Sunday 19 February 2012

Movies of an Alternate Universe


Movies are so much a product of the exact time in which they get made. A film project can spend decades in development, but when it comes out the other side, it probably bears little resemblance to what it was initially conceived as.

For example, Katherine Heigel's latest comedy One for the Money was optioned by Tri-Star back in 1994. Had the film been put into production 18 years ago, it could have potentially starred someone like Meg Ryan, Winona Ryder or Alicia Silverstone as its protagonist Stephanie Plum. It would've been just as crap as it is now, but it may have recouped more than $26 million of its projected $40 million budget. Likewise, had George Lucas made his superfluous Star Wars prequel today instead of in 1999, he would have cast the now ubiquitous Michael Fassbender as Obi-Wan Kenobi over the then ubiquitous Ewan McGregor.

In order to visualise this concept, one has to turn to the artistic skills of Peter Stults and Sean Hartter, who on their respective blogs, revise the historic timeline in which a particular movie was made, reimagining a different director and cast for the film, but utilising an appropriate poster style for the period its been reworked. So instead of Nicolas Winding Refn's 2011 arthouse thriller Drive starring Ryan Gossling, it now becomes a '50s John Ford directed melodrama with James Dean in the lead role. Even The Hangover is refurbished as a Rat Pack vehicle headlining Dean Martin.

The fun possibilities to be had are endless. If only the same could be done with Hong Kong and Indian cinema, though I fear the people of those countries are too busy making money than to bother engaging in unpaid creative endeavours of this kind.



18 comments:

  1. Hahaha! OJ as Captain America, that would be hilarious looking back, and not as weird as seeing him in The Naked Gun series.

    Peter Sellers in Groundhog Gay is an excellent idea though.

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  2. No one could do Die Hard better than Willis, at least the first one. Last one was pure crap, could be done by anyone.

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  3. I just love the concept behind this! These posters are utterly convincing!

    Maria xx
    www.cheekypinktulip.blogspot.com

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  4. I completely agree with you. A successful movie is all about the timing that it was released.

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  5. This was fun. The stories don't change but the 'stars' of the moment do.

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  6. ok, WTF Inception is a remake?! My mind is once again blown. And, you have found an Audrey Hepburn movie that I didn't know existed. off to Netflix..

    Amber

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  7. Whoa, okay, you've got my attention! James Dean in Drive would've totally worked as would've Jack Lemmon, Jerry Lewis & Dean Martin in The Hangover (I think this would've been an awesome movie for the time). And Peter Sellers in Groundhog Day would've definitely rocked!!! But. BUT! Leonard Nimoy would have been terrible, if anything, in Die Hard. Terrible! And Harry Belafonte in Pulp Fiction...okay, I'm not even going to go there. Samuel L. Jackson WAS Jules...man, I can't believe it's been almost 20 years since that movie's been out! MAN!!!

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  8. This is such a cool post! I can't wait to show this to my dad. Some of my favorite memories from growing up involve me snuggled next to my dad, eating popcorn and watching old movies ;)

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  9. I would totally watch William Shatner in Avatar.

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  10. John Wayne just doesn't look right in that Superman outfit. But Zappa, in the Big Lebowski, oh yeah - that's the version I want to see.

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  11. I loved these posters. It's interesting looking at casting possibilities based on the time a movie might have been made.

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  12. What a great concept. In some instances the revised casts would be an improvement. Michael Fassbender is in everything these days isn't he? He's become quite the star. I'm glad to have seen him years ago in Hexx. Did you see Haywire? He co-starred with former "it" boy, Ewan McGregor.

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  13. Leonard Nimoy in Die Hard?! That would rock! I think hes the only person that could improve on Bruce Willis's preformance!!!

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  14. I wish a couple of these were real
    I've seen them before though
    still a good post

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  15. Love them. Shatner in Avatar, Nimoy in Die Hard, Godard does Trainspotting. To be honest I'm pretty glad they are they way they are really. Wish there was one for Fight Club!

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