Remakes/Reboots?
There has been a recent trend in Hollywood of rehashing old ideas and movies. Reboots of Spider-Man and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and remakes of Conan, Footloose, Evil Dead, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Crow, Red Dawn etc. are being announced almost daily.
Do you view this as merely a cash grab by greedy studios to get a new generation's money or is there just a severe lack of new ideas in Hollywood?
I like Crepes.
I'm not sure. lol. I just wanted to get some different points of view on the subject.
I like Crepes.
It's all about money. My generation has grown up. It remembers what we all liked as kids, and we now have the ability to bring it back.
Bringing it back seems to tarnish the old flicks though.
I like Crepes.
One of the first film produced in Hollywood, in 1903, was The Great Train Robbery. It was first remade in 1905. Then again in 1914. Again in the 20's. And again in the 30's. I stopped reading after that.
Yes, this is a recent trend to grab your moneys. There is nothing you can do about it except not go see unoriginal films and also to encourage everyone you know to stay home and watch old b&w flicks.
This is why we can't have nice things.
Don't know why people make such a big deal out of them. Mad about your favorite movie being remade? Then don't see it. The studio isn't going to send hired thugs to your place and force you to watch it. Nor will the original just cease to exist the moment the remake is released. Tomorrow they could announce that they're remaking my favorite film in 3D with my most hated actor (Russel Crowe) in the lead role and I'd be perfectly fine with it.

I'm with subby socks on this one, as we've agreed on this a few times before.
However, to label remakes as unnecessary and "simply for the money" is a bit narrow-minded. Yes, remakes are safer bets, because there's already an established target audience that will undoubtedly see it. That's why they're more popular. But to say that that's the driving force for all of them is untrue, if only slightly untrue.
True Grit. The new one was way better. There, I said it.
Si vis pacem, para bellum
I think it's just a lack of creativity and ideas. A lot of indie films are getting more attention these days and some are really good. The only movie genre I'm getting a bit tired of is the "superhero genre"...Some are decent but there are some god awful ones. Am looking forward to the new Batman and the new Superman though.
"For most of this century, scientists have worshiped the hardware of the brain and the software of the mind; the messy powers of the heart were left to the poets."
lol. The New True Grit was far superior to the old John Wayne one I will admit. I personally think that the state of society as a whole plays a larger role in how we choose to entertain ourselves today than before. Things move a lot faster nowadays and people are always on the run to get things done. An average person goes to the movies to relax/escape from their lives and will settle for whatever will do that without too much thought. After all, who wants to strain their brains even more thinking about a interweaving plot after they already got off work or have taken care of kids all day. Movie executives can take advantage of this because people will watch it anyways no matter how shitty it is.....just my opinion.
I like Crepes.
My beef with remakes is that it's money that could have been spent on giving a new screenwriter or director with a original idea, a break in the industry.
I'm pretty annoyed about the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo remake. It feels so pointless.
I kinda agree with Hattie on this one. That's time and money that could be pointed in a better direction.
But, it's all about money. And people get nastalgic and run out and see those remakes. So...
Also, Imke, as pointless as the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo feels - Americans are lazy and won't read sub-titles for the most part.
Don't kid yourself. That money would never have gone to a new artist with a new idea anyway. There are plenty of Horrible Movies That Are Not Remakes to be made, you know.
This is why we can't have nice things.
I know, I know, but now and then miracles happen...
Ah, right.
I had to get used to watching movies without subtitles, it was weird.
Ah, right.
I had to get used to watching movies without subtitles, it was weird.
Do they dub them in Norway or do you mean without subtitles or anything? I find it funny when teachers ask us to spot translation mistakes in movie subtitles and I wonder who watches English movies with subtitles anyway.
No dubbing in Norway (except for cartoons and kid shows, ugh). Thank fuck for that. I just mean watching American movies without subtitles!
Figured as much. I recall watching Snatch with subtitles though.
I'm looking forward to the remake of The Fall Guy in 2013! The original rocked (but, then again, I was seven when I watched it).
I watched it with the subtitles so I could find out what Brad Pitt was saying--"y'know, dags"
I watched it with the subtitles so I could find out what Brad Pitt was saying--"y'know, dags"
Yup, same reason. I tried without subtitles, but after 10 minutes I gave up.
Sometimes I have to watch Trainspotting with subtitles. Also I remember watching Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels with subtitles.
I am looking forward to Dragon Tattoo. Never read or seen any of the other versions and Fincher is a great director.
I saw and really liked the original Dragon Tattoo and I'm still looking forward to the remake.

I didn't see the original and will not be watching the remake.
This is why we can't have nice things.
Some guy on another site I went to wrote out this long rant against remakes, specifically the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo remake. I said that he doesn't have to see it. He called me an idiot for using that redundant argument. I pointed out complaining about remakes is even more redundant since he whines and rants every time one is made. He proceeded to call me an idiot again and the rest of the site rallied behind him in their unified hate of remakes and by extension me because this is what film snobs do.

Yes, it is, in fact, what they do. It's about all they do, as well.
And you can tell them I said so.
This is why we can't have nice things.
The remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was phenomenal actually. I liked it more than the Swedish version of the movie.
I like Crepes.


I wonder where you've been.