Fame Director Sir Alan Parker Feels “Mugged”
I have a confession to make. Here in FilmShaft towers we’re feeling a little robbed, after months of free PR, posting trailers, posters, the works – we were not approached to review the remake of the 1980 classic, FAME.
However, if recent reports are to be believed then we weren’t the only ones feeling robbed, original Fame director, Sir Alan Parker does too!
Speaking this week to The Telegraph, 65 year old Parker made no bones about disputing Hollywood claims that he approved of the 2009 remake, telling reporters that he had not been consulted and was appalled by the “dreadful” project:
“It’s a bit like being mugged. Such are the realities of Hollywood manners and American copyright law.”
“I have never had a single phone call from anyone – the studio, the producers – about this remake. No-one spoke to me about it. To say so is absolute nonsense.
“I feel very much that Fame is mine. I spent months with the kids at the school then spent a year making the movie. You do the work and make it as good as it can be, and you try to protect it.
“Then, because the copyright is owned by the studio, as with almost all American feature films, they can do a remake like this. It’s extremely galling. There is no other area of the arts where you can do that.”
I for one have not yet seen Fame so it wouldn’t be appropriate to comment on the “quality/lack of” therein. However I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get some pleasure from the fact that cinematic sage, Parker was pissed at Hollywood defacing his work with another needless remake. While Parker may not hold the copyright to the film, the studios do not hold the copyright to the classic Fame logo – something Parker is considering legal action over.
The director, who was knighted in 2001 and has a string of successful Hollywood pictures under his belt, likened the remake to daylight robbery. This despite the fact that the director of the remake, Kevin Tancharoen, has claimed that Parker gave it his seal of approval:
“[The producers] called him to tell him that they were going to remake his movie, and he was happy about it. He gave us all his blessings and just let us do it.”
I’d be interested to see if any lawsuits are filed, Hollywood are notoriously meticulous when it comes to media law and copyright so I would imagine a defense would be watertight. Still, one can hope!
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