A Few Words About A few words about...™ West Side Story -- in Blu-ray (2 Viewers)

[JohnMor]

I almost picked him instead. LOL.

 

[JohnMor]

A friend of mine thinks the on set video recording of America is a fake. I disagree. However . I would think though that they would have rules about taking pictures especially on a Spielberg set.

They look “off” to me somehow. Like it looks like a made for tv musical like the 1990s Bye Bye Birdie.

 

[MatthewA]

I think the switch from film to digital photography has something to do with that. And these are just press photos anyway, not even actual film screenshots, and even the credibility of those is debatable at best.

 

[JPCinema]

Looks dreadful

 

[rsmithjr]

Virtually unprofessional. This can't be Spielberg.

It does underscore my belief that this film should not be remade.

 

[rsmithjr]

I'm guessing that Tony Kushner has made extensive changes to the script.

Rewriting Arthur Laurents and Ernest Lehman together is a risky business.

 

[usrunnr]

Re-doing the film is a risky business.

 

[MatthewA]

This can't be Spielberg.

I felt the same way about A.I.: Artifical Intelligence; he tried to find a middle ground between Stanley Kubrick and Walt Disney and failed. Except I didn't feel that way going into it. For this, I feel nothing*. They already re-did The Sound of Music twice, so other than a monumental lapse in good taste, common sense, and concern for what moviegoers actually want to see, what's stopping them from doing this?

If Spielberg wants to do a musical, then he should have picked one without a movie already.

Rewriting Arthur Laurents and Ernest Lehman together is a risky business.

Shhh! You might just enable Risky Business: The Musical with that.

*They could have taped the Broadway revival or the national tour. They didn't. They could have taped the Hollywood bowl production. They didn't.

 

[Marco S]

Just make this version a TV movie and everyone will be happy. Sell it to Netflix or ABC or the new apple TV.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Re-doing the film is a risky business.

Just look at it as another production of the musical.

 

[JoshZ]

Virtually unprofessional. This can't be Spielberg.

It does underscore my belief that this film should not be remade.

You're basing that on a handful of promotional photos of the cast dancing? Seriously?

 

[trajan007]

Spielberg is a genius and I have no doubt this will be very good.

 

[PMF]

Rewriting Arthur Laurents and Ernest Lehman together is a risky business.

True. But, then again, so was Shakespeare.

IMHO, the most intriguing aspect of this remake will be the Tony Kushner script.
What newer conversations and insights will he bring forth to themes already established?
Rest assured, for Mr. Kushner knows exactly what's a stake here;
as he knows and understands the very roots of this production.
Yes, I do believe that Mr. Kushner will have something of importance to say and add to this classic.

So, fear not, as we are dealing with a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright;
a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom award;
and the man who penned Steven Spielberg's "Munich" and "Lincoln",
both of which were nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.

 

[JPCinema]

I love all of Spielberg's musicals!

 

[usrunnr]

True. But, then again, so was Shakespeare.

IMHO, the most intriguing aspect of this remake will be the Tony Kushner script.
What newer conversations and insights will he bring forth to themes already established?
Rest assured, for Mr. Kushner knows exactly what's a stake here;
as he knows and understands the very roots of this production.
Yes, I do believe that Mr. Kushner will have something of importance to say and add to this classic.

So, fear not, as we are dealing with a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright;
a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom award;
and the man who penned Steven Spielberg's "Munich" and "Lincoln",
both of which were nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.

And the author of one of the most important plays of the twentieth century: "Angels in America"

 

[JohnMor]

I love all of Spielberg's musicals!

Once On This Amity Island is highly underrated. But Ryan’s Song was a bit maudlin for my tastes.

 

[Brian Kidd]

Maybe they are using the Spanish dialogue changes. I noticed that at the bottom of the IMDB Cast and Crew page that Lin-Manuel Miranda got a "Thanks." I mean, it's IMDB, so take that into account, but I suppose it's very possible. Interesting. Honestly, any film remake would need to rewrite the book/script somewhat into something better suited to a modern audience. The show is a classic, but the dialogue is very, VERY dated, Daddy-O.

 

[Tino]

Virtually unprofessional. This can't be Spielberg.

Huh?

 

[Chelsearicky]

Maybe they are using the Spanish dialogue changes. I noticed that at the bottom of the IMDB Cast and Crew page that Lin-Manuel Miranda got a "Thanks." I mean, it's IMDB, so take that into account, but I suppose it's very possible. Interesting. Honestly, any film remake would need to rewrite the book/script somewhat into something better suited to a modern audience. The show is a classic, but the dialogue is very, VERY dated, Daddy-O.

If this new version takes place in the mid fifties, as the original did, the dialogue would be appropriately contemporary to the period. WSS has long been a period piece now.

 

[rsmithjr]

If this new version takes place in the mid fifties, as the original did, the dialogue would be appropriately contemporary to the period. WSS has long been a period piece now.

Arthur Laurents discusses how he used dialogue that SOUNDED contemporary and hip but really was an effort at being timeless. He didn't want to date himself. It will be interesting to see what Mr. Kushner comes up with.