# Unusual cinematic versions of Shakespeare's plays? (potential spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 23, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470 "2005-10-23T00:12:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/21 "2005-10-23T13:55:35Z")
[Scotland, PA](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0265713/) is a version of MacBeth set in the 70’s. I’ll also second Titus - you’ll either love it or hate it, I’ve never met anyone who’s seen it and thought it was just mediocre. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/22 "2005-10-23T13:57:08Z")
> [@badbadrubberpiggy](#): > > [Scotland, PA](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0265713/) is a version of MacBeth set in the 70’s. I’ll also second Titus - you’ll either love it or hate it, I’ve never met anyone who’s seen it and thought it was just mediocre. Forgot - Scotland, PA does not retain the original dialogue, but the story and sequence of events is very close, and he names of the characters are mostly modernized versions of the original names, though some do keep the originals. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/23 "2005-10-23T17:53:16Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > But if you want really weird adaptations, go for Julie Taymor’s _Titus_ from 1999. It takes _Titus Andronicus_ and seems to change historical settings at random. **Titus** is an excellent film! I love the dinner scene. Actually, I like most of the scenes. 🙂 **Tromeo And Juliet** is Troma’s take on the classic play. Gotta love Lemmy as Chorus! And _My name is Capulet, I’ve got a Corn Nut for a dick!_ pops into my head frequently. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/24 "2005-10-23T18:01:00Z")
> [@Art Vandelay](#): > > Prospero’s Books > > It’s Shakespeare’s “the Tempest” as it might be interpreted by Allen Ginsberg whilst seriously blitz on orange sunshine LSD. > > > [@Marley23](#): > > > > Plus, I can rock-solid guarantee that there will never be another Shakespeare film that features this much urine. Probably not another one with so many penises on parade either. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/25 "2005-10-23T20:10:10Z")
Another vote for TITUS (I can’t believe no one has mentioned ANTHONY HOPKINS STARS! Plus- Jessica Lange topless as a the mega-MILFy Goth Queen, and Alan Cummings as a really creepy Emperor Saturnius who seems to be channelling Jay Robinson’s Caligula.) Honorable mention to Vincent Price & Diana Rigg in THEATRE OF BLOOD! ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/26 "2005-10-23T20:20:08Z")
[http://www.oberonbooks.com/frameset.htm](http://www.oberonbooks.com/frameset.htm) Jim Broadbent & Diana Rigg’s daughter starred in a stage version of THEATRE OF BLOOD earlier this year at The National Theatre in England! Dayum! ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/27 "2005-10-23T20:31:59Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > [http://www.oberonbooks.com/frameset.htm](http://www.oberonbooks.com/frameset.htm) > > Jim Broadbent & Diana Rigg’s daughter starred in a stage version of THEATRE OF BLOOD earlier this year at The National Theatre in England! Dayum! The link above has the script for sale- this link- > **[IMDb: Ratings, Reviews, and Where to Watch the Best Movies & TV Shows](https://www.imdb.com/)** > > IMDb is the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. Find ratings and reviews for the newest movie and TV shows. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming... tells a little about it. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/28 "2005-10-23T20:58:13Z")
Nobody’s mentioned West Side Story for Romeo and Juliet yet? Yeesh! ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/29 "2005-10-23T21:05:02Z")
> [@Jonathan Chance](#): > > Also, don’t forget ‘10 Things I Hate About You’. I know many people dislike it but I found translating ‘Taming of the Shrew’ to a Seattle high school to be really entertaining. And using ‘I Want You to Want Me’ as the theme was inspired. :eek: I had NO IDEA that was a Shakespeare story! Well… that explains all the Shakespeare references and such… MacBeth seems to be a popular story to use for stuff. A friend of mine made a movie called “John McGee’s MacBeth 2000” for his high school english class project. It involves soldiers in fatigues using guns, and MacBeth and MacDuff fighting with Katanas for the climactic battle. And the suprise plot twist? Lady MacDuff declaring “I am no man” before capping MacBeth in the dome. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/30 "2005-10-23T21:12:11Z")
Oh, and Lord of the Rings also has elements of MacBeth in it, mostly centering around Saruman’s dealings. Tolkien apparantly thought MacBeth would have been much improved by having the forest actually attack the castle. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/31 "2005-10-23T21:18:39Z")
Huh. Nobody’s mentioned Bob & Doug’s riff on _Hamlet_: _Strange Brew_. Hosers. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/32 "2005-10-23T22:30:58Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Nobody’s mentioned West Side Story for Romeo and Juliet yet? Yeesh! Is West Side Story that unusual? I can think of at least a couple of other musical Shakespeare adaptations. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/33 "2005-10-24T22:30:23Z")
> [@jackelope (i.e.](#): > > There’s also the 2000 film version of [Hamlet](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0171359/) starring Ethan Hawke. \ I thought it was terrific; the updated script managed to incorporate technology and such in ingenious and appropriate ways. I’d just like to point out that, approximately 15 hours after I wrote that post, I was sitting in a theater watching Almereyda’s new [documentary](http://imdb.com/title/tt0443698/) about William Eggleston. Almereyda himself, the director of the abovementioned _Hamlet_ remake, was in attendance. While I knew his name sounded familiar, I couldn’t specifically recall what he’d done, and so I walked right by him without even knowing enough to say something like, “I loved your _Hamlet_!” When I got home I was sufficiently impressed with the movie to look him up, and only then did I realize he’d directed one of my favorite Shakespeare adaptations. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/34 "2005-10-25T04:21:57Z")
The 1956 Sci-Fi film _Forbidden Planet_ is a re-telling of _The Tempest_. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/35 "2005-10-25T11:42:08Z")
Well, my two picks have been mentioned more than once – **Prospero’s Books** is a really off-the-wall telling of The Tempest. **Forbidden Planet** is supposed to be based on **The Tempest** as well, as even the screenwriters claim, but I don’t buy it. You can line up the characters on a one-by-one basis, and the basic situation is there, but _everyone’s_ motivations are different, and so are their importances. Prospero in The Tempest was on his island because he’d neglected his kingdom. Morbius is on Altair IV precisely because it _is_ his job. At the end of The Tempest, Prospero wants to go back. Morbius never does. The Ship in The Tempest crashes and they all want to go off. In FP cruiser C57D is _supposed_ to be there, and doesn’t crash at all. Prospero wants Miranda to marry the captain, and connives at it. Morbius wants his daughter to have as little to do with the crew as possible. Caliban is at best a potential threat, and ends up as comic relief. The Monster in FP drives the entire plot, and is the basis for all tension. I could go on – I had this argument with Literature type friends at boring length. As for **The Lion King** , everyone mentions **Hamlet** , but nobody ever seems to pick up on Timon and Pumbaa’s serious Falstaffian **Henry IV-V** vibes. Then there are the “updated” retellings of Shakespeare, like Ian McKellen’s WWII setting for **Richard III** : > **[Richard III (1995) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114279/)** > > Richard III: Directed by Richard Loncraine. With Christopher Bowen, Edward Jewesbury, Ian McKellen, Bill Paterson. The classic Shakespearean play about the murderously scheming 15th-century king is reimagined in an alternative setting of 1930s... ---
**Author:** ![MikeTheTiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3be4f8/32.png) [@MikeTheTiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeTheTiger)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/36 "2005-10-25T12:44:11Z")
This was actually a play within a movie, but in “The Goodbye Girl”, Richard Dreyfus plays an actor who is cast in Richard III. The unusual staging is that Richard III is not only gay, but flaming gay, and he has this hideous hump. The genius behind this interpretation of Shakespeare’s work is none other than Mr. Bentley from “The Jeffersons” ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/37 "2005-10-25T12:47:10Z")
I hear [Rosencrantz & Guilderstern are Dead](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100519/) has some Shakespeare connection. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/38 "2005-10-25T13:00:37Z")
Allright, I’ll be the voice of dissent - **Titus** was awful. But it’s not the movie’s fault, really; I can’t say I care for _Titus Andronicus_ at all. Too Senecan. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/39 "2005-10-25T13:21:10Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Oh, and Lord of the Rings also has elements of MacBeth in it, mostly centering around Saruman’s dealings. Tolkien apparantly thought MacBeth would have been much improved by having the forest actually attack the castle. 😃 “Run, lads, it’s the copse!” 😃😃 ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470/40 "2005-10-25T14:40:37Z")
There are a ton of Shakespear references in gargoyles – MacBeth, Demona, Midsummer Night’s dream chars etc. But mostly just the characters. Brian [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-cinematic-versions-of-shakespeares-plays-potential-spoilers/327470.md?page=3)