Sometimes myth can overshadow the actual content of the movie, and certainly, in the 25 years that have passed since Brian De Palma brought Tom Wolfe‘s “The Bonfire Of The Vanities” to the big screen, the narrative has been that it’s one of the filmmaker’s greatest misfires. This has only been cemented by the book “The Devil’s Candy: The Anatomy Of A Hollywood Fiasco” by Julie Salamon, a terrific account of the making of the movie. Certainly, ‘Vanities’ was no walk in the park, and it’s not a misunderstood masterpiece, but it is a far better film than its reputation suggests, though the director himself admits in the recent career-spanning documentary “De Palma” that fans of the book were probably never going to like his take. Still, it was an ambitious attempt from an always-daring filmmaker working with razor-sharp source material.
READ MORE: The Best & The Rest: Ranking The Complete Brian De Palma
With that in mind, if there is one person who seems wholly ill-suited for tackling “The Bonfire Of The Vanities,” it’s Chuck Lorre, but he’s going to be doing just that. Amazon and Warner TV are teaming up to develop a new take on ’80s excess and moral emptiness, from the guy who brought you “The Big Bang Theory” and “Two And A Half Men.” That said, Margaret Nagle (“Boardwalk Empire,” “Red Band Society”) is writing and executive-producing alongside Lorre, so perhaps she’ll bring some edge, but the track record so far from the sitcom king is delivering very middle-of-the-road material.
“The Bonfire Of The Vanities” has an eight-episode order and will premiere on Amazon Prime. Until it arrives, I’d suggest revisiting the film, and check out a vintage talk below with De Palma discussing the movie in 1990. [Variety]