Do you ever get fed up with the number of movie remakes? It seems that the cinemas are full of "new" versions of movies many of us have already seen, and that rarely improve upon the original. So there is less room for fresh ideas. Here are some reasons why it's time to cut down on movie remakes and make some original movies instead …
The major problem with movie remakes is that they are so unimaginative. We've seen it all before, and in most cases they add little to the previous version. A few do succeed in adding a new slant, and occasionally even improving on the original. But mostly it's just lazy filmmaking.
It often seems like the industry is playing it safe by capitalizing on the nostalgia and established fan bases of classic films. While this strategy might make financial sense, it does little to inspire or challenge audiences with fresh, original content. The magic of cinema is diluted when stories aren't given the chance to emerge from new perspectives and voices. Moreover, the frequent recycling of ideas suggests a concerning lack of confidence in the innovative potential of modern storytellers.
On the whole, remakes are a pale imitation of the original film. To take just one example, think of the remake of "Psycho." How could you possibly improve on the Hitchcock original, or Anthony Perkins' portrayal of Norman Bates? It really was a pointless exercise.
When studios dedicate so much funding to remakes, there is little left to fund original and innovative filmmaking. Sure, there is a place for popcorn movies, but why can't they at least have an iota of originality, rather than be remakes? It's time to have some new ideas in the cinema.
This is one of the remake trends I find most annoying. Hollywood takes a perfectly good foreign film and turns it into a vastly inferior English-language version. Try watching the originals instead - it's not that difficult to follow subtitles!
Making new versions of existing films reduces the opportunities for new writers. With remakes filling up the market, it's harder for them to get someone to look at their scripts. However, if new ideas are encouraged, it creates chances for new writers with original ideas - and we viewers can see something different!
Doesn't it get tedious seeing yet another version of a much-filmed story appear? There have been so many adaptations of classic novels like Great Expectations, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Most of us will have a favorite among each of them, but I groan when I see that yet another version is coming out!
As movie technology advances, some existing films are remade with better effects. This can work very well, but generally ends up being nothing more than a showcase for CGI. Take King Kong, for example - the 1931 original is by far the best, in spite of the "primitive" effects. And the recent version of Clash of the Titans just couldn't compare to Ray Harryhausen's work on the original.
Okay, movie people. Just because you can make a new version of an older movie doesn't mean that you should. It's lazy, unimaginative and nearly always ends in an inferior piece of work. Start looking for some new ideas and original thinking, please!
Remakes often find an audience among people who haven't seen the original films and don't like old movies. This, presumably, is one reason why studios keep making new versions. Another is that it saves looking for new ideas. Personally I would rather see something new. But what do you think of remakes - do you actually dislike old movies and prefer to see them brought up to date?