mamato3 all-boy boys Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Does anyone have a list already? If not, I'd love to create a list of movies or plays that have been modern adaptions of Shakespeare's plays, or have used Shakespearean themes. Here's my two so far: The play "All Shook Up" is The Twelfth Night. "The Lion King" is thematically related to Hamlet. Note that I'm not looking for filmed versions of the original plays (Like Sir Laurence Olivier's Hamlet), but adaptions. I'd prefer to find movies/ plays that are PG-rated and under. TIA! Alane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 "10 Things I Hate About You" with Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles, based on "The Taming of the Shrew." It is PG-13 though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 There was a movie from the early '80s called Tempest with John Cassavetes (and a very young Molly Ringwald). Worth it if only for Raul Julia's Caliban character. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tearose Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Kiss Me, Kate is also based on Taming of the Shrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tearose Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 (edited) She's the Man with Amanda Bynes (Twelfth Night)--I haven't seen it, but I don't think it's supposed to be very good. PG-13, I think. West Side Story (Romeo and Juliet) Edited January 18, 2011 by tearose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gratia271 Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kebo Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 (edited) OH, we just watched one last night! It was a British adaptation of 4 Shakespeare plays called Shakespeare Retold. We've just watched Much Ado About Nothing so far, but there is also Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was pretty good :001_smile:. It's not rated, and it was *slightly* racy, but not much. ETA: Okay, we just watched the Macbeth version......definitely not PG rated. But that's a hard one to sanitize. Edited January 18, 2011 by Kebo added more info.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 West Side story, of course. -Musical. The sitcom "moonlighting" with Bruce Willis did a really funny re-telling of "Taming of the Shrew", it was silly but fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tearose Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I thought of two more: O (based on Othello). Rated R, unfortunately. Forbidden Planet (based on The Tempest)--a 1950s Leslie Nielson film. Rated G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 The great director Akira Kurosawa adapted two Shakespearean plays: Ran, based on King Lear, and Throne of Blood, based on Macbeth. My Own Private Idaho is based on the two King Henry IV plays and King Henry V. I remember seeing it in college and finding it very strange. It has nothing at all to do with the B-52's. ETA: I just saw the PG-13 and under caveat. I'd let a child near 13 years old watch the Kurosawa movies; My Own Private Idaho is about gay street hustlers, and is probably too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanne in MN Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 How To Read Literature Like a Professor http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_39?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=how+to+read+literature+like+a+professor&sprefix=how+to+read+literature+like+a+professor has a chapter on seeing Shakespearean themes in literature. There is also this book, Shakespeare in the Movies that lists movies from silent films to now that are either based on Shakespeares works or just have the theme, like you are looking for. http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Movies-Literary-Artists-Representatives/dp/0195139585/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1295396054&sr=1-6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamato3 all-boy boys Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 Excellent everybody, thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 nm. wrong list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britomart Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 You might see if your library has the Reduced Shakespeare Company's book. One of the things that's in there is a list (and brief reviews of) the movies inspired by each of the plays. Also, I'd recommend the DVD of their famous play The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). Hilarious. Though certainly raunchy in parts (much like Shakespeare). But anyone who's studied the Bard will crack up watching it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Doug and Bob Mackenzie's Strange Brew.(1983). Very weird movie, I think it came out of characters from Saturday Night Live (if I remember correctly). I haven't seen it since it came out so this is long term memory here, :001_smile:. The stars were sort of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in a quasi Hamlet. I remember it as being funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britomart Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Doug and Bob Mackenzie's Strange Brew.(1983). Very weird movie, I think it came out of characters from Saturday Night Live (if I remember correctly). I haven't seen it since it came out so this is long term memory here, :001_smile:. The stars were sort of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in a quasi Hamlet. I remember it as being funny. Aaa! "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead"! How could I have forgotten that one? Probably not child-appropriate though . . . though it's been awhile since I've seen it. But it follows the two eponymous minor characters from "Hamlet" as they weave through the main story. Kind of depressing, but interesting. Very meta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 The Canadian TV show Slings and Arrows. It's on Netflix streaming. Obviously it's not rated as it's TV, but there's nothing sexually explicit or violent - though there many mature themes and some language that's not typically for young ears. It follows a struggling theater company as they put on various Shakespeare productions. Each season's production is mirrored in the events taking place with the characters. Season 1 is Hamlet. Season 2 is Macbeth and season 3 is King Lear. Notice that it also takes us through youth (Hamlet), middle age (Macbeth) and old age (Lear). It's a funny but also insightful show and I would rate it among the best TV shows of all time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamato3 all-boy boys Posted January 20, 2011 Author Share Posted January 20, 2011 Great, I added this to my instant list. I'll watch it before suggesting it to my sons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 If one is speaking strictly thematic, I could make a case for Star Wars/King Lear...:D Or Henry V or Richard III...or... Shakespearean themes are universal, and it's fun to consider various themes in the silliest of films. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 This looks like it could be fun: http://brushupyourshakespeare.blogspot.com/2008/06/film-theatre-of-blood-1973-vincent.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvenice Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 What about Shakespeare in Love? I can't remember what play they were doing in that film...think it was R&J or Othello...not sure. You would have to edit, but it is a delightful film for an adult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 (edited) Twelfth Night : www.imdb.com/title/tt0454945/ Edited January 20, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 :thumbup::thumbup: The Canadian TV show Slings and Arrows. It's on Netflix streaming. Obviously it's not rated as it's TV, but there's nothing sexually explicit or violent - though there many mature themes and some language that's not typically for young ears. It follows a struggling theater company as they put on various Shakespeare productions. Each season's production is mirrored in the events taking place with the characters. Season 1 is Hamlet. Season 2 is Macbeth and season 3 is King Lear. Notice that it also takes us through youth (Hamlet), middle age (Macbeth) and old age (Lear). It's a funny but also insightful show and I would rate it among the best TV shows of all time. OOOOH how could I forget Slings and Arrows. I love that show. I double recommend it. Warning: coarse language. Ironically, I just recommended Wilby Wonderful (also starring Paul Gross) in another thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 (edited) great question. Edited January 22, 2011 by elegantlion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.