April 2, 2020 • 20 mins
From live-action Disney remakes like the Lion King, Aladdin, and Mulan – to fresh takes on classic films like Little Women and A Star is Born, remakes connect with audiences in a big way. Since a lot of us are watching movies at home right now, we thought we'd take a look at "the art of the remake" and explore some classic remakes available on the Cineplex Store, as well as some "new again" films coming out later this year. Join us as host Natasha Gargiulo discusses upcoming remakes of West Side Story, Dune, Candyman, and Green Knight with award-winning Canadian journalist and filmmaker Chandler Levack, and Sal Patel, managing editor of Shopify Studios in Toronto, and former managing content producer at the Toronto International Film Festival’s digital studio.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Darling, you should marry some lovely accomplished girl who adores you. Someone-
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Someone who would grace your beautiful home and give you
the sort of life you really want, I wouldn't.
Jo (00:14):
Oh Teddy, I'm not fashionable enough for London. You need
someone who's elegant and refined.
Teddy (00:19):
[inaudible 00:00:20].
Jo (00:19):
Look at me, I'm homely and I'm awkward and I'm odd.
Teddy (00:23):
I love you, Jo.
Jo (00:24):
And you'd be ashamed of me.
Teddy (00:26):
I love you, Jo.
Jo (00:26):
And we would quarrel because we can't help it even now.
Natasha Gargiulo (00:30):
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
(00:50):
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
(01:12):
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
(01:33):
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.
(01:54):
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.
(02:16):
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.
Chandler Levick (02:41):
Thank you so much.
Sal Patel (02:41):
Thank you.
Natasha Gargiulo (02:42):
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?
Chandler Levick (02:52):
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
(03:16):
utterly necessary. And even though it's a period piece, also
felt like incredibly urgent and modern.
Sal Patel (03:21):
Yeah, I would agree. I love that Little Women remake.
For me, a remake from maybe a few years ago,
is Mad Max
Max (03:31):
My name is Max.
Sal Patel (03:34):
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
It's a transfer of power that exists in the universe. So,
the original Mad Max is about the character of Max,
(03:56):
and the Fury Road is about the character Furiosa and
about the women in this universe.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
And how exactly do we take the Citadel? Assuming we're
still alive by then.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
If we can block the pass, it'll be easy.
Sal Patel (04:10):
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.
Natasha Gargiulo (04:31):
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?
Chandler Levick (04:51):
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
(05:13):
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.
Sal Patel (05:31):
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
(05:55):
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
(06:16):
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
Natasha Gargiulo (06:29):
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?
Chandler Levick (06:49):
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
(07:11):
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?
Natasha Gargiulo (07:21):
Yes.
Chandler Levick (07:23):
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.
Natasha Gargiulo (07:41):
Sal, how about your thoughts?
Sal Patel (07:42):
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,
(08:03):
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
(08:25):
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
(08:46):
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.
Natasha Gargiulo (09:05):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Sal Patel (09:06):
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.
Natasha Gargiulo (09:19):
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?
Chandler Levick (09:39):
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
(10:00):
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
(10:20):
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.
Sal Patel (10:39):
Yeah, I totally agree. I mean, it gets back to
what I was saying about Mad Max
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
(10:59):
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
(11:19):
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
(11:42):
blockbuster type works, I think we should strive for it.
Natasha Gargiulo (11:46):
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?
Chandler Levick (11:57):
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.
(12:17):
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.
Natasha Gargiulo (12:28):
So, how do you feel when I say the Green Knight?
Sal Patel (12:33):
Well, I already know what my Halloween costume is going
to be for 2020.
Chandler Levick (12:38):
Perfect, (crosstalk) time.
Sal Patel (12:38):
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
(12:58):
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.
Natasha Gargiulo (13:21):
Chandler, what are your thoughts on Candyman?
Speaker 5 (13:24):
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.
Speaker 6 (13:33):
Who would do that?
Chandler Levick (13:33):
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
(13:54):
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
(14:14):
can actually lead a conversation in cinema, as opposed to
just being kind of an interesting diversion during the summer.
Natasha Gargiulo (14:20):
This is a movie I am so excited about. Sal,
tell me about West Side Story.
Sal Patel (14:25):
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,
(14:47):
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
(15:07):
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
(15:29):
excited for that.
Natasha Gargiulo (15:30):
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?
Chandler Levick (15:41):
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
(16:06):
big burden of responsibility to do it well.
Natasha Gargiulo (16:08):
Sal, do you have a movie that they should never
remake under any circumstances?
Sal Patel (16:14):
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.
Speaker 7 (16:22):
I am a golden god
Sal Patel (16:26):
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
(16:48):
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.
Natasha Gargiulo (17:06):
And what about a movie that you think should be remade
and soon?
Chandler Levick (17:10):
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.
Speaker 8 (17:18):
Yeah. (inaudible) I get too close.
Speaker 9 (17:20):
I never catch colds.
Speaker 8 (17:21):
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?
Speaker 9 (17:28):
Mm-hmm (affirmative). That makes me feel just terrible.
Speaker 8 (17:32):
Why?
Speaker 9 (17:32):
Well, to make the fingers come out even if I have
no colds a year, or some poor slob must have
five colds a year.
Speaker 8 (17:36):
Yeah, it's me.
Speaker 9 (17:38):
Should've stayed in bed this morning.
Speaker 8 (17:40):
Should've stayed in bed last night.
Chandler Levick (17:41):
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
(18:02):
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.
Sal Patel (18:22):
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
(18:43):
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-
Natasha Gargiulo (18:59):
You have this all planned out already. You have the
cast, (crosstalk) the script ready. Why don't you just make it?
Sal Patel (19:04):
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...
Chandler Levick (19:21):
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.
Natasha Gargiulo (19:34):
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?
Chandler Levick (19:40):
I want to be played by Timothy Chalamet, though.
Sal Patel (19:45):
And I will be played by Dev Patel.
Natasha Gargiulo (19:50):
And I will be played by Marisa Tomei, how about that?
Chandler Levick (19:54):
Perfect casting.
Natasha Gargiulo (19:59):
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.
Darling, you should marry some lovely accomplished girl who adores you. Someone-
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Someone who would grace your beautiful home and give you
the sort of life you really want, I wouldn't.
Jo (00:14):
Oh Teddy, I'm not fashionable enough for London. You need
someone who's elegant and refined.
Teddy (00:19):
[inaudible 00:00:20].
Jo (00:19):
Look at me, I'm homely and I'm awkward and I'm odd.
Teddy (00:23):
I love you, Jo.
Jo (00:24):
And you'd be ashamed of me.
Teddy (00:26):
I love you, Jo.
Jo (00:26):
And we would quarrel because we can't help it even now.
Natasha Gargiulo (00:30):
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
(00:50):
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
(01:12):
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
(01:33):
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.
(01:54):
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.
(02:16):
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.
Chandler Levick (02:41):
Thank you so much.
Sal Patel (02:41):
Thank you.
Natasha Gargiulo (02:42):
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?
Chandler Levick (02:52):
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
(03:16):
utterly necessary. And even though it's a period piece, also
felt like incredibly urgent and modern.
Sal Patel (03:21):
Yeah, I would agree. I love that Little Women remake.
For me, a remake from maybe a few years ago,
is Mad Max
Max (03:31):
My name is Max.
Sal Patel (03:34):
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
It's a transfer of power that exists in the universe. So,
the original Mad Max is about the character of Max,
(03:56):
and the Fury Road is about the character Furiosa and
about the women in this universe.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
And how exactly do we take the Citadel? Assuming we're
still alive by then.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
If we can block the pass, it'll be easy.
Sal Patel (04:10):
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.
Natasha Gargiulo (04:31):
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?
Chandler Levick (04:51):
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
(05:13):
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.
Sal Patel (05:31):
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
(05:55):
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
(06:16):
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
Natasha Gargiulo (06:29):
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?
Chandler Levick (06:49):
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
(07:11):
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?
Natasha Gargiulo (07:21):
Yes.
Chandler Levick (07:23):
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.
Natasha Gargiulo (07:41):
Sal, how about your thoughts?
Sal Patel (07:42):
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,
(08:03):
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
(08:25):
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
(08:46):
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.
Natasha Gargiulo (09:05):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Sal Patel (09:06):
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.
Natasha Gargiulo (09:19):
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?
Chandler Levick (09:39):
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
(10:00):
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
(10:20):
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.
Sal Patel (10:39):
Yeah, I totally agree. I mean, it gets back to
what I was saying about Mad Max
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
(10:59):
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
(11:19):
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
(11:42):
blockbuster type works, I think we should strive for it.
Natasha Gargiulo (11:46):
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?
Chandler Levick (11:57):
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.
(12:17):
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.
Natasha Gargiulo (12:28):
So, how do you feel when I say the Green Knight?
Sal Patel (12:33):
Well, I already know what my Halloween costume is going
to be for 2020.
Chandler Levick (12:38):
Perfect, (crosstalk) time.
Sal Patel (12:38):
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
(12:58):
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.
Natasha Gargiulo (13:21):
Chandler, what are your thoughts on Candyman?
Speaker 5 (13:24):
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.
Speaker 6 (13:33):
Who would do that?
Chandler Levick (13:33):
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
(13:54):
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
(14:14):
can actually lead a conversation in cinema, as opposed to
just being kind of an interesting diversion during the summer.
Natasha Gargiulo (14:20):
This is a movie I am so excited about. Sal,
tell me about West Side Story.
Sal Patel (14:25):
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,
(14:47):
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
(15:07):
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
(15:29):
excited for that.
Natasha Gargiulo (15:30):
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?
Chandler Levick (15:41):
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
(16:06):
big burden of responsibility to do it well.
Natasha Gargiulo (16:08):
Sal, do you have a movie that they should never
remake under any circumstances?
Sal Patel (16:14):
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.
Speaker 7 (16:22):
I am a golden god
Sal Patel (16:26):
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
(16:48):
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.
Natasha Gargiulo (17:06):
And what about a movie that you think should be remade
and soon?
Chandler Levick (17:10):
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.
Speaker 8 (17:18):
Yeah. (inaudible) I get too close.
Speaker 9 (17:20):
I never catch colds.
Speaker 8 (17:21):
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?
Speaker 9 (17:28):
Mm-hmm (affirmative). That makes me feel just terrible.
Speaker 8 (17:32):
Why?
Speaker 9 (17:32):
Well, to make the fingers come out even if I have
no colds a year, or some poor slob must have
five colds a year.
Speaker 8 (17:36):
Yeah, it's me.
Speaker 9 (17:38):
Should've stayed in bed this morning.
Speaker 8 (17:40):
Should've stayed in bed last night.
Chandler Levick (17:41):
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
(18:02):
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.
Sal Patel (18:22):
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
(18:43):
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-
Natasha Gargiulo (18:59):
You have this all planned out already. You have the
cast, (crosstalk) the script ready. Why don't you just make it?
Sal Patel (19:04):
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...
Chandler Levick (19:21):
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.
Natasha Gargiulo (19:34):
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?
Chandler Levick (19:40):
I want to be played by Timothy Chalamet, though.
Sal Patel (19:45):
And I will be played by Dev Patel.
Natasha Gargiulo (19:50):
And I will be played by Marisa Tomei, how about that?
Chandler Levick (19:54):
Perfect casting.
Natasha Gargiulo (19:59):
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.
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