The Relevance of Remakes

Michael Sauffer, B3

Introduction

• Remake: a redone film is based off of a previous film and changed in some way, shape or form.

• Remakes are a hot button topic– Love/Hate– Reasons differ

• Kill originality• Made for money only• Can introduce older films to a newer audience• Updating can make a film’s age show less

The Financial Success of Remakes

• Highest grossing remake: 2010’s Alice in Wonderland ($1,024,299,904 )

• Highest grossing film: 2009’s Avatar ($2,782,275,172 )

• 8 films are remakes on top 100 grossing films of all time list

• Average return: $34,155,453

Public Opinion

• Using the IMDB Top 250– 5 films are remakes:

• The Departed• Scarface• The Thing• The Maltese Falcon• Star Trek

– 11 films have been remade• In most cases the remake is lower rated than the

original– Exception: The Departed (8.5) to Infernal Affairs (8.0)

First Instances of Remakes• Can be found in horror

– Novels such as Frankenstein and Dracula were adapted many, many times

– Often remakes were made to either better the technological aspects/graphic aspects of the film or to stick closer to the source material• Frankenstein

– 1910: Edison’s Frankenstein– 1931: Frankenstein– 1957-1972: Hammer Horror’s

Frankenstein series– 1994: Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein

• Dracula– 1922: Nosferatu– 1931: Dracula– 1958: Horror of Dracula– 1992: Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Invasion of the Body Snatchers• Has been remade 3 times over the past 50 years• Each time new themes are added that modernized the

plot– 1978: leads now health department workers, self-

help scene of the late 70’s is present– 1993: Invasion starts with government releasing

toxins into nature– 2007: Invasion from crashed satellite, not pod

people, only film with a happy ending

The Ring

• Gore Verbenski’s 2002 remake of 1998’s Ringu

• Pacing is different• Plot remains nearly identical, most

changes are in the cultural execution– Urban legend element more evident in

Ringu– In Ringu, ex-husband has ESP– Sprits of previous victims help out

protagonists in Ringu• All this relates to spiritualism which is more

heavily evident in Japanese culture

Disturbia• Remake of “Rear Window”

– Both protagonists are encumbered by something that allows them to stay in only one place

– Both take up casual voyeurism as a way of escaping their environment

– Neighbor is a murderer• Modernized

– Updates the setting to 21st

– Technology plays a crucial role in plot development• Ankle monitor• Cell phones/Cameras

• Humor is more prevalent in Disturbia

Psycho• Gus Van Sant’s 1998 remake • One of the worst remakes of all

time– Updates are unnecessary to plot– Some dialogue changed, some is

not (leads to a few awkward moments)

– Shot for shot– Nothing is honestly changed

• Why not just make the film black and white?

Planet of the Apes• Tim Burton’s 2001 remake of 1968

film• Also regarded as one of the worst

remakes of all time• Changes the tone and point of film

– Tone changed from serious science-fiction thought piece to action packed blockbuster

– Satire of religion within government found in original film no longer present in remake

– Ending changed to a ridiculous and nonsensical twist

The Magnificant Seven

• Remake of Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai”

• Changed setting from rural ancient Japan to the wild west.

• Retained the original theme of motives

• Added a new theme in international intervention

A Fistful of Dollars

• Remake of “Yojimbo”• Also translated from

Japan to the West• Tone of film is more

serious• Hero is not manipulating

events from behind the scenes; motive is different (money vs duty)

• Violence is toned down

The Departed• Won 4 Academy Awards

(including Best Picture)• Remake of “Infernal Affairs”• Basic plot remains same, small

changes present that add complexity– Triad becomes Irish mob– Romantic intrigue created– Additional background for

characters– New character added to clear up

complexity of plot– New twist added to story

So why?

• Several reasons for remakes– New generations– Updating– Improving original film

• Good remakes take the original idea and expand upon it, retaining basic elements, whilst adding details/characters/themes

• Remakes reflect our current world

Picture Sources• Alice in Wonderland 2010 Poster. N.d. Photograph. IMDB• Dracula (from 1958's House of Dracula). N.d. Photograph. whitbyseafishing.com• Dracula 1992. N.d. Photograph. en.wikipedia.orgWeb. 20 May 2012. • Dracula 1931 Poster. N.d. Photograph. en.wikipedia.orgWeb. 20 May 2012. • Nosferatu. N.d. Photograph. moviefone.com• Frankenstein 1931. N.d. Photograph. en.wikipedia.org• Frankenstein 1957. N.d. Photograph. davidlrattigan.com• Frankenstein 1994. N.d. Photograph. classichorror.com• Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1956 Poster. N.d. Photograph. widescreenworld.blogspot.com• IOTBS 1978 Poster. N.d. Photograph. impawards.com• Body Snatchers Poster. N.d. Photograph. IMDB• The Invasion Poster. N.d. Photograph. comingsoon.net• Ringu Poster. N.d. Photograph. ringufan.intelligent-light.com• The Ring Poster. N.d. Photograph. en.wikipedia.org• Disturbia/Rear Window comparison. N.d. Photograph. schwimmerlegal.com• Psycho '98 Poster. N.d. Photograph. en.wikipedia.org• Planet of the Apes 2001 Poster. N.d. Photograph. en.wikipedia.org• Magnificant Seven. N.d. Photograph. tokyoremix.com• Seven Samurai. N.d. Photograph. zombietacgear.com• Yojimbo/AFFOD comparison. N.d. Photograph. quantumpie.com• Infernal Affairs/The Departed comparison. N.d. Photograph. cinematheque.leithermagazine.com