Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?

Or to specify the American industry. In my research I aim to understand why they are remakes. Are there profit motifs involved or a lack of original thinking in the US film industry?

Do they have the intentions of improving on the existing movies?
To ‘update’ a story so as to fit and be understood by the current cultural state of America, and the rest of the world. What was in contexts in the 50’s maybe out dated and ‘foreign’ today or may not fit certain policies, such as political correctness in such films as 3:10 to Yuma, lighting a cigarette/cigar in a bar or office space. This can also be looked at Seven Samurai (Dir. Akira Kurosawa) and The Magnificent Seven (Dir. John Sturges), where a movie relating around the theme of Samurais would have been unsuccessful to a country that had not only fought the Japanese 20 years ago, maybe because of there lack of knowledge on the Japanese culture and westerns we’re accessible to the American public, understood.

Where do these movies originate from?
What percentage of these original movies are ‘foreign’ or existing US titles. Are the adapted from Plays or short stories, and if so are they then a reinterpretation of existing material instead of being a remake of the original adaptation.

there is also the topic of American directors remaking there own movies, Howard Hawks Rio Bravo, El Dorado, Los Lobo all have similar storylines, are these remakes or a continuation, exploration and reinterpretation of an evolving piece of work, just as Ridley Scott has done to Blade Runner. What of foreign directors 'remaking' pass success in there home country in America, Funny Games by Michael Haneke comes to mid was a 1997 Austrian movie, there is know 2007 version, directed by the same man in America, again The Grudge directed by Japanese director Takashi Shimizu whom also directed the original grudge in Japan. Is Funny Games and The Grudge remakes? Or have they work evolved, is it a cash in by director and producer or an artistic step?

I shall finish this with a quote that I have found to be quite appropriate to the subject I have chosen to research.

“John Huston once said: “There is a wilful lemming-like persistence in remaking past successes time after time. They can’t make them as good as they are in our memories, but they go on doing them and each time it’s a disaster. Why don’t we remake some of our bad pictures … and make them good?””

I understand that this topic has probably sprung up many a time, but i shall be using all comments from this thread as primary research and a basis for my findings. i still don't have a clear answer as to hating or not minding remakes.

initially I had started this research as I hated the idea of a remake, I saw it as an easy way to earn a few bucks, but have come to relies that they aren’t all that bad they has been some greats, Scarface and The Maltese falcon to name the very few, what remakes in the last 10 years stand out as greats with the increase of remakes in the American industry. Here is an approximate tally of remakes dating from the 1900's to present day, know these are solely based in America, include straight to TV and tape/DVD and stage plays recorded for TV and vhs/dvd. I know that there are others that I have missed, but this is what I have been able to gather.

18901899
1900-1909


1910-1919


1920-1929


1930-1939


1940-1949


1950-1959


1960-1969


1970-1979


1980-1989


1990-1999


2000-2009




Thank you for you time.

Re: Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

writing an essay?

Re: Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

Yes,
my dissertation, thesis. what ever it goes by. ihave alack of primary reserch and as it is nay immpossible to contaced any such director on there motives for recrating a pre exsisting movie i thought and ask the 'public' what they think on the topic of remakes

Re: Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

ok

i think its a split between ego and profit - a director who thinks that he has the ability to remake a great film and make it better and a director who thinks he can remake a great film and have it be mediocre but it will make a lot of money.

Mostly you'll find that great films are remade when it should be that bad films are remade. 2010 will see a remake of The Clash Of The Titans, a personal favourite of mine. The effects by Ray Harryhausen are charming and magical but not up to todays standards - is this a good enough reason to remake it?

The Italian Job is the perfect example of remaking for profit, the original was a total classic, nothing wrong with it, great performances, stunts, locations everything. So why remake it? but it was vigorously defended by the director as a 'retelling' it was pitiful.

Genuine re-tellings or re-imaginings are welcomed and appreciated but will only be accepted if they are successful, no one likes a remake if it failed. The same applied to the reuse of material - Howard Hawks did this in stories but also in dialogue. He used some lines in several of his films, but it worked - no one accused him of being lazy they just accepted his artistic choices because they ended up being good ones

Re: Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

You could check this thread as many films and discussion have (and continue) to occur here ;)

http://www.movieforums.com/community...ad.php?t=11311

Will you also incorporate movietising (if not a word it shoud be :p) TV programmes ???
as there has been a plethora of these in recent times ... IMHO, these projects are primarily commercially motivated ...
one notable exception is Josh Weldon who created the scifi series Firefly which was butchered by Fox and axed after 1 season ... he then went on to produce Serenity which attemped to weave the existing threads of the series into an ending of sorts.

Re: Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

Yeah, I was going to say that. I've got a lot of opinion on this as well, and I posted a lot of it there. It's nice that you put a lot of thought into this though, like your research and that.

And movietising, I'm not sure if it's a word, but you can message Yoda with that one to make it a word on the site I'm pretty sure, I mean if you bother. ;D

Re: Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

haha, why didn't you pick something you knew a lot more about?

There is a one word answer to your question and it's already been said.


Profit.

Re: Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

i suppose its both for the money and to bring it to a wider audience. Mainy for the money though.

Re: Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

Yep, money nothing else.

Just leave the film as it was.

Remakes are VERY hit and miss IMO

But mostly miss

Re: Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

I believe it's mostly for money...but in some cases, I'm sure that we have the technology to make films better with technology that wasn't created way back when. I'm just saying!

Re: Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

Sometimes I think directors want to do an updated version of a movie they like or take a movie they think has potential and up date it. That's a small percent though. The rest is all about money.

Re: Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

yeah, they just try to cash in on someone elses hard work

Re: Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

I would list two main reasons:

The special effects become outdated and hokey, and the new crew want to update the look of the film.

A social/political situation/meme that was at the time relevant, becomes outdated and irrelevant, so the new crew remake the film while adding a subtext that is more "in the now".

Re: Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

And filmmakers don't always insist on remakes for monetary gain, or because everyone has run out of ideas for new scripts (although, they both are the reason in many cases), there are often times they are remade for a better, clearer, more advanced perspective, or because a filmmaker who has been deeply moved by a certain film at one time and feel they would like to come up with a new rendition by means of tribute, and something that will possibly bring younger audiences in to great film by making it more appealing. I don't necessarily agree with it all the time, but it'll no doubt work if done with the right motive.

Re: Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

Simple: There have been movies with great plots but have not been really that good either because lack of technology or money.

So big movie companies mix the two things together.

A good plot + Heaps of money = A great movie.

eg. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Halloween.

Re: Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

except the texas chainsaw massacre remake was pants. soggy wet pants

Re: Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

Creative minds are lazy.

Re: Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

movie remakes started in old age like movie.. "GODFATHER" and it was a hit.. I think movie remakes also need a lot of creativity..

Re: Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

Remakes are anathema. Why do them? Make money cheap! You've already got the flippin' script. I'm truly getting sick of sequels and remakes. Whatever happened to re-releases? You cannot make a better Spartacus. (Yes, Holds, that's true.) Just think of the original vs. a remake. It wouldn't cut it... especially the cast AND the script, let alone Kubrick's complaints...

Re: Why does the movie industry make 'remakes' of films?
 

To get new people into that movies excitement. Just a guess is all.

;):cool: