So I heard about not one but two bad remake ideas today, one from a classic film and one from an old TV show.
First off, Warner Bros. is going to attempt a remake of the classic film The Dirty Dozen. Are you guys insane? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If you feel you must do a remake because you’re creatively bankrupt, do a remake of an obscure movie that wasn’t very good, but find some interesting way to update it. Do NOT attempt to remake a film that was:
A. A bonafide classic.
B. Incredibly awesome.
I can just see them populating this version with a bunch of pretty boys and cliche’d characters.
As they point out on AICN, who today are the “men’s, men” that can possibly compete with Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Telly Savalas, etc.? I dare anyone to come up with a dozen.
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Another brilliant idea is a movie version of the old Gabe Kaplan TV sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter. If you’re not familiar with the show, Kaplan returned to Brooklyn (or was it the Bronx?) as a teacher to give back to his old school and try to bring around a class of high school tough guys. Among the cast was a very young John Travolta, and a cast of characters that were diverse and funny as hell.
Oh, did I mention that Ice Cube (don’t get me started on that “name”) will be in the title role?
I can just imagine how this thing will turn out.
7 Comments
Vic, I was musing about this and wondered if it might just work. If they threw the Oceans treatment at it. Huge, big star cast (as the original) and modernised it with style and bags of cash…you know, it might just work.
Imagine the story updated like Three Kings with the cast of Oceans Eleven? Surely that’s huge entertainment potential?
Vic
Well that is true, but it doesn’t mean it can’t work.
However I think what the problem is really is lack of investment and time in original ideas and allowing talent to pursue those original ideas.
Hollywood has no balls anymore, they are playing the safe option for consistent revenue, not pushing the storytelling to get great films and find big returns. That’s too risky.
The original Ocean’s 11 wasn’t very good; Soderbergh did a better job with it in the remake. That’s the point Vic was trying to make — if you have to do a remake, why remake something that was awesome the first time around? You’re absolutely right about Hollywood being afraid to take risks, though. That’s why remakes have been around for so long, and will be for the foreseeable future.
Brian
You said it Vic.
To my utter dismay I saw on cnn.com today that there is a “Dallas” movie in the works (don’t know if you’ve commented on it before and I just missed it), with John Travolta in the running as J.R. and JLo being offered the part of Sue Ellen. I remember my mother used to watch the show. Is this REALLY something that needs a movie/remake…and what the heck is Travolta thinking?
Dale
A Dallas remake?! Good grief… say it ain’t so.
Brian
Yeah, I read about that one as well. I neglected to mention it above, but I suppose I should have.
Vic
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