We have to admit, of the many, many, many remakes of 1980s movies currently in production, Jason Winer’s new version of Arthur seemed one of the most egregiously unnecessary. If you haven’t seen the original (and really, there’s no excuse for that — it’s streaming on Netflix, for goodness’ sake), it really is a perfect comedy, and we’re not quite sure how these folks presume to improve upon it. But, that said, they’ve made some wise casting decisions: those of us who like Russell Brand (and you either love him or you hate him, it seems) can see him filling the Dudley Moore role well enough, while the decision to switch the gender of John Gielgud’s Hobson to a female, and cast Helen Mirren in it, is rather ingenious. Most exciting of all, mumblecore ingénue Greta Gerwig, so wonderful in last year’s Greenberg, is a perfect choice to play the Liza Minelli role. So it seems strange that she’s barely present in the film’s newly-released trailer, while Jennifer Garner — playing Susan Johnson, the object of Arthur’s arranged marriage, a very secondary character in the original — is all over the damn thing. Maybe they’re just advertising the more recognizable face?
And while we’re at it, does it seem strange that this oh-so-up-to-date-remake is being advertised entirely with songs that pre-date the original? (“All Right Now”? Seriously?) But, those concerns aside, there are some laughs in the trailer, so we remain on the fence about this one — reluctantly optimistic, if you will. Watch the trailer after the jump and let us know what you think.
1. Robert De Niro and Richard Price have sold a crime drama to CBS called Rookies that’s about “a team of six freshman cops who are sent into high-crime trouble spots.” They will also executive produce the series. [via THR]
2. Indie filmmaker Whit Stillman is busy at work shooting his first movie since The Last Days of Disco. It’s called Damsels in Distress, stars Greta Gerwig and Adam Brody, and tells the story of “a group of style-obsessed college girls” at a grungy school. [via THR]
3. Sorry iPhone users: An anti-sexting patent filed by Apple back in 2008 has finally been approved. Now you’re going to have to get a lot more creative with your spelling. [via Gawker]
4. E! is launching a new reality show about three women married to members of famous rock bands, including Perry Farrell’s wife Etty. [via LF]
5. Some unknown artist named Alisa Apps is challenging Lady Gaga to a sing-off with a $1 million prize because she believes her to be “just a plastic doll generated by the music money marketing machine.” [via NME]
Last Friday, the Brooklyn International Film Festival opened with a delightful film by Lawrence Michael Levine and Sophia Takal, called Gabi on the Roof in July. It’s the story of a 20-year-old art student named Gabi who leaves college for the summer to stay with her older brother in New York City. During her visit, Gabi’s academic idealism and stubborn refusal to conform clash with the mundane necessities of getting a job and paying the rent. Throughout the film, lies are told, conversations are misunderstood, and cell phones die as the characters strain to communicate with each other — a theme Levine is deeply invested in.
In the trailer for Noah Baumbach’s Greenberg, Ben Stiller (who plays the title character) complains that no one calls him on his birthday anymore, writes an angry letter to Starbucks, and worries that he’ll catch the illness that’s afflicting his dog. “I’m freaked out by you kids because your parents were too perfect at parenting, all that Baby Mozart and Dan Zanes songs. You’re all ADD and carpal tunnel,” he says to a room full of 20-somethings. “I hope I die before I end up meeting one of you in a job interview.”
Yes, it looks like Greenberg, which comes out next March, is Baumbach’s take on aging. After the jump, check out the first trailer and follow along as we pass premature judgment.
