The Day the Earth Stood Still is one of my favorite moves. Ever. I vividly remember seeing it with my older brother when I was about six years old and being entranced. Aside from being a classic piece of science fiction and masterfully paced story telling, it is just beautiful. Black and white, but with silvery tones and velvet blacks; lots of the best scenes are shot at night with shadows deep as a trench, it's like the best film noir with the added thrill of a flying saucer. Plus the glam Patricia Neal carried off by a giant space robot.
So I now I find out Hollywood is planning a remake. Of course. Take something iconic and perfect and try to recreate, or "better" it. When I heard Keanu Reeves was cast in it, I assumed he'd be the robot, since that's what his so-called acting has always reminded me of. Silly me. He is, of course, this generation's Michael Rennie. Yet another sign that we are living in the end times.
I especially hate it when they funnel tens or hundreds of millions into such remakes that are vastly inferior and far less creative than originals made for just a few thousand and with a lot more heart and vision.
ReplyDeleteYuck. Did you ever see that asswipe of a movie, the U.S. remake of "Wings of Desire?" As with this one, the original was perfect....
ReplyDeleteExactly. It's simply testament to a general paucity of imagination. It's why I don't watch anything except porn now.
ReplyDeleteOn a different yet related tangent, do you remember a group from the 70s called "Klaatu" that people thought was actually the reunited Beatles? It was quite the thing for a moment.
ReplyDeleteoh great! another remake...didn't they do enough with "war of the worlds"?
ReplyDeleteMaybe it won't get made? Here's hoping!!
ReplyDelete"Day" is one of my faves as well! :)
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ReplyDeleteSorry, so many typos in my last comment I just had to trash it and start again...
ReplyDeleteIt's a favourite film of mine too, but then I always had a thing for big, strong silent types. Years and years ago I sought out the original 1940 short story by Harry Bates "Farewell To The Master" that the film was based on. [wikipedia link] In the book it is a little more obvious that Gnut is not just the silent henchman, but is actually the boss, the intergalactic ploiceman himself, while Klaatu is more like his servant. It's quite a tender little story.
The idea of a remake makes my head hurt however.
Thanks for pointing out the wikipedia link, I had never even considered movie's source.
ReplyDeleteI like to get to the sauce. Source. I meant source.
ReplyDeleteThombeau, I know Klaatu! They did "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" - subsequently covered by the Carpenters! Fabulous.
ReplyDeletePeenee- I've not seen this movie yet, but I love Patricia Neal. Her face is all 90 degree angles of superiority. She's not jagged exactly...just pointy.
I was just wondering "where is Wesley Darling? Does he no longer love us?"
ReplyDelete