ROBERT BERRY'S
WEIRD MOVIE STUFF #7


Welcome to the latest issue of ROBERT BERRY'S WEIRD MOVIE STUFF! Though they won't always be themed consistently, this edition features goo about the often weird relationship between TV and movies. Should there be a connection, or is it just a creatively bankrupt way to cash in on proven successes?

                 MOVIE QUOTE OF THE DAY
                
                "This car is automatic...
                 systematic...
                 HYYYYYYYYYYYdromatic,
                 It's GREASED LIGHTNIN'!"
                         -John Travolta, GREASE
                                (successful TV to MOVIE graduate)

WEIRD MOVIE FACTS O' THE DAY

  • GLEAMING THE CUBE, a movie starring Christian Slater with arguably the worst title of all time, was re-released on TV renamed as "A BROTHER'S REVENGE." Slater, seemingly has the remarkable ability to appear in horrendously awful films, and then bounce back with a good one relatively unscathed. Another career guillotine he kept his head safe from was THE WIZARD, a remarkably bad film starring Fred Savage, and Beau Bridges in what essentially was an overblown Nintendo commercial.

  • The equally forgettable Justine Bateman film SATISFACTION was repackaged as a Julia Roberts' film for TV during the peak of PRETTY WOMAN's popularity.

  • When JACOB'S LADDER was released on video, many stores had posters that put "Starring MacCaulay Culkin" at the top, even though his overall time in the film is minimal.

  • David Bowie received star billing in the film ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS, even though he appeared in less than 12 minutes of the finished product. It's as if he was in the film, simply to provide footage for the MTV video which promoted heavily at the time.

  • In England, American TV shows are often repackaged for theatrical release. There have been a few episodes of THE FLASH which received theatrical release, as well as the TWIN PEAKS premiere. This is why the ending is changed, so there could be total closure by the end of the film. (Can anyone verify if the TP film, was indeed released theatrically in UK, or just on TV as a one-shot event, I've heard both and can't verify either).

  • The cast of BLUE VELVET actually rerecorded new dialogue for the TV broadcast of the film, so it could be redubbed with the original voices over the "dirty" parts. I wish to hell I could have seen this, I just can't picture Dennis Hopper's alternate lines to:

    "Do you want me to pour you a beer?"
    "No I want you to FUCK IT!"

    or

    "I'll FUCK ANYTHING THAT MOVES!"

  • When John Hughes' THE BREAKFAST CLUB appeared on TV, the dubbed over lines were extremely laughable. During Judd Nelson's monologue, the word "fuck" was replaced with "damn" as Judd reinacted an argument with his dad with the gritty lines of:

    "DAMN, you Dad!"
    "No, Damn You!"
    "No DAMN YOU!"

  • One of the main reasons the PLANET of THE APES TV series was canceled, was not due to low ratings, but to the high production costs of the show. Apparently the costumes/makeup and sets were just not profitable for the proportionally low returns the show gave back.

  • Anybody who's ever questioned Jim Carrey's dramatic talents should check out a made for TV film DOING TIME ON MAPLE DRIVE which airs from time to time on FOX. Then your opinions will be easily confirmed.


    QUIZ TIME! (2 bit actors in 2 bit films)

    1. What host of DANCE FEVER and TJ HOOKER star appeared in the Tom Hanks film BACHELOR PARTY?

    2. Name the two actresses who played the creature's girlfriends in the two SWAMP THING films.

    3. What actress from GREASE, and the TV shows BENSON and SHINING TIME STATION played the starring role in the oddly produced YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE movie, based on the hit Debbie Boone song?

    4. Scott Valentine, a recurring character on TV's FAMILY TIES played a lovable demon in what film?


    DISCUSSION SEED "Movies That Become TV Shows" and vice versa

    Though movies have spawned some damn good TV shows like M*A*S*H, and the first season or two of FAME (and can I suggest SWAMP THING without geting hate mail?). More often than not, however, the shows will suck. DIRTY DANCING, BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURES, 9 to 5, and FERRIS BUELLER are perfect examples.

    The transition of TV shows to MOVIES seems to be equally stacked against their success as well. Aside from the STAR TREK properties, it just doesn't seem to work the other way around.

    This edition's seeds are, in what cases has this worked well, in your opinion? Are there any movies you wish would be a TV series instead, or any TV shows (even canceled) that would make a good movie. I'm not talking about a hit movie (ala Waynes' World and its ilk) but a good movie.

    Ultimately is a TV show based on a film any better than a movie sequel?

    Post your answers and comments here.

    Thanks all, send comments to
    
Robert A Berry II, eagerly awaiting Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson
                   to make THE HARDY BOYS MOVIE

4019149@mcimail.com
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