REMAKE-mania!!!!

[dvdjunkie]

What has happened to Hollywood? Have they truly run out of original ideas for movies? For the time being it looks like they are going to try to cash in on the remakes of several classic films and I, for one, don't understand it or like it.

Currently in the theaters, and doing poorly at the box office are:

"Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" and "Fright Night".

Coming soon:

"Footloose", "Bonnie and Clyde", "The Three Musketeers", "Dirty Dancing", "Killer Elite", and about six others that shall not get anymore publicity by naming them here.

My advice to those who truly like the originals is to rent them, or if you already own them, sit down and watch them again, because we are going to be inundated with a rash of remakes that some people, who have more money than brains, will rush out to their local cinema to see, and Hollywood will think they made the right decision.

There have been very few remakes that have been tolerable, but for the most part, a remake is just updating a film so that Hollywood can add more sex, foul language, and change the story to fit the current social standings we have in this day and age. I will not waste my money on a remake when I already own the original in my vast DVD and Blu-ray collection.

[Midge]

Bill, that was very well said, and I couldn't agree more.

[Larry's 66 Diner]

Hollywood does not know how to be original any more. You couldn't have said it any clearer or better.

The day they remake CASABLANCA will probably be the day I stop watching movies altogether!!!!

[dvdjunkie]

Well Larry you hit the nail on the head. And next week in the theaters we get yet another remake of a classic Dustin Hoffman film "Straw Dogs", and early reviews have really trashed this film as being a "below B-grade" movie.

What started me on this was the story I read in Variety that due to complaints and criticisms of a number of movie fans, Hollywood has shelved its plans to remake "Shane", the very classic Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin film.

I am at a loss as to what Hollywood is thinking these days.

I agree with you, if they start remaking some of the real classics such as "Casablanca", "To Have and Have Not", "Key Largo" and films of that genre, I will just save my money and sit home and watch the originals, which I have in my collection.

[Kimmer]

I'm not a remake fan, but I did like a couple of them. Oddly enough, both star Lindsay Lohan. One was "The Parent Trap" (I still prefer the original, but this was pretty darn good!) and the other one is "Freaky Friday' mainly due to Jamie Lee Curtis' scene stealing performance. I also liked "Herbie Rides Again" (also starring LL) which wasn't really a remake as it was a whole new film.

Hollywwod has always done remakes tho. Look at "My
Favorite Wife" which was remade as Marilyn Monroes's last (unfinished) film which was then turned into "Move Over, Darling" starring Doris Day. I love "MFW" and "MOD." Several years ago, they constructed footage from "SGTG" and out it all together, it was about 40 minutes of the film. I have it on tape somewhere. It was pretty good, but I think the other versions were better--although MM looked great!

Some films should never be remade.

[dvdjunkie]

The "Herbie" film you mentioned was called "Herbie Fully Loaded" and was NOT a remake of any of the Herbie films. But I will agree with you that there have been some re-boots that were pretty well done, but let's face it, to take a classic film like "Straw Dogs", which comes out next week, and ruin it with a younger cast and put more foul language, and sex in it, is not how you do remakes.

Disney's remake of "The Parent Trap" was done with a lot of love, and at the time, a very cute Lindsay Lohan, who has grown up with a lot of major problems we don't need to get into here. I agree, the 60's version of "Parent Trap" was a much better film because of Haley Mills' performance as the twins, but I also own the version with Lohan, and Dennis Quaid. The only reason I don't like the remake is they took out the song "Let's Get Together" that was a highlight of the 60's version of the movie.

Remakes today are just Hollywood's way of saying that they won't pay writers to come up with new ideas, when they can purchase rights to an older film and re-do it for a cheaper price.

And there are people who refuse to watch black & white movies, so they will go see a remake because it is in color, and updated to suit their tastes in violence, sex, and whatever it takes to make the movie more up-to-date.

As far as modern-day remakes there have only been a few that were tolerable - "3:10 to Yuma" was a well-done movie, but I still prefer the version with Van Heflin and Glenn Ford; "True Grit" was masterfully done by the Coen Brothers, and it stands tall right up there beside the John Wayne version, and of course "The Wiz", while not as enduring as the orignal still has its fans today, but I still prefer "The Wizard of Oz"!!!

[Larry's 66 Diner]

Nonetheless, the 1939 version of THE WIZARD OF OZ we all have come to know and love already had an earlier silent version, just to be technical.

[dvdjunkie]

That's not being technical, that's just telling how it is. Hollywood has done some fine remakes, mostly bringing silent films to life with color and sound. "Ben Hur" was originally a silent film from 1925, and how many times have the re-done "The Jazz Singer".

It just seems today, they have nothing original in their idea farm, so they just pick a movie from the past and say "Let's remake this one!"

This growing trend is all that I am trying to bring to everyone's attention, because it is getting out of hand, and Hollywood just doesn't seem to care.

Today I was reading where they are actually contemplating re-making "Paint Your Wagon", and "South Pacific". This just smells with unoriginality.

[Midge]

I think there's a difference between remakes that are done to take advantage of technical advances that will enhance the story, as in The Wizard of Oz, and remakes that are done merely to cash in on the popularity of a previous blockbuster because the filmmakers lack the creativity to come up with an original idea.

The story of The Wizard of Oz couldn't be told properly without color, dialogue and sound. To remake it now would be pointless, because the 1939 musical version was as perfect in every way as a film could possibly be. As far as I know, the only other Oz film that has been done since 1939 is Return to Oz. Guess which of those two films is repeated every year to delight a new generation? I rest my case.

[dvdjunkie]

I totally agree Midge. The Wizard of Oz has stood the sands of time very well, and I would be very upset if they even thought about remaking it. While Disney did do a faux remake with the Muppets a couple of years ago, it was a made-for-television movie and flopped in the ratings very badly.

One of the more recent bad remakes out of Hollywood was the 2008 version of The Day The Earth Stood Still. I was so happy to see that it flopped big time, and when it was released to DVD and Blu-ray they included the original version of the classic sci-fi movie from 1951.

Another big flop was this year with the remake of the Dudley Moore comedy Arthur, when they tried to foist Russell Brand as the next Dudley Moore and he was terrible. They also added Helen Mirren to replace John Gielgud's role and all they got was a foul-mouted old lady.

Someone on another site that I frequent, and have brought this subject up, reminded me of "The Ladykillers", the Tom Hanks movie from 2004, that was a remake of a British film of the same name starring Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers. While Hanks tried to bring the story up to date, it was not able to hold a candle to the original version.

Just saw a trailer for the new "Footloose" remake, and I almost cried at how much they have changed the whole idea of the story and the purpose of the original. There is no Kevin Bacon, Dianne Wiest, or John Lithgow, instead we have a bunch of new faces and none of the music that made the original such a great memory.

[diane]

"The Ladykillers" (1953) is one of my favourite comedys and a classic and why
some people have the arrogance to think they could do things better is beyond
me. One film I have heard is being remade is "The Great Gatsby", a book I have
read a few times. It is a movie that definately could be improved upon - I can
remember really disliking the Mia Farrow/Robert Redford version. There have
been two before that, one in the 20s with Warner Baxter and another in 1949
with Alan Ladd. I saw the 1949 version a few years ago and nothing about it
stood out. I wonder who will play Daisy, in the book, she is not the person
(by a long way) that Gatsby puts on a pedestal - nowadays nobody wants to
play bad characters. I think, also that Isla Fisher is going to play Myrtle, Tom's
cheap mistress from the other side of the tracks. Don't know how that will go
either!!!

[diane]

Weirdly, I remember taking my daughter Claire to "Return From Oz" and I
actually have it on VHS - I know I must be the only person in the world to
have it. I must be also one of the few people that haven't really got a soft
spot for "The Wizard of Oz". "Return to Oz" was a much darker film - if I
can remember it was about her family coping with what happened to her
in Oz and taking her to see a few quack doctors etc.

[Midge]

That's interesting, Diane. I have never seen Return to Oz but I remember thinking when it first came out that it didn't seem like a children's film. Wicked, the Broadway show based on the book, was also a darker version of the Oz story, and it has become extremely popular. Maybe its success will lead to renewed interest in Return to Oz, which seems rarely or never to have been shown on TV. I like Fairuza Balk and would love to see her version of Dorothy.

[Kimmer]

Sept 7, 2011 6:34:19 GMT -6 dvdjunkie said:

The "Herbie" film you mentioned was called "Herbie Fully Loaded" and was NOT a remake of any of the Herbie films. . The only reason I don't like the remake is they took out the song "Let's Get Together" that was a highlight of the 60's version of the movie.

Just to clarify, Bill. If you read my post, you'll see that I did mention that the "Herbie" movie was a whole new film, not a remake. I did enjoy it, but I still prefer "The Love Bug."

Also, in "The Parent Trap," that song is briefly sung ( a chorus) by Lindsay Lohan as a homage to the original film. It certainly didn't take the place of the full verison but it was a cute little tribute.

[diane]

You are right Midge, "Return to Oz" is probably for older children. I know Claire
liked it and when it was on the "Wonderful World of Disney" I taped it. But I
don't think I stopped to consider whether it was suitable when we saw it at
the movies - just saw that magical word "OZ" and thought it will be okay!!

[diane]

I know that "South Pacific" was remade only a few years ago with Glenn
Close and she really irritated me by her comments ie "I purposely haven't
seen the original from what I have read it can be improved upon.... blah
blah blah". If I can remember rightly the more recent "South Pacific" was
a big flop. I'm not a huge fan of the 50s movie myself but I find comments
like that pretty arrogant, I would never assume that I could do something
better than some one else until I had actually seen what they can do and
then do it myself!! Rant over.

[Midge]

I saw that version of South Pacific, too, and found myself missing the spunky personality and wonderfully expressive vocals of Mary Martin. I don't see how Glenn Close could have lived her whole life without ever having seen video clips or heard Martin's iconic recordings of the songs from that musical. To claim that she hadn't seen the original was disingenuous at best. There won't be another good version of South Pacific until a Nellie Forbush comes along with the charisma of Mary Martin and an Emile De Becque comes along who's as handsome, suave and charming as the gifted operatic bass Ezio Pinza. Those two legends set the bar pretty high.

[dvdjunkie]

The 1958 movie starring Mitzi Gaynor was received very well, especially by those who did not ever get to see it on the New York stage. While those familiar with the soundtrack of the stage musical found this filmed version a visual delight. Credited with the most lip-sync vocals in a motion picture the only actual person to receive film credit was Georgio Tozzi, who was the singing voice of Rossano Brazzi.

[Midge]

I liked the 1958 movie except for director Joshua Logan's wrong-headed decision to use different colored filters to add "atmosphere." Mitzi Gaynor was bright, peppy and a good singer, though she wasn't the actress that Mary Martin was. Rossano Brazzi was very good as De Becque. I found John Kerr to be a bit wooden as "Lootellent" Cable, but the real revelation was the fresh and lovely young France Nuyen as Liat.

[Kimmer]

I can't remember the name of the Josh Logan book that I have (it's buried in my closet), but it's sort of an autobiography where he also tells lots of stories about his films. He was very interested in having Elizabeth Taylor play "Nellie," but he said she was so nervous that she couldn't sing and that was that. Then, he mentioned how she caught a glimpse of Mike Todd (her then husband) and started singing "I'm in love with a wonderful guy" and he said she was amazing. If only she'd done that earlier, it sounded like she might've gotten the role. He said he was told to "police" Mitzi Gaynor because otherwise, she would've been overly cute. So, she basically was "tamed" a bit and he thought she was very good.

I have to admit that I've never been overly crazy about "South Pacific." It's ok, but not a musical that I care to watch over and over. I do love the song "Honey Bun" tho. Reba McEntire did a "SP" show and she sang the ronsgs very well.

[Midge]

That's an interesting story about Elizabeth Taylor being considered to play Nellie Forbush and Mitzi Gaynor's cuteness having to be "tamed." Even if Liz could sing, it wouldn't have worked because Taylor wasn't exactly the naive small town girl type. Besides, she looked nothing at all like Mary Martin, and I think that would also have been a drawback as everyone had a picture in their mind of what Nellie should look like.

I read the Josh Logan book years ago but don't remember much about it except that he was very open about his struggles with bipolar disorder and how lithium had given him his life back.

Speaking of remakes, I tried to watch the recent remake of The Women which stars Meg Ryan, Annette Bening and Bette Midler. The script was so completely witless and the characters were so miscast, I couldn't bear to stick with it for more than 20 minutes. That's a remake that should have never happened.

[Kimmer]

I really can't remember why he thought Liz would be so good, but he did seem to like her. She didn't have an overly glamorous image then, that seemed to be more of her 1960's era. I can't picture her in the role either tho.

[rmichaelpyle]

Hey, Larry, believe it or not "Casablanca" WAS re-made about fifteen years ago. It was so good nobody remembers it!!!!!!!!!!! Absolutely abyssmal.

[dvdjunkie]

Just found out that Killer Elite is NOT a remake but a new film with that title. Taken from a novel called "The Feather Men", I guess they didn't think that title would draw people to a movie theater. With a cast that features Robert Di Niro, Robert Duvall and Jason Statham, the movie may have the old Sam Peckinpah title, but it is a brand new story and not at all like the 70's hit.

However, just watched the trailer for the updated version of "The Three Musketeers" and I am appalled that they are taking the route they are in the remake of a story that has be done before and quite a bit better. Hoping this film will also die a quick death at the box office. I wish Hollywood could come up with some new ideas and come out with some original movies that are, at the very least, entertaining for all, and not just a selected few who enjoy them.

[dvdjunkie]

Now this is really irking me to the hilt. Just found out that the remake of "Red Dawn" has finally been green-lighted for release next year.

The 1984 film which starred Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, among others in an all-star cast, was about high school students who take to the hills when a group of Russian invaders land in their town. It was a very good movie, and brought to the front more about the 'cold war' tensions between the US and Russia than any other movie of this kind.

Now, they have remade this film and "Thor" star Chris Hemsworth is the leader of a group of people who take to the hills when their town is invaded by Chinese guerrillas bent on taking over the US one city at a time.

The film company who originally made this film lost its distributor when they wouldn't change the invaders to some anonymous army of invaders. The film has sat in their cans since 2009 and was just recently purchased by Filmworks, an international company who is trying to get into the US market.

[liz]

For years,everytime a remake came out,I'll say to my kids,"Watch the
original." Alot of movies are remakes and renamed. Like Mrs. Winterbourne. Stanwyck's role in "No Man of Her Own." Same train
wreck-baby-miss identified mother. Shame that they can't come with any new movie plots on their own.

[Midge]

Liz, I didn't realize that Mrs. Winterbourne was a remake of No Man of Her Own. I saw the original and liked it a lot, so I probably won't go out of my way to see the remake. Once in a while a remake is better than the original, but 999 times out of 1000 it's the other way around.

[liz]

Yes,they seem to do that alot. Everyone thinks it's something different,til
you watch the plot of the movie.
Also have you ever noticed they take parts out of a film and use it over
in another film. Voight & Hoffman walking across the street,I believe it's
Hoffman who hits the taxi and says "We're walking here." Sandra Bullock
says almost the same thing in the movie "Miss Congeniality".
"Watch it,we're gliding here." as she hits the taxi's hood.
Harrison Ford removes his shirt,as all the young ladies in the office watch and smile. The movie is Working Girl. Then in the movie, "How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days",Matthew McConaughey takes off his shirt,as the ladies
watch him. Funny huh? Can we say "Repeat".

[Midge]

When I worked in thebroadcasting business, we had a saying that "Imitation is the sincerest form of television." I think that's true in the movies as well. Copying someone else's idea is a lot easier than being original.

[liz]

Oct 25, 2011 3:20:56 GMT -6 Midge said:

When I worked in thebroadcasting business, we had a saying that "Imitation is the sincerest form of television." I think that's true in the movies as well. Copying someone else's idea is a lot easier than being original.

Totally agree with you,Midge.