Sex and the City - from TV to film

faceman

Relax lads, i havent lost all kudos and gone to see this one.

But i am interested in all the discussion about it however. to the wimmenz, SATC represented alot while on the small screen, im not saying i agree with all that but none the less it was quite iconic for many women.

What i find interesting now are the mixed reviews, particularly from women. One particular comment is the taking the tv show, which for the most part is plotless and turning it into a (plotless?) 150 minute movie. Time will only tell really how good the film, when the sensationalism and hype fades away. (not that i will watch it then either!)

So it got me thinking, from the TV to the big screen, when has it worked best? (looking at transititions where the tv show in its original form with the same cast was made into a movie)

What is it about the transition that makes it feel like a movie rather than a tv movie?

Any comments about SATC are welcome from those that are seen it. But before anyone mentions girl power and all that, lets not forget that despite what the tv show said and did, the last episode had SJP chasing a man as she realised the secret to ultimate happiness was to be with a man.

Dudess

Apart from The Simpsons, I can't think of any TV shows that got the big-screen treatment. All I can think of are those ghastly TV movies of popular series - usually made several years, even decades, after the series was popular (e.g. Cagney & Lacey, Hart to Hart, Murder She Wrote).

vibrant

There's not many are there? There was the X files movie, which didn't do much for me to be honest - usually, the bigger the hype, the bigger the letdown. Remember talk about them printing the X Files script with red ink on red paper so it couldn't be photocopied and leaked? Wish it had, coulda saved a few squids!

However, the South Park movie (Bigger, Longer and Uncut, IIRC) was absolutely brilliant.

I won't be bothering with SATC the movie as I never bothered with SATC the show. Not my cup of tea. However, I'm really looking forward to the Arrested Development movie!!

BlitzKrieg

serenity was good, but the general opinion was that it was better if you've seen the series, otherwise it was sort of confusing at points.


uhmm...usually from tv to film isnt it a sort of remake thing made years and years after the original with a new cast?

However, the South Park movie (Bigger, Longer and Uncut, IIRC) was absolutely brilliant.

Actually this is a very unique point of awesomeness. The movie changed so much in the series, there is definite change of pace before and after the movie. South Park felt sort of imature before the movie, after the film it found its stride and just became more awesome.

Steve_o

Dudess wrote: »

Apart from The Simpsons, I can't think of any TV shows that got the big-screen treatment. All I can think of are those ghastly TV movies of popular series - usually made several years, even decades, after the series was popular (e.g. Cagney & Lacey, Hart to Hart, Murder She Wrote).

Miami Vice got a movie, had Colin Farrell in it....not very good tho! Also Starsky anf Hutch but.... you know....

Dudess

The OP's not referring to remake movies with new casts.

Steve_o

Dudess wrote: »

The OP's not referring to remake movies with new casts.

Ahhhhh that makes more sense... my bad!

Auvers

would have to be Star Trek "Wrath Of Khan" or TNG "First Contact"

zAbbo

Star Trek movies were pretty good (The Wrath of Khan...), I guess it counts as the original cast.

Buffy the vampire slayer, went the other way, were the TV show was better than the movie (well for a while anyway)

But, nearly all feature films made from original TV shows have been pants

Doctor DooM

League of Gentlemen? Never saw it, so can't comment...

Waynes world. Definitely worked in cinema. Never even saw it on telly!

constitutionus

just as an aside one of the best comments i heard about sex and the city was on newstalks breakfast show this morning from a texter.

bloke basically said he got to cinema with girlfriend . said the place looked like a cross between a hairdressers and a perfume counter with all the women poncing about and while the bird was in the jax changed the tickets to iron man......



.....bird WASNT impressed


as for the whole tv to film thing i think south park really is a stroke of pure genius. for all the hype i dont think the simpsons did anything special at all. i know were meant to be talking about movies that use the original cast but i have to mention that most of the UPDATES ala the dukes of hazard etce are umbeliveably pants.

that said if they EVER get around to it the red dwarf one should be fun

Dudess

The Wallace & Gromit movie was great... but then that wasn't really a TV series.

faceman

constitutionus wrote: »

just as an aside one of the best comments i heard about sex and the city was on newstalks breakfast show this morning from a texter.

bloke basically said he got to cinema with girlfriend . said the place looked like a cross between a hairdressers and a perfume counter with all the women poncing about and while the bird was in the jax changed the tickets to iron man......
.....bird WASNT impressed

I heard that too this morning, classic, altho i wonder how authentic a text it was!!

Re South Park i agree it was a great film, i had little interest in the tv show until i saw the movie for the reason Blitzkreig stated earlier. I had viewed the tv show as immature boldness for the sake of being bold! Since the movie though I now "get" the tv show since then.

Vic Vinegar

SDooM wrote: »

League of Gentlemen? Never saw it, so can't comment...

The League Of Gentlemens Apocalypse is piss funny! very good indeed!

johnny_ultimate

I think the reason Serenity works so well is that it finishes off the story that was cut off due to cancellation. The injustice got the fans raging, and it was extremely satisfying to see it getting a big screen outing. Also helps that it is a fantastic film , but it feels like the final chapter rather than a pointless epilogue. If a TV series wraps itself up nicely, is there any need for a film? Instead, a film should be used as the larger scale conclusion.

The other reason something should go to big screen is if they truly want to knock up the scale of the story. No point making an extended episode: it has to be a story that can hold its own over one and a half hours. The Simpsons Movie was OK, and the story was perhaps on a bigger scale than usual, but it struggled to keep it up for over an hour: good first half, followed by a lot of padding.

Nolanger

Scooby Doo
The Flintstones
Dragnet

Starryeyd

Star Trek First Contact was class, but so were most things when your 11! Will trot along (though prob in a tracksuit and disguise hehehe) to see SATC, hate to admit it but i love it. Love Leauge of gents too, but not 100% on the movie....Does Shaun of the Dead count after Spaced??? Bring back Spaced!

Don't think you can count Shaun of the Dead and Spaced in this. Both had the same cast, granted, but they're not related whatsoever.

There was a series of Wayne's World?

TheAlmightyArse

I think Wayne's World started as a recurring sketch on Saturday Night Live. Blues Brothers, too.

I thought League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse was the business. But then I also liked Guest House Paradiso, so you probably shouldn't take that as a recommendation. Pheeb.

Before those tow, there was a period when British sitcom spin-off movies were all the rage; Porridge, Dad's Army, Steptoe And Son and On The Buses spring to mind. It was an effort to help the British film industry compete with Hollywood and it didn't do a sterling job.

stereoroid

zAbbo wrote: »

But, nearly all feature films made from original TV shows have been pants

The Dukes of Hazzard was pants: hot pants, to be precise:


The first Charlie's Angels movie was OK, I thought, in a totally OTT thrill ride sense. In the very first scene, on board the plane, they start showing a fictional T.J Hooker movie - just a nod to how silly the TV to Movie idea is, I suppose. :cool: