Do all of these remakes help in getting OAR video releases of the original films? (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

Since, I mentioned my high regard for the original and that I'm looking forward to the remake, it's only one way I can take your comment about my film taste and it has nothing to do with me being an "administrator". Again, discuss the subject matter and not the person you're in disagreement with.







Crawdaddy

 

[Joe Karlosi]

We really could use an anamorphic on this title.

 

[Robert Crawford]

There you go, yes we can use such a presentation.





Crawdaddy

 

[Colin McGuigan]

So, any word yet on whether we'll be getting an anamorphic re-release of the original?
FWIW, I can live with a remake, lousy or otherwise, if it means we get a brand spanking new anamorphic disc off the back of it.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'm hoping that happens.

 

[Jeff_HR]

Remakes are born of the FEAR of trying something new that MIGHT fail. There are NO guarantees that a remake WON'T fail. And remakes are a product of the bankruptcy of creativity in the Film Industry.

 

[TravisR]

They can remake every movie ever made and I couldn't care less. A remake doesn't erase the original. Maybe when I was younger, I could get outraged over trivial stuff like that but even I have more to worry about in life than a remake of a movie that I like.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Same here - moreso that you'd ever know.
I have to shake my head when this typical "extreme" reaction is given. Nobody's saying there aren't more important things to worry about in life than a remake. Jeez -- I ought to know; I've had severe health problems for the past year, and trying to get out of this mess - if at all possible - is all I truly care about these days. Health is EVERYTHING. So believe me, a remake isn't all THAT big a deal on my list of priorities to get concerned about either. Not by a longshot.

 

[Steve Christou]

I'm a fan of the original and I'm looking forward to the remake, why? Because I like the actors, Washington and Travolta. And I'm curious to see what Tony Scott has done with this story. I just hope some shots last a little longer than the customary 1 second or less of Scott's recent films.

As for remakes, my favourite movie is a remake. Remakes only bug me when it's from a fairly recent movie like the upcoming Robocop, and even Total Recall is getting revamped too. On the plus side remakes do generate interest in the original.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Remakes have been going on since the 1890s so I'm still curious as to why these topics always break out. It's been like this since 100 years ago and it'll be like this 100 years from now.

 

[chas speed]

I remember telling someone that one of my favorite comedies was the 1967 Peter Cook /Dudley Moore cult film "Bedazzled" and I could tell that they thought that it must be a rotten film because of the remake. The film had always had such a hip reputation. There was a bedazzled record label and punk bands had covered the title song. The film had played in retro theaters off and on for over 20 years and all that was ruined by one lame remake.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I'm curious why you always repeat this, Michael, when we've discussed a zillion times that it's because remakes have never been this much out of control as they are today. People are always trying to defend it by going on and on about "well there have always been remakes", but you have to admit these days the overwhelming number of films seem to be redos and Hollywood's trying to play it safe by rebooting older familiar material. Everywhere you go today, people from all walks of life - young and old - are asking "what will they remake next? What's the deal with all these remakes lately? Don't they EVER make an original movie anymore??" -- And there are constantly newspaper and magazine articles with titles like TODAY'S REMAKE EPIDEMIC. Over at the CHFB forum there was an article by a screenwriter these days who was saddened over the fact that nowadays, when he's commissioned to write something, he is told to scour the IMDB and other sources for candidates ripe for a remake! It's now the rule, rather than the exception.

I'll save you the usual trouble of now adding "well, if people didn't pay to see them then they'd stop making them" -- because people can only go to see what they're offered on the menu. If the menu is often remakes, then that's what they'll see when they want a night out at the theater. So I say "if Hollywood stops making them, people will stop paying to see them".

(Oh, and I could easily see remaking a lost 1890s short movie updated for 1925, or even a 1925 movie upgraded with the advent of sound or color... but you can't tell me there is any artistic sense in remaking a 1980s movie in the 2000s, or remaking a gritty 1970s New York picture like PELHAM 123 for now. It's not the same necessity as it was redoing the silent 1925 BEN-HUR for 1959.. and CGI is no excuse).

 

[cineMANIAC]

When are we gonna see remakes of '90's stuff? I want to see the following get remade:

Ghost
Contact
What Lies Beneath

and that movie with John Travolta playing a dreadlocked alien or something that, like, 6 people saw in theaters.

Just kidding. I'm not against remakes, especially those handled by capable directors: The Thing and The Fly are excellent remakes. The problem is that the studios hand over the reins to untested music video vets who are trying to get their foot in the door. The biggest drawback to these remakes is the MTV-style editing and heavy metal soundtracks that they think are needed to grab the attention of their core audience of 12-year-olds.

 

[Sumnernor]

There seems to be too many posts about complaining about someone else's opinion. The world is much more interesting when people have different opinions of something. If everyone like the same thing - that would be poor. It is not a matter of poor taste or standards. One should respect the other views. I love classical music and always amazed how people sometimes have opinions that are completely opposite.

 

[stephenj3]

I'd be surprised if very few people know about the original. It is a classic-archetypal 1970s New York crime drama. A great film.

The best i think we can hope for from a remake is something like Denzel Washington's "Manchurian Candidate" from a couple years back: A good film that doesn't match the great original.

 

[Michael Elliott]

You're always fine with remakes whenever you either don't know their a remake or when you don't enjoy the original film. Hell, your favorite film of all time is a remake. I could go to your list and pull up a handful of remakes you've watched over the years when you hadn't even seen the original. I know you're a fan of DAWN OF THE DEAD but then you go on the notion that it's not a remake.

I often bring up the three different version of DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE that was released in 1920 and not to mention the seven previous versions as well as the two sound versions by 1942. You always say this is okay because they are working with literature or a novel. Well, that's exactly what they're doing here. PELHAM is a novel so even the original movie wasn't an original piece of work.

 

[Jay E]

Seriously, you're comparing movies made from novels like PELHAM to movies made from classic literature like DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE???!!!!!

I'm surprised you didn't mention all the remakes of HAMLET:rolleyes

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Classic literature, m'boy. Classic literature - that's the difference. JAWS is a novel and so is THE EXORCIST -- but I'd never be caught dead seeing a "remake" of either of those! Whatever became of that OMEN remake nobody remembers?

And I'll tell you something else ... while I have always excused many remakes of classic literary works, even THEY are getting too redundant! For example, since you've mentioned JEKYLL & HYDE I'll tell you there is talk of yet a new Jekyll and Hyde starring Keanu Reeves! But I've had my fill of Jekyll and have many versions to keep me happy. You can go and see the new Keanu flick and find out if he poses any competition to Barrymore, Tracy, or March... or even Jack Palance or Kirk Douglas!

P.S> -Just watched THE STING (1973) yet again yesterday. One of my all-time favorites, a great film. ANd oh yes, I'm sure there'll be some who'll even go to see THAT inevitable remake one day! But I won't be one of them.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Life is so important and time is so few, looks like you'd have a principal to quite wasting time talking about them whenever a new one is released. You're obviously not a fan so I'm not sure why you waste time with it. That would be like me going into a DVD review just to say something negative when I'm not even interested in the film being reviewed.

You keep talking about everything being unoriginal and you're tired of this and that yet you don't seem to be interested in anything that is original so it seems like you're just going to have one disapointed after another. You refuse to see unoriginal remakes and you don't really visit your local arthouse so I'm not sure what would make you happy. Perhaps the needless remakes? We got plenty of them coming over the next few years, which is just going to take even more away (like the remakes). I find it sad that PROM NIGHT makes more in three days than certain Best Picture noms make in their theatrical life but that's the way it goes.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Well, horror has always been big, whether it's a remake or not. But I have to laugh (as always) when you throw out some random title like this and make all sorts of bizarre and exaggerated claims! So how much did the ROLLERBALL remake rake in? How about THE MOD SQUAD? THE LITTLE RASCALS? THE HONEYMOONERS? I could go on and on listing these things forever ... but you get the idea. No, I don't think that the remake of THE OMEN did more box office than SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.

You're trying to constantly claim that "new audiences want more remakes and go to see them, so that's why they keep making them", and that's a load of bull. Because then by your own admission you say that "most people don't even know these are remakes". So it's not like we have 18-year-olds saying "yo, dude - I hear they've got this really awesome remake of THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 coming out... I love remakes, so let's go see it, bro!".