Even MORE remake madness.......

[Agent ONE]

why do we hold movies to a different standard compared to other forms of entertainment like music and theater?

Do we? When a band covers a song I like and I don't like the new cover I want to eat their souls.. Same as a bad remake of a movie.

[eugimon]

Do we? When a band covers a song I like and I don't like the new cover I want to eat their souls.. Same as a bad remake of a movie.

I guess I just don't see a remake as necessarily a bad thing... sure 99% of remakes are horrible abominations that only hasten the apocolypse, but there's always the outside chance they'll bring something new to the table or at least be able to stand up on it's own. Ocean's 11 may not be as good as Sinatra's but it's still a fun flick.

[kanedaestes]

Scarface is a remake

[Gubaba]

why do we hold movies to a different standard compared to other forms of entertainment like music and theater?

So if I wanted to write a "remake novel," that'd be okay?

"Y'know, The Great Gatsby is good, but I'd like to re-imagine it as a a current novel for a current generation, using all of the latest literary technology...but I promise to be respectful to the source material."

It's unfair to compare different forms of entertainment in this regard...theater, but its very nature as a live medium, requires new versions of classic works. Pop music began with songwriters being very different individuals than the singers who recorded their songs, and it wasn't unusual to have fifteen or twenty different recorded versions of the same song. In that sense, covers have become LESS frequent now than they were sixty years ago.

There's also the fact that there are many, many more theater productions staged and pop songs released in any year than major Hollywood movies made. If (let's say) Sony only released twenty albums a year, and even five of them were wholsale remakes of previous albums, there'd be an outcry.

[Gubaba]

Scarface is a remake

Yes, yes it is. So what? I don't think anyone is saying that every single remake is bad.

[eugimon]

So if I wanted to write a "remake novel," that'd be okay?

"Y'know, The Great Gatsby is good, but I'd like to re-imagine it as a a current novel for a current generation, using all of the latest literary technology...but I promise to be respectful to the source material."

It's unfair to compare different forms of entertainment in this regard...theater, but its very nature as a live medium, requires new versions of classic works. Pop music began with songwriters being very different individuals than the singers who recorded their songs, and it wasn't unusual to have fifteen or twenty different recorded versions of the same song. In that sense, covers have become LESS frequent now than they were sixty years ago.

There's also the fact that there are many, many more theater productions staged and pop songs released in any year than major Hollywood movies made. If (let's say) Sony only released twenty albums a year, and even five of them were wholsale remakes of previous albums, there'd be an outcry.

Why is it unfair? there are hundreds of theaters across the country tiny community theaters, university productions, broadway... there are hundreds of versions of shakespeare's works out there... hamlet set in china, King Lear set in Japan, MacBeth set in the modern financial world. Not just the location and time, but the very language has been changed and adpated.

If movies are this generation's theater, what's wrong with revisiting stories and characters? I mean, we all bitch and moan when we find out Akira or some other story near and dear to our hearts is going to be remade, but where's the outcry why some Japanese guy decides to redo King Lear as some samurai movie?

And covers are VERY frequent... maybe not as frequent as during the motown days, but I can't think of a single major recording artist who doesn't feature covers as part of their catalogue... hell, for some artists, their greatest hits, the song they're most associated with, are covers. Whitless Houston comes to mind, her dolly parton cover will forever be associated to her now and not to dolly.

Edited August 16, 2008 by eugimon

[Gubaba]

Why is it unfair? there are hundreds of theaters across the country tiny community theaters, university productions, broadway... there are hundreds of versions of shakespeare's works out there... hamlet set in china, King Lear set in Japan, MacBeth set in the modern financial world. Not just the location and time, but the very language has been changed and adpated.

If movies are this generation's theater, what's wrong with revisiting stories and characters? I mean, we all bitch and moan when we find out Akira or some other story near and dear to our hearts is going to be remade, but where's the outcry why some Japanese guy decides to redo King Lear as some samurai movie?

And covers are VERY frequent... maybe not as frequent as during the motown days, but I can't think of a single major recording artist who doesn't feature covers as part of their catalogue... hell, for some artists, their greatest hits, the song they're most associated with, are covers. Whitless Houston comes to mind, her dolly parton cover will forever be associated to her now and not to dolly.

Hey, if someone could tell me where to get DVDs of Shakespeare performing in his own works, I probably wouldn't need any other performances. Likewise CDs of Beethoven conducting his symphonies.

As I said, theater is a LIVE medium, making new versions necessary. Movies aren't. The reason there was no outcry about Ran, to take your example, is that it was damn good. There wasn't any outcry about David Cronenberg's version of The Fly, either...because it was different and arguably better than the original. You can't say the same about, say, the 2003 version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Covers have been a part of pop music from the beginning, for good or ill. Any aspiring jazz singer has a large number of old standards which he or she MUST nail to prove his or her chops. Movie directors don't have to remake Jaws to show the world at large that they know how to create suspense. the nature of the medium is simply different. And pop music is, in large part, a disposable medium. Memories are short, lifelong careers are rare...make your money how you can while you can, then get out before you have to start travelling the oldies circuit.

And, as I said, no one writes remake novels.

I don't think ANYONE is complaining about good or superior remakes. But there are very few in the current crop that show any kind of thought or creativity. You can't compare ANY of the recent remakes to Ran, or Scarface, or hell, even Clueless.

It's a ployt that seems to work for making money, but it creates very few genuinely good movies. But, as long as they're making money, they don't have to be good, right?

[Wes]

It's just how many remakes have we had in recent history? I think it's been far more than it has been in the past. And the thing that really pisses me off is they get mad at other sources that the movies aren't bringing in the profit margins they think they should. I'd throw in stuff but it might go out of board rules. Why can't it just be your movies suck, we don't want to see them, and if you want to justify your outragious paychecks you make something good?!

[eugimon]

No, the difference is we jump up and down and start the bitch fest BEFORE the new version comes out instead of waiting and seeing if it's any good or if it can stand on it's own.

My point about theater is that even though it's live, according to you, there's no reason to depart from accurate period pieces that stay faithful to the language, the original is sacred so we shouldn't ever try anything new, right? And I'm sorry, but whitney houston didn't need to "prove her chops" neither do U2, Sheryl Crow, Wong Faye or any other numerous singers and groups who regularly sing covers as part of their concerts.

If the story is good and the characters are compelling, what's wrong with taking a fresh look at it? And yes, most remakes aren't good, just like most movies aren't good, and most remakes aren't inspired, just like most movies aren't inspired. And yes, most movies in general, original stories or not, aren't going to compare to Ran or Scarface, but Ocean's 11 is just fine as a remake. Kira Knightly's Pride and Prejudice may not do justice to the book, but it's still a decent movie, The Thing, Tortilla Soup, The Departed, Juno (debatably), Magnificent Seven, the Manchurain Candidate, The Truth About Charlie, Assualt on Precinct 13, Seabiscuit, the Italian Job... all decent movies. Are they masterpieces.. no, most aren't... but they're good movies and in some cases, such as tortilla soup and the departed are much more accessible movies to western audiences than their asian originals.

Also, point you're not talking about.. many movies that people love so dearly started off in another medium, books or theater. Perhaps the people doing the remake have their own take on the original story and want to pursue that? The Dune miniseries may not have been the best thing ever, but it was a much more faithful adaptation of the novel than the first Dune movie was... Even Jaws started off as a book, does a remake need to be made of the Spielberg movie? No, but maybe there's something in the book that Spielberg didn't nail or passed over that somebody, someday, would want to take a bite at.

It's entirely possible for talented people to want to try their own spin material they like.

[Twoducks]

I actually wouldn't mind a Conan remake if they take it seriously.. Like Batman or 007

Agent One is back?! Now, where are those flying pigs?

Ah yes, back on topic and stuff... don't care. They can even remake Robocop (or any other of the films I loved as a kid) into a pink teddybear if the want to.

- Remake good = me see

- Remake not good = me not see

I have too much things going on in my life to worry about what some Hollywood studio is doing or not doing with their intellectual property.

[Gubaba]

No, the difference is we jump up and down and start the bitch fest BEFORE the new version comes out instead of waiting and seeing if it's any good or if it can stand on it's own.

My point about theater is that even though it's live, according to you, there's no reason to depart from accurate period pieces that stay faithful to the language, the original is sacred so we shouldn't ever try anything new, right? And I'm sorry, but whitney houston didn't need to "prove her chops" neither do U2, Sheryl Crow, Wong Faye or any other numerous singers and groups who regularly sing covers as part of their concerts.

If the story is good and the characters are compelling, what's wrong with taking a fresh look at it? And yes, most remakes aren't good, just like most movies aren't good, and most remakes aren't inspired, just like most movies aren't inspired. And yes, most movies in general, original stories or not, aren't going to compare to Ran or Scarface, but Ocean's 11 is just fine as a remake. Kira Knightly's Pride and Prejudice may not do justice to the book, but it's still a decent movie, The Thing, Tortilla Soup, The Departed, Juno (debatably), Magnificent Seven, the Manchurain Candidate, The Truth About Charlie, Assualt on Precinct 13, Seabiscuit, the Italian Job... all decent movies. Are they masterpieces.. no, most aren't... but they're good movies and in some cases, such as tortilla soup and the departed are much more accessible movies to western audiences than their asian originals.

Also, point you're not talking about.. many movies that people love so dearly started off in another medium, books or theater. Perhaps the people doing the remake have their own take on the original story and want to pursue that? The Dune miniseries may not have been the best thing ever, but it was a much more faithful adaptation of the novel than the first Dune movie was... Even Jaws started off as a book, does a remake need to be made of the Spielberg movie? No, but maybe there's something in the book that Spielberg didn't nail or passed over that somebody, someday, would want to take a bite at.

It's entirely possible for talented people to want to try their own spin material they like.

I agree with pretty much everything you say.

The only real point of disagreement is that I feel prefectly justified complaining about yet-to-be-made remakes. But that has more to do with there being SO DAMN MANY of them right now. Hollywood seems locked in a rut and it needs to pull itself out.

Now, if one or two of them turn out to get good reviews, I'll go see them. But, as you say, most movies aren't good, and I'm never keen on seeing a book or comic or previous movie that I really like get turned into mediocrity. I'd prefer that they stayed away from stuff that I like.

Thankfully, most of the stuff that I really like is stuff that they would never, ever touch...

[Max Jenius]

Maybe if they remake it, they will do a good job... I think the original is lame. Maybe someone elses version will make the thing entertaining. I just don't get it.

Holy crap. Welcome back. Maybe this place can be cool again.

[Agent ONE]

Holy crap. Welcome back. Maybe this place can be cool again.

Thats the plan baby.

[CoryHolmes]

Y'know, Red Dawn remade today could be incredibly subversive. Think about it, an army of foreigners invading for their own reasons, slaughtering all those whom oppose them and encouraging sympathizers. A brave group of ordinary citizens refuses to give up their homeland and "flawed" way of life and band together to form a resistance movement against the evil invaders.

I'm a nominal supporter of the current War on Terror, but it always strikes me amused whenever I see something like this or a documentary on the Auxilary Units of WWII. How much a change in perspective does to the story

[big F]

Maybe if they remake it, they will do a good job... I think the original is lame. Maybe someone elses version will make the thing entertaining. I just don't get it.

I think I saw it at least 3 times before I started to a. like it and b. understand it.

Then after I saw it a the local theater dress up in a lab coat and fishnets I changed my mind. Its just a piss take of hollywood and modern life.

I think a remake of that would be more forgiving that a straight up remake of some other great film. At least with RHPS it's been seen a thousand times by all the fans and each time it goes on tour it has different actors doing it who bring there own thing to it. So in that sense the fans are already on the right wave length.

But Holly wood should go more new I think. There are thousands of short story writers out there who have material that could be used both Sci Fi and normal stuff.

[taksraven]

They need to look at some other science fiction books and make new movies. I for one would love to see Ender's Game made into a movie.

Absolutely right. I think that the problem is that the studio's are so cheap that they would rather work with stories and franchises that they already have the rights too, rather than fork out for some 'risky' new material.

Taksraven

[taksraven]

Best thing about remakes it that you can ignore them

Thats right, and its easy enough to ignore sequels too. As far as I'm concerned Robocops 2,3, and the TV series do not exist and i would never bother with them. Never seen Blues Brothers 2000 and I never will. Problem is that its impossible to erase the horror of Jar Jar from the human mind.

Taksraven

[Morpheus]

I don't know much about the remake or re-imagine policy, some went good (like Batman Begins and BSG) and some will probably fail. Maybe the same thing like when they reboot James Bond franchise (I prefer Sean Connery style, not Daniel Craig style). I guess thats the horror we oldtimer must faced

But I do agree with MisaForever on the remake thingy, Robot Jox must return with full CGI glory

[grss1982]

Yep.. I can't stay away man... I love Macross, and the MW community too much. I had to do a great deal of apologizing which as you may know isn't my dish of tea. But I was a huge pain for the mods back in the day and they let a ton of things go, so I had it comin for a while.

Agent One is back?! Now, where are those flying pigs?

No Flying Pigs only a Dinousaur would do for the return of MW's prodigal son......

Again, WELCOME BACK Agent One.

Anyways...about the Red Dawn and Robocop remakes......Uhmmm... whose gonna be invading the U.S. of A. in a Red Dawn Re-make? China? From across the freaking Pacific Ocean? As if planes based from U.S. airbases in Hawaii and the West Coast couldn't shoot down those planes carrying paratroopers from landing in the playground of an American school.

As for Robocop, I'd rather that Hollywood stays the hell away from it. It was good as it is.

Edited August 18, 2008 by grss1982

[Morpheus]

As for Robocop, I'd rather that Hollywood stays the hell away from it. It was good as it is.

What if they change Murphy into a hot chick, just like what they did to Starbuck in BSG? Robocop Chick....hmmmm not good enough.

[Agent ONE]

No Flying Pigs only a Dinousaur would do for the return of MW's prodigal son......

EDITED to take image out,

Again, WELCOME BACK Agent One.

...

As for Robocop, I'd rather that Hollywood stays the hell away from it. It was good as it is.

Hey thanks man! Good to see you too!

I wouldn't mind seeing a new Robocop sequel that didn't totally suck.

Edited August 18, 2008 by Agent ONE

[areaseven]

Death Race has been reviewed, but is it worth watching at all?

Spill.com - Death Race Gets Mixed Reviews

[Smiley424]

since this is the remake thread, looks like with the success of Dark Knight and poor showing of Superman Returns, WB is going to reboot Superman here a la Marvel and the Incredible Hulk.

[Warmaker]

Well, this thread has it all. Agent One is back. And we also have a pic with a Tyrannosaurus Rex flying a Tomcat

[Gubaba]

Well, this thread has it all. Agent One is back. And we also have a pic with a Tyrannosaurus Rex flying a Tomcat

Not to quibble, but isn't the dinosaur flying an F-15...?

[Warmaker]

The F-14's engines are more spread apart than an F-15's. It has a sort of "platypus" between the engines with the speedbrake. The F-15's engines are very close together and doesn't have that platypus

[eugimon]

It's pretty definitely an f-14, even has the little pop out winglets... i'm sure Dave can provide the proper name for them.

[Gubaba]

Hmmm...Guess I need to go back and study my '80s jets again...

[Keith]

How the hell did I not notice A1 being back until now, crazy. Don't suppose you'd be interested in playing MGO with the rest of us?

[Agent ONE]

Well, this thread has it all. Agent One is back. And we also have a pic with a Tyrannosaurus Rex flying a Tomcat

Did you miss me?

[Agent ONE]

How the hell did I not notice A1 being back until now, crazy. Don't suppose you'd be interested in playing MGO with the rest of us?

Dude, if I ever stayed in one place for long enough I could get back into gaming. Work has me all over the place. Thanks for the invite though!

Soon I think my company will be moving its HQ and I will be working out of my place most of the time. Then it will be all about sitting on the couch completely naked all day playing MGO with you. I just want you guys to know I will be naked... Its beautiful.

[big F]

ROTFL

[electric indigo]

I just saw "The Man who fell to Earth" (starring David Bowie) on TV and while browsing IMDB found out that this is also on the Remake List. While first news of this appear already in 2005, it now has a 2009 release date on IMDB.

[Keith]

Don't worry, we all play MGO naked, it's one of the rules.

As for remaking The Man Who Fell to Earth, do you think they will actually manage to make that movie more borring? Would that even be possible?

[Gubaba]

Don't worry, we all play MGO naked, it's one of the rules.

As for remaking The Man Who Fell to Earth, do you think they will actually manage to make that movie more borring? Would that even be possible?

Are you kidding? That's an excellent movie!

I'm a big Bowie fan, though...so that may be part of it.