Network remake

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 1:04pm

A television remake of the movie Network starring George Clooney.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/05/AR2005100502268.html

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 1:41pm

What a stupendously awful idea. The original was a prescient masterpiece that managed to capture the perfect satirical tone to critique the state of media at the time. Chayevsky's satire is now reality (he predicted EVERYTHING that is wrong to day with tv news and media in general). If they remake it as a period piece (and what would be the point of that?), half the audience won't get it (they don't remember Severeid, Cronkite, Brinkley etc ...) and if they update it, then where's the satire?

Dumb, dumb, dumb idea.

[KMF_NYC]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 1:47pm

OH WHY???? Like Margo said, I believe this film is better NOW thatn it was in origianl release -- it is frightening how satire has become reality...

Where are all the original ideas????

[NYadgal]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 1:51pm

Oh, I promise NOT to watch it.

Terrible idea!

[broadway86]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 2:01pm

But, why? The original was so... good.

[ConvinceMe2]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 2:08pm

I hated the original, so there isn't a chance that I'd watch a remake of it. And how about that Beatrice Straight winning an Academy Award for about 15 lines of dialogue (boring dialogue at that), when Piper Laurie was giving us one of the greatest, ever, screen performances? What was that all about?

[broadway86]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 2:24pm

And how about that Beatrice Straight winning an Academy Award for about 15 lines of dialogue

Still not sure about that. But, you're right. Piper Laurie did deserve it. However, Faye Dunaway deserved her Oscar, and so did the screenplay.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 3:20pm

The problem as I see it is that Hollywood is desperately trying to stay relevant. By remaking a show that criticizes television, Hollywood can pretend that it is relevant.

[BT]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 3:26pm

I, for one, am mad as hell and I'm not gonna take this anymore.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 3:29pm

CBS is doing the remake? I guess the orgasm scene is out then...

[ConvinceMe2]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 3:34pm

Faye Dunaway deserved her Oscar, and so did the screenplay.

All I know is, I was far more engrossed, entertained and enthralled by Sissy Spacek in CARRIE and Sylvester Stallone in ROCKY than I was by Faye Dunaway and Peter Finch in NETWORK. By them, and their story, I was bored. But then, it all just a matter of personal taste, isn't it?

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 3:53pm

While I'm not a really a fan of remakes that don't do something unique or substantial with the material, I think that the issues Network raises are important to bring up right now and perhaps a remake would encourage people to go out and rent the original film.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 3:59pm

Finch died, so there was no WAY he was not gonna win -

Dunaway was a Big Box Office star who was doing some great work at the time so there was no way she was not gonna win

Straight rode in on the sweep....

It was one of those years .....

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 4:05pm

I just don't see how it could effectively remade. The original was so provocative and controversial that it was publicly condemned by all three major tv news organizations and prompted a firestorm of protest throughout the media (Brinkley called it patently false and absurd on the air and in the New York Times). You can't recreate that climate if it's done as a period piece. And if you update it to 2005, it would have to be so completely rewritten and reconceived that it'll be an entirely different film -- why even use the same title?

If Clooney wants to do a big critique of the media, he should start over from scratch and come up with his own idea rather than ripping off a classic and doing what will almost certainly be a vastly inferior version of it.

Updated On: 10/7/05 at 04:05 PM

[BT]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 4:08pm

Dear lord please let them not cast Katie Couric, Dear lord please let them not cast Katie Couric, Dear lord please let them not cast Katie Couric.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 4:12pm

"he should start over from scratch and come up with his own idea rather than ripping off a classic"

And a Paddy (only person with 3 solo writing Academy Awards) Chayefsky classic!! George Clooney, please don't cheapen Chayefsky's contribution to the world.

Updated On: 10/6/05 at 04:12 PM

[junglered]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 4:16pm

I echo the sentiment that "Network" does NOT need to be re-made. The original is terrific.

The bigger problem lies in the fact that there are precious few original ideas eminating from Hollywood / Network Studios in general these days. There are way too many re-makes, sequels, adaptations from a previous movie/TV show. Formula, formula, formula...give 'em what they want.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 4:18pm

Had I been an Academy member with a ballot in 1976, I'd have voted for Finch in a heartbeat. I think both Dunaway and Spacek were wonderful, so I don't know which one I'd have chosen. And while Straight was amazing in her cameo, you're right about Laurie deserving to win.

Updated On: 10/6/05 at 04:18 PM

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 4:40pm

One of my favorite movies!
Please George...NO NO NO! You should know better than to touch this classic.

Definitely agree about Piper Laurie...she definitely deserved that oscar!

[broadway86]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 6:21pm

I was far more engrossed, entertained and enthralled by Sissy Spacek in CARRIE

Don't get me wrong. Spacek was brilliant in Carrie. But, I also think that Dunaway was fantastic. While it would have been hard for me to vote, I probably would have award Dunaway and Laurie. As for Best Actor, I think De Niro should have had it.

[justme2]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 7:48pm

Just as there was no need for "Guess who's coming to Dinner" to be re-made...there is no reason for this, either.

I'd like to tell them to get an original idea...however...there is no such thing as an "original" movie. Everything comes from some source.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 8:10pm

I will take a pass on this one

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/6/05 at 8:19pm

I'm sure they'll be heartbroken to hear that. You're not exactly in the coveted advertising demographic, Mr. Roxy.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 10/7/05 at 12:02pm

"But then, it all just a matter of personal taste, isn't it?"

*Tapes hands to the chair in order to avoid making a joke involving the words 'personal' and 'taste'*