Remakes and Sequels: Then And Now

[Hemingway Jones]

Well, whatever the reason, there just isn't the need to have that word hanging around these parts, neither do we need to go on discussing it.

Let's stick to the topic at hand.

 

[Lincsong]

Ocean's 11 remake

Ocean's 11-- the original I loved it. the remake terrible. Then they did a sequel to the remake:rage: Just nasty.

 

[HadleyH]

I'm not a big fan of remakes but this is one of the earliest and better ones. It's a film about Hollywood and deals with the motion picture colony, it's a classic.

"What Price Hollywood" 1932 with Constance Bennett

five years later David O.Selnick developed the idea into;

"A Star Is Born" with Janet Gaynor

which was to be remade in 1954 into

Judy Garland's "A Star Is Born"


I think that later in the 60s or 70s there was another version of it but that one doesn't count, it's not Golden Years in my eyes.

 

[Decobelle]

Dead Reckoning - 1947

Amy Jeanne mentioned recycled plots - I was watching Dead Reckoning over the weeknd, and had forgotten it has some recycled dialogue. Bogie has a conversation with (Bacall lookalike) Lizabeth Scott that is very similar to one he has with Mary Astor at the end of Maltese Falcon. Some of the lines are almost idenitical.

Bogie in D.R.: "When a guy's pal is killed he ought to do something about it"
Bogie in M.F.: "When a man's partner is killed, he's supposed to do something about it."

Lisabeth Scott: "But you love me."
Bogie: "That's the tough part of it but it'll pass. These things do in time."

Bogie in M.F., speaking of loving Mary Astor yet sending her over: "I'll have some rotten nights after I send you over but that will pass."

But who wouldn't want to hear Bogart say those lines again?

 

[Jack Scorpion]

I really liked The Thomas Crown Affair remake. I wouldn't say it was better than the original, because they have very different styles, but I would watch both again and again.

(I heard that hardcore Hammett fans prefer the 1931 Maltese Falcon. I've yet to have the privilege.)

I love remakes of old classics that are done differently. Body Heat with William Hurt and Kathleen Turner is one of my favorite movies. I like it even more than its original, Double Indemnity. Of course, they are very different and almost entirely incomparable, but Body Heat is a remake nevertheless.

Also, I loved Against All Odds. Sure it was made into more of a skin-baring romance saga, but I loved it. Out of the Past is one of my favorite movies and I can still appreciate a fan service remake.

 

[jake_fink]

I really liked The Thomas Crown Affair remake. I wouldn't say it was better than the original, because they have very different styles, but I would watch both again and again.

(I heard that hardcore Hammett fans prefer the 1931 Maltese Falcon. I've yet to have the privilege.)

I love remakes of old classics that are done differently. Body Heat with William Hurt and Kathleen Turner is one of my favorite movies. I like it even more than its original, Double Indemnity. Of course, they are very different and almost entirely incomparable, but Body Heat is a remake nevertheless.

Also, I loved Against All Odds. Sure it was made into more of a skin-baring romance saga, but I loved it. Out of the Past is one of my favorite movies and I can still appreciate a fan service remake.

The real problem with Out of the Past was that it needed some of that Phil Collins, special-kinda pop. I can feel it coming in the air toniiight. Hold o-ohn.

 

[Feraud]

The real problem with Out of the Past was that it need some of that Phil Collins, special-kinda pop. I can feel it coming in the air toniiight. Hold o-ohn.

lol Yes, as done by Stewie Griffin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxfIema9MXY

 

[jake_fink]

lol Yes, as done by Stewie Griffin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxfIema9MXY

lol

He's a better singer than our Phil ever was.

czhu czhu czhuczhczhuczhu!

 

[Feraud]

Someone needs to start a thread about Family Guy and the musicals of old!
The creator/writers of the show appear to have an affinity for a good musical.

 

[Decobelle]

(I heard that hardcore Hammett fans prefer the 1931 Maltese Falcon. I've yet to have the privilege.)

I am a Hammett fan, and while I think the 1931 version is interesting, I agree with Mike In Seattle's earlier post that the 1941 Maltese Falcon is one case where the remake was an improvement over the original.

(I recently got that special 2-disc Maltese Falcon DVD set that has all three versions. It's very nice).

 

[Feraud]

I am a Hammett fan, and while I think the 1931 version is interesting, I agree with Mike In Seattle's earlier post that the 1941 Maltese Falcon is one case where the remake was an improvement over the original.

(I recently got that special 2-disc Maltese Falcon DVD set that has all three versions. It's very nice).

I agree with this too.
A funny thing about the '31 & '41 remakes.. The best thing about the '31 version is also the worst thing about the '41. That is the Iva Archer character.
Thelma Tood was great in the 1931 version while Gladys George was entirely unappealing in the later film! The studio got their wish in trying to censor the intent of the story. You have to wonder why Spade was attracted to his wife's partner.
Cortez was an o.k., if "hammy" Sam Spade.

 

[Jack Scorpion]

(I recently got that special 2-disc Maltese Falcon DVD set that has all three versions. It's very nice).

Been thinking about buying that -- seems such a good deal -- but I'm not a big enough fan of the 1941 version to justify the purchase, yet. I have to at least read the novel. I've only read Hammett's The Thin Man and The Dain Curse. The Thin Man was excellent! The Dain Curse made me not ever want to read Hammett again -- but I'll get over that.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Ocean's 11-- the original I loved it. the remake terrible. Then they did a sequel to the remake:rage: Just nasty.

Brace yourself - this'll make your day...Ocean's 13 is in the works...

 

[jazzzbaby]

Father of the Bride was a remake that I actually liked.

 

[Joie DeVive]

Disturbia as Rear Window??

Ok, is it me, or do the commericals for Disturbia (out today, I believe), have a striking resemblance to Rear Window?

I mean, a man trapped in his house with binoculars watching his neighbors, witnessing a murder......From the commercial I would gather that it will be significantly more bloody.

I just wondered anyone else saw the similarity...?

 

[Doctor Strange]

It's mentioned in the first sentence of every review I scanned this morning!

http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/disturbia

 

[Joie DeVive]

Ha ha! I haven't read the paper yet.

Ok, I'm obviously not alone.

I dunno, I just don't see remaking Rear Window. Of course, I'm biased. It's one of my favorites. I think it's perfect as it is.

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

that's horrible! Oh well. Really, it's not that difficult to create an original story.

 

[Joie DeVive]

that's horrible! Oh well. Really, it's not that difficult to create an original story.

I wouldn't think so, but one begins to wonder...

I mean, they remade Sabrina in the 1990s with Harrison Ford.
That was another one I hadn't seen mentioned....

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

I wouldn't think so, but one begins to wonder...

I mean, they remade Sabrina in the 1990s with Harrison Ford.
That was another one I hadn't seen mentioned....

I never saw the remake. Is it any good?

An interesting note. Sabrina is technically not a remake. Here's a good example of what is only seen as a remake when in reality it is only another adaption of the same source.

It was adapted from a play written by Samuel Taylor called Sabrina Fair.

1954 Film of Sabrina

Sabrina Fair on Broadway

When a novel, play, short story, poem, etc is adapted to the screen more than once, the films themselves are not remakes of each other.
This is very often the misunderstanding of a remake. Call it a re-adaption

In terms of sequels, Friday the 13th, Halloween, Chucky, etc, are not sequels. They are a series with the same character, much like the Andy Hardy films of the 30s & 40s.

Were the versions of Romeo and Juliet or Alice In Wonderland remakes? Not one bit. They were mutiple adaptions. The Wizard of Oz was based on a novel. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. That would mean The Wiz was not a remake of The Wizard of Oz. More like a different approach of the same novel.

Distrubia is a remake. The reason being is that it's source was film related. It was solely written for the screen. William Shakesphere didn't write Romeo and Juliet for the screen. It began as a playwright, not a screenplay. That's just my take on a remake and sequel. It doesn't mean it's true.

Perhaps a stageplay is more than likely a remake when adapted to film than is a novel, short story, or poem because it is acted out, as it is on film. Rear Window was also adapted from a short story. Does that make Disturbia a remake of the film Rear Window, when really Rear Window was adapted from a short story?

What really is a film remake? Another adaption of a novel or play, short story or poem? What really is a sequel? Maybe we've always misunderstood their purpose or maybe we've been right. Never can tell.