Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
Remakes Done Right: Suburban Mom of Three Heading to Space; Lance Bass Produces Documentary; The Amazing Curiosity Mission to Mars
Aired August 10, 2012 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
NISCHELLE TURNER, HOST: Tonight, remake madness. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is revealing our favorite movie remakes of all-time. The iconic, the classic, and the just plain fun.
It`s a special SHOWBIZ TONIGHT countdown, "Remakes Done Right." You don`t want to miss a minute of this.
Hello, everybody, I`m Nischelle Turner. Tonight, a showbiz special report that`s out of this world. We`re bringing you inside the life of the stay at home mom who`s about to become a space cadet. She went to Comic-Con to get a real life look at one of her favorite actors from the TV hit "The Big Bang Theory" and she left with a ticket for a once in a lifetime trip to outer space.
So, how did she go from suburban mom to astronaut to be in light speed? Well, I made a special visit to her home to show you how it all went down and how she`s getting ready for space.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MERCEDES BECERRA, WINS A FREE TRIP TO SPACE: What goes through your mind, child?
TURNER (voice-over): Meet Mercedes Becerra. She`s a happy state at home mom living in Paso Robles, a quiet little town in Central California. Things may appear ordinary for this suburban mother of three.
BECERRA: I`m going to order you guys a pizza.
TURNER: But she`ll soon be experiencing something extraordinary. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can report that Becerra has won a trip that is truly out of this world.
BECERRA: Now, I`m going to space. How amazing is that?
TURNER (on camera): That blows my mind.
BECERRA: It`s mind-blowing.
(LAUGHTER)
TURNER (voice-over): What perhaps even more mind-blowing is how this soon- to-be space traveler won her journey to the stratosphere.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (INAUDIBLE). I love this part.
TURNER: It all started with the season finale of the CBS comedy "The Big Bang Theory" where Engineer Howard Wolowitz played by Simon Helberg launches into space.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: "The Big Bang Theory" going where no sitcom has gone before.
TURNER: In celebration of the episode, the show teamed up with engineering company XCOR Aerospace for a give-away at Comic-Con where they announced plans to actually blast one lucky attendee into space. Mercedes says, she is a huge fan of "The Big Bang Theory" which is produced by Warner Brother`s television which has of course the same parent company of CNN. She just happened to be in the audience with her kids and wound up with quite a surprise.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We have a winner --
TURNER: Back at the Becerra home in Paso Robles, Mercedes, her husband John and their three kids Johnny, Gabriel and Aaliyah are still wrapping their heads around the fact that mom is actually space bound.
BECERRA: I am definitely still in shock, I`m super excited. My kids are excited for me. I can`t wait to come back and tell them about my experience.
TURNER (on camera): You have your family here. They`re so well-behaved, so cute.
BECERRA: Thank you.
TURNER: So, take me through a normal day of yours.
BECERRA: Pretty regular. I mean, the average, you know mom taking care of her kids, taking them to school, fixing them breakfast and lunch and dinner and didn`t think in a million years this would ever, ever happen.
TURNER: Do you think like I really kind of get to do something for myself on my own?
BECERRA: Yes. Also that I could tell my family about, especially my daughter. I mean, just because you`re a girl, it doesn`t mean that you can`t do things. So, this is going to be a testimony to her as well.
TURNER (voice-over): Becerra tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, she`ll soon start training for her commercial flight on the XCOR Lynx Spacecraft and expects her supersonic adventure to launch within the next couple years. Once she`s hovering above earth, she`ll take in amazing views of the planet that only a few have ever experienced firsthand. Quite a contrast for a woman who says, she boarded an airplane for the first time in her life just three years ago.
(on camera) Now, you know the take-off and landing to space is a little different than the take-off and landing on a regular plane?
BECERRA: Oh, yes. They said it`s going to around three-and-a-half Gs (ph) going straight up. You know, take only a couple of minutes, four minutes to get up there. And we`ll float around for a little bit and start our descend back. That will be around 45 minutes horrible trip.
TURNER: Forty five minutes will last a lifetime.
BECERRA: It will absolutely. Last a lifetime.
TURNER (voice-over): And create a lifetime of memories for the whole Becerra family.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TURNER: You know, this is really going to be something her and her family will remember forever. You know, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s A.J. Hammer had a chance to talk with Mercedes Becerra and the man who will be guiding her on her trip. Cornell Richard Searfoss is a former NASA astronaut who has been to space many times, so he is the perfect person to be taking Mercedes out on her out of this world adventure. Check out A.J.`s showbiz newsmaker interview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AJ HAMMER, HOST, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Well, let me start with you, Mercedes. I have got to tell you, I`m just thrilled for you, even if I am completely jealous. You have to tell me how you even wrap your head around the idea that you`re going into space. You must be just over the moon, pun intended.
BECERRA: I am really, and it`s really hard to just wrap my head around this. I`m just thankful for the opportunity to do this. Thank you, Warner Brothers, thank you, XCOR. It`s so exciting. I can`t wait.
HAMMER: So tell me how you reacted when you first got the news that you were the winner of this incredible Space Odyssey at Comic-con. Was it just pure shock and excitement, or was there maybe a little bit of fear mixed in?
BECERRA: It was shock and then complete excitement, absolutely.
HAMMER: And are you afraid at all? I mean, you`re going into space. Not a lot of us civilians get to do something like this. I know it`s exciting, but a little scared?
BECERRA: Not so much scared. Just, you know, excited. I just can`t wait to go. I can`t want to be able to tell my kids when I come back the experience that we saw, the sights that we saw, and the beautiful earth that we get to see from space.
HAMMER: And I know you`re planning on doing this sometime in the next year. Are your kids completely jealous and wishing they could go with you?
BECERRA: Absolutely. My teenagers just wish they could go, but they`re excited for me, too. My whole family is very excited. My mom and my sister -- hi, mom, by the way -- are excited because they`re the ones who told me to go to Comic-Con and without them, I probably wouldn`t have won the trip.
HAMMER: Well, I know the Colonel is going to put you at ease, Colonel, you`re a former NASA astronaut. You`ve flown dozens of missions for XCOR, that`s the company behind this space trip. So, what can Mercedes expect as she heads into space? I`m really curious what this is like.
COL. RICHARD SEARFOSS, FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT: It`s a very rapid take- off, not like a commercial airliner, about 1,000 feet or so. Right after that, immediately turn it into the vertical. Three minutes of boost, and then we`re on a coasting trajectory all the way up to 100 kilometers altitude. Experiencing weightlessness and looking out the window at the most sublimely beautiful view you can imagine looking at the earth from space.
HAMMER: Now, you trained inevitably for years and years before the first time you went up. Obviously Mercedes isn`t getting that luxury. So what`s the most important thing she needs to do to get ready for the big trip?
SEARFOSS: Yes. Well, the key thing for her, just maintain good physical health and conditioning. There are a few activities that we`ll recommend beforehand like going flying in aerobatic aircraft and perhaps in a centrifuge. But those are really to amplify the experience so she knows what to expect. And then of course, there will be a little bit of training on the pressure suit and the systems that she`ll need to have some familiarity with.
But it`s really pretty streamline and pretty quick. Now, our pilots obviously will be some of the most experienced test pilots in the world and former astronauts. And we`ve got lots and lots of training and experience, and that`s all we can take care of the good folks that are flying with us.
HAMMER: Well, please pardon me for asking this. Do not get mad at me. But I have to know. Can you clear up the rumor that they may or may not be serving tang in flight during this deal? Sorry.
(LAUGHTER)
SEARFOSS: It`s all good. You know, dehydrated food. It`s great. Mercedes, we really won`t have time to eat up there. These are pretty short missions.
HAMMER: Mercedes, go ahead.
BECERRA: I`m looking for space ice cream. Definitely looking for space ice cream.
HAMMER: I love that down here on the ground. How do you think your life is going to be different, Mercedes, once you come home from this mission that you`re going on?
BECERRA: I think it`s going to be life changing. And I hope to bring something back through the experience to tell my kids. Hopefully to tell their schools. Tell them that this is possible. This is something that women can do.
HAMMER: I want to know from your perspective how you think her life is going to change. Because my understanding is when you look down at the earth from that high up in the sky, you can`t help but shed a tear.
SEARFOSS: Absolutely. You know, test pilots are not known for being particularly emotional, necessarily, but when you go up and see our home planet from that perspective, it really is a sublimely human and emotional experience. So, she`ll have that. And I can`t wait to share it with her. You know, the shuttle mission I commanded, I had five rookies on board, so it will be similar to that experience. Taking them to space for the first time. And after all the hard work and in her case being right place, right time and ready to go to have that just wonderful experience, she can then in turn share with others.
HAMMER: Well, Mercedes, we`re so excited for you. Congratulations to you. Thank you so much for being with us.
BECERRA: Thank you.
HAMMER: Thank you, Colonel. And have a blast up in space.
SEARFOSS: You bet, thanks.
HAMMER: All right. Thank you.
BECERRA: Absolutely.
SEARFOSS: Take care, A.J.
BECERRA: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TURNER: OK. What an amazing experience Mercedes will have. And to think, it was all just a simple luck of a draw. How great is that?
Moving on now, to Lance Bass, the untold story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LANCE BASS, MUSICIAN: Everyone attacked me and I was even wiped out of ad campaigns from Mississippi. Everyone just kind of wanted to forget that I ever existed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TURNER: Tonight, how the former boy band superstar`s home state declared war on him after he revealed he was gay.
Plus, the iconic movie "Footloose" epitomized teen rebellion in the `80s, and you know what? The remake did the same for teens today. So, is it going to grab the number one spot on The Showbiz Countdown of movie remakes done right? We`re counting down the top remake classics. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TURNER: Now, get ready for The Showbiz Countdown remakes done right. George Clooney did it with "Ocean`s Eleven" but what really made it work? How do you make a big screen deja vu into a masterful moneymaker?
Tonight, The Showbiz Countdown, the do-overs that won us over. But which classic double take had us cheering the most the second time around?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TURNER: Tonight, Lance Bass. The untold story. The onetime member of boy band phenomenon NSYNC revealed in 2006 that he`s gay. At the time, he said, he felt liberated but what he didn`t know is that coming out would spark a war with the state he once called home, Mississippi. Lance faced unrelenting prejudice, even death threats along with his newfound freedom. He tells his eye opening story in a terrific documentary. Here`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Kareen Wynter with a showbiz special report.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Mississippi native Lance Bass rocketed to fame with the group NSYNC, he made his home state proud. He was inducted into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame, a small town boy made good.
BASS: Every time I`d come home, I was a hero. My family was treated, you know, so great.
WYNTER: But Bass says that adulation turned to scorn in 2006, after he revealed a long-held secret -- he was gay.
BASS: The state rejected me once I just came out. And one little issue, and you know, all that was just taken away.
WYNTER: Bass tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he got death threats and his family back in Mississippi was heaped with abuse.
BASS: Every day, people making comments to them, saying they want to kill me, you know, patting them on the back, saying, I`m so sorry, I`m so sorry, like I had died.
WYNTER: In the new documentary "Mississippi, I Am," the singer recalls the pain of that time.
BASS: The media attacked me and I was even wiped out of ad campaigns for Mississippi. Everyone just kind of wanted to forget that I ever existed.
WYNTER: Bass executives produced the film, but he`s not its main subject. The primary focus is on gay teens in Mississippi, who share their own struggle with coming out in a very conservative state.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you`re different in any way, they kind of turn their back on you.
WYNTER: The documentary includes interviews with anti- gay Mississippians and audio from a Tupelo radio station.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My God, your God, our Lord and Savior would not make someone a homosexual. This is a dangerous behavior. It is killing children.
BASS: We all forget that it`s so easy to be in New York, L.A., Chicago, Miami, places where it`s just really easy to be yourself and be gay and everyone accepts you. We forget about the small town USA.
WYNTER: I met up with Bass at the Red Berry (ph) Hotel in Los Angeles, seemingly a world away from his hometown. He remembered his feeling of desperation as a child when he became aware of his sexuality.
BASS: And I knew I was gay at five-years-old. Like I knew it. I knew I was gay. I knew what it was.
WYNTER (on camera): That young?
BASS: Oh, at five. So you tell me it`s a choice. I knew at five-years-old. But I knew I had to hide it from everyone.
WYNTER: Out of fear or shame?
BASS: Both. Shame and fear. Yes. I just knew it wasn`t right. I knew it was wrong, that something was wrong with me. So every single day I prayed to God that he would change me to be straight. Every single night I would cry. I`d be like, please, I want to wake up tomorrow and be straight. And I hear that from so many kids.
WYNTER (voice-over): Kids like Jesse (ph) and Audrey (ph), who appear in the documentary. They`re among a growing number of young gay people in Mississippi who embrace their sexuality. Audrey`s (ph) part of the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition, a group formed by gay kids and their allies which puts on an alternative prom.
Bass returned to Mississippi in 2010 to support the event.
BASS: About 400 kids came from all over the state. I mean, I get chill bumps thinking about it.
WYNTER: What have they taught you?
BASS: I`ve learned so much from these kids. I mean just -- I gave up on my state. I will admit it, I completely gave up. I would definitely go back home and visit my family, but it was a place where I just didn`t think anything was ever going to change. Everyone was so hard-headed just like myself. And you`re just not going to change people`s minds. But these kids taught me that, at any age, you can change people`s minds.
WYNTER: The documentary "Mississippi, I Am" may change some minds as well, Bass says, even among his closest relatives.
BASS: My family is very right-wing, conservative, religious. They are the people that we want to see this film. And for their reaction to be like, this is one of the most beautiful things that we`ve seen. They learned a lot of things. That`s the reaction I definitely wanted.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TURNER: I like that. Lance Bass, giving the face teen idol a whole new meaning with this inspiring film. That was Kareen Wynter for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Moving on tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is revealing the best movie remake of all-time. What`s your favorite? Maybe Johnny Depp`s brilliant performance in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." The remake of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" was a huge Box Office hit. But is it good enough to beat out other remakes? Amazing ones like "Casino Royale" and "Father of the Bride"? Is the showbiz countdown of remakes done right? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TURNER: Hollywood`s obsession with Mars, from movies to TV shows, Hollywood`s eyes have always been on the heavens. The real life mission to Mars under way, the curiosity about the red planet is red hot. The Mars rover, curiosity, will roam the surface of Mars for at least two years looking for signs of life, but will it be anything like what Hollywood has dreamed up over the years, or could this be the beginning of the greatest Hollywood story ever told?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TURNER (voice-over): From the time we first picked it out in the night sky, centuries ago, we earthlings haven`t been able to get enough of Mars. But we didn`t really start seeing red until the late 1800s when telescoped detected mysterious canal-like markings on the surface. Millions of people came to believe they were built by Martians and wondered, was the red planet as warlike as the Roman God it was named after?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: The put out some of electro-magnetic covering.
TURNER: H.G Wells definitely thought so. His book "War of the Worlds," later made into multiple movies, imagined a Martian invasion of earth. And when Orson Wells did a hyper-real radio adaptation in 1938, America freaked out.
ORSON WELLS, ACTOR (voice-over): Seven thousand men armed with rifles and machine guns pitted against the single fighting machine of the invaders from Mars.
TURNER: Another famous author, Edgar Rice Burroughs, speculated the planet had warring factions in his "John Carter of Mars" novels.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: You got me.
TURNER: Later, during the Cold war paranoia of the 1940s and `50s, Martians served as a surrogate for those other reds, the Soviets, in "B" movies such as "Invaders of Mars" an era spoof by Director Tim Burton, in "Mars Attacks."
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: We are your friends.
TURNER: Once we learned it was uninhabited, we begin to think of Mars and Martians in a cuter, more whimsical way. Who can forget Bugs Bunny`s interstellar nemesis, Marvin the Martian?
CARTOON CHARACTER: That is an interplanetary flying space saucer.
TURNER: Lucy and Ethel famously dressed up as Martians on the Empire State Building in an "I Love Lucy" episode. And we pricked up our ears and antenna when Ray Walston hit our TV as "Our Favorite Martian."
RAY WALSTON, ACTOR: I`m merely applying a Martian variation of your closed- circuit television system.
TURNER (on camera): As time went on, Martians faded from our imagination, but Mars itself never did. Our planetary neighbor proved to be a relatively close and exotic location for Sci-fi films.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Welcome to Mars.
TURNER (voice-over): Arnold Schwarzenegger visited Mars in "Total Recall," and assorted astronauts had adventures there in "Red Planet" and "Missions to Mars."
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I`m going to make contact.
TURNER: No doubt, writers and filmmakers will keep turning red into green for years to come.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TURNER: And if you just can`t quench your curiosity about Mars, why don`t you head to the NASA Web site, nasa.gov to see pictures from the curiosity rover in 3-D. No glasses necessary.
And now here`s what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Who didn`t love "Father of the Bride"? I mean, it`s an absolute classic. One of the best movie remakes ever, right?
Well, tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is naming the top five remakes done right. I`m talking about movies like "Ocean`s Eleven," that flick would have been better the second time around. One reason why? Well, George Clooney. So, which remake do you think should top the list? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TURNER: Right now on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, The Showbiz Countdown. Remakes done right. George Clooney did it with "Ocean`s Eleven." But what made it work? How do you make a big screen deja vu a masterful moneymaker?
Tonight, The Showbiz Countdown. The do-overs that won us over. But which classic double take had us cheering the most the second time around? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues right now.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Nischelle Turner. Tonight, Hollywood do-overs. Is it me, or is Hollywood churning out new versions of movies we`ve seen even 20, 30 years ago? It`s like deja vu. Case in point, "Total Recall" starring Colin Farrell kick back in sale. And that movie was a big old flop.
So, why does Hollywood insist on remaking classics? Is it lack of ideas or is Hollywood just chicken when it comes to new stories? The experts tell us, it`s a little bit of both. Here`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s" Kareen Wynter with a look at Hollywood recycled.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WYNTER (voice-over): It was supposed to be a hit. Recalling the fans and fortune of its 1990 predecessor.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: What do you know about recall?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Stay away from them.
WYNTER: Instead the new "Total Recall" bombed.
BIANCA GOODLOE, ENTERTAINMENT LAWYER AND CONSULTANT: They alienated their core audience.
WYNTER: Bianca Goodloe`s entertainment firm has overseen the financial development of blockbusters like "Harry Potter," "Lara Croft," and "Lord of the Rings." She offers these keys to successful Hollywood recycling.
GOODLOE: Finding a story that`s old enough to be universal, such that the marketplace is conditioned and everyone is familiar with it. Being faithful to what made it classic in the first place. And make it damn good.
WYNTER: Good, Goodloe says, like blockbuster remakes "Ocean`s Eleven" and "The Italian Job."
GOODLOE: Very smartly and shrewdly, I think the studios pulled together a strong ensemble cast that appealed to a broad demographic and they set them in international locations that appeals to global audiences.
GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: I`m not sure this belonged to me.
WYNTER (on camera): While there are many examples of successful remakes, the very idea of dusting off an old title for a new gain sometimes doesn`t sit well with moviegoers or moviemakers.
Is there one film that you would love to breathe new life into?
MARTIN SCORSESE, FILM DIRECTOR: You mean remake? No, not remake. How could you even remake what you did back then? You`re a different person then.
WYNTER: It`s no secret that movie remakes also fuel criticism that Hollywood lacks originality and with even more cinematic do-overs on the horizon, why do studios keep cranking them out? Well, as it turns out, there are a few reasons. Starting with fear.
JASON E. SQUIRE, USC, SCHOOL OF CINEMATIC ARTS: Not mentioned much in the press, there really is a fear of your job.
WYNTER (voice-over): Jason Squire is a professor of cinema and business at USC.
SQUIRE: Certainly original ideas much more courageous to try to put forward and if that doesn`t play at the box office, that`s a tough one.
WYNTER: And when things get tough like back-to-back flat liners, "Arthur" and "The Three Stooges" --
GOODLOE: You need to look for cover. It was a classic universal story. It has worked time and again. It should have worked. It wasn`t my fault.
WYNTER: Aside from fear, nostalgia can be a driving force.
SQUIRE: Yes. There are directors, in fact, who have remade their own movies for that reason.
WYNTER: Sometimes new technology motivates an update.
GOODLOE: Like "Planet of the Apes." The CGI was on the vanguard of filmmaking and it was just very well done movie. Can`t say that about "Footloose?"
WYNTER: And finally some of the world`s biggest remakes don`t feel like remakes at all. Movies like "The Tourist."
SQUIRE: A trend has been to acquire the English language rights to a popular movie in a local language. And these are remakes.
WYNTER: Oh, and Martin Scorsese`s Oscar-winning film, "The Departed," based on the 2002 Hong Kong movie "Internal Affairs."
JACK NICHOLSON, ACTOR: I think we could work something out.
WYNTER: With a growing list of Hollywood remakes being worked out and no end in sight, film lovers will decide if they are getting real movie magic or more of the same.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TURNER: Doesn`t everyone love a good remake, though? And the emphasis on good. Because when the remake is done right, it`s BOX Office gold. So tonight, it`s a special edition of The Showbiz Countdown. Remakes done right. We`re counting down our top five remakes. Are you ready? Coming in at number five on our countdown, 2005`s "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" with Johnny Depp.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
CHARLIE: Mr. Wonka.
WILLY WONKA: Huh?
CHARLIE: Why would Augustus` name already be in the Oompa-Loompa song unless they --
WILLY WONKA: Improvisation is a parlor trick. Anyone can do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUNER: You know, that movie was really well done, but the original "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" was released in 1971. It starred Gene Wilder and at the time it was considered a Box Office disappointment but went on to be a whole classic. And by the way, one of my favorite movies ever. But the Johnny Depp remake was directed by Tim Burton, so you know, need I say more? It grossed $470 million. That is a remake done right for sure.
And joining me here in Hollywood, Paul Dergarabedian, president of the Box Office Division for Hollywood.com. And Nikki Boyer, host of "Daytime in No Time" on Yahoo! TV. OK. Guy, I`m going to need you to help me out here.
NIKKI BOYER, HOST, "DAYTIME IN NO TIME" ON YAHOO TV: OK.
TURNER: Because admittedly, I don`t usually love remakes. Bu Paul, I have to ask you, what was the secret of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" remake`s success? Was it Tim Burton and his corky film making style or was it Johnny Depp`s acting?
PAUL DERGARABEDIAN, PRESIDENT, HOLLYWOOD.COM BOX OFFICE: I think it was both.
TURNER: Yes.
DERGARABEDIAN: And Johnny Depp and Tim Burton together is irresistible and it lends credibility and a legitimacy that doing a remake like this when a visionary director like Tim Burton gets together with his muse, Johnny Depp and creates kind of a re-imagined Willy Wonka as, you know, as Johnny Depp portrayed him. And I think that really, really worked.
TURNER: Well, let`s go, though, from a movie based in total fantasy to one based on a total real life situation. A wedding. OK? Coming in at number four on our remakes done right countdown is "Father of the Bride." In 1991, "Father of the Bride" was remade starring Steve Martin and Diane Keaton. Now, the original "Father of the Bride" was made in 1950, it starred Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor.
So, let`s take a look at a clip from that movie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: All you had to do was take my arm and lean against me and relax. I`ll do the rest.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Oh, you are wonderful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TURNER: OKs. That`s kind of movie magic for me. I know, Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor are tough acts to follow. But, you know, what? When you watch Steve Martin and his betrayal of a dad having really hard time letting his little girl go, that gets me, every single time.
So, Nikki, you know, there were 48 years, 41 years actually between the making of these two "Father of the Bride" movies. But the theme still worked.
BOYER: Yes.
TURNER: It`s just kind of that classic story line that never gets old, right?
BOYER: Never does get old. They can make that story again 40 years from now and I believe it will be interesting to the group of people that happen to be watching it. It was so magical to watch the first version of that with Liz Taylor. And there was a deepness and a darkness and like a, oh, to the movie. You like that description, oh. And then Steve Martin brings this whole lighter version of it and the kind of dad that I feel like our generation had.
TURNER: And everybody would want.
BOYER: Absolutely. So I feel like that was my favorite remake ever in movie history.
TURNER: Oh, I loved that. Let`s move on, though now to number three. Nikki loves number four but we`ll move to number three in our countdown. Remember this one?
(MUSIC PLAYING)
TURNER: You know that`s got your toe tapping, right? That was the original "Footloose" from 1984 which launched the film career of Kevin Bacon that got everybody dancing in the aisles. You know, when I heard that "Footloose" was going to be remade, I had serious doubts.
BOYER: Me, too.
TURNER: Because I loved the original, but I want to give credit where credit is due. Watch this.
BOYER: OK.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
TURNER: What I liked about this, Paul, that this remake kind of stayed true to the original story. You think that`s why this was a success?
DERGARABEDIAN: I think so. But it`s sort of this whole teen angst and sort of being a rebel with or without a cause.
TURNER: Yes.
DERGARABEDIAN: Really worked for audiences back in `84 where in my house, it was on constant rotation on the VHS. We loved that movie. And John Lithgow in it and Kevin Bacon, of course. Again, that was an iconic movie, that performance by Kevin Bacon was iconic.
TURNER: Yes.
DERGARABEDIAN: So do you live out to that? I think they do a good job with this new one.
TURNER: Yes.
DERGARABEDIAN: Sticking with the blueprint sometimes is the best way to go. If you`re going to remake something and totally change it.
TURNER: Yes.
DERGARABEDIAN: You better be a really good director.
TURNER: Exactly.
DERGARABEDIAN: .writer, producer to make that work.
TURNER: And do it well.
DERGARABEDIAN: Yes.
TURNER: All right. We got three down, we got two to go. What will come in at number one on our showbiz countdown of remakes done right? Don`t go anywhere. You guys don`t go anywhere. You guys don`t go anywhere. We don`t want you to miss our pick for the top spot.
Now, she jumps out of cars, leaps from disasters, she`s the woman who takes the hits from some of your favorite leading ladies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUCI ROMBERG, HOLLYWOOD STUNTWOMAN: I double Abigail Breslin on "Zombieland." I doubled Anna Paquin just for one episode on "True Blood." Hayden Panettiere on "Heroes."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TURNER: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT gets on set, secrets of a true action star. What`s it like really putting yourself in danger just to make a star look good on screen? A stunt woman secrets from the set coming up. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TURNER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s countdown, the top five remakes done right. Here`s where we are so far. At number five, 2005`s "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" starring Johnny Depp and directed by Tim Burton, who really put a stamp on this remake. Coming in at number four, 1991`s "Father of the Bride." Who could resist Steve Martin as the heartbroken father giving away his daughter? And our number three movie "Footloose," the 2011 remake of the 1984 original made a believer out of me that remakes can be done right. And that brings us now to number two on our remakes done right countdown. At number two, "Casino Royale."
The 2006 remake starring Daniel Craig as the new James Bond was a huge hit at the Box Office. It brought in $588 million. All right. Back with me now, Paul Dergarabedian, president of the Box Office Division for Hollywood.com and Nikki Boyer, host of "Daytime in No Time" on Yahoo! TV.
So, Nikki, you know, the original "Casino Royale" starred Peter Sellers, that was in 1967.
BOYER: Right.
TURNER: Peter Sellers and Ursula Andress.
BOYER: Right.
TURNER: It was a spoof of a James Bond type of movie. But it certainly didn`t pack the same punch of the remake. I`m wondering why this remake was such a big hit. I`m thinking maybe Daniel Craig.
BOYER: I`m going to go ahead. I`m going to go out on a limb and say, yes. I was not -- when I went to go see this in the theaters, I was not a fan of James Bond-type movies. I don`t even know, I think I was covering it for a job, and all right, I`m going to go see it, and I kind of fell in love with it. I believe there`s a built-in audience for any type of a James Bond remake and I also believe there are new women in the audience that will go with their boyfriends.
TURNER: Yes.
BOYER: Go with their husbands and then become a fan. And now, I would actually go -- I`m a fan now of Daniel Craig because of this movie "Casino Royale."
TURNER: He`s a good James Bond. Yes he is. And now, the moment we`ve all been waiting for. Kind of feel like I need a drum roll here. And number one, on the SHOWBIZ COUNTDOWN of remakes done right is "Ocean`s Eleven." Yes, I know, you`re thinking, how could we pick this 2001 remake with George Clooney and Brad Pitt over the 1960 original with the Rat Pack? But look, it really all just came down to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAD PITT, ACTOR: This town your luck can change just that quickly.
ANDY GARCIA, ACTOR: Find out how much money we have down there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes sir.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TURNER: I`m a sucker for George Clooney and Brad Pitt. What can I say? But you know what? This remake was even more fun than the first. And that first heist, that high scene, one of the best robbery sequences of all time. So, Paul, I know the `60s version had Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.
DERGARABEDIAN: Yes.
TURNER: But the 2009 version is George Clooney and Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts. So was it the star power that made the difference in this remake?
DERGARABEDIAN: Oh, yes. It was star power. When you saw the lineup. I mean, first of all, big shoes to fill with the Rat Pack and the original, right? So how do you do that kind of one upsmanship that you have to do in a remake to get people`s attention? Put every conceivable star in the movie and then just tell everybody about it and sprinkling on top of Steven Soderbergh.
TURNER: Right.
DERGARABEDIAN: Great director. Great street cred. This is a guy who`s a terrific filmmaker.
TURNER: Yes.
DERGARABEDIAN: And the whole package just totally worked.
TURNER: It did. It definitely worked. Thank you guys very much. This is so much fun. We appreciate you coming in today.
BOYER: I love being here.
DERGARABEDIAN: Thank you.
TURNER: Lots of fun. So tonight, she is the woman who takes the hits for the most famous women in TV and film.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMBERG, HOLLYWOOD STUNTWOMAN: I double Abigail Breslin on "Zombieland." I doubled Anna Paquin just for one episode on "True Blood." Hayden Panettiere on "Heroes."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TURNER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes one-on-one with the stunt devil dynamo who takes the licking and keeps on ticking. The stunt woman to the stars reveals secrets from the set, next. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TURNER: Tonight, a showbiz special report. The surprising secrets of Hollywood`s top stunt woman. She flips, she kicks, she leaps from tall buildings in a single bound. We`re taking you behind the scenes with legendary stunt woman Luci Romberg who does all that to keep Hollywood`s "A" list safe and sound. Here`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Kareen Wynter with the secrets of a superstar stunt woman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAREEN WYNTER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With high- flying jumps, jaw-dropping flips and gravity-defying moves, it`s no wonder that world champion free runner Luci Romberg is one of Hollywood`s most sought after stuntwomen.
And here at the Tempest Free Running Academy in Los Angeles, Romberg is spilling her secrets on stunting to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ROMBERG: It is a great job. I love it. I love what I do.
WYNTER: And Hollywood loves her. Romberg`s performed stunts in more than 40 TV shows and movies like bar-brawling in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," escaping disaster in "The Green Lantern" and being thrown from a moving car in "Zombieland."
(on camera) How do you make these stunts look so real on film?
ROMBERG: You know, some people, you know, in my mind, they are professional athletes. So you know, you need to be well-rounded. The biggest secret is keeping your body healthy, because your body is your engine. This is what makes you money. And so taking care of yourself, you know, getting massages, going to the chiropractor --
WYNTER: It is so grueling on those sets and making it look real.
ROMBERG: Exactly. I mean, you know, stunts are a calculated risk. You know, they go to great measures to make sure that it`s safe, but you know, you`re still abusing your body. You`re still hitting the ground hard. You`re still falling down a real set of stairs. The better condition you are in, the less likely you are to get injured.
WYNTER: These are things the stars don`t want to do. Why do you jump in and say, "Hey, I`ll be the one for that?"
ROMBERG: You know, the stars aren`t allowed to do this stuff. You know, if they get injured, production is out, you know, however many weeks, however many millions of dollars, you know, if that the star is not available to work because they`re injured.
WYNTER: And some big name actresses that you`ve also worked with on film?
ROMBERG: I doubled Abigail Breslin on "Zombieland." I doubled Anna Paquin, just for one episode, on "True Blood." Hayden Panettiere on "Heroes." I got to double Mary Lou Retton, which is really cool. She is an Olympic champion.
WYNTER: What was that like working on the set of "Indiana Jones"?
ROMBERG: It was so much fun. I was on the scene with the college kids in the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) when they all come together and fight. I was lucky I got to jump on the back of one of the bad guys who runs out of the diner and flips the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) back. So it was really cool getting to work with Steven Spielberg.
WYNTER: You worked as a stunt on "Indiana Jones." We want you to recreate it for us right now.
ROMBERG: OK.
WYNTER: That was mean.
(voice-over) Along with performing stunts, Luci says, she also trains many of Hollywood`s hottest starlets to do action scenes including Jennifer Lawrence for the thriller, "Hunger Games." But today, it`s my turn and Luci is showing me the secrets to what she calls the safety vault.
ROMBERG: You`re going to run up, you`re going to put your left hand down, your right foot up and you`re going to push through. Yes. Nice.
WYNTER: Thanks, Luci, but don`t expect to see me sliding over any car hoods any time soon. But don`t let her fearless demeanor fool you. Despite her experience, Luci says, she still gets nervous before the camera rolls.
(on camera) Do you ever get scared or worried?
ROMBERG: Oh, yes. Of course.
WYNTER: And you have the butterflies going?
ROMBERG: Yes, I get the butterflies even with the simplest stunt because you know you`re there to do a good job like, you know, hold yourself to a high standard. And yes, you want to make everybody look good. You know, you want to get rehired for the next gig.
WYNTER (voice-over): And as those gigs in Hollywood keep coming, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that this stuntwoman`s career will continue to soar.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TURNER: That was so cool. That was SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Kareen Wynter flipping out.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes one-on-one with Jennifer Garner, the superstar mom reveals to showbiz why she can`t stop being a helicopter mom. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TURNER: Now for showbiz true confessions. Jennifer Garner may have played the mom of a 10-year-old child that appears on her door step in "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" but in real life, she`s the mother of three with husband Ben Affleck. And yes, she admits to being one of those moms who hovers but after having her third child this year, she tells us she`s learned to relax.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNIFER GARNER, ACTRESS: I catch myself, and I say, back off. But it`s hard. That`s just the time that we`re in now. We`re all so focused on our kids, and I`m sure it`s too much. I mean, I think back, and I realize my parents gave me a lot of space to become who I was and to be quirky and they didn`t really worry about it too much. And Cindy Green is so wrapped up in if her child is going -- how is going to be perceived. If he`s going -- in order for him to be happy, he has to be perceived as normal, and will he be all right if he doesn`t have every possible thing in his backpack to take to school on his first day?
I mean, this movie is all about that. It`s about familial love and it`s all about just the tangled web of a family, but that in the end that`s what you have. So to let go of judgment, to love yourself for who you are, I mean, when you`re a first-time mom, that`s where you are. You can`t help it. You really do walk around with five different kinds of diaper cream in a bag and 50 diapers and seven changes of clothes. And OK, that`s not going to kill anybody. That`s fine. Now, with my third I toss a diaper in my purse and I`m good to go, I can figure the rest out as I go along.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: You have it down to a science it sounds like?
GARNER: You know, it`s not that. You just realize that none of it is that important. You know, if the clothes are a little bit dirty, the kid`s going to be all right.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TURNER: Well, that`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Nischelle Turner in Hollywood. Be sure to tune in for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with A.J. Hammer every night at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific right here on HLN. Keep it here. HLN continues right now.
END
