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Willy Wonka scared me in the original and Johnny Depp as him scares me even more. I won't be seeing it.
Posted: 22:04 Jul 24 2005
Charlie and the Remake Factory
The Hollywood Remake Factory has been in full production mode in recent years, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, adaptation of Roald Dahl and remake of the first film Willy Wonka, is the most recent.
Charlie has been prompted not only by profit, but by Roald Dahl's estate's wish that a more faithful adaptation be made. However faithful it is though, it's still a remake, and many (including myself), would rather see an original film. While the film has had some positive reviews and is doing well at the box office, many have questioned the decision to retread familiar ground once again. Hollywood has been remaking films for a while now, but in the last few years there seems to have been a gluttony of them.
The most obvious group of remakes have been horror films. The horror genre has had a resurgence in the last few years, prompting remakes of such classic horror films as Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Ring. The Omen is also being made now. But it's not just horror films. Prominent remakes from other genres include Alfie, The Italian Job, Flight of the Phoenix, The Ladykillers and The Manchurian Candidate.
Some of the films have been good, sure, but I would much rather see those budgets spent on a new properties from writers and directors that have something new to offer. Of course, Hollywood will keep making it's remakes, they're almost always assured of an audience and thus a profit, but i'll be watching out for the original stuff.
(Edited by Maffrew 24/07/2005 13:10)
Charlie has been prompted not only by profit, but by Roald Dahl's estate's wish that a more faithful adaptation be made. However faithful it is though, it's still a remake, and many (including myself), would rather see an original film. While the film has had some positive reviews and is doing well at the box office, many have questioned the decision to retread familiar ground once again. Hollywood has been remaking films for a while now, but in the last few years there seems to have been a gluttony of them.
The most obvious group of remakes have been horror films. The horror genre has had a resurgence in the last few years, prompting remakes of such classic horror films as Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Ring. The Omen is also being made now. But it's not just horror films. Prominent remakes from other genres include Alfie, The Italian Job, Flight of the Phoenix, The Ladykillers and The Manchurian Candidate.
Some of the films have been good, sure, but I would much rather see those budgets spent on a new properties from writers and directors that have something new to offer. Of course, Hollywood will keep making it's remakes, they're almost always assured of an audience and thus a profit, but i'll be watching out for the original stuff.
(Edited by Maffrew 24/07/2005 13:10)
2 Replies and 1902 Views in Total.
Posted: 22:04 Jul 24 2005 
A remake is a film that uses another film as a source, not one that interprets a work from another genre afresh. It's an important difference. Remaking a previous film usually results in a pointless, superficial updating exercise because, as the medium is identical, the scope for new interpretation is limited. Fresh interpretation of another media can go in an entirely different direction. Should all Shakespeare plays or Dickens novels be limited to a single screen adaptation? Of course not, new adaptations can bring an entirely new perspective, and the same must surely go for works with less literary kudos.
Whether Johnny Depp's reincarnation as a mincing goth paedophile should have been made is a different matter.
Whether Johnny Depp's reincarnation as a mincing goth paedophile should have been made is a different matter.
Posted: 22:43 Jul 24 2005