Classic Sci Fi Movies to NEVER Remake

[fringey]

With all of the talk about re-makes like Logan's Run and I Am Legend, what sci fi classics do you think should forever remain untouched by a remade version.

The one that springs to my mind first is Forbidden Planet. This is a true classic that doing a remake of it could only mean disaster. While the effects are not close to the standards of today, the only reason to doa remake of it would be for better effects and that is never a good enough reason. The performances were outstanding, the effects, for their time, were unbelieveable, and the story is pure genius. Of course, this is just my opinion, but I can't see anyone making a better movie than it already is. Why remake a movie if you can't make it better?

I remember reading about a proposed remake of this a couple of years ago and then reading an article from Harlan Ellison about what a travesty this would be. His thinking was that, instead of doing a remake, maybe doa sequel where there was more exploration of the glimspe we got into the world of the Krell so far underneath Altair 4. Or maybe even a prequel about how the Krell were led to their destruction by the creation of the creature from the Id. Neither of these was an idea he really wanted to see done, but a far better idea than ruining the original. I agree with Harlan wholeheartedly about this.

Of course, it has been about four years since there has been any discussion by New Line, or anyone else, about a new version, so maybe it will never happen. Then again, with the lack of originality out of Hollywood these days, it is not an impossibility. What other films can you think of that a remake could only destroy?

Patrick
a.k.a. Fringey, The Fringe Element
"A life lived without passion is a life not lived.

[cooky37]

I saw a simelar interview with Ellerson. and i agree.
it's too late for Planet of the Apes or War Of the worlds. I would rather watch the origional versions than the remakes.

I hope they Never remake The Day the Earth stood still. Some times the Cheesy effects help the story and that is what makes them Classics

but you never know, someone out there may be able to do the story Justice. But i doubt it

Will someone shut that man up
NEVER!

[scryer41]

Ummm... how about PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE! Hey, it's a classic is it not? LOL

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Across the Sands of Time, along the Shores of Life, the Traveler rides on. For he knows his journey ends in lovers meeting.

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Beware the beast Man for he is the Devil's pawn.
Alone among God's primates, he kills for sport, or ----, or greed.
Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother's land.
Let him not breed in great numbers, for he will make a desert out of his home and yours.
Shun him. Drive him back into his jungle lair.
For he is the harbinger of death.

The Sacred Scrolls: 29th Scroll, 6th Verse

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Visit my website at www.angelfire.com/oh5/scryer41 to see my art, poems, short stories and photos.

[fringey]

scryer41 wrote: Ummm... how about PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE! Hey, it's a classic is it not? LOL



Actually, I have plans of my own for remaking Plan 9. As amusical extravaganza. I bet you think I am kidding, but I am not. I heard there WAS already one musical attempt, but don't have any details on it.

Patrick
a.k.a. Fringey, The Fringe Element
"A life lived without passion is a life not lived.

[scryer41]

Hmmmm. Why do I see Shades of Rocky Horror in your plan.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Across the Sands of Time, along the Shores of Life, the Traveler rides on. For he knows his journey ends in lovers meeting.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beware the beast Man for he is the Devil's pawn.
Alone among God's primates, he kills for sport, or ----, or greed.
Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother's land.
Let him not breed in great numbers, for he will make a desert out of his home and yours.
Shun him. Drive him back into his jungle lair.
For he is the harbinger of death.

The Sacred Scrolls: 29th Scroll, 6th Verse

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit my website at www.angelfire.com/oh5/scryer41 to see my art, poems, short stories and photos.

[cooky37]

How firmly was the casts Tongue in its Cheek for these musicals

Will someone shut that man up
NEVER!

[scryer41]

The Thing by Carpenter was done well, wasn't it. It was a vast inprovement to the story. As for Body Snatchers, I liked the remake, but still felt the original was better.

Plenty of remakes could be made. Rocketship X-M comes to mind. I think it would be a nice nostalgia film. Voyage To A Prehistoric Planet or Planet Of Vampires might be done better today.

I wouldn't want to see The Day The Earth Stood Still done again. It's just perfect the way it is.

What about the Quatormass films? There's some that managed to get shown over in the states. One was called 5 Million Years To Earth I think. That would definately be a good remake if done right.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Across the Sands of Time, along the Shores of Life, the Traveler rides on. For he knows his journey ends in lovers meeting.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beware the beast Man for he is the Devil's pawn.
Alone among God's primates, he kills for sport, or ----, or greed.
Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother's land.
Let him not breed in great numbers, for he will make a desert out of his home and yours.
Shun him. Drive him back into his jungle lair.
For he is the harbinger of death.

The Sacred Scrolls: 29th Scroll, 6th Verse

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit my website at www.angelfire.com/oh5/scryer41 to see my art, poems, short stories and photos.

[fringey]

scryer41 wrote: Hmmmm. Why do I see Shades of Rocky Horror in your plan.

.

You caught me. That is EXACTLY the plan!

Patrick
a.k.a. Fringey, The Fringe Element
"A life lived without passion is a life not lived.

[fringey]

scryer41 wrote: The Thing by Carpenter was done well, wasn't it. It was a vast inprovement to the story. As for Body Snatchers, I liked the remake, but still felt the original was better.

Plenty of remakes could be made. Rocketship X-M comes to mind. I think it would be a nice nostalgia film. Voyage To A Prehistoric Planet or Planet Of Vampires might be done better today.

I wouldn't want to see The Day The Earth Stood Still done again. It's just perfect the way it is.

What about the Quatormass films? There's some that managed to get shown over in the states. One was called 5 Million Years To Earth I think. That would definately be a good remake if done right.



To Scryrer, Jamie, and Cooky,

I do believe some NOVELS could be remade better than the original film versions. The Thing is a prime example of that. Although I still love the original version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers best, the remake IS a superior film. I just love all the anti-communist messages that the original film thinly disguises. It is a slice of a time in history that just works brilliantly.

Jamie can correct me if I am wrong, but I think there was a new version, for television, of one of the Quartermass novels in the UK in the last couple of years. I have never seen two of the original Quartermass films, but one of them is coming from Netflix as we speak. The 5 Million Years to Earth mentioned was originally Quartermass and The Pit, I believe, which is also on it's way from Netflix, surprisingly available under the originally UK title. That is the only one I have seen that I recall. Can anyone tell me the other US titles for the other two? I have only been able to find two of them on Netflix under their original titles.

Patrick
a.k.a. Fringey, The Fringe Element
"A life lived without passion is a life not lived.

[fringey]

I knew you would have the skinny, Jamie. You are a very helpful guy to have around! I may have to invest in a region free DVD player so I can get all this stuff that isn't available in R1 format.

I looked up the U.S. versions of the titles on IMDB. The Quartermass Xperiment became, ta da!, the The Quartermass Experiment. LOL Quartermass 2 became Quartermass II:Enemy From Space or just Enemy from Space. Of course, as already mentioned, Quatermass and The Pit became Five Million Years to Earth.

I think I may have seen Quartermass 2 after all, as the plot synopsis very familiar. I may even have it on DVD under another title. I have got to look through my DVDs and see if I can find it.



Patrick
a.k.a. Fringey, The Fringe Element
"A life lived without passion is a life not lived.

[iswallowedabug (deleted)]

I LOVE the 1993 version. It wasn't the best, but it was
fun.

And Meg Tilly's chilling delivery of the line "Where you gonna go, where
you gonna run, where you gonna hide? Nowhere... 'cause there's no one
like you left" still brings me chills.

[fringey]

iswallowedabug wrote: I LOVE the 1993 version. It wasn't the best, but it was
fun.

And Meg Tilly's chilling delivery of the line "Where you gonna go, where
you gonna run, where you gonna hide? Nowhere... 'cause there's no one
like you left" still brings me chills.






That works well and is very creepy. Plus, the end with Donald Sutherland just pointing and doing the screehcing creeped me out too. As Jamie says, the version with Gabrielle Anwar was good, too. I guess it just goes to prove that, with people who can respect the source material, a film CAN be remade well. Which begs the question of why more people can't respect the source material. The new version with Nicole Kidman worries me because they seem to be trying to distance themselves from the other three movies quite a bit, even losing "bodysnatchers" from the title. At least if it is bad, the title change could be a good thing.

Patrick
a.k.a. Fringey, The Fringe Element
"A life lived without passion is a life not lived.

[fringey]

jamie77 wrote: Of course there are many films that improve upon the original source material. I am thinking in particular of The Midwich Cuckoos and The Village of The Damned. The film's decision to actually have Zellaby as 'father' to one of the children as opposed to grandfather in John Wyndham's original novel creates a much more emotionally resonant story. The ending is much improved too as we get to see Zellaby final confrontation with the children and that wonderful image of the wall; in contrast to the book where his son in law is the narrator and we get his description of a distant explosion. Of course the film sadly provided the basis for an inferior remake. Though the original had a inferior sequel too.





Although the sequel, Children Of The Damned, IS inferior to the original, it is still a movie I very much enjoyed. It was another one of those stories born out of the Cold War paranoia that just really worked for me. It would make a nice double feature with the original Bodysnatchers or Colossus: The Forbin project.

Patrick
a.k.a. Fringey, The Fringe Element
"A life lived without passion is a life not lived.

[cooky37]

You know, this reminds me of a few movies loosly based on old TV shows and movies that.... well theres no other way to say.....SUCKED. the only problem is they weren't sci fi first was cheaper by the dozen. other than having 12 kids there was little to do with the origional. they could have called it The Baker's Dozen. the Second was the Honeymooners. Cedric The entertainer is good, but he's no Gleason.

Will someone shut that man up
NEVER!

[fringey]

cooky37 wrote: You know, this reminds me of a few movies loosly based on old TV shows and movies that.... well theres no other way to say.....SUCKED. the only problem is they weren't sci fi first was cheaper by the dozen. other than having 12 kids there was little to do with the origional. they could have called it The Baker's Dozen. the Second was the Honeymooners. Cedric The entertainer is good, but he's no Gleason.

Will someone shut that man up
NEVER!

"Lost in Space" was a poor attmept at remaking a sci fi show, as was "Thunderbirds". There have been some good ones, like "The Brady Bunch", "Charlie's Angels", and "The Addams Family", but most have just been lame. "Sgt. Bilko"" and "Car 54 Where Are You?" spring to mind.

Patrick
a.k.a. Fringey, The Fringe Element
"A life lived without passion is a life not lived.