Remakes and sequels: how much is too much?

steelgull542 said:🤷 I didn't say they were bringing anything closer; I just meant they SHOW older films to a new generation by using modern effects.

My bad. I assumed you were using "showing" as a synonym for "making them more accessible," because I honestly can't wrap my head around how filming a remake counts as showing an old movie. Maybe I'm just misinterpreting your use of the word "🤷

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what we call it; the point remains the same.

Raimi's work... prequels and all that... they feel like a "necessary evil" to introduce older films to younger generations using modern effects. Most of them fall short of the originals, though there are some just as good or even better... but I suppose that's mostly subjective. Remakes will keep happening as long as people are watching; after all, there's a sucker born every minute.

The new The Thing is, in my opinion, a completely unnecessary movie. I watched it just for the sake of it and felt it was a waste of time, whereas I consider the original one of the best horror films ever made... though I'm sure someone feels the exact opposite.

I agree regarding Tarantino; remaking him would be foolish, and hopefully, no one ever thinks to try it. But in 10 or 20 years, who knows? Maybe we'll end up watching Reservoir Dogs 3D. 😂

As for sequels, they mostly seem designed for a quick buck. In my experience, the quality of most trilogies drops with every new installment (with exceptions like Lord of the Rings), not to mention movies with five or more entries, like Saw.

Everything else is fine by me—I don't have to watch a remake if I'm not interested. However, I can't stand it when Americans make a remake of every single horror film produced outside the US, presumably so the public doesn't have to strain their eyes reading subtitles. For instance, with Rec and Quarantine, I went to see the latter without realizing it was a remake of the first, and I ended up feeling 😲 disappointed.

I find myself increasingly frustrated by this current era of the remake. It truly feels like they’ve overstepped the mark at this point. However, when I pause to reflect, I have to ask myself—who is actually driving this trend? It is being churned out on a massive scale by Americans and Hollywood. But is Hollywood the entire world? Certainly not. In fact, the world isn't suffering from a lack of originality. A significant portion of these remakes are actually based on films originating from Europe or Asia, which leads me to a realization... the core issue is that we have become so capitalistically dependent on the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. We simply aren't accustomed, as a mass audience, to watching films from other parts of the globe—the very films that Hollywood copies to justify spending enormous amounts of money. To me, Hollywood is essentially McDonald's. It’s fast, cheap, processed food that leaves you feeling slightly ill afterward, yet for whatever reason, you keep consuming it. Whether it is habit, propaganda, or just pure hyper-pathos, I can't quite say. Even though there are likely hundreds of small, local bistros all over the country offering something much more refined, unique, exotic, and genuinely better.

The real thing is that when you've got a franchise running in these massive, iconic universes, it’s such a waste to just box them in with a handful of movies. I mean, seriously, what Star Wars fan doesn't want to see more action in that universe? You can never have enough power or Jedi. It's the exact same vibe as Interstellar or Hogwarts—you just always want more.😁

neonsurfer6 said:My bad. I assumed you were using "showing" as a synonym for "making them more accessible," because I honestly can't wrap my head around how filming a remake counts as showing an old movie. Maybe I'm just misinterpreting your use of the word "🤷

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what we call it; the point remains the same.

They essentially present it in a format today's kids are used to, since most aren't interested in films without a mountain of special effects—as you mentioned, they just don't care for older movies anymore. It's basically taking a film that audiences loved, say, 20 years ago, and selling it all over again with different packaging.

But since we're making the same point anyway,

Jessica Gonzalez said:I wonder why we assume that counts as progress? Sure, technology has moved forward, but I guess we can only call it progress if it actually makes movies better. People always point to digital recording, CGI, and 3D as the big leaps. To me, it feels a bit like a trick being sold to generations raised on video games—it's the same tactic used in gaming, really. I think people had just as much fun playing 2D games back on the old Super Nintendo or Game Boy.

I think you misunderstood my point. What I meant was—technology will advance in the exact way you described—by using effects to camouflage mediocre movies; so, it’s "progress" only in quotes. Of course, films like Harry Potter will look better with newer, bigger, more advanced effects down the road. But for me? I prefer films driven by atmosphere and well-developed characters—the kind of movies where flashy effects aren't even necessary.

Jeremy Kim57 said:He truly is that talented and original, without any hyperbole 🙂 I don't think remakes are inherently pointless. For instance, in twenty years, we might see a remake of something like Harry Potter or Twilight simply because technology will have advanced so much. But Tarantino's films aren't built on tech—they rely on atmosphere and characters that drive the story forward. So, why would anyone bother remaking him? It seems nearly impossible. What would you even remake in Pulp Fiction? New dialogue? 🤷

Look, even Godard's classic Breathless doesn't lean on technology; it's all about that unique stylistic expression—yet some hacks still turned it into garbage with Richard Gere. Or look at Dean Siegel's Body Snatchers... there are endless examples. Tarantino isn't some special case here—forget about anyone's specific "status"... crappy Hollywood studios just do whatever they want...

Karen Smith9 said:Look, even Godard's classic Breathless doesn't lean on technology; it's all about that unique stylistic expression—yet some hacks still turned it into garbage with Richard Gere. Or look at Dean Siegel's Body Snatchers... there are endless examples. Tarantino isn't some special case here—forget about anyone's specific "status"... crappy Hollywood studios just do whatever they want...

The remake of Godard's little film isn't garbage at all, and honestly, neither is Kaufman's Body Snatchers.

wiredbison82 said:The remake of Godard's little film isn't garbage at all, and honestly, neither is Kaufman's Body Snatchers.

Oh, the Godard film is definitely garbage... though I guess Kaufman holds his own... he kind of ruined things later on, even if Ferrara was actually decent.

I haven't sat down with anything by Ferrara yet, though I’d say Kaufman's work is quite impressive.

"The Last House on the Left," this American flick, actually holds a certain charm for me. It isn't trying to be some grand epic—it knows what it is—but if you look past the sinister undertones of how it reimagines Godard's classic, it’s a rather underrated piece of cinema.

Now that we've finally gotten Star Wars: Ep VII and that new Conan sequel starring Arnie, I honestly think it’s high time they filmed Godfather IV with Andy Garcia playing the aging Don.😁

I’ve always had a soft spot for prequels and sequels, though strictly when we're talking about trilogies... I just can't get into long-running series with more than three installments, unless they're structured as two distinct trilogies, like Star Wars, or maybe the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit combo...
Remakes are just mindless to me...
Take The Day the Earth Stood Still, for instance... there was absolutely no reason to churn out a stupid remake when we already have one of the greatest Sci-Fi films ever made...

Reboots, on the other hand, are a mixed bag with their own pros and cons...
I mean, look at how Marvel keeps trying to reboot Mortal Kombat, Judge Dredd, or Spider-Man...
But then again, I actually am glad that DC's Superman is finally getting a reboot...

Just look at Batman as an example...
Think about how many villains exist, yet how few we've actually seen on screen... some, like the Riddler, haven't even been given a proper spotlight...
It's obvious we'll see a new Batman film in the next couple of years, though I'm skeptical it'll ever come close to Nolan's work...

In my opinion, remakes are easily some of the most distasteful things happening in the film industry today...

What else is there to say besides 🤦

There's a remake of "Das Boot" in the works,

Honestly, this whole debate is kind of pointless. Remakes have always been around, and they always will be, right? It’s like people are acting all shocked lately, as if remakes just suddenly started popping up five or six years ago like it was some brand-new phenomenon. It's definitely not new.

Personally, I actually dig remakes. Every once in a while, I'll find one that's genuinely better than the original—though I know that’s super rare and usually the original takes the cake for me.
But seriously, there are times when it works! For me, Scarface is a better remake, The Last House on the Left is a better remake, and even the version of The Thing is better...

I was just sitting there last night, watching L.A. Takedown 1989 on a whim...
What if they hadn't gone ahead and made that Heat 1995 remake?
Honestly, cinematic art would be much better off for it...

Remakes have always been a thing, but lately, it feels like every single headline I scroll past is announcing yet another one being cooked up.
I recently read that they’re planning to recycle
The Crow, It’s pretty obvious they’ve run out of original ideas, but honestly? I know I’ll probably end up watching them anyway.

Go to hell.

Short and sweet... I'm against it!
If they really have to do it, let's talk a minimum of 30 years... though 50 would be better.
I mean, look at how long it takes when Americans copy Asians, or vice versa, or anyone else for that matter—usually about 15 years.

Just my two cents.☕

So they're making a remake... of some movie from like 30 years ago? Seriously? Like Spider-Man... how many times can we do this? Now they're coming for Batman too... give me a break. Hollywood has become a total dumpster fire. It's incredibly rare for them to put out anything actually good anymore. Most of these directors are complete garbage.

Look, I’m obviously no fan of the whole remake craze, but I’d love to see a fresh "Back to the Future" just for the sake of it... even if nobody could ever truly replace Fox or Lloyd.🙏