Hollywood remake (of Foreign Films)

[jovian_w2002]

I'm writing a report on films for one of my modules, and foreign film "remakes" seem to capture my interest. Personally, I do believe some remakes are as great as the original films (e.g. Quarantine and The Departed). However, most remakes are disastrous. (e.g. Dark water and The grudge) Why?

 

1) Because the authorship and intention of the original film is lost in transition.

2) Because the actors do not perform their roles well.

3) Because of cultural differences.

4) Because of misinterpretation.

5) Because most remakes do not "read between the lines".

6) The list goes on.

 

What do you think is the significance of a remake?

Why should there be, or not be, remakes?

Do you think there is an underlying "film hegemony" at work?

Do you think dubbing destroys the essence of a film? (Personally, if I'm watching an English movie that is dubbed in Japanese, or a Japanese movie dubbed in English, I would cringe... but that's me. I prefer subtitle only if I don't understand the language spoken.)

 

There will be a remake for one of my favourite Japanese movies called Death Note. I don't know how it'll fare, but from the examples set by most Hollywood-Japanese movie remakes, I shan't anticipate it too much.

[MikeL]

Bangkok Dangerous (1999) was an excellent Thai movie with an ingenious plot. Bangkok Dangerous (2008), starring Nicholas Cage, is written and directed by the same Chinese brothers as the original movie. I haven't seen the new version, but I will. I hope it is as good as the first, although the plot summary indicates some differences.

 

The new version will probably be more widely seen in the US at least, judging from the heavy promotion it is receiving. I wonder if that isn't the main reason the Pang brothers did a remake.

[Bondwriter]

Mmh... When was there a Hollywood remake that actually could compare to the original? True Lies, I guess (remake of La Totale), but this is the only one I can think about.

 

One to avoid at all costs is City of Angels, the remake of the AMAZING, BRILLIANT, GREAT Wings of Desire. The poetry and subtlety of the original got drowned into some "ER goes mystical" trip. Plus Nicholas Cage is good only to play dimwits (I can't think of any movie but Raising Arizona in which I questioned his acting capability), and Meg Ryan... Well, 'nuff said.

[old bob]

I voted "No". Its just my opinion. There are so many "original" films to be seen in the different languages, countries and cultures, that I'm not interested in remakes. I even prefer to see again and again old films, from the the early years before "All Johnson" till the beginning of technicolor. I have home more that 350 old films on DVD and VHS. Thats my pleasure !

BTW, what I dont like mostly are BW "colorised" films. Thats awful .

Just 2 exemples of american films I like (humor, fun, romance...) :

"Roman Holiday", 1953, directed by William Wyler, starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn,

"Some like it hot", 1959, directed by Billy Wilder, starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and...Marilyn Monroe.

Old (really old) Bob

Edited February 3, 2009 by old bob

[hh5]

Jungle2Jungle and Little Indian - Big City

 

Both boys had to worry about costume malfunctions!!!

[JamesSavik]

I hate Hollywood. They are super-rich, self-absorbed, out of touch perverts that suck big floppy donkey dix. They are too busy pushing causes no one gives a crap about to come up with an original script.

 

Since they've done and redone their own movies until we're sick of them, they need to steal good movies from other cultures since they are singulary incapable of original thought.

[LongGone]

I vote "No effing way" because they always screw it up and piss me off. There are a few exceptions but mostly no.

[JamesSavik]

I vote "No effing way" because they always screw it up and piss me off. There are a few exceptions but mostly no.

 

 

If they want a good original script, they should talk the the Tanuki Racoon.

[LongGone]

If they want a good original script, they should talk the the Tanuki Racoon.

 

* BLUSH *

[Krista]

I hate when a foreign film gets ripped apart by Hollywood... I am never pleased with the outcome of a remake though, foreign or just and older movie being remade.

[Drewbie]

Very rare when they made a good remake, When it comes to like anime coming here I like to watch it in Japanese with subs, and most seem to loose it's meaning when it's dubbed in another language.

[glomph]

I voted No, for mostly the same reasons as others have. It's rare enough that remakes of even American films are any good. To Be or Not to Be is one exception that comes to mind, where both versions are worth watching. Pocketful of Miracles is sort of fun, but not nearly as good as Lady for a Day. Oh, and the one about the symphony conductor who tries to kill his wife.

 

Otherwise, remakes can work when they don't really try to be the same movie. A domestic example is Heaven Can Wait, which is a remake of Here Comes Mr. Jordan, and not of the earlier Heaven Can Wait. The foreign example that comes to mind is La Cage aux Folles. It was pretty good, and so was the American version, The Birdcage.

[Tiger]

I said no. I don't think Hollywood should remake foreign films. I have not seen many foreign films, but Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon stands out as a good. If they remade that one, I'd have to hunt them down. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (or Wo hu cang long) is in Mandarin. I saw it in the theater with English subtitles. It was a great movie, and remaking it would be senseless. The only bad part is sometimes following the movie and the subtitles, but you get used to it.

[jovian_w2002]

Haha, I'll get very very angry if Hollywood ever does a remake of "Le Fabuleux Destin d'Am

[hh5]

I heard India is notorious at remaking foreign films with their actors and adding their disco

[Drewbie]

I heard India is notorious at remaking foreign films with their actors and adding their disco

 

Yea, I'd wouldn't watch their films then

[hh5]

Yea, I'd wouldn't watch their films then

 

Actually you be surprise ... some of the remakes are quite good.

Just that you have to get use to india rock disco dance like at the end of slimdog

and India karate.

[Pai-kun]

I usually keep an open mind about remakes. They tend to be awful, but once in a while they are actually really good. As long as they add something new to the remake and make it better or as good as the original, it doesn't bother me.

[jovian_w2002]

NOOO!!!!! I just read off imdb.com that Hollywood has already started filming a remake of the Japanese film "Hachikō Monogatari" (a true story about a dog who was remembered for his loyalty to his master in Japan). It sounds very odd and weird to me to have an Americanized version of a national and well-known Japanese film. The dog remains a national icon in Japan (especially Shibuya), and it's disappointing (well at least to a weird me) to have a Hollywood version of it. I'll hate to think if people get the wrong impression that the film is fictitious or if it does not acknowledge the real story of Hidesaburō Ueno (the master) and the real dog. LOL, I'm hyped about this! hehehe

[glomph]

Around the first of the year I watched Pocketful of Miracles and Lady for a Day. The former is itself a remake of the latter, one an early film by Frank Capra and the other his last film (1933 and 1961). "Pocketful" was sort of cutesy and bloated with side plots by comparison with "Lady." I've not read the Damon Runyon story on which they were based, but my guess is that the earlier film followed it more closely.

 

More recently I found that Jackie Chan did a remake called Miracles. Netflix has sent me the DVD, so I hope to see it in the next few days and will report.

[hh5]

Around the first of the year I watched Pocketful of Miracles and Lady for a Day. The former is itself a remake of the latter, one an early film by Frank Capra and the other his last film (1933 and 1961). "Pocketful" was sort of cutesy and bloated with side plots by comparison with "Lady." I've not read the Damon Runyon story on which they were based, but my guess is that the earlier film followed it more closely.

 

More recently I found that Jackie Chan did a remake called Miracles. Netflix has sent me the DVD, so I hope to see it in the next few days and will report.

 

Yup I saw it in china town in NYC in 1989 - lots of subtitles.

Recommend viewing it chinese with english subtitles

The english version is edited down.

 

The better title of the movie is Mr Canton and Lady Rose its also titled "Black Dragon"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098019/

 

I still haven't see the capra\glen ford version

 

I saw an earlier version like in the 1930s - yuck - but the basic story was there

[FrenchCanadian]

It seems like there's a whole damn long list of bad remakes,,, but I'll add one of my own,,, I'm surprised that it wasn't said already... "Taxi" the hollywood adaptation of the french movie of the same name. I have nothing against queen latifah nor against the mac guy, it's just that they coulda make a better plot.

 

But I totally agree to say that True lies will stay as the best hollywood remake.

[Sir Galahad]

Hell no, they should leave well alone. They screw up history most of the time (Enigma anyone), so I think it's best if they carry on screwing up old Hollywood films with awful remakes.