Movie remakes that are better than the originals

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Are there any?

― always the traffic, always the lights, Wednesday, 8 June 2005 09:06 (twenty years ago)

The second Maltese Falcon. I don't know what separates a remake from a new movie taken from the same text as an old one, though.

― Jetlag Willy (noodle vague), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 09:22 (twenty years ago)

'the manchurian candidate'

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 8 June 2005 11:46 (twenty years ago)

Surely you jest! Do you prefer the 80s remake of Breathless?

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 11:52 (twenty years ago)

Imitation of Life

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 11:55 (twenty years ago)

Does High Society count?

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 11:57 (twenty years ago)

There's an obvious actual improvement, but I can't remember it.

I'm willing to listen to arguments about The Magnificent Seven, though I don't personally agree.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 12:03 (twenty years ago)

enrique otm.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 12:04 (twenty years ago)

Oh, it's Ocean's Eleven.

Some people also preferred the new Solaris, though I never saw either of them.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 12:06 (twenty years ago)

I must watch Bob Le Flambeur, but The Good Thief is a hell of a film.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 12:06 (twenty years ago)

Happiness of the Katakuris, though the original is fine too.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 12:08 (twenty years ago)

Also, Gion Festival Music, which is Mizoguchi's remake of his own Sisters of Gion. I like the original too, still.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 12:11 (twenty years ago)

Reservoir Dogs :)

Tuomas just reminded me: The first 15 minutes of Evil Dead II

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 12:12 (twenty years ago)

"High Society" would count 'though i disagree.

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 12:13 (twenty years ago)

The Man Who Knew Too Much .. Maybe the '56 version is just more watchable quality-wise...

― geyser muffler and a quarter (Dave225), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 12:16 (twenty years ago)

I wouldn't say it's better, but I enjoyed You've Got Mail just as much as the original Shop Around the Corner.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 12:17 (twenty years ago)

I second the nods to "The Maltese Falcon," and "The Man Who Knew Too Much." How 'bout "Floating Weeds"?

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 12:20 (twenty years ago)

I know I'm insane for this but in some ways I prefer Loser to The Apartment.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 12:23 (twenty years ago)

What was the original of "Happiness of the Katakuris", Tuomas?

"Man Who Knew Too Much" is prob'ly right, tho 30s Hitchcock has its own pleasures and I love them as much as any of his later stuff.

No way on "Manchurian Candidate" or "Solaris" - I seem to remember George Clooney saying he was influenced by the book, not Tarkovsky, but I've got a huge crush on the dour Russian.

I think Evil Dead II is just a remake with a bigger budget, more cartoony and fun.

Has anybody seen any of the B&W original epics de Mille made? How do they stand up against his remakes?

― Jetlag Willy (noodle vague), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 12:50 (twenty years ago)

I know I'm insane for this but in some ways I prefer Loser to The Apartment.

That's not just insanity, that's pure craziness.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 12:55 (twenty years ago)

Is Desperado really just a remake of El Mariachi?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

I'm willing to listen to arguments about The Magnificent Seven, though I don't personally agree.

Battle Beyond the Stars!

No? Alright then.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

Cyrano De Bergerac . But really the same problem as The Maltese Falcon that Jetlag Willy metioned above.

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 12:57 (twenty years ago)

Here's a list of "remakes"
http://www-db.stanford.edu/pub/movies/remakes.html
although a lot of them are just retellings of classic stories or adaptations of the same book or movies that follow a similar premise...
Even then, there are very few where the remake is better than the original...

But if so, I'd say What's Up Doc is better than Bringing Up Baby .. but I really wouldn't count that as a remake...

― geyser muffler and a quarter (Dave225), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 12:57 (twenty years ago)

Nooooooo! You'd take Streisand over Hepburn? Madness!

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 13:00 (twenty years ago)

Nu-Manchu Candidate v. bad.

― Peter Stringbender (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 13:19 (twenty years ago)

You'd take Streisand over Hepburn? Madness!
Certainly not! I mean as actresses I wouldn't. But as films, in this case, yes.

― geyser muffler and a quarter (Dave225), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 13:21 (twenty years ago)

What was the original of "Happiness of the Katakuris", Tuomas?

I'll answer instead. ;-)

It's a Korean film called The Quiet Family. It doesn't feature some of the more interesting features of Happiness (such as the demented Naval Officer/British Royal) and substitutes them for the traditional Korean film themes of incest and rape.

The two are pretty equal, in my opinion, but quite different.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 13:46 (twenty years ago)

the problem with the first 'manchurian candidate' is that it's a spoof spy movie (oh no! big bald chinaman! oh no!) that people treat like it's Deadly Serious. the second one takes itself more seriously, but i still think it's more entertaining, has better performances (possible exception: janet leigh), makes more sense, and is politically more interesting.

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 8 June 2005 13:51 (twenty years ago)

I wouldn't say it's better, but I enjoyed You've Got Mail just as much as the original Shop Around the Corner.

Now that IS insanity!

― Vicious Cop Kills Gentle Fool (Dada), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 13:53 (twenty years ago)

i walked out of the manchurian candidate remake - does a whole different cast & crew take over after the first act or something?

― jones (actual), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 13:59 (twenty years ago)

yes... a KOREAN cast and crew

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 8 June 2005 14:00 (twenty years ago)

HIGH HOPES FOR HERBIE RELOADED!

― Huk-L, Wednesday, 8 June 2005 14:03 (twenty years ago)

I think I had the same problems with the original Manchurian Candidate as I had with Dr. Strangelove -- this sense of dark satire that's so sly and of its time that it just doesn't connect with me at all.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 14:06 (twenty years ago)

"sly" = "I get the feeling this is supposed to be funny, somehow, but nothing funny is actually happening."

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 14:06 (twenty years ago)

Surely the remake of "Lolita" couldn't be any worse than the original?

― Vicious Cop Kills Gentle Fool (Dada), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 14:07 (twenty years ago)

Actually, the two Lolitas are just about even, in my book.

Performance-wise:

Dominique Swain > Sue Lyon
Jerermy Irons = James Mason
Melanie Griffith < Shelly Winters

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 14:08 (twenty years ago)

(also, xpost to myself = "funny" = either funny or pointed)

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 14:09 (twenty years ago)

Is the Lolita remake funny? Because the previews made it look all sad/tragic, which is totally the wrong way to go.

I didn't see the Manchurian Candidate remake, but I can't imagine it possibly being better than the original, which RULEZ.

― n/a (Nick A.), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 14:10 (twenty years ago)

'strangelove' i think is funny and quite broad, really. not so 'manchurian candidate', where sinatra doesn't seem to be in on the job. streep was very funny in the new film, but it wasn't all laffs by any means. i think the whole kennedy thing made the first version seem 'important', 'significant' or whatever, but was meant by its writer to be a joke. so i don't think it works well enough as either a joke or as a 'serious' film about brainwashing. i found it easier to commit to the 'brainwashing' thing in demme's version.

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 8 June 2005 14:10 (twenty years ago)

... but it's Peter Sellers who ruins the first film, who ruins the second?

― Vicious Cop Kills Gentle Fool (Dada), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 14:10 (twenty years ago)

yeah i like both lolitas abt equally too

― jones (actual), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 14:11 (twenty years ago)

Everybody hated the remake it seemed, but I thought it was pretty good, Jeremy Irons very believable as Humbert. I've always liked Shelley Winters in the first one, and have come to like the movie overall, but the sccond one seemed truer to the book overall.
(massive xpost)

I wouldn't say it's better, but I enjoyed You've Got Mail just as much as the original Shop Around the Corner.

Now that IS insanity!
Dadaismus is telling you the truth.

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 14:12 (twenty years ago)

Peter Sellers does hijack the original, turning the mysterious Clare Quilty into just another wacky Peter Sellers performance.

Vivian Darkbloom to thread!

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 14:14 (twenty years ago)

I prefer The Ring to Ringu by leaps and bounds.

― pullapartgirl (pullapartgirl), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 14:14 (twenty years ago)

NRQ is like the pauline kael of ILM ie if he likes something (the dreamers, i heart huckabees, manchurian candidate remake etc) you know it's going to be a steaming pile of shit, and vice versa (eg kill bill)

― contrarian, Wednesday, 8 June 2005 14:16 (twenty years ago)

from an adaptation standpoint both versions of lolita are too frightened of the story they're telling, and the fatal casting in both instances = lolita

― jones (actual), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 14:29 (twenty years ago)

contrarian, you pay too much attention. even i'd forgotten that i liked 'the dreamers' you crazy stalker.

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 8 June 2005 14:41 (twenty years ago)

Contrarian sounds like "the Rex Reed of ILE."

>"sly" = "I get the feeling this is supposed to be funny, somehow, but nothing funny is actually happening."<

Anything subtler than Meet the Fockers? Ya mean like when Raymond shoots the liberal senator and milk pours out? Heinz 57? Brilliantly funny.

Anyway:

The Fly

Never Say Never Again

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 14:42 (twenty years ago)

brilliant! i'd never have thought of 'nsna'.

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 8 June 2005 14:47 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 78 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Prince of Darkness is underrated says I.

― The Sensational Sulk (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 18:11 (twenty years ago)

The Thief of Bagdad (Sabu over Doug Fairbanks)

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 18:12 (twenty years ago)

So let me get this straight: if Carpenter is claiming he was inspired by Rio Brava, we should ignore him, but if he is self-deprecating, we should pay attention?

― n/a (Nick A.), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 18:16 (twenty years ago)

the 'ghost of mars' soundtrack must be pretty good too.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 18:27 (twenty years ago)

'once upon a time' is like a westernz greatest hits: '3.10 to yuma' and 'shane' 'specially. 'johnny guitar' is in the mix.

― n_RQ, Wednesday, 8 June 2005 18:36 (twenty years ago)

Gaslight

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 18:41 (twenty years ago)

no way!!!!!

― n_RQ, Wednesday, 8 June 2005 18:44 (twenty years ago)

well they're both good.
wait, was there a third one?

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 18:45 (twenty years ago)

what can i say, i like ingrid bergman and love joseph cotten.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 18:48 (twenty years ago)

Ghosts of Mars sndtrk has Buckethead on it!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 18:50 (twenty years ago)

where do i begin responding to things in this thread?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 19:15 (twenty years ago)

i thought the dawn of the dead remake was pretty bad, really canadian, but the opening is awesome.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 19:15 (twenty years ago)

>Is "Never say Never Again" better than "Thunderball"?<

Dude, it's got KLAUS-MARIA BRANDAUER.

And wooden direction and crap music.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 19:23 (twenty years ago)

I fully expect to be dragged into the street and beaten into blubbering submission with my own shoes for this comment, but I think the remake of The Thomas Crown Affair (with -- that's right -- Pierce Brosnan) is better than the original (with -- oh yeah, -- Steve McQueen).

I agree with you. I do not like the original version. This might be because it's very dated, and also because I don't like Steve McQueen.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 19:47 (twenty years ago)

What are the capers like in the first one? I though the capers in the second were great (I only saw it on a plane, so I missed most of the middle).

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 20:42 (twenty years ago)

the problem with the first 'manchurian candidate' is that it's a spoof spy movie (oh no! big bald chinaman! oh no!) that people treat like it's Deadly Serious.

um, are you for real? the manchurian candidate "a spoof spy movie?" are you sure you saw the same film i did? the one with one of the darkest endings in any american movie ever?

parts of it are obv supposed to be funny, but citizen kane has its funny moments too and that doesn't exactly make it a fast-paced screwball comedy (pauline kael's ability to make ANY movie sound like a comedy notwithstanding).

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 22:52 (twenty years ago)

where do i begin responding to things in this thread?

OTM. The problem with this particular line of conversation is that almost everyone presumes all remakes are in the market to replace the original, which is wrong.

And Carpenter is no hack. What Kent Jones said, et al.

― L'Histoire d'Eric H. (Eric H.), Thursday, 9 June 2005 02:11 (twenty years ago)

Another obvious one here, the Richard Burton / John Hurt version of 1984 over the original 1956 one (haven't seen the early 50s made-for-TV one)

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Thursday, 9 June 2005 03:37 (twenty years ago)

there really are no capers in the original Thomas Crown, its pretty dour and dull imo, remake def. far superior

― H (Heruy), Thursday, 9 June 2005 04:34 (twenty years ago)

Okay you Carpenter defenders, I'll bite - what do you see of worth in his output post, from "Into The Mouth of Madness" forward? I'm still not sure what you like about "Ghosts of Mars," mind you.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Thursday, 9 June 2005 04:53 (twenty years ago)

the night of the living dead remake is pretty good, if not superior. also magnificent 7 is of at least equal quality w/ seven samurai. diabolique has a great camp factor going for it.

(true lies was apparently a remake, and apparently somehow better than the source material! from article here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/tg/feature/-/257364/ref%3Ded%5Fart%5F303890%5Ftxt%5F1/026-5537654-5422033)

i have a horrible feeling about the longest yard remake, tho i haven't seen it yet.

also in the works apparently: king kong, logan's run, the incredible shrinking man, and horrifyingly, straw dogs. (http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/entertainment/movies/9232688.htm)

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 9 June 2005 04:56 (twenty years ago)

Okay you Carpenter defenders, I'll bite - what do you see of worth in his output post, from "Into The Mouth of Madness" forward? I'm still not sure what you like about "Ghosts of Mars," mind you.

-- Austin Still (austin.swinbur...), June 9th, 2005.

I liked In the Mouth of Madness actually, but after that everything hes done has been utter shit.

― latebloomer: Pain Don't Hurt (latebloomer), Thursday, 9 June 2005 05:03 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I chose that one because it's about the last time I can recall any real juice from the guy.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Thursday, 9 June 2005 05:10 (twenty years ago)

I like Escape From LA well enough and Ghosts of Mars was entertaining (what can I say I have a weakness for Ice Cube and the Species lady), but yeah post-94 he's mostly coasted.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 9 June 2005 05:14 (twenty years ago)

Oh wait and Pam Grier and Clea Duvall are in it too. Yeah, Ghosts of Mars was fine by me.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 9 June 2005 05:16 (twenty years ago)

And Jason Statham, wait, haha I can't believe I forgot how many people I like were in this flick. That must be why I remember it so fondly (although I remember the ripped from Resident Evil ending being weak.)

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 9 June 2005 05:18 (twenty years ago)

I liked all the actors in Ghosts of Mars too, but I'd have liked it more if they'd just come on screen and said their names and stood around modelling the costumes and chatting to each other about the price of cheese.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Thursday, 9 June 2005 06:04 (twenty years ago)

The ending of Escape from L.A. is hysterical! And the millennial-eschatological implications are more powerful than its "fuck it" punchline-ness would indicate. Can't really remember much else about it, but that's more than enough for me.

― L'Histoire d'Eric H. (Eric H.), Thursday, 9 June 2005 06:37 (twenty years ago)

Vampires was pretty much atrocious, though.

― L'Histoire d'Eric H. (Eric H.), Thursday, 9 June 2005 06:38 (twenty years ago)

I'm not sure if actually like Happiness of the Katakuris more than The Quiet Family. I haven't seen The Quiet Family ever since it came out, and they're very different. The Korean film is quite low-key in it's humour, whereas Katakuris - well, it's a Takashi Miike movie. I think Happiness of the Katakuris has more enjoyable scenes but is uneven (true for Miike in general), and The Quiet Family works better as a whole.

I wouldn't say it's better, but I enjoyed You've Got Mail just as much as the original Shop Around the Corner.

Now that IS insanity!

Well, what can I say, I'm a sucker for romantic comedies, and I thought You've Got Mail was a surprisingly good one - not nearly as schmaltzy as I expected it to be. Shop Around the Corner had some good subplots and supporting characters (the shop owner!), and James Stewart obviously has more charisma than Tom Hanks, but I think the remake was right in focusing on the mail romance theme, which didn't get as much space in the original. I don't think either version is exactly a masterpiece though.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Thursday, 9 June 2005 07:11 (twenty years ago)

"I liked all the actors in Ghosts of Mars too, but I'd have liked it more if they'd just come on screen and said their names and stood around modelling the costumes and chatting to each other about the price of cheese."

I have no clue why this is more watchable than them looking alternately frightened and tough.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 9 June 2005 14:41 (twenty years ago)

I like cheese.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Thursday, 9 June 2005 14:43 (twenty years ago)

No enough apparently!

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 9 June 2005 14:44 (twenty years ago)

I see what you've done there.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Thursday, 9 June 2005 14:45 (twenty years ago)

I don't think either version is exactly a masterpiece though.
Tumoas, this is insane - The Shop Around The Corner is a masterpiece. The next thing you'll be telling us is that some Melanie Griffith movie improves upon The Lady Eve, but neither is exactly a masterpiece.

― k/l (Ken L), Thursday, 9 June 2005 14:54 (twenty years ago)

I think I am going to make a pledge not to ever watch another movie that is a remake.

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 9 June 2005 14:55 (twenty years ago)

three years pass...

The Poseidon Adventure vs. Poseidon?

― slecked, Monday, 30 June 2008 03:08 (seventeen years ago)

Wrong.

― Eric H., Monday, 30 June 2008 03:10 (seventeen years ago)

~~Dawn of the Dead!~~ The Hills Have Eyes

― Pillbox, Monday, 30 June 2008 03:14 (seventeen years ago)

some real wtfs on here. kubrick's lolita and og manchu candidate bad films? kin ell. they may not be perfect in every department but they are both amazing.

― Frogman Henry, Monday, 30 June 2008 03:20 (seventeen years ago)

Those are still easier to understand than the contention that Dr. Strangelove isn't funny.

― Oilyrags, Monday, 30 June 2008 03:23 (seventeen years ago)

Dr. Strangelove is funny alright, it's just not ROTFL funny like many of the more unintellectual comedies of today

― slecked, Monday, 30 June 2008 15:39 (seventeen years ago)

If you want semen jokes, you got 'em.

― Oilyrags, Monday, 30 June 2008 15:55 (seventeen years ago)

if anyone says the remake of can't buy me love is better than the original they are gonna get cut

― homosexual II, Monday, 30 June 2008 17:54 (seventeen years ago)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Monday, 30 June 2008 17:56 (seventeen years ago)

ugh i hate unintellectual comedies

― max, Monday, 30 June 2008 17:56 (seventeen years ago)

I know I'm insane for this but in some ways I prefer Loser to The Apartment.

-- Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, June 8, 2005 12:23 PM (3 years ago) Bookmark Link

http://www.galeon.com/mikeln/img/rolleyes.gif

― s1ocki, Monday, 30 June 2008 17:59 (seventeen years ago)

Dr. Strangelove is awesome, Peter Sellers is so awesome in the first version of Lolita, I don't understand anything about this thread

― Mr. Que, Monday, 30 June 2008 17:59 (seventeen years ago)

If the very idea of Peter Sellers as a sleazy, murderous paedophile doesn't sound like cinematic gold to you, then you must be dead.

― James Morrison, Tuesday, 1 July 2008 00:18 (seventeen years ago)

haha s1ocki otm

― some dude, Tuesday, 1 July 2008 00:49 (seventeen years ago)

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