WEEKEND THOUGHT: Is Their Really A Need For REBOOTS And REMAKES?

 

 FOR MORE WEEKEND THOUGHTS AND ARTICLES CLICK HERE   I'm sure this is a topic that can be debated about for a very long time. Reboots, remakes and re-imaginings seem to be the order of the day in Hollywood these days and are received with varied success. Rehashing of old ideas is nothing new, from books to art to virtually every single creative act is almost derivative of something else but in the case of movies it's always been under a different title with a different cast and different scenes and then released as thought it were a different movie altogether.   All this stems from the fact that perhaps studios don't want to try new and original ideas and rather stick to what worked with them before. Most original ideas seem to be thrown into the 'independent' category as they may probably be far too risky a gamble for big studio bosses to put out during box office seasons. There are no shortage of original scripts and material so the question is raised yet again, why remake movies that don't need to be retold? Can you imagine if we, heaven forbid, remade movies like The Godfather? That would almost be sacrilegious wouldn't it?!   Now here's the part that would heat up the debate even more, are studios churning out these remakes because we, like fools, still flock to the theatres to see these movies, whether it be out of pure curiosity or sentiment? By supporting these movies, we are sending a message to the movie industry that it's ok to show us new versions of whatever it is we've already seen, who needs originality when we, like sheep, will watch whatever movies are flung at us.   However, whilst admittedly some movies have done pretty well in terms of box office revenue there are those that did not fair as well and sadly the one's I think of both star Colin Farrell, namely Total Recall (2012) and Fright Night (2011).  Both movies featured big name casts and even bigger budgets than was spent on their original counterparts and yet tanked at the box office. We have a new Spider-Man franchise that's hitting theatres currently just barely a Hollywood minute after we got over the original movies and the list goes on and on.   Astoundingly, producer Michael Bay and his associates who have had relative success rebooting a few old horrors have decided to take on the massive attempt of rehashing an old classic, namely Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds! Perhaps throw in some 3D, naked youngsters and a few sex scenes here and there and you would have something that theatre patrons will want to watch as for paying homage to a brilliant film maker such as Hitchcock, forget it. Bay isn't the only one but seems apt as he has made quite a few re-imaginings including the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014).   Allow me to say this, I do love big blockbusters this as much, perhaps more, than the next person and I have seen and actually enjoyed a few of these remakes but  at the end of the day, I really want to see new things, new characters, new stories and I definitely want my intellect to be challenged.   It seems as though for the immediate future we may have to tolerate all these reboots etc until this like most things completes it's cycle or continues as a successful Hollywood fad. For years to come we may have to endure all our beloved classics being reborn, success or failure they're already making the rounds. Whichever way the wind blows, this is something that's here and love it or hate it, it may be here to stay. I will however say this to anybody reading , if John Hughes movies are ever rebooted in any way, shape or form, then I will forever lose faith in Hollywood and all the entertainment it's ever brought me.   WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?