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The Day the Earth Stood Still

I love the original. To me, it's one of those seminal classics of science fiction. It should be appreciated, not remade. I really am getting tired of studios just remaking everything the past handful of years now.
 
Sorry, should make it clear I actually like the original.

I just don't want this remake to be a glossy piece of nonsense that wallpapers over everything the original classic stood for.

The original dates back to the height of the Cold War and is unusual in that it doesn't look at the outsider as the threat, instead it sees mankind as a threat to itself. In a time when it would be frowned upon in it's country of origin, it didn't shy away from being critical of militarism irrespective of any particular political ideal. It wasn't about outright support for the US.

It posed moral, political and religious questions.

Robert Wise directed it, he also did the Andromeda Strain and was th editor on Citizen Kane.

It is a gem and I just don't want to see it butchered into meaningless pap.

There are very few details at the moment... I wonder who they are going to cast for the potentially dodgy one.
 
I love the original. To me, it's one of those seminal classics of science fiction. It should be appreciated, not remade. I really am getting tired of studios just remaking everything the past handful of years now.

Amen. I'm glad to know I'm not alone in this.

To remake it in "today's atmosphere" I kind of shudder to think what its ultimate message will be in this remake. Will that kind of a movie make it in our culture now that the cold war is over?
 
Well, there's a simple solution that will solve our problems: don't see it.

Nicholas Cage remade "The Wicker Man." I will never see it. The original's great, why should I?

The remake might very well reduce the power of the original, however... and that would be something of a crime.
 
this is a fucking crime, it is my third favourite sci/fi movie ever, behind empire and metropolis.
 
Robert Wise directed it, he also did the Andromeda Strain and was th editor on Citizen Kane.

Wise also directed Blood on the Moon, Born To Kill, The Desert Rats, ST: The Motion Picture, and West Side Story. He was a fine director, who directed an incredible variety of movies. I too am highly skeptical that The Day The Earth Stood Still would be improved upon. I can only think of one remake that compared favorably to the original. Can anyone name one that was as good or better?





Nicholas Cage remade "The Wicker Man." I will never see it. The original's great, why should I?

I quite agree with you about the original, but I did see the remake. You need never see it. I actually like Nick Cage, but they totally eviscerated that film. Just one example, Willow never does her seduction dance/ritual! But, if you did see it, the original would only rise in your esteem. I'm anxious to watch the original again, to wash the remake out of my mind!
 
I didn't know The Wicker Man had been made before. I'm not going to ever see it, it didn't sound like my kind of thing.

I loved the original "The Haunting" so I'll never see the remake they recently made.

But I can honestly say there is one, quite famous, film at least which had a remake that is really vastly superior to the original. Well two, now that I think of it. But many of you may disagree.

"A Star is Born" with James Mason and Judy Garland is just the perfect rendition of the film I think anyone will ever see. The original is quite good, but not nearly as much of a draw (emotionally) as this one. And the end of this version, I honestly, really felt like I understood James Mason's character, and would have done the same were I in his situation. It's well done from start to finish, in the big and the little details.

Another one many may disagree with me on: "Auntie Mame". I really believe the definitive version is Rosalind Russell's. I know, I know: Lucielle Ball is a brilliant comedian. But man, Rosalind Russell was born and made for that part. :)

Oh, and the story that's like made new every year by somebody: "A Christmas Carol". I just fell in love with Alastair Sim's version. I doubt it's the original version on film. Like I said, it seems a new version comes out every year. :LOL:

So, considering the number of remakes made in the history of movies, I at least could think of three remakes I prefer to other versions. I guess that's.... good. :)
 
I'll have to agree with you on Alstair Sim, but I'm not a musical fan, so can't comment about the others.

But, you really should see the original Wicker Man! I am not particularly a horror fan, I don't care for Rosemary's Baby, even if it is Polanski, and I don't like the Exorcist one bit. But The Wicker man is in a class and category all by itself. It is truly magical, eerie, creepy, and real, all at the same time. Besides that, it stars Galen's dad... :D
 
:LOL: That's an interesting twist. :)

Sure, I'll netflix it some time. I gather there are only two versions, the newest with Nicholas Cage and the one you like?

Thanks for the suggestion. :)
 
"Ocean's 11" IMO was at least as good, if not better than the original.

i'm with you on that, i dug the original but the remake was very well done.

P.S. if anyone says peter jacksons king kong is better than the original (either cut) then they must be fucking high. also he's supposed to be remaking the dambusters (yet another cinematic crime).
 
talking variations on a theme, west side story is an excellent musical take on romeo and juliet, though in my eyes the definitive version would be Zeffirelli's, who has done some amazing Shakespearian movies.
 
Would "West Side Story" count as a "Hollywood" remake though? It's really a modern, musical rewriting of Romeo and Juliet.

I think we were focussed more on films that are remade as the same film, just with a different cast.

But yes, it is a great retelling, reworking or however you want to put it. :)
 
Now, if they ever try to remake "West Side Story..."

(Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet was fantastic except for the duel scene -- it was a perfectly good take on that whole brawl, but in the play Mercutio shows great passion for fighting, and that didn't come out in the Zeffirelli version at all.

The rest was great.)
 
Now, if they ever try to remake "West Side Story..."

(Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet was fantastic except for the duel scene -- it was a perfectly good take on that whole brawl, but in the play Mercutio shows great passion for fighting, and that didn't come out in the Zeffirelli version at all.

The rest was great.)

Best not go too far on this...

If they ever remade the movie "West Side Story", and then someone wrote a play based on the new "West Side Story" movie, what would you call the play? :p
 

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