Thursday 9 March 2017

Thursday Movie Picks #139: Remakes/Sequels/Reboots (of a movie that hasn't got one) You Want to See

A new Thursday Movie picks, and this week it’s movies ripe for a reboot, remake or sequel. Make sure to visit - http://wanderingthroughtheshelves.blogspot.co.uk/


Here me out before you chastise me, let’s face it loads has changed since the 1980s. We have smart phones, internet, online bullying where public humiliation can be spread around the school faster than ever before. Could be used to see what's changed over the course of 30 years. Also I don’t think weekend detentions are a thing anymore plus its chance to improve that rubbish ending where Allison's individuality was completely removed.
I think it’ll be a pretty good idea if filmmakers were to modernise some of Edgar Allen Poe’s novels, some won’t work well as a single film but the likes of The Pit and Pendulum (made in the 60s by Hammer Horror) could work with the modern gore effects.


David Lynch didn’t really get his own way when adapting Frank Hebert’s novel. There have been a few attempts, but many of them have fallen in development hell, perhaps it’s worth giving it another crack? And this time the studio can leave the filmmaking to the filmmakers

16 comments:

  1. Interesting choices. I can see the point of an update on The Breakfast Club, you're right SO much has changed since then, but they'd have to get the mix of personalities right as this did. I agree that it was a copout to remove all of Allison's quirks.

    I'm not one for gore so a remake of Pit & the Pendulum won't be on my to see list...plus no Vincent Price? That takes away half the fun.

    With the memory of just how abysmal the original Dune was (headache inducingly awful) it would take quite a bit to induce me to see a remake but the material could surely have been better served.

    This was a fun challenge and also fun to see what everyone came up with that they wanted to see reworked, extended etc. Since we had multiple choice on the theme I went with the remake & sequel options.

    Sequel first:

    The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)-Sequels are tricky affairs usually a lesser shadow of the original but occasionally as with Aliens it works out well so I’m usually hopeful. Man from U.N.C.L.E. was a stylish, fast paced affair with a terrific vintage look and relaxed, enjoyable performances from the three leads and Hugh Grant as their wry boss. It didn’t perform as well as expected so this probably won’t happen which is too bad since it was a more realistic adventure with less reliance on CGI than most current actioners.

    And two remakes:

    I’m not much for remakes of classics, what’s the point? You can’t improve on perfection so unless a new perspective or element can be added leave well enough alone. My first is an example of adding a different element. However sometimes a good idea receives faulty execution, occasionally even the best filmmakers stumble and then I say have at it. That would be my second.

    8 Women (2002)-This French musical mystery farce is a one of a kind concoction, wonderfully entertaining with a cast full of the best feminine Gallic cast of the day (Catherine Deneuve, Fanny Ardant and Isabelle Huppert among them). It would have been hard for it to turn out better. But since women’s films and musicals are thin on the ground despite the abundance of talent available an American remake would be great to see especially since the cast runs across all adult age brackets, hell it even has a custom made role for Angela Lansbury as the matriarch.

    Topaz (1969)-Every great director has a lemon in their filmography, this exercise in boredom is Alfred Hitchcock’s. Sluggish to the point of ennui and indifferently acted it was difficult to get through even once. The thing is the basic story, a Russian agent defects and during his interview tells of another supposedly friendly country’s spy ring that is selling high risk secrets to the highest bidder, is a good one and has great potential to be made into an excellent film. If the studios feel the need to remake the Master’s work than start with this fumble and not one of his successes.

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    1. Yeah. I always found Hitchcocks later works, like Topaz, to be his weakers film. Certainly worth a remake.

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  2. We match! I picked The Breakfast club also but I went for a sequel of where they are now. I so agree about the copout and liked the character much better the way she was before. I just can't imagine The Pit and The Pendulum without Vincent Price plus they would make it too gory now, I think and take away from the story for me. I have not seen Dune because I know it sucked. A reboot might be. Good thing

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    1. I think the 30 years on thing would interesting regarding The Breakfast Club

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  3. Whoa! I picked The Breakfast Club, too! But I wanted to see a sequel/reunion of it. We need to see how the clubs survive the following weeks or years, right?

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    1. Grat minds think alike, but yeah. We do need to see how they did.

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  4. Denis Villeneveue is actually working on a new Dune movie :)

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  5. I'm interested to see what Denis Villenevue does with Dune. I haven't read it or seen any adaptation but I want it for the Dune fans lol.

    I like your idea of updating movies based on Poe's work. That's brilliant.

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    1. Poe's stories are so influential they deserve to been seen by a new audience

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  6. I'm happy with the Breakfast Club the way it is.

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  7. I picked Ferris Bueller for the same reasons you chose The Breakfast Club. :)

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    1. Yep. Things change. We interesting to see how

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  8. I definitely want to see Dune get the treatment it deserves as I hope Denis Villeneuve would create something cool but.... it just won't be as good as what Alejandro Jodorowsky was going to do with his take on the film.

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  9. Yes to The Breakfast Club for the points you made. Also let's not have all of them pair up.

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