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formerlyfreedom

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formerlyfreedom

formerlyfreedom

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TCA panel on Heathers;

Quote

 

It was the pretty teenage girls who ruled the roost and called the shots at Westerburg High in Michael Lehmann’s 1988 cult feature film, but in Paramount Network’s new series from Jason Micallef, it’s intentionally turned on its head.

Talking about the series theme, Brendan Scannell who plays Heath Duke, a gay Heather, said “The idea is that power corrupts and that everyone is at their core an asshole and concerned for themselves. In the movie three beautiful women where wrecking havoc on the school; that was new and hadn’t been done before. Our modern retelling centers around marginalized communities — a plus-size, a Black girl and a queer — trashing everyone around them.”

 

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Glade

Glade

(edited)

Wow, it's as bad as I thought it would be--and worse, actually.  Terribly low production values, cheap cgi/green-screen, blurry camerawork, cliche-filled writing... A terrible knockoff of Heathers, and a right wing one at that.  They handle the whole "people of color, gays, and big girls are the ones bullying ""normal"" straight white's with their SJW PC rhetoric" without any irony.  It's right out of fox news, and perfect for the trump era--get a thrill out of watching white people murder minorities.  Fuck this show, seriously.

Edited by Glade
  • Love 7
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Ms Lark

Ms Lark

(edited)

This movie is 30 years old. It was dark and campy in its day, but hasn't held up over the years. Too many school killings, violence, and bullyings have taken place. I watched this 10 years ago and made that observation. Ten more years and look where we are today. I can't watch this movie ever again.

Edited by Ms Lark
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txhorns79

txhorns79

There are some cheap production values, questionable acting and I wonder if Heather would really be allowed to so openly terrorize her classmates, but it wasn't terrible.  I also wonder if there is really enough material here to sustain a series. 

  • Love 2
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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

(edited)

Even though I was pretty sure I would not like this (due to the fact that Heathers is one of my all time favorite movies), I still decided to give it a try.

The show definitely opened with a bang (no pun intended) when OG Heather Duke set her house on fire and then shot herself.

The actual episode was pretty bad. One of the things that made the original movie so good was the dialogue. A new vocabulary was created. But instead of doing the same thing for the tv show, they took the script for the movie and then crammed 2018 references into it. Not only will that date the show very quickly but it reeks of laziness. The end result is kind of like when you type something into google translate and it gives you a literal translation that sounds awkward as hell. I mean, seriously, "You're Panera"? And stop trying to make "just" happen. It will never replace "very."

I wish I could be appreciative of all the references to the movie (the Big Fun chips in the vending machine, OG Heather Duke's Hot Probs matches, Stud Puppy magazine, Ram's Remington shirt, the Snappy Snack Shack) but it all came off as lazy rather than homage.

The other elements they included from the movie felt very forced ("You're an idiot," the entire JD/dad reverse conversation, pâté, etc).

The actor playing JD made every "my dear" sound like it was tacked on with a sledgehammer. I know that Christian Slater was doing his Jack Nicholson impression during the movie, but at least he managed to make his dialogue sound real.

There were moments when the actress playing Veronica sounded like Winona Ryder. I can't tell if that's why she was cast or if she's doing it deliberately.

The closest this episode got to funny for me was the Khloe Kardashian quote on the school sign.

The two most interesting changes they made were having Betty Finn be the first one to try to take Heather Chandler's place and Heather Chandler surviving.

Edited by ElectricBoogaloo
  • Love 8
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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

Heathers is one of my all time favorite movies. I'm pretty sure I could still recite the dialogue word for word from beginning to end. It was such a nice change from the saccharine sweet teen movies of that era.

I remember when I found out that the actress who played Heather Chandler died of a brain tumor. It seemed like the kind of gossip that would be an urban legend (like the one about how the cha-ching guy died in a car accident - proven to be untrue when Seth Green turned up on Buffy the Vampire Slayer a few years later), but sadly that one turned out to be true.

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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

(edited)

Did anyone ever see this off-Broadway show? I had tickets to see a production of it but due to a family emergency that happened the same day as the show, I had to give my tickets to a friend so I missed it!

The original 2010 production at Joe's Pub in New York had a pretty amazing cast: Annaleigh Ashford (Wicked, Legally Blonde, KInky Boots, Tony Award for You Can't Take It With You, Masters of Sex) as Veronica, Jeremy Jordan (West Side Story, Bonnie & Clyde, Tony nomination for Newsies, Smash, Supergirl) as JD, Jenna Leigh Green (Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Wicked) as Heather Chandler, Corri English as Heather McNamara, and Christine Lakin (Step by Step, Reefer Madness) as Heather Duke. Barrett Wilbert Weed (Cabaret, Mean Girls) played Veronica in the LA production in 2013 and the off-Broadway production in 2014. The original reading had Kristen Bell as Veronica (hee, another iconic Veronica role!).

Some of the songs are catchy and the cast album is available on itunes/amazon/youtube if you want to check it out!

Edited by ElectricBoogaloo
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Ailianna

Ailianna

I actually did have a chance to see it, and even have one of the "pills" from the suicide that flew into the audience and into my lap.  (They were candy.)  It was kind of like the movie, in that it wasn't meant to be taken literally, and there were several changes (as is usual with adaptations) but I had a great time at the show and remember it fondly.  I always enjoy the New World shows, which are often something kind of off-beat and satirical.  (That's where Avenue Q has been running forever.)  I don't know anyone else who had the same fondness for this, yes, very dark-80s movie that I do, but the musical captured some of that same spirit.

  • Love 1
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ParadoxLost

ParadoxLost

(edited)

That was terrible.

I feel like the writers were struggling to put an update/spin on the movie and did a marathon of that season of South Park where they introduced PC Principal.

They are trying so hard to make this show a commentary on the potential for bullying via political correctness.  Its so forced and not working.

What are they going to do when they run out of movie script to insert their clunky pop culture refrence in between?

Edited by ParadoxLost
  • Love 4
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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

I'm so jealous that you got to see it @Ailianna! I've heard nothing but good things from people who saw it. The friend who I gave my tickets to loved it.

There are various productions on youtube and I just read that there is a high school version of the play that's been licensed. Obviously they took out all the swearing!

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Unclejosh

Unclejosh

My 18 year old daughter uses literally like every other word. Literally.

This show is terrible. I couldn't even make it halfway. It is just too unbelievable that the Heathers in this show would be in any sort of position as shown.  My daughter who identifies as pansexual and is very into social causes and activism also said it was way too unrealistic and she just graduated high school.   All her friends are either bisexual or gay.  The most popular and influential kids are still the best looking and either athletes or rich.  No way any one of the Heathers in the show would be anything but outcasts or at best hangers on of another social circle.

I get what they are doing but it just seems so forced and checking off the PC numbers that it took me out of the show.

  • Love 5
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methodwriter85

methodwriter85

On 3/1/2018 at 9:09 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Oh, NOW the show is suddenly in poor taste? I'm guessing that means there was some gun violence in a future episode. They should be more concerned with what a shitty job they did in remaking an awesome movie into a pretty bad tv show.

Does Daniel Walters still own the rights? How the hell did this happen? It sounds like it was forced by Paramount.

It does remind me what everyone had been saying- Heathers just isn't gong to work in a post-Columbine society. The fact that we just had a fresh new Columbine tragedy underscores that.They would have been better off doing a Mean Girls adaption.

  • Love 2
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junemeatcleaver

junemeatcleaver

(edited)

This was wannabe edgy trash.  I wouldn't be surprised if this fails to see the light of day after everyone forgets about it.  Good riddance.  It was always the wrong way to go about 1) remaking Heathers and 2) making a comment about faux progressive, call out tumblr culture.  It's like they made this show for a small sliver of 18-49 year olds and said eff the rest of them.  They created a poorly made pile of shit and are surprised that a small chunk of the internet loved it.  It sucks for the creators, I suppose.

ETA:  I saw this via Directv after it was announced the show was being delayed.  Guess they didn't remove the traces of this abomination from the world afterall.

Edited by junemeatcleaver
  • Love 2
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BloggerAloud

BloggerAloud

On 2/23/2018 at 3:55 PM, Ms Lark said:

This movie is 30 years old. It was dark and campy in its day, but hasn't held up over the years. Too many school killings, violence, and bullyings have taken place. I watched this 10 years ago and made that observation. Ten more years and look where we are today. I can't watch this movie ever again.

I feel like those things happening since the movie came out makes it more relevant and topical.

  • Love 1
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Miles

Miles

On 24.2.2018 at 11:41 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

The actor playing JD made every "my dear" sound like it was tacked on with a sledgehammer. I know that Christian Slater was doing his Jack Nicholson impression during the movie, but at least he managed to make his dialogue sound real.

Christian Slater couldn't make anything sound real if you held a gun to his head and told him his life dependet on it. That's why he is the perfect casting for a figment of sombodies imagination on Mr. Robot. Speaking of, I could only really get through the movie version of Heathers by pretending Winona Ryder went crazy, started seeing Mr. Robot and went on a killing spree. At least then the movie would make some sense, especially with that ridiculous ending.

Maybe it's because I first saw the movie today and it hasn't aged well, but then I only saw the Breakfast Club a few years ago and loved it (except for the horrible ending [come to think of it, that might be a theme with 80s movies]).

As for this new kid, yes the "my dear" sounded super cringe worthy, but I interpreted it as intentional. A teenager trying to be smooth and completely failing.

I liked this pilot a lot, certainly a lot more than the movie. I appreciated that they updated the mean girls and didn't make them the old tired stereotypes. I also really liked the teachers discussing the suicide. That was something actually fun in the original movie and here they dailed it up to 11. It was especially funny when it turned out that they didn't even make sure heather was actually dead and just went off of what they had read on social media.

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ShadowHunter

ShadowHunter

1 hour ago, JasmineFlower said:

Paramount has cancelled the show entirely after a few delays. Read more below at your preferred site.

'Heathers' Scrapped at Paramount Network, Will be Shopped Elsewhere (Exclusive) - Hollywood Reporter

Heathers Reboot Scrapped Entirely at Paramount Network - TV Link

I had a feeling that was going to happen. I'm a fan of the movie and was willing to give the show a chance.  

Based on the trailer it seems this was a show better binge watch then weekly. 

It will either go to streaming or never seen the light of day.

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junemeatcleaver

junemeatcleaver

Not surprising that they scrapped the series.  If this was a show that Paramount really believed in, they wouldn't have delayed it for months.  I wonder if this will be quietly dumped either online or on streaming service.

It's too bad, I think Heathers may have had something to say.  But making kids who are still outcasts in a lot of schools in real life the alpha bullies left a bad taste in my mouth.  The so-called traditionally popular kids could have easily been faux woke, but that probably wasn't edgy enough.

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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

According to the listings on the futon critic, Paramount will be airing the entire series beginning next week. They will air two episodes per night at 10pm. The schedule is as follows:

10/25 S1.E1 (Pilot) & S1.E2 (She's Going to Cry)
10/26 S1.E3 (Date Rapes & AIDS Jokes) & S1.E4 (Our Love Is God)
10/27 S1.E5 (Reindeer Games) & S1.E6 (Hot Probs)
10/28 S1.E7 (Do I Look Like Mother Theresa?) & S1.E8 (Call Us When the Shuttle Lands)
10/29 S1.E9 (I'm a No Rust Build Up Man Myself) & S1.E10 (Are We Going to Prom or Hell?)

  • Love 1
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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

More info about Heathers being aired this week - per the Hollywood Reporter, the original series was edited to make it more suitable for airing:

Quote

[T]wo specific scenes were edited out from the original series that cleared the way for it to be broadcast after all. The final two episodes, for example, were condensed into one featuring a cliffhanger after a storyline in which

Spoiler

the school was blown up was removed. (The original movie ends with the school also being blown up.)

Also gone is a scene in episode five that featured a central character

Spoiler

playing a video game in which he went on a shooting rampage down the school's hallways, killing multiple people.

Sources say editing the original 10 episodes was not part of the June conversations to drop Heathers as the plan at the time was to sell the series to a third party so it could air as it was originally shot.

Also of note:

Quote

Sources say Paramount Network believed so strongly in the creative that the cabler nearly renewed the series for a second season weeks after Parkland.

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TresGatos

TresGatos

On 2/23/2018 at 11:58 AM, Glade said:

Wow, it's as bad as I thought it would be--and worse, actually.  Terribly low production values, cheap cgi/green-screen, blurry camerawork, cliche-filled writing... A terrible knockoff of Heathers, and a right wing one at that.  They handle the whole "people of color, gays, and big girls are the ones bullying ""normal"" straight white's with their SJW PC rhetoric" without any irony.  It's right out of fox news, and perfect for the trump era--get a thrill out of watching white people murder minorities.  Fuck this show, seriously.

I initially felt this way and almost turned it off several times during the 1st 15 minutes but I;m glad I stuck with it and ended up watching all 9 episodes on demand.

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ShadowHunter

ShadowHunter

This was not the greatest show and the movie was better. I do think this show got a bit better as it went on though. When the show did its own thing it was easier to watch. When it tried to do the stuff that was in the movie is where it failed. The worst episodes were the pilot and the finale. They had to change the finale and the ending of the show anyway. 

I liked that Heather Chandler the only Heather to die in the movie was the only Heather who lived on the series. I like her the actress was good. 

The twist or new spin on the Veronica JD relationship was fine but then her getting annoyed with him at the end like Veronica did in the movie made no sense.  She flip flops between sociopath and Miss World way too much. If you wanted her to be bad then keep it that way. 

I do not think this will get a Season 2 and it should not but if they do lol some characters are alive again now since the original finale will not air.

No wonder this show had trouble though I can see and agree on why they did not air episodes 7 and 8 and it was only on demand.

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jumper sage

jumper sage

On 3/5/2018 at 12:44 AM, junemeatcleaver said:

This was wannabe edgy trash.

So me liking it is wrong?  I love me some trash.  Only caught tonight's episode but was intrigued.  I never saw the movie for I was in grad school and working and partying so............

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angelusgirl

angelusgirl

21 hours ago, TresGatos said:

I initially felt this way and almost turned it off several times during the 1st 15 minutes but I;m glad I stuck with it and ended up watching all 9 episodes on demand.

There is actually a 10th episode as well.  Set at the prom.  I am watching it now. I enjoyed it overall but I found it a little frustrating that they peppered classic lines throughout all 10 episodes. I liked hearing them at first, but it got tedious.  That and the habit of everyone using a variation of the "you're a girl scout cookie" speech in practically every single episode.  But overall, I really liked it and binge watched all 10.

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dyanad

dyanad

Guess I am in the minority here. I actually liked it. To the person who called it right wing...huh? I don't get that at all. I thought there were some amazingly acted scenes. I loved the scene with Heather M slashing her wrists and skating past the Betty Finn group with them totally brushing her off then skating home to sit in between her oblivious parents as she bled to death. It was just so powerful to me. Maybe it was the actors that made it work for me. The Heathers did a great job at bringing something new to the characters. JD/Veronica were trying a little too hard to act just like the originals.

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Tachi Rocinante

Tachi Rocinante

Love the movie and appreciate the musical.  I'm halfway through the 10 on my DVR, and I'm glad I stuck with it.  I don't understand the faux outrage over the subject matter - it pulls no punches, just the like the movie did in the 80's  Maybe it tries a bit too hard, but I can appreciate the effort.

Lots of nice subtle twists (Heather C surviving, Betty Finn being a villain, Veronica being a borderline sociopath).

The occasional ham-handed references to the movie (in visuals and dialogue) seem a bit forced though.

I'll post again after I'm finished.

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Tachi Rocinante

Tachi Rocinante

Finished all 9 that Paramount would air.  Not bad.  The active shooter episode was only 35 minutes, so they chopped it pretty good.

Liked the "Hellscape" bits.

So much for Veronica being a borderline sociopath.

Trying to find episode 10 without the fear of using some questionable sites.

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