Zemeckis “The Witches” Adaptation (Hathaway)

[TheVileOne]

Can't believe Robert Zemeckis made this.

 

[Marvolo]

So this got released today and I have heard zero hype. Is there a reason it was dumped to streaming and not delayed?

Anyone a fan of the book seen the film?

It went to streaming in the US because our country is a hot mess right now. Its getting a theatrical release in international markets.

 

[DarkKnight88]

It went to streaming in the US because our country is a hot mess right now.

Well, not exactly. Studios are still picking which movies to release streaming now or to delay next year. They could have delayed it if they felt strongly about it.

 

[Marvolo]

Can't believe Robert Zemeckis made this.

Is it really so surprising? He has some duds in his resume: Christmas Carol, Polar Express, Beowulf, Death Becomes Her, What Lies Beneath.

 

[TheVileOne]

Is it really so surprising? He has some duds in his resume: Christmas Carol, Polar Express, Beowulf, Death Becomes Her, What Lies Beneath.

I think what's more surprising is how much he's declined in recent years. Also, Flight from 2012 was a good film. Hard to believe that was 8 years ago now.

 

[Albright]

Death becomes her was awesome. Also really enjoyed What lies beneath in the cinema back then
His animated movies suck, though...

 

[Captain Tired]

From what I hear, it sounds like this fits snugly into the category of 'pointless remake.'

The original was pretty damn perfect and almost totally faithful to the book. IIRC, the only major difference in the film was that the little boy was turned back. The book ended with him still being a mouse and happy about it, because it meant he'd probably live only as long as his grandmother.

 

[Schlosser85]

From what I hear, it sounds like this fits snugly into the category of 'pointless remake.'

The original was pretty damn perfect and almost totally faithful to the book. IIRC, the only major difference in the film was that the little boy was turned back. The book ended with him still being a mouse and happy about it, because it meant he'd probably live only as long as his grandmother.

Roald Dahl hated the movie ending so much he threatened to sue them.

 

[DarkKnight88]

It was a dumb change to the ending. I haven’t seen this new one yet, so hoping they kept the book ending.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

I loved Death Becomes Her and What Lies Beneath was a pretty good thriller.

Frankly, it was his last good/competent movie.

 

[DarkKnight88]

I wouldn’t say that. Cast Away and Flight are very good/competent and I have a soft spot for A Christmas Carol and Beowulf. If they were live-action, they would’ve been much better received.

 

[Schlosser85]

I liked The Walk.

 

[The Joker]

I am a huge Roald Dahl fan. Just saw this movie. Its awful. The very definition of pointless remake. It has no tension. None of the creepiness from Dahl's book or the 1990 movie. Every character besides Octavia Spencer's is either totally hammy or forgettable.

They made so many pointless and stupid changes e.g. why does the Grand High Witch have go-go gadget arms? The way they treated the whole mythology of the witches, like the grandma saying they only target low class kids who won't be missed if they go missing. Bull. The Witches will target any kids and have no fear of them being missed because Witches never get caught. They use magic to do away with children.

The biggest stupid moment for me was

Spoiler

The Grand High Witch just walking up to Grandma in the middle of the dining room and flat out telling her she knows her and she took her childhood friend. Then she starts showing her stupid glasgow smile witches mouth in front of all the guests when the other witches start turning into mice. The Grand High Witch would never be so stupid about revealing who she is.

Remember in the 1990 movie when Angelica Huston's Grand High Witch and the grandmother knew each other, but it was always kept as a subtle tension between them. The Grand High Witch just giving her menacing glares when ever they saw each other. That's how you do it.

The Grand High Witch is horribly characterized in this. She made no attempt to be subtle about who she was. She arrives in the hotel and the first thing she asks the manager is what would he do if the place was swarming with mice. Cartoonish, stupid BS. Her accent was all over the place. Anne Hathaway could have been great if she had not been given such horrid writing and direction for her character.

So much unnecessary CGI. Even the Grand High Witch's cat was CGI. Angelica Huston's cat was real, and fifty times more terrifying when it tried to kill the boy mouse in her hotel room.

The only thing I think this movie did right was the aftermath of the boy's parents' death, and how the grandmother slowly cheered him up and brought him out of his grief. They were some nice scenes largely due to the brilliant Octavia Spencer. The rest of the movie is a disaster. Probably the worst adaption of a Dahl book. Just be glad we have the 1990 movie.

 

[terry78]

Warner Bros. apologizes to after backlash from disability community - CNN

 

[jmc]

Perhaps it would be easier moving forward if we're just given a list of the people who are likely to be offended so stories can be signed off by all of them before going into production.

 

[Schlosser85]

Oh please.

 

[Schlosser85]

Perhaps it would be easier moving forward if we're just given a list of the people who are likely to be offended so stories can be signed off by all of them before going into production.

And have every story have all the creative freedom and edge of a Barney episode. Except I’m sure there’s something offensive in there somewhere too. Better we just live in a complete sterile environment with no media at all.

 

[jmc]

And where everyone just wears grey.

 

[Schlosser85]

And where everyone just wears grey.

I’m sure someone would explain why that’s problematic.

 

[DarkKnight88]

This is the most attention the film has gotten since first being announced. It pretty much came and disappeared.

 

[Captain Tired]

Warner Bros. apologizes to after backlash from disability community - CNN

Because the film's been limping since it came outta the gate?

 

[The Shape]

Hathaway apologized too. Pretty wild.

 

[TheVileOne]

I read the article, and I'm still confused. Did the witches have mannerisms that resembled paraplegics? Was that a deliberate choice?

 

[metaphysician]

Wait, what? As someone who was only barely aware a The Witches movie was a thing. . . could someone explain what happened? How did "there are supernatural hags with magic" somehow end up connected to portrayal of the disabled? I mean, it would be pretty groddy to deliberately invoke disability imagery as an allegorical symbol for monstrous evil ( see also: Split ), but I can't even begin to imagine how one even *could* use disability imagery in any way with. . . literal monstrous hags.

 

[Monsieur Xavier]

I read the article, and I'm still confused. Did the witches have mannerisms that resembled paraplegics? Was that a deliberate choice?

Apparently it was because of the three fingers and that kids afflicted by malformed limbs (hands in that case) could be hurt (because comparison with ugly witch aka monsters)
It is an idiotic complain.
Hathaway mannerism was bird like more or less.