Remaking the Mona Lisa
That’s right, I thought one could remake the Mona Lisa. But instead of using an unknown cryptic face as a model one could pick Angelina Jolie for a muse. And maybe dress her up in some high fashion designer clothes. Maybe even paint her dancing. No, wait, use a LCD and display a video of her instead of that old static Mona Lisa painting.
What am I babbling about? Yesterday I’ve read Carrie’s review on War of the Worlds.
After having seen the movie I started thinking about something and when I read this review yesterday I decided to ask your opinion about it.
My issue is what about the original versions of the movies that are being re-made?
Will people keep watching those?
My opinion regarding most of the remakes is that directors try to add their ‘personal touch’ by changing the argument in order to make it more appealing to modern day’s society. By doing so they manage to make a mockery out of a masterpiece and turn it into an ordinary movie.
You just imagine adding some kung fu fighting, sex scenes, anachronic jokes and some secret high tech gadgets (imported by Brett, no doubt) to Gone with the Wind.
Imagine your favorite movie turned into a modern remake.
What am I babbling about? Yesterday I’ve read Carrie’s review on War of the Worlds.
After having seen the movie I started thinking about something and when I read this review yesterday I decided to ask your opinion about it.
My issue is what about the original versions of the movies that are being re-made?
Will people keep watching those?
My opinion regarding most of the remakes is that directors try to add their ‘personal touch’ by changing the argument in order to make it more appealing to modern day’s society. By doing so they manage to make a mockery out of a masterpiece and turn it into an ordinary movie.
You just imagine adding some kung fu fighting, sex scenes, anachronic jokes and some secret high tech gadgets (imported by Brett, no doubt) to Gone with the Wind.
Imagine your favorite movie turned into a modern remake.
posted by DCveR at 9:16 AM
15 Comments:
I have to agree, why bother making a remake if the original was stellar? Sitting through the same plot with less-than-perfect casting is not my idea of a good time.
However, having said that...I did enjoy War of the Worlds remake, but only because I took it as it was and I had no expectations.
You should check out Marcel Duchamps remake of Mona lisa. Or even both remakes. He first made one really good copy, and drew a mustache on her with a pencil before exhibiting. After some furious outburst of negative critisism he made another one, now without the mustache and named it "reproductin of Mona Lisa, shaved by Duchamp" to rub it further in:)
A remake of the remake is ever worse.
I am getting sick of all these remakes. It just goes to show that Hollywood is out of ideas.
I watched the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory a couple days ago (Mom got the DVD for Xmas) and it was absolutely horrible! They tried to add this whole psychological background to Willy Wonka's character, completely changing the story... Not that it was a great story to begin with...
And tonight I'm seeing the new King Kong with some friends. I would try talking them into seeing something else, but there is nothing else. Just more junk.
I usually don't mind remakes, mainly because most of the time I haven't seen the original. So I have no basis for comparison. I think i've seen parts of the original War of the Worlds, but I don't remember much about them other than the spaceship things were way slow and appeared to have sink sprayers coming out of the tops of them.
Now if someone went and made a remake of The Sound of Music I might just have to get violent...
Kisses - Carrie
I'm not too keen on remakes, but when it's satirical...when it's done the way So Angry So At Eese describes, then it's humourous, fun, wicked...
bunny jo: Maybe if this wasn't one of my favorite movies... you’re right, my expectations were high, in the sense I was hoping it to be the original story with much better special effects instead of a free adaptation.
isa, isae: All right, I have to give it to you, Duchamp’s parody on Mona Lisa is both hilarious and clever. Artistically his copies are amazing. But it seems to me his main idea was to shock people in order to make them realize they were too focused on old masterpieces instead of bracing art evolution. Of course my modest opinion isn’t worth much. His Mona Lisa is to the original a bit like Mel Brook’s Spaceballs is to Star Wars (I love both).
bent: I am almost afraid to ask if there is such a thing…
viking: I must confess I didn’t know that was a remake too. Now I’ve got to see the original movie.
carrie: I’ll snap if someone dares to remake Blade Runner.
GG: Does that make you a Mel Brooks fan too?
I don't like remakes. At the moment, there is one at the pictures: The Producers. I haven't seen yet but I enjoyed the original so much that I may not like its remake.
It is all about money and Hollywood prefers to bet on a dead cert. by putting money into the tried and tested.
Those daring directors who try something different often struggle to get their work finished let alone produced.
It'l the same old story.
Let them try to remake One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest... My favourite film with the Sound of Music, which may be in the process of being remade! Arghhhhhhhhhhhh!
cream: One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest can't be remade!
Liked the original, but saw it when I was a kid and knowing the story ruins the ending.
The recent offering was crap, really but that was to be expected, had I engaged my brain before seeing it (not that that'd 've stopped me).
but now you've mentioned that about one flew over...bet you someone in the next 10-20 years tries it!
UGH. I'm with Viking054, Charlie and the Choco factory sucked beyond my wildest dreams. That movie should have NEVER been touched. The original one was perfect.
i can't stand remakes. seriously, has all the creativity dried up in that industry? i was especially disappointed in the remake of Sabrina. you can't mess with originals, people.
I can't believe the market for re-makes is robust as it is. I don't know why most people would even be interested in remakes of good movies-—and lately—-very very bad old TV shows! So many of the originals sucked ("Dukes of Hazzard" comes to mind) so why wouldn't the remake!?? Is it that they are running out of talent for new scripts or ideas? Maybe it is just a trend that will burn itself out.
jonny: In 10-20 years they can even do remake on Casablanca with aliens instead of nazis. Of course I wouldn't buy a ticket to see it.
bees: Thanks guys... have you got any idea how hard it will be to get that movie here? Well, not that hard... but still I guess I'll have to buy it.
cadiz: Saw Bewitched on a plane. The good thing about it was that I didn't spend any money on tickets or renting it. The simple fact it has Will Ferrell in it was a bad omen, how can some people think that guy is funny. The bit of disapointment that got me by surprise was Nicole Kidman. The original TV series and the old Sabrina movies are way better than Bewitched too.
kris: What does talent have to do with making blockbusters? No really... I mean, most of the audience seems to enjoy brainless movies.
I'm not sure if I'm a Mel Brooks fan but I did snicker...
Remake The Sound of Music?!? No. They got to be joking. [But then, suppose it's good? Arg, I'm such a fence-sitter it's disgusting.]
Today I heard a 'remake' of an old song and I liked it, Nellie Fuertado and some guy singing Cuando.
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