Comments that which don't warrant a thread

[Jingus 0]

Now that's a remake I wouldn't mind seeing: Running Man. Man, I could fantasy cast the shit out of that...

I don't think there really has been a definitive Celebrity Deathmatch type of movie, has there? Lord knows there have been enough attempts at it, from the various old Most Dangerous Game pictures to The Condemned. The original Running Man was kinda goofy and suffered from some weird plot decisions, though the potential was definitely there.

 

And I actually don't consider the remake of The Ring to be better than the original, in fact not even close, though I do like.

Part of that may be bias on my part, but I did think The Ring was a big improvement on Ringu. It got rid of the stupid subplot about the dad being psychic, and added some more creepy backstory about the little girl, plus it was just generally a more slick and polished production. Admittedly I did see the American version first, and the fact that it actually scared the shit out of me (an incredibly rare thing for any horror movie, period) might have led me to expect more than was fair from the original Japanese version.

 

About the only remake that was better than the original (aside from remakes of silent era films and such) is Rob Zombie's Halloween, but save your breath, we've had that discussion before.

Actually I don't think we have, not with me anyway. Interesting opinion. I did think that the original Halloween was always a bit overrated by people who put it up there with stuff like Psycho, Alien, Texas Chainsaw, Jaws, or whatever when talking about the best horror flicks ever. Hell, it's not even my favorite movie Carpenter has made, I'd put The Thing ahead of it for sure, and a couple others might be debatable. And I did think that Zombie's remake has received unfairly harsh treatment from some quarters, even though I don't think that his final product quite matched his ambition. Why did you like it so much? Because of the scenes with the little kid version of Michael? I did admire that part, though once it got to the masked adult version it felt like Zombie kinda lost his nerve for retconning and mostly just stayed faithful to the original version.

 

Even if they are inferior, which they usually are, it doesn't particularly bother me. I mean... we're not sacrificing anything in any real tangible way here.

I understand where you're coming from, if they didn't spend that money on this stupid remake, they'd probably just spend it on an equally stupid original picture. And it usually at least guarantees that the original movie is re-released in a nice special edition on DVD. But I always have this kneejerk emotional reflex whenever anyone takes a franchise which I used to like and makes a crappy new version of it. As previously implied, if I ever happen to find myself standing at Paul W.S. Anderson's grave, I might seriously consider relieving my bladder upon it for the crappy, crappy movies he's made from various original sources which I greatly cherished.

[Nighthawk 0]

Why did you like it so much? Because of the scenes with the little kid version of Michael?

 

That's a lot of it. Those scenes were pretty bitch, and felt fairly real, even reminding me of my own childhood a little [of particular note is I've heard several people complain that there was too much cursing... that's really how people fucking talk!]. I thought Sherri Moon did a great job, and I don't think much of her as an actress (or I should say, didn't before that.) I think Loomis came off better. While I like Donald Pleasance, I think Malcolm McDowell is well, maybe a bit better, more charismatic. He had more to work with at the very least.

 

Now the concept of Michael as this unstoppable killing machine, I never thought that rang true, and I think the Zombie version really hit that well. They show him being described as such by his doctor, complete with shitty/in poor taste paperback, yet as we see him as a child, we can easily understand and sympathize with him. This comes back later with Loomis sort of being forced to confront his failure.

 

There were also just a lot of personal touches of stuff I liked, ie the douchebag guards at the sanitarium, "I'm Joe Grizzley, bitch!", stripping to "Love Hurts" although I know that wasn't source music, and I found a lot of the cast more appealing. There were lots of people I'm a fan of in cameos, such as Udo Kier, Clint Howard, Bill Moseley, Danny Trejo et all.

 

Anyway, the silent killer stuff is kind of a wash, and then I loved the ending to death. That's what I like to call the "crazy forever" ending, that being; you just don't come back from that, you're crazy forever. Exemplified by The Mist from the same year, and the original TCM.

 

So yeah, good film on it's own merits, struck a more personal chord with me.

[Epic Reine 0]

My thing against remakes is that Hollywood doesn't even try and just remakes movies that are only a decade or two old tops. A lot of the originals are still fresh in our minds, why do they wanna ruin that? I don't mind them taking an obscure movie or a movie that was made during a completley different period of filmmaking (The Thing, Willard, The Fly etc.) and bringing it into the mainstream but something like the Rocky Horror Picture Show? That movie is a favorite to millions, why does anyone wanna remake that and ruin the classic in people's minds?

 

I remember hearing rumors a few years ago about a Taxi Driver remake (with Ewan McGregor as Bickle). C'mon, SERIOUSLY, TAXI DRIVER?

[Nighthawk 0]

Hm, yeah, that reminds me, a lot of remakes I consider good are really unfair to compare to the original, so I don't. The Fly is a good example. To quote Pickles: "That's... that's different thing!" Both good, though.

[bob_barron 0]

I'm so excited for Death Race. Statham is awesome, and the fact that they somehow got Joan Allen......is something.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Statham is turning into one of my favorite actors. He's had a string of good movies (I dont have any desire to see Dungeon Siege so I dont know about that) with Revolver, Chaos, Crank, War and the Bank Job, and Im looking forward to the Brazilian Job, Crank 2 and Transporter 3 as well.

 

Im not sure about Death Race though.

[Angle-plex 0]

When does The Dark Knight remake come out?

[King Kamala 0]

Milky, you don't know how right you are regarding a Running Man remake. Have you read the original Stephen King (or Richard Bachman in this case) novel? Way darker and way less cartoony. Actually, it's more or less an entirely different and much better story. Although the track record for King adaptations is spotty at best but I'd love to see a faithful adaptation of the book. Though I doubt they could do the same ending as the book in these PC times. Don't get me wrong I love the Arnold movie but a Running Man remake is high on the list of movies I want to see.

 

Another movie I really want to see remade is They Live. Now that's the perfect type of movie to be remade. It's an OK movie with a few cool scenes that's sort of outdated but has a really cool plot.

[Guest Smues]

I used to be a fan of remakes, and then Tim Burton went and sodomized Planet of the Apes. That pretty much killed my interest in remakes dead with no hope of resurrection. I was so damn excited for that remake too.

[Nighthawk 0]

I have read the Bachman novel. I'm a pretty hardcore Steve King fan, I read everything he does, but I kind of fell off after he got run over, except for Cell and I still need to finish the Dark Tower. But yeah.

[Ketamine Disaster 0]

You read "Everything's Eventual"?

[King Kamala 0]

I have read the Bachman novel. I'm a pretty hardcore Steve King fan, I read everything he does, but I kind of fell off after he got run over, except for Cell and I still need to finish the Dark Tower. But yeah.

 

Oddly enough, The Bachman Books is one of the few King books I've read. That and his one on writing are probably my favorites. He visited my high school during my junior year . Unfortunately, they ended the Q&A session before I got to ask him about his guest appearance on The Simpsons. Ah well, Maine's a small state. Maybe I'll see him again one day.

 

Speaking of King adaptations, The Stand is another one that's begging to remade. I like the original mini-series well enough but it really begs to be a ten part HBO or Showtime series.

[Nighthawk 0]

Yes, I read "Everything's Eventual"... well, actually, I listened to the audio book.

 

 

But yeah, Stephen King has this bizarre attachment to mini-series, and his film adaptations are not that good, lots of his shit could get remade.

 

My favorite book of his is IT. Unfilmable, but they could do better than what they had... except for Tim Curry, he was spot on perfect. Salem's Lot was an ok tv one.

 

The Shining is obviously the best, it's better than the book, and it's a good book. I also like Pet Semetary a lot, it's pretty ugly.

[Ravenbomb 0]

I really like the Stand mini-series.

[randomguy 0]

The Asian remakes are bit different in that at least there is some reason to remake them in that many people wouldn't like subtitles or dubbing and have an aversion to foreign film. (Although personally I love subbed foreign films)

 

I hear that "The Thing" is being remade as is "Escape from New York." Maybe every Carpenter movie will be remade eventually. I hear Stratham was supposed to be the main character in Ghosts of Mars and the studio forced in Ice Cube, maybe he could play that role in a remake...

 

I don't understand the logic behind some remakes. To me it makes sense to either remake something in a new way or to fix some major flaws in the original. For example "The Thing" is a "remake" of the 1951 "The Thing From Another World" but it's actually based much more on the short story. (Which I just read the other night) It doesn't have much to do with the movie other than the basic setting, and it's far more faithful to the story which is a great reason to remake it. Now "Children of the Damned" had nothing new to say and it showed. It was just pointless. So a remake of "Running Man" that is closer to the source material could be cool, a remake of it that followed the same formula would be pointless.

 

I think Halloween the original is a great movie but after 20 years of copycat flicks it can be hard to appreciate. You have to remember that when it came out it was something different. I guess whether you want a Michael backstory is a matter of preference, personally I like movies that don't feel the need to introduce the characters and give them origins. I don't need a real explanation for why Michael is fucked up. Also I would point out that the first Halloween is excellently constructed and shot, especially given the budget.

 

This Death Race seems like it's just a generic, Hollywoodized version of the original that ditches what made the original interesting.

[Jingus 0]

I don't understand the logic behind some remakes. To me it makes sense to either remake something in a new way or to fix some major flaws in the original. For example "The Thing" is a "remake" of the 1951 "The Thing From Another World" but it's actually based much more on the short story. (Which I just read the other night) It doesn't have much to do with the movie other than the basic setting, and it's far more faithful to the story which is a great reason to remake it. Now "Children of the Damned" had nothing new to say and it showed. It was just pointless. So a remake of "Running Man" that is closer to the source material could be cool, a remake of it that followed the same formula would be pointless.

That's one problem, when a remake just repeats the original movie and doesn't even try to do anything different. Of course Gus Van Sant's Psycho is the poster child of this, but a few other remakes have done similar crap, The Omen for example. What's the point of even remaking it then, if you're going to literally make the exact same movie over again?

[Black Lushus 0]

I'm so excited for Death Race. Statham is awesome, and the fact that they somehow got Joan Allen......is something.

 

 

AND Ian McShane...what in the world?

 

I have no problem with Ewan McGregor remaking Taxi Driver...I also have a man-crush on Ewan so my opinion may be biased.

[King Kamala 0]

Eh...Ian McShane was in Hot Rod so it doesn't surprise me too much that he's in it.. Now I kind of liked Hot Rod but I would just expect him to above that kind of movie.

[PUT THAT DICK IN MY MOUTH! 0]

I think a Taxi Driver remake directed by somebody like Michael Bay would be pretty sweet.

[Black Lushus 0]

hey I tolerated The Island simply because of Ewan AND Scarlet Jo!

[Ravenbomb 0]

I'm so excited for Death Race. Statham is awesome, and the fact that they somehow got Joan Allen......is something.

 

 

AND Ian McShane...what in the world?

 

I have no problem with Ewan McGregor remaking Taxi Driver...I also have a man-crush on Ewan so my opinion may be biased.

 

 

I think a Taxi Driver remake directed by somebody like Michael Bay would be pretty sweet.

 

 

...they're remaking Taxi Driver?

[Guest Smues]

I'm not a huge King fan, but I did love the made for TV Langoliers movie. It doesn't need a remake, but it could sure use some updated CGI, as the Langoliers themselves looked beyond terrible and fake.

[Black Lushus 0]

I think IT would make for a great theater released flick with a nice sized budget behind it...you could even Kill Bill it and make one long movie split up over two parts representing the kid's story and the adult's story individually. Maybe stick a tad closer to the original story and don't forget important things like Bev fucking all the guys before they face IT.

[Boon 0]

hey I tolerated The Island simply because of Ewan AND Scarlet Jo!

Hear hear.

[Black Lushus 0]

I think IT would make for a great theater released flick with a nice sized budget behind it...you could even Kill Bill it and make one long movie split up over two parts representing the kid's story and the adult's story individually. Maybe stick a tad closer to the original story and don't forget important things like Bev fucking all the guys before they face IT.

 

 

and alas, upon reading Wiki, SciFi is doing a 4 hour remake...come on, that story deserves the big screen treatment!

[King Kamala 0]

Oh no. Sci Fi Original nine times out of ten equals suck. Though they usually spring more for their mini-series. At least they can be relied on for some good unintentional comedy.

[WCS 0]

Crank 2

Didn't he die in that one? How the heck are they going to do a sequel?

[Jingus 0]

Didn't he die in that one? How the heck are they going to do a sequel?

Apparently he's just the toughest sonofabitch on the planet and miraculously survived both the poison and the fall. Do remember that the last shot of the movie was him blinking into the camera after he'd landed, so they did at least hint he might still be alive.

[cabbageboy 0]

Does it sound odd that Jason Statham is also one of my favorite actors at the moment, yet I can't recall ever seeing a single one of his movies at the theater. It's like his stuff is all best enjoyed as either a DVD purchase or rental.

 

I wish he was in the new Guy Ritchie movie, but Gerard Butler is in it instead (not that that is a bad thing). Butler and Statham....how about a teaming of those guys?

[Jingus 0]

It's funny how playing pretty generic tough guy Leonidas has somehow turned Gerard Butler into so many people's new favorite actor, when that's like the only worthwhile thing on his resume. Does no one else remember how bad he sucked as both Dracula and the Phantom of the Opera? Plus he was in a Lara Croft movie AND that lousy "Matthew McCouneghy fights dragons" flick.