He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
These comparisons that we trudged through last class between the 3 films & the novel were a long time coming. Personally, I’m more atune with the latter 2 adaptations that we watched, but perhaps it’s only because they didn’t try to pass themselves off as explicit adaptations, but rather borrowed aspects of the book instead. I’ve said again & again that I thought the first Glass Key we watched was trite & useless, but I suppose it made it better for Yojimbo & Miller’s Crossing, as my expectations were lower for them (although they didn’t need to have been, in the end).
So I suppose now, because of all this, I’m on a remake kick; adaptations gone awry or those that end up better than the originals. My favorite thing to talk about when it comes to adaptations right now are the film remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre compared with the original 1976 version. The original is at times my favorite movie of all time (other times it’s Requiem for a Dream, & still there are those days when I only like the Guinea Pig series), so when the remake was released I went to the movie theater with my brother & Andrew Tran, a friend of ours (both of which are my age) to check it out. I guess at this time we were all 15 or 16, & Texas Chainsaw was rated the highly illustrious R, thus making it an exciting midday experience. We weren’t brave enough to sneak in, so Andrew’s mother paid for our tickets (being of age), & left us to go watch the film. But the ticket taker would have none of it. She glared at us, made us change our tickets, & followed us like a foxhound into the dark theater to make sure we didn’t go see that R-rated film. I hid in the bathroom, sensing confrontation (& because I’m a wuss under pressure), & it wasn’t long until my brother & Andrew flew in to join me, with the Hound on their tails, shouting at them to come out & leave the theater. They had tried to change movies, & had underestimated her like fools.
Soon enough the woman tore into the bathroom, grabbed my two companions & ordered them out, while I calmly washed my hands & dried them under the automatic fans. I felt like Ned, now that I think about it; staying cool to have the upper-hand once it all hit the fan. Once I exited, the Hound was waiting for me outside the bathroom door, fuming & yelling at me to leave. I calmly told her to get off me & shut up, please, & explain what happened. I remember saying that exactly: “No, no, shut up. What happened, what are you saying? Shut up, please.” Needless to say, we were told to leave (even tho we paid money for our tickets) & I never did get around to seeing that Texas Chainsaw remake. At this point, the story of trying to see it is more amusing to me than I think the film itself ever could be, especially when you take into consideration how outstanding the original is. Don’t take my word for it, watch my favorite scene of all time & judge for yrself:
p.s. It’s loud, dark, & highly claustrophobic on purpose.
The other remake issue I have is not even remotely interesting, but only deals with the novel American Psycho & its film adaptation. I have often stated that I think the book is the best written novel I’ve ever read, & for this reason have chosen never to see the film version of it. I’ve heard it was a good movie, but I’m confident in thinking that there is no way that the film could have even 80% of what is in the book; it would be banned & made illegal immediately. Other than that, tho, adaptations are give-or-take with me. I’m still waiting for someone to make a competent movie out of Le Petit Prince. Until then, I suppose the musical will have to do. Or not.