Trailer for "Bad Lieutenant" Remake Leaves Us Confused/Intrigued/Exhilarated

By: Paul Proulx Posted: June 1, 2009 Filed under: Trailers

Have you ever had the thought, "Why do they keep remaking the classics instead of trying to make bad movies better?" And, of course, we all know the answer is bankability. I don't think we should assume that anyone truly had a desire based purely on cinematic passion to remake Invasion of the Body Snatchers for the fourth time.

So, really, what is the motivation behind remaking (er, "re envisioning") Abel Ferrara's 1992 oeuvre Bad Lieutenant? This isn't even a Manhunter/Red Dragon situation - where there was even less space between original and remake, and resurfaced based solely on a high-profile character. Take that into account, and add the fact that Werner Herzog (a man rarely known for his remakes) is behind the camera. However, the truly bizarre part of all this is that the NC-17 subject matter of the first film and the word "remake" simply don't gel. While this all remains mind-boggling, we've had roughly one year to get used to it. But with the recent release of a sorta ramshackle trailer, I still don't know what the fuck is going on.

From the first frame & harmonica notes, we get two things: glossy and honkytonk (which go together, I guess...) And while Nick lumbers around his scenes, we catch a glimpse of Leaving Las Vegas meets Matchstick Men with a Bringing Out the Dead voiceover (that's the Nick we like). But he's also doing bumps and strangling old ladies - and somehow, we're not shocked. We're not bummed, we're not disapproving - it's the Con Air guy, for Christ's sake. That's the biggest turnaround here - while this is coming off as darkly comic, the original was just dark. And it's not just Nick Cage hamming it - there's a polish here that's a bit blinding. In Ferrara's movie, we pity and loathe Harvey Keitel's Lieutenant. Nick is presented to us as a badass; smooth and filthy. Also, the fact that the grit of New York has been replaced with the orange heat of New Orleans - giving it an almost 'spring break' vibe.

Hell, even the title Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans makes it feel like the direct-to-video sequel to That Darn Lieutenant.

The trailer itself appears to be under construction, considering:

• It would be a red band trailer, but no one seems to have banded it red
• The made-for-TV graphics peppered throughout
• And the promise of "Now in Post-Prodution"

So... Overall, it simply appears to be more accessible - abandoning the arresting pace and atmosphere, and replacing it with Eva Mendes. Of course, Herzog says he's never seen Ferrara's film, and calls this "a completely independent autonomous story." And while that may be true... Well, quite frankly, it isn't true. They otherwise seem pretty damn similar to me, and I'm pretty damn curious to see the movie. Had this been a completely original idea, I'd replace 'curious' with 'excited.' And why not? Who does a better burnout-addict-loser than Nicolas Cage?

Well, probably Harvey Keitel.