Films I hope they never remake

KenSwee

Following on from my previous post, I'm curious if anybody thinks that there are certain films that should never be remade in any shape or form.

My two to start off

2001 A Space Odyssey
Citizen Kane

johnny_ultimate

Every film ever made.

Except Transformers. They can remake the **** out of that for all I care.

krudler

The Rocketeer, its a slice of 90s charm that I love and its really underrated.

Big Trouble In Little China, an 80s movie through and through, back when John Carpenter could make fantastic films.

The Wizard Of Oz, because you know Tim Burton will do it, Helena Bonham Carter will play the Wicked Witch, and Johnny Depp will be either a kooky Scarecrow, a kooky Lion or kooky Tin Man, or , christ, play all three parts. (I hope Tim Burton doesnt read this cos I'm giving him ideas)

Jaws: I'm all for shark movies, but leave the original alone, take the money and greenlight Meg instead, audiences will love it if its done right.

Sleepy

The Godfather. I'm sure there's some studio exec in LA that's arrogant enough to have a try...

Before Sunrise. It doesn't need updating for the iPhone generation thanks.

Cinema Paradiso. There's a reason it's never been dubbed. Leave it alone.

RobbingBandit

Once upon a time in America. A remake would never do the original justice.

The Mad Hatter

I don't care if they remake films, as long as they do a good job of the remake. See, for example, Ben Hur, Carpenter's The Thing, Hitchcock's second version of The Man Who Knew Too Much, Cronenberg's The Fly, Nolan's Insomnia (I didn't even know this was a remake until just now), or heck even Evil Dead 2, which is really just a remake of the original.

Probably my favourite film is Orson Welles' adaptation of Kafka's The Trial. It has been remade subsequently with Malcolm MacDowell and Anthony Hopkins, but it's not a film I've ever been interested in seeing, so I just didn't watch the later version, and I probably won't. The fact that it exists causes in me utter indifference.

And if some other director remade Citizen Kane or 2001 - well, it almost certainly wouldn't be as good the originals, but so what? It's not like they'd have to destroy the original prints in order to make it. And if they found something new to say with their version, or found that they could express themselves best by rethinking old ideas, then all the better. In fact, while Kubrick would almost certainly have had major reservations about the idea, I could see Welles - having had an outstanding theatrical career - maybe not giving his blessing to the idea of a remake of Kane, but not outright condemning it either.

Remakes are a fact of life, and they're as old as art. Beethoven's ninth symphony reuses heaps of ideas from his little-known Choral Fantasia. Shakespeare's plays are almost all adaptations of earlier material. Edvard Munch painted The Scream at least four times. As long as the artist can approach it with a fresh mind, creativity and imagination, then it is possible to make great art with old material.

indough

i dont think the mist is a remake

WatchWolf

RopeDrink wrote: »

Agree with most of the above.

While I admit, films being a "Remake" often autopilot me towards a more reserved 'low expectations' mindset, I wouldn't really go lynching them, either.

For example, the most recent that springs to mind is "The Mist" which I thought was a very enjoyable, solid movie even if purists may or may not agree - "The Thing" has been a classic favourite of mine for donkeys years and even I was suprised that it is indeed a remake of a much much older movie, so it'd be hypocritical of me to hold remakes too negatively when I must admit I do quite like a few of them.

Wasn't The Mist based on the Stephen King novella? I don't think it was remake.



One film that I don't won't remade but can definitley see Hollywood fat cats doing is Back To The Future, or pretty much any popular 80s movie for that matter.

Melion

Every movie, EVER. Just stop remaking them you horrible un-original bstards.

2smiggy

As mentioned already , i really hope they stay away from 'back to the future'

I do not mind remakes really, but there is no way that i could imagine that they ever come close to the original trilogy.

bit hungover after going out for the match last night, so think i will watch one of them after work just after thinking of them. Fantastic films !

krudler

If BTTF was remade now and Marty still went 30 years into the past he'd go to...1982. doesnt really have the same ring to it does it?

MJ23

The Shining should never be touched. I think there is some dodgey remake from the late 80s. Never seen, don't want to see it.
Die Hard, because it's not possible for another human to be as cool or as hard as Bruce Willis.
The Field, there'll only ever be one Bull McCabe.

Technocentral

Pretty much every film ever made shouldn't be remade (especially remakes the following year for morons who can't read subtitles), film makers should make their own original stories, but especially; Casablanca, Citizen Kane, Lawrence Of Arabia, Some Like It Hot and any of Hitch's and Billy Wilder's 50's and 60's stuff.

FishBowel

krudler wrote: »

The Wizard Of Oz

That was a remake!

Sir Gallagher

Theres always a case for a remake if the original can be improved upon or is really dated. The problems arise when a film is being remade for the wrong reasons. True Grit would be a good example of a fantastic remake.

Nervous Wreck

Sir Gallagher wrote: »

Theres always a case for a remake if the original can be improved upon or is really dated. The problems arise when a film is being remade for the wrong reasons. True Grit would be a good example of a fantastic remake.

Technically, True Grit was an adaptation of a novel rather than a remake...

Sir Gallagher

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

Technically, True Grit was an adaptation of a novel rather than a remake...

True, but all films derive from some kind of source material. One of the criticisms of remakes is that they've been done before and are unoriginal. True Grit was done before and the story was the same but it wad done again in the right way.

al28283

I never really understand this. When they remake a movie they don't recall all copies of the movie and record over them, you can still watch the originals, they still exist

johnny_ultimate

Sir Gallagher wrote: »

True, but all films derive from some kind of source material. One of the criticisms of remakes is that they've been done before and are unoriginal. True Grit was done before and the story was the same but it wad done again in the right way.

Unoriginality isn't my main concerns with remakes, and the old 'only seven basic story types' adage rings as true as ever. No, the issue is wasting effort, time, resources and talent remaking films that are perfectly fine in their original form.

Sure, there's certainly an argument that some films weren't done right first time around, but for every good, worthwhile remake there's twenty plus that are utterly redundant.

A great film is born a great film, and will remain a great film: regardless of language, age, whatever. There is not a single film I like that I'd like to see redone, and I firmly believe the rare 'good remake' is the exception that proves the rule that they tend to be redundant.

Bobby Baccala

Any Vietnam war film, just stay away from them, the majority of them are shít anyway, but dont touch classics like Apocalypse Now, Full metal jacket and Platoon.

bnt

The thing about 2001: A Space Odyssey is that it wasn't the work of Kubrick alone. Just as much credit has to go to Arthur C Clarke for the vision and scientific realism, and to Douglas Trumbull for the pioneering visual effects. Someone who attempted a remake would have so much work to do to get anywhere ciose to the original. A similar argument can be made for Blade Runner, I think.

I would also resist remakes of any films that are "of their time", such as John Hughes' 80s trilogy of films with Molly Ringwald (Sixteen Candles / The Breakfast Club / Pretty In Pink). I can't think of any young actress who could fill Molly's shoes, and none need make the attempt. :cool:

Technocentral

P4DDY2K11 wrote: »

Any Vietnam war film, just stay away from them, the majority of them are shít anyway, but dont touch classics like Apocalypse Now, Full metal jacket and Platoon.

Can't see that happening, you'd want to be insane to try it anyway!

KenSwee

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Unoriginality isn't my main concerns with remakes, and the old 'only seven basic story types' adage rings as true as ever. No, the issue is wasting effort, time, resources and talent remaking films that are perfectly fine in their original form.

Sure, there's certainly an argument that some films weren't done right first time around, but for every good, worthwhile remake there's twenty plus that are utterly redundant.

A great film is born a great film, and will remain a great film: regardless of language, age, whatever. There is not a single film I like that I'd like to see redone, and I firmly believe the rare 'good remake' is the exception that proves the rule that they tend to be redundant.

Well, well said.

papajimsmooth

I really hope the american psycho remake dosent go ahead

krudler

FishBowel wrote: »

That was a remake!

I know but its a classic, remakes can be better than their originals, The Fly, The Thing etc. Its not so much the remakes but the lack of originality in Hollywood, they're afraid to risk a 300 million dollar budget on a new concept.

SarahBM

Classic musicals, especially Rogers and Hammerstein stuff should be declared out of bounds. I hope to god no one ever attempts to remake the likes of Sound of Music or the the King and I. ( the film Anna and the King with Jodie Foster and Chow Yun Fat doesnt count as it wasnt a musical)

Films like Footlose shouldnt have been touched. You just cannot replicated the 80s. it just cannot be done.

christmas2012

umm dont just DONT do another james bond or alien..

Niamhoooooo

Grease and Ferris Buellers day off

unplayable

gladiator
scarface (again)
goodfellas
titanic (cause it was terrible)

DEFTLEFTHAND

Casablanca.

FishBowel

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Casablanca.

Barb wire.

DEFTLEFTHAND

FishBowel wrote: »

Barb wire.

You couldn't really call that a remake though.

Overheal

Boondock Saints

Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

talkingpj

Any foreign language movie they always make a balls of it

Duggy747

I hope they don't remake The Room :pac:

A film I definitely don't want to see remade is The Fly (a remake in itself, I know).

You can't replicate someone like Jeff Goldblum and the ace prosthetic work. CGI would just make it too tacky and have none of the visual horror or creepiness.

Though I know it's only a matter of time before they chew one out

I don't mind remakes if they take a different approach, not if it's only a simple cash-cow for the sake of attracting kids to the cinemas.