I went to see the remake of the 1981 movie, Temptation Island, with an open mind and left the theatre confused. Why would Regal films and director Chris Martinez want to reconstruct the campiest film in Pinoy movie history, without reinterpreting its utterly (unintentional?) ridiculousness? Camp made twice over is tedium.
Writer-director Martinez, who’s given us some of the most enjoyable comedies in the last decade (Here Comes the Bride, Bikini Open, Bridal Shower), perhaps wanted to introduce the most quotable Pinoy film to a new generation who didn’t grow up on low-budget films that would screen almost every week in the 70s and early 80s. Wish he had re-channeled that giddiness to a whole new brand of camp. The ‘new generation’ who were with me last night in the almost empty Makati theatre hardly laughed throughout the screening. Sayang ang giddiness.
Would it have been better if the actors were all gay, like in the successful stage run years ago? It could’ve have worked while still strictly adhering to the film shot-by-shot, line-by-line. Or, updating it in a much major way? The changes in the remake are cursory: beauty pageant is now a model search; walang signal was added to walang mainom, walang pagkain; the use of Purita. I think in the years since 1981, there have been abundant references for frivolity, nouveau riche excesses to create fresh camp for millennials.
Most importantly, there were four key reasons why the original has remained a classic:
- Azenith Briones
- Jennifer Crotes
- Bambi Arambulo
- Dina Bonnevie
The new one didn’t have those, and Aljur, John Lapus and the others messed it up even more.
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