Remakes.
It will come as no surprise to long-term followers of this blog that film remakes feature for ‘R’. With a handful of exceptions, the constant remakes of great films are usually unnecessary, and completely pointless too.
Yes, they remade ‘Carrie’, that classic Stephen King adaptation from 1976.
And it was truly awful.
Taking on one of the best British gangster thrillers ever, they remade the wonderful ‘Get Carter’, in 2000.
Why? Please tell me why!
Seemingly out to murder another classic Michael Caine film, they remade ‘The Italian Job’, in 2003.
COME ON! Just stop it!
I could also write a book on how they remake foreign language films for people who can’t handle subtitles, always ruining them in the process.
One of the worst examples has to be ‘The Vanishing’. They changed the ending in the US version, to make it ‘happy’.
GRRRRRRRRRR!
And don’t get me started on Japanese Anime classics with western actors voicing the characters!
How wrong does this sound? Very wrong, believe me.
BUT WAIT!
While I am on ‘R’, I have to mention ‘Reimagining’. In case you don’t know, this is the blatant plagiarism of classic fiction, ‘Reimagined’ for the modern reader. Take ‘Jane Eyre’, set it in modern-day California, call it something else, and you have ‘reimagined’ the original. You get the idea.
DOUBLE GRRRRRRRRR!
Film makers and writers, I have a suggestion for you.
DO SOMETHING ORIGINAL!
Remakes are not always bad, but most times the remakes are more than an adaption, and the message of the originals got lost. Great posting, Pete! Will have a look on the mentioned movies. Michael
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Better to watch the original versions of the films I featured, Michael.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Will try to do so, Pete! Thank you for mentioning these movies. Enjoy your afternoon! Michael
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Great post 🙂 Though there are times when a remake either equals the original or surpasses it. Here are just a few examples below and keep up the great work as always 🙂
Sorcerer (1977) (Dir: William Friedkin)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) (Dir: Philip Kaufman)
The Thing (1982) (Dir: John Carpenter)
The Fly (1986) (Dir: David Cronenberg)
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The Thing was discussed lower down, John. I love Carpenter’s film, but I consider it to be much more than a straight remake of the earlier one.
I really like the original ‘Body Snatchers’. It caught the mood of that era.
Thanks for your thoughts, John.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Oh yeah 🙂 Notice I said “either equals the original or surpasses it” 🙂 Nevertheless, I do agree with your theory on Carpenter’s version of The Thing 🙂
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I have seen my grandchildren enjoy remakes because they never encountered the original. That is the only justification I can imagine for making them.
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Even so, the originals are all still widely available, as far as I am aware. So they are missing out on far superior films, sadly.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I think they don’t realize that it is a remake until I tell them.
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Remakes for Hollyweird are simple – the formula (they hope) works. I refuse to watch them.
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Pleased to hear that, Lara. I always kick myself when I give in and watch them. Though most of the time it is only to confirm what I already knew.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I am seldom impressed with remakes…..the biggest disappointment was Manchurian Candidate”….chuq
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The first film was of its time, so more relevant and interesting.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Much more so than the re-make…..chuq
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Exactly chuq – it was not good.
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Pete, every single trailer you show here proves your point – all of those original films were classics in some way, and every single remake was an abomination! There is NEVER justification to remake/update/refresh a classic film…talk about a lack of inspiration and creativity on Hollywood’s part…it’s simply a craven “cash grab” by creatively bankrupt Executives…and I know, I work here!
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Thanks for adding your own ‘insider’ knowledge, John.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I have to agree Pete.
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Thanks, Kim. I know there are some exceptions, but not enough to make a difference.
Best wishes, Pete.
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(1) I just watched “Let Me In” with Chloë Grace Moretz, and thought it was pretty good, though it’s also a remake of a Swedish film (which I haven’t seen). I have the original “Carrie” on DVD, but haven’t seen the remake in which Chloë Grace Moretz stars along with Julianne Moore (an actress I like).
(2) I’ve seen “Get Carter,” and didn’t realize it was a remake. I do like Sylvester Stallone, though.
(3) I watched “The Vanishing” years ago, and it came to mind again while watching “Kill Bill: Volume 2” for the first time, as there is a similar buried alive incident in the film (but with a different outcome). I haven’t seen the remake of “The Vanishing,” and have never been interested in doing so.
(4a) I don’t actually have a problem with English language voice-overs on animated films, as the lip movement isn’t enough to destroy the effect, and I think they’re easier to watch. However, I absolutely hate dubbed live action films, and will only watch a foreign film if subtitles are available. By the way, I do have “Princess Mononoke” on DVD, as well as other films by Hayao Miyazaki.
(4b) On the other hand, watching a John Wayne movie dubbed in French is the epitome of ridiculousness. It’s hard enough to swallow American cowboys speaking French, but, for some reason, they chose (and stuck with) a high-pitched girly-man’s voice for John Wayne’s character! Aargh!
(5) I suppose the idea behind a reimagining is that classic stories beg to be retold in a modern context, and that certain themes are universal. With rare exception, though, I prefer the original.
(6) I agree that Hollywood relies way too heavily on remakes, reimaginings, reboots, etc. Whenever Hollywood does come up with something original, the studio milks it to death with sequels, prequels, and spin-offs…
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I have seen the original film, ‘Let The Right One In’, and because of that I declined to watch the remake. The original British film of Get Carter was so much better, though Caine ‘took the money’ for a smaller role in the remake.
For me watching a dubbed version of a film like ‘Princess Mononoke’ and hearing the voice of Billy Bob Thornton is not unlike you wincing at John Wayne having a girly voice. It is just not right.
Thanks, David.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Generally I agree and stay away from remakes, but a lot depends on whether I saw the remake before the original, for instance I really like the Magnificent 7 even after I saw one of my favorites, 7 Samurai.
And I don’t think anyone chooses the original Maltese Falcon with Cortez over the one ten years later with Bogart.
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Good points, Don. Sometimes, remakes can change a location, or some elements of the original. That way, they don’t seem so bad. A good example is ‘The Thing’, discussed by Sam, lower down. And the remake of ‘Assault On Precinct 13’, though not as good as the first film in my opinion, did add lots of new things to the story.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I pretty much always avoid remakes, although sometimes I don’t know they are 🙂
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It’s a good policy when you do though. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Well I was way off on my guess. After ‘rain’ was ruled out, I thought you’d have something to say about ‘royalty.’ Remake never crossed my mind! 😉
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I usually complain about Royalty on my other blog, Susanne. 🙂
My views on the aristocracy are well-known.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Ah…. so I wasn’t far off just on the wrong blog!
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I totally agree with you, Pete. Just a few days ago I stopped watching the remake of “The Magnificent 7”, with Denzel Washington. That definitely comes not even close to the power of the original.
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By coincidence, that famous film was a western remake of Seven Samurai, a Japanese film released in 1954. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Now that you mention it, I remember. I’ve never watched the Japanese original, though.
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Still worth watching now, Pit. A Kurosawa classic. 🙂
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I hope I will be able to.
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My first reaction to why they do it (other than not having an original thought) was to get around the copyright laws. but Since they last for 70 or more years after the author’s death, that can’t be it. Years ago, I read a book titled,
“Steal This Plot” the premise of the book was stories have been around for so long they have all already been told (written). Perhaps this book is in the required reading of filmmakers and they missed the point of only stealing the plot and not every nuance of the earlier film. Warmest regards, Theo
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Thanks, Theo. So many of those I dislike the most are actual scene-by-scene remakes. I know they have to pay the original team, but I would still suggest it is all rather pointless.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pointless never stopped people from doing those things. Warmest regards, Theo
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Haha… I can see this really winds you up Pete! My pet hate are films that have a completely different ending from the book they have been based upon.
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That is also extremely annoying!
(Unless you have never read the book)
Best wishes, Pete. x
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i agree 🙂
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Thanks, Wilma.
Best wishes, Pete.
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The exception that confirms the rule is John Carpenter’s The Thing!
And David Cronenberg’s The Fly too!
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The Thing is an exception, though they substantially re-invented the lame original beyond real comparison. 🙂
Thanks, Sam.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I’m with you re: “the constant remakes of great films are usually unnecessary”…..
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Thanks, Sue. I just don’t get why they do it.
Except it might be cheap, and it’s lazy. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Exactly that…cheap and lazy
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As so often in your dislikes series – AGREED! XX & treats/pats for Oliie
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Thanks as always, dear Pippa.
Best wishes, Pete. x
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Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as much as I like Johnny Depp I didn’t like him in the remake the original with Gene Wilder was the absolute best …If it ain’t broke why fix it?
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They will never better that Gene Wilder original, not matter what they throw into the mix.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Absolutely, Pete 🙂 x
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You sure hit on a pet peeve of mine here!!
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Glad to hear that, GP. When I hear news of a ‘forthcoming remake’, I feel my blood pressure start to rise!
Best wishes, Pete.
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I just know it is one I won’t be bothering to see.
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Hehehe! I know what you are saying. Some of teh classic Hindi movies had been “remade” in the past 10 years and most of them have been awful. But I have also seen remake of a Telugu movie “Chandramukhi” into Hindi “Bhool Bhulaiya” and it was amazing! And I loved some movies with sub-titles, though a lot of times, the translation is not accurate. But still… there’s nothing like an original movie.
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Thanks, Shaily. Most ‘classic’ films are classics for a reason, and do not need remaking. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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With you on this. Though I did like the Oceans 11 remake, thought they did a good job on that.
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I didn’t watch it, FR. I try not to watch remakes now, as they usually make me angry!
Best wishes, Pete.
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I agree that film remakes are never as good as the originals. Two remakes of favourite films of mine, ‘The Go-Between’ and ‘The Great Gatsby’, were awful.
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Agreed, Stevie. Why remake those? Both the originals can never be bettered.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Very true.
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I have to agree: very few, if any, remakes are worthy IMO of note. The ‘reimagining’ concept seems to have taken hold in music, as well: Max Richter is one who has reworked Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, although perhaps plagiarism [and outright theft] was more common with composers before music could be recorded? No doubt you will have heard the expression “pop will eat itself”: arguably, it has already done so, and it looks rather like film might be going that way as well? Cheers, Jon.
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Thanks for your thoughts on this, Jon.
Best wishes, Pete.
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