Remakes etc.

[dean]

Just read this short but sweet article on remaking movies, and thought I'd share it with you guys and gals for some good reading.

ON THE REBOUND


Obviously we suffer from mixed emotions when it comes to news of a remake.  After all, so many have failed us, yet we always hope for the best.  It's kind of a cruel cycle isn't it?

Anyways, I'm always torn between respecting the subject matter of the original that is getting remade, and going in a new direction suited to a new audience [after all, some themes in a film may have worked 20 years ago, but will they really be a success now?]

The whole issue is always touchy, and is something that people seem to be getting more and more jaded about, especially when there is sooooooo many pointless and shameless 'we want your money, we don't care about the film itself' attitudes out there.

Anyways check it out.

[plan9superfan]

ONCE AGAIN:

Remakes of s**tty movies (such as "The Blob", "The Fly" and "The Thing") are pretty good, but they need to stop remaking movies that are GOOD and have nothing wrong with them (like "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", "Planet of the Apes", "Psycho", "The Hills Have Eyes", "When a Stranger Calls",etc.)

[Mr_Vindictive]

I don't see anything wrong with the original Blob, Fly, or The Thing From Another World.  Each are great films, and each of their remakes are good.

The same goes for The Hills Have Eyes.  I loved the original, but the remake was far superior in my opinion.  

I don't mind some remakes.  Hills was good and the Dawn remake was a huge surprise to me.  If there is a remake that just looks terrible (i.e. The Fog) then I just won't see it at the theater or on video.  It's unfair to count all remakes out, because some can be quite good.

[Fearless Freep]

Most of the stuf I watch is pretty bad anyway...so it's not like I care if the remark sucks as well...

[Just Plain Horse]

plan9superfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ONCE AGAIN:
>
> Remakes of s**tty movies (such as "The Blob", "The
> Fly" and "The Thing") are pretty good, but they
> need to stop remaking movies that are GOOD and
> have nothing wrong with them (like "Willy Wonka
> and the Chocolate Factory", "Planet of the Apes",
> "Psycho", "The Hills Have Eyes", "When a Stranger
> Calls",etc.)

The original Thing wasn't half bad, Robert Cornthwait's preformance as the obsessed scientist still gets my respect, but in general, I agree... lesser movies- not greater ones- should be remade. The problem is the very movies that we like are the ones the profiteers in the studios want to pillage and borrow from to get greater returns. The movie industry is screwed unless they take on new ideas.

[Ash]

UGH!
They thought that Solaris "worked"?
I literally did fall asleep while watching it.
And I was wide awake when it started.

What a snoozer!

[Flangepart]

See!
This is EXACTLY why a flick like THE GIANT CLAW should be remade...it can only improve on the original, and if it flys into the side of amountain, and does a crash and burn,, there are fewer film fans left with ultcers.

[Just Plain Horse]

I'd love to see a remake of the Giant Claw... or maybe Teenagers from Outer Space :)

[LH-C]

ASHTHECAT Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> UGH!
> They thought that Solaris "worked"?
> I literally did fall asleep while watching it.
> And I was wide awake when it started.
>
> What a snoozer!

I thought I was halucinating when I read that! I've only seen about 5 minutes of the remake, but IMHO I thought the original was so definitive in a way, that the story would never be adapted again. But then you have to remember what I said earlier - that written works are fair game for multiple adaptations.

[Andrew]

Usually the remakes are unneeded, but they can do well.  As was pointed out, both "The Thing from Another World" and "The Thing" are great movies.  The older movie, while it may have a bit sillier monster, has great pacing.  I often hold that up as an older film that movies like greased lightning.

Wow, what a great idea.  Instead of making successful movies again, go for the terrible b-movies.  Why not?  Besides, what harm would there be in another version of "Cat-Women of the Moon?"

[onionhead]

Still, any idiot can make a remake.  The Hauning, anyone?

[LH-C]

onionhead Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Still, any idiot can make a remake.  The Haunting,
> anyone?

Ugh. My dad actually likes the remake, as well as the remake of 'House On Haunted Hill', better than the originals, and thinks that the remakes are superior movies.

[dean]

Andrew Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wow, what a great idea.  Instead of making
> successful movies again, go for the terrible
> b-movies.  Why not?  Besides, what harm would
> there be in another version of "Cat-Women of the
> Moon?"

Meow...

Sounds like a plan!

Personally I think that B-movies are coming back in fashion.  I mean, first you've got all these new low budget horror flicks that are making money, and pretty soon the rest of the industry will catch up and think "Let's invest in alot of low budget flicks that if they bomb, we don't stand to lose so much, but if even one succeeds, we make a packet''

It's just the way it works isn't it?  All the money-men and women just jump on the bandwagon [just look at all the Zombie movies that were made/being made recently: it was a pretty sudden comeback wasn't it?]

Either that or remake alot of crappy movies into something actually 'classy' and see how it turns out.  It would be nice to see a serious movie about talking decapitated heads, or Moon-monsters.

[loyal1]

I agree with you Ash, I didn't even finsih that film when I rented it a while back, and I was actually looking forward to it.  Slow movies don't bother me if they have some substance.  Take 2001: a Space Oddesy...Kubrick has this technique where his movies can move like a snail, but you feel enraptured by it.  I just can't explain it.  I don't think there is a film by him I EVER fell asleep to and couldn't finish.  I stayed up until 5am once and was VERY tired, but I was entranced.

RIP Kubrick, RIP.

I think  I will put i  Dr. Strangelove now.

[plan9superfan]

Unfortunately, the 2000s are seeing a rash of remakes of GOOD movies.

"The Omen", "When a Stranger Calls", "The Hills Have Eyes", "Assault on Precinct 13", "Night of the Living Dead" (again), "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (yet again), "The Fly (a remake of a remake, no less), "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", "King Kong", "East of Eden", "The Warriors"...


all awful remakes that have tarnished or will tarnish the name of an otherwise GREAT original.