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Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story (2021)


mrbellamy

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Even the BBC is guilty of that hackish clickbait reporting lately, elevating randomers outspoken 280 word reacts as if it means something big enough that I should care or be influenced by it. I dunno, bring back Bono having a view, I say. Tell me what Elton John thinks about it; not Shanice from New Jersey. If you're gonna be vocally outraged then you better at least have had a top ten hit under your belt, that's how it used to be in my day.

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6 minutes ago, Jay said:

Ha!

 

It obviously didn't stick!

 

doesnt-look-like-anything-to-me.jpg

19 hours ago, Jay said:

 

 

 

Trailer looks good. It's been a while since I saw the Wise version, but it looks like you could easily mistake that for the old film in the opening shots. From the dynamic camera moves, I can see why Spielberg was interested in this. The up-to-11 trailer rape of Bernstein's original music is disgusting.

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2 hours ago, publicist said:

Judging by the cadillacs Spielberg didn't even bother to update the decade. I wonder what's next, a shot-for-shot remake of Lawrence of Arabia?

Nah. Spielberg has always showed his envy to direct a musical and his love for West Side Story unlike Lawrence of Arabia. If we get a Lawrence of Arabia shot-for-shot remake it won't come from him (maybe Favreau though)

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I don't know why anyone thinks one of the star's bad behaviour is going to impact this kind of movie. I doubt anyone cares, I never even heard of this kid before this film. In any event, it's going to billed as a Spielberg film first and foremost, like all Spielberg films that don't star Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks.

 

And I think there was a good chance it was going to flop prior to COVID, and I don't think its chances have exactly improved over time. Who, exactly, is the market for this film?   This is the kind of project only Steven Spielberg can get made.

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Just now, Nick1066 said:

I never even heard of this kid before this film


Oh man, check out Baby Driver!

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1 minute ago, Nick1066 said:

I don't know why anyone thinks one of the star's bad behaviour is going to impact this kind of movie.

 

Because in the last few years, tons of movies have tanked due to one star's bad behaviour? Like everything Kevin Spacey has touched...

 

But I haven't seen any backlash for the trailer. Maybe the Elgort stuff will just be swept under the rug.

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2 minutes ago, KK said:

tons of movies have tanked due to one star's bad behaviour?

 

Define "tanked" and which movies are you referring to?

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8 minutes ago, KK said:

 

Because in the last few years, tons of movies have tanked due to one star's bad behaviour? Like everything Kevin Spacey has touched...

 

Tons? Setting aside Kevin Spacey for a moment (whose last big film was Baby Driver, which was a hit), which big movies have flopped in the past few years solely because the star's bad behaviour?

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Even when it comes to Kevin Spacey, I think that Rebel In The Rye and Billionaire Boys Club made just about as much money as they would have if the news hadn't broke.  And All The Money In The World probably made more money because of it.

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19 minutes ago, Jay said:

Even when it comes to Kevin Spacey, I think that Rebel In The Rye and Billionaire Boys Club made just about as much money as they would have if the news hadn't broke.  And All The Money In The World probably made more money because of it.

 

Fair. Though they clamoured to recast him.

 

Tons is probably an exaggeration, yes. But I think Shia LaBeouf's accusations hurt Pieces of a Woman's awards momentum. Birth of a Nation also pretty much got squashed out of the conversation after its lead's behaviour. Those are some examples off the top of my head.

 

I'm just saying, it's not at all improbable for an actor's behaviour to affect the film.

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But anyway, to further make a mockery of Ulysses 31's absolutely daft predictions, check out the literal first page of google's search result in relation to the term "Ansel Elgort":

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk00XpXZ8ywdkalpVaU5mCeak7tsF4A:1619474675144&q=Ansel+Elgort&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgFuLVT9c3NEw2STIzNzMzUuIBcY2SszOyTdLLtHh888syU0PyHZNL8osWsfI45hWn5ii45qTnF5XsYGUEABgAu0c_AAAA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjC1e-l9ZzwAhWpPOwKHU7ABMwQxA0wNHoECDcQBQ&biw=2048&bih=1010

 

As we can see, the most recent COLLECTIVE DISGUST post on the actor in question is dated from sometime in 2020. So, the search results algorithm didn't even bother to find anything so pressingly momentus and vital from... yesterday

 

But wait, what's this in the "Top Stories" part of the same page result, dated today (oh no!):

 

Screenshot 2021-04-26 231430.png

 

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT ANSEL ELGORT!!! Here's what Ulysses has been talking about then, it has to be!

 

From the article:

I like to be in America, particularly in this very moment in time where we are able to watch the teaser trailer for the West Side Story reboot 10 times back to back, a feat not possible when the original musical came out in 1957. The new West Side will feature actual Puerto Rican actors playing Puerto Rican arrivals on mainland USA, a casting choice that was largely overlooked when the film version was produced in 1961 but at least introduced the wider world to the national treasure that is Rita Moreno. Moreno, one of the few Puerto Ricans in the first film, will also be in the reboot, albeit not reprising her role of Anita.

 

However, there is one small fly in the casting ointment, and that is with Ansel Elgort. Elgort will be playing the male lead of Tony, the white guy that crosses gang and ethnic lines to date Maria, played by newcomer Rachel Zegler. There is no denying that Elgort is conventionally attractive and that is great for him.

But if we really look at the tragic story of Tony and Maria, it’s evident that being conventionally attractive just isn’t enough. After all, Maria betrayed her family, the Sharks, and the very island from whence she came all to be with Tony after seeing him a single time. Some would say this is love at first sight, but what is love without a little bit of lust? For any of this to make a lick of sense, even in the world of musicals, Tony has to be an absolute baja pantie, as we Nuyoricans would say. Did Hollywood suddenly run out of youngish white men who can sing, dance, act, all while looking incredibly handsome?

 

Fuckin' LMAO

 

Feminist website Jezebel.com literally doesn't give a fuck about any of the recent devastating and movie destroying news surrounding this actor, and is more concerned with his white pretty boy looks. 

 

GTFO :lol:

Ulysse-31.png

 

 

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6 hours ago, KK said:

 

Fair. Though they clamoured to recast him.

 

Tons is probably an exaggeration, yes. But I think Shia LaBeouf's accusations hurt Pieces of a Woman's awards momentum. Birth of a Nation also pretty much got squashed out of the conversation after its lead's behaviour. Those are some examples off the top of my head.

 

I'm just saying, it's not at all improbable for an actor's behaviour to affect the film.

 

Birth of a Nation definitely got rail roaded. It is not a very good film, it is good though but it would have been up for several oscars had the controversy not happened. Incidentally it stars Armie Hammer.

 

James Franco had a lock on an Oscar nom for Disaster Artist but was snubbed once allegations surfaced.

 

People ask what's the loss. Well the fact that they had to chuck footage and reshoot all the money in the world is already a write down.

 

Army of the Dead was ready in June 2020 but delayed a year because they had to replace an actor.

 

Headline from Variety - Disney Bought Time for ‘Death on the Nile,’ but Armie Hammer Iceberg Is Ahead

https://variety.com/2021/film/news/armie-hammer-scandal-death-on-the-nile-no-recast-reshoot-1234940346/

 

I am not endorsing either these people or condoning the media's behavior or anyone's behavior. I am just saying - it makes a difference. Only a fuckbrain would find that a controversial statement. It fucking making makes a difference if there is a controversial person associated with you movie.

 

Why are people dropping Scott Rudin from movies? If it makes no difference? Because it does, silly!

 

Apple essentially dumped its 2019 oscar contender The Banker because of allegations.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/06/business/media/apple-the-banker.html

Why Apple Scrapped the Release of Its Oscar Contender, ‘The Banker’

 

Why does all of this happen if allegations don't matter? 

 

Again nobody's arguing if they SHOULD matter. But that they DO matter, is literally a fact and is the last hill someone should die on or have a meltdown over.

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Forget media or fans. It matters to the studios. It matters to the people that cut checks. It matters to the people that actually make and fund and greenlight movies.

 

That should tell you all you need to know.

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What the hell happened that made Western society so puritanical again? So somebody fucks up in their lives and people are so relentlessly unforgiving towards them. Who the heck has a squeaky clean record anyway?

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14 minutes ago, Unlucky Bastard said:

What the hell happened that made Western society so puritanical again? So somebody fucks up in their lives and people are so relentlessly unforgiving towards them. Who the heck has a squeaky clean record anyway?

 

Life can be bright in America

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It seems highly unlikely any of this will matter. There are so many sex scandals in Hollyweird but only a few have had any real consequences. There was a guy who likes to eat people and nobody cares anymore. It's just expected for all these people to be weird perverts. Weinstein was sacrificed because he got caught and was too well-connected.

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Weinstein was a systemic abuser who operated over decades (like some others mentioned here), here we are talking one random Instagram accusation. I will still point out these fine distinctions just to keep myself sane.

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4 hours ago, TheUlyssesian said:

Again, I am not condoning or criticizing anything or anybody. Just bursting people's bubble who think - Oh none of this matters.

 

It matters.

 

Yes it matters, but not to the extent that you seem feverishly convinced it does. But I suppose it might matter more if you continue to perform daily mattering rituals in an effort to will its matter into existence, like how you've apparently been intent on doing for the past twelve months. 

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3 hours ago, Quintus said:

 

Yes it matters, but not to the extent that you seem feverishly convinced it does. But I suppose it might matter more if you continue to perform daily mattering rituals in an effort to will its matter into existence, like how you've apparently been intent on doing for the past twelve months. 

 

I, an anonymous forum poster, on a moderately used forum, can cause something to matter for studios and producers and the film industry?

 

Yeah, that's not how it works. For once, you might be overestimating me.

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  • 1 month later...

David Newman on the SCORE podcast gives some great insights on this. It’s worth checking out. Apparently JW was originally going to do it but then he asked DN.

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  • 2 weeks later...

More on Rita Moreno's role

 

Quote

Moreno portrays a new character, Valentina, who is Doc’s widow. (In the 1961 movie, Doc, played by Ned Glass, owns a candy store where the Sharks and the Jets hang out.) Valentina is a reworked and expanded version of the Doc character, and sings a rendition of the classic song “Somewhere” in the movie’s first trailer.


In addition to the role, Spielberg also made Moreno an executive producer on the film.

 

“I felt I had things to tell him about the other production and about Latinos,” Moreno says. “He really went to such lengths to make sure he got that right,” even hosting a town hall at the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan in late 2018, where he invited feedback from students, faculty and others before making the movie.

 

“He said, ‘Tell us what you think about “West Side Story,” tell us what you think about us doing it again, tell us what you think about the original movie,’ “ Moreno says.

 

https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2021/6/21/22544159/rita-moreno-west-side-story-remake-original-anita-girl-decided-go-for-it

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