In general I detest movie remakes. They are usually awful.
As Michael Caine observed, why do they always remake the ones that already work?
Sequels tend to be disappointing. Remakes tend to be infuriating. Michael Caine is better qualified than most to judge. His stuff gets recycled at an alarming rate.
Remakes seem mostly to do at least one of the following:
* Suffer from the absence of the sheer screen presence of an irreplaceable original performer
* Have no real reason for existing except for some studio thinking, That one made money first time around, and its sure easier than commissioning an original screenplay
* Miss some crucial context. For example, the original Alfie was a thing of its time. It didn't just depict the moral landscape of the 60s, it explored it in a way that a retrospective version with the benefit of hindsight, or an updated version could not do
* Miss some crucial point or element. I've mentioned before how, IMHO, the fast zombies in newer zombie movies miss the real scariness of the mindless unstoppability of the classic shambling living dead.
Bad movie remakes:
Alfie
Get Carter
Italian Job
King Kong (two-time offender)
Psycho
Dawn of the Dead
Wicker Man
Good remakes:
Cape Fear
Postman Always Rings Twice
I have more in mind, good, bad and so-so, but I'm interested to see what everyone else comes up with...
.
Movie Remakes
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buddhu
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Movie Remakes
And whether the blood be highland, lowland or no.
And whether the skin be black or white as the snow.
Of kith and of kin we are one, be it right, be it wrong.
As long as our hearts beat true to the lilt of a song.
And whether the skin be black or white as the snow.
Of kith and of kin we are one, be it right, be it wrong.
As long as our hearts beat true to the lilt of a song.
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chrisoff
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Oceans 11 was great.
Assault On Precinct 13 was solid.
Scarface was awesome.
Do we include The Departed as a remake (of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs)? It's a great film as well.
Almost every other remake has been worthless.
I have great fear in my heart for what becomes of the upcoming Long Good Friday remake.
Assault On Precinct 13 was solid.
Scarface was awesome.
Do we include The Departed as a remake (of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs)? It's a great film as well.
Almost every other remake has been worthless.
I have great fear in my heart for what becomes of the upcoming Long Good Friday remake.
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izzarina
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The new Father of the Bride was terrible. The new Cheaper by the Dozen was worse (maybe it's Steve Martin?)....I absolutely detested that movie.
I didn't mind the new Italian Job, but then I've never seen the old (why do I always miss these things? I LOVE old movies too
).
I can't think of any others right now, but then I haven't had my coffee yet.
I didn't mind the new Italian Job, but then I've never seen the old (why do I always miss these things? I LOVE old movies too
). I can't think of any others right now, but then I haven't had my coffee yet.
Someday, everything is gonna be diff'rent
When I paint my masterpiece.
When I paint my masterpiece.
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CHasR
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(oo!...Ive had my coffee)
'the Avengers' w/ Sean Connery was, by far, much worse.
(Sir Sean wouldnt do it, rumor says, unless he was allowed to wear his kilt in a scene)
Its only saving feature was that awesome catsuit.
Technically NOT a movie "re-make", but nevertheless, an all-time clunker:missy wrote:one of the WORST one recently was The Pink Panther.
'the Avengers' w/ Sean Connery was, by far, much worse.
(Sir Sean wouldnt do it, rumor says, unless he was allowed to wear his kilt in a scene)
Its only saving feature was that awesome catsuit.
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Martin Milner
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I liked the 2004 Dawn of the Dead, but hadn't really considered it a remake - it didn't follow the same script, nor have the same characters, as the 1978 fim of the same name, which I also like but for different reasons.
Imagine a remake of Gone With the Wind - I wonder what half-arsed Hollywood Scriptcopier will try that one?
The Bourne Identity
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Arund the World in 80 Days
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Flight of the Phoenix
The Fog
why, why, why?
I'm suprised that big name actors would get themselves involved in remakes of classic films, it seems like they're on a hiding to nothing.
Oh, I see they're remaking The Dambusters, and Day of the Dead.
Imagine a remake of Gone With the Wind - I wonder what half-arsed Hollywood Scriptcopier will try that one?
The Bourne Identity
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Arund the World in 80 Days
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Flight of the Phoenix
The Fog
why, why, why?
I'm suprised that big name actors would get themselves involved in remakes of classic films, it seems like they're on a hiding to nothing.
Oh, I see they're remaking The Dambusters, and Day of the Dead.
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that schwing
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Tyler
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I look at The Italian Job as more of a bizzarre sequel to the original than a remake.
Same with Dawn of the Dead; it's more an "alternate universe timeline."
And honestly, what zombie fan doesn't know the original before the remake, eh?
Some remakes I like, others I can't stand.
I try to look at remakes the same way I look at musical covers by various bands, and judge them by their technical and creative merits and not just against the original.
One "remake" I REALLY enjoy is Battlestar Galactica.
Same with Dawn of the Dead; it's more an "alternate universe timeline."
And honestly, what zombie fan doesn't know the original before the remake, eh?
Some remakes I like, others I can't stand.
I try to look at remakes the same way I look at musical covers by various bands, and judge them by their technical and creative merits and not just against the original.
One "remake" I REALLY enjoy is Battlestar Galactica.
“First lesson: money is not wealth; Second lesson: experiences are more valuable than possessions; Third lesson: by the time you arrive at your goal it’s never what you imagined it would be so learn to enjoy the process” - unknown
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emmline
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Yay for Izz. I'm not the only one who's going to name a kids' film.
The Parent Trap (1998)--Good, and highly re-watchable.
Freaky Friday, which came along a few years later was also a
pretty enjoyable remake.
both of these had the advantage of coming out when no one really knew who Lindsay Lohan was.
The Parent Trap (1998)--Good, and highly re-watchable.
Freaky Friday, which came along a few years later was also a
pretty enjoyable remake.
both of these had the advantage of coming out when no one really knew who Lindsay Lohan was.
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anniemcu
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The Producers. Pretty darned good.
anniemcu
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buddhu
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Oh, Izz. Surely you jest. Rent it... steal it... it is genius. The new one could never have worked. There is no way to reproduce or equal Michael Caine yelling "You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"izzarina wrote:...I didn't mind the new Italian Job, but then I've never seen the old...
Just thought of another, Solaris - can't decide about that one...
And whether the blood be highland, lowland or no.
And whether the skin be black or white as the snow.
Of kith and of kin we are one, be it right, be it wrong.
As long as our hearts beat true to the lilt of a song.
And whether the skin be black or white as the snow.
Of kith and of kin we are one, be it right, be it wrong.
As long as our hearts beat true to the lilt of a song.
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GaryKelly
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Re: Movie Remakes
Are you serious? Robert Mitchum was brilliant in the original, genuinely menacing, and not once did he have to resort to the cheap 'techniques' of foul language, blood, gore and violence that Scorcese stooped to. Mitchum was the DB's in the original, De Niro little more than a caricature.buddhu wrote:Good remakes:
Cape Fear
And you could clearly see what was going on at the end of the original, which was shot day-for-night; the remake was reminiscent of Alien, so dark you couldn't see what was going.
Aside from that, I concur, movie re-makes generally suck. The only one I can think of that excelled the original is the LOTR trilogy, but then the original of that was a cartoon animation.
"It might be a bit better to tune to one of my fiddle's open strings, like A, rather than asking me for an F#." - Martin Milner-
Tyler
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IIRC, that dude he yells at is his younger brother.buddhu wrote:Michael Caine yelling "You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"
...
And, BTW...yes, aquire that film by any means necessary!
“First lesson: money is not wealth; Second lesson: experiences are more valuable than possessions; Third lesson: by the time you arrive at your goal it’s never what you imagined it would be so learn to enjoy the process” - unknown
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chas
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Oh, that was the one with Benny Hill as the computer genius and the Mini Coopers driving through the sidewalks? I only saw it once many years ago, but I loved it.buddhu wrote:Oh, Izz. Surely you jest. Rent it... steal it... it is genius. The new one could never have worked. There is no way to reproduce or equal Michael Caine yelling "You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"izzarina wrote:...I didn't mind the new Italian Job, but then I've never seen the old...
To add to Izz's list of needless white bread remakes:
Sabrina (it really wasn't worth remaking anyway)
The Parent Trap
The Flintstones (again, not exactly a remake, but it couldn't hold a candle to the series)
Charlie
Whorfin Woods
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Whorfin Woods
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