What Do You Think of Reboots and Remakes ?

[BAYLOR]

Do You Think Hollywood should make fewer of them of those made which o you like and which do you dislike ?

 

[Droflet]

Generally a waste of time. The Day the Earth Stood Still is a classic. The remake, to quote Mouse, is a steaming great pile of putrid...
If they made remakes better than the original, fine. But they don't. I can't think of a remake that was better than the original.

 

[BAYLOR]

Generally a waste of time. The Day the Earth Stood Still is a classic. The remake, to quote Mouse, is a steaming great pile of putrid...
If they made remakes better than the original, fine. But they don't. I can't think of a remake that was better than the original.

I liked Gort and Klaatu's Excellent Adventure .


In all seriousness, Im not a fan of remakes but, this film wasn't bad.

 

[Vince W]

Remakes/reboots smack of a lack of creativity on the studio's parts. The only 'remake' I ever liked was John Carpenter's The Thing.

 

[Juliana]

Sometimes remakes help make things pertinent to younger audiences. Will give two non-sff examples (just because they're the first to cone to mind); my 10yo daughter loves the Lindsey Lohan version of The Parent Trap. My mother-in-law loves the Hayley Mills 60's original, but my daughter finds it hard to connect with it.

Another: much as I absolutely adore Audrey Hepburn, I prefer the 90's remake with Julia Ormond. It just made sense to me at the time it came out, as a young adult, while the original is one of my least favourite Audrey movies.

 

[J-Sun]

much as I absolutely adore Audrey Hepburn, I prefer the 90's remake with Julia Ormond. It just made sense to me at the time it came out, as a young adult, while the original is one of my least favourite Audrey movies.

But do you really love the remake or just prefer it? I've never seen the remake but the original just isn't very good.

I've only got one outright remake in the dvd collection and that's just because it has Nastassja Kinski in it (Cat People) and I actually saw the films backwards (didn't even know the original existed at first), so ended up with both. The remake is pretty awful - it just stuck in my head forever so, when I saw it cheap on DVD, I decided to refresh my memory. And then got curious about the original. The original is kinda neat. (But conspicuously lacks Kinski.)

Arguably, the first couple of Batman flicks by Burton are re-somethings but that was really the first "movie from the start" treatment as opposed to TV-based, though both are derived from comics. I didn't like the one Nolan Batman I saw. And, of course, the '31 Dracula wasn't the first film treatment of Dracula but it was probably the first sound film of the name.

Generally, remakes and reboots are pointless or worse. If it was a success, why mess it up? If it was a failure, why try to make a silk purse out of the sow's ear? (It can happen but it's not a wise course of action in principle.) And if the course of the concept has run and it's been driven into the ground, why "reboot" it rather than admit the parrot's dead and move on to, I dunno, a new idea? But as long as the risk-averse and avaricious can continue to do it and laugh to the bank, that's what will keep happening.

 

[Vince W]

I sometimes picture film studio meetings going like this:

Okay, what are we going to do next?
*silence*
Anything?
Well, I saw this film the other day...

 

[BAYLOR]

Remakes/reboots smack of a lack of creativity on the studio's parts. The only 'remake' I ever liked was John Carpenter's The Thing.

The reason they do remakes and reboots is because they own the rights and don't have to pay royalties to anyone. The high cost of making movies makes studies less willing to take a chance on things that are new.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Another: much as I absolutely adore Audrey Hepburn, I prefer the 90's remake with Julia Ormond. It just made sense to me at the time it came out, as a young adult, while the original is one of my least favourite Audrey movies.

Err...I presume you meant to add Sabrina in there somewhere? I do love the Julia Ormond one. I watch it over and over, where I've only seen the original once.

I pretty much hate the whole Hollywood remake craze. There is just no reason to remake every darn movie just so that kids today can have a version with computers and cell phones. We managed to understand, watching old movies, that technology and clothing and culture was different in whatever time the movie was set, and it didn't discombobulate us beyond all redemption.

 

[BAYLOR]

Err...I presume you meant to add Sabrina in there somewhere? I do love the Julia Ormond one. I watch it over and over, where I've only seen the original once.

I pretty much hate the whole Hollywood remake craze. There is just no reason to remake every darn movie just so that kids today can have a version with computers and cell phones. We managed to understand, watching old movies, that technology and clothing and culture was different in whatever time the movie was set, and it didn't discombobulate us beyond all redemption.

The 2002 remake of the Time Machine, I didn't like it initially , but over time and repeated viewings , Ive gotten to like it .

 

[Juliana]

Oops, yes, TDZ. It was supposed to say 'Sabrina'! Love the remake.

Some remakes make sense, like with Batman, where it's almost like two separate things - completely different approaches, visuals etc (I happen to like both approaches). But Spiderman doesn't make any sense; they didn't change it enough and too close together. If you're going to redo something, in my opinion, either it's because you want to try out a whole new version (like Batman) or because it's an older piece that would gain a new angle by being set in current times.

 

[Rodders]

I genuinely do not have any objection what so ever and my attitude tends to lean toward the fact that a remake or reboot could bring new fans to a movie i already love and may lead these new fans to seek out the original. If they're not to my liking, well, i still have my original to fawn over. But If they're done right they are superb. (Ron Moore's BSG comes to mind as well as the recent Batman movies). Also, like them or loathe them they make for great discussion points on forums.

 

[BAYLOR]

They're doing a Remake of Ben Hur. Why?

 

[markpud]

With 100% less Ferrari's?

For me i don't mind a good reboot/remake, but the emphasis has to be on "good". Too many times the heart of a film is lost when it's dragged into the 21st Century with a boatload of CGI effects rather than strong characters and a well thought out plot.

BSG is a good example, heck even TNG could be classed as a reboot, before we used the word reboot - technically it's a continuation of the same franchise, but it was essentially a 90s version of 60s Trek thus a reboot.

Every time I hear of a rebooted Highlander it sends shivers down my spine. One of my favourite films of all time and I can't see them possibly capturing the heart of that film again. But the car-crash continuity of the later films and series' means it's better for the franchise to start over than to try to come up with a 3rd MacLeod or some such ret-conned character into the original timelines. So if it's halfway decent I'll be happy, but there's pretty much no way it'll better my love for the original film.

 

[Vince W]

Yesterday I remembered David Cronenberg's version of The Fly. That was a great remake.

 

[BAYLOR]

Yesterday I remembered David Cronenberg's version of The Fly. That was a great remake.

One of the best remakes of all. I loved Cronenberg's take on the concept. He is such a great filmmaker .

 

[Highlander II]

Every time I hear of a rebooted Highlander it sends shivers down my spine. One of my favourite films of all time and I can't see them possibly capturing the heart of that film again. But the car-crash continuity of the later films and series' means it's better for the franchise to start over than to try to come up with a 3rd MacLeod or some such ret-conned character into the original timelines. So if it's halfway decent I'll be happy, but there's pretty much no way it'll better my love for the original film.

Yes... this! I cringe every time I hear about a reboot/remake/expansion of the franchise. (the 3rd film is a sloppy repeat of the 1st and everything after that is laughable garbage) Every time I hear this brought up, I hide and peek around the corner, waiting to see what they're coming up with.

I've heard about a MacGyver remake/reboot too (for TV, I think) and that is just terrifying. *shudders*

 

[Juliana]

I've heard about a MacGyver remake/reboot too (for TV, I think) and that is just terrifying. *shudders*

I don't know... I tried watching the original the other day and it did not age well.

 

[Highlander II]

I don't know... I tried watching the original the other day and it did not age well.

It being one of my favorite shows ever, I don't have a problem watching it now. It's v. 80's/90's, but that's to be expected. Though, *most* of the things he did - the MacGyver-isms - don't work so well now b/c of technology/security changes. I still <3 it. =)

 

[j d worthington]

Generally speaking... the concept tends to make me want to firebomb whatever studio is behind the damned thing. But, as with sequels, every great once in a while, they pull it off, so I'm not entirely against it. A couple have been mentioned here already: The Fly and The Thing, both of which revisited the basic material with considerable creativity and style.

I am, however, reminded of a story which Ellison has told on more than one occasion, of how a friend of his who was (if memory serves) one of the people responsible for development for one of the major studios told of a subordinate coming into her office terribly excited and just boiling over with this great idea he had, and how he just knew she'd love it, etc., etc., etc. So, unsuspecting of what was coming, she (who was by this time really getting pretty darned excited herself) asked "So what is it?"

Answer (completely straight, mind you): "Let's do The Wiz... white!"

And, after she managed to politely reassure this nit that she'd think about it, that it needed consideration, etc., until he was out of her office... she fell off her chair laughing, called Harlan still in stitches, and then they both fell apart. Until, of course, the fact that someone actually made such a suggestion in perfectly sober earnest, began to dawn with all its implications....

Things like this are why I've almost never attended a movie theater in the past 10 years.....