Way back in 2007, I saw a Frank Oz film called Death at a Funeral, so imagine my surprise when I discovered a trailer for a new Neil LaBute film called Death at a Funeral. Should the “too soon” rule usually applied to tragic events also be applicable for remakes?
The original Death at a Funeral was a predominantly British comedy with a few American actors scattered in—but it was one thing that the new Death at a Funeral is not: a white movie.
Before watching the trailer, I actually expected this new Chris Rock vehicle to be a black comedy that just happened to have the same name. It wasn’t long before I discovered that not only is it an almost word-for-word remake, but they even used the same dwarf actor!
There are not many little people in Hollywood who can pull off a serious role while being a noticeably distracting as a dwarf. Verne Troyer, for example, will always be a fucking joke.
This film’s two-time dwarf actor (or maybe he’s a midget) is Peter Dinklage—he’s even got a funny little name to match.
While it is unquestionably shitty to remake a film within 3 years, it is—in this case—somewhat understandable. First, they are targeting the film toward a different (and probably much broader) audience. Second, it looks like a pretty funny movie. And third, nobody saw the original.
This movie is going to make so much money, Frank Oz will shit anger.
If I hadn’t seen the first version, I may be tempted to check out this new endeavor. Okay, that’s probably not true, but I may get it on Netflix when it comes out on DVD.
(return to MAIN PAGE)
