MovieChat Forums > Hairspray (1988) Discussion > The first one is the best, enough said

The first one is the best, enough said

posted 11 years ago by pazuzusjc
12 replies | jump to latest

I was trying to find a clip on YouTube of the scene when Tracy is first on t.v. and Penny gets everyone in the living room and Edna talks about T's peroxited out hair and says something about a triple process. I found a montage of Hairspray 1988 montage and it was set to "You can't stop the beat". It was if someone played "Deutschland über alles" at my Bar Mitzvah and I am not even Jewish!

When the second Hairspray came out, I resisted 3 years before seeing it. I happened to watch by emergency babysitting for a cousin. I thought if John Waters was involved it should have something worth watching. Now since the second movie came thru the Broadway play, I feel they should have called it something related to Hairspray, but I felt really let down. If they called "The Wizz" the "The Wizard of Oz", people would have said somehing, that's what I mean. The second Hairspray had some great parts but to call it Hairspray is an abomination.

[–] GraceFromSoCal 11 years ago

I've never seen the Travolta version--and never will. Why mess with perfection?! Hairspray is one of my favorite movies, and I see no reason to view its cheap imitation.

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[–] DorsiaRes 11 years ago

i barely lasted 5 minutes and had to turn the more recent one off!!! i truly wonder what john waters thinks of it?! i actually have talked to a few people who had NO idea of the original, really a shame. it's so good, i grew up watching it!

[–] IMDB_Vits 10 years ago

i truly wonder what john waters thinks of it?!

He was one of the producers, so...

[–] DorsiaRes 10 years ago

just because he produced it doesn't really mean he liked the outcome.

[–] ultradawn 11 years ago

They're playing the original on MoviePlex this month and it's far and away the better one. Granted, the remake isn't that bad, but it pales in comparison to the original.

Remakes are almost NEVER better than the originals--but one exception is Ocean's Eleven. Although I must say that the newer one is obviously set in modern times, so that makes it more relevant.

[–] kamaco89 10 years ago

I watched the remake once and the only good part was john waters cameo as the flasher in the beginning!

[–] Falconeer 9 years ago

Absolutely the first one is better. The John Waters "Hairspray" is an absolute classic. The remake isn't really bad, but after watching it I couldn't figure out one single reason that it exists. It's utterly pointless. Who in their right mind would prefer John Travolta to Divine? Or Michelle Pfeiffer to Debbie Harry? Or whatsername to Ricki Lake? I just don't get it. And I HATE musicals.

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[–] greenbudgie 8 years ago

I prefer this to the 2007 version. I think I would like to see earlier John Waters movies after seeing this. I had heard that he is the king of 'tack.' But I found this one only slightly sleazy. So I must look out for others of his.

[–] kittyhead-2 8 years ago

I'd say Hairspray is probably his most tame, as far as tack goes. I'd say my favorite JW films are Hairspray, Cry Baby, Pecker, and Female Trouble. And if you want super tacky, watch Pink Flamingos. When it first came out it was accompanied by a scratch and sniff sticker board. You could smell everything in the movie, including things like vomit.

[–] svenrufus 8 years ago

I actually see them as being too far removed from each other to be able to make direct comparisons really valid. The first one, I've just watched again for the first time in too long, and it's still pretty enjoyable, but the 2007 version, with the music and all is a completely different thing.

The 2007 film may not be as strong, or the humour and the little touches that we get in the original as well done, but like it or not, the music is great, and I think for that reason alone - and somewhat to my own surpirse - I think I do now prefer the second one.

I'm still not completely sure if it's not just down to familiarity, as since the 'remake' came out, the original never seems to get shown (why do TV channels do that?) and I have seen the newer one a few times. But if I'm honest, having lost touch with it, seeing the original now it looks a little tired in a way. I'm a little disappointed in it and as I say, a bit surprised by my reaction to it, but as a stand alone piece seen almost as a one off now, it just doesn't do it for me as much as I hoped or remembered.

[–] iminheatlikeacat 8 years ago

I agree with your post (apart from the part where you say you prefer the second version better - the original is still my favourite) but definitely the two films are so different that it's hard for me to hate the newer version for ruining "My" Hairspray. I didn't watch it for ages because of that though eventually gave in and whilst it's not my favourite, I like it in merit of a film in its own form that happen to share the title and the characters lol.

Though I have to say I HATE John Travolta in this and thought he was the closest thing to ruining the second version.

[–] kim02128 7 years ago

Watching the rerun of Hairspray Live, and I keep thinking "meh!" because the original was the absolute best, and stil holds up.

I saw and loved the Broadway musical, it was fun and really paid a great homage to the 1988 film

I really disliked John Travolta's performance of Edna in the film version of the broadway show.

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