Now i don't mind a movie remake unless it's well done. Sometimes it works like Scarface, The Departed, Ocean's 11, Thomas Crown Affair, Man Who Knew Too Much, Star Wars (Sci-fi version of Hidden Fortress), True Lies, The Ring etc. sometimes it doesn't like Point of No Return (Le Femme Nikita was the original), Pink Panther, Planet of the Apes, Psycho etc. I'm fine with a remake if it follows any of these 7 rules.

1. Stories in the public domain: well known stories like Three Musketeers, Frankenstein, Last of the Mohicans, Alice in Wonderland, Dracula etc. have been done many times on film and some can be good.

2. The original is dated in pacing or style: for example The Thomas Crown Affair and Ocean's 11 were originally slow movies yet their remakes have great pacing to them. Some movies from the late 60's and early 70's are sooo slow they can put you in a coma.

3. It has to be 20 years old or older: If no one saw a great movie 6 years ago, leave it alone and give it 15 years.

4. The original isn't terribly well known or beloved: Let me say there is a special place down in hell reserved for that person who tries to remake Casablanca. For some movies should be off limits. Movies that are part of the fabric of cinematic history like It's a Wonderful Life, Casablanca, Citizen Kane, Gone with the Wind, etc have stood the test of time and can still be enjoyed/loved today. Now an example of a not very well known movie is George Romero's The Crazies from 1973 which was a very obscure and little-loved movie has been remade into a great movie.

5. The remake can bring something new to the table while respecting the original: Examples include The Thing, The Fly, Magnificent Seven, True Grit, Cape Fear, King Kong, Nosferatu etc. are excellent examples of how they bring something new and fresh to the original whether in execution or concept.

6. The original was tounge in cheek or cheesy as if some people don't care if it was remade: Films like Little Shop of Horrors, Piranha 3D or The Blob fall in this category as they were remade into fun movies. Fright Night doesn't fall in "untouchable" status for maybe the remake can be good or maybe not.


7. Some foreign language movies remade can work: Films like Let Me In, Magnificent Seven, True Lies, 3 Men and a Baby, The Ring, Star Wars etc. are good examples while Point of No Return was a bad example.

So from now on, for those who rant on remakes should see these rules.

I couldn't agree more. The idea of a remake is unique TV and Film. But 90% of the time they are approached the wrong way. The Crazies is a perfect example. Take a cult movie with an interesting plot and give it a reasonable re-write.

Most people, aside from film geeks, fail to realize some beloved films are influenced quite heavily from other films. Kurosawa's work was influenced by western movies and in turn inspired Star Wars, Magnificent Seven and Fistful of Dollars.

These are seven rules. And they're all terrible. Also, why do you cite Star Wars as remade foreign language film? Yeah, it drew inspirations from Japanese films, but it was its own thing. Seriously though, shut the fuck up.

Only remake I would like to see, is the one me and my buddy were contemplating... Mountaintop Motel Massacre. A shit movie, but entertaining ...that could use a better budget.

so basically...drive inn, exploitation and B horror, if done right, can be remade in my eyes. Altho...I spit on your grave- bad, Cannibal Holocaust-various remakes/rip offs - bad.. you need to respect your source.

Remakes get made for the sole reason of brand recognition. They're more of a safe bet than an original idea.

Pretty much this.

I love exploitation and obscure horror, so a potential remake..not Last house nor I spit... but a real obscure ...is always a treat..at least, if it is shit, the source will get a re-release. Me and my closest...are debating a renew.. of Mountaintop Motel Massacre..a great movie done wrong

But for a good modern horror check Frozen...I was floored..not so gory and violent but a great ride

Who the fuck peed in your Wheaties this morning? Nobody is taking from Star Wars (it's my favorite film and trilogy of all time), and this isn't life or death. They're only movies. There's only so many stories and ideas and guess what? They've all been done.

Nope. Remakes happen in just about any expressive medium, such as music, fashion, etc.

Yep and music gets remade more frequently than movies and generally in a shorter time span. Remember the trend in the 90s and early 00's when they were making hip hop versions of classic songs? For some the original artist would came back to perform their lines.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWuBS1HmI3M

This one was made in 1997 and brings back a lot of memories.

Bottom line noone if forcing you to watch these remakes.

Where are the next H.P Lovecrafts? or the next J.R.R Tolkiens or Bruno Schultz's I wonder...

... people who create their own world. Thats what we need.

They're busy writing books, which means the vast majority of people on RJ will never hear of them until a movie adaptation of their work is made.

Haha, so true.

At least you admit it!

Granted, music isn't something we think of in terms of "remakes", cover versions and alternate takes have been used for decades. Centuries even.

I shouldn't have said unique to film, because people don't often remake creative works for the same reasons as they do for movies (money).

Most of them work in Comics or Video Games. This brings up a good point though, anyone recall a quote from Tolkien about using Middle Earth as a web for others to contribute? Something to effect of, he opened it up as a mythology to be added to with music and poetry and literature? I really would like to see that happen. In a respectful and official scenario.

:lol:

The 7 is silent.