Philosophy Now Forum

Greta wrote:Agreed about remakes. How can they hope to improve on the original? It's akin to a band covering Bohemian Rhapsody. Good luck with that.

Good point. And now that I think of it, I can't think of one remake that was actually BETTER than the original. Can you?

Talking about films with a shit remake...
oldboy opening the box scene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsWH70Tiqwk

Immanuel Can wrote:

Greta wrote:Agreed about remakes. How can they hope to improve on the original? It's akin to a band covering Bohemian Rhapsody. Good luck with that.

Good point. And now that I think of it, I can't think of one remake that was actually BETTER than the original. Can you?

I thought the new King Kong was better overall, although the end was too sad. Can't think of too many others off the top of my head.

Musically, anyone who covers a Bob Dylan tune is more than likely to be making an improvement, as Jimi Hendrix noticed very early

Greta wrote:

Immanuel Can wrote:

Greta wrote:Agreed about remakes. How can they hope to improve on the original? It's akin to a band covering Bohemian Rhapsody. Good luck with that.

Good point. And now that I think of it, I can't think of one remake that was actually BETTER than the original. Can you?

I thought the new King Kong was better overall, although the end was too sad. Can't think of too many others off the top of my head.

Musically, anyone who covers a Bob Dylan tune is more than likely to be making an improvement, as Jimi Hendrix noticed very early

I think often remakes tend to be better.
Lord of the Rings
Planet of the Apes
The Thing
Cape Fear
There are notable exceptions.
Some films are characterised by worse and better versions, such as Frankenstein.

I don't see any point in 'remakes'. A film is a film. You might as well 're-write' famous novels.
Most abhorrent 'remake': 'The Wicker Man'. It's so awful that it comes across as some sort of comic parody. Nicholas Cage seemed to spend the whole film punching women in the face. The Edward Woodward character in the original was chosen because of his gentle piety.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6i2WRreARo

Speaking of song remakes, somebody shared this one with me yesterday, Greta. You might find it interesting, as far as "remakes" go. Quite a different mood from the original, I think you'll find...always a risk. Do you think this was a good one or a bad one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Dg-g7t2l4

Immanuel Can wrote:Speaking of song remakes, somebody shared this one with me yesterday, Greta. You might find it interesting, as far as "remakes" go. Quite a different mood from the original, I think you'll find...always a risk. Do you think this was a good one or a bad one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Dg-g7t2l4

Love it. I wasn't expecting to. But it's not called 'remakes' when it's songs. They are 'covers'.

vegetariantaxidermy wrote: Love it. I wasn't expecting to. But it's not called 'remakes' when it's songs. They are 'covers'.

Glad you like it. Yes, it shocked me too. I like it, but I've been trying to decide if he got it quite right...I haven't decided yet. In any case, there's no denying it's certainly got something the original has not got, and something that seems to me to argue for a value in redoing old songs...even classics like this one.

And yes, "covers" are "remakes" of songs. "Potato-potahto," as they say.

Immanuel Can wrote:

vegetariantaxidermy wrote: Love it. I wasn't expecting to. But it's not called 'remakes' when it's songs. They are 'covers'.

Glad you like it. Yes, it shocked me too. I like it, but I've been trying to decide if he got it quite right...I haven't decided yet. In any case, there's no denying it's certainly got something the original has not got, and something that seems to me to argue for a value in redoing old songs...even classics like this one.

And yes, "covers" are "remakes" of songs. "Potato-potahto," as they say.

I think they should have used the iconic riff at the beginning though.

Connor McCloud of the Clan McCloud.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0fawc73Hy8

- Can you walk?
- I’ll bloody well walk out of here!

Beautiful fade to Mona Lisa.

vegetariantaxidermy wrote:I don't see any point in 'remakes'. A film is a film. You might as well 're-write' famous novels.
Most abhorrent 'remake': 'The Wicker Man'. It's so awful that it comes across as some sort of comic parody. Nicholas Cage seemed to spend the whole film punching women in the face. The Edward Woodward character in the original was chosen because of his gentle piety.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6i2WRreARo

I think there was a great point to the remakes I listed above, mostly due to massive improvements in effects technology.

Hobbes' Choice wrote:

vegetariantaxidermy wrote:I don't see any point in 'remakes'. A film is a film. You might as well 're-write' famous novels.
Most abhorrent 'remake': 'The Wicker Man'. It's so awful that it comes across as some sort of comic parody. Nicholas Cage seemed to spend the whole film punching women in the face. The Edward Woodward character in the original was chosen because of his gentle piety.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6i2WRreARo

I think there was a great point to the remakes I listed above, mostly due to massive improvements in effects technology.

'Lord of the Rings' is a remake?
I have to disagree about Planet of the Apes. I thought the remake was rubbish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YyBtMxZgQs
Indiana Jones XD.

vegetariantaxidermy wrote:

Hobbes' Choice wrote:

vegetariantaxidermy wrote:I don't see any point in 'remakes'. A film is a film. You might as well 're-write' famous novels.
Most abhorrent 'remake': 'The Wicker Man'. It's so awful that it comes across as some sort of comic parody. Nicholas Cage seemed to spend the whole film punching women in the face. The Edward Woodward character in the original was chosen because of his gentle piety.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6i2WRreARo

I think there was a great point to the remakes I listed above, mostly due to massive improvements in effects technology.

'Lord of the Rings' is a remake?
I have to disagree about Planet of the Apes. I thought the remake was rubbish.

The first LOTRs was bloody dreadful. So much so that it did not get to the sequels.


I'm not talking about The 2001 Mark Wahlberg version (though I loved Tim Roth in that) but the last two efforts, which are true remakes.

None of the films thus far have respected the book, so any remake can be viewed with its own merits such as they are.

TSBU wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YyBtMxZgQs
Indiana Jones XD.

In the sequel a similar scene is acted but his gun is empty.