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Terrahawk
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
644 Posts |
 Posted - 05/04/2008 : 9:30:27 PM
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On a currently thread, everyone is talking about remakes and how they shouldn't be doing it. This got be thinking about how technology has and is impacting movies and TV shows. A couple of things I've thought of are:
- Remakes make a lot less sense in a world where cheap DVDs and downloads exist. They only seem applicable if (a) the film was bad, (b) special effects detract from the film, or (c) the film quality is bad. Otherwise, why not watch the original.
- VCR's, DVD's, TiVO, and the internet have made arc stories possible. Without the ability to watch a TV when you can, arc stories won't work. You miss a month and it's all over.
- Si desea pulse 2 para español, encontrar un país diferente. - |
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RVHorror
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
532 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2008 : 09:38:28 AM
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| New technology also allows the original to be seen in a new light. Case in point, the colorized version of "20 Million Miles to Earth." Now, before you say "Colorized!" and whip out your crucifixes, the colorization on this was actually really well done (under Harryhausen's supervision, too). As Harryhausen states many times on the DVD, he wanted to do the film in color originally but they didn't have the budget. |
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Bobby-G
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
904 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2008 : 11:06:32 AM
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Among the many remakes in the works, there is one of THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, and from what I've read, the story is supposed to take place back in 1950s.
I think that kind of brings up the technology issue in another way - technology actually in the story; In our age of PCs, laptops, cellphones (with cameras!), GPS, Google Map, caller I.D. etc, what kind of stories can you not tell effectively? How many horror/suspense situations would be instantly solved if the character had a cellphone?
As others have said, I don't really see the need to remake something that is a "classic"; though in some cases it works out fine(the 1978 version of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS for one) |
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hbrennan
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Philippines
1455 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2008 : 4:47:39 PM
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In my opinion, there's no need to remake "Creature From the Black Lagoon" - part of the artistic merit of that classic was the stunning underwater sequences (especially the scene with the creature swimming beneath Julie Adams). CGI would only serve to cheapen it.
"...yet it hadn't destroyed his brain."
re: Charles "The Butcher" Benton (1956)
http://www.henrybrennan.com/
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Flangepart
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
2329 Posts |
Posted - 05/06/2008 : 06:55:31 AM
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A case where a remake could work. THE GIANT CLAW.
New CGI and practical effects (Yo, Toho!) combined might make a fun flick. Some stunning air battles, for example. Maybe a car crushed by a falling splat of bird doo, too.
BTW...any airplane grabbed by a thing that big would shread to pieces instantly, and NOT remain intact! Ya hear me, movie!?
So...who is the modern Jeff Morrow and Mara Cordray?
Marvin the Paranoid Android to Buzz Lightyear "Too infinity and beyond-i've been there, its rubbish!"
"Hoody Hoo, i waste 'em with my cross bow!" Bob Herzog- KODT
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hbrennan
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Philippines
1455 Posts |
Posted - 05/06/2008 : 08:11:24 AM
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A remake of "The Giant Claw" would be worth it just to see how they depict the giant "space buzzard".
"...yet it hadn't destroyed his brain."
re: Charles "The Butcher" Benton (1956)
http://www.henrybrennan.com/
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Ericb
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
648 Posts |
Posted - 05/06/2008 : 10:42:47 AM
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Unfortunately any modern remake of The Giant Claw would probably be "campy" and "ironic" and thus a form of torture. On the other hand they might go to the opposite extreme and make it all super "dark" and Battle Star Galacticy.
"I reserve the right to look as well as be boring." - Robert Fripp |
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Flangepart
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
2329 Posts |
Posted - 05/06/2008 : 11:32:51 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Ericb
Unfortunately any modern remake of The Giant Claw would probably be "campy" and "ironic" and thus a form of torture. On the other hand they might go to the opposite extreme and make it all super "dark" and Battle Star Galacticy.
"I reserve the right to look as well as be boring." - Robert Fripp
Campy : "Its as big as a battleship.
"Will you shut up about that!? I hate that line."
Dark : Uh...okey, I'm sure it could be, but I gotta admit, its hard to visualise that, after seeing those nostrils and them bug eyes...
Marvin the Paranoid Android to Buzz Lightyear "Too infinity and beyond-i've been there, its rubbish!"
"Hoody Hoo, i waste 'em with my cross bow!" Bob Herzog- KODT
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Ericb
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
648 Posts |
Posted - 05/06/2008 : 12:19:04 PM
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Or you could have one of those franchise melding things like:
Rodan vs. The Giant Claw
"I reserve the right to look as well as be boring." - Robert Fripp |
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RVHorror
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
532 Posts |
Posted - 05/06/2008 : 3:00:05 PM
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quote:
So...who is the modern Jeff Morrow and Mara Cordray
I think ALONE IN THE DARK answered that one: Christian Slater and Tara Reid.
I think if someone took the subject seriously enough, you could make a pretty scary film, flaring nostrils and all. |
Edited by - RVHorror on 05/06/2008 3:00:27 PM |
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zombiewhacker
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
1475 Posts |
Posted - 05/06/2008 : 6:31:57 PM
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Quite seriously, a straight remake of Rodan would be awesome. Has anyone sat down and watched it recently? The opening sequences in the mines were as creepy as any Alien movie. Then the flying sequences of Rodan (and his mate) zooming across Japan, their wake and resulting sonic boom causing instant destruction across the landscape, might make a fabulous movie...
So long as the studio didn't let Emmerich/Devlin or Rob Cohen anywhere near it. |
Edited by - zombiewhacker on 05/06/2008 6:32:34 PM |
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Flangepart
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
2329 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2008 : 06:47:52 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by zombiewhacker
Quite seriously, a straight remake of Rodan would be awesome. Has anyone sat down and watched it recently? The opening sequences in the mines were as creepy as any Alien movie. Then the flying sequences of Rodan (and his mate) zooming across Japan, their wake and resulting sonic boom causing instant destruction across the landscape, might make a fabulous movie...
So long as the studio didn't let Emmerich/Devlin or Rob Cohen anywhere near it.
Oh, you tease!
Yeah, Claw V. Rodan, or just Rodan...air battles galore, and a flying Mecha that has claws of its own.
MechaRodan!
Yee, hee hee...ah well, a man can dream...
Marvin the Paranoid Android to Buzz Lightyear "Too infinity and beyond-i've been there, its rubbish!"
"Hoody Hoo, i waste 'em with my cross bow!" Bob Herzog- KODT
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Ken HPoJ
Supreme Potentate
USA
1530 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2008 : 1:07:39 PM
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The reason they make remakes is that they majorly aim films at people in their teens. These ain't remakes to them, they're just new movies. I remember when the dancing movie Honey came out, and several critics brayed, "It's just a remake of Breakin'!" True, but Breakin' came out before Honey's target audience was born. Middle aged men as represented by said critics, it turns out, weren't the audience the filmmakers were seeking...at least until the film hit DVD.
The target audience, kids, have no wish to go back to see 'old' movies even if old fogies continue to lecture that they're better. Which, I stress, they most often are...you have to assume John Carpenter's The Fog was better than the dreadful looking remake. However, in the Young Adult loft several months ago, I listened to one young lady (say, Jr. High aged) relate to a chum AT LENTGH the events of some movie she'd just seen. Eventually I figured out she was talking about the remake of Prom Night, and she ended by informing her friend it was a 'great movie.' 40-50 year-old gorehounds may bitch about a PG-13 Prom Night remake, but the fact is, it hit the exact demographic sweetspot the producers wanted, so it's not like anybody's going to listen to them.
PEGGY: I don't see how having a girl on the team would ruin it. Did a woman judge ruin the Supreme Court?
HANK: Yes, and that woman's name was Earl Warren.
--King of the Hill |
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hbrennan
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Philippines
1455 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2008 : 08:27:05 AM
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This is all true and accepted, Ken. But isn't that really the point? The goal of a quick buck vs the "art" that is occasionally apparent in film-making. Of course, it's all about the money. But shouldn't there always be voices that say "Hey, look! That's a cheap remake of a better film!"? The same holds true in the music industry (even more so, to some extent). It's easy to make a remake of "Creature From the Black Lagoon" for a quick buck - but someone should point out the original to anyone with ears to listen - appreciated or not. Eventually, even the "kids" grow up and might remember what you said and take a moment to check out the old stuff.
"...yet it hadn't destroyed his brain."
re: Charles "The Butcher" Benton (1956)
http://www.henrybrennan.com/
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Edited by - hbrennan on 05/09/2008 08:28:12 AM |
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Gristle McThornbody
Preeminent Apostolic Prelate of the Discipleship of Jabootu
Germany
186 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2008 : 4:19:27 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by hbrennan
This is all true and accepted, Ken. But isn't that really the point? The goal of a quick buck vs the "art" that is occasionally apparent in film-making. Of course, it's all about the money. But shouldn't there always be voices that say "Hey, look! That's a cheap remake of a better film!"? The same holds true in the music industry (even more so, to some extent). It's easy to make a remake of "Creature From the Black Lagoon" for a quick buck - but someone should point out the original to anyone with ears to listen - appreciated or not. Eventually, even the "kids" grow up and might remember what you said and take a moment to check out the old stuff.
"...yet it hadn't destroyed his brain."
re: Charles "The Butcher" Benton (1956)
http://www.henrybrennan.com/
Ken mentioned the Prom Night remake, and that made me wonder: What would happen if, instead of making a by-all-accounts awful remake, the studio that owned the rights to the original just re-edited it to put some current music on the soundtrack, re-cut a trailer featuring the ADHD editing that seems to be so popular nowadays set to said music, and re-released their re-vamped version of Prom Night?
I can't imagine that it would do any worse at the box office, and once you lure the target demographic into the theater with your trailer, if they notice they're watching a 15-year movie, who cares, because you've already made some dough.
"Hi, I'm Bob Evil!" |
Edited by - Gristle McThornbody on 05/09/2008 4:20:36 PM |
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hbrennan
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Philippines
1455 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2008 : 07:56:30 AM
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quote:
Gristle McThornberry wrote:
What would happen if, instead of making a by-all-accounts awful remake, the studio that owned the rights to the original just re-edited it to put some current music on the soundtrack, re-cut a trailer featuring the ADHD editing that seems to be so popular nowadays set to said music, and re-released their re-vamped version of Prom Night?
That reminds me of when they re-released "Norferatu" with a contemporary metal soundtrack in 1998. Hideous.
"...yet it hadn't destroyed his brain."
re: Charles "The Butcher" Benton (1956)
http://www.henrybrennan.com/
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