It's A Wonderful Life - Image via Wikipedia
Playing on the familiar is a great way to inject humor. The subject can be widely known or may be known only to the members of your audience. Since most people tend to take things at face value and not probe for what’s beneath, a little embellishment can go a long way.
Like a lot of people, I love the Frank Capra film It’s A Wonderful Life. I even loved it before it was considered such a classic.
But I started to wonder about something.
Bank examiners do not just “go away” even after missing money is returned. So it was certainly great that the townspeople rallied to George’s aid, but the Feds would still want to know what happened to the original $8000.00. So who went to jail, Uncle Billy or George?
Which brought up a thought.
What would Hollywood do with this story today?
Sequels of course!
It’s a Wonderful Life II – Bailey’s Revenge – After spending ten years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit George is back and he’s mad! After Uncle Billy is found dead George is wrongly accused of the crime. Mary does table dances at Martini’s and puts ZuZu to work selling flowers to raise bail money. Watch as George takes on Potter to save his town!
IAWL – III – Violet’s Story – The madcap story of what happens when Violet, the town trollop, falls in love with the “richest man in town.” Mary leaves George for Ernie the cabdriver. Martini’s gets shut down for an expired liquor license and old man Gower is busted for peddling “medicinal” marijuana. Meanwhile, Zuzu gets tossed out of secretarial school for showing off her petals. All is put to rights, when it is discovered that Potter isn’t really confined to a wheelchair. but just likes to have little girls sit in his lap and “go for a ride!” Starring, Paris Hilton as Violet, Jim Carrey as George, and Ron Jeremy as Mr.Potter.
IAWL – IV – George has to save the town again when Sam Wainwright buys out Mr. Potter and plans to create a huge destination, lifestyle center, called Bedford Malls. Complete with “Surprise! You’re Swimming! Dance Emporium” and “George Bailey Suicide Bungee Jump.” it promises to change small town life forever! When George reminds Sam of a certain incident involving Violet and penicillin – Sam decides to build the Bailey-Wainwright Home for Wayward Girls instead.
Now you try: take a favorite movie and create a sequel.
You can even enter it into comments below.
Oh! and subscribe for free so as not to miss any of the riotous entries.
Tomorrow we look at what the world lost when George Bailey stayed in Bedford Falls.
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on Dec 29th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
I’m not looking forward to it but in this day and age when every movie is either a remake or a sequel to something ten years ago I can almost see a “Snakes on a Plane” sequel and/or duplicated movie. . .
There really are so many possibilities. . .Hell, they could just merge Snakes on a Plane and Speed II. . .”Leeches on a Cruise”.
on Dec 30th, 2008 at 2:12 am
You did a good job with the sequel thing. Much better than I would have thought about doing. I am here to make a comment and I am drawing a blank.
on Dec 30th, 2008 at 9:57 am
Great Post, I get stuck watching that movie every year and would love to see one of those sequels
on Dec 30th, 2008 at 10:37 am
My husband loves this movie! We had a long time running joke that we were going to name our daughter ZuZu…
I’ll be anxiously awaiting the sequel when it comes out
on Dec 31st, 2008 at 10:49 am
Unfortunately this is probably pretty close to the truth!
on Dec 31st, 2008 at 3:53 pm
My wife thought I was too negative. She said some good things could have happened. maybe George took Potter’s job offer, and then Potter dies of a heart attack and George takes over al his businesses. I suppose that is more positive… for everyone but Potter.
on Jan 7th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Intsead of a sequel to another movie, how about a prequel to IAWL?
Pa Bailey and Mr. Potter compete for everything as kids: paper routes, school grades, sports teams, girlfriends. The only thing Pa Bailey ever wins is Ma Bailey. Potter loves her deeply and esperately. Pa Bailey is a horrible businessman. MBailey is devoted to him and wants him to believe in himself; she helps the only way she knows how. She agrees to have an affair with Potter if he will secretly help Pa succeed. potter helps Pa Bailey start the Building and Loan and finds ways to keep it afloat every time Pa and Uncle Billy screw up. The affair goes on a long time but Potter is despondent because Ma will never love him, the affair is a hollow sham. Potter jumps from the bridge – but it is so cold that year that the river has frozen; he breaks his spine. Potter is embittered and lovelorn but the movie ends as he promises Ma he’ll never tell about the affair – or the fact that George is his own son – and he will never try to save Pa and Uncle Billy again.
on Jan 7th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
JohnnyB: If Hollywood sees this – it’s a sure thing.
Well done! and an angle I had not thought of.