Movie Remakes

[RobertPlantFan]

This isn't a single movie that gets on my nerves, it's a whole genre--REMAKES. It seems like half the movies that come out now and then are remakes. Can no one get an original idea anymore? And I can't think of a remake that I've seen that was ever as good as the original. Ultra big budget and tons of FX are no substitute for fine acting and subtleties. The remake of Psycho, for example, could never touch the creepy weirdness of the Hitchcock original. House of Wax was a classic Vincent Price vehicle turned into a schlocky mess being remade with Paris Hilton of all people. And now they've remade Friday the 13th? Please.

Then you have the serial remakes. Last Man on Earth with Vincent Price was a classic. The remake, Omega Man (with Charleton Heston) was passable but became more of an action flick than a psychological thriller. Most recently it was remade as I Am Legend with Will Smith. Again, an ok movie but still not as engaging as the old black and white original.

Somebody send some scripts to Hollywood.

This is exactly why I stick with my old black and white B-movies.

[Barbara]

Here's a couple more for you that gripe my arse:

Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Horton Hears a Who
How the Grinch stole Christmas

Now why would you take three children's classic movies and ruin them like that?

And they were three awesome books before they were movies, I might add.

I saw the sad, creepy remake of Willie Wonka and nearly died. Though I do love Johnny Depp, his odd performance was a travesty and doesn't come within a mile of Gene Wilder's fey, wonderful Willie Wonka.

As for the other two, I absolutely refused to see them. They defiled the memory of Theodor Seuss Geisel. 

'A person's a person, no matter how small' That line always makes me teary-eyed. I used to read it to my kids, and it made me weep every time.

And when the Grinch found the strength of ten grinches...plus two! is one of the best memories of my childhood. Boris Karloff was the man. I refuse to let those memories be replaced with fakes.

Barb

[RobertPlantFan]

I am totally with you on the Grinch! I love the original and look forward to watching it every year. I haven't even gotten it on DVD because really, part of the fun is trying to catch it during the Chrismas season. I love it when Max gets pressed into service as a makeshift raindeer. I didn't watch the remake either because it just seemed wrong.

I love all those original Dr. Seuss cartoons. Nothing can touch them. The first book I ever picked out for myself when I was a kid was "Green Eggs and Ham". It was a relatively new book back in 1962. I still have it.

I watched both versions of Willie Wonka back to back recently--I think it was on WGN maybe? I also enjoy Johnny Depp but the remake was awful. It was just too creepy.

[OhioHauntedPlaces]

I really don't like remakes of movies that have already been made sometimes someone else who does that butchers the hell out of them or they turn out retarded and boring.Specially Friday The 13th i wished they would leave that movie alone since it did up to 10 i think.And they did so many Superman movies too i am like damn leave the movie along i never seen the new one i like the old ones with George Reeves etc.

[barbd]

Here, here!

And to add to, the new genre of taking old TV shows (good, bad and otherwise) and remaking them into movies. I've seen a few despite myself and have always been very disappointed (if not downright angry).

As far as Willy Wonka: Gene Wilder was a quirky, not scary, kind of guy. The kind of guy you look at a little puzzled, not the kind you quickly steer your children away from when you see them. And yes, I adore Johnny Depp (he was my first crush and my hubby looks more than a bit like him) but I didn't like him in this at all.

[TinkerBelle]

DH LOVES the new Chocolate factory movie. I really can't stand it. I hate that they gave Wonka a twisted childhood to explain his personality. They took a quirky old man and made him Hollywood shiny, Burton twisted, and took a beautiful movie on a children's paradise and made it....wrong.

I am REALLY aching to get my hands on the Gene Wilder version on DVD.

Another of my favorite movies, the Parent Trap, got worse, too. Yeah, Lindsey Lohan was kinda cute back then, but LORD, she can't act! I remember looking at Hayley Mills thinking "that HAS to be two people... but they look so much alike!" DH thinks I didn't like the new one because I already knew the secret to the movie. BS. I bought the old version and I refuse to watch the new one again, even though I did have some obscure step-relative that worked on it.

[JMGNole]

I hate remakes.  I really can't think of one that I've liked better than the original.

The recent "The Day the Earth Stood Still" is a classic example.  I refuse to watch that crap.

I've heard that there might be a remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  That would really tick me off.

[TinkerBelle]

I've heard that there might be a remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  That would really tick me off.

oh no.... please no!

With my luck it'll have Hannah Montana or Lindsay Lohan in it... and my teenage years will be forever tainted.

[JMGNole]

I just got the Rocky Horror DVD from Amazon yesteday and the soundtrack from Zune.  I can't believe that I didn't have that already.  My wife thinks I'm insane.

"It's just a jump to the left....."

[TinkerBelle]

http://roflrazzi.com/upcoming/?pid=8828

I love this one..



I have the RHPS Soundtrack, but I don't actually own the movie.

Used to be it would always be on VH1 within a couple days of me wanting to watch it... otherwise I'd just go to the show.

That was before they stopped showing it in Berkeley, though, and the other casts weren't as fun. DH thinks I'm nuts and the movie is awful.

He just doesn't get it.