Having some fun with The Stepford Wives today, but what if the shoe was on the other foot? Vote for Theater Hopper at buzzComix to uncover our more recent incentive sketch - The Stepford HUSBANDS!
So, as you know, Frank Oz's (ne: Missy Piggy's) remake of The Stepford Wives hits theaters today. There's a lot of bad buzz surrounding this picture. Reports of on-set ego flare ups from Nicole Kidman, Better Midler and even Oz himself! Poor audience testing and late-in-the-game reshoots all spell trouble.
Kind of a shame considering the first rate cast they've assembled for this pic. Glenn Close and Christopher Walken in the same movie? That's impressive.
I think Matthew Broderick is miscast, however. Every time I see him in the advertisements, he just looks like he shouldn't be there. He's too sweet-natured to play the sinister husband who replaces his wife with a robot.
The original choice was John Cusack, who would have been much better. He pulls off conflicted like no one in the business. And he has a dark streak in him, so I could see that working. Cusack and his sister Joan Cusack (originally cast in the Bette Midler role) had to abandon production to tend to their dying father.
This version of the film is supposed to be dark comedy, which I guess explains why Jon Lovitz is in it as well? Making The Stepford Wives a comedy is a mistake. To me, it will always be a horror piece and a damning piece of social commentary about women's liberation. I suppose that wasn't "timely" enough for the producers this go around.
Morbid curiosity might draw me to the theater for this one, but I have a sinking suspicion I would be better off watching my copy of the 1975 version.
No matter. Super-Size Me, the anti-McDonald's documentary is coming to town today. I think Cami and I are going to catch that after work. A little brain food, as it were!
One bit of site info I wanted to share: We recently did some reorganization in the THorum, so now topics should be easier to find in the categories. It was overdue. Things have been growing in there at such a rate, in needed to be done. Check it out!
