It looks as though I won’t be seeing “The Hangover, Part II.” Sequels are my least-favorite genre; too often they’re naught but a well-paid, no-sweat victory lap for filmmakers too shameless to do anything more than rehash the original. It sounds like this one is particularly shame-free, basically a scene-by-scene remake with new locations:
To follow up his hit 2009 film “The Hangover,” which earned $467.5 million worldwide and became the top-grossing R-rated comedy of all time, writer-director Todd Phillips worked with co-writers Craig Mazin and Scot Armstrong to produce a sequel script that used the original film as a literal template. As a result, both films revolve around three friends (played by Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis) who find themselves tracking down a missing acquaintance the morning after a wild, drug-fueled night none of them can remember. (Even the two films’ trailers are identical.)
Mazin says he, Armstrong and Phillips first met to brainstorm ideas for the sequel last January at Phillips’ house in Malibu. “We talked about everything — even if we should start the movie with the same fateful phone call [the main characters receive in the first film],” says Mazin, who says the new film’s Bangkok setting was determined by Phillips. “The more we thought about it, we realized that people weren’t going to come to ‘The Hangover Part II’ because they were looking for a reinvention of the comedy plot. They were interested in how these characters would react, but to a worse situation.”
Yeah, that’s what I’m interested in, fershure. Just one question: Is the monkey the tiger, or the baby?
In other movie news, this is one of those days when I wish all of us lived in the same town, so we could have a big field trip to the Sarah Palin movie, and yeah, we’d go to the unrated screenings with all the potty-mouthin’. I know you all batted around the title thing yesterday, but until last night I hadn’t read all the details about this thing. Like this:
(Director Stephen K.) Bannon dramatizes the theme of Palin’s persecution at the hands of her enemies in the media and both political parties, a notion the former governor has long embraced. Images of lions killing a zebra and a dead medieval soldier with an arrow sticking in his back dramatize the ethics complaints filed by obscure Alaskan citizens, which Palin has cited as the primary reason for her sudden resignation in July of 2009.
I hope the zebra is a really pretty one, with great hair. Oh, what I’d pay to watch this in a dark theater with Coozledad at my elbow.
In keeping with the spirit of an exhausted morning, some all-showbiz bloggage:
Back of Town, the “Treme” blog, discusses Sunday’s episode, with a great photo including our very own Ashley Morris. Playing his drum.
Women falling down in romantic comedies:
Finally, auxiliary showbiz: Diplomacy is hard, but at least you get to dress up pretty often. This makes back-to-back bowtie dinners for the Obamas in England, and Michelle looks pretty damn good, once again. I hope no one muffed the toast this time.
Mark P. said on May 26, 2011 at 10:17 am
Doing the same movie over and over again has a long history. Consider the Hope and Crosby “Road to …” movies. Or look at series TV, especially comedies. It’s just the same characters in slightly different situations. Which is not to say I’m going to see either of the Hangover movies.
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mark said on May 26, 2011 at 10:20 am
The bad reviews have conviced me to catch ‘Hangover’ on the small, not large screen. Kind of a shame, as i really enjoyed the original and Bangkok is a great choice for a sequel effort. From what I have read, the City/culture are treated as poorly as the plot.
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Kim said on May 26, 2011 at 10:44 am
Maybe we could do regional field trips? It is a sad fact of life that many in my circle would not applaud the lovely zebra getting mauled.
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Judybusy said on May 26, 2011 at 10:52 am
If only Michelle Bachmann were as ridiculed as SheWho. My brain shriveled just a bit this morning when I heard the phrase “Michelle Bachmann plans to announce her bid for the Presidency next month in Iowa.” And, oh, yeah, I would pay a lot of money to watch that Palin movie with Cooz. Happily, I’d miss a lot of it due to the guffawing.
Minneapolis weather report: we are granted exactly one day of sunshine today, then back to clouds and temps struggling to touch 60 tomorrow then slowly warming with more rain. My tomato and basil plants will be so happy as I set them in the ground Monday–rainy, high of eighty.
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Jeff Borden said on May 26, 2011 at 11:08 am
I’m always a bit taken by people who pony up large amounts of money to push their ideology, whether it’s the unintentionally hilarious pro-Scientology “Battlefield Earth” bankrolled by John Travolta or that poor, silly bastard who dropped $10-million to produce “Atlas Shrugged, Part One.” The Palinbot apparently spent $1-million of his own money shaping the hagiography of his heroine.
These are seven- or eight-figure delusions. There were no box office bonanzas for “Battlefield” or “Atlas,” and neither film seems to have created hordes of new believers. I trust the $P film will suffer the same fate.
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Julie Robinson said on May 26, 2011 at 11:10 am
Here’s another good before and after photo from Joplin:
http://www.npr.org/2011/05/26/136655052/before-and-after-a-birds-eye-view-of-joplin?sc=fb&cc=fp
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nancy said on May 26, 2011 at 11:14 am
Disagree, Borden. If there’s one thing 20 years in Indiana taught me, it’s that there’s an entire shadow economy of true believers out there, people who buy Christian rap and Christian movies and Left Behind books and all the rest of it. I don’t know it “Atlas Shrugged” will earn out, but $1 million on a Palin hagiography sounds like a pretty wise investment. They’ll peddle those DVDs in Wal-Marts throughout the land, on the web and at various right-wing conventions. They’ll sell a lot, if only to the gomer contingent looking for new freeze-frames of their dream girl.
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Suzanne said on May 26, 2011 at 11:25 am
Absolutely, Nancy. Years of deriding the educated as liberals who only want to take your guns and make your daughters have sex have turned a generation and a half into Deliverance stand-ins. Atlas Shrugged probably didn’t make it because it was seen as too intellectual for the crowd of which you speak. It’s based on a novel, my goodness, and a long one at that!
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Jeff Borden said on May 26, 2011 at 11:42 am
I shouldn’t have referred to the box office because it dilutes my main point. These movies may indeed be seen and/or purchased by true believers and may return the investment of the filmmakers, but they will not sway anyone to their particular philosophy or ideology. Can anyone seriously believe a skeptic towards SheWho will sit through this movie, then palm slap themselves and say, “Gosh, I had no idea how brilliant she is?”
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brian stouder said on May 26, 2011 at 12:14 pm
Can anyone seriously believe a skeptic towards SheWho will sit through this movie, then palm slap themselves and say, “Gosh, I had no idea how brilliant she is?”
True enough.
About as likely as a lonely fellow pouring over (so to speak) his latest issue of Playboy, thinking “If I learn which wine to order with whatever main dish, then the centerfold will find me to be an irresistable playboy”.
Larry Flynt’s great insight was to skip past the “playboy” pretense and happily embrace the “hustler” pretense. (both poses are equally fictional, except that the “hustler” image is easier to really emulate, if you cuss like Joe Pesci or put smokes on your teeshirt sleeve, etc)
Speaking of magazines one might read while on the crapper, the other day I visited the restroom at work, and found an NRA magazine.
wow.
You can take that rag and flip to any page, and find deeply troubled and/or junk thought.
Truly, it depressed me
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Scout said on May 26, 2011 at 12:22 pm
Because Sarah Palin’s Alaska didn’t go far enough to prove the vacuous empty headed-ness of She-Who, “rill Amurkins” will now be treated to a feature length banquet of her special brand of pbd. They’ll eat it up and come back for seconds.
Since the Republican establishment clearly can’t stand her, my most fervent wish is that she heeds the voices in her head and decides to run as a third party candidate.
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Julie Robinson said on May 26, 2011 at 1:12 pm
Judybusy, I’m envious that you got some planting in, since we haven’t even been able to till yet. Is is too much to ask for dry soil just one weekend day?
We’ll be visiting the Iowa family in a couple of weeks, so I’ll report back to you with views from the land of true believers. One uncle is anti-evolution, another a farmer who brags that the only book in the house is a Bible. The first might see the $P movie, the second too cheap to spend that kind of money. To give them their due, neither is into firearms. As usual, I’ll be diverting conversations towards the grandkids and the crops, and being thankful that Mom married a guy from Illinois.
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coozledad said on May 26, 2011 at 1:20 pm
If you ask me, any film about the Palins that isn’t a version of “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane” is just missing the point. Bruce Dern could play John McCain cold.
It’s going to need English subtitles for overseas distribution.
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Bitter Scribe said on May 26, 2011 at 1:27 pm
Why are you liberals so obsessed with Sarah Palin?
(Sorry. This thread just seemed incomplete without the same annoying troll comment that seems to pop up on every website that depicts $P in less than worshipful terms.)
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Peter said on May 26, 2011 at 1:35 pm
Brian, you are so right.
Decades ago when I was a young pup working at a large architectural firm, one of the structural engineers got the idea that I might have an intellect, and he gave me an article to read that was torn out of a magazine. When I was reading the article and turned the page, I saw a GIGANTIC breast staring at me. I asked the engineer where the article was published, and I’ll never forget his reply: “It’s from Hustler, of course. Larry Flynt is the only one out there who’s telling the TRUTH”.
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Dorothy said on May 26, 2011 at 1:40 pm
Found this sweet but heartbreaking article about the woman who was murdered in New Orleans, which was part of Sunday’s plot on Treme: http://www.myneworleans.com/New-Orleans-Magazine/January-2009/Helen-Hill-An-Unfinished-Story/
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beb said on May 26, 2011 at 1:44 pm
http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2011/05/the_dying_of_the_light.html
Roger Ebert on bad movie experiences caused by using 3D projectors. Alos an interesting side note about 60% of Pirates revenue came from sales of 2D tickets. Seems a major repudiation of the 3D experience.
And according to Boingboing, the Canadian government has decided not to send troops to help with regional flooding — because they would compete with private companies.
Wow. And I thought American had delusional member of Congress.
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Dexter said on May 26, 2011 at 2:55 pm
The Hangover sequel release may be delayed because of a lawsuit over the Mike Tyson tattoo.
http://www.metro.co.uk/film/862082-the-hangover-part-ii-hit-with-lawsuit-from-mike-tysons-tattoo-artist
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Dorothy said on May 26, 2011 at 3:02 pm
Just heard from a friend in the neighborhood where we lived in Cincinnati from April ’02 to September ’04. They had damage to their mailbox and the pergola in the backyard (which my hubby helped to build) – this damage is less than a mile from our old house:
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=AB&Dato=20110526&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=105260805&Ref=PH
Actually Dexter the movie is still going to be released:
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/hangover-tattoo-lawsuit-shines-light-copyright-laws/story?id=13669298
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James said on May 26, 2011 at 4:22 pm
So what was the deal with the “flubbed” toast?
What… Our president didn’t kowtow properly to that ancient monarchial hag? The titular head of that country we fought (twice) for our independence? Oh, boo hoo hoo.
Screw the friggin’ queen.
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moe99 said on May 26, 2011 at 5:47 pm
I doubt the queen cares, it’s our ever so fair and balance US media that is making it into a brou ha ha.
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Jeff Borden said on May 26, 2011 at 5:50 pm
Right on, James.
Meanwhile, the early reviews on “The Hangover 2” are brutal. Salon is calling it the worst film of 2011 so far.
And the National Enquirer and Daily Mail (U.K.) are reporting that Gov. Sperminator reportedly used California Highway Patrol details to procure young women in “club wear,” who were ushered into the wing of his hotel when he was in Sacramento. The women are described as very young, like 18- to 25, and predominantly blond. This was a charge often levied against Bill Clinton, too, but there are some interesting details that suggest this time the offense is provable.
And just to put the cherry on our SheWho sundae, Moosezilla is beginning a bus tour this Saturday, which will visit famous historical sites in America. The whole family of snowbilly reality show grifters will be along, of course, as the tour leaves from D.C. on Saturday. Presumably, this trip will include a visit to New Hampshire, which will fan more talk about a presidential run. Or maybe, like the dimwitted Michele Bachmann, SheWho thinks Concord and Lexington are in New Hampshire.
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nancy said on May 26, 2011 at 6:58 pm
The speech preceding the toast was a tad long, but then, it was a state dinner in Special Relationship-land — you have to make a bit of a fuss. Dunno why the band started when it did, but that would have been a perfect place to end it. However, it is the national anthem, and you’re not supposed to talk over it. It would have been awkward if he’d stopped there, and more awkward if the musicians had stopped playing.
It was just one of those things. So of course the other side must act as though he barfed in her lap.
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Deggjr said on May 26, 2011 at 7:29 pm
Jeff Borden, if I watched that movie, I’d slap myself in the head several time.
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Jolene said on May 26, 2011 at 7:49 pm
Apparently, it’s customary, when the Queen is toasted, to play the national anthem before anyone drinks. The president hesitated slightly between the main part of his toast and the Shakespearean quote at the end, at which point the band began to play, so it was really a failure to coordinate. Perhaps the bandleader should have been given a copy of the toast. As orchestrated as these events are, I’m surprised that he wasn’t.
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Jolene said on May 26, 2011 at 8:03 pm
Did the edit function go away? Was going to add to my comment that apparently the Prez wasn’t briefed on the anthem-before-drinking tradition. Anyway, as Nancy points out, the Queen came to dinner at the American Embassy the next night, so the gaffe doesn’t seem to brought the special–indeed, essential, as we learned this week–relationship to an end.
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Jolene said on May 26, 2011 at 8:05 pm
Now the edit function is there. Oh well.
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LAMary said on May 26, 2011 at 8:35 pm
After reading those movie title suggestions I’m lovin’ “The Woman Who Knew Too Little.”
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Deborah said on May 26, 2011 at 10:03 pm
I’m looking for some sympathy here. Tomorrow I have to get up a 4 to make another flight for a business trip to Minneapolis for day long marathon of back to back meetings. I get home to Chicago at around 7pm. This trip has been dreaded since I learned of it and the weather in both cities is expected to be even more dreadful. Oh lordy, I remember when I used to think business trips were glamorous. TSA and the corporate squeeze down have certainly changed that notion.
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Mark P. said on May 26, 2011 at 10:53 pm
Deborah, you have my sympathy. Flying is a pain these days. I have a friend in Denver who has to make business trips to Mpls occasionally. The company wanted her to transfer there. She declined.
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alex said on May 26, 2011 at 11:08 pm
I doubt the queen cares, it’s our ever so fair and balance US media that is making it into a brou ha ha.
Remember the Obamas’ previous trip to England, when all the fuss was about Michelle’s breach of etiquette when she touched the queen? It doesn’t seem to have destroyed U.S./British relations any more than was predicted at the time by the right-wing punditocracy.
I suspect the Royals enjoy breaking bread with our current POTUS and FLOTUS rather more than they did with any of the pretentious boors who preceded them.
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brian stouder said on May 26, 2011 at 11:15 pm
Deborah – please accept 3 pallets of well-packed sympathy, express shipped in your general direction.
Hopefully, after you get beyond Friday, and after lots of well-deserved success in your various meetings, you will have a glorious long weekend through Memorial Day.
Your early flights are certainly very smart; any delays you encounter should be shorter. Plus, our midwestern monsoon season appears to be ready to break, which should grant you clear skies and fair winds.
Stress at work is no fun. This December – if the Good Lord is willin’ and the river don’t rise* – I’ll roll past my 25th anniversary at work, and I still feel the burn with dull regularity. But, this is why they call it work, eh?
Non-sequitur: Dick Cheney stated that he “worships the ground” that kill-Medicare-Ryan walks on? Really? Isn’t this genuinely the kiss of death, for ol’ “give gramma a voucher coupon and tell her to go to hell” Paul Ryan?
Isn’t Cheney just about as close to Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious as any actual human being on planet Earth can possibly be?
I mean – really, Dick Cheney worships (of all things) “the ground Ryan walks on”?? wow.
(and it doesn’t help that Paul Ryan looks like a cross between Eddie Munster and Simon Barr Sinister, but we digress)
*not a good metric, given our weather lately!
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Jolene said on May 27, 2011 at 12:10 am
Just saw an interesting article re an HBO documentary concerning (in part) physician-assisted suicide. Missed the first showing, which was tonight, but, as the article indicates, it will be shown several more times in the coming days.
Safe travel, Deborah. At least it;s a short flight.
Bria, Cheney’s loathsomeness is surpassed only by his hypocrisy. His worship for Ryan is due to Ryan’s commitment to dealing with our “awful debt”. This is the man, you’ll recall who famously said that deficits don’t matter.
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coozledad said on May 27, 2011 at 1:22 am
Alex: The royals love the Obamas. They don’t have to worry about importing ranch dressing, and they’re eying the daughters for a source of blood to curtail knock-knee and scrofula.
Seriously, they like them.
http://rosecestlavie.blogspot.com/search?q=obama
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Julie Robinson said on May 27, 2011 at 7:11 am
That’s one brutal schedule, Deborah. I hope you at least have direct flights. Anything out of the Fort always has at least two flights, which I wouldn’t mind so much except you’re screwed when the first flight is delayed.
If you click on Coozledad’s link, make sure you scroll down to the fourth photo, taken in an elevator the night of the Inauguration. Notice how Barry and Shelly-O have managed to carve out a moment of intimacy despite being surrounded by aides and the Secret Service. She has his jacket over her shoulders and they lean in towards each other, foreheads touching. Their body language tells me that these two are always gonna be okay.
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