"Bedazzled" (1967) vs. "Bedazzled" (2000)

The Battle of Original vs. Remake

VS.

Since "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", Americans have realized that the British are pretty funny people. But their funny bone does not always tend to be where ours is. Fart jokes are not as common in British film. Is this because they are "classier" than us? Probably, but that's not the point. They think some things are funny while we prefer something else.

I recently discovered that one of the cheesiest and cheekiest movies I have ever seen "Bedazzled" is in fact a remake of a 1967 British version. Way to go America. Stealing more stuff from the British.

Here, I take a look at the differences and similarities: WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

"Bedazzled" (1967)

Plot

Stanley works as a burger flipper in a small restaurant. The love of his life, Margaret, works there with him as a waitress. Stanley is lonely without any friends and unrequited love so he attempts to end his life in his rundown flat (apartment). His attempt fails and in walks George aka the Devil. George offers Stanley a way out of his miserable life without ending it. Stanley will get 7 wishes in exchange for his soul. As we can guess, none of Stanley's wishes end up as he would like. George has been planning to get back into heaven be collecting more souls than God. In the end, George loses because he gives Stanley his soul back after his last wish really backfires. This good deed leaves George without enough soul, and kicked out of heaven again.

"Bedazzled" (2000)

Plot

Eliot works as a technical support guy whose coworkers can't stand him and who has a huge crush on Allison, someone else he works with. After a failed attempt at wooing Allison, the Devil appears as a sexy woman in red leather. She offers Elliot a way to have Allison love him back and the life that he always wanted in exchange for his soul. Elliot has 7 wishes from the Devil. After 6 failed attempts, Elliot uses his last wish to wish for Allison to have a happy life. This unselfish act frees him from the contract with the devil. Elliot doesn't get the girl, but he gains more respect from his coworkers and a happy conscience.

Differences:

1967

• We meet some of the 7 Deadly Sins who work for George and influence Stanley's wishes- Lust (a sexy Southern woman- I guess Southern is sexy in Britain?), Anger (the bouncer of George's club), Sloth (who is married to Lust and is George's lawyer), Vanity (who always has a mirror in front of his face), Envy (who, you guessed it, is always jealous of everyone), Gluttony (George takes his plump female companion to the carnival with Stanley), Avarice (we don't see him much)
• There is a real friendship created between George and Stanley. You could almost believe that if everything had worked out ok, they would still be friends.
• Wishes:

• 1. A Popsicle
• 2. To be an intellectual-- Margaret ends up claiming that Stanley raped her.
• 3. Millionaire-- George sleeps with Margaret, or at least it looks like George...
• 4. Pop Star-- George-look-alike steals the spotlight and Margaret's heart
• 5. A fly on the wall-- Stanley and George are sprayed with bug spray
• 6. to live a quiet life--- George-look-alike is Margaret's husband and Stanley is his best friend. Margaret and Stanley are having an affair but feel too guilty so they end it
• 7. to be pious in isolation with Margaret forever--- Stanley is turned into a nun
• It's 1967 so there's no pager, but Stanley does have to blow a raspberry when he wants to get out of a wish, which causes for some pretty funny scenes
• Margaret and the police believe Stanley to be dead this whole time so they are constantly looking for him. The officer also tries to assault Margaret.
• Margaret and Stanley end up together!
• George has red socks instead of full-out red outfits.
• Routine Mischief Scene- George uses a conveyor belt system to send out some sin into the world like scratched vinyls, cuts the top button off shirts, rips the last page out of books, and smashes fruit in crates.
• No special effects- the focus is all on character and dialogue
• Message: Don't trust the Devil.

2000

• The Devil is all about SEX. Whenever she is causing trouble in the world, she is in something short, something leather, something black, and/or something red. Her costuming clearly tells us she is bad news.
• No 7 Deadly Sins. The Devil takes care of Lady Lust.
• The Devil and Stanley are friends, but by the end, it is more of business relationship. This may be because we are confused if she likes him or not.
• Wishes:

• 1. A Big Mac and Coke
• 2. Rich and married to Allison-- ends up being a drug lord and Allison is cheating on him
• 3. to be sensitive--- Allison leaves him for some tough guys because he is just too sensitive
• 4. Basketball player-- Allison totally wants him, but his package is seriously diminished and both leave shocked
• 5. An intellectual--- turns out he is gay!
• 6. President of the United States--- President Lincoln on the night of his assassination
• 7. For Allison to have a happy life
• Pager- Dial 666
• When a wish is made, the whole world believes that it is real. Allison, the Devil, and all of Elliot's coworkers are transformed to this new world
• Elliot and Allison don't end up together, but Elliot's new neighbor an Allison-look-alike does show up at the end
• Elliot meets God while he is locked in jail by the Devil. He never says he is God, but we see him at the end of the film playing chess with the Devil. God gives Elliot some sound advice before he makes the selfless wish
• The club the Devil owns is portrayed as hell- fun and exciting at first and then a prison
• Everything is over the top and packed with special effects and Hollywood glamour.
• Message: The Devil isn't all bad. She's just part of a system. And it's all about the humans any way. Don't worry about heaven and hell. Just live your life!

Similarities:

• The Devil is in both version and wears red throughout the film.
• Elliot and Stanley are both pathetic losers who want a girl who doesn't want them back.
• In the end, some form of love saves Stanley/Elliot.
• Stanley/Elliot gets a happy ending with a girl
• Funny moments come from Stanley/Elliot's stupidity and the unfortunate failures of their wishes.

Overall, which one is better?

The 2000 version

I blame the fact that I'm a born-and-raised American. I just need the sparkles and the explosions to keep me interested. I also like that God showed up, and he wasn't just this imaginary figure that we couldn't see or understand. In this version, God becomes a player in the story- a helping hand when the Devil just always seems to be getting us down. And I'd rather have that kind of God than someone who kicks one of his own out of heaven. (I know that that is biblically correct, but I don't like it. Can someone rewrite it please?)

The First Time- "One Chance" (2013)

The First Time- "One Chance" (2013)

The classic story of the underdog is a beloved troupe that has lasted for years and will continue to go on for years to come. Sometimes this troupe is even found in real life.

Six years ago, a man from Whales auditioned for a little TV show called" Britain's Got Talent". He struggled with nervousness and self-confidence, but he believed that he was put on this Earth to sing opera. Now, Paul Potts has performed all over the world, recorded three albums, and even performed for the Queen! And now his story has been immortalized for all time in film!

One Chance is Potts' story about his struggle and his triumph. The film uses Potts' own voice in the film instead of finding some copycat (although, James Cordon who plays Potts, can sing and will be playing the Baker in the eagerly awaited Into the Woods musical-turned-film). I'm one of those "weird people" who think that opera is absolutely the most gorgeous music in the world and its performers are only the most talented vocalists in the world, but even for those who don't appreciate opera, you cannot help but fall in love with this man and his story.

Plot

Paul Potts has been bullied all his life, maybe it was for his weight, but it was probably due to this love of singing opera music. His mother fervently encourages his passion while his father wishes he would hide it all under a rug and take up rugby instead. Paul works at a local cell phone store with his boss and best friend Braddon (played by Mackenzie Crook (from Pirates of the Caribbean)). Paul has been trying to save up to go to opera school in Venice for years, but he is still short. He is convinced by Julz, a girl he met online, to take part in a talent show to win the money he needs and fulfill his dream of going to Italy. But he doesn't stay there very long (I'll leave that part out for you to discover).

Paul returns back to his regular life and eventually finds out about "Britain's Got Talent". The rest is history.

Stars

James Cordon is so lovable in this movie. Even though he does not sing the full songs, he somehow manages to make me believe that his power comes from his voice. Lip-synching is hard to do on its own, but there is a real power that comes from the throat and from the body when you sing that you cannot copy without singing. I figure that Cordon probably belted out something while they were filming and then the editors went in and dubbed everything with the real Paul Potts' voice. We will get to see Cordon sing in Into the Woods and find out if he could have done some opera.

I honestly didn't recognize Mackenzie Crook at first with two eyes. And he's not the absent-minded character in this one. He's lovable for his loyalty to his friend and his good heart.

Julie Walters ("Mamma Mia" and HP Series) shows up as Paul's loving mother, and just like in the HP Series, you wish she was your mother.

Message

Life is rough. Many times in underdog films, our hero just happens to come upon success. We don't get to see the struggle and hardships that go along with fulfilling your dream. This film is full of them.

But I think the biggest message of the film, one that Paul Potts himself would be very proud of, is never be afraid to be who you are. Paul is bullied by his schoolmates, his father, his teacher; everyone tells him that his dream is stupid and that opera is stupid. After a while he begins to believe it himself and stop believing in himself, which is especially detrimental to someone who wants to be in show business.

This film reminds us that everyone has a talent, but we need to remember to believe in our talent and in ourselves because that is the only way we can fulfill our purpose in life.

In the film, Julz asks Paul if he could be anyone else in the whole world, who would he be. Paul says, he would rather be himself. He just wants to be him.

Overall

If you've ever been bullied, sang opera or any other kind of music, or struggle with believing in yourself, this movie is for you. 

Real Paul Potts performance on "Britain's Got Talent": 

4 out of 4 Standing Ovations

An Oldie But a Goodie- "The Thin Man" (1934)

An Oldie But a Goodie- "The Thin Man" (1934)

My last college semester begins with a film class on Classical Hollywood. The definition of that era, if we can really call it that, is after the Silent Film Era (which does deserve it's own era) and before The Era of Modern Movies (when everything got worse- according to film historians). I understand that Hollywood was the place to be at a point in time, and movies were one of the only forms of entertainment people had (there was a time when everyone didn't have a TV in their living room and Netfix on their iPhones). But I refuse to believe that Hollywood and the value of Hollywood-produced films declined after this great period. Can't we just say they were great? And old?

I will first turn to "The Thin Man" starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as adorable married couple Nick and Nora Charles. The plot goes that Nick used to be a detective but has decided to take a vacation away from it all with his lovely wife when trouble comes knocking at the door. All of the sudden, they are thrown into a murder mystery case complete with a bitter divorced woman and her two children, some gangsters, and an old man and his money.

I really enjoyed this film because of the incredible chemistry between William Powell and Myrna Loy. They laugh at each other, make fun of each other, push each other, and generally get along quite well. I also love that Nora Charles is no force to be reckoned with, unlike many of the women on screen at this time. Sure, her husband makes sure she stays out of the line of fire, but it is really Nora getting Nick to chase down the case. Nick brings the much needed sarcasm and humor to their relationship and the film, but Nora is the brawn.

And there's a dog. Who doesn't love a little terrier?

The film is a series of 6 total films including "After the Thin Man" (1936), "Another Thin Man" (1939), "Shadow of the Thin Man" (1941), "The Thin Man Goes Home" (1945), and "Song of the Thin Man" (1947). These are now all on my Watch List. Check it out! Any recommendations for films like this one?

In Review: "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones"

In Review: "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones"

To judge a book by its movie. Years ago, this was not a problem. Now, it is what controls what flies off the shelves and what develops cobwebs.

I think this movie has hurt its book series and its chances for new readers.

The Plot

Clary (Lily Collins) is just your average teenager with a dorky best friend (Robert Sheehan) who is clearly in love with her. All of the sudden (not really- it's a movie, something's gotta happen), she starts seeing people in crazy goth costumes who no one else can see, creepy looking monsters that were rottweilers, and Clary finds out she is a "shadow hunter" aka part-angel-part-human, demon hunter, like Van Helsing, minus the werewolves thing.

Like any good YA book, there is tons of sexual tension between our heroine and the mysterious, brooding, sexy Jace (Jamie Campell Bower). And the best friend looks on sadly.

Somewhere Clary's mom gets captured, she has to find this cup thing that everyone keeps talking about, and she keeps getting into trouble.

The Cast

Lily Collins goes back to the fantasy world from her latest role as Snow White in the wildly unsuccessful "Mirror Mirror" with Julia Roberts. Jamie Campell Bower, who you will recognize from the "Twilight" series as Caius, gets to play a good guy this time around. No one's performance is too horrible or too fantastic. I don't think these actors are to blame for my dislike of this film. The lack of character development and emotional connection has nothing to do with flaws in acting. It has to do with the amount of information required to understand what the heck is going on in this movie.

The Message

Uhhhh.... There was a message? I had no idea with all the shit that was happening.

Overall

This story requires a lot of background information to understand the world. What is a shadow hunter? Who and what do they fight? What is the Institute? What is Clary's mother's back story? How is Clary able to do all this stuff? What are ruins? What are the stick things all the shadow hunters have?

All of these questions and more. Thank God I went with a friend who read all of the series and was able to answer every single question I had about the story and its characters.

There was too much going on in this movie. While watching, I felt like the screenwriting had this list of events and background information that happened in the book that he/she knew he/she had to get in the film, but forget to include character development and character relationships. So by the end of the film, I am super confused and don't really care about these characters.

On top of all of this, the film and book drops a huge bomb on the audience at the end of the film. I mean, HUGE. So much so that I was turned off from every picking up the series. It was just too much to handle for the first movie of what could be a series.

A good first movie of a continuous series is "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." HP1 is a great film to start off a series of films because we get to know the characters, we get to know the world that we will grow to love, we become emotionally invested with these characters, and a little bit of action happens. No bombs are dropped on us. Nothing that will turn us away from wanting to see the next film.

"City of Bones" may be an excellent book and "Mortal Instruments" may be a terrific series, but I don't think "City of Bones" was a good choice for a film. The only people who, I think, will want to see the next movie in the series will be those who read the book before the movie came out. I don't think people who didn't read the books (and yes, ALL of them) before seeing the movie will ever pick up the book or see the next movie. Unless they are dragged to it by their book-reading friends.

I can't imagine what it was like waiting for the second book of this series to come out. Frankly, I am surprised that anyone continued reading. I am too shocked to continue my journey into "Mortal Instruments."

1 out of 4 Mortal Cups

In Review: "Saving Mr. Banks"

In Review: "Saving Mr. Banks"

There are few times when the audience is able to truly understand a filmmaker's mind and heart behind the making of a film. Why does that character look that way? How did they come up with the script and the songs? Why did they make this movie in the first place? Getting inside the head and heart of any artist is extremely difficult. It's like trying to explain why we live and breath on this earth. It is nearly impossible to truly understand, unless you talk directly to the creator.

Being a Disney fanatic means that you can put just about anything in front of me with the Disney name on it, and I will automatically fall in love with it. I will defend it tooth and nail until my very last breath. So many people have tried to get me to think badly of Walt Disney and/or Disney World for this reason or that reason, but I refuse. Disney is more than just a company for me. It's a way of life. It runs through  my very soul.

That being said, I was never a huge Mary Poppins fan. I was born around the Disney golden age full of princesses under the sea and loving hairy beasts. Anything that didn't have a damsel in distress and an attractive, singing love interest was not worth my time. The last time I watched Mary and her magical flying umbrella from beginning to end was probably before I was in high school.

The True Story 

After his blockbuster success of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and popular television show "The Wonderful World of Disney", Walt wants to take his daughters' (Diane (RIP as of Nov.) and Sharon) favorite novel, "Mary Poppins", and turn it into a full-length film. After 20 years of trying to get the author P.L. Travers to concede signing over the rights, Mrs. Travers is finally willing to try and work with Walt (mostly because she is flat broke).

The two storytellers must work together to create what we know of today as the part live-action part animated film Mary Poppins. But Mrs. Travers is extremely protective of her work and puts down every idea Walt puts on the table in the snarkiest of British comments. Why is that? Why has Walt been trying for 20 years to make this movie anyway? Why is it still such a beloved film even 60 years later?

The Cast

This is the first time anyone has ever tried to play Walt Disney. As a Disney fan, you can understand my deep concern when I learned they would be having some other person try to put this man's greatness into being. But I do not think they could have chosen a better person than Tom Hanks.

As I was keeping up with all of the gossip of the film before its opening, I watched an interview with Hanks. He talked about how they didn't want to try to replicate Walt. They weren't trying to make Hanks look just like him or sound exactly like him. He knew there was no way anyone could come close to being Walt. So he studied his mannerisms and the way he spoke, but Hanks never tried to be Disney. And that really showed on screen. You felt the heart, imagination, and determination that Disney had in fighting for his films and the Disney name. I cannot say how much Hanks' performance meant to me. I never got to see Walt on TV or read about him in the newspaper. I have only experienced his legacy. But for the first time, I got to see one of my biggest heroes on the silver screen.

I cannot imagine how hard playing P.L. Travers was for Emma Thompson. One interview I watched with Hanks said that after every take she would apologize to everyone for being so mean. But she did it so well! I couldn't help but laugh at the strategic way she delivered every snarky line and scowled at the Sherman Brothers just the right way at their made up words.

It takes a lot of talent to be able to make someone so mean and yet so real. By the end of the film, the audience has done a full 360 and learns to love Mrs. Travers for every quirk she possesses. Being able to get people to hate you and then fall in love with you is quite a feat that only the great Thompson could accomplish.

The Message

We can't just assume things about people. Even though someone may seem like a bitter old woman on the outside or a money-obsessed entrepreneur, everyone has a past. But that doesn't mean that our past, our story, should control us in the present and into the future.

"Around here we don't look backwards for very long... We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things because we're curious... and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."
-Walt Disney

People with the most impossible problems are able to succeed in the most brilliant ways. All it takes is faith and trust. And a spoon full of sugar.

Overall

There is nothing bad I can say about this movie. Even if I'm nitpicking to the max, I cannot come up with anything I would have changed. You might blame it on my love of all things Disney, but I think it goes quite deeper than that. I think this film speaks to all people of all ages just as all Disney films do. It speaks to us through the heart and through our inner child. It teaches us a simple but very important life lesson that we as adults tend to forget. Only the best films can speak to everyone. Only the best films make us look at ourselves and our own lives. Only the best films teach us something by the end of the credits.

I expect big awards for this one, and I implore you, even if you don't love Disney and have never seen Mary Poppins, please go see this movie. We all need to remember who we were to discover who we will become. For those who love the original film, let's all go fly a kite.

4 out of 4 Kites