A couple of years ago I used to go keep up with a couple of myspazz Horror Movie discussion groups, and they are a hot bed of anti-remake-arianism. Because of the glut of shoddy horror movie remakes trampling all over the legacies of favourite movies, the popular consensus was a unilateral ALL REMAKES ARE BAD hysteria. No discussion was tolerated of the merits of any particular remake.
John Carpenter's The Thing is a popular point of contention. Is it a superior remake of The Thing From Another World, or is it another adaptation of the original short story? According to the Anit-remake-arians, it's not a REMAKE becasue it's so different from the original film, which makes it another adaptation of the source short story, so their policy of ALL REMAKES ARE BAD is still true.
Oh well.
For my money, one of the best remakes is A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS. It's not my favourite film in the Dollars Trilogy, but it is definteily superior to Yojimbo.
John Carpenter's The Thing is a popular point of contention. Is it a superior remake of The Thing From Another World, or is it another adaptation of the original short story? According to the Anit-remake-arians, it's not a REMAKE becasue it's so different from the original film, which makes it another adaptation of the source short story, so their policy of ALL REMAKES ARE BAD is still true.
Oh well.
For my money, one of the best remakes is A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS. It's not my favourite film in the Dollars Trilogy, but it is definteily superior to Yojimbo.
I accidentally dropped a load of worthless change in the street. I was going to just leave it there but a burly policeman lumbered towards me and said, "You'd better pick that up, son."
I hate coppers.
I hate coppers.
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"DEMOCRACY IS TWO WOLVES AND A LAMB VOTING ON WHAT TO HAVE FOR LUNCH. LIBERTY IS A WELL-ARMED LAMB CONTESTING THE VOTE."
Flinx Wrote:The threads Movies =worse= Than The Books? and Movies Better Than The Books They're Based On got me thinking about movies that get remade.
Can a remake be better than the original?
"The Fly" by Cronenberg. That was better than the original.
I wish somebody remake THE KEEP.
I was kind of lukewarm on it, but my wife loved the Halloween remake. And she loved the original.
They passed an old woman who was just opening the door of a brown Cadillac. An old man was already sitting in the passenger seat. The car had a personalized plate with the letters “J-U-S-P-R-A-Y”.
“That stuff work?” Israel said to her.
“‘Scuse me?” the little old woman said, clutching her keys.
“The spray. Does it keep them away?”
“Keep who away?” She looked confused.
“I gotcha.” Israel gave her a conspiratorial wink.
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Okay we are in an era of remakes and high budget films are becoming the rule....so what was with Black X-Mas?????? I've seen better special effects and better acting in a pre-school play!!! (and that is saying something)
Kenji Wrote:"The Fly" by Cronenberg. That was better than the original.
The final scene of the original is one of the more horrific ones in film history. I cringe just thinking about it. Vincent Price smashing the little fly with a rock as he is about to be devoured by a spider all the while screaming "Help meeeeeeeeeee." As a member of the audience you had forgotten all about the other half of the guy and thought the story was over. It was brilliant.
The remake was pretty good and had great special effects but it lacked that final punch to the gut that the first one had.
I am only mentioning movies if I saw the original and the remake.
maybe spoilers but only for old movies
PSYCHO
You cant really beat Hitchcock for a great suspense movie. But I am gonna have to go with the remake here as Vince Vaughn played a much crazier Norman Bates. And the movie had some great eye candy with Viggo Mortensen.
CHARADE vs. THE TRUTH ABOUT CHARLIE
While the remake was good and modernized I have to go with the original here. Because you cant beat the team of Cary Grant and Audry Hepburn.
DANGEROUS LIAISONS vs. VALMONT
I really really liked Valmont. But Dangerous Liaisons just flowed better.
DIAL M FOR MURDER vs. A PERFECT MURDER
I think Hitchcock wins here. Despite the fact that this movie has Grace Kelly, and A perfect murder has Viggo. The story is just better in the original.
MY FAVORITE WIFE vs. MOVE OVER DARLING vs SOMETHINGS GOT TO GIVE
This was the last movie that Marilyn Monroe was filming when she died. The best version though was the 2nd remake My Favorite Wife. Cary Grant and Irene Dunne had great chemistry together.
THE GETAWAY
I cant pick which one is better. The original is a sssllllloooowww moving 70 movie that is sometimes painfully slow to watch. But the Sally Struthers – Al Lettieri scenes are priceless. And the remake is good only because I got to meet Alec Baldwin when he was wearing just boxer shorts because of this movie.
The HILLS HAVE EYES
Wasn’t it the same movie? Exactly?
KING KONG
I like the 1976 remake the best. Probably because it was the first one I saw. My class at school had a field trip to go see it.
The PLANET OF THE APES
The original was better.
REAR WINDOW vs. DUSTURBIA
Rear Window is my favorite Hitchcock movie. There can never be a remake as good as the original. And Distrubia to me was a cross between Rear Window and Fright Night.
The STEPFORD WIVES
The original. No one ever forgets the ending.
The TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE
I think the original was better. But my favorite is the original TCM part 2. That movie has so many classic lines. It is my favorite of all of them.
The TIME MACHINE
I thought a marvelous job was done on the remake. The script was really modernized and if I had seen it first I would probably prefer it to the original. But I love the time sequence when he is traveling in the time machine in the original.
WAR OF THE WORLDS
Yeah so the remake has great special effects but it also has Tom Cruise who cant act. I’d rather watch the original.
WILLIE WONKA and the CHOCOLATE FACTORY vs. CHARLIE and the CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Willie wins hands down. But if they had used the original oompa loompas and songs in the remake then I’d pick that one.
maybe spoilers but only for old movies
PSYCHO
You cant really beat Hitchcock for a great suspense movie. But I am gonna have to go with the remake here as Vince Vaughn played a much crazier Norman Bates. And the movie had some great eye candy with Viggo Mortensen.
CHARADE vs. THE TRUTH ABOUT CHARLIE
While the remake was good and modernized I have to go with the original here. Because you cant beat the team of Cary Grant and Audry Hepburn.
DANGEROUS LIAISONS vs. VALMONT
I really really liked Valmont. But Dangerous Liaisons just flowed better.
DIAL M FOR MURDER vs. A PERFECT MURDER
I think Hitchcock wins here. Despite the fact that this movie has Grace Kelly, and A perfect murder has Viggo. The story is just better in the original.
MY FAVORITE WIFE vs. MOVE OVER DARLING vs SOMETHINGS GOT TO GIVE
This was the last movie that Marilyn Monroe was filming when she died. The best version though was the 2nd remake My Favorite Wife. Cary Grant and Irene Dunne had great chemistry together.
THE GETAWAY
I cant pick which one is better. The original is a sssllllloooowww moving 70 movie that is sometimes painfully slow to watch. But the Sally Struthers – Al Lettieri scenes are priceless. And the remake is good only because I got to meet Alec Baldwin when he was wearing just boxer shorts because of this movie.
The HILLS HAVE EYES
Wasn’t it the same movie? Exactly?
KING KONG
I like the 1976 remake the best. Probably because it was the first one I saw. My class at school had a field trip to go see it.
The PLANET OF THE APES
The original was better.
REAR WINDOW vs. DUSTURBIA
Rear Window is my favorite Hitchcock movie. There can never be a remake as good as the original. And Distrubia to me was a cross between Rear Window and Fright Night.
The STEPFORD WIVES
The original. No one ever forgets the ending.
The TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE
I think the original was better. But my favorite is the original TCM part 2. That movie has so many classic lines. It is my favorite of all of them.
The TIME MACHINE
I thought a marvelous job was done on the remake. The script was really modernized and if I had seen it first I would probably prefer it to the original. But I love the time sequence when he is traveling in the time machine in the original.
WAR OF THE WORLDS
Yeah so the remake has great special effects but it also has Tom Cruise who cant act. I’d rather watch the original.
WILLIE WONKA and the CHOCOLATE FACTORY vs. CHARLIE and the CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Willie wins hands down. But if they had used the original oompa loompas and songs in the remake then I’d pick that one.
bones weep tedium Wrote:For my money, one of the best remakes is A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS. It's not my favourite film in the Dollars Trilogy, but it is definteily superior to Yojimbo.
I would consider Fistful Of Dollars to be more of a rip-off than a remake.
Ken V.
Flinx Wrote:Can a remake be better than the original?
It's possible I suppose, but I've never seen a remake that was.
The Four Feathers is a good example of a movie that was remade a number of times.
I haven't seen the original 1915 movie, or the 1921 or 1929 versions, but the 1939 remake was excellent! Far superior, in my view, to the 1977 TV version, and the 2000 remake.
Ken V.
"BEN HUR" starring of course Charlton Heston-a great remake of the wonderful silent classic.
"HORROR OF DRACULA" I thought a very well done version of the original novel/Lugosi movie classic (in turn a spinoff of the wonderful "NOSFERATU").
"GORGO" which is actually a remake of both "THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS" and "THE GIANT BEHEMOTH" was very well done and actually had a happy ending!
"STRANGLER OF THE SWAMP" was a great remake of the classic German silent "Ferryman Maria".
"THE MALTESE FALCON" starring Bogart was a remake of an earlier version.
"THE THREE GODFATHERS"...Hmmmmmmm. I like both versions. The first one with Chester Morris and the second with The Duke.
"HORROR OF DRACULA" I thought a very well done version of the original novel/Lugosi movie classic (in turn a spinoff of the wonderful "NOSFERATU").
"GORGO" which is actually a remake of both "THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS" and "THE GIANT BEHEMOTH" was very well done and actually had a happy ending!
"STRANGLER OF THE SWAMP" was a great remake of the classic German silent "Ferryman Maria".
"THE MALTESE FALCON" starring Bogart was a remake of an earlier version.
"THE THREE GODFATHERS"...Hmmmmmmm. I like both versions. The first one with Chester Morris and the second with The Duke.