"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?)