Located on a small expansion shelf about midway between the Third and Fourth Circles, Musical Hell is presided over by Diva, a minor demon charged with passing judgement on the worst musicals ever committed to film. (She still hasn't figured out if this is their punishment or hers.) Take a seat on the bench and have your earplugs ready, because court is now in session.

New videos posted on the first Monday of the month. Other viewpoints, news, and general ramblings posted when they crop up.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Five Movie Musicals That Need to be Remade

Earlier this month, it was announced that Glee and Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark alumnus Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is negotiating to write a remake of Little Shop of Horrors starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Seymour. I can't say this news fills me with boundless enthusiasm. True, the 1986 film directed by Frank Oz has its faults—most notably the tacked-on, focus group-approved ending—but it's one of the better movie musicals out there, especially since it came out of an era when very few quality live-action musicals were being made. Could anyone—even a fine actor such as Gordon-Levitt—match Rick Moranis' perfectly nerdy Seymour? Or the gleeful sadism of Steve Martin's dentist? I don't even want to think about the pop stars that might be tapped to voice Audrey II (Cee Lo Green? *shudder*).

Alas, Little Shop's popularity and nostalgia factor make it a prime remake target by Hollywood standards. But what about the musicals that didn't get it right the first time around? The ones that had the highest of Broadway pedigrees, but suffered on film from bad casts, incompetent rewrites, and clumsy direction. They deserved better; why not take another crack at them for a change? Leave the denizens of Mushnik's Flower Shop alone—here are five musicals that really need someone to come in and make them over:

Man of La Mancha (1972)

What Went Wrong: One of the classic examples of casting big-name film stars in a musical they have no business being in, Man of La Mancha features the woefully miscast Peter O'Toole and Sophia Loren slogging their way through the story of mad knight Don Quixote and struggling with a score neither of them is prepared to manage. (O'Toole used a voice double, but this didn't help any, especially when paired with his embarrassing attempt at lip synching.)
Why It Deserves a Second Chance: Man of La Mancha has some wonderfully soaring songs (particularly Quixote's “Duclinea” and “The Impossible Dream”)--it would be a joy to see them in a movie that does them justice. And while the theme of fighting for justice in a profoundly unjust world might not be what Cervantes had in mind when he first penned his satire of chivalry, it's still a good message to send to an increasingly cynical world.



The Wiz (1978)

What Went Wrong: Man of La Mancha has actors who can't sing; The Wiz has the inverse problem: singers who can't act. Diana Ross and Michael Jackson are icons of popular music with very good reason, but it's embarrassing to watch them try to perform when the music stops (particularly Ross, who turns Dorothy into an unsympathetic whiner). Director Sidney Lumlet and screenwriters William F. Brown and Joel Schumacher don't help either, creating a poorly paced, heavy-handed story filled with broad stereotypes.
Why It Deserves a Second Chance: The Wizard of Oz is one of those stories that can stand up to numerous revisions—as proven by everyone from the Muppets to Gregory Maguire—and the idea of an all-black retelling using New York City as the model for Oz is a good one that can be interpreted well. The stage musical hews pretty close to the original L. Frank Baum novel, which would make it stand apart from the classic MGM film.



A Chorus Line (1985)

What Went Wrong: What is on stage one of the most perfect musicals ever created became merely mediocre thanks to Richard Attenborough's uninspired direction and indifferent vocal performances to an over-synthesized orchestration of the score. The screenplay puts too much emphasis on the Zach/Cassie relationship, shortchanging several other characters and undermining the basic theme of the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. “They're all special!” Cassie declares of her fellow auditionees—but apparently some are more special than others.
Why It Deserves a Second Chance: See above, re: one of the most perfect musicals ever created.



The Phantom of the Opera, 2004

What Went Wrong: Joel Schumacher and Andrew Lloyd Webber were so busy making sure Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum looked pretty that they forgot to see if they sounded good. When you're telling the story of a repulsively hideous yet remarkably talented musician, this is an even bigger drawback than usual. The result is nice to look at but bland and emotionally uninvolving, like staring at a Harlequin Romance cover for two and a half hours.
Why It Deserves a Second Chance: Even more than most musicals, Phantom really needs a strong team behind it to overcome its inherent flaws. Given leads who can handle Lloyd Webber's sweeping score, and a director who can help them tap into the darkness and visceral passions lurking under the melodrama, it can be both lavish and moving.



Rent, 2005

What Went Wrong: To his credit, Christopher Columbus did try to do right by Jonathan Larson's turn-of-the-millenium update of La Boheme. But the results are hit-and-miss due to the clumsy staging of several numbers and an original cast that's now a little too old to be dancing on tables and singing about sticking it to the Man. (Then again, Brittney Spears was mentioned for a major role at one point, so that may be the lesser of two evils.)
Why It Deserves a Second Chance: Rent has the makings of an energetic, inventive movie about it, but the director of Home Alone and Harry Potter is not the person to bring it out. It needs someone with a more stylized approach who's not afraid of the darker aspects of the story (including a girl who commits suicide when she discovers she's HIV-positive, a drug addicted stripper, and a veritable chorus of homeless people) to really make it sing.

Your turn: what movie musical really let you down, and you want to see done justice?

29 comments:

  1. Sweeney Todd. The revival renewed interest with a cast who were great actors and great singers, and Tim Burton used the same cast he always uses and made no use of the musical numbers except for By the Sea. (How he managed to make "A Little Priest" boring I'll never know.)

    Man of La Mancha let me down a little by not being like the book, but it was hard to fault the acting. Maybe better dubbing would have helped- Natalie Woods couldn't sing in West Side Story, nor could Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, but that doesn't bring the movies down.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did like "Sweeney Todd" for what it was, but agree that it could benefit from restoring the chorus numbers (how can you cut one of the best opening songs ever written?) and some stronger performances--Helena Bonham-Carter in particular is entirely too frail vocally and dramatically for the deliciously mercenary Mrs. Lovett.

      I consider dubbing a "lesser of two evils" thing: performers who can both act and sing the role are ideal, but better lip syncing to a good singer than forcing the audience to endure an awful one.

      Delete
  2. There used to be a Youtube series that dubbed in Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman's original recordings, and it was amazing despite all the other flaws it became much easier on the ears and eyes to watch. Unfortunately either they poster was asked to take it down, or the did on their own fearing legal action.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've heard of that (I also understand that some of the voices for the foreign dubs were quite good). Unfortunately (as I kind of touched on in my review) I also have quite a few issues with the movie's visual element. Everything was brightly lit, gilded, and theme-park pretty, with barely a shadow or element of danger. And the less said about Gerard Butler's "oh no, my hideous dry skin!" makeup, the better.

      Delete
    2. RE: the movie's Phantom makeup

      I think what we're supposed to take away here is that his deformity was absolutely terrible when he was a boy. As he grew up, it went from "The Devil's Child" to "just slightly unusual," and he's making it out to be far worse than it actually is.

      Also, in the book/movies/musical, he's supposed to be a lot older and considerably unhealthy.

      Delete
    3. But Christine and everybody else is still doing the "Aaaaagh, hideous monster!" thing. It still doesn't fit.

      Oddly enough, the Takarzuka Revue's version features a fairly mild make-up job as well, and they actually make it work. I think it's because everything they do is so stylized and theatrical so it kind of makes sense; you can believe that what the characters see is different (and much worse) than what the audience sees. It's entirely possible Schumacher was going for the same effect, but wasn't quite able to pull it off.

      Delete
  3. Eh... I could get some controversy from this but... I kind of think that West Side Story could need a remake... I know it's a classic and it's one of the best musical movies ever made but.. I just think it's dated, I think that if it was remade then we could get a really interesting reimagining of West Side Story. I heard that Steven Speilberg was thinking about a remake for it and I think with talent like that we could get a really good new vision of it! Plus maybe we can have actors actually singing their own roles.. *cough Natalie Wood

    ReplyDelete
  4. There SERIOUSLY needs to be a remake of "A Little Night Music"; I just wish Blake Edwards wasn't dead. "Victor Victoria" showed the kind of touch that should be brought to Sondheim's masterpiece. Luna's critique is spot-on--all the dropped numbers need to be reinstated (especially "Liaisons" and "The Miller's Son"), as does Sweden, where the midnight sun is the whole point of Act 2.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello Dolly - maybe with Bette Midler!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello, Dolly! is a great show with a cheesey film adaptation, A Little Night Music is a great Sondheim show, and I think Nine does have some potential in the right hands.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I completely forgot Mame! Jerry Herman is probably my favorite classical styled composer and the movie version had problems, so why not fix them?

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  15. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  16. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  17. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  18. How about Bye Bye Birdie? The first film had serious miscasting and a bad plot overhaul, but it done more faithfully to the original stage production it would work.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I think that The King and I needs a remake because of the obvious and uncomfortable whitewashing and yellow facing of the film. I imagine Amy Adams for the role of Anna Leonowens because it's Amy FREAKING Adams. For Lewis, I imagine either Joshua Rush or Asher Angel because both are amazing actors and actually great singers as well. I'm not sure about the rest of the cast but I know for certain they need to be Asian.

    Phantom of the Opera definitely needs a remake DESPERATELY! I imagine someone they should get for the role of Christine would be Jackie Evancho, who can act and is known for her angelic and otherworldly operatic voice and has been known for it ever since she was seven. Kristin Chenoweth would be perfect for Carlotta and maybe Josh Groban as Erik/The Phantom.

    I've actually created a video of my fan-casting for a remake of The Wiz and I chose people that can both act and sing (Aside from Uncle Henry because he doesn't sing in The Wiz), as well as made sure that the right actress was cast as Dorothy instead of someone like Diana Ross (SO MISCAST). If you're interested, here's the video.

    https://youtu.be/4s9LEMlDuB8

    If not, I'll just say who my cast is right here:

    China Anne McClain as Dorothy Gale
    Will Smith as The Scarecrow
    Usher as The Tinman
    Norm Lewis as The Cowardly Lion
    Alfonso Ribeiro as The Wiz
    Ledisi as Evilene, the Wicked Witch of the West
    Audra McDonald as Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North
    Anika Noni Rose as Glinda, the Good Witch of the South
    India Arie as Auntie Em
    Chadwick Boseman as Uncle Henry

    I doubt you'll respond to my comment but oh well.

    ReplyDelete
  20. 'Godspell.' The play gas some great songs and the movie cast excellent people from the stage productions. However, the director has the cast (all over 20 and in some cases over 6' tall) gamboling, seesawing, jumping around , making faces and dealing with lame choreography. It got embarrassing to watch. Amid all the fooling around 'We Beseech Thee' and 'Learn Your Lessons Well' were cut.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Can you do a list of Disney movies that deserve their own remakes, not just animated movies but thesaterical works, children's literature and theme park attractions that desperately need their reboots that were already made and improve their flaws.

    ReplyDelete
  22. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  23. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  24. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  25. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete