Tag Archives: adaptation

New Rose Hotel

Vague This is based on a relatively well-known William Gibson story that appeared in an early issue of Omni magazine. I don’t think I read it when it was published, but I’m going to have to track it down and … Continue reading

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George of the Jungle

What Tooki-tooki So Long? I dreaded seeing this one. Of course like most folks my age, I adored the Jay Ward television cartoons from which this film is adapted – but most folks only remember the crowd-pleasing theme song, and … Continue reading

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Hercules

The Legendary Drawings The movie musical is alive and well – but only in animated form. Over the past decade, the Disney animation department has been carefully honing their entertainment formula – a well-balanced story, likable characters, some Broadway style … Continue reading

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Batman and Robin

Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah. It’s really a shame that Evita did not bring about the predicted resurgence of interest in big budget Hollywood musicals. Joel Schumacher should really be directing elaborate song and dance numbers, because … Continue reading

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Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World

The T Rex that ate San Diego The first film bearing the title The Lost World was made in 1925, and it represented the cutting edge in cinematic special effects for that year. 1997’s The Lost World, both a quasi-remake … Continue reading

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Mars Attacks!

Playing with a Full Deck? In 1964, two films were released with essentially the same plot: the United States accidentally sends the order to use atomic weapons against the Soviet Union and is unable to correct the mistake. While Sidney … Continue reading

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Last Man Standing

Last Remake You Can Stand Walter Hill tries his hand at Kurosawa’s Yojimbo (itself based on Hammett’s Red Harvest), with Bruce Willis playing a prohibition era American samurai.

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Killer: A Journal of Murder

Public Enemy Number 1 In the ‘20s, Leavenworth guard Henry Lesser (Robert Sean Leonard) befriended prisoner Carl Panzram (James Woods), who’d broken “every law known to God and man”. Lesser risked his job to allow Panzram to write down his … Continue reading

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The Island of Dr. Moreau

Theater of Pain Why remake Island of Lost Souls, one of the most chilling horror classics of the ‘30s, which has already been remade at least twice? Two possibilities: public domain source material and modern creature f/x.

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The Adventures of Pinocchio

Got Wood? This version of Collodi’s story from director Steve Barron has a peculiarly European flavor. It sticks closer to the book than Disney, while throwing in odd ideas. None of the characters are surprised that the puppet’s come to … Continue reading

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