A Rant of American Film Industry.

ok I was reading someone's blog a few weeks ago and they were complaining about Hollywood remaking classic films and you know let me say I agree with the person who wrote the blog. I mean Hollywood hasn't come up with an original idea in ages its all the same crap over and over again. Some films granted are great when they are remade, some just plain suck. But to the Hollywood industry here is a simple note quit making remakes of good films. I mean whats next Casablanca or Gone With The Wind hell Citizen Kane remakes. They would all suck. but I am a classic film and literature buff and I am also a critical of books that are turned into movies so I have to wait and see whether its artistic licenced or if they have merit of the booyk. Classic example, Gone With The Wind, the book by Margret Mitchell was a good and the movie was a classic. MASH the book, was a terrible book but the movie was good, Altman changed it from a Korean plot line to a Vietnamiesq. made sense, and the TV show was excellent. But a great book turned to an excellent interptation to film was Dave Barry's Book Big Trouble. Sure the movie may of been panned by audience& critics but its pretty much word for word the book. You feel as if you are one of the lowlifes in the characters, Another great book turned movie was Mario Puzo's The Godfather but it was more of The Godfather II then the first one.

Speaking of Francis Ford Coppola, he said his inspiration of Apocylpse Now was based on the gruesome book by Joseph Conrad Heart of Darkness,Well that was pretty much the best interpretation of a book without really being the book. However Hollywood also fails in doing details of great books to make good movies, some just suck when they are on screen. An excellent example, is Thomas Harris Red Dragon, that is a double threat in my book, first the book was great the first version of the film ,Manhunter with William Pederson was good but the remake Red Dragon with Ed Norton was just awful.

Well I am sorry but when your job is basically reading and reviewing music and movies you tend to watch for detail if they are anything like the book or if there are flaws. I mean at the end of Jurassic Park, I was like hey that was nothing like the book but I liked the film. I liked its sequel too The Lost World but I didn't like the book. Sometimes movies are better than the book. Rarely but its true.

Well here is another rant about the Hollywood film industry besides coming up with remakes and books turned to film that either are great or blah. Its Hollywood ruining great and not so great foreign films and Americanizing them for American Audiences.

OK, I know that a lot of people hate foreign films, and I know a few who hate reading the subtitles or have no clue what the point are of these foreign films. Some figure that foreign mean cheesey Godzilla or worse half ass Bosinia films that are narrated by a goat. Well here is my take on them, enjoy them, they do have some artisitic merit.

OK example one of good foreign film turned bad Americanization. The japanese classic Shall We Dansu? or Shall We Dance? I mean both had similar plot lines overworked schmoe finds that ballroom dancing is missing in his life so he secretly does it. Well my problem, with the American version is it wasn't believable. I mean Richard Gere didn't really look like he was worn out or that he even needed to be trained to dance he looked like he was natural while in the Japanese version, Kôji Yakusho looked believable as a workaholic accountant.

Plus in the American version you had to have big names to play the key roles like Jennifer Lopez, my question is why? I know she is an ok actress,singer,dancer but why her movies are somewhat miserible.

Well Americans have taken some terrific films from the Japanese and played them as there own originals, A great example is Akira Kurosawa Seven Samurais, well the film is a great story, town is being attack by bandits and the town needs heros so they inlist 7 samurais nijas to protect them. The story sounds familiar well Hollywood did a film similar to it, called the Magnificent Seven, directed by John Stergis,with Steve McQueen and Yul Brenner. Well both films are well played but the original is overlooked because well its foreign and not many believe thats the original. Also a recent film Ringu has been remade and has sold more than the original, but its still scarier than the first one. The Ring, (American version) with Naomi Watts is great is scary and even the unrated version is scarier but try watch the Japanese version that will get your blood curling.

The United States doesn't only take films from the Japanese they also take it from the French. Yea I know so what, Americans don't like the french but we have taken a lot of there films too. Well a funny french film Les Visteurs was well played out and was funny when it was first done. Christian Clavier is a gem as the dimwitted servant and Jean Reno was funny as the prince. Well,Americans decided it would be a great idea if they brought the film to an American Audience and to much to the dismay the film bombed in the box office. Here is the kicker,it was the same exact plot as the first one in French but made into English with the same actors playing the same type of roles they played. I mean, the original was funny the remake american film was terrible.

Another great french film and this was a terrible American film from the get go, starting with the cast, was Taxi. I mean I felt as if Gerard Peres was an excellent director of the french film and the film was well played out, and even had some action.
But the American film was just awful, first Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon I mean the question was like what the hell was this another Black and White cop flick. I mean being chased by supermodel bankrobbers,"give me a break",

I mean in the original, the taxi driver is a smart ass & inept cop who doesn't how to drive and he but its still has the combo of both action and comedy in the film film.

I mean,there were somethings that were so stupid in the American film that I even just wondered what the hell was the director thinking of. First, in the original, the robbers were German and tough as hell but in this version to make it upbeat and to appeal to the men, they were Brazillian and they were hot. So what! I just thought the original was more realistic and visual while the American looked like a comedic version of a bad episode of Knight Rider.

Well I can't wait to see what's the next foreign film Americans are going to butcher next. Here is a few suggestions that they can do, trust me I may review them and be glad to give my opinions whether there version can match the foreign or is better.



La Vita E Bella (directed by Roberto Benigni) a great Italian story about the Nazis Death Camps and the love of a boy and his father.

Le Ballon Rouge (directed by Albert Lamorisse) a story about a boy and the journey of a red balloon.

or a classic Jackie Chan film My Lucky Stars. yes another cop film but this one is pretty good though, he teams up with Sammy Hung and the two are pretty cool.



Well those are just a few foreign films I would and maybe see as an American interpretation.

I have ranted about the American film industry and I think I should say like every director and say thats a wrap. I'll write more tommorow. For now my muscles are getting weaker.