Miskatonic & Gin' Wrote:"Blinding logic?" C'mon, we're talking about 2 different things here. When they remade "The Fog" they were simply copying JC and dumbing it down by utilizing WB actors and crummy CGI effects along with a idiotic script. Gone was the tension, terror and suspense that JC instilled in the original. No Hal Holbrook or Adrienne Barbeau either.
When JC made "The Thing" he wasn't copying the 1951 version at all, but rather bypassing that version and taking the source material straight from the original story. It was a remake in name only and much more faithful to the original story. The 1951 version had a freakin' vegetable who had his own the little geranium going in his private room for criminey sakes.
I was never saying that it was OK for JC to remake anything because he didn't. However, if somebody wants to bring their own take of "Who Goes There" to the screen then by all means do so. Just don't rape JC's while you do so.
As for your comment they should remake all of his films because I have to disagree. If there is an unknown with talent out there he should make his mark by giving us something original instead of plundering somebody else's film.
In the event that you completely disagree with everything I've said or even just disregard it they STILL shouldn't remake JC's films. Why? Because John Carpenter is one of the greatest horror directors of all time and they should keep their grubby hands away from his stuff. They shouldn't remake Hitchcock's films either. Come to think of it they shouldn't cover Beatles songs either. While we're at it stay the hell away from Scorcese and Kurosawa before you get any bright ideas.
No one forces me to see movies either but let's campaign for some originality before we condone the rape, plunder and downright castration of true classics all in the name of "stimulating Hollywoods economy." There's plenty of good ideas out there waiting to be brought to the screen but the suits are too busy recycling yesterday's classics and transforming them into travesties all in the name of opening weekend $ and DVD rentals. For every Pulp Fiction, Crash or Little Miss Sunshine we get a never ending parade of remake garbage like "The Hitcher", "Posiedon", "Godzilla", "The Pink Panther", "The Bad News Bears" or "Halloween". How about we work on getting Repairman Jack to the screen instead of blowing 100 million on "Escape Fron New York" and turning Snake Plisken into a PG-13 waste of time?
I enjoyed you post very much. Way to get'cher
rant on!
Heh.
I apologize for the "blinding logic" comment...it was the 10 cups 'o Java talking. Unfortunately, I fear a campaign to stop remaking every movie made before 1989, and some after, will fall on deaf ears in Hollywoodland (maybe Ken can tell us if Absurdistan goes that far north). You flatter me when you suggest that my recommendation would influence anyone to remake a Scorcese or Kuwasawa movie (and there is a whole thread elsewhere about whether that's already been done or not). [tips hat to flattery]
Unfortunately, even without my recommendation, someone will remake the Godfather, eventually, as horrible as that may be to contemplate. :eek:
That's why the original post in this thread said, since they're gonna do them all anyway, regardless of what we want, let them do these first:
I'm not sure about JC being one of the greatest horror directors of all time...normally I reserve that comment for my top three to five. John was an icon and would make my top ten (just) but he's certainly not in my top 3, particularly considering all the flops he's had since 87 (when he did POD).
I agree that the
Thing and
Escape from New York do not need a remake, they are just fine the way they are. I also agree that
Halloween was an inferior remake and should have been left well enough alone. Even
POD could go without a remake...
I just hope that
POD's remake, somehow, against all odds, turns out to be good, when they get to it.
As far as the RJ movie goes...considering the amount of casting and director recommendations I've made over the last 2 months, I'd say I'm already doing my part to get RJ1 made. Alas, I don't live in Hollywood so that's the limit of what my humble skills can be expected to accomplish.
-Wapitikev