The list of movies that don't need to be remade is long. And no matter what you think about the original, Footloose is on it.
The 1984 version was about an inch deep and was itself a blatant derivative of movies from the 1950s and 1960s about mean old fun-hating grownups who abused their authority to keep down the good-hearted kids who just want to have themselves a good time. The story took more care with its characters than its ancestor films did, and the presence of some top-level actors like John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest and Kevin Bacon make it more compelling than it had any right to be. Royalties from the theme song probably do more to keep Kenny Loggins comfortable than anything other than "Danger Zone" and "I'm All Right."
A 1998 stage version continued the trend of a show with lots of energy, fun music and dancing and a paper-thin story. It ran for just under two years and did well financially even though it drew at best lukewarn words from critics and no awards.
A trailer seen online shows the new version keeping with several aspects of the original -- Ren's yellow VW Beetle, his friendship with Willard and so on. But it also looks to up the trash factor by several notches -- shorts are shorter, the dancing is sleazier, so on and so on. Think of the grotesque remake of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" by Jessica Simpson and you'll get the picture.
The only people who will be glad to see this are the writers of the Saturday Night Live sketch "Footless," which tried to reproduce the movie's story using people who had voluntarily given up their feet and which was just as stupid as it sounds. I've mercifully forgotten most of it, but part of their version of the theme song sticks in my mind: "Footless! Get footless! Shoeless, sockless and bootless!"
Until now, they were guilty of having produced the dumbest thing ever connected to Footloose, but come October they'll be dethroned.
3 comments:
You know, of course, they are making a Three Stooges movie - which can't possibly be good.
I'm still surprised no one has announced plans to remake or reboot Gilligan's Island. Suppose it's just a matter of time...
masochist that i am, i watched the trailer for the new "footloose," and i'd like to offer a different verb: it ain't being "re-made," it's being xeroxed. ("and this is our time!" oy.) what set the original apart, in its limited way, was the presence of bacon: an actual actor who brought occasional -and wonderfully jarring - grace notes to the surrounding nonsense. sigh.
on a completely different note, i'm looking forward to the new "planet of the apes" movie, even if it does sport james franco. the european trailer makes it look pretty interesting...and how nice to expand the "p.o.t.a." universe, as opposed to tim burton's shitty, pointless remake of the first flick.
kirk out.
Tod -- If that happens, I'm blaming you, kind of like how the demon appears when you speak its name ;-)
Philip -- It's like Burton took the silliest parts of the original movie and the Pierre Boule book it was based on and tripled the crap factor with his own bizzaroid touch. I dunno about the new one; trailers so far aren't making me say I want to see it but I may take a gamble...
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