Hollywood seems to have embraced the saying that “everything old is new again,” as they begin production on remaking classic movies like Spiderman, Cleopatra and Superman. Some fans worry their favorite movies will be ruined, but others excitedly await the premieres of new takes on their most-loved films.
“I really find pleasure in watching old movies but you can never get too much of superhero remakes,” junior Andjoua McLemore said.
The idea of taking a beloved movie and putting a modern spin on it is not new; ever since there have been movies to remake, Hollywood has done it. However, when movies like King Kong are remade in various ways six different times, the question becomes why the same storylines are done over and over again.
“I think there is a huge lack of creativity found in our generation,” McLemore said. “From movies, to songs, even to the way we dress; everything we do is starting to be a replay.”
Directors, writers, producers and other members of the Hollywood movie business may not show their creativity through developing a new storyline, but creating something fresh and new out of an old plot, and doing it well, takes skill.
“I like how they add new twists in the movies and how modern characters are portrayed in these remixes,” junior Max Uncovsky said.
While some remakes are only popular because of their connection to the originals, some movie enthusiasts see the remade version as holding its own value because the updates reflect the values of a different time period; the 1983 Scarface would have been unacceptably graphic in 1930, when the original was released, but its portrayal of Al Capone and gang violence fit with the culture of the 1980s. Other movies are changed when being remade to better fit social standards ranging from race relations to gender equality.
“Disney fairytales should be remade because the role of women in society has dramatically changed since those movies came out,” junior Nour Sharaf said.
Updating a movie not only helps fans relate to characters, but by taking advantage of improved special effects and technology, directors can produce a realistic and convincing edition. In the case of Superman, set for release in 2012, the remake will be made using current special effects, portraying Clark Kent’s superhuman skills such as flying and crime fighting in a way not possible in 1978.
“Remakes are usually better because the older ones have bad graphics and sounds, and the new ones have pretty cool special effects,” Uncovsky said.
Winnie the Pooh, the classic series of children’s books by A. A. Milne, adapted into a television show and the basis for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, released in 1977, is the subject for an upcoming remake in July. Fans of the originals may cringe at the thought of their favorite childhood bedtime story being changed and adapted, regardless of new social contexts or special effects.
“Winnie the Pooh is a classic children’s story with so much inspiration and merit,” Sharaf said. “I think it wouldn’t be a good idea to remake it because it might lose its value.”
Although remakes can draw large audiences from supporters of the original film, reproducing a classic is risky for Hollywood because the popularity of the first does not ensure the remake to be a hit with critics and movie goers.
“Some movie remakes are successful, but other ones just seem to make the original movie go downhill,” Sharaf said.
