With the current rumor going around that our administration actually wants potential immigrants to compete for citizenship on a reality show, Gymkata seems timelier than ever.
vis-a-vis Romeo and Juliet what did younger you think of West Side Story?
Robert Wise is one of my favorite directors, so I give him a ton of leeway as an adult. As a kid, I wasn't familiar with his filmography, so I judged the film on its own merits. I remember liking it and I think it's because it makes some significant changes to the Romeo and Juliet story in order to make it work as tragic love.
For example, the Prince/Police sorta do their job and then Juliet shames the crap out of the gangs, ending as a mourning widow. There's no competition or hubris bragging about who will honor Tony more, just shame.
These shifts give the film a message of hope that the original lacks, very Hollywood. Since we all know that the Gramercy Riffs, the Warriors, the Turnbull ACs, and The Baseball Furies take over the parts of New York that don't get overrun by Wolfen, it's all for naught, but the fact remains that Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents knew that if they wanted it to really be about love that there'd have to be some changes.
Another change, of course, is that far more young people are alive at the end of West Side Story and that the role of the adults is muted. The fight is between the youth and that has different cultural tensions.
The Yummy Awards. Incredible!
Great list and thanks so much for including my adventure. I really appreciate the shoutout.
Sure thing. You're in the regular rotation now.
With the current rumor going around that our administration actually wants potential immigrants to compete for citizenship on a reality show, Gymkata seems timelier than ever.
vis-a-vis Romeo and Juliet what did younger you think of West Side Story?
Robert Wise is one of my favorite directors, so I give him a ton of leeway as an adult. As a kid, I wasn't familiar with his filmography, so I judged the film on its own merits. I remember liking it and I think it's because it makes some significant changes to the Romeo and Juliet story in order to make it work as tragic love.
For example, the Prince/Police sorta do their job and then Juliet shames the crap out of the gangs, ending as a mourning widow. There's no competition or hubris bragging about who will honor Tony more, just shame.
These shifts give the film a message of hope that the original lacks, very Hollywood. Since we all know that the Gramercy Riffs, the Warriors, the Turnbull ACs, and The Baseball Furies take over the parts of New York that don't get overrun by Wolfen, it's all for naught, but the fact remains that Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents knew that if they wanted it to really be about love that there'd have to be some changes.
Another change, of course, is that far more young people are alive at the end of West Side Story and that the role of the adults is muted. The fight is between the youth and that has different cultural tensions.