chima_mass5
New member
I post this as on the 21/12/07, an updated version of St Trinians is released, when will they leave well alone, thoughts please.............
Should filmmakers stop doing remakes?
- Thread starter chima_mass5
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Famouschild93
New member
If they ever stop doing remakes there will be a lot of idle folk in Hollywood.....it's just too easy to take a tried and trusted script and make an updated version for consumption by a new generation..........actually, thinking about it, can anyone name a remake that has actually been an improvement on the original?
Secret N Keyblade Master
New member
There are plenty of bad films that should be remade - leave the good ones alone.
I saw the St Trinians trailer last night - it didn't look good
I saw the St Trinians trailer last night - it didn't look good
icrashalot
New member
We've done this one!
The answer was The Fly and The Thing.
The answer was The Fly and The Thing.
That's a difficult question to answer. Some re-makes are actually good, and are very enjoyable to watch. Some are faithful re-makes, others put a new spin on the original, like this summer's re-imagining of Halloween. Both faithful re-makes, and re-imaginings can be very good.
On the other hand, some re-makes can be an absolute mess, and really should not be made. They add nothing new, and can actually almost taint the name of the original.
On balance, I'd say they should still produce re-makes. They do result in some poor films, but I think that's acceptable if we get some good modern takes on older films in return.
On the other hand, some re-makes can be an absolute mess, and really should not be made. They add nothing new, and can actually almost taint the name of the original.
On balance, I'd say they should still produce re-makes. They do result in some poor films, but I think that's acceptable if we get some good modern takes on older films in return.
Jazzy_Rocks
New member
I preferred the originals without the distracting special effects.
Ben-hur was a remake of a silent movie.
Ben-hur was a remake of a silent movie.
need computer help
New member
It would be better if people stopped watching them.
I think of remakes as pet projects directors are allowed to do if they reach a certain level of success. Like Scorsese with "Cape Fear" (following Goodfellas) and Peter Jackson with "King Kong" (following some Jewelry Movie).
I do also think that it's not entirely motivated by money; there is an element of introducing a new generation to a revered story. ("The Great Gatsby" has been brought to the screen three different times.)
Even the trend of remaking horror films has produced a few pleasant results. (John Carpenter's "The Thing" and Paul Schrader's "Cat People")
I'll go back to my original statement, however, and say that I wish people would stop watching them. There's only so much "big budget" to go around, and each remake represents a "new" story that never made it to screen.
I think of remakes as pet projects directors are allowed to do if they reach a certain level of success. Like Scorsese with "Cape Fear" (following Goodfellas) and Peter Jackson with "King Kong" (following some Jewelry Movie).
I do also think that it's not entirely motivated by money; there is an element of introducing a new generation to a revered story. ("The Great Gatsby" has been brought to the screen three different times.)
Even the trend of remaking horror films has produced a few pleasant results. (John Carpenter's "The Thing" and Paul Schrader's "Cat People")
I'll go back to my original statement, however, and say that I wish people would stop watching them. There's only so much "big budget" to go around, and each remake represents a "new" story that never made it to screen.
Distracting Special Effects?
Have you even seen the 86' Fly recently?
The Special Effects support the story very strongly.
It's massively superior to the original. Not only that, it was a film way ahead of its time.
You do realise that most of the genetic science discussed and portrayed in Cronenberg's film could, and does happen to people in everyday life.
There is a 99% mathematical certainty that if a human being injected themselves with pure DNA from that of your common housefly, they would very likely get a disease from it, and their body and mind would decay and waste away into something else like Seth Brundle did in Cronenberg's film.
I spend a great deal of my spare time studying genetics. It's fascinating, and scary stuff.
Have you even seen the 86' Fly recently?
The Special Effects support the story very strongly.
It's massively superior to the original. Not only that, it was a film way ahead of its time.
You do realise that most of the genetic science discussed and portrayed in Cronenberg's film could, and does happen to people in everyday life.
There is a 99% mathematical certainty that if a human being injected themselves with pure DNA from that of your common housefly, they would very likely get a disease from it, and their body and mind would decay and waste away into something else like Seth Brundle did in Cronenberg's film.
I spend a great deal of my spare time studying genetics. It's fascinating, and scary stuff.
Re-makes should absolutely continue to be made, along with cover versions and updated TV shows. A remake can put a new or different interpretatation on an old story, use it to show how events from decades ago are still relevant today, expand the story to portray parts that maybe audiences weren't ready for originally, show essentially the original version in a modern setting, shift the emphasis onto something that maybe audiences hadn't picked up on etc. For all those reasons and more, a so-called remake doesn't have to 'better' than what's come before it; just hopefully different. Whether or not it was a mistake only becomes apparent when it's released.
PS - let's face it, St Trinians is hardy a classic to begin with. A much loved British treasure maybe, but it's not exactly the same thing as remaking Psycho or The Wicker Man.
PS - let's face it, St Trinians is hardy a classic to begin with. A much loved British treasure maybe, but it's not exactly the same thing as remaking Psycho or The Wicker Man.
My top five favourite remakes:
1) The Fly (Need I say more?)
2) The Thing (You gotta love Carpenter and Rob Bottin's effects)
3) Dawn of the Dead (Great stuff!)
4) The Ring (How did such a decent remake have such an abysmal sequel?)
5) Cape Fear (Classic De Niro... before he SOLD OUT)
My top five worst:
1) Psycho (Pointless, pointless, pointless, oh yeah, did I mention pointless!?)
2) Halloween (This has to be seen to be believed)
3) The Omen (Julia Stiles? No classic Jerry GolRABmith score? Cotton Weary? Save the Last Omen would have been the better title)
4) Black Christmas (Flesh cookies, eyeballs hanging on the tree?! Come on!)
5) The Fog (How do you screw up a simple, atmospheric tale? Look no further!)
1) The Fly (Need I say more?)
2) The Thing (You gotta love Carpenter and Rob Bottin's effects)
3) Dawn of the Dead (Great stuff!)
4) The Ring (How did such a decent remake have such an abysmal sequel?)
5) Cape Fear (Classic De Niro... before he SOLD OUT)
My top five worst:
1) Psycho (Pointless, pointless, pointless, oh yeah, did I mention pointless!?)
2) Halloween (This has to be seen to be believed)
3) The Omen (Julia Stiles? No classic Jerry GolRABmith score? Cotton Weary? Save the Last Omen would have been the better title)
4) Black Christmas (Flesh cookies, eyeballs hanging on the tree?! Come on!)
5) The Fog (How do you screw up a simple, atmospheric tale? Look no further!)
hello goodbye
New member
Dont forget we have got a remake of "The Persuaders" coming next year with Steve Coogan 
no cuz along with the dross they pick the ocassional flick that could be enrcihed from a remake. As much as I love Ray Harryhausen(Medusa still freaks me out) I cannot wait to see ILM have a crack at Medusa and the Kraken in The Clash of the Titans remake!
it is a pure piece of fantastical popcorn that I would love to see all over again in a new incarnation: in many ways there is scope for it to be better!
it is a pure piece of fantastical popcorn that I would love to see all over again in a new incarnation: in many ways there is scope for it to be better!
vett-rider
New member
Why the hell should they cut themselves off from any source material? What's next, no films based on ideas thought up on a Friday? No films based on books with red covers?
RegarRAB
Mark
RegarRAB
Mark
cutetrio2002
New member
The Vanishing has to be on any list as it manages to make the original seem just a little less interesting.
The ending goes beyond bad. The original is high on the list of classic last moments in films
but clearly the brain-dead producers told the writers to make the ending a little more cheerful. Ignoring the point that the lack of a cheerful ending was the point of the story, they then concocted a cheery chain of events which went something like this. Baddie tells hero that if he wants to know where his missing girlfriend is he'll drug him and when he wakes up, he'll know her fate. Hero agrees, goes to sleep and wakes up to find the baddie is digging a grave to bury him alive. Hero discovers heroine is alive, hurrah! Together they take on the baddie and knock him into the grave he's digging so that he's the one who gets poetic justice.
The sort of mentality that produced this remake shouldn't be allowed to even make movies. Period.
The ending goes beyond bad. The original is high on the list of classic last moments in films
Hero wakes up to find he's been buried alive.
but clearly the brain-dead producers told the writers to make the ending a little more cheerful. Ignoring the point that the lack of a cheerful ending was the point of the story, they then concocted a cheery chain of events which went something like this. Baddie tells hero that if he wants to know where his missing girlfriend is he'll drug him and when he wakes up, he'll know her fate. Hero agrees, goes to sleep and wakes up to find the baddie is digging a grave to bury him alive. Hero discovers heroine is alive, hurrah! Together they take on the baddie and knock him into the grave he's digging so that he's the one who gets poetic justice.
The sort of mentality that produced this remake shouldn't be allowed to even make movies. Period.