Kindle Vella

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Uh, they did remake Miami Vice:


It was done by Michael Mann, who created the original show. I love Michael Mann as a director and both leads are very talented. But I wasn't crazy about the movie and partly I think it's because the episode it was based on (Smuggler's Blues) also isn't one of my favorites.

I meant as a show. Yes, I saw the movie and was underwhelmed, despite (normally) loving Michael Mann's work (Crime Story, anybody?) and the two leads are talented.

As I said above, somewhere, some shows are simply in the right place, right time, right content, right everything, and they enter the zeitgeist. MV was one of those (like Magnum) and I don't see a real point or gain in remaking them. Shows and movies either catch, or they don't.

(Having said that, Buckaroo Banzai, for example, was a movie that not only didn't catch, it practically rolled over and died upon release and has become widely-loved since. [Oddly enough, that's also a movie that I can't see benefitting from remaking.] And we all know the Firefly story. Nonetheless, there are movies and even shows that "catch" later, but typically, not in a big enough way to generate enough interest in remaking or sequels, prequels, so on and so forth.)

Hitch

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I would disagree that it is a remake since I do not count movies based on a TV series as remakes. A money grab, perhaps...

Yeah, what he said. To wit, Charlie's Angels. I thought the first one was cute camp, the second fairly dreary and the third--the less said about it, the better. That one deserves to sink in the mire of obscurity.

What the hell are we meant to be discussing here???? Anybody remember?

Hitch

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Hitch

What the hell are we meant to be discussing here???? Anybody remember?

Kindle Vella. You use tokens to buy part of a serialized story.

As you can see, it is a concept that has really taken hold of the collective imagination.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Hitch

I meant as a show. Yes, I saw the movie and was underwhelmed, despite (normally) loving Michael Mann's work (Crime Story, anybody?) and the two leads are talented.

As I said above, somewhere, some shows are simply in the right place, right time, right content, right everything, and they enter the zeitgeist. MV was one of those (like Magnum) and I don't see a real point or gain in remaking them. Shows and movies either catch, or they don't.

(Having said that, Buckaroo Banzai, for example, was a movie that not only didn't catch, it practically rolled over and died upon release and has become widely-loved since. [Oddly enough, that's also a movie that I can't see benefitting from remaking.] And we all know the Firefly story. Nonetheless, there are movies and even shows that "catch" later, but typically, not in a big enough way to generate enough interest in remaking or sequels, prequels, so on and so forth.)

Hitch

A surprising number of shows and movies didn't make it big when they first came out and are now widely loved. The Willie Wonka movie with Gene Wilder (which was remade with Johnny Depp) is a classic example.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Kindle Vella. You use tokens to buy part of a serialized story.

As you can see, it is a concept that has really taken hold of the collective imagination.

It's a concept that I can see why Amazon wants it, but I can't see why I should want it. I'm very much not in the target audience though. I'll be very surprised if it takes hold.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Hitch

As I said above, somewhere, some shows are simply in the right place, right time, right content, right everything, and they enter the zeitgeist. MV was one of those (like Magnum) and I don't see a real point or gain in remaking them. Shows and movies either catch, or they don't.

Remakes don't bother me. Most are bad. But then some are interesting and some improve on the original in every respect. I doubt many people would seriously argue that the original Little Shop of Horrors is better than the musical remake, or that Battlestar Galactica wasn't vastly better in remake than original

When the remake is bad, it fades away. Gus Van Sant's Psycho remake didn't exactly erase Hitchcock's film.

And then there's the real classics. Who out there would rather see Ricardo Cortez than Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade in the Maltese Falcon? The Maltese Falcon (1941) is a remake of the 1931 version and has eclipsed it in every way.

The same goes for Brian DePalma's Scarface. And the 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz.

This weekend, I watched L.A. Takedown. It was a pretty good movie. But it didn't hold a candle to its remake: Heat.

As for right place, right time: Robocop seemed like an obviously bad idea for a remake. The original really was a bad movie that wound up succeeding because of Paul Verhoeven's sensibilities. Any remake would flop and flop hard (and the remake did just that).

But then, Dawn of the Dead was also clearly a personal work by George Romero and is a real classic. A remake seemed like a terrible idea. But Zack Snyder (who I am not a fan of) was able to do a remake that was worthwhile.

[Luffy]

A few people don't know that Scarface (1983) was a remake of a 1932 and inferior IMHO film.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Remakes don't bother me. Most are bad. But then some are interesting and some improve on the original in every respect. I doubt many people would seriously argue that the original Little Shop of Horrors is better than the musical remake, or that Battlestar Galactica wasn't vastly better in remake than original

When the remake is bad, it fades away. (snippage worth reading)

But Zack Snyder (who I am not a fan of) was able to do a remake that was worthwhile.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not generically and adamantly opposed to remakes. In fact, the BG remake was a good idea generally. (sorry, Jon, but in terms of pure storytelling, filmography, etc. the remake was simply superior. YES, it was much darker and not light at all. Not to your tastes and the fact that you formed an attachment to BG as a teen would mean you wouldn't be really flexible later.We all get that. By the time BG aired the first time, I was already an adult working in the world, post-military, etc. so my view of it is wildly different than yours.)

And some movies benefit amazingly from advanced technology. I mean, who would say that Jurassic Park could have been itself, 25 years earlier? Claymationing its way into history? None.

I think that believing that RoboCop could be remade wasn't a stupid idea either--but they just fell down on understanding the camp factor. Ditto Dredd, although the remake stood "okay" on its own as a not-campy film. And wildly different than the campy original with Stallone. Technologically speaking, it's a better film. In other ways, not.

Yes, Scarface, The Maltese Falcon...many remakes became classics. That's absolutely true.

I just believe that filmmakers, being the egomaniacs and control freaks that they are (yes, James Cameron, I'm looking at you!) feel that anything that they do will be better than the original. The idea of Johnny Depp as Nick Charles makes me throw up in my mouth a bit, and on top of that, TTM is a film of its time and again, is ingrained in our consciousness. So too Casablanca (although I firmly believe that Barb Wire is a hoot of a send-up remake--utterly hilarious).

And who here would argue that (speaking of Cameron) Avatar isn't a remake of Dances with Wolves? Sheesh.

It can and is done. But some films...I fall back to TPB. Who thinks that The Princess Bride can ever be remade? But you know somewhere, somehow, some idiot is thinking that that's a good idea.

Some films have souls of their own and shouldn't be remade. Yes, I'm sure we each have our own list. Naturally, I think my list of Films Not To Be Remade is the right one. (And shows!)

Hitch

[Luffy]

Reading these posts brings back memories of the non toxic parts of the defunct IMDB boards.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Hitch

And who here would argue that (speaking of Cameron) Avatar isn't a remake of Dances with Wolves? Sheesh.

I'd just like to say Avatar was an awful movie. Technologically impressive for certain. But man, two hours in and I just wanted it to be over already.

But some films...I fall back to TPB. Who thinks that The Princess Bride can ever be remade? But you know somewhere, somehow, some idiot is thinking that that's a good idea.

Some films have souls of their own and shouldn't be remade. Yes, I'm sure we each have our own list.

One of the films on my list would have been Dawn of the Dead. And you know what? I was wrong. As much as possible, remakes should be judged on their own merits.

Spielberg is currently doing a remake of West Side Story. Will it be any good? Who knows? Spielberg is a talented man.

Incidentally, Dredd isn't a remake of Judge Dredd. They are two different movies based on the same source material (Judge Dredd from 2,000 AD comics), but neither relies on the other and the stories are completely unrelated (unlike, say, two films based on The Wizard of Oz). Both are just movies about sort of the same character (though many 2,000 AD fans would say whoever Stallone was, he certainly wasn't Judge Dredd).

[DiapDealer]

I don't believe a film's soul is jeopardized by being remade. The remake has no power to taint, destroy, or erase the original, or its soul. They are two separate projects. Love the version that moves you most, and others will do the same.

[Luffy]

The Smurf movie was only slightly worse than Avatar.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Actually, I've been waiting for it. {shrug}. I mean, in today's world, gadzooks, to actually admit aloud that you like some other person's physical attributes is practically an invite to a prison sentence or worse. (smile)

I think--I hope--that people know I mean it in a admiring way. I mean, sports fans, after all, where would the species be, if we weren't attracted to each other in a reproductive way? Zoiks!

Hitch

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

... Zack Snyder ...

No comments on 300?

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I'd just like to say Avatar was an awful movie. Technologically impressive for certain. But man, two hours in and I just wanted it to be over already.

No kidding. I was not amazed and astounded. I am still boggled that so many were, but as we've been discussing, different horses for different courses, right?

One of the films on my list would have been Dawn of the Dead. And you know what? I was wrong. As much as possible, remakes should be judged on their own merits.

Y'know...I'm not sure I've seen the remake. Hmmmm...I'm not, actually, a big Zombie movie fan, so I'll have to look into it.

Spielberg is currently doing a remake of West Side Story. Will it be any good? Who knows? Spielberg is a talented man.

I fear for that, I truly do, for numerous reasons that I shan't list here.

Incidentally, Dredd isn't a remake of Judge Dredd. They are two different movies based on the same source material (Judge Dredd from 2,000 AD comics), but neither relies on the other and the stories are completely unrelated (unlike, say, two films based on The Wizard of Oz). Both are just movies about sort of the same character (though many 2,000 AD fans would say whoever Stallone was, he certainly wasn't Judge Dredd).

Yes, yes, I know, but...come ON.

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I don't believe a film's soul is jeopardized by being remade. The remake has no power to taint, destroy, or erase the original, or its soul. They are two separate projects. Love the version that moves you most, and others will do the same.

Oh, sure, disagree with me. See if I snark with you again, pal!



Hitch

[Luffy]

Spielberg is finished. His BFG movie was terrible. He will go down in history as one of the greats, but he no longer knows how to put together good scenes like he did in Saving Private Ryan, and Schindler's List.