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Better remakes

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I just saw the remake of the Italian Job yesterday, and was struck by how much better it was than the original. By no means were either film that great, but the remake was a lost more interesting to watch. The old film suffered from awful pacing (except for the start of the heist,) almost zero character development apart from Michael Caine's, and an over-the top Benny Hill style chase scene at the end (hey, wasn't he in it as well? :) That's not to say the remake's wasn't over the top, but it's definatly more enjoyable to watch.
Yes, Caine is a better actor than pretty much all the actors in the remake put together, but it's not enough to save it.
Any other remakes that were superior to the original?
My short list of the rare exception to the rule on remakes:
Ocean's 11 - Same as the Italian Job, the original was flat boring; the actors, though fun to watch, telephoned in their roles.
Pride & Prejudice - Not a big fan of this genere, the six hour BBC miniseries is lightyears superior to any previous or post incarnations. My wife agrees, and it's her opinion that matters :)
The Thing - The original was OK, the remake was one of the best horror films produced.
There are others; The Fly? Scarface? Hitchcock's own The Man Who Knew Too Much?

/*Music is subjective. Sound is not.*/

Follow Ups:

The Thing - Analog Scott 08:11:14 02/23/06 (0)
I know many disagree but i think they are plainly wrong. The original was a slightly better than typical B scifi that bore little resemblence to the book and much resemblence to many of the other formulaic B scifis of that time. The remake, if you can call it that, had a level of intensity, mystery and paranoia that was painfully missing in the first version. Th performances and writing behind those peformances were so much more layered and human. IMO the remake is the clasic here. I think nostalgia plays heavily on the preference for the original.
A Christmas Carol.... - RGA 22:40:40 02/22/06 (0)
I also agree on The Thing although I like the idea of the original.
I also prefered the 78 BodySnatchers but I don't consider it to be a remake but a displacement in location kinda movie.
The ending of the 78 version is one of the truly great sci-fi/horror endings in film history.
Body Snatchers? No way... - Jim Campilongo 16:50:24 02/22/06 (0)
Although Goldblum and Nimoy are fun to watch, the re-make of "Body Snatchers" missed the essence of what was scary in the original story. When loved ones and friends "changed" the difference was SUBTLE. "Uncle Mike just wasn't Uncle Mike". People were filled with self-doubt about their own feeling, instincts and conclusions. In the remake Brooke Adams husband goes from a sports fanatic to a sleepwalking robot. A no-brainer!
They do get points for the McCarthy cameo.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre..readily cmes to mind..n/t - Audio Pharaoh 11:24:07 02/22/06 (0)
..
# The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men # Samuel L. Jackson (Ezekiel 25:17)> Pulp Fiction <
Plinius SA-REF----M-8----CD-101-------Martin Logan Ascents
Don't know if you can call it a remake, but what the hell... War and Peace. - Victor Khomenko 06:04:10 02/22/06 (0)
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Re: Better remakes - Robert 22:19:09 02/21/06 (2)
A lot of people complain about remakes but don't realize that what they consider to be the classic version of some movie IS a *remake.* The Maltese Falcon with Bogart and The Wizard of Oz with Judy Garland are not the first time those movies were made. Disney's Snow White, Pinocchio and Alice In Wonderland were all remakes-- but those Disney characters are the icons that pop into your brain when you think of the definitive version of each title.
Other "good remakes" IMO-- Invasion of The Body Snatchers, Gaslight, Last of the Mohicans, and the new King Kong.
- Strong agreement with Mohicans and Body Snatchers - Road Warrior 10:01:41 02/22/06 (1)
  I hope you're talking about the second Invasion of the Body Snatchers? The third had its moments, but the Sutherland vehicle rules.
  Last of the Mohicans, which I thought I'd totally hate, was wonderful. The acting, cinematography, music, sound, Mann's directing style, and story made this an unforgetable historical epic..
  
  "E Burres Stigano"
  - Yes, the "Sutherland" IOTBS (nt) - Robert 22:07:32 02/22/06 (0)
    no texto

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