Mar. 23: Let’s hear it for the boy

This article says that Zac Efron has backed out of the remake of Footloose for fear of being typecast. It makes sense—after the three High School Musical movies and Hairspray, he’s well on his way to being known as a song-and-dance man boy. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

But apparently Zac thinks there is. What does he know? He’s just a kid. Maybe he needs an adult to guide him through decisions like that, or something else that doesn’t make me sound like a pervert.

I heard about this remake a while ago and my first thought was that yes, my Zac could make a decent Ren—he’s done an angry/tormented dance in the last two HSM movies, so he’s got that action down. But it also made me wonder why they’re remaking Footloose in the first place. What’s the logic behind remakes? Aren’t the originals usually old-ish movies that did alright at the box office and someone thinks they’d do blockbuster-better in an updated format? Footloose isn’t old enough to be remade! It’s, what, 25 years old? That’s not old! It isn’t! Not when I remember it like it was yesterday!

Vic thinks Hollywood’s run out of ideas. He also said, “You’re just angry cuz you’re getting old” and then he ran because he’s a smart man and I am fast. (I’m not fast, really. But while pretending to be, I could very likely trip and fall on Vic and that’d show him, oh boy.)

Anyway, I’m sure the original Footloose could be improved upon. It wasn’t sheer perfection, like, say, Sixteen Candles. But I don’t want them to ruin it, y’know? I don’t want them to “creatively” cast Kevin Bacon in the John Lithgow role. Or make Ariel a guy. Or have John Lithgow play Ren’s kindly old boss that helps them find a place for their dance just outside the city limits so they won’t get in trouble and then he finds the angry preacher and his wife slow-dancing out there and OH MY GOD THAT WAS SUCH A GOOD MOVIE I’M GOING TO WATCH IT RIGHT NOW.

Coincidentally, Sherilee posted this chuckle-worthy video on Facebook the other day. It won’t be of much interest to you if you haven’t seen Footloose or are at least a tiny bit familiar with Flight of the Conchords.

Don’t worry; I’m not going to start writing angry letters to Hollywood, at least not yet. If I start hearing talk about a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off remake, though, all bets are off (am I the only one that remembers what a disaster the TV show was?).