Barrel Scraping redefined

[jmo21]

It's the same in the cinema, why the heck are there so many re-makes, when the originals are great.
Its as if people are so afraid of doing something new, taking a chance and maybe failing at it, that they have to stick to the tried and tested formulas that have already worked.

It does annoy me.
I am trying to think of a remake that was better than the original, and I cant.
Can anyone else?

The Italian job?

[foritisme]

PS just thought of one that is better: David Cronenberg's The Fly is better than the daft Vincent Price version

Good Call !

[threaded]

There are some really good Danish movies that have been remade, and then the remakes, remade.

On the whole the Danish originals are way better; the American remakes lose major parts in the story line, mainly due to prudishness, leaving the result full of holes.

I mean who wants a porn movie with no titties?

[Bagpuss]

I mean who wants a porn movie with no titties?

Gays?

[threaded]

Gays?

Oh yeah, of course. For some reason I don't tend to watch them. What's your opinion of the quality of remakes in that genre?

[EternalOptimist]

I am looking forward to the remake of 'An Inconvenient truth' , I hope they persuade Jeremy Clarkson to do it.

[OwlHoot]

It's the same in the cinema, why the heck are there so many re-makes, when the originals are great.
Its as if people are so afraid of doing something new, taking a chance and maybe failing at it, that they have to stick to the tried and tested formulas that have already worked.

It does annoy me.
I am trying to think of a remake that was better than the original, and I cant.
Can anyone else?

Lost in Space (maybe)

Mutiny on the Bounty (each in their own way - not saying earlier versions were bad)

[Cyberman]

Hmmmm, I see a possible plan B here - writing sitcoms. Clearly what is being submitted at the moment is complete dross if they have to resort to this stuff.

I can see it now - along the "Bread" lines but centred on a couple of hard up Bankers who have met with hard times....

Yeah. How about a sitcom based on a sad guy that has just passed his MBA and spends all of his day on a website trying to educate IT contractors on economics.

[expat]

I suppose it usually depends on why the remake was made at all.

Possible good reasons:
- another take on the plot or its meaning
- the original author gets to do it his way now that he's more famous
- a different director with a different style or pacing
- the actor it really needed wasn't around first time

Frequent bad reasons
- the American audience won't watch it if it isn't in English
- the American audience won't watch it if it isn't in American English
- the American audience won't watch it if it isn't set in America
- the American audience won't watch it if it is too long or complex
- it worked before so let's see if it'll sell again.

[expat]

Has anyone seen the remake of Lolita? Can you compare it with the original Kubrick film, and or Nabokov's book?