remake essay powerpoint
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TRANSCRIPT
The Relevance of Remakes
Michael Sauffer, B3
Introduction
• Remake: a redone film is based off of a previous film and changed in some way, shape or form.
• Remakes are a hot button topic– Love/Hate– Reasons differ
• Kill originality• Made for money only• Can introduce older films to a newer audience• Updating can make a film’s age show less
The Financial Success of Remakes
• Highest grossing remake: 2010’s Alice in Wonderland ($1,024,299,904 )
• Highest grossing film: 2009’s Avatar ($2,782,275,172 )
• 8 films are remakes on top 100 grossing films of all time list
• Average return: $34,155,453
Public Opinion
• Using the IMDB Top 250– 5 films are remakes:
• The Departed• Scarface• The Thing• The Maltese Falcon• Star Trek
– 11 films have been remade• In most cases the remake is lower rated than the
original– Exception: The Departed (8.5) to Infernal Affairs (8.0)
First Instances of Remakes• Can be found in horror
– Novels such as Frankenstein and Dracula were adapted many, many times
– Often remakes were made to either better the technological aspects/graphic aspects of the film or to stick closer to the source material• Frankenstein
– 1910: Edison’s Frankenstein– 1931: Frankenstein– 1957-1972: Hammer Horror’s
Frankenstein series– 1994: Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein
• Dracula– 1922: Nosferatu– 1931: Dracula– 1958: Horror of Dracula– 1992: Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Invasion of the Body Snatchers• Has been remade 3 times over the past 50 years• Each time new themes are added that modernized the
plot– 1978: leads now health department workers, self-
help scene of the late 70’s is present– 1993: Invasion starts with government releasing
toxins into nature– 2007: Invasion from crashed satellite, not pod
people, only film with a happy ending
The Ring
• Gore Verbenski’s 2002 remake of 1998’s Ringu
• Pacing is different• Plot remains nearly identical, most
changes are in the cultural execution– Urban legend element more evident in
Ringu– In Ringu, ex-husband has ESP– Sprits of previous victims help out
protagonists in Ringu• All this relates to spiritualism which is more
heavily evident in Japanese culture
Disturbia• Remake of “Rear Window”
– Both protagonists are encumbered by something that allows them to stay in only one place
– Both take up casual voyeurism as a way of escaping their environment
– Neighbor is a murderer• Modernized
– Updates the setting to 21st
– Technology plays a crucial role in plot development• Ankle monitor• Cell phones/Cameras
• Humor is more prevalent in Disturbia
Psycho• Gus Van Sant’s 1998 remake • One of the worst remakes of all
time– Updates are unnecessary to plot– Some dialogue changed, some is
not (leads to a few awkward moments)
– Shot for shot– Nothing is honestly changed
• Why not just make the film black and white?
Planet of the Apes• Tim Burton’s 2001 remake of 1968
film• Also regarded as one of the worst
remakes of all time• Changes the tone and point of film
– Tone changed from serious science-fiction thought piece to action packed blockbuster
– Satire of religion within government found in original film no longer present in remake
– Ending changed to a ridiculous and nonsensical twist
The Magnificant Seven
• Remake of Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai”
• Changed setting from rural ancient Japan to the wild west.
• Retained the original theme of motives
• Added a new theme in international intervention
A Fistful of Dollars
• Remake of “Yojimbo”• Also translated from
Japan to the West• Tone of film is more
serious• Hero is not manipulating
events from behind the scenes; motive is different (money vs duty)
• Violence is toned down
The Departed• Won 4 Academy Awards
(including Best Picture)• Remake of “Infernal Affairs”• Basic plot remains same, small
changes present that add complexity– Triad becomes Irish mob– Romantic intrigue created– Additional background for
characters– New character added to clear up
complexity of plot– New twist added to story
So why?
• Several reasons for remakes– New generations– Updating– Improving original film
• Good remakes take the original idea and expand upon it, retaining basic elements, whilst adding details/characters/themes
• Remakes reflect our current world
Picture Sources• Alice in Wonderland 2010 Poster. N.d. Photograph. IMDB• Dracula (from 1958's House of Dracula). N.d. Photograph. whitbyseafishing.com• Dracula 1992. N.d. Photograph. en.wikipedia.orgWeb. 20 May 2012. • Dracula 1931 Poster. N.d. Photograph. en.wikipedia.orgWeb. 20 May 2012. • Nosferatu. N.d. Photograph. moviefone.com• Frankenstein 1931. N.d. Photograph. en.wikipedia.org• Frankenstein 1957. N.d. Photograph. davidlrattigan.com• Frankenstein 1994. N.d. Photograph. classichorror.com• Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1956 Poster. N.d. Photograph. widescreenworld.blogspot.com• IOTBS 1978 Poster. N.d. Photograph. impawards.com• Body Snatchers Poster. N.d. Photograph. IMDB• The Invasion Poster. N.d. Photograph. comingsoon.net• Ringu Poster. N.d. Photograph. ringufan.intelligent-light.com• The Ring Poster. N.d. Photograph. en.wikipedia.org• Disturbia/Rear Window comparison. N.d. Photograph. schwimmerlegal.com• Psycho '98 Poster. N.d. Photograph. en.wikipedia.org• Planet of the Apes 2001 Poster. N.d. Photograph. en.wikipedia.org• Magnificant Seven. N.d. Photograph. tokyoremix.com• Seven Samurai. N.d. Photograph. zombietacgear.com• Yojimbo/AFFOD comparison. N.d. Photograph. quantumpie.com• Infernal Affairs/The Departed comparison. N.d. Photograph. cinematheque.leithermagazine.com