squeeze the trigger. Survive, and you walk away with a load of cash. Oh yeah, and your life.Sound intriguing? For S&eacute;bastien, a poor Mr. Fix-It struggling to support his family, the money is enough to lure him without any knowledge of the game. The winnings are also plenty for the crowd of high stakes gamblers, many of whom travel the circuits of even larger such games, betting on players to make the next round. However, you can&#39;t bet unless you have players and apparently there are seasoned veterans who regularly and enthusiastically enter such competitions. Such is the strange underworld portrayed in G&eacute;la Babluani&#39;s 13 Tzameti, a film wholly about chance: it is the force that allows S&eacute;bastien to get the roof-mending job at experienced dueler Jean-Fran&ccedil;ois&#39; house; it collapses at the right time and right place just above a crucial conversation about the money; it leaves the letter in the open; and it sweeps the letter by wind into the yard for S&eacute;bastien&#39;s finding. It is also chance that permits S&eacute;bastien to compete in the game after reaching the &quot;arena&quot; and controls how he performs while playing. Absolutely no skill is involved. The gamblers talk about &quot;experience,&quot; especially in the final &quot;duel&quot; round, but what kind of background is necessary to succeed at such a game? S&eacute;bastien also gambles with his life by following through with the letter&#39;s contents. All he knows is that a great deal of money is up for grabs and that he&#39;ll do just about anything (so he thinks) to get it. Yet when he enters the game, it is clear that he is not up to the assignment. Only when he is faced with sure death does he comply, wearing a murderer&#39;s mask for the sake of survival.After such an intriguing build-up, it&#39;s sadly impossible to stop there and discuss 13 Tzameti without mentioning the heart of the film. Making mention to a mysterious letter that leads to riches may be enough for Entertainment Weekly&#39;s Fall Movie Preview, but not for a full review. Actually, referencing the game at all is a spoiler of sorts as the concept and its initial directorial execution are the film&#39;s only details worth remembering. So, here goes: The first time the game&#39;s concept is presented is by far the film&#39;s best scene and also one of the best in recent cinema. The pace, editing, lack of soundtrack, and camera movement are gripping, putting it in the ranks of obvious moments from Death Proof, The Departed, The Bourne Ultimatum, and Children of Men. The camera slowly weaves between the varied emotion-riddled faces of players and gamblers as the &quot;referee&quot; barks out the rules, which are new and frightening to S&eacute;bastien and us. The game is shocking and the incredible danger ripples through rookies both on screen and off. Guns rarely look this menacing on film and a light bulb hasn&#39;t played a better role since Stalag 17. The scene is presented nearly in full in the film&#39;s trailer, proving again that previews typically give away far too much information. The scene itself may exist more successfully as a short film than the full length feature as, unfortunately, the rest of the film lacks anything close to the same intensity. Each subsequent round is increasingly less tense and less surprising as it becomes yawningly clear that S&eacute;bastien will progress to the final round. If he had been killed early on, Janet Leigh in Psycho-style, and another protagonist/perspective emerged, the film potentially could have been far more moving. Instead, it&#39;s quite plain.In a poor attempt to make the film more complex, the standard police investigation is hot on the case. The authorities spy on Jean-Fran&ccedil;ois, are knowledgeable of the whole murderous operation, and are just about to law down the law when...S&eacute;bastien gets off his train one station earlier than expected. Ooh, so close! Furthermore, the confident, strong lead detective is rendered downright Cluseau-ish after apprehending S&eacute;bastien and then buying his simple fib. Never has an cinematic officer so sure of himself pulled such a quick 180. We may be witnessing world record time in fully trusting a suspect mere seconds after swearing to his face that he&#39;s a liar. Apparently even the French have Keystone Cops. Though I&#39;m confused by 13 Tzameti&#39;s cult status and comparisons to the likes of Fight Club, I&#39;m curious to see how the U.S. remake will look. Written and directed by Babluani, this isn&#39;t exactly Infernal Affairs-The Departed territory. 13 Tzameti exists fine on its own...unless it were to be adapted into the proposed short film. Gus Van Sant&#39;s shot-by-shot remake of Psycho made more sense. At least that disaster was an interesting experiment in filmmaking.Overall, 13 Tzameti feels too one-dimensional to have any lasting impact. It&#39;s like a pre-season NFL game: it happened, but did it really mean anything? 13 Tzameti is definitely worth a viewing to feel the excitement of the cornerstone scene, but unworthy of repeat screenings. I can&#39;t think of another film that I would heartily recommend yet also give a bad review. Perhaps it is in this irony that Babluani succeeds. If so, well done. You may move on to the next round. http://www.spout.com/groups/British_Invasion/Re_Favorites/188/6683/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: British Invasion
Post Date: 4/3/2007 1:04:32 PM
Body: Alright here's a few British gems that do good things for me. I believe these are all British in some way. Please correct me if otherwise:Two Bruce Robinson classics:Withnail & IHow to Get Ahead in AdvertisingThe Ruling ClassSleuthA Clockwork OrangeRosencrantz and Guildenstern are DeadDirty Pretty ThingsSecrets & LiesBarry LyndonTime BanditsThe LadykillersKind Hearts and CoronetsThe HomecomingA Christmas Carol (1951)Snatch.The Third ManThe Elephant ManFollowingA Zed & Two NoughtsBrazilOliver TwistThe Pink PantherA Shot in the Dark I hear that Kenneth Branaugh is supposedly directing a new film of Sleuth. It looks as though Michael Caine will be taking the other role in this one. What do people think about this?
]]>Tue, 03 Apr 2007 17:04:32 GMTRisseladaBritish Invasion4/3/2007 1:04:32 PMAlright here&#39;s a few British gems that do good things for me. I believe these are all British in some way. Please correct me if otherwise:Two Bruce Robinson classics:Withnail &amp; IHow to Get Ahead in AdvertisingThe Ruling ClassSleuthA Clockwork OrangeRosencrantz and Guildenstern are DeadDirty Pretty ThingsSecrets &amp; LiesBarry LyndonTime BanditsThe LadykillersKind Hearts and CoronetsThe HomecomingA Christmas Carol (1951)Snatch.The Third ManThe Elephant ManFollowingA Zed &amp; Two NoughtsBrazilOliver TwistThe Pink PantherA Shot in the Dark I hear that Kenneth Branaugh is supposedly directing a new film of Sleuth. It looks as though Michael Caine will be taking the other role in this one. What do people think about this? http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Classic/MemberTagFilms.aspxClassic
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