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Chris Weitz's NEW MOON Reward: He Gets To Remake BICYCLE THIEVES?
Beaks here...
First off, please join me in congratulating director Chris Weitz for guiding TWILIGHT: NEW MOON to an extraordinary $1 kalillion dollar opening this weekend. I've always heard he's a decent guy, so "Huzzah!" to a seemingly decent guy finding success in an industry populated by Rothman-wannabes.
Now that Weitz has done Summit Entertainment a solid, it looks like they're gonna do him one right back by financing THE GARDENER, a smallish father-son drama which he claims will be his homage to Vittorio De Sica's BICYCLE THIEVES. According to Variety, the film is about "a hard-working [Mexican] immigrant who lives in Los Angeles" and endeavors to protect his son. Earlier this week, Weitz told Moviemaker Magazine he believes the film, while small, will have "very grand" implications. I have no idea what he means by this, but if he somehow forces Summit to pony up for a new DVD of the Dardennes' LA PROMESSE, give the motherfucker a Thalberg.
THE GARDENER was written by Eric Eason, and is currently scheduled to begin principal photography in early 2010. Weitz will produce along with Summit's Griffin Mill.
By the way, if directing an almost-watchable TWILIGHT installment = your next movie on Summit, allow me to nominate Charles Burnett for BREAKING DAWN.
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mmhmm
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mmhmm
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it's obvious why he made New Moon, money! and the chance to hopefully make something better
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I mean, if you translate it correctly.
Definitely one of the best movies of all time. -
Do?I chooo chhooo Jacum... er.. Ed Wood.
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It's poo
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... BICYCLE THIEVES. See the Criterion re-release.
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The Golden Compass had been about sparkly vampires instead of talking moths and polar bears. Might've gotten to see those sequels...
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a Criterion rerelease, much less a bicycle? It's been done to ultimate with "Pee Wee's Big Adventure", and done the whole Lying Italian Bicyclist Supporting Dogface Role (whoever he was) Dennis Quaid Jumping-Off Point "Breaking Away"... vehicle.Most people drive cars. What... is the audience connection here? I haven't ridden a bike since I was 12.
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STOLE MY GIRLFRIEND!!!!
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Scorsese doesn't. The Player didn't. Nobody does.
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....for successfully lowering society one more step towards complete acceptance of utter shite, for participating in further neutering the horror genre and for perpetrating a cinematic crime so awful, Uwe Boll's comment after seeing the movie was "yeesh, that was bad". Well done Chris.
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but finally Weitz gets to rehash Bicycle Thief like everyone else! Good luck doing weak franchise book properties forever, Chris!
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the archetypal Monty Python "Bicycle Repairman" sketch, with Michael Palin as the only bloke not dressed as Superman, and then he repairs downtrodden bicycles 'n' stuff.He's a hero. We all need heroes. Especially when we're one step down from a moped, and two steps up from a tricycle.
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Golden Compass began his descent into shite adaptations of books.
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The Bicycle Thief is the correct title.
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He can't be blamed for how bad that movie is. It couldn't have turned out any other way. Way to play the game though, hope he's done with the Twilight stuff now and can focus on his own stuff.
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With such horrible source material as the twilight saga, i don't think any director could've made a good movie out of that script and on a technical level the film was better than the first one (although that doesn't say much)
Also, i kinda enjoyed the golden compass. Probably because i haven't read any of the books. Is 'the subtle knife' still happening? -
why charles burnett for director. I am not sure i see your thinking there.
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...is that now this site will probably follow the next couple of sequels more closely.
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the first one, and I liked it a whole lot more than I expected. It was pretty much exactly like having a high school crush - everything feels ridiculously important and romantic, you feel like you're participating in some explosive narrative unmoored from history, and you're too young and stupid to appreciate the gazillion nuances of enjoying an interpersonal relationship. It's all chemistry. I totally get why 15 year old girls are all over this thing. As young and obvious the themes are, accessing that crush-zone of the brain is no small feat. I kind of liked it. Not enough to brave an auditorium full of middle schoolers for New Moon, mind you, but I'll netflix in fo sho.
The Golden Compass film sucked. I was angry about that movie for several weeks. Took all the horror of the book out and replace it with the weakest Potter beats. Godawful. -
To me, the biggest mistake was that Weitz did not end it where the book left off. Much of that missing horror of the novel is a product of visual interpretation rather than the "head" space allowed in prose. I'm not sure he could have completely kept that existential horror (especially intercision) in the novel. It's simply a tricky property. While the first book is perfect, the sequels sucked. Though, I wondered if the films could have rescued those disappointing novels. Was GC a bit bland? Yes. But, he certainly gave it the college try and I applaud him for it.
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Nov 23, 2009 4:46:05 AM CST
Holy Hell--- you loved Twilight but hated Golden Compass???????
by dioxholsterreturns
did you bang your head as a fetus?
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Nov 23, 2009 4:54:05 AM CST
The Golden Compass movie needed more mystery in the intro
by dioxholsterreturns
instead of introducing what the world is and that. so basically that narration in the start shouldve not been there. and the ending was very unsatisfying
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and i liked the movie even though its flawed and Weitz can be forgiven for it because it seems like a really difficult adaptation. that girl was a good choice though, i just wouldve liked the daemons to appear less cute and cartoonish. and did they have to talk? they couldve been more interesting if they didnt.
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Nov 23, 2009 5:21:50 AM CST
gonna have to give the golden compass books a go
by nomoredirtyjokespleaseweareyanks
lookin for a new epic.
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If I had the money, I would pay for the production, just to see what she would do with this franchise. Would it be commerical? No. Would it be pretentious? Probably. Would it be unbelievably awesome in its subversiveness, and savagely honest discussion of sexuality and gender? absolutely.
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I know my post seems like a joke, but Catherine Breillat's Twilight is my dream movie.
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Nov 23, 2009 5:52:49 AM CST
so what do the main lovebirds in Twilight do together?
by dioxholsterreturns
seriously i dont understand the sex presented in the books. do girls get that? or are they okay with it?
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Nov 23, 2009 5:56:01 AM CST
i mean why didnt they put the sausage in the donut?
by dioxholsterreturns
its something teenagers do, yes?
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watcha gonna do?
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in the face of ALL of cinema.
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TehCreepyThinMan wrote:
This may sound very nerdy but here it goes. Boys love shit like Transformers and Star Wars because it excites our minds as to the possibilities of our universe. Sentient robots, aliens and strange worlds beyond the stars. Laugh if you will but this shit will inspire maybe a few children who may become the next scientists and explorers of the future.
Meanwhile, young girls couldn’t care less about Vampires or the Titanic but they will lap up anything as long as it has a love story between some hot guy and some chick that they can identify with. The concepts don’t mean shit to them, they’re in it for the fantasy love life. They will go to see scum like the Jonas faggots because they are soo emotionally needy while completely ignoring the FACT that those asswipes are musical cancer. They run to see Miley Cyrus because they love the idea of being rich and getting all that attention from thousands of screaming fans while being oblivious to the fucking garbage that trailer trash spews out of her cocksucker. Everything they are into fills some emotional need and quality has nothing to do with it.
And what will it inspire but a generation of morons who dream of becoming rich and famous with no effort what so ever while also lining the pockets of scum like the Jonas’, Cyrus and the makers of Twilight as the real artists and innovators starve because they don’t produce simplistic trash that is lapped up by the fucking cretins that make up about 75% of the population.
In conclusion, young girls are driving down the quality of pop culture while rewarding mediocrity and it’s only going to get worse. -
Is the real title of the movie. That translates literally as Bicycle Thieves. It's not open for debate.
The problem I have with the Twilight films, and the Transformer films for that matter, is that as Dioxholder wrote, the whole thing is fucking stupid. Now that wouldn't be a problem - there are a ton of fucking stupid things in this world - if it weren't for the fact that they're marketed at kids. Stupid things are fine for adults mature and smart enough to understand that something is stupid and enjoy it anyway. I like looking at explosions and Megan Fox, but I understand that Transformers 2 was the most insultingly stupid movie I've ever paid to see. Kids don't have the ability to contextualise stupidity like adults can. And as adults, it's up to us to make sure we don't settle for our kids watching stupidity and thinking that it's acceptable. -
...of shit treatment of women ?
I'm getting by a hunch here, but this whole trend, this....fad, this event seems like it resembles the climax at ( Lars Von Trier's ) 'Antichrist' where that wifey character mutilates the genitals of her hubby, and then herself. Because this is what it all feels like. 'Self-immolation'. 'The males want the female species DEAD, eh ? Let's kill all cinema and THE WORLD along with it. Let's emasculate and defenestrate the FUCK out of everything. This all ain't normal, and this all ain't sane. This is GODDAMNED UNBELIEVABLE REGRESSION, and this is what it is. Maybe we're all just paying for past historic transgressions, all the way to 2012.Chaos reigns. -
In fact, WAY UP on my list of all-time favorites. Please leave it alone. What's next? A Vin Diesel-driven WAGES OF FEAR? (With Predators of course.) A Seth Rogan JEAN de FLORETTE? (What crop does he want to grow?)
And THIEVES is the better translation. More appropriate translation too... -
"The Bicycle Thieves" is the correct translation of "Ladri di biciclette," the film's actual title.
Its name was misinterpreted for the American release, deliberately, because the releasing company felt the title would've been too confusing for Americans. Thus, "The Bicycle Thief."
Criterion and Mr. Beaks got it right.
As for Weitz directing a small father-son film, why not? I just hope he doesn't try to "remake" "Ladri di biciclette."
Because then he's just an idiot. -
Weitz has gone on record as saying that the studio completely fucked him over on Golden Compass. The studio had no idea what they actually had and he filmed the ending of the book the way it was in the book but the studio refused to release it that way because they didn't want a "downer" ending. It would be great if New Line would sell the rights to the Pullman books to Summit and Summit would re-release the DVD as a director's cut the way Weitz intended it. And if he can get Moorcock's Elric off the ground, that would be even better.
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and you guys call yourself a site about movies. sheesh
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The guy doesn't need any more reward in this lifetime.
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..will they include the scene where the guy takes his son to a resturant and ells his son "lets get drunk" and orders some wine? Or maybe it'll be tequila.
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Every guy that got dragged to that new moon bullshit over the weekend also got laid pretty good when they got home, that movie is like an aphrodesiac to women. If you got dragged into sereing it and didn't get even a BJ'er out of it then you are probabaly one of the biggest pussies in the world
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but it should only be available on the internet and on their computer in their home, where one can safely jack off to it privately and well shamefully.
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...and smiling about it finally pay off.I'm serious. Good for him. Holding your breath and regurgitating some commercial shit should pay you back and buy you a little freedom. Good gamble...well done.
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gave that up along time ago, wanted my hymen intact.
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...blamed him for curling up into the fetal position, sucking his thumb, and humming tunelessly while praying for death.Hell of a comeback.
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gave that up along time ago, wanted my hymen intact.
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is that what the film is about? because i never knew who took it. hope his hymen breaks
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i wouldve had a heart attack, all that pressure can kill a man. i dont know how he handled that big of a project, and the result aint bad, not what we wanted by hey its good considering.
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The title of the film is "Ladri di Biciclette." Ladri is a plural, "ladro" being the singular form. The title is therefore THE BICYCLE THIEVES. If you want to refer to it as "Thief" then nobody can stop you, but if you're actually going to criticize someone for using the correct title ("but Scorsese says it my way, waaaaah!") you're a fucking idiot.
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...of things right...I thought the look, casting, tone, etc...were excellent. I was really boring though...pacing and editing were terrible. I'd be curious to see a director's cut, but it's a really hard adaptation...if anything it wants to be a mini-series.
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...I say it "LADRA" (female thief) DI BICICLETTE...or sometimes LADRE (female plural) DI BICICLETTE...because it makes my mouth feel good.
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but shame it has no vampires or werewolves.
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while Golden Compass (as book and movie) are not so popular, its really odd. i mean Harry potter man, its so crappy and boring.
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Will you recut it with a vengeful rape scene?
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before that young actress gets older, kids at her age grow up really fast and this trilogy requires her to be the same age.
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I wish I knew. The GOLDEN COMPASS wasn't the greatest film, but for fuck's sake it had some serious acting talent on display and at least it's about opening your mind and challenging authority/religion versus Stephanie Myers' maudlin emo swoonings which are equally damaging to boys and girls alike.
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It IS Bicycle Thieves. Not only is it the direct translation, it's the far more appropriate title considering the end of the film.
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...food. The mac and cheese of young adult literature. Sure, there's danger...but ultimately it's relatively cozy and safe danger.Also, TWILIGHT and POTTER are at heart very conservative...POTTER is all old timey boarding school, and TWILIGHT is all Mormon chastity.GOLDEN COMPASS is cosmically epic and philosophically unsettling. Not very safe or reassuring at all...
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Nov 23, 2009 9:54:29 AM CST
TBT is one of the most depressing movies of all time
by zombieheathledger
The look on the father's face at the end as he and his son are walking out of town and his confused little boy is taking his hand and searching his father's face for meaning is completely heartbreaking. It works brilliantly as an arthouse flick, but as a Hollywood remake? No way.
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...all homemade with imported English cheddar. TWILIGHT is shit in a box.
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Wow, you all have short-term memory. Chris Weitz also co-directed American Pie, and About a Boy, one of my all time favorite films. This guy has potential to do something great.
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but im not comfortable with people ignoring great work while instead cherishing lame books that do so little to the mind.
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...Weitz has one perfect small movie and one giant noble failure behind him. If he didn't I don't think we would even be having this conversation.
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...for me personally, I believe the singular is the more effective title. That's not in spite of the climax; it's because of the climax.
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Nov 23, 2009 10:42:04 AM CST
Well, technically in TBT there is more than one bicycle thief
by zombieheathledger
And "About A Boy" is NOT a 'perfect' movie. The "Killing Me Softly" school concert climax is really, really bad.
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... remake The Bicycle Thief? The original was made in the late 40s, and they are remaking movies made in the late 80s already. and in the case of The Hulk, even form the 2000s. They took their sweet time with Bicycle Thief, didn't they?
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...is a joke, right?
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I mean really thought about it? It's 19 years old.
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and reboot it a few years down the road. Seriously, the movie did no justice at all to the book, and suffered at the box office as a result.
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Someone should pick up the rights to HIS DARK MATERIALS and reboot it a few years down the road. Seriously, the movie did no justice at all to the book, and suffered at the box office as a result.
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Flop!!!!
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Anyway, weitz did ok with what material he was given. I hope he really is a nice guy and can parlay this weekend's box office into better movies.
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but it was the studio who strangled his dark materials. not chris weitz
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weitz was only follwoing orders so to speak.
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I saw it in opening weekend in a packed theater with a bunch of my friends and it was a blast. I thought a riot was gonna break out when Hannigan said she stuck a flute in her pussy at band camp. Anyway, I haven't seen a single thing he's done since.
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of the literal translation, Martin Scorsese's preference, or your smarter-than-the-rest-of-you attitude, the film has always been known among English speakers as THE BICYCLE THIEF. That's what it is, then. Since 1948. Now, fuck off.
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It's a job folks. Ok an incredibly demanding, but well paying job that 1% of 1% of 1% of 1% get to have, but it's a job. You do it to set yourself up for a brighter tomorrow and a chance to make an impact in your field.
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DioxholsterReturns, I totally agree.
"... young girls are driving down the quality of pop culture while rewarding mediocrity and it’s only going to get worse."
Over 80% of television is made for women now, according to many prominent sources. "Filling an emotional need" drives every daytime show now, along with most of them at night, even if the emotional need is silly, hackneyed, possibly abusive, and pure female fantasy.
Good for Weitz, I guess. But he'll never live it down. -
NO!!! Remake something that deserves remaking, but how much ego do you have to have to remake this? It's like Tyler Perry remaking The Third Man or something.
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as "Rockers," a Jamaican movie from the 70s. Pretty good, as I remember.
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