Remakes...beyond ridiculous.

[Mondo Ghulam]

Ideas, good ideas at that, are rare.

It seems to me that with every turn of the technological wheel, there is a desire to re-produce what was great or good in a format that pleases contemporary tastes. You can view this several ways - as long as technology develops people will hunger (or be force fed) ideas that seemed perfect in an earlier era, just re-purposes with today's flavour. Alternatively, the willingness to pursue new ideas stagnates as those with money play it safe and bet on something that guarantees a return. Which is understandable as they're looking for a return with some added glamour.

Then there are those who choke on reproduction, who hunger for the new and push those boundaries - either in supply or demand. As long as there is room for both, we have the choice. I'm with the latter, we've only got one life and i'd rather not spend time having the same experience - it'll never be as good as the first time. If someone does something bold, with something old, I'll definitely give it some time

 

[Gavin Greenwalt]

If we never had remakes we would have to discard the entire works of Shakespeare as corporate garbage.

 

[Tim Hole]

I have nothing against remakes, and I didn't really want to start a 'remake' thread as such. Casablanca in part was a remake, or rather an amalgam of the stage play 'Everyone comes to Ricks', Pepe Le Moko and Algiers. I have no problem with adaptations (so much content is adaptation afterall). I understand the idea of remaking a film for a younger generation or for the type of people who would not see the original for whatever reason. Its sad to me, as a film enthusiast, but that's something I have to deal with. My point was really with assets that really makes no sense to remake - Primarily 'The Lives of Others'. Not quite as stupid as remaking Downfall, but still a narrative that is innately local.

If we never had remakes we would have to discard the entire works of Shakespeare as corporate garbage.

Indeed. Also Shakespeare was popular theatre intended to please the masses, the Elizabethan Transformers that happened to be well structured and greatly written.