Remakes - I'm going to try and defend them.
Posted:
Film fans and wannabe gangsters were up in arms yesterday with the news that a remake of ‘Scarface’ is being planned. How the flipping heck are they going to top Al Pacino going loco in a very nice white suit? Well the answer is they’re probably not. But that won’t stop them trying, bless them.
There was outcry and then everybody remembered that the Pacino/De Palma ‘Scarface’ is itself a remake of Howard Hughes’ ‘Scarface’ of 1932. Both versions are good (not much can beat Pacino going absolutely crackers with a chainsaw though) and more importantly the two versions are very different.
Remakes like Scarface (or if we’re being politically correct ‘Reimaginings’) are the reason why I don’t believe they’re necessarily a horrible concept. If the filmmakers are willing to try something sufficiently different enough, a remake can turn into something quite special and distinct from the original.
Take ‘The Wicker Man’ 2006, yes it was rubbish, but at least it trying something different (different meaning heavily misogynist undertones and Nicolas Cage running around in a bear suit)
Yes Hollywood may be running out of ideas but don’t we all? I’ve had trouble coming up with a blog subject this week because I’ve been distracted (Christmas.)
When a remake is produced the original doesn’t get destroyed and it does give –
Actually no I can’t write this. Remakes only exist today because studios would rather cash in on recognisable brand than take a shot on something original. It’s not the 80s anymore - when both hair and blockbuster films were big, interesting, ideas. Back then a remake of a 1930’s gangster film starring Paul Muni was a brave decision. Now studios are greenlighting remakes of films like ‘Straw Dogs’ because the odd 17 year old may have heard their dad mention the original.
Decisive action is needed. There should be a law stating that only bad films should be remade. ‘Fame’ 2009 is a logical attempt to right a great wrong (‘Fame’ 1980). Offensively bad films should be remade with exactly the same cast and crew. James Corden should be forced to repeatedly remake ‘Lesbian Vampire Killers’ until he gets it right, only that way will the poor souls who decided to watch it on iplayer because “it can’t really be that bad can it and there’s nothing on telly and I finished my book and it’s raining” find peace.