First there was the hip-hop remake of Fame, now Hollywood is plotting a modernized version of Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs and a Rosemary's Baby reboot by Transformers practitioner Michael Bay! Is nothing sacred? In this edition of Damn You, Hollywood! Rolling Stone movie critic Peter Travers criticizes Tinseltown for their remake obsession and why it needs to stop before someone does the unspeakable Citizen Kane recreation.
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angry | October 14, 2009 11:39 PM
I AGREEEEEEE!!! I'm sorry but I have literally been screaming about hollywood remakes for years! Just today I was explaining to my young cousin why this fad is so bad... back in the day, originality was treasured. That's when we got movies like Straw Dogs, or Rosemary's Baby. And it wasn't unique just to the movie industry...those were the days of the Beatles! But somewhere along the line the powers that be discovered that money could be made in the most trivial and inane forms of entertainment, and people would eat it up! Why spend money working on an original screenplay or song lyric when you can rehash the same old tired formula and make money doing it? When it comes down to it, it's not just the movie studios or record labels fault (though they deserve a LOT of the blame). In the end, it's our fault, the people who continually buy this shitty music or go to these moronic films. STOP FEEDING THE TROLLS! /rant
James | October 13, 2009 12:34 AM
Mr. Travers, you forgot to mention Suspiria.
Other remakes on the way include; Poltergeist, RoboCop, Mute Witness, and John Carpenter is getting a trio, Escape From New York, The Thing, They Live, he might not know it but poor guy, the remake counter parts are going to be remembered more by audiences today than his classic originals.
The Dark Knight is not a remake, just like Batman 89 is not a remake of the earlier films/television show.
Joe | October 9, 2009 11:00 AM
Lets face it, the studios are afraid to take risks anymore. Most remakes can't hold a candle to the original, even when they aren't bad in their own right ("Manchurian Candidate" and "Taking of Pelham 123" weren't bad remakes, just not as good as the original movies). Also, once every couple of years, they use tried and tested stories that are reminiscent of other, better movies (Hollywood seems to ripoff "Double Indemnity" every couple of years, most of the time forgettably). And Hollywood has always ripped off foreign movies as their own (I loved Martin Scorsese's "The Departed", but liked the original "Infernal Affairs" even more; Christopher Nolan's "Insomnia" is another good example). And Alex, Dustin Hoffman did star in the original "Straw Dogs" with Susan George.
spudmurphy | October 9, 2009 3:33 AM
most remakes just make me appreciate the original more. i can't believe michael bay was chosen for rosemary's baby. count on massive explosions and a highway chase scene.
JP | October 5, 2009 5:04 PM
OK, first stop worshiping Christopher Nolon's insulting interpretation of "Batman". I recently watched Tim Burton's "Batman" and it still pwn the 2 tripe of a movie that CN has put out.
Next, Peter didn't go far enough. As someone has mentioned, they are making movies out of board games. Doesn't anyone remember how bad "Clue" bombed at the box office?
This summer, there was hardly any movies that was heavily promoted that came from an original source. It either came from toys "GI Joe" and "Transformers" or comicbooks "Wolverine" and "Watchmen". Enough already!
Oh yeah, "Citizen Kane" sucks! Someone should remake it. That should be the rule for remakes. If the original is bad, remake it to improve it. Don't ruin an already great movie.
Alex | October 5, 2009 11:05 AM
Just a little note: Dustin Hoffman does not star in the original Straw Dogs (as Peter says in the video) is Al Pacino.
Cerebus | October 2, 2009 3:26 PM
What I don't understand is why they insist on doing straight remakes. Use "old Hollywood" as inspiration. Do more prequels or sequels. Fine. But the madness of actual remakes really must stop. IMO, the opportunity being missed is this: they could be making movies INSPIRED by these older films that are clearly advertised as such and at the same time releasing a restored dvd/blu-ray of the original film. By utilizing the old films in such a way you've created multiple income streams AND done the right thing by introducing older movies to newer viewers. It's so frustrating to me that EVERY studio has missed the boat on this opportunity. Instead we keep getting slapped around with remakes of movies that were often perfect in one way or another to begin with (casting, directing, production) and were (often) only hits because of the time of their release. Fame never needed to be remade. Straw Dogs and Rosemary's Baby NEVER need to be remade. I mean, really, how can you remake Peckinpah?!? You can't. So do the responsible thing - make a movie "inspired" by Peckinpah and hype his originals to no end. He deserves it. Whoever thought it would be a good idea to remake his movie(s), does not.
Liz | October 1, 2009 11:55 PM
I agree with hdbngr63 - Nolan's vision of Batman was fantastic. One of the rare exceptions. I think that also had a lot to do with (atypical)brilliant casting, basing it on Miller's version of Batman and having an exceptionally talented director and crew.
Liz | October 1, 2009 11:51 PM
Uggh that's awful that they are remaking classics. Why, why, why? Here's an idea why not make an original movie - ya know with an original idea. That would be something that would stand out - and ooh to sweeten the pot only use talented individuals to create the pic.
Even worse than remaking classic pics - like Rosemary Baby or My Fair Lady is making a movie about a board game. Really. Do we need a movie based on Monopoly or Battleship? Why?
hdbngr63 | October 1, 2009 9:38 PM
I agree that Hollywood is going nutso with these remakes. "Nightmare on Elm Street" is also being remade, though with inspired casting with Jackie Earle Haley as the infamous Springwood Slasher. Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked. Though remakes are being produced faster than arms for war, most remakes are a) inferior to the original, and b) easily forgettable. "Fame" is tanking in the box office. I have literally forgotten about last year's "The Day the Earth Stood Still," doesn't stand in my memory, and it underperformed. No one cares about them like they used to. The only inspired remakes that are superior to the originals are Christopher Nolan's "Batman" films, other than that, no one cares. Though more are being made, the clashflow is getting smaller. We're wising up, so Hollywood needs to hold their end of the bargain.
@jrharv | October 1, 2009 5:16 PM
I'm busy writing novels that I feel should or could be decent movie hits, I am not writing as screenplays but as novellas, which are screenplay lengths. I agree remakes are usually substandard to original, I was prepared to see The Day The Earth Stood Still, but the reviews panned it so bad, I don't think I care anymore. All I need is a publisher to believe in my stories, slef-publishing simply doesn't sell.