Steven Spielberg remaking West Side Story

Tools    







Yup, it's an adaptation of the musical, not a remake of the film.
Oh, come on! So what if Spielberg's West Side Story film version is an adaptation of the 1957 Broadway stage musical? Imho, a remake of a film is a remake-period!
__________________
"It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brush fires of freedom in the minds of men." -- Samuel Adams (1722-1803)



I want to see Spielberg's version, and I've heard some great reviews of it, but I'm not going back to the movie theater anytime soon, so I'll have to wait for it to come to streaming or DVDs.
Unfortunately, however, Spielberg is adamant about wanting his new West Side Story film version to only play in movie theatres. Not sure if or when it'll ever go on Blu-Ray, or into streaming.



The trick is not minding
Unfortunately, however, Spielberg is adamant about wanting his new West Side Story film version to only play in movie theatres. Not sure if or when it'll ever go on Blu-Ray, or into streaming.
Eventually it will. The standard is theatrical release > physical release (blu ray/dvd) > streaming (I think streaming and physical releases can happen simultaneously?).

Some, such as Netflix and Amazon, go with theatrical release for about 1 week before releasing it to streaming one week later. Note that even with it streaming, they can remain in theaters still.

They will always get a physical release, as well as steaming. Some may take longer for it, though.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
As a devout fan of the old, original 1961 film version of West Side Story who saw a TV program not long ago that emphasized the comparisons of the old, original 1961 film version of West Side Story and Spielberg's new West Side Story film version, who's also seen a couple of the trailers and afew extra photographs and, who, just out of curiosity, listened to the entire soundtrack of Spielberg's new West Side Story film version on youtube, I stand by my preference for the old, original 1961 film version of West Side Story.

The new West Side Story seems way overdone, the dancing too hyped up, the colors too jarring in some places, and way too dark in others, and the backdrop scenes in the new West Side Story, imho, look far more like the tonier, wealthier parts of the city, rather than the impoverished, rough-and-rundown parts of the city.

The soundtrack of the new West Side Story is very metallic-sounding, and flat in a lot of places, and the singing in both the leads are overrated, imho; Ansel Elgort doesn't have such a great singing voice, nor does he have the looks, charm or the personality of an ex-gangmember. Rachel Zegler's voice is also quite nasal in a lot of places, as well.

The Jets and Sharks in the new West Side Story, themselves, look too much like the newsie boys, and their girls look far more like wealthy suburban prep-school girls who are dressed to the nines for partying all over town than a bunch of gangsters' girlfriends.

The part of Rita Moreno as Doc's widow seems kind of out of her league, given Rita Moreno's overall looks and personality, plus I really don't think that she looks very attractive in this film. Her singing of "Somewhere" seems rather off, too, as it was meant to be sung by Tony and Maria.

I really do think that changing the story of Tony--i. e. making him into a thug who was on parole from prison for assault and attempted murder, and for making the Sharks more upstanding and better behaved than the white European-American Jets was kind of far-fetched as well, because imho, in reality, since the violence between two gangs claimed lives on both sides, both the Jets and the Sharks do bear responsibility.

I have admittedly always had a gut reaction against remakes of good older classic films, generally, especially something such as West Side Story, by anybody, including Steven Spielberg.

Given the stuff that's come out about Ansel Elgort (i. e. the grooming and sexual assault of underaged girls), and being a woman, I'm inclined to believe the women who came forward after being sexually assaulted and groomed by Ansel Elgort. One more thing I've also got to say is that the new West Side Story feels forced, totally unnatural and wrong to me, and not at all like West Side Story.

I like the fact that in the old, original 1961 film version of West Side Story, the "America" scene was done on a tenement rooftop, and that the "Cool" scene was done in a garage, after the rumble and the killings.

The fact that Anybodys was made into a transgender person in the new West Side Story feels all wrong to me, too. I prefer the Anybodys, who was a girl, but just a tomboy who proved that she was a girl who could take care of herself to the Jets, hereby ultimately winning acceptance among the Jets. After all, in real life, there are plenty of straight tough girls who are able to take care of themselves, and have proved it. I've known a few girls/women like that. I loved it, when in the original West Side Story film version, Anybodys got all dreamy-eyed when Ice, who'd taken over the Jet gang leadership after Riff's death during the Rumble, said to her, "Hey--ya done good, buddy-boy!, and that Anybody's, who got all dreamy-eyed said in response to Ice "Thanks, Daddy-o!"

I can get a good idea of whether or not I'll want to see a movie by seeing trailers and previews of a given move and/or listening to the soundtrack, as well. The stuff that came out about Ansel Elgort also stiffened my resolve to vote my pocketbook snd take a hard pass on Spielberg's West Side Story, and not go to see it, under any circumstances.

.

For someone who says they have no interest in seeing the new version of West Side Story, you seem to have done a lot of research about it. You know so much about the movie that you've convinced yourself that you're not going to like it without even giving it a chance.

That might be okay for you, but as much as I love the original version, I still want to see Spielberg's version, and I plan to see it eventually with an open mind. There's no reason why I can't love both versions, and I'm hoping that I'll love it as much as I love the original version.
__________________
.
If I answer a game thread correctly, just skip my turn and continue with the game.
OPEN FLOOR.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Unfortunately, however, Spielberg is adamant about wanting his new West Side Story film version to only play in movie theatres. Not sure if or when it'll ever go on Blu-Ray, or into streaming.

Eventually it will be available on DVD or Blu-Ray. That's how movies make more money. After they stop making money in the theaters, they will eventually move on to streaming, and then DVDs.

It might take longer than other movies, but there's too much money to be made for them to just drop it from the theaters and then forget about it.



Oh, come on! So what if Spielberg's West Side Story film version is an adaptation of the 1957 Broadway stage musical? Imho, a remake of a film is a remake-period!
It's not clear why you think this is a response to what you were just told. Yes, a remake of a film is a film...and you were just shown that this is not a remake of a film. Are you so prejudiced against the idea of this film that you can't absorb this fact?

Hating this film is your prerogative, but I've warned you before about badgering people who might have some interest in it, and arguing with people about a film they've seen, that you haven't, and repeating the same prejudices over and over with no evolution or response to counterpoints, is clearly over the line. I have politely warned you about these things many times now, so make sure it does not happen again.



Let's be honest, there's literally nothing that could've gone in that trailer you would have liked.
You're more than likely right, Yoda, but that's just how I am, and it's my way of thinking.



You're more than likely right, Yoda, but that's just how I am, and it's my way of thinking.
Think however you want, but stop browbeating others into thinking the same way. I've told you politely, and I've told you more than once, so I'm not going to do it again.



Think however you want, but stop browbeating others into thinking the same way. I've told you politely, and I've told you more than once, so I'm not going to do it again.
I'll say this, Yoda: I resent the fact that people are attempting to brow-beat me into thinking the same way that they do about Spielberg's reboot/remake of the film version of West Side Story, and trying to convince me to go and see it, when i'm not the least bit interested in doing so..



I'll say this, Yoda: I resent the fact that people are attempting to brow-beat me into thinking the same way that they do about Spielberg's reboot/remake of the film version of West Side Story, and trying to convince me to go and see it, when i'm not the least bit interested in doing so..
Please, point me to even a single example of this happening. I see none.

What I do see is you going out of your way to come into a thread about the new film, over and over, and trying to sour people's enjoyment of it. Even arguing with them about it even though you haven't seen it.



... even though you haven't seen it.
Answers my question...

Kinda guilty of this myself with that RoboCop remake before it even came out... but I realised it was fruitless to do so.

Instead, I bit the bullet, watched the remake... and then wrote a scathing review on how sh*t it is.



Seeing some really impressive clips from this film on Twitter. Looks like, while Spielberg may not be doing much narratively (duh), he's made a very energetic, vibrant, technically impressive remake. Looking forward to seeing it on Disney+ next week.

Contra any pathologic rejections of this, I'm pretty sure the net effect will be a new generation of people who a) find appreciation for musicals and b) go and seek out the original and learn more about it.



Seeing some really impressive clips from this film on Twitter. Looks like, while Spielberg may not be doing much narratively (duh), he's made a very energetic, vibrant, technically impressive remake. Looking forward to seeing it on Disney+ next week.

Contra any pathologic rejections of this, I'm pretty sure the net effect will be a new generation of people who a) find appreciation for musicals and b) go and seek out the original and learn more about it.
wait its releasing on disney+ next week? what day? hoping they will release the original aswell