A better idea than remakes?

[Leisher]

Verdict:
Why the fuck do they remake classics?

That's from here.

This caught my eye because this afternoon a friend, who happens to also be a vendor, stopped in to kill time and gave a theory about remakes. It was essentially:
Why are they wasting tens or hundreds of millions trying to remake a classic? Why don't they simply touch up the original and re-release it to the "new" audience? \

Isn't there a really solid question in there? Isn't it worthy of attempting once?

The counter points will likely be:
People pay to see their stars!
That movie had elements modern audiences would not go for!

Are you sure?

Show me some of these big name stars right now? Show me an actor or actress whose films are a hit every time. There isn't one. They all make bombs. They need a concept that resonates to sell tickets. Now give me a franchise and I'll have it star an unknown and make millions.

And how do you know movie elements from previous years won't work now? Personally, I think the subtleties of Halloween, Friday the 13th (the original), Nightmare of Elm Street (the original), and The Thing are far scarier than the "found footage" and CGI bullshit you get today.

Do they make good films today? Of course! This isn't "grumpy old man talks the good old days". I'm just saying that they're trying to make lightning strike twice, except they're completely changing what worked the first time.

If instead of spends tons of money remaking a successful film, they simply spend a bit of money retouching it and marketing it, they might stand to make the same amount of profit with less risk. That frees up other money for NEW concepts and films.

FYI: One of the biggest success stories of this year is Ghostbusters. Oh, not the one you're thinking of, you know, the remake. No, the original Ghostbusters had record levels of demand in PPV, rental, and DVD sales. (There's rumor that the numbers actually beat the remake's box office total, but Sony won't confirm it.)

Based on that, I'd say there's something to this idea.

Think about this when Ben Hur bombs.

[Malcolm]

I think the subtleties of Halloween, Friday the 13th (the original), Nightmare of Elm Street (the original), and The Thing are far scarier than the "found footage" and CGI bullshit you get today.

You also picked movies with good writers during their golden age. Even the least sophisticated (Friday the 13th) was popular enough to spawn a brood of sequels.

original Ghostbusters had record levels of demand in PPV, rental, and DVD sales.

They did give it a limited rerelease this past June in 750 cinemas. I wonder what the numbers were.

Think about this when Ben Hur bombs.

I hope so.

[GORDON]

"The classics" have already been on TNT and TBS ten thousand times as the new generation was growing up. I don't think they'd pony up to see it again with updated special effects.

Then again, it worked with Star Wars, and they did a shitty job of fixing the SFX.

[TPRJones]

It's because no one in Hollywood likes the taste of anything until after they've pissed in it. Because If they don't make their mark on a project then maybe they weren't as vitally important as they think they are, and no one in Hollywood is self-confident enough to face that sort of reality.

[Malcolm]

It's because no one in Hollywood likes the taste of anything until after they've pissed in it. Because If they don't make their mark on a project then maybe they weren't as vitally important as they think they are, and no one in Hollywood is self-confident enough to face that sort of reality.

So they look at them like the opposite of women? Only interested in them until the fucking versus only interested in them once they're fucked?

[TheCatt]

Why the fuck do they remake classics?

There's lots of reasons. Just cuz something a classic to a generation, doesn't make it classic to others.

[Malcolm]

Think about this when Ben Hur bombs.

I hope so.

Ouch.

The Oscar-winning 1959 film starring Charlton Heston may be regarded as a cinema classic, but the Paramount and MGM “Ben-Hur” update released this weekend pulled in about $4 million in the U.S. and Canada on Friday, according to estimates. It’s on target to bring in only $11 million for the weekend.

It’s a dismal opening for a film with a budget of about $100 million...