Click to enlarge, this whole sequence would be about the opening credits...
Yes, it's a riff on the Prisoner. I don't think I outright hated AMC's recent remake/reimagining/re-do, but not only does it not hold a candle to the sheer...originality of the original; but there were some other flaws, too. I can understand not wanting to do a shot-for-shot, slavish imitation of the original; but sometimes in trying to tell your own story, you can get too far away from what you liked in the source material.Best example I can think of, especially since a retrospective series was on for them about the same time; would be if some producer or writer or network proudly announced they were going to remake Monty Python's Flying Circus. Now, that alone would be just about impossible: that series was so idiosyncratic and individual and of its time, as well as being virtually idolized in the years since it was on.
Then imagine if that producer said this time, they were going to do Python as it should've been done; not only with more contemporary production values, but also as an allegory for the Holocaust. And not even in the sense that the producer might be hijacking Python for his own purposes, more that our imaginary producer was legitimately excited about both ideas, and thought putting them together would be the best thing ever. Said producer would of course be dead wrong, and that seems to be pretty much how we got AMC's Prisoner.
Anyway, we'll be messing around with this one for a month or so...
I don't think it's a coincidence that AMC rushed a remake of The Prisoner into production right on the heels of Patrick McGoohan's death. Shame on them.
ReplyDeleteLovely, lovely. And yes, the original was superb. I remember watching that as a kid...I had a terrible crush on Patrick McGoohan, that I had had since I saw him in Disney's Scarecrow of Romney Marsh. Man, that was a good show.
ReplyDeleteEr...what were we talking about again?
How awesome Patrick McGoohan is.
ReplyDeleteWhich he totally is.
(Man, he skipped being Bond on moral principles. That's definitely something.)
Was the recent remake/reimagining of the Prisoner by AMC enjoyable for you? greeting : https://telkomuniversity.ac.id/icodsa-2023-data-menjadi-bahan-bakar-dalam-inovasi-teknologi/
ReplyDeleteThe AMC remake of "The Prisoner" is a clear example of how reimagining a beloved classic can go astray. While it's understandable to want to avoid a shot-for-shot imitation, straying too far from the original's essence can result in losing what made it special in the first place. This is reminiscent of the absurdity that would ensue if someone tried to remake "Monty Python's Flying Circus" with modern production values and an entirely different thematic focus, such as making it an allegory for the Holocaust. Such an attempt would likely miss the unique charm and idiosyncrasies that made the original so iconic. This kind of media analysis and more are explored in depth in our courses at Telkom University, where we study the impact of modern adaptations on classic works.
ReplyDelete