Darling, you should marry some lovely accomplished girl who adores you. Someone-
Someone who would grace your beautiful home and give you the sort of life you really want, I wouldn't.
Oh Teddy, I'm not fashionable enough for London. You need someone who's elegant and refined.
[inaudible 00:00:20].
Look at me, I'm homely and I'm awkward and I'm odd.
I love you, Jo.
And you'd be ashamed of me.
I love you, Jo.
And we would quarrel because we can't help it even now.
That was Jo March, the heroine of the classic film, Little Women, as played by the great Katherine Hepburn, 1933, and the great June Allyson, 1949, and the great Winona Ryder, 1994, and the great Saoirse Ronan, in 2019. You
get the idea. Louisa May Alcott's story of four sisters coming of age in 19th century New England, may not seem like the freshest subject, yet for generations, people have flocked to theaters to form a new connection with the irresistibly charming March family. The success of the latest cinematic version of Little Women, directed by Greta Gerwig, is a
testament to the power of the story itself. And it's also a great starting place for a conversation about the art of the remake. How do you create something vital and contemporary, when you're telling a tale that's been told so many times before? Today, we're going to find out.
I'm your host, Natasha Gargiulo. Welcome to Hello movies. As together we face these unprecedented times when theaters being temporarily closed is the least of our worries, we could all use a little diversion. So today, we're going to turn our attention to the idea of movie remakes, many of which you can watch at home on the Cineplex Store.
From the live action Disney remakes like the Lion King and Aladdin, to films like Little Women and A Star Is Born, remakes have really risen up and connected with audiences in a big way over the last few years. It doesn't look like that trend is going to slow down, with remakes of classic films like West Side Story, Dune, Candyman and many more set to hit theaters in
2020. To discuss the evolution of remake culture and to look ahead to some of the most exciting remakes coming down the pipe, I'm joined today by two great guests. Chandler Levack is an award winning writer, journalist, and filmmaker. Her writing on film can be found in The Globe and Mail and on CBC. In 2017, her short film, We Forgot To Break Up, premiered at the Toronto International
Film Festival and South by Southwest. Sal Patel is the managing editor of Shopify Studios in Toronto. Prior to that, he was the managing content producer at the Toronto International Film Festivals, digital studio. Sal and Chandler, welcome to Hello Movies.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Like all types of films, some remakes are great and some aren't so great. So, can you give me an example of a recent remake that you loved, and why this particular iteration works so well for you?
I love the Little Women remake that... Or no, I guess, re- adaptation that Greta Gerwig did, that was released in December. I thought it was just so astutely made. And every element of it, was so considered. And even though there's been seven adaptations of Little Women over the last hundred years, this was a remake that felt like
utterly necessary. And even though it's a period piece, also felt like incredibly urgent and modern.
Yeah, I would agree. I love that Little Women remake. For me, a remake from maybe a few years ago, is Mad Max: Fury Road.
My name is Max.
And I really love that one because I think it most effectively demonstrates for me what makes it worth it to remake a film or revisit an established universe. And for me with Mad Max: Fury Road, what that is... It's a transfer of power that exists in the universe. So, the original Mad Max is about the character of Max, and the Fury Road is about the character Furiosa and about the women in this universe.
And how exactly do we take the Citadel? Assuming we're still alive by then.
If we can block the pass, it'll be easy.
It just totally transfers the power and it makes it really interesting. That it's... We're still in this universe and we're still playing with some of the ideas introduced in the original films, but in a totally different and fresh and important way. It feels worth it to revisit this world for that reason around the transfer of power.
Chandler, speaking of Little Women, I saw a lot of grumpy comments when the first trailer came out. Do we really need another Little Women? And I don't think this was even necessarily a dig at how the film looked. It was mainly just people who loved Lady Bird, and wanted to see Gerwig follow it up with another original story. So, how valid is that attitude?
I think when a filmmaker proves the reason... I mean, when you watch that movie, I think you understand why there's a need. When she so carefully... Every aspect of that film, from the score to the production design to the actors, it's so deeply considered and multi- villain and beautiful. And she kind of really unpacked the text and kind of found a way to excavate it and transcend
it. So, I think when it's a great filmmaker... I mean, there are certain filmmakers I would watch them remake anything. Great filmmakers justify the story by making the story into art.
Yeah. I think with Greta Gerwig, just given the trajectory of the film industry these days, if she followed up Lady Bird with a film of that size and scale and budget, there's a good chance that film wouldn't have gotten a chance to play at theaters and certainly not broadly. Whereas, because she made Little Women, it had a Christmas Day release, and it became this family event for
people to see over the holidays. And her take, her point of view, like Chandler was saying, absolutely necessitated this remake. Where she brought something totally new and fresh to it, which was so cool to see. But then, it's also... That sensibility is on display for such a broad audience, the biggest audience that she's ever had in her career. So I think that alone is... Makes it so worth
it. Because a storyteller who is so unique and such a voice of a generation like Greta Gerwig, is being seen on that level all of a sudden
Now, a lot of the best remakes seem to succeed in finding a way to make a classic story feel modern. And sometimes, that's done by being fairly liberal with the source material. That said, there are always some folks who look at the original text as sacred and don't want the new version to diverge too much. Chandler, I'm wondering, where do you stand on this?
I mean, I understand that some texts are very canonical and we hold them in high regard for a reason and some movies in their cannon or even if they're really well loved book or a TV show or some kind of... Or a film that is just really wonderful that a filmmaker is done before, it's hard for us to kind of see it adapt and change. But if a movie is great, I think people can forgive a
lot of creative license. I'm sure there will always be purists. Remember when they remade Ghostbusters with all women and it kind of premeditated the US election?
Yes.
But for me, I want to see new forms of art and people revisit it and something like Ghostbusters done with the totally radical gays on it, I think that's exciting. And as culture evolves, we're going to want to see new intersections into the stories that we know, I think.
Sal, how about your thoughts?
Yeah, it's tricky for me. There's certain worlds and established IP or stories, whatever, that I'm very attached to the way that they were presented originally, things that I watched as a kid. That when I've seen more recent adaptations of it, I'm like, " Yeah, they got this wrong." So, one example for me was, I watched Aladdin a lot
as a kid, I loved Aladdin. It was the first time that I'd seen any animation with people who had the same skin color as me on screen. And I was just excited by that idea, I think. And the world that it portrayed and that... It had... Being South Asian. That there was references to the Middle East and South Asia and that kind of thing in it. And so, when I saw the new Aladdin's trailer, I was like, "
Why did they change the color palette? Why did they make the outfits different in this way or that way?" But then I watched it and I actually loved it. I thought that there was so much power in bringing it to life with actual actors and actors who are from the part of the world that the movie is meant to be set in, and they still maintain all
the strong points of the story and... So... I mean, with something that I love, I'm willing to at least give the artist a chance to see what their point of view is.
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
But, I do hold on to the original ideas very tightly and I... It's a harder sell for me as an audience member. I need to be really... The work needs to be really good, I guess, for me to be convinced that it was worth it.
Okay. So there've been some really inspired casting decisions of late in some of the new remakes, Dev Patel as David Copperfield, for example. Or the very fashion forward Billy Porter playing a genderless fairly godmother in the upcoming Cinderella remake. I'm wondering, what do you think film remakes have done to foster representation on screen?
Yeah. Well, I think we're starting to see more gender blind and color blind casting. And I think that is
true. I think if you grew up never seeing yourself as the hero of your own story and you've always kind of had to read yourself into these classic Disney movies or musicals that we've all grown up watching, there is something really exciting about finally seeing someone who you can relate to, playing the hero of a really well
loved classic. I think people find that emotional. And then I think other people have a hard time with that, because it is kind of a subversion of what the norm is. But, I think there needs to be a balance as well. Because, you don't want to just see so many remakes of these movies that there are no
opportunities for filmmakers to tell original stories. And I think the success of a movie like Parasite, goes to show that there is room and enthusiasm and a deep hunger for really just amazing lead told films.
Yeah, I totally agree. I mean, it gets back to what I was saying about Mad Max: Fury Road. Which is, deciding to remake a film and revisit a universe or a story with that idea in mind, deciding to transfer power, broaden the representation of people on screen who
weren't represented in the original story, is so powerful. I mean, there's a distance that exists for so many people who are left out of these stories that are considered canonical and part of the cannon. And I think, the power of cinema for me is so much in the idea that we have a chance at mass culture or monoculture or a chance at sort of understanding the same
thing and are seeing and appreciating the same thing. And that becomes more and more possible, when more people relate to the idea of a movie. They're like, " Oh, there's a character in this film that looks or sounds like me and now I want to see it. And now I can talk to more people in the world about it." And... So the more we could do that with these blockbuster type works, I think we should strive for it.
Okay. We're going to wrap up soon. But before we go, I want to get your rapid fire takes on a few big name remakes coming up later this year. Chandler, how excited are you for Dune?
I think you saw what Denis Villeneuve was capable of with Blade Runner 2049. I think people consider the David Lynch, doing a bit of a failed masterpiece. So, I think people are excited about this maybe getting... Doing right, this incredibly difficult to adapt novel. The cast is phenomenal.
And I think he just... Denis Villeneuve is such a visionary director that seems to really understand how to make a sci- fi movie feel both incredibly cinematic and deeply relevant. So, I'm stoked for Dune.
So, how do you feel when I say the Green Knight?
Well, I already know what my Halloween costume is going to be for 2020.
Perfect, (crosstalk) time.
And... I'm super excited about it. I mean, like a lot of people growing up, I read a lot of stories about King Arthur and his court. And the Green Knight's story is set in that world. And I love that they cast up Patel for it, it's just a... It's a different take. And A24 is behind it, which is always a great sign for me. And David Lowry, who's directed so many really cool movies, A Ghost Story being
one of my favorites of his, I think the... It's going to be a really unexpected take on this world and one of a kind look at King Arthur's court.
Chandler, what are your thoughts on Candyman?
Candyman, the urban legend is. If you say his name five times while looking in the mirror, he appears in the reflection and kills you.
Who would do that?
Yeah. I mean, Candyman I think was one of... A really seminal horror movie that I remember studying in university, in film school. And... Always kind of spoke also to kind
of black lens on filmmaking as well. And I think this new film that's executive produced by Jordan Peele and has this amazing female director at the helm and such an amazing trailer with a perfect use of a (inaudible) song, really just goes to show there's exciting and really innovative ways to revamp these movies that actually tap into
what the culture wants to see, and can... These movies can actually lead a conversation in cinema, as opposed to just being kind of an interesting diversion during the summer.
This is a movie I am so excited about. Sal, tell me about West Side Story.
Yeah. I mean, West Side Story is one of the great movie musicals of all time. And now we have Steven Spielberg, one of the great modern film makers... One of the great filmmakers, period. Who is going to be remaking it.
I think that's super exciting by itself. But one of the things that I know that he's doing is that, when he looked at the original, he said to himself that it's such an important story about two different communities and their relationships with each other. And when the original was made, the Puerto Ricans in the film, were mostly played by white actors in brown skin. And it was
very important for him to correct that casting choice. And so, everybody in this film is Latinx, if not Puerto Rican. And I think that's great. It's going to bring a level of authenticity to the storytelling. And it also just feels like such a vital story for the political time that we're in, in the US. So, I'm really excited for that.
Yeah, I'm excited for that too. We've talked today a lot about great film remakes, but you both must have at least one movie that you would never want to see remade under any circumstances, right?
It's hard because I think as a filmmaker, I get really excited about these filmmaker... Films I love and being like, " Oh, what if I could remake Ghost World? Or..." Say anything. Or these movies that mean a lot to me. And then, it is a tough responsibility. And they're remaking
everything. They're remaking Gossip Girl. So, sometimes it seems like a fun challenge, but I also feel like it's a big burden of responsibility to do it well.
Sal, do you have a movie that they should never remake under any circumstances?
Yeah. I'll throw one out that I know is close to Chandler's heart as well. Almost Famous is a movie that I think is perfect.
I am a golden god
And I love it and I don't want it to ever be remade. I think that, the way that it was told, came from such a personal place to Cameron Crowe, who wrote it and made it. And it was obviously very tied to his own story. And... So, anyone remaking it would obviously not be close to the source material and the way that he was. And all the aesthetic choices that were made for it, also came from
such a personal place. So, I just... I can't imagine that a movie that is so autobiographical and so tied to a place in time and a place in somebody's mind, could ever be remade faithfully. So, leave that one alone. Don't ever remake Almost Famous.
And what about a movie that you think should be remade and soon?
Well... I mean, I give it up to one of my other favorite movies, The Apartment by Billy Wilder, just because I love that movie so much.
Yeah. (inaudible) I get too close.
I never catch colds.
Really? I was reading some figures from the sickness and actual claims division, do you know that the average New Yorker between the ages of 20 and 50 has two and a half colds a year?
Mm-hmm (affirmative). That makes me feel just terrible. Well, to make the fingers come out even if I have
Why?
no colds a year, or some poor slob must have five colds a year.
Yeah, it's me.
Should've stayed in bed this morning.
Should've stayed in bed last night.
And it's so funny, confessional, amazing screenplay, and it has such great parts for actors. And I that it has... It does say really deep things about capitalism and relationships and loneliness and isolation in a big city. And I think that if you had a really smart director who really
could do it justice, it would be great. I mean, Jason Reitman did a reading of it, the screenplay where he cast Paul Rudd and the Jack Lemmon role and Emma Stone and the Hurley McLean role. I just like the idea of classic movies that maybe an audience doesn't know about from the '40s and '50s getting a new lease on life.
One that is really close to my heart that I love and that I've watched probably more than any other movie, is Good Will Hunting. And I... Some... For some reason, I imagine what that... What Good Will Hunting would look like with a younger casting crew today. And I think of Lucas Hedges playing the Matt Damon role and Timothy Chalamet playing the Ben Affleck role and Saoirse Ronan
playing the mini driver role. But... And so, I've imagined what this movie would look like. Also, Michael Stuhlbarg as the Robin Williams character. I'm just like-
You have this all planned out already. You have the cast, (crosstalk) the script ready. Why don't you just make it?
I've got the cast. Because I'm like, " I don't know it would be good to remake it." But at the same time, I'm like, " I would love to see what... Maybe even just as a stage production first, I would love to just see what a set of new actors would bring to it." So...
That's the problem with remakes. They're so fun and irresistible. I think that's why so many get made. Because you start cooking them up and you get excited about them and you don't realize the monkeys par... Repercussions of what you're doing.
Chandler and Sal, you guys are great. I would like to remake this experience and have you guys back on Hello Movies. Do you think we can do that?
I want to be played by Timothy Chalamet, though.
And I will be played by Dev Patel.
And I will be played by Marisa Tomei, how about that?
Perfect casting.
That's it for this episode of Hello Movies, but remember, if you want to check out some great remakes right now, you can always go to the Cineplex Store, online. I'm Natasha Gargiulo. Thanks for listening.