Late 70's/Early 80's Remakes

[Jeremy Knox]

A lot of people may not realize this but the late seventies and early eighties were just as rife with remaking as today. The only difference was that back then there was an effort to make good movies.

Invasion of The Body Snatchers (1978) Remake of IOTBS (1955)
The Thing (1982) Remake of The Thing From Another World (1951)
Alien (1979) Remake of It, The Terror From Beyond Space (1958)
Sorcercer (1977) Remake of Wages of Fear (1953)
Outland (1981) Remake of High Noon
A Clockwork Orange (1972) Remake of Vinyl (1965)

Now, obviously, all these movies were pretty damn good remakes. So why do the new ones suck?

The problem goes deeper than just remakes. The remakes are a symptom of something much more sick within the system.

I think the lack of any true independent studio, the absence of low budget film distribution, ect is just killing films. Producers and Studios have to pick their "next big thing" from music video directors and commercial directors and that's not the best place to find talent. Another big problem is that the creative side of moviemaking has been given over to marketers instead of writers. No one thinks "This story would make a great movie", they think "This marketing campaign would really sell that movie." Which would explain the endless fascination with remakes. It's easy to imagine a good marketing campaign for say... Dukes of Hazzard rather than some totally new product.

Also studio heads in the 70's used to read books. They weren't the most literate people in the world but they would skim over the first 100 pages of something and go "Hey, let's make this our next movie." Today, studio heads will be watching Remington Steele on TV and go "Hey, let's make this our next movie."

BIG BIG difference.

I don't know exactly what's wrong, but I do think I'm on the right track here. Whatcha all think?

JK13

[Geo]

Man I really don't know. There have always been bad films. 75-85 had some of the worst films of all time (IE Crush Groove). If there really is a problem I think it's with hindsight. Since only decent film survive the years, thats all you ever hear about a certain time. There were over 250 movies made in 1942, and all you ever hear about is Casablanca, The Marx Brothers, and anything else good. There were a number of crappy films, (see the Batman black and white serial films) but they are lost.

To play an advocate for a minute though, this past year seemed to have a number of good films. I'm not sure if it's just because of the studio system happening upon good film makers or if it's a change in the wind- put this was a pretty good year (even if it did have Gili in it).

[Seedy Edgewick]

Originally posted by Jeremy Knox
Alien (1979) Remake of It, The Terror From Beyond Space (1958)
A Clockwork Orange (1972) Remake of Vinyl (1965)

I must take issue with these two assertions. The credits for both films cite no source film upon which the screenplay was based. In order for a remake to be considered as such, it must be stated explicitly that the intention of the filmmakers is to re-create a previously produced work. Even the cop-out term "reimagining" denotes source material.

Alien was shot from an original screenplay written by Dan O'Bannon. While he may have been inspired by older films, he did not intend for Alien to be a direct remake.

A Clockwork Orange is an adaptation of a novel by Anthony Burgess. Many of Kubrick's films are book-to-screen conversions: The Shining, Full Metal Jacket (based on The Short Timers, whose author escapes me), 2001: A Space Odyssey, Lolita, Spartacus, Dr. Strangelove, Barry Lyndon, and Paths of Glory. This doesn't mean they're remakes.

[Jeremy Knox]

Originally posted by Seedy Edgewick
I must take issue with these two assertions. The credits for both films cite no source film upon which the screenplay was based. In order for a remake to be considered as such, it must be stated explicitly that the intention of the filmmakers is to re-create a previously produced work. Even the cop-out term "reimagining" denotes source material.

Alien was shot from an original screenplay written by Dan O'Bannon. While he may have been inspired by older films, he did not intend for Alien to be a direct remake.

A Clockwork Orange is an adaptation of a novel by Anthony Burgess. Many of Kubrick's films are book-to-screen conversions: The Shining, Full Metal Jacket (based on The Short Timers, whose author escapes me), 2001: A Space Odyssey, Lolita, Spartacus, Dr. Strangelove, Barry Lyndon, and Paths of Glory. This doesn't mean they're remakes.

Vinyl (1965) was based on Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. Technically speaking it was a remake, in very broad terms. Alien was also a remake, O'Bannon has often stated that It, The Terror from Outer Space was his inspiration.

To be honest, I was generalizing. However, this brings up another point. I honestly thing that another reason for the rash of remakes today is much more stringent copyright laws. Before, you could literally lift the story for High Noon, put it in outer space and *wink wink, nudge nudge* no one would be the wiser. Today there's so many lawsuits that studios have to buy the rights from anyone in any position to sue them for plagiarism and since they're shilling out that much money for the rights to the property I think they figure "Might as well remake the damn thing and use it's popularity as a genre film to market it."

Who knows?

JK13

[El Duderino Diablo]

I thnk the real reason for the proliferation of remakes today is that we have a whole new generation of studio execs, heads, writers, producers, directors, etc. that as adults are feeding on and recycling their own past, mostly their television/pop culture past. 70's television like Charlie's Angels, Mod Squad, SWAT, Starsky & Hutch, The Brady Bunch, Dukes of Hazard, a new Battlestar Galactica series. Knightrider is supposed to be getting remade, isn't it?. Entertainment industry feeds on youth, industry types in the 30 to 45 year old age group are using young faces to feed today's youth elements of their own past youth. They're saying, "What we had was great. We know you won't accept the original material since it's old fashioned and archaic to you now, so, since we have the technology, better fashion sense and hairstyles and sexier stars we're going to repackage it all shiny and new for you. This will also justify our tastes as kids and you'll see just how right we were even if we are killing original voices and the chance to showcase anything new in the process."
I wouldn't be surprised if the next five to ten years brought us Magnum P.I. the movie, Simon and Simon the movie, a remake of Close Encounters or Jaws.
It's as if the artistically bankrupted are out their trying to justify their past and save a few bucks in the process.

Okay, there's my rambling rant for today.

[GiGi]

What is the scoop on Salem's Lot being remade? I have heard it a few times but not seen anything. Now that was a wicked movie. Loved it and I'd be excited to see it...

[drsweetscience]

There is no challenge to a filmmaker to remake a good movie. It is already good, so when you rehash it it should come out good. What does it say about these people that they take a good movie and make it suck. Fuckin' Gus Van Sant's Psycho.
Anyway, a qualified auteur could remake a bad movie into something good. Now that I'd like to see.

Hey does anybody want to play a game I invented.
You think of a movie, miscast it as bad as possible, and still make a better movie than the Gus Van Sant Psycho?

Example: "I could remake Lethal Weapon with C Thomas Howell and Sir Ian McKellen and still make a better movie than Gus Van Sant's Psycho."

[Carl]

I've heard, once or twice, that this was in the works. At one time I heard George (kiss of death) Romero was attached to it. If they can make a syndicated show out of King's 'Dead Zone', then why not 'Salems Lot'? Tobe Hoopers' original was pretty good, for a made for TV miniseries, but there's plenty of room for improvement.

[Bongwater]

Originally posted by drsweetscience

Anyway, a qualified auteur could remake a bad movie into something good. Now that I'd like to see.

Like Soderbergh's "Ocean's 11". :)

[The Baron]

I could remake I'm Not Rappaport with Ashton Kutcher and Chris Tucker, and still make a better movie than Gus Van Sant's Psycho.

I could remake The Good, the Bad and the Ugly with Keanu Reeves, Dolph Lundgren and Carrottop, and still make a better movie than Gus Van Sant's Psycho.

I could remake Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle with Rosanne Barr, Kathy Bates and Eddie Murphy in drag, and still make a better movie than Gus Van Sant's Psycho.

I'd better stop now.

[drsweetscience]

I could remake It's a Wonderful Life with Bronson Pinchot and make a better movie than Gus Van Sant's Psycho.

[Furious D]

Originally posted by The Baron
I could remake The Good, the Bad and the Ugly with Keanu Reeves, Dolph Lundgren and Carrottop, and still make a better movie than Gus Van Sant's Psycho.

I'd better stop now.

Sssshhhh! You're going to blow MGM's big plans for summer 2005.

As for me...

I could remake THE WILD BUNCH starring Justin Timberlake, Hillary Duff, Michael Jackson, and Jenna Elfman and still make a better movie than Gus Van Sant's PSYCHO.

[Rory L. Aronsky]

I could remake THE GRADUATE with Ashton Kutcher and Bea Arthur, and still make a better movie than Gus Van Sant's PSYCHO.

Also, I could remake the remake of THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN with Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty, Olympia Dukakis, Vanessa Redgrave, and Joan Plowright, and still make a better movie than Gus Van Sant's PSYCHO.

[Peter_Lowry]

I could re-make SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez and still make a better movie than Gus Van Sant's PSYCHO.

[El Duderino Diablo]

I could remake Battle Royale in Esperanto with the cast of The Breakfast Club (and eveyone else who has ever worked in a John Hughes movie) and still make a better movie than Gus Van Sant's PSYCHO.

[Carl]

I could remake 'Harold and Maude' with Brendan Frazer and Sir Ian McKellen and it would . . . oh wait, that was 'Gods and Monsters'.

[Rory L. Aronsky]

Let's go one better:

I could remake HAROLD AND MAUDE with Frankie Muniz and Estelle Getty and still make a better movie than Gus Van Sant's PSYCHO.

[Furious D]

Originally posted by Rory L. Aronsky
Let's go one better:

I could remake HAROLD AND MAUDE with Frankie Muniz and Estelle Getty and still make a better movie than Gus Van Sant's PSYCHO.

We tried, but Muniz was booked doing Agent Cody Banks 3: The Mystery of the Dropped Testicle.

Here's another one...

I could remake remake RAGING BULL with Topher Grace and still make a better movie than Gus Van Sant's PSYCHO.

[Jeremy Knox]

Originally posted by Furious D
Here's another one...

I could remake remake RAGING BULL with Topher Grace and still make a better movie than Gus Van Sant's PSYCHO.

Actually, I always thought Van Sant was tweaking the studios' balls when he did a shot for shot remake. It's like he was saying "So you want a remake? How'd ya like THIS???? BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Maybe I'm wrong and he was just being idiotic, but there's always that scene just outside the bank (Where Hitchcock made his walk-in in the original) and you see Van Sant and a Hitchcock lookalike arguing LOL. I think he just made a really twisted joke that nobody got.

JK13

[film_fan9]

remakes=$hit!!!!!!! Besides Ocean's 11 in 2001, I can't think of a single good remake. THINK OF NEW IDEAS HOLLYWOOD!!

[Rory L. Aronsky]

THINK OF NEW IDEAS HOLLYWOOD!!

Unfortunately, film_fan9, that's an idealist's argument. Hollywood sticks with what they know can make them money, no matter how cliched, maudlin, sticky-sweet, or sequelized it is. It's unfortunate, but as always, it's an industry that's supposed to produce huge bags of cash and that's what it does, even when it has much of the American public bend over and take it, without the use of rubber gloves.

[film_fan9]

Yeah, that's probably why I'm here. I like indie films better than big-budget films 99% of the time.

[GiGi]

So Salem's lot IS a possibilty...wow. I saw David Soul on ET last week...he looks so different now. He was always cool.

I would like to see the Amityville Horror remade with some money for special effects and a little better screenplay. It scared me as a kid big time and then I watched it this past halloween. It was totally grilled CHEESE.

[Furious D]

Originally posted by GiGi
So Salem's lot IS a possibilty...wow. I saw David Soul on ET last week...he looks so different now. He was always cool.


I heard they were already shooting Salem's Lot for a cable channel down in Australia. I don't know if that story's true, but that's what I heard.

As for me, my dream is to do a remake of Reservoir Dogs as a musical with former members of N'Sync, The Backstreet Boys and Vanilla Ice as Joe Cabot. I think I've got a winner. At least it'll be better than...ah, forget it.

[GiGi]

EEK...Australian TV is pretty darn awful. Hopefully thats a rumor!

[Nysdgamus]

I could remake ALIENS with June Cleaver as Ripley, Haley Joel Osmet as Newt and the entire cast of "8 is enough" as the Space Marines with ALF playing the role of the aliens and it would still be a better movie than Gus VAn Sant's PYSCHO.

[Furious D]

Originally posted by GiGi
EEK...Australian TV is pretty darn awful. Hopefully thats a rumor!

Salem's Lot remake is an American production. Word is that they've doctored up an Australian town to look like Maine because the Austalian dollar is about 50 cents US, hence making it cheaper than Canada as a location. So you shouldn't be seeing any vampires saying G'Day Mate and wrestling crocodiles.

[El Duderino Diablo]

Speaking of remakes mistakes the Stephen King scripted remake of Lars von Trier's The Kingdom is being (or has been) shot out here and from what I've heard it hasn't been going at all well.

[Pete Vonder Haar]

"Salem's Lot" is in the can and will be airing on American cable channel TNT in June.

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news04/040108d.php

Rob Lowe is Ben Mears
Donald Sutherland is Straker
Rutger Hauer is Barlow
James Cromwell is Father Callahan
Samantha Mathis is Sue Owen
Andre Braugher is Matt Burke

The photo of Lowe on the web page reminds me of the pics in Vampire: The Masquerade, but other than that I'm keen to see how they update it. Casting Sutherland and Hauer, who also appeared together in the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" movie, is an inspired touch.

And I find Nysdgamus' ideas for an "Aliens" remake intriguing and would like to subscribe to his newsletter.

[GiGi]

No WAY! Made for TV? I know it was last time, but was kinda hoping for a feature in theaters. Still, it could be cool. Thanks for the info, Pete. Where do you all find this stuff out? hehe

You were partially right, Furious. It was shot down under! :)

[El Duderino Diablo]

Originally posted by Pete Vonder Haar
The photo of Lowe on the web page reminds me of the pics in Vampire: The Masquerade

I think Rob Lowe is starting to look an awful lot like a vampire himself.

[The Baron]

Originally posted by The Dude
I think Rob Lowe is starting to look an awful lot like a vampire himself.

Hey! That's totally unfair to vampires! ;)

[El Duderino Diablo]

Ah jeez, what I meant to say was he's lookin' awfully lizardy these days.

[Rory L. Aronsky]

The Association of Major Amphibians is going to be all over your ass on that one, especially the Geico lizard. Now, I'm not sure of his fighting style, but from what I've heard, he carries quite a switchblade.