It was bound to happen. We all knew it was inevitable. Yes, I'm talking about yet another movie remake, this time of the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger classic, Total Recall. Apparently, the original movie isn't good enough anymore, so they're going to redo it. Of course, after the remake of Footloose last year, I guess anything is up for grabs.
| Get The Original |
When it comes to Hollywood remakes, I have mixed emotions, and to be honest I can't think of many "new" versions that I prefer to the originals. With a few rare exceptions, an updated version of a movie is rarely an improvement. The story is already known, and when they try to mix things up by rewriting various scenes, I'm often left thinking, "I liked it better the other way." It can also be jarring to see today's actors trying to recapture roles that were previously defined by another cast. Come on; Colin Farrell as Schwarzenegger, are you kidding? Maybe that's just me.
There are economic motivations behind the slew of remakes as of late. If a Studio does a new version of an old movie, they know there's a pre-existing fan-base that'll come out of the woodwork to see the new flick, even if it sucks. (That used to be what sequels were for, but apparently that's too much work now.) It is often more of a sure thing to remake a pre-existing movie than to create something entirely new that might or might not pique the interest of movie goers. This is creative punting, plain and simple.
I can think of so many stories that would make great movies, but sadly they are passed over in favor of recycled ideas. I don't fault Hollywood for trying to make a buck, but I feel they'd make a lot more money if they spent more time looking for fresh concepts and new, entertaining material. Yes, they still do that to an extent, and maybe I'm being overly critical because of my own obscurity in the field, but I think the remakes are a waste of good screen time. It's just an opinion, and if you enjoy the "new, improved" Total Recall, bully for you. As for me, I'll stick with the classic version. "See you at the party, Richter!"
Oh the constant remakes piss me off too. I simply don't understand why they need to regurgitate old stuff when there are hundreds of great novels and screenplays out there just waiting to be picked? What's the matter with Hollywood? Are they pissing their pants fearing they can't bring people into the cinemas anymore? Well, they can't, not if they show the same shit over and over but with different special effects.
ReplyDeleteMartin, you're most certainly not the only one disappointed in their lack of imagination.
Good post, btw. ;)