RACHEL DANFORD
Contributing Writer
When deciding to do a remake of a film, especially a classic one, there’s only two ways it can go. Either it’s going to become an instant blockbuster hit, or it is going to end up being a flop. Sometimes these remakes exceed the originals, but then there are those remakes that are just plain sad to watch. I don’t want to sound hypercritical, but I personally believe that they are never as good as the original. Now this doesn’t mean that I’m against remakes, and I think all of them suck. That is not true. I think there are exceptions to every rule. There are some re-creations out there that I enjoy watching and probably would prefer to watch over the original. Still, for the majority, the originals are just better.
I’ll start with my all-time favorite movie, “The Wizard of Oz.” Some may be shocked to hear that this incredible classic movie is a remake of a 1910 silent film. Like I said earlier, there is always an exception to the rules and this is by far the best example of that. The 1939 version is the one everyone knows and has seen and it received some impressive reviews and ratings; a 4/4 from Roger Ebert, 8.1/10 from IMDb and 99% from Rotten Tomatoes. Needless to say, this movie is timeless and will be a classic for many years to come and who knows, maybe one day it will get remade—not just reimagined.
Hopefully all of us have seen the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It is the movie about the poor boy who wins the golden ticket to the famous candy factory. This movie had every kid wishing they had a golden ticket, so they too could live the dream of visiting a massive candy factory. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was the product of this remake which took place in 2005 and starred the very talented Johnny Depp. Now this is where the rule of remakes not living up to the classics comes into play, at least for me. I watched both versions. Although I love Johnny Depp and the liveliness of the new version, I would choose the original in a heartbeat. Other people and critics seem agree with me on this according to the ratings on IMDB.
“Annie” is a childhood favorite of many parents and because of this they force us as kids to watch it as some sort of tradition. Shirley Temple starred in this 1982 classic film about an orphan who lives an odd life and eventually gets adopted by a millionaire. In 2014 they revamped this movie, and it was kind of a big deal. I know a lot of people who actually love the newer one. I, on the hand, do not really care for it. I think it was overrated and the ratings received from IMDB were not so hot. It received a 5.2/10 on the well-known site.
A Nightmare on Elm Street takes the cake for the worse revamped movie. This 1984 Wes Craven film was remade and hit the big screens in 2010. I was actually super excited that this horror classic was being remade for my generation. Unfortunately, I was beyond disappointed. Do not get me wrong, I enjoyed watching this movie, but I hated it all at the same time. It did not do the original film justice at all and was a sad attempt for money. I can rant on for hours about this one, but I will skip to the movies that are said to have upcoming remakes.
I never watched the classic Disney princess movies as a young girl. Actually I just began to watch them last year. While I would consider Cinderella my favorite simply because of her story, I also loved Beauty and the Beast. This Disney film was released in 1991 and instantly became a hit. The new version is said to hit screens in 2017. Harry Potter star Emma Watson has been chosen to be the beautiful princess Belle.
Aside from childhood classics, an all-time classic and personal favorite, Grease was recently revamped. This 1978 film was not remade in the traditional sense. While this may sound cheesy, I will always be hopelessly devoted to the original Grease simply because this is one original that will always without its title for being a classic and a great one at that.
The last movie that is for sure being remade is also one of my favorite movies of all time, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This 1975 cult classic film is supposedly being released this year and as of right now I’m indifferent about it but I can tell me more than likely will not like it. The one thing I am excited about this film is that Tim Curry, the original Frank-N-Furter will be making an appearance once again.
There are many other films that are said to be getting remade, such as Drop Dead Fred, Dumbo, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventures, and the famous horror classic IT. These are still rumors and not set in stone but it just goes to show you how many movies Hollywood is revamping.
Many remakes become people’s favorites, I stick by the motto that they are not better than the originals. Classic films are classics for a reason, they are timeless and thus not to be ruined by sad remakes. Nevertheless, remember that there is always an exception to every rule.
