The remake is a much maligned property among film geeks these days. Tommy over at Pluck You Too had a recent post on how to kill remakes; Den of Geek has one along the same lines.
To say the remake is popular amongst studios is an understatement. You can see here (thanks to Tommy for the link) a list of remakes that are underway or have been made.
Both Den of Geek and Tommy make the same point: If there’s a demand, the studios will supply. So if you bitch about remakes, stop going to see them. Easy, right?
Except the average American moviegoer isn’t necessarily a film buff or critic, and that’s why the remake is absurdly popular. I really can’t wrap my mind around it: what is it that a remake brings to the table? It’s the same story, same characters. If you’re looking at something along the lines of The Grudge, it’s a shot-for-shot copy of the original, just in a different language with different actors. What is it about remakes that makes people want to go see them in the first place?
That’s the stumbling block I have in this whole argument. Seeing The Taking of Pelham 123 in theaters with Denzel Washington holds no appeal for me; I’d rather see the original. I’m horrified to learn they’re remaking Total Recall, Red Dawn, and other movies of my childhood simply because there’s nothing wrong with those movies.
What I’m really asking for here is some reader participation in the comments to better understand why people do or don’t see remakes.
Do you, dearest readers, actually see remakes and why? I’m curious to hear your answers. I’ll be using your answers for a future post…
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