Originals vs Remakes … movies, cartoons, TV shows part 3

Now I have realized that I should have done these blogs by genre and not random like this. But it is what it is, just skip the movies you don’t care about. I’m gonna mix it up a little western, science fiction, horror …

The Magnificent Seven I know it is a remake, but it is a very good one, turning Japanese samurai story (七人の侍 Shichinin no Samurai originally written and directed by Akira Kurosawa) into western was really a good idea. Since I’m a bit lazy with subtitles, although I love Japanese language, I have seen Seven Samurai only once, but have seen it’s remake The Magnificent Seven at least 10 times. I totally approve of this version. And it doesn’t feel, to me, that Sturges has taken someone else’s work, as it does in many remakes. It feels to me like he took a good idea and made it more welcoming to viewers who speak/know English. Also with this western twist it looks very well with in the western movie genre. He hit a bulls eye. And I love it! As I have mentioned before I grew up watching westerns every summer (since I was 7 years old, reruns on TV, while school was out,). So I get emotional about it all. But Hollywood sometimes has nice surprises when they remake movies that do not originate from English speaking countries (Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and Let Me In remake of Let The Right One In are not one of those).

The magnificent cast (see what I did there ;)): Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, Horst Buchholz and James Coburn, dream team! If you grew up watching westerns and WWII movies you’d be in love with this cast ❤ The guy from West World, and guy from Death wish, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Dirty Dozen then joined with another two in The Great Escape, they just keep acting together and I just keep enjoying … that what my childhood was like. Me my old black and white TV and these guys 😀 who needs the real world? What’s real anyway? If you have not seen these movies that let me tell you my reader: You know nothing 😛

So it was my father’s birthday yesterday and I took him to see new The Magnificent Seven (2016). We have talked about Benh-Hur last weekend and he had the same reaction as me: “Not even going to watch that shit!” Genetics are wonderful thing some time. And then asked if he heard about The Magnificent Seven remake, he said no, but wanted to hear the cast, all well known to me but what seal the deal with my dad was Denzel Washington. And you know the rest 😉

SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!

Well you decided to read anyway, ha?

The Magnificent Seven 2016 rocked, kicked ass … at has logged itself in my heart right next to the old one. Mr Antoine Fuqua and Mr Nic Pizzolatto with Mr Richard Wenk have done Kurosawa and Sturges a righteous remake. Hat’s of guys. Casting was impeccable just like in the 1960. movie. Vincent D’Onofrio and Chris Pratt died almost as good as Sean Bean as Boromir (btw one of my favorite death scenes by Mr Sean Bean, and we all know he dies a lot ;)). Two war time rivals now buddies Denzel Washington as Chisolm and Ethan Hawke as Goodnight Robicheaux were great, as was Byung-hun Lee as Robicheauxs’ side kick Billy Rocks. (I have seen lots of movies, mostly Korean< with him and he always surprises me, just love to watch him act). I was also very pleasantly surprised with Martin Sensmeier and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo because I didn’t know them as well as others. And also I was very worried about their survival rate, you know how it goes … don’t want to get political, again. And honorable mention to Mr Matt Bomer and Haley Bennett could hold her own among the guys and make a little room for herself, very nice job. Could have been a little less revealing, but that was the choice Fuqua made. And I for me it’s the only thing he did wrong. Widowed god-fearing woman seeking revenge for husband she loved very much, looking to hire gunslingers, little bit scared from time to time, of rough men does not dress that way. But all in all a great movie. And if you wanna remake shit this is how it’s done.

I have covered the good one and now let’s talk about a bad one.

Still don’t know why people try to mess with god things and great movies. I know that you “young’ directors want to prove yourselves but try doing it with something new and do not try to make your name a cross someone else’s back. I know and love John Carpenter movies, and obviously other do too, but we don’t like those remakes (yes, I also mean Carpenters remake of Village of the Damned, sorry John but not your best work, but I was bound to happen). Again why mess with the works of genius like Carpenter.

Today I’m gonna be writing against The Thing from 2011. We all can read and see the name of the defiler of The Thing (1982) Matthijs van Heijningen hiding under prequel movie, like I care that it’s under the guise of “prequel”. The question is why? WHY? Did you think you could contribute to the genre? Did you think that your cast can ever be better than Carpenters cast?

Like you could beat this: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, T. K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan, and so on. Did you think that shaggy dog like Eric Christian Olsen should be in this movie, will be an asset for this movie. EEEE WRONG! (why directors keep employing this guy is beyond me). Or maybe you thought that your score could be better than Ennio Morricone? It’s not about new special effect, it’s not about we can make it better. It is just that you don’t have an idea and want to exploit someone else’s work. You’ll never come close to Carpenter. Just should have found another project to make your bones.

And German poster just because it’s funny

A little trivia courtesy of IMDb: “This movie has become part of the culture in Antarctica. It is a long standing tradition in all British Antarctic research stations to watch The Thing (1982) as part of their Midwinter feast and celebration held every June 21.” And let me tell you, you just don’t mess with that 😉

Originals vs Remakes … movies, cartoons, TV shows part 1

I’m not gonna rant much 😉  … Just wanna get my 2cents in …

 

So I really don’t like remakes, even though sometimes they turn just fine. They can never be like an original for me at least. Feeling when you see a movie plot or concept for the first time is priceless for me, also certain casting combinations are to precious to meddle with, and there is always that feeling you that takes you back to that first time in front of TV or at the movies as a kid … and you kinda now life will never be the same. It’s that feeling I hope you get me.

 

Let’s start with Fly (1986) was a fine movie still is, cool special effects cool casting, ‘t was all fine. But c’mon that tinny little guys head on body of a fly from 1958. movie was EPIC … and I adore Vincent Price, so that’s that for me 😀 Those kind of early horror movies was what drew me to this genre in this form (on writer that drew me in another time). Needles to say I have watched everything Vincent Price was in, he truly is a horror icon. There will never be a man/actor in the genre ever again. The voice, the facial expressions … A MASTER of his trade. I salute you Mr. Price. You will forever be in my heart. I also love Lugosi and Karloff but this thing with Price is …. Price for you people who have watched him or listened to his audio books work I think you know what I mean.

 

Well let’s stay with in the decade Ben-Hur (1959), yes I know there was another before this one, the first one done in 1925. It was silent. So technically the ’59 version was a remake, I have not watched ’25 version. But I want to stay true, remake of Ben-Hur from 1959. I legendary, I have watched it as a kid all the time. One more thing I hate Charlton Heston, he is just not my cup of tea, let’s just put it like that. So one day I wake up, turn on my TV and lo and behold the trailer for new Ben-Hur movie WTHF?!??!!? Are you studios insane? You want to turn legendary remake into another fast sell trash … you people have no respect. There will never be better Ben-Hur movie than the one done in 1959, and there will never be another Ben-Hur like Charlton Heston. I hate Charlton Heston, but Charlton Heston is BEN-HUR. And although I don’t like remakes this one was and is best I’ve seen so far. I’m not even watching this new shit.

 

Now let me get started on new Stephen Kings’ It … are you people insane? You think you can top 1990. It, TV mini-series? Well somebody surely flew over the cuckoo’s nest because let me be a bit repetitive: I hate Tim Curry but Tim Curry is Pennywise. Rest of the cast was brilliant kids as well as adults, wonderful choices. I salute you Victoria Burrows (although you fucked up big time on King Kong with Naomi Watts) and Mark Tillman! Wonderful work. So somebody thought it needed a remake, bull-fucking-shit. Kings has so much work that has not been made into TV series or movies I don’t know why they felt the need to ruin this one? Bill Skarsgård are you shitting me?!?!?!? Yes he is annoying and lame but Pennywise (at best he could be Henry Bowers but he is 2 old)?  Come-the-fuck-on it is an insult to true Stephen King fans, and an insult to first mini-series. Just PLS next time leave it the fuck alone, choose another work to televise or turn into movie, there is lots to choose from. I will watch this one because I watch everything Stephen King related (as I read everything he writes), and I try to watch everything horror related. So there, maybe in the future, some more angry rants and reviews.

 

OK moving on …

 

The Fog (1980) directed by John Carpenter, who also co-wrote the screenplay and created the music for the film. It stars Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, Janet Leigh and Hal Holbrook. (tnx Wikipedia). Need I say more, and if you truly are an horror aficionado or just a fan of genre, you know what I mean. You can watch 2005 remake, but why? Maybe you are teen fan of Tom Welling, ex Smallville star, or crazy ex-Yugoslav fan of Rade Šerbedžija. It is OK no bad feelings, new Fog for new kids … I rather watch the old one any time. I’m old school like that. I’m into the great horror eras like 50s and 80s, so I tend to be a bit hard on new stuff. But to each it’s own. This for me is classic and John Carpenter is the Master.

 

Judge Dredd I did not read the comic, so I will just focus on my point of view regarding the movies. Judge Dredd (1995) starring Sylvester Stallone, Diane Lane, Joan Chen , Armand Assante, Jürgen Prochnow and Max von Sydow, again need I say more. But I will anyway 😉 I love Stallone ever since I saw Rocky for the first time, so that’s that. I fell in love with Dianne Lane in Streets of Fire, loved her since and watched anything she’s been in, except Batman vs Superman, because Ben-fucking-lame-ass-Affleck can not be Batman! Sorry Diane, but I just can not do it. It would literally melt my eyes. I love to watch all the guys cast in Judge Dredd, and I love them all together. Won’t tell you the plot because of spoilers and also use google you lazy SOBs 😉 Dredd (2012) has different plot, so you can call it a second chapter or what ever but it’s not, in my book a classic remake. Same character but different story. I also love Karl Urban and Lena Headey so … give it a try. Still prefer Judge Dredd.

 

Well enough for now, I’ll be back with another Originals vs Remakes soon. Stay tuned.