Realisticly as the generations push on everything gets remade. From movies to cereal mascots to cartoons to toys and so on and so forth. I could name 100 examples off the top of my head. I guess its inevitable. As new directors and writers come of age they want to remake the movies they related to and idolized while coming up, but do it the right way for heaven's (or hell if thats your preference) sake. I hate movie remakes!!
I am personally of the opinion that the Birds is a shite film. Totally over rated and riding on the collective reputations. But I have no doubt that a remake (which I have heard mention of as well) would be even worse! Worse than Psycho or Rear Window, or Dial M. And to counter your dropping of the Oz, Frankenstein could also be deemed a remake, and as much as universal don't want to admit it, the "original" version of the upcoming remake of the Wolfman was certainly a rehash of an older film.
That's right, I'd forgotten about the 1910 silent "Frankenstein." I'm still trying to forget about the Coppola version.
Oh God, I am so glad to hear someone else say this besides myself. Why tis one gets lumped in with his 'Great Films' is a complete mystery to me... It's a skillful enough rendering of a high-concept script, but I thought it was really substandard for Hitch. Where's the sophistication and wit. I believe I've seen this twice and don't think I ever need to see it again as long as I live. Vertigo, Rear Window, North by Northwest. I'm up for watching these movies anyday, anytime and I've probably seen each of them a dozen times..
I think you meant the Kenneth Branagh Frankenstein from 1994. That was the one that even DeNiro disowned. And I saw it with friends in NYC at the discount theater on 50th Street near the West Side. We were drunk. But had enough sense to say, "Wow, this sucks..." Guys in front of us must of been drunk or stoned because they slowly turned and said, "You're right..." Oh, and most all remakes nowadays are horrid. The main reason they do it is so folks who don't know better plunk down $10 to see something new instead of some "icky" B&W film with stereo sound. Show something in HD and 5.1 and you'll get every home theater sheep to come out and pay to see it.
You're right, mea culpa. I confused it with Coppola's "Dracula" which wasn't all bad. "Mary Shelly's Frankenstein" was produced, not directed by Coppola. There's not much wit, but it's a very sophisticated film in the guise of populist entertainment. Sorry if this sounds pretentious, but it's not so far from conventional Greek Tragedy, intentionally so. Lots of overt and covert Oedipal references. It's not really about a bird attack, that's only the overt "movie." If you think of "birds" as English slang for "women" and take it from there, it starts making more sense. Camille Paglia's short book on the movie, published by the British Film Institute, offers some pretty deep insight into the movie. Usually she drives me nuts but her book on "The Birds" is a classic of film critique. In the same series, Salman Rushdie's essay on "Wizard of Oz" and Mark Kermode's on "The Exorcist" are also really great.
I thought the "Dawn of the Dead" remake sucked. Maybe because it had nothing in common with the original except a mall and zombies (which does NOT constitute a remake) maybe because I think the first is one of my all time favorites or maybe because I didn't find one character interesting/worth living/likeable? I wouldn't even say I hated it, it was just mediocre and useless to exist. Remakes are usually jut made for cash, about 95% of the time. Rarely it seems like a labor of love, like in Carpenters "The Thing" or Cronenbergs "The Fly" and that's why we all usually hate remakes. Things made just for money usually suck. What also urks me is I've heard "kids" (I'm only 27) complain that they PREFER remakes (assholes) because they don't like watching "old movies" (assholes supreme.) No fucking appreciation, this coming from people maybe 4-5 years younger than me. When I worked at a record store, we sold DVD's, and I wanted to slap the shit out of have the kids who came in and said garbage like that. ::affixes dentures and adjusts suspenders::
Hey, not all remakes are bad! How'd it get burned? HOW'D IT GET BURNED? HOW'D IT GET BURNED??!?!? OH NO!!! NOT THE BEES!!! MY EYES!!! AGHHH!! and another favorite... Step away from the bike If its a remake with Nicolas Cage, chances are it's either going to unintentionally hysterical or just suck. That trailer for Bangkok Dangerous? Oh dear. I've heard there's going to be remakes for Battle Royale and Old Boy(even Sympathy for Lady Vengeance) which makes me cringe. But who knows, maybe someone skilled enough can pull it off- although if it's someone like Michael Bay, well probably not.
Is Deathrace really a remake? I saw Deathrace 2000 and from what I've seen in the previews for the new film, the only commonality is an auto race. This is the first I've heard that it's a remake. I haven't been paying close attention, though, either. Anyway, it looks like the premise is entirely different, so I don't consider it a remake. If it weren't for the title, you'd have a hard time convincing me it was based on the older film. Of course, I'm basing this solely on the previews I've seen.
yeah, i was wondering that too. i heard adam brody was writing it, or producing it, or directing.....or just acting in it? maybe all 4. normally i'd say it would be the writing part, since it wouldn't be hard for an actor to get into writing by means of remake. hell, the layout is already there for ya. but, he's got some good credentials in my opinion with his wildstorm comics mini-series Red Menace...
the Birds film does suck bad. people think that just because it's hitchcock that it's good. trust me. it's not. if you want to see a good giant-killer-animal horror film, watch this: trust me. pure awesomeness! you shouldn't be disappointed....
How about The Magnificent Seven? I'm sure someone will say how much better Kurosawa's Seven Samurai was, but that doesn't mean The Magnificent Seven isn't a teriffic film in it's own right.
kurosawa has been ripped off so many times. i like a remake better than a straight up rip off. for example: watch Yojimbo and then watch Last Man Standing and try and tell me that that is not a rip off. then again....i love slasher flicks, and those all rip off each other....
Not least by George Lucas, who copped Star Wars from Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress (pretty blatantly, too).
Don't forget how much he jacked Flash Gordon too. Yeah, I wouldn't label most of the Kurosawa rip offs as remakes so much as.....well rip offs. Or "inspired by" maybe?
I would have to refer to star wars and the magnificent seven as adaptations. I respect adaptations much more than remakes. Its one thing to bring a story to another culture and in terms they can understand and a whole other to slaughter a story and call it a remake. Deathrace may not be a "remake" exactly. But its too close for them to pretend otherwise
I don't think it's good just because it's Hitch. "Family Plot" is Hitch, and that movie stinks. I think some people think "The Birds" is bad because they think it's an animal horror film, which it's not. Trust me.
Guys, just remembered and want to forget: Richard Linklater's Bad News Bears. I love Richard Linklater's film, but after that... It's like he molested a good friend of mine. And that friend is a movie I like.
Richard Linklater was responsible for that one? Oh My...Had no idea. This is almost as weird as learning that David Lynch directed a Disney movie..
just to add to your woes these have just been greenlit child's play (at least orig crew are doing this) poltergeist Billy Bob aint playing freddy that was a wind up by englund....but englund aint playing freddy either which is lame...
I'll throw my hat in here... Basically every point about why remakes suck and get made has been said. You really need to look at the audience next time you're at a movie remake that sucks though. In todays very disposable culture, newer, better, bigger, more cgi, make a buck rules. So it's the dumbing down of the audience (along with producers trying to make a buck off of a previous success) that is the reason these get made. You could make a even bigger argument that modern culture today basically recycles everything (fashion, music, film) because it's fresh out of ideas. HOLLYWOOD Especially. They basically need to recycle a previous success or steal a foreign film and redo it for any kind of audience. What ever happened to the imagination of the average person? This is why I don't hang out with anyone anymore....they're all sheep.
