Fannish Friday: Remakes that SHOULD happen!

[lirazel]

My continuing question: why why why do people do remakes of good movies? Why don't they do remakes of movies with good premises that didn't quite land?

Not that it's not a good thing when you have two good versions of a film--I, for one, think the original Parent Trap and the remake are both delightful and I am glad they both exist. But in general, it seems like it would be a better use of everyone's time and money to remake a didn't-quite-land film than one that is solid.

So! Today I would like to hear about films or TV shows you think should be remade. Not spinoffs or sequels, but a true remake. (And not something, like, Pride and Prejudice or A Christmas Carol, where various adaptations are part of the point--I'll ask about that another day. Films you think can be remade over and over.)

I'll start: Ella Enchanted. I adore that book so much and the movie is...well, I know some people enjoy it, but I think it's terrible in almost every single way. It doesn't retain anything I love about the book, which I think would make a fantastic movie if done right.


And here's one that I think works pretty well in its original form, but could be better: The Lady Vanishes. It has my favorite suspense premise of all time: While travelling in continental Europe, a rich young playgirl realizes that an elderly lady seems to have disappeared from the train, reads the IMDB summary, but that's understating it. The train has not stopped--the woman cannot possibly have gotten off. And no one else believes our playgirl heroine! She's being gaslit by everyone around her!

I loooove this premise, and there are things I really like about the original Hitchcock film, but I think it gets bogged down by a beginning that's totally unnecessary. This could be the greatest thriller of all time if it was just done right!

Now, I do not think that if Hollywood made a remake of this film right now, it would be any good. But imagine if it had been made in the era of the 90s that gave us The Fugitive and Speed and action/suspense films of that caliber. Or if it were made as a labor of love by some indie team who made sure the script was perfect? I dream of such a film.


And now I want to hear from y'all!

Comments

[lannamichaels]

The Princess Bride.

Yes, the movie is wonderful and a classic but it is such a different beast than the book, which is a satire and has all these feelings about abridgement. I also want Buttercup to do more. I think a remake that could bring in some of the meta aspects of the book and shows how narratives are crafted. I haven't seen Galavant but from tumblr gifsets, I think that might have had the sensibility I'd be looking for; a winking to the audience in the mood of Mel Brooks, not in the mood of "mocking the audience", but in the mood of "we're all in on the joke together".

[lirazel]

A fun answer! I do love the movie, but you're right bout it having completely different concerns and themes than the book, and it would be interesting to see a more faithful adaptation. I would certainly watch it! Can we get Mr. Brooks on that before we lose him?

[lannamichaels]

Just imagine at one point, Humperdink consulting the script and seeing that six chapters of him is being cut because it's boring. :D

[lirazel]

Yesssss!

Omg, how about this: Terry Gilliam!

[evewithanapple]

I don't see Terry Gilliam doing a great job, although that might just be my bias talking because he's such a jerk. It does seem very up Taika Waititi's alley (if he had someone to rein him in.)

[elperian]

The Lady Vanishes has actually been made three times to my knowledge! I wrote about it here after watching the first one, although the book is still on my to-read list: https://elperian.dreamwidth.org/840744.html

(I do like the Hitchcock version for incorporating these shadowy pre-WW2 elements that tell us something about what people knew about what was happening in Germany and how they responded to it before the war broke out. It's like Casablanca in that way.)

This is a hard question for me to answer because if a movie doesn't land for me, it often falls off to a blip in my memory - unless I *really* don't like it. I had to go through my movie review post for some ideas! But my answer is: Brigadoon! The 1954 version just doesn't use very many elements of Scottish culture and the ending for the guy who doesn't go back to the town is just so damn sad! I'd like to see more women as main characters, develop them beyond the romantic interests, and get more backstory on what was going on in the town before the spell was laid.

[lirazel]

Yeah, I've seen the Tuppence Middleton version and thought it was fine but not great. I don't feel that a version truly worth of its premise has been made yet.


(I do like the Hitchcock version for incorporating these shadowy pre-WW2 elements that tell us something about what people knew about what was happening in Germany and how they responded to it before the war broke out. It's like Casablanca in that way.)

AGREED! More of that, please!

Ooooh, Brigadoon is such an interesting answer! It's very...MGM musical in both a good way (so colorful!) and a bad way (shallow!). I agree that could make for a really interesting film with a different directorial vision. (The imp in me wants to suggest Guillermo del Torro direct it lol.)

[elperian]

I think it's interesting that three versions of TLV have been made and yet still don't seem to quite hit the mark for folks, going off your comments on the post + Tumblr!

I just...have this thing about Scottish stories continually being told by non-Scottish folks and Scottish culture being co-opted by non-Scottish folks and Scottish folks being sexualized by non-Scottish folks such that I'm like "ONLY A SCOTTISH WOMAN CAN DIRECT THIS ACTUALLY!!!" even though Brigadoon isn't *strictly* a Scottish story in that it's not part of the heritage. It's *about* Scottish folks though, which I think means it should be put in the hand of a Scot and a woman (like, on principle).

[evewithanapple]

The only Scottish female director who springs immediately to mind is Lynne Ramsay and she is, uhh. Not a good fit for Brigadoon.

[elperian]

Yeah, I mean, not everyone is going to be a good fit off that criteria. But at least Wiki has a list of 14 Scottish women who are directors! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Scottish_women_film_directors

[lirazel]

I mean, I support that!

[evewithanapple]

They need to let ME remake Stigmata (1999) because I am the only one who understands the themes! Call me, A24!

More seriously: this movie is . . . what it is to me because there is SO much potential in the story and the themes, but all that must have been purely accidental, because they flubbed the landing so badly! The idea of an atheist presenting stigmata is fascinating in the questions it raises about faith and grace and holiness, and while I obviously enjoy the priest romance for . . . prurient reasons, I also think it has a lot to say about how God's love manifests in human connection. But the script is so, so bad! It's bad! I wrote 45k of fanfic that was just trying to fix how bad it was! You could do so much with this premise and the seeds of something great are there, but it needs an actual good writer to bring them out.

[lirazel]

I have not seen it and will probably never watch the 1999 version, but omg I would loooooove a film about the themes you talk about here!!!! Yes please!

[evewithanapple]

The only reason to watch the '99 version is if someone (me) is forcing you to while shrieking about the lost potential. Oh, and Patricia Arquette and Gabriel Byrne being very cute, they have good chemistry. I feel like the only piece of horror media I've ever seen actually engage with faith in a way that I really liked was the Exorcist TV show.

[theseatheseatheopensea]

I really liked Hitchcock's version of "The Lady Vanishes"! On one hand, a remake couldn't possibly top either Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave, I loved them both so much! But, on the other hand, an indie remake could be excellent--maybe it could make the cricket fans queer? :D

Speaking of queer remakes: thanks to another DW friend, I was recently thinking about "Desert fury", and I'd appreciate a remake that would make its queerness (more) evident, and possibly give it a better ending!

[lirazel]

I like it pretty well! It's definitely not a bad movie! I just think it could be transcendent, you know?

I haven't ever seen Desert Fury, but if I watch it, I will definitely watch it with your thoughts in mind!

[dollsome]

I would love a remake of The Proposal that actually gets Alaska right! I love the romantic premise, I love Sandy B and Ryan R’s snarky chemistry, but I cannot love or even really enjoy this movie because its Alaska is just the East Coast with mountains photoshopped in and it doesn’t get the vibe at all. (And please do not get me started on the portrayal of Alaska Native culture … and Lil Jon ……. 🤦‍♀️ My soul curdles forever.)

[lirazel]

What a good answer! I haven't seen this film, but having seen soooooooooooo many bad portrayals of the south, I imagine it's even more annoying when you almost never see your area portrayed in media.

(Btw, how do you feel about Northern Exposure?)

[dollsome]

I've never actually seen Northern Exposure, though I've been wondering recently if I should check it out!

[lirazel]

It's just that I think of that one as The iconic Alaskan-set media!

[skygiants]

ohhhh I love The Lady Vanishes and you're so right, a remake would be AMAZING.

I think they should remake Talk of the Town now that they can make it an actual threesome >:D (I'd also give my nonexistent kingdom for a book-accurate Howl's Moving Castle film.)

[lirazel]

Oh! Love that idea for Talk of the Town! I'd definitely watch that one, especially if they retained the class stuff!

(I'd also give my nonexistent kingdom for a book-accurate Howl's Moving Castle film.)

I know you're not the only one!

[gryfndor_godess]

A few years ago I would have been sooooooo excited about WB's planned HP miniseries remake because while I like most of the cast in the movies, they really didn't stay true to the books. But I'm not interested in that anymore.

Perhaps The Westing Game? I don't actually remember what I thought of the 1997 "Get A Clue!" version, but I love the book and would be curious to see it remade today, potentially as a miniseries. I can immediately picture Viola Davis as the judge.

[lirazel]

Yeah...I feel you.

The Westing Game is such a good idea! I remember my little sister really liking Get a Clue! but I don't remember it being that great of a film. And it would make such a good movie/mini-series!

[wendelah1]

I hate to sound cynical but I think there are two main factors that drive movie-making in general: money and ego. If a studio thinks it can make a lot of money remaking a good film, it will. If a film maker. movie star, etc. thinks they can make a better film, regardless of how good the first movie is, they will certainly try, assuming they can find the money to do it. Latest case in point: Robert Downey Jr. wants to remake Hitchcock's Vertigo. Yeah, seriously.

I can't think of a movie, good or bad, that I want to see remade. But I'm not really a movie person at this juncture.

[lirazel]

Yeah, you're definitely right that those are the two things that drive movie-making. For the purposes of this discussion, I was assuming we live in a better world than the one we currently live in!