Classics and Cheese Slices I

A lot of ideas I have for posts are too short to devote a solo entry to, which gave me the idea to start compiling these tidbits, and every once in a while string 'em together for a full-length post. So without further ado, here's a few slices of absolutely useless handy knowledge.

******************************************
I'm sure many of my Cheesy Readers have seen the television show Charmed and know its iconic theme song "How Soon Is Now?" by Love Spit Love. The chronicles of the Halliwell sisters, a.k.a The Charmed Ones, went for eight seasons and became one of the most successful and highest-rated shows up to that point on the WB Network. The remake of the Smiths's original hit from the mid-80s was also used in the sleeper teen hit The Craft (1996) and was featured on its soundtrack along with a whole host of other inferior and less successful remakes.

When Charmed became available on Netflix streaming service, though, the theme song had changed. I did a little digging and the story shakes out that when Netflix negotiated for the rights to offer Charmed, the rights to the theme song weren't included and a substitute theme song had to be found. So if you own the DVDs, you get to continue to enjoy watching it with the original theme, but if you're relying on Netflix to relive the adventures of Prue, Phoebe, Piper, and Paige, you'll just have to adjust to subpar opening music.   


****************************************
I happened to catch an airing of Jacob's Ladder (1990, Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Pena) for the first time in over ten years, which inspired these two unrelated trivia questions:

What book is Tim Robbins reading in the subway scene at the beginning of the movie?

What does his live-in girlfriend (Elizabeth Peña) throw into the apartment building incenirator because it makes him cry? 


******************************************
And now for a Classics & Cheese favored quote.

Nero Wolfe's assistant Archie Goodwin:
"...Wolfe held it against Jane Austen for forcing him to concede that a woman could write a good novel."
 - Mother Hunt, Chapter 12, Rex Stout


******************************************
That's probably enough slices to hold you Cheesy Readers over until the next post.

Until Next Time...
Charmingly Yours,
Michael

Here Comes Another One

Cheesy Reader,

I've ranted about them enough for a hundred blogs, so let me keep it simple.

Westworld, reboot, HBO, series, 2016, may have a chance, we'll see.

Until Next Time...
Out of Controlly Yours,
Michael

Is Citizen Kane Next?

Citizen Kane ( 1941) is considered among many film aficionados as one of the greatest movies of all time because of Orson Wells's ground breaking and visionary directing and writing for that period of time. The executives in Hollywood would be fools to attempt to remake it.

The same could be said of the silent film horror classic Nosferatu (1922). What it accomplished in mood and raw emotion as a silent film can never be matched. It would stand to reason that, like Citizen Kane, it was immune from remake.

But in 1979, Werner Herzog wrote and directed a remake that was highly hailed by critics and successfully captured the ambiance, spirit, and overall creepiness of the original. Herzog, though, was wise enough to cast some of the best German actors of the time, especially Klaus Kinski. I was fortunately enough to watch it in my college German class a number of years ago and haven't forgotten a single eerie shot. Simply a remake worthy of the original.

Unfortunately now, Hollywood has decided to take a crack at this. What I've read so far, the details are still being hammered out, including the director, cast, etc., but the executives in the studios are serious about funding a revamp - no doubt in Hollywood style, which may involve over-the-top special effects, probably a lot of "pretty people" in an effort to attract the young teen movie goers, and no doubt stray far clear of much of the previous two versions.

Couldn't help bringing this to your attention, Cheesy Reader, since I've thrown at you a bunch of other remake atrocities. Would it be a bad pun if I made a "blood suckers" comment at this point? Yeah, you're right, I'll resist.

Until Next Time...
Vampircally Yours,
Michael