Thoughts on remakes

Some remakes do improve on the original, I agree with the comment that the 1991 Cape Fear was better than the 1962 film. What would be really cool - Martin Scorsese directing a remake of The Maltese Falcon!

Good example for me of good remake was The Thing ... the original was brilliant and innovative (perhaps first alien genre film) ... the remake circa 80's I saw again recently ... we were all very impressed that it too hadn't aged.

However usually I watch a remake hoping that it hasn't been too holywoodised and dumbed down too much. In those cases I see it more a case of rushed and lazy scripting done primarily for box office purposes where the producers don't wish to risk and prefer to ride the coat tails of a good film ... eg. Wax Works ... the original horror starring Vincent Price was remade into dross starring Paris Hilton (didn't see, however if I am unfortunate enough to see ... there better be a bucket handy)

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It might be cool, but how could he possibly top it? The cast would have to be inferior and you cannot improve on the script (well, except for maybe the missing c-note scene).

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In my opinion . . .

I'm not a huge fan of remakes. Although I do love a few.

Cape Fear (1962)



Cape Fear (1991)



I enjoy both of these, equally. However, if I were made to choose only one, it would be the original.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)



Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)



Body Snatchers (1994)



Honestly, I prefer the 1978 version over the rest, and although I was excited when they first mentioned remaking it, yet again, the trailer to the latest version, The Invasion (2007), did nothing for me. I'm sure I will see it, in time, but I'm no longer in a rush.

Body Snatchers (1994) is more-so cheesy, but still a good movie. I like a fair share of B-Rated movies, anyway.


The Blob (1958)



The Blob (1988)



More cheesy horror, in my opinion, with the remake being severely graphic. Both are enjoyable, in their own way.

The Fly (1958)



The Fly (1986)



Like the movie before, another film where the remake is much more graphic, and full of gore. I love Vincent Price. I also love classic horror, but the remake of The Fly, is my favorite out of the two.

The Thing from Another World (1951)



The Thing (1982)



I love John Carpenter. He is an all-time favorite, so of course his remake is my favorite of the two. They are remaking this, yet again, but I doubt anything about it captures my interest. We shall see.
It's just that they have already tried two other times, and failed . . .

The Fog (1979)



The Fog (2005)



Halloween (1978)



Halloween (2007)




They are also remaking, Escape From New York (1981).



Again, I doubt I like it.

At the bottom of the barrel, we have the remake to one of Hitchcock's most famous films.

Psycho (1960)



I'd scream too, Janet!

When I watch Psycho (1960), it's seems as though no time passes, until Janet Leigh's part is over. When I finally watched this remake, a couple of years ago, it felt as though a good 2 hours had passed by, when I finally wondered, "When is she going to be killed?" Well, then came the scene where Norman is to spy on her, while she gets ready for her shower ........... I turned it off, and Alfred rolled over in his grave.

Psycho (1998)



Next up, to be slaughtered, are . . .

The Birds (1963)



Strangers on a Train (1951)



I know I can't wait!

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Great post Destiny

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There are most certainly too many remakes. It's like Hollywood seems to be falling into some kind of rut with storylines and must use all the ones that have been made into film and renovate them for the new generation. It's hard to go through any year nowadays without a remake.

What I have to say is, yes, these remakes can really help. Sometimes I just look to simple remakes like, say, Cheaper By The Dozen, a lighthearted family comedy that's mainly enjoyable either way. There are often times that a remake will help advance a film that has become old and stale, not only to shine new light on something that may have been popular once, but to possibly even make the original pop back into mainstream popularity once more.

But on the contrary, I find some remakes a wrong choice. The remake of a box-office breaking epic would not always be a good choice, especially if it lacked a cast and crew that understood what the original was trying to convey, and how important it is even if no one cares to see it anymore. And then there are those timeless classics where it should just be called a crime to ever remake, only a few would be things like: The Wizard of Oz, The Godfather (I,II, & III), Ben Hur, etc., any and all of the great classics in cinema. Now, it isn't to say that this could not be attempted, but with such legendary performances as, for only one, Marlon Brando's portrayal of Don Corleone, there is no one to surpass that, and definitely not to make their wallet fatter. It's not that this has not happened, there are things such as King Kong - we all know remade twice - with 2004's installment, I think that with Peter Jackson at the helm, a man who had been deeply inspired by this film since he was young, he knew exactly how to go about the project, and I think, that even though there were many special effects, he did the original well. But the fact still remains, there are some things that come once in a lifetime, and should just be left alone.

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It's interesting that you mentioned Ben-Hur since that was, in fact, a remake of a famous silent film, and the earlier film also has a spectacular chariot race and a much better sea battle than the 1959 version.

Here's the original chariot race (notice the female nudity at the beginning):



This is the intro to the sea battle scene (this time there's male nudity):

Yeah, something along my little King Kong thing, guess I was more implying the more known and severely acclaimed classics with such portrayals incorporated into it, such as Ben Hur.

lol, ever wondered why we only ever re-make good movies. Why not re-make the bad ones.

... anyway, im all for re-makes myself. Love seeing some of the classics updated.

Sometimes they are remade, but sometimes the most likely reason they would not be because a once known flop could turn out the same way again, and unless a filmmaker is really confident about his reproduction, they're not ready to take the risk.

I always thought that someone should remake "Police Academy," only make it funny. It's a good premise, just horribly executed!

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I actually thought the first Police Academy was pretty funny, but I haven't seen it in about 24 years. By pretty funny, I mean .

P.S. Anybody else see those scenes from Ben-Hur above. C'mon, you know you want to...

I didn't know that loved the clips Marky

Some movies can be remade well, and some cant. And then there are some that can only be remade properly with the right director at hand.

I saw cape fear 1991 first and was impressed with de niros performance. I then saw the old one and hated it.

Some remakes can be good like the ring and psycho.

However, there are far too many remakes these days and its quite shallow. Purely a money spinner.

Oh my god......they are going too far now!

It doesnt take much skill to be a producer these days does it? "hey, lets remake.........".

I tell u one thing, if i hear any rumours of a braveheart remake i will puke up bucket loads and then embark on a major killing spree in hollywood.

Not a fan of remakes. i just like one the italian job 2003.

here is the trailer for it.



martian leader

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I saw this list a couple of months ago on another site. Obviously some are more probable than others, but all of them are rumoured to be on the go at some level.

The Shadow
Presumably this a reboot of the hilarious-but-iffy Alec Baldwin non-franchise of the mid-90s. Sam Raimi is producing, and the project is at the screenplay stage right now. Expect a release no sooner than 2010.

Battle Royale
The brilliant, brilliant, brilliant Asian movie is getting a Western remake. Producer Neal H Moritz is currently attached to the project, which has been optioned but not yet got much further. It didn’t help that New Line was linked with funding the film, and the same New Line got swallowed up by Warner Bros totally the other week.

Starfighter
A planned remake of the 1984 movie The Last Starfighter, which remains popular today. Nick Castle is currently attached to direct the project (he did the original as well, although his biggest hit as director is the 1993 kids’ movie Dennis). We fear this one may get lost in development hell. Hope not.

The Evil Dead
Sam Raimi is attached to the remake of one of his most loved films, with both he and Bruce Campbell on producing duties. Set for release at some point next year, they’ll have to get their skates on, as there’s no sign of cameras being turned on just yet.

Knight Rider
Forget the recent TV rebooting, the Weinstein Company has the option to produce a feature film, and the original creator of Knight Rider – Glen A Larson – is hard at work on the screenplay. Expect a release around 2010/11. If the new TV version doesn’t kill the franchise stone dead, of course…

Conan The Barbarian
The script is still being written for the remake of one of Arnie’s best-ever roles. It’s a fair bet that Arnie won’t be returning, but Sahara scribes Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer are beavering away on the screenplay. Production may yet start this year, apparently.

Logan’s Run
Uber-producer Joel Silver is pushing this long-mooted remake, which has director Joseph Kosinski attached (whose name is also being linked with the new Tron film). Logan’s Run is believed to be first in line, though, and a 2010 release is being mooted.

Death Wish
Sylvester Stallone is set to step into the role made famous by Charles Bronson in a remake of Michael Winner’s violent original. Stallone is set to write, produce and star, and production is planned to start at some point this year.

The Taking Of Pelham 123
Tony Scott is directing, and Denzel Washington and John Travolta are starring in a remake of the brilliant 1974 Walter Matthau original. David Koepp has written the screenplay, and the film will be released in the Autumn of 2009.

Fahrenheit 451
Frank Darabont – he of Shawshank Redemption and The Mist fame – has been linked with a fresh take on the Ray Bradbury book for a while. It seems he’s getting closer to honing a script too for him to direct, but it’s still not ready, so no idea of release date. Tom Hanks had been mooted to star.

Friday The 13th
Marcus Nispel – director of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake – has inked his name on the dotted to helm the remake of the original Friday The 13th movie. It’s a great solution: run out of sequels, start at the beginning! It’s in pre-production now for a 2009 release.

Last House On The Left
A remake of the brutal 70s Wes Craven movie, this time it’s relative-newcomer Dennis Illiadis in the director’s chair. The cast is rumoured to feature Liv Tyler, along with Monica Potter, Garret Dillahunt and Tony Goldwyn. It’s due to start filming next month,

Hellraiser
They’ve given up making sequels, so now they’re remaking the 80s original. No sign of Doug Bradley as Pinhead, but Clive Barker has been involved with the script, and Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury will be making their English language directorial debuts with the project.

Tron
Will it be a sequel? Will it be a remake? Will they call it a ‘reimagining’? All these questions and more are set to be answered, as three decades on, Tron will be heading back to the big screen in 2010.

Clash of the Titans
The 1981 film is being remade, and Stephen Norrington has – after not being seen behind a camera since League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen – agreed to direct. He did the original Blade, too. Lawrence Kasdan has been penning the script, and the film is in pre-production for a 2010 release.

Akira
A live action version of the iconic anime film of the same name, the adaptation is believe to be being handled in two parts, and Leonardo DiCaprio has been linked with the project. It’s still at the scripting stage, although director Ruairi Robinson is attached to helm.

The Birds
How depressing. Hitchcock’s awesome thriller is getting the remake treatment, with Martin ‘Casino Royale’ Campbell rumoured to be directing, and Naomi Watts linked with the project too. It has a release date of July 2009.

Frankenweenie
Tim Burton’s terrific early short film is being brought to the big screen by… Tim Burton! There’s logic there, somewhere. December 2009 is the targeted release time.

A Nightmare On Elm Street
Hurray! That ‘reimagining’ word is being used to describe the now-in-the-pre-production stages new Elm Street movie. Michael Bay produces, but doesn’t direct. Thank goodness.

Westworld
The terrific forerunner to Jurassic Park – also penned by Michael Crichton – Westworld has long been mooted for a remake. Billy Ray, who directed Breach and Shattered Glass, is the latest writer to take a stab at the theme-park-attraction-goes-out-of-control concept.

The Warriors
Director Tony Scott – once he’s finished on The Taking Of Pelham 123 - remains attached to the proposed remake of Walter Hill’s 1979 classic tale of rival gangs on a mission that takes them across a dangerous city. It’s still in the writing stages, and may be held up in development hell for some time yet.

Piranha
Alexandra Aja, who enjoyed success with his remake of The Hills Have Eyes, is directing a potentially 3D version of Joe Dante’s terrific original. A 2009 release date has been eyed up.

Escape From New York
Another John Carpenter classic is getting remade, and Terminator 3 director Jonathan Mostow – with Ken Nolan - is taking a stab at the script. No word if he’s going to direct, but a 2009 release is mooted.

Meatballs
Another 80s comedy getting a remake, Meatballs has – oh dear – Big Momma’s House 2 (not even the original!) director John Whitesell attached to it. And no sign of Bill Murray, either. Never a good thing.

Howard Stern’s Porkys
A remake of Bob Clark’s bawdy early 80s comedy, this is still in the planning stages with US shock-jock lending his name to the project and the title. It’s planned to have it ready for 2009. Expect an array of ****** sequels if it hits.

The Lives Of Others
The stunning German film is getting an American remake, with Anthony Minghella attached to produce, but not direct. It’s only been optioned so far, so 2010 would be the earliest you see it. Our advice? See the original. It’s genuinely stunning.

Short Circuit
Number Five is, er, still alive, with original screenwriters coming back for the reboot of the 80s original. No news of a finished script, director or shooting date, though.

Straw Dogs
Rod Lurie – the man who directed The Contender – is scripting and directing the remake of the Dustin Hoffman-starring original. It’s only been optioned thus far, and so the planned 2009 release date may be optimistic.

1984
Tim Robbins is apparently hunting for the money for a new big screen adaptation of George Orwell’s classic and never-more-relevant novel. He’s not having much luck though, we’re led to believe.

Red Sonja
Roy Thomas (Conan The Destroyer) has been drafted in to write a screenplay for a new Red Sonja film, although don’t expect Arnie to be in it. Nor should you expect it soon.

The Dirty Dozen
Alias veteran Josh Applebaum has the unenviable task of coming up with a suitable script for the remake of the original classic. 2010 is the earliest it’ll be released.

Footloose
Surely not? The 80s musical could be coming back to life if director Kenny Ortega has anything to do with it. That said, given he directed High School Musical and its spin-offs, he’d probably be allowed to do anything he wanted in Hollywood right now. Sigh. Footloose has thus far been optioned, and may go before the camera this year.

Dune
Frank Herbert’s source material is set to be mined again, for a new movie due out in 2010. Peter Berg, who directed the brilliant Friday Night Lights movie, is waving the megaphone, but further details are still sketchy.

The Thing
A remake of the 1982 classic, that’s got Battlestar Galactica producer Ronald D Moore attached to it. That said, it’s being described as a companion rather than a remake. Hmmmm. No word on it going before the cameras yet.

Near Dark
Kathryn Bigelow’s 1987 vampire flick enters the remake chamber, with music video director Samuel Bayer making his debut in the directors’ chair on the film. Cast has yet to be announced, but it appears that Bigelow has had a hand in the screenplay.

The Swarm
This is more like it! Lots of bees! Frank Schaetzing’s book is plundered again for the big screen, with Silence Of The Lambs adapter Ted Tally on scripting duties. No director or cast yet, though.

Fame
Alan Parker’s 1980 musical is being remade by MGM, who originally had a Christmas 2008 release date inked in. Andy Finkman – who directed The Game Plan and She’s The Man – is down to direct, though, and the project will no doubt move forward shortly.

The Witches
Roald Dahl’s book has already been filmed with Anjelica Huston in the leading role, but Guillermo Del Toro is toying with the idea of having a stab himself. No start date has been announced for the project, though.

Here's the link, in case anyone's interested. The page also has links to possible upcoming sequels, as well as tv and videogames adaptations.

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/1521...now_about.html

Obviously they don't update their information very often. Even for a rumor mill somebody should have noted that Minghella died suddenly back in March of this year. He has two more projects that were already in production that he will be a credited producer on, though neither a remake of The Lives of Others. The Weinsteins apparently have the rights to it, and after Minghella's death it had migrated to Oscar-winning director Sydney Pollack...who died a few months later at the end of May. Perhaps the cinematic gods are trying to tell them not to remake it (it surely doesn't need it)? Or if this trend/curse is going to continue, may I recommend attaching Joel Schumacher, McG and Uwe Bolle as the next line of potential directors and stop killing off the guys I'd have liked to see live?

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I did not know about these . . .

I was laughing, reading what you said. I knew where you were going with that. Then I read the actual list. It truly is a shame there isn't a curse out there that all directors feared. "If you remake it . . . YOU DIE!"
That list has me so mad, and for the love of god, Sly Stallone . . . Charlie Bronson? I DON'T THINK SO!

Seriously, there are a very few remakes I love. A very few, compared to the number of them being made today. They should have to pass a test, or something.