Movie Remakes that shouldn't have been

[griff_goodbeard]

It seems that recently their have been a slew of bad movie remakes. I'm not sure if this is because of greedy, unoriginal studio execs, hoping to cash in on existing movies with increased f/x and better producion values or what, but it seem that 9 out of 10 of these movie really suck. I thought we might start a list of the worst remakes of all time.

I'll start:

Psycho
The island of Dr. Moreau
The Haunting
Mr. Deeds

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

I actually kinda liked the remake of Moreau (assuming you mean the Brando/Kilmer one).

Pretty much any horror movie that's been remade shouldn't have. Last years Dawn of the Dead was probably the best of the lot, but still didn't add anything new.

Flight of the Phoenix was passable, but didn't need to be made.
The Italian Job
Oceans 11

 

[Desdichado]

But they did need to be remade. Otherwise, the newer generation would never see the older one.

It's not about trying to top the original, or make it better, it's about an easy way to tap a market.

 

[Joshua Randall]

On the other hand, some movies that are technically re-makes are much better than the original version.

Ben-Hur comes to mind off the top of my head.

 

[KenM]

I heard the remake of Psycho was excatly like the orginial one, down to the camera angles, ect..

 

[Mark Chance]

I heard the remake of Psycho was excatly like the orginial one, down to the camera angles, ect..

Almost. It really wasn't a remake. It was a movie of a movie. How postmodern.

And yet it still ended up an inferior product. Interesting testament to the talents of Hitchcock and Perkins.

 

[Dagger75]

Rollerball--

The Island-- is a remake of a movie they spoffed on MST3K

The Stepford Wives

Hollywood is scared of change, if something worked once they will try it like 9 times it seems.

 

[Rackhir]

Almost. It really wasn't a remake. It was a movie of a movie. How postmodern.

And yet it still ended up an inferior product. Interesting testament to the talents of Hitchcock and Perkins.

I'm not sure that's it. I've noticed in my self that I will cut "old" movies/tv shows slack that I don't with more modern movies. There's something about them that seems to make things work, where as the exact same thing done today is laughable.

That said, pretty much any remake probably shouldn't be made. After all most are remakes of movies that are considered classics or special for some reason. They only rarely do remakes of movies that might be able to be improved. The new BSG series is one of the few examples where the remake actually has improved on the old series, though it is as much or more a completely different series than a remake of the old one.

The Island, could be far better than Clonus. Though that wouldn't exactly be difficult. Another remake that I think was at least as good if not better than the original was the remake of "The Shinning", since it was a 6hr mini-series they were able to include a lot of stuff that got left out of the Kubrick version.

The basic reason for remakes, is that Hollywood runs on fear. Anything that can reduce uncertanty or at least provide an excuse should failure happen will be latched onto like a drowning man onto a rope. If it was successful once then it might be again or at least people have heard of it and might go to see it for that reason.

 

[Fenris]

Don't forget the trend to take old dramas and re-make them as comedies ala Guess Who and The Longest Yard. I keep waiting for a re-make of 12 Angry Men called Happy starring Jim Carrey. Sidney Poitier would be spinning in his grave if he had one, over Guess Who.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

LISTER:
Oh! The new Friday the 13th movie - Friday the 13th part one thousand six hundred and forty nine.

RIMMER:
Look, ‘Cassablanca’! They've re-made ‘Cassablanca’!

LISTER:
Philistines. I mean how can you re-make ‘Cassablanca’? The one starring Myra Dinglebat and Peter Beardsley was definitive.