Well, dear readers, let’s just get right down to brass tacks or aluminum tacks or wood tacks or any damn tacks: Sequels are not easy. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, sequels are not easy. I’m talking about film sequels, of course. And it’s amazing sometimes to see studios literally not comprehend what made the original film a hit and why it worked. Instead, they just subvert that and come up with something crass and ridiculous – and sadly sometimes those sequels make money. But, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes audiences just say enough already. So, since I happened to watch two sequels to a hugely popular film last night, let’s use those because they’re a textbook example of how do everything in your power to kill a franchise that maybe shouldn’t have BEEN a franchise in the first place.
Now, I had never seen the two sequels, only the original film, which was entitled Beverly Hills Cop. That film was a huge hit back when it came out. It was fresh, quirky, had a perfect cast, and solidified Eddie Murphy as a huge star. Everything in the film was balanced perfectly. There were a lot of laughs, but nothing was forced. At the core of everything was REALITY – real characters doing real things and a real plot that audiences could take seriously and more importantly which the characters could take seriously. Once you give the film that core of reality, you can really go anywhere and the audience will be with you. The original script was an action film with comedy, much like what you see on screen. Unfortunately, Sylvester Stallone was cast, the film was rewritten by him with all action and no comedy, and ultimately he bowed out of the film when the director was hired. That director, Martin Brest, had made one previous film, Going in Style. He was quirky and fun and knew how to make nice visuals. And he was a perfect choice for Beverly Hills Cop. He returned it to its lighter roots, and allowed his cast to improvise comedy stuff, but always remaining true to its core of reality. And it all worked perfectly, even the wacky Bronson Pinchot as Serge – just enough of him to bring down the house with laughter but not let him overstay his welcome.
Four years passed before they made Beverly Hills Cop 2. This time they didn’t hire a quirky, interesting director like Brest, no, they didn’t do that – they hired Tony Scott, who, shall we say, makes a certain kind of film. And suddenly the tone, which is key, is gone – it’s all over the place. The funny isn’t as funny, the action is relentless and silly, and we don’t really care about the plot at all. In other words, everything that worked about the first film is made hash of in the second film. Especially egregious in the second film is the side of ham performance by Allen Garfield – but it’s typical of the entire film. Despite all that, the film did nice business.
Seven years went by before the next sequel, Beverly Hills Cop 3. Now, you had a relatively perfect first film, and a mediocre second film that still did business, although not the business of the first film. So, what do you do for the third film – do you go back to the first film and try to capture that lightning in a bottle? Noooo. You hire John Landis to direct the film. Now, whatever one thinks of John Landis, there could not be a worse choice for a Beverly Hills Cop film. And that proves to be the case instantly, when some carjacking thieves suddenly begin dancing and singing to a Supremes song. What film are we making here. And directly after that, they are shot to death. What film are we making here? And so it goes. Landis complained that Eddie Murphy wasn’t really into the shtick Landis kept trying to give him and he was right not to be because, guess what – that’s not what made the first film work, at least not Landis’s kind of shtick. You see, Mr. Landis is what I think of as a smart-ASS director, a look how funny I am director. The plot is rancid from word one right through to the end. The comedy is horrifyingly unfunny. The film is filled with cameos that I’m sure Mr. Landis thought were hilarious, but which, in fact, turn the film into a sophomoric spoof, not a film you can take seriously – those cameos include a bunch of film directors (hardy har har har) like George Lucas, Arthur Hiller (a knee slapper), John Singleton, Martha Coolidge, Joe Dante (this film actually plays like a Joe Dante movie), Barbet Schroeder, and then also Ray Harryhausen, Robert B. Sherman (apparently Richard M. Sherman’s cameo was cut), well, you get the idea. The villains are weak, the setting of most of the film takes place at a Disneyland type amusement park, complete with a Disney-like owner (played by Alan Young), and even more complete It’s a Small World type song, written by, you guessed it, the Sherman Brothers. Judge Reinhold is back and even sillier than in the second film – he’s a major asset to the original film. John Ashton is gone (lucky him) as is Ronny Cox (who said he was happy to do the third film – until he read it), so instead we have Hector Elizondo, who just has no part to play. The geography is sometimes amusing – all of Elizondo’s driving down the street shots are on Ventura Blvd. near my house. The thing goes on for 105 endless minutes and by the end of it you know these lame producers have just killed any hope of there every being another film. And yet – a couple of years ago they did a pilot for a TV series – never shown and shelved, and then they put a Beverly Hills Cop 4 into production – we’re talking twenty YEARS later here – that was supposed to be released next March, but it’s now officially off the schedule and it’s kind of doubtful it will ever be made. And there you have the trouble with sequels, at least these sequels.
Yesterday was a perfectly ordinary day. I got eight hours of sleep, did stuff on the computer, then moseyed on over to Doug Haverty’s house to approve the vocal selection book for Welcome to My World. It looks great, but as soon as I opened it and thumbed through a few pages, I instantly found a mistake – it’s minor and I’m sure people will figure it out (a one-word lyric mistake) as the line prior to it makes it clear what it should be – and it’s correct on the CD, of course. I hope and pray that’s the only one I didn’t catch – proofing is a lesson in futility, no matter how hard you do it, there’s always something that gets by. So, I’ll pick up the other copies on Monday and that error will be fixed for the actual show book. Doug and his lovely wife Dorathy brought in Dino’s pizza and it was spectacular, as always. I could eat it every day.
Then I came home. We’re still trying to replace the singer who now can’t do the Kritzerland show, and I think it’s going to end up being another female because we just can’t find a male that I want. I did some more work on the computer, wrote a bit, and then sat on my couch like so much fish and watched two sequels.
Today, I think there’s nothing going on, although I’ll definitely start writing the commentary, eat, and hopefully pick up some packages.
Tomorrow should be more of the same, with a couple of short visits, then the following week should be nice and busy.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write some commentary, eat, hopefully pick up packages, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite sequels, those you think that either capture the magic of the original or expand upon it? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall have an original dream followed by two sequels.