What the Hell?

Gah, there's a post I've been wanting to make for a while now but I just can't get the words out. Just can't find the right way to express it. No time for that, though, because we're in the final apocalyptic push to finish this script come hell or high heating bills.

They're doing a remake of Hairspray now? The original (And awesome) version's only 19 years old! Isn't there, you know, some kind of rule about this? A statute of limitations or something on when you can start remaking things? A restraining order? Something? I know there has to be one about having John Travolta reprise the divine, well, Divine's role. Okay, and, really, some kind of moratorium on the whole film to musical back to film thing.

Then again, maybe not, I broke my movie fast (This is a peculiar quirk, I'll admit, but when I'm in the middle of creating something, I tend to tune out other examples of the medium. Just don't like stray ideas and techniques clogging up my creative process. When I'm looking for inspiration, that's when I dive headfirst into, surround myself with, a given form. Since I'm working on a script now, though, it means I've been avoiding any kind of film. Not really purposely but it's there.) the other day by watching Dreamgirls. Another movie based on a broadway play. But at least it was real-life and not a movie before that. It's basically a roman a clef about the whole Motown music thing so you know I was down for it – although it tacks a fairly happy ending onto the unbelievably tragic tale of Florence Ballard but, hey, that's movies for you. Not exactly a good movie – great music and acting, though – because it's really...soulless. I, of course, blame the scriptwriting. But it sets up a lot of interesting drama and doesn't really explore it. It's a story that's interesting more for the rich metatextual cloud hovering around it (Not even the whole appropriating Motown thing but also for things like the movie studio pushing Beyonce Knowles for a Best Actress award while relegating Jennifer Hudson to the Supporting Actress category – it's like they didn't even watch the movie.) but not as much on its own merits. But, man, does that script move.

I'm never watching another movie the same way again, am I?