Original Fame Director HATES The Remake
Filed under: Anglophilia > Film Flickers > Legal Matters
The new remake of Fame didn't only disappoint fans, but it disappointed the flick's original director, Sir Alan Parker.
The current film's director, Kevin Tancharoen, claimed in a recent interview that Parker had approved the film, stating that the producers "called him to tell him that they were going to remake his movie, and he was happy about it. He gave us all his blessings and just let us do it."
Well, Kevie be lietelling!
They remade the movie without Parker's consent - as that call never took place.
Says the director:
"I have never had a single phone call from anyone - the studio, the producers - about this remake. No-one spoke to me about it. To say so is absolute nonsense. …
I feel very much that Fame is mine. I spent months with the kids at the school then spent a year making the movie. You do the work and make it as good as it can be, and you try to protect it. …
Then, because the copyright is owned by the studio, as with almost all American feature films, they can do a remake like this. It's extremely galling. There is no other area of the arts where you can do that. …
It's a bit like being mugged. Such are the realities of Hollywood manners and American copyright law."
Ouch! Think it's safe to say someone's upset.
He also calls the shitty remake an insult to the memory of all those involved in making the movie, some of which have passed away due to Aids.
Sir Alan is even considering legal action over MGM's use of the Fame logo in the remake! That's one of the few things the studio doesn't own the rights to.
Some movies are better left untouched!
[Image via WENN.]
SUCK IT KHERINGTON
I agree! The studios need to leave great movies alone!
They're talking about remaking movies like Dirty Dancing,Karate Kid,etc. Let the classics stand for themselves. You CAN'T improve them so why fuck with them?
Yeah I think it was probably a mistake. I didnt see the remake because all the negative reviews. They were just trying to cash in on the HSM thing I think and the message of the original movie got lost. There was a lot to it like lost dreams and it hit some really hard issues at the time. This one came across as though it was campy and made for the Disney crowd
. I kinda miss the old 80's movies….gosh I just hope this doesnt happen to nightmare on elm street. I am seriously one of the biggest fans out there for that one.
Nobody in America cared for the movie, just look at the amount grossed.
I agree!!! Leave the gems ALONE!
I can't believe they filmed a movie about a performing arts school and there wasn't even one gay character in the entire movie. Come on people get with reality!
Really, can anyone name one remake that has surpassed the original? Why do they bother? Why don't they remake BAD movies? Now THAT would make sense. Movies that had good potential only the director, producer, or someone F***ed it up..
THE REMAKE SUCK BALLS!!! JUST BAD ACTORS AND LOST THE FEELING OF THE ORIGINAL!!
Good for him!!! They need to stop fixing what was never broken! I refuse to see the remake for my devotion to the original. They never should have remade it because now it's going to be another one of those stupid High School Musical movie.
–some of which have passed away–
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That would be 'some of WHOM' - they are people, not inanimate objects.
I hate Soderbergh for remaking Solaris. How can you try pull up to Tarkovsky, man? The Rob Zombie Halloween remake is also pretty offensive to Carpenter. Bu genre films are not seen as art forms so people are usually more permissive with them. Psycho by Gus Van Sant was the weirdest exercise (maybe only outweirded by the new Cronenberg self-remake) but at least it proved a point: somebody can't remake a film shot by shot and keep the aura of the original masterpiece. We could go on, huge topic.
I am sure it did suck, but why do they need his consent.He did not own it,the studio does.
It was not SOME people that died of AIDS, it was one person… and why is this necessary to put in the article?
well, i for one won't be seeing the remake now that i know this.
Are the Hollywood screenwriters and producers completely creatively bankrupt? It's looks like it given the whole reality TV phenomena and this glut of re-makes. Give the viewing public something fresh and original for a change instead of the regurgitated mess that's been on offer of late. They should stop bitching about movie downloads and lost revenue and get off their arses, sharpen their pencils and EARN their box-office takings.
I saw it and though the dancing is good, the movie itself felt like a school play. They should have hired someone more drama oriented to direct the film, and let the dance director do his part along with it.
Aids? Did you mean AIDS? A very small editory change, but a very important one.
Also, "some of which have passed away due to Aids [sic]." Was that statement relevant in any way? Are you insinuating that a movie about kids who act, sing, and dance, is directly related to people who die from complications from AIDS?
Hollywood has become a joke.. Directors, writers, producers, etc should be able to copyright and have any rights to their own film!
Re: WildOrchid1298 – Totally in agree with yu there. I hope it doesn't happen with Nightmare on Elmstreet either! BUT, already see they cast another guy to play Freddy, not the original actor, WHICH ALREADY BLOWS CHUNKS, but the effect looks pretty darn good. (still….. the face won't be as good/scary)
The new one is pure shit.
If it ain't broke, DON'T FIX IT.
…pissed… and rightfully so, I think-
They should have left Hairspray alone, too.
The movie looks nothing like FAME…. just LAME.
The first FAME is great.
Shame they didn't remake it… Nobody ever get the remake right. Bewitched, FAME, Land of the Lost… they always fk it up.
I recently re-watched the original and some of it doesn't hold up and seems corny. Overall, it's still a good movie. I will not watch the remake.
Agree. Has there ever been a remake that was better than the original? Hollywood is dumb (and cheap) doing this over and over. Fame was a classic and had deep meaning for its time.
Some films must better being never touched. Fame should have been one of this. In an era of reality shows like American Idol it has proved that talent is not enough for reaching notoriety but also charisma and presence. Nothing against arts schools in fact I advocate to fund arts programs around the world but the same art industry shatters the dream of many aspiring artists. This film doesn't anything new and who are not familiar with the original would say it's a bad rip off of "cheesy" High School Musical series.
LMAO…he looks like a fat Jerry Springer
No need for the Aids comment! It had nothing to do with the story. Urggh!
Note: Never mess with a classic! I knew this would happen. Leave the classics alone.
they tried to fix something that wasn't broken and look what happened. Hopefully hollywood will lern from this
it was ok, but ill stick to the original
I totall agree with Parker! The remake was totally shitty! Had too many story lines and not enough explanation on them. The original was more deep and had you understanding the characters! Although the dance scenes were hot, it just wasnt enough for me. I'm an adult and took my 13 year old niece to see this, and she even said it was "corny". No one should ever remake great movies. Its a true insult!
Re: chula1251 – yeah maybe if theyd focussed on les stories wed actually give a shit about any of the characters
I agree. I didn't go to see the movie because it didn't need to be remade. Shouldn't have ever happened.
Well, the movie bombed so he should take comfort in that, that people prefer his original version.
Shut up Perez, I'm so sick of you..
Well, it's my fault I'm checking your page, cuz I just get disappointed every time.. srry.
This whole total disregard for quickly making a buck and getting behind projects and issues without being totally informed about subject matter. $$$$$
Cashing in on SYTYCD (I do love this show faithfully) and co-opting excellent Original "Fame!".
This may be the real type of "Rape,Rape" that Whoppi was trying to define on The View the other day.
Thank God Mr. Howard Stern puts all of this nonsense in perspective.
Keystone Cop-ish nit wits that obviously have privledge soothing their challenges and forget what it means to sacrifice the PTSD infested "real people" of the world.
Is Fucking with Sir Allen Parker's Landmark Film "Fame!" similar to Holocaust Denying? No.
Unfortunately a close 2nd is the judgement of Whoopi and Spielberg, a Cohen Bro. and over 130 others on the list backing up the ass of Roman Polanski b-s!
I'm really unclear about that list backing Polanski up just as I am unclear about the people making Fame ever having someone listen to their f-D up film production pyramid schemes! Obviously they went to to the Bernie Madoff School of Film.
We're getting into some heavy Oedipus-shit here! Umm… I think these and many other colorful Human Dichotomy endings are outlined way back before Jesus in all types of awesome "Multi-Cultural Myths" that seems to be easily forgotten about and pushed aside in turn for wide sweeping generalizations that put $$$$$ in the bank!
Re: Spinner –
I'm glad "Original Fame Director HATES The Remake!" I could not bare to even watch the Trailer and wondered why my excitement turned to feeling so, so dirty a couple seconds in to this very beautifully photographed cheese fest!
Really?Re: jojo927 –
I don't blame him a bit for being bitterly dissapointed. I heard it was awful.
What is with everyone I saw the remake and I loved it I even loved almost all the songs although I haven't seen the old one but i'm a teen so I like movies like that and wanna go to a school like that. It's a good movie people a good movie!(my opinion).
"Innocence" and "spontaneous" are two words a person could see in the characters and their behaviour in the original movie. I have been informed by more than a few people who have seen the remake that they are lost in the remake. Such a pity. I for one am not a person who believes their should not remakes. Unfortunately, it takes a great deal for a remake to make its own statement like the original did. Another example of this had to be when they tried to make a sequel to Dirty Dancing-it just didn't work.
Some of WHOM…
This has been unintentional grammatical error number 1,229,333,098,186 from the Perez Hilton website.
The remake did not enough resemble the original. They should have just given it a different name. It was not a very good movie. Story lines did not develop at all. The ONLY good thing that came out of that movie was that I heard a tune that I had never heard before. I was mesmerized by it. BLACK and GOLD. Love it. It was just instrumental in the movie but when I found it on the Internet I was able to hear the entire song. The guy who sings it has the most awesome voice I've ever heard!!!
I meant the remake did not "even" resemble the original.
I'm old enough to remember the original movie AND the subsequent series. No WAY I'm watching a paltry remake.
I did not care for it. Where is the gay character like in the original?
…goosebumps when I think of some of the other incredible films by Alan Parker…
Isn't the 'remake' of Startrek a much better offering than the lacklustre movies that were produced??? Yes, it was beaten at the box office by the new transformers film… but that's ok, as we lovers of Startrek were just grateful for the chance to see something a little different in the startrek franchise, something a little more grittier and with more balls - not to mention much better special effects!
Directors and producers obviously see the end result of their efforts? In the event of their making a disasterous movie, do they simply 'save face' by convincing themselves and everyone else that it's a marvellous homage to the original, because afterall, they've spent a bucket load of money… possibly, a few buckets - and their credibility will no doubt follow their movie down the pan if they don't promote their interpretation of the original script as being the next blockbuster…???
Somethings are just mean't to be left alone!? Untampered with, because they were, and still are, perfectly ok. But, some people obviously just can't stop messing, thinking that they can offer something better? Unfortunately, fame turned out to be nothing like the original. It was simply another tit's and ass movie, designed to appeal to the masses…. of especially men, who would no doubt find those nubile young lady's more than a little arousing in the underwear department!?