More Nutty Remakes: BAD LIEUTENANT with Nicolas Cage

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 5/15/08 at 9:32am

I'm not a big fan of the original BL, but this is unsurpassingly strange. From Nerve.com:

Werner Herzog is remaking The Bad Lieutenant with Nicolas Cage. I can’t stop him.

According to Variety, “Nicolas Cage will star in an updated version of 1992's Bad Lieutenant with Werner Herzog directing, Edward R. Pressman producing and Avi Lerner's Nu Image/Millennium Films financing.” How many red flags can you possibly cram into one sentence? First and foremost, Lerner is the schlockmeister behind the recent Al Pacino fiasco 88 Minutes and Pacino’s upcoming re-teaming with Robert De Niro, Righteous Kill, as well as the latest Rambo reboot. His slate of upcoming productions is crammed with remakes and sequels, including yet another Rambo, re-launchings of both Conan and Red Sonja, Undisputed 3 (there was an Undisputed 2?) and the long-anticipated-by-someone Poe biopic written and directed by Sylvester Stallone.

He also produced The Wicker Man remake, which presumably is where Nicolas Cage comes into this. Well, I already knew Cage was shameless. I just want to know how Herzog got roped into the project. As described by Variety, the original 1992 Bad Lieutenant “followed the depraved New York police officer of the title, who was heavily involved in drugs, gambling, sex and stealing; the pic received an NC-17 rating.” That’s sort of putting it mildly. Love it or hate it, Lieutenant was an intensely personal vision from writer/director Abel Ferrera, with a truly out-on-a-limb performance from Harvey Keitel. It would hardly seem to be remake fodder, anymore than say, Eraserhead or Herzog’s own Aguirre: The Wrath of God. Would Herzog really be okay with Abel Ferrara remaking that? For all I know this project may have Ferrara’s blessing, and it’s not that I’m such a huge fan of his anyway, but something about this just reeks of crossing a line that ought not be crossed. This doesn’t help: “The new script's penned by Billy Finkelstein, a TV writer with credits on Murder One, Law & Order and NYPD Blue.”

Original Story

[Kasie]

Posted: 5/15/08 at 9:36am

First the pile of sh*t that was Ghost Rider and now this? What is Nic Cage thinking?

and ANOTHER Rambo?

It's all downhill from here.

[romantico]

Posted: 5/15/08 at 9:44am

Note to Nicolas Cage: NO FRONTAL!

[KrissySim]

Posted: 5/15/08 at 9:51am

For many years Werner Herzog has been trying to break into mainstream movie making. He was always envious of the huge audiences for Hollywood films. "I want to reach as many people as possible" was an early explanation. But this is no doubt a commercial deal.

Perhaps he feels that this will give him broader exposure and open up bigger projects. The problem, it will likely be an artistic disaster. Hollywood however, has worked out a marketing formula where most of the money is retrieved within a few weeks and a film can be a commercial success even if it is an artistic disaster.

I'm sure Herzog no longer thinks that his films can move mountains and change the world the way he once thought. Maybe he has simply "gone commercial".

One indicator: Herzog was in the past against the whole concept of a script being submitted to the director. He approached the scriptwriting as a part of the directorial process.

Updated On: 5/15/08 at 09:51 AM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/15/08 at 10:30am

Wow, there is truly not one reason for seeing this film.

Not. One.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 5/15/08 at 10:32am

didn't harvey f*ck a nun in this?

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 5/15/08 at 10:35am

No, Papa! Just forced two girls he pulled over to simulate fellatio on an imaginary phallus while he jacked off on their car, did lots o' drugs, admired the breasts of a dead woman at a crime scene, danced around naked in drug-fueled haze, and cried a lot. But he drew the line at raping a nun....the "real" thugs did that.

[tazber]

Posted: 5/15/08 at 10:41am

Harvey gave a fearless performance in the original.
This new is called something else though, are you sure it's a remake?

Here is some other bizarre remake news:
The old 80s horror flick The Gate
The campy Buck Rogers (I hope Twiki stays!)
Craven's In The Mouth Of Madness
Friday The 13th (ala Halloween - a re-imagining)


And a sequel to Point Break.

[Kasie]

Posted: 5/15/08 at 10:44am

They're remaking In The Mouth of Madness?
But why?!
Updated On: 5/15/08 at 10:44 AM

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 5/15/08 at 10:45am

And did I read correctly that Stallone wants to write and direct a movie about Poe? As in Edgar Allan?? It's like April Fools Day all over!

[tazber]

Posted: 5/15/08 at 11:39am

Kas,


Mike from ISeeDead.com emailed in to let us know that John Carpenters In the Mouth of Madness is getting the remake treatment. Lets all pretend surprise considering everytime we turn around a film is being remade. I am not dead set against remakes, since I did like the Dawn of the Dead remake and The Thing remake but its just a shame to have so man at once! Especially with so many cool film concepts not getting the light of day
link

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/15/08 at 2:48pm

taz - Bidibidibidibidi...Screw you, Buck!

[SNAFU]

Posted: 5/15/08 at 6:10pm

Hmmm what other movies could Nick Cage redo?

Last Tango in Paris!

[KrissySim]

Posted: 5/15/08 at 7:26pm

"Hmmm what other movies could Nick Cage redo? "

Casablanca
Gone With the Wind
Oklahoma!
The Wizard of Oz
Phantom of the Opera (the non-musical)
From Here to Eternity
High Noon
Sleeping Beauty

[tazber]

Posted: 5/15/08 at 7:31pm

LOL matt! What was the name of the talking clock?
Flavor Flav so stole the look.