REMAKES??? AGAIN? I MEAN, AGAIN, AGAIN?!!

wcmartell said:
Did you miss when AVATAR made Empire Magazine's list of Ten Unproduced Screenplays in 2005? Or when some other mag listed it as Top Ten Unproduced Screenplays back in 2000? No graphics involved there - just words on the page.

I think it is easy to miss quality in stories told visually, because the images work on your subcinscious rather than your conscious. Most people "get it" - even though they do not know how or why they get it. The images - the visual storytelling - is the job of the screenwriter. It is not called "audio track writer".

If you are arguing against sequels and remakes you are arguing *for* original films like AVATAR which are not only popular with those folks who buy tickets, but popular with all of the major film critics and also gets nominated for screenplays and best film Oscars. Quality and popular.

- Bill
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Uh oh, I knew this would happen. I can't go ten feet without finding an "Avatar" fan who is willing to jump on me. For some reason I usually get the feeling that they want to harm me. "Avatar" is like a religion and the fans are the crusaders.

Just because I argue against sequels and remakes doesn't mean I argue *for*, as you put it, ALL original films. I am arguing *for* good films. I have nothing against sequels if they are part of a pre-planned series and not a decision made after the success of the first film. I am a boycotter of remakes, because they need hardly any originality at all. What I am mostly arguing against is how graphics destroyed the award winning unproduced screenplay. Do you think that everyone who saw "Avatar" walked away from that movie saying "That was very well written". When it first came out, I asked people what it was about. Nobody could come up with a better answer than, "There are these blue people that we fight with on another planet". The graphics basically made the average movie-goer deaf. They just stared at the pretty pictures in 3D and then walked away thinking it was the best movie EVER.

I disagree with "Avatar" being original. After all, it was just "The Last of the Mohicans" with blue people. And as for the 3D, there was no purpose for it but to have higher ticket prices and make the audience jump back when something pops out at you.

Back to the discussion of sequels, "Avatar" had such success at the box office, I did a little research and found out that an "Avatar 2" is being made. That wasn't planned back in 199-whatever when he wrote the original. Really original. Sequels are just another way of commercializing a beautiful art and trying to squeeze every bit of money out of it as you can.
 
droowl said:
I disagree with "Avatar" being original. After all, it was just "The Last of the Mohicans" with blue people.
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Ok, I have to disagree! It was definitely Ferngully smashed together with Pocahontas with blue people. But I agree completely not original and IMO a P.O.S. movie that made a ridiculous amount of money on middle America and people who like to be bashed over the head with meaning instead of finding the meaning through thought provoking story.
 
There have always been remakes.
Today is no different.

The problem is the current generation of writers (as a whole) are vapid,
and have no real new stories to tell.

Ten years from now, there will still be remakes,
but there might be a ton of really good originals for a change.

Don't blame the studios either.
If you don't see them on screen, it's because there aren't any good scripts to shoot.
 
Pixar is the only studio coming out with completely original material, with excellent stories. That's why their profit is huge. If more studios looked to Pixar as a company to mirror, the movies being made today would rule the world. But they don't.

One of the best examples of remaking classics is Rob Zombie. Every movie he's made SUCKS. His gore is unoriginal, and the word fuck is used in place of any kind of storytelling. There's nothing there. But, he spends fifteen million to make this crap, and they always come in at least forty million in box-office. That's a success. He hasn't had a loser. Yet everyone of his movies is a remake and sucks. His name and marketing is GOLD. Why would he change?

Since most studios just want to turn some kind of profit, they'll settle for the Zombie way of film-making. Give the audience something quick, with lots of flash and no substance.

You had the studio regimes back from the 20s - 50s, which were constantly competing to win audiences, and these people knew the worth of a great story. That's why there's so many classics.

The 60s - 80s were a time when the markets broke open and you still have great studio product, but also outstanding independent cinema.

The 90s is when money and CGI became more important then story.

Nowadays with people watching movies on their crappy computer screens, and little 3" blackberry monitors, Hollywood doesn't know what the hell to do. But, good storytelling was lost a decade ago. Every once in a blue moon it pops up its head and a classic is born.
 
You guys make good points but I don't believe cinema will die as an art form. People will still be making indie flicks. Not to mention maybe the whole CGI/3-D may be a fad. It could change and suddenly people start making smart movies. Just don't be waiting for a day when every movie will be an original piece.

One last note: Original movies will still be coming out even if CGI/3D almost take over. Maybe they will be using the CGI/3D to their advantage, maybe not. But original films can't be stopped completely. Some of you may not agree but I think the movie "Inception" looks extremely original. Not only does the story sound enthralling but you got Christopher Nolan as the Command and Chief on the project. Nolan is one of the most original mainstream guys out there.

Maybe Inception will start up a trend of movies with depth...probably not, but it's a hope. Of course it isn't the messiah of movies, other great movies will still be coming out. But possibly just one film might be able to turn things around. Whether it's Inception, I doubt it. Looks great but I dont think it's can create miracles.

Once again, I don't think cinema can die. Even studios can make mistakes, but they could be good mistakes. They might slip up and say "Hey this film isn't like all the other crap we produced." and make more.



Now I'm going to stop my rant.
 
I've seen trailers for Inception. It looks interesting.

Avatar's story wasn't very original, but I'll give it to them for creating something to look at. The effects were spectacular and everything said about that part of the movie I'll agree with. The story, however, wasn't particularly original. It was Pocahontas or The Last Samauri or whatever.


-- spinner :cool:
 
Jijenji said:
The problem is the current generation of writers (as a whole) are vapid,
and have no real new stories to tell...

Don't blame the studios either.
If you don't see them on screen, it's because there aren't any good scripts to shoot.
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Are you trying to bait controversy? All due respect, my friend, but this is a CROCK!

I happen to be a writer of original material. I know you haven't seen any of my stuff so you can't make a subjective call as to its worth, but my scripts have been taken to the major studios my some of the biggest production companies in Hollywood, so there must be something there. However, the studios refused to option them, so back to square one I go.

I know I am not alone in this. I've never heard from a single writer who's made it his/her goal to crank out a POS sequel/remake/franchise adaptation. I'd be willing to bet there is a ton of good, original material out there. I agree with you that it isn't the studios' fault, but don't blame the writers! That's just unbelievably ignorant and insulting. If you want to pin blame somewhere, take a look at what audiences pay to see.
 
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droowl said:
Uh oh, I knew this would happen. I can't go ten feet without finding an "Avatar" fan who is willing to jump on me. For some reason I usually get the feeling that they want to harm me. "Avatar" is like a religion and the fans are the crusaders.
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WRONG! Not a fan at all... but also not a reactionary hater.

I am all about the facts. AVATAR - before there were blue people in 3D - made 2 Top 10 Unproduced Screenplay lists. That's a fact, Jack.

Cinemascore audience poll gave it an A grade - so you may not know anyone who really liked it, but *most people liked the film* and gave it an A grade. Cinemascore is a scientific poll, given to *all* memebres of the audience in cities across the USA.

Oh, but that's the unwashed masses... Film critics - haters by nature - gave the film really good reviews: 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. Another fact.

The film was nominated for Best Picture and Best Screenplay Oscars. More facts.

Crazy people named their children after characters in the movie... the *blue* characters! And there are classes where crazy people can learn to speak the blue people language. Seriously. These are also fact, but deal with crazy people, and like the haters, they have zerro objectivity.

All of these are facts, rather than *opinions*. You have a very nice opinion, and you are entitled to it, but just like the people who believe the earth is flat, that doesn't make it so.

The fact I left out was the number of tickets sold - #14 on the all time list (adjusted for inflation). This movie touched people on an emotional level like few other movies. That's not an accident - that ius the result of the story the film told... the same story that was chosen as one of the 10 Best Unproduced Screenplays by 2 different magazines before it had any CGI or 3D. Those are facts. Not opinions.

Oh, and many people who saw the film more than once also bought the DVD or BluRay.

Whether I like AVATAR or not does not matter at all - that is my *opinion*.

I would rather learn from this film, than put on the blinders and ignore its lessons. And I have done that - it all all kinds of great *story* and *character* lessons. You just have to open your eyes.

- Bill
 
Hollywood is under the impression that remakes already have a built-in audience, so they're more willing to produce them than something unknown.

Like Avatar. I mean, The Last Airbender.

Man, I hope Night just dies already.
 
I mean obviously an excessive amount of remakes will become annoying but not every idea for a remake it bad. In my opinion I think some movies would be fascinating in 3D to see if we could redo what they couldn't do. I'm not saying to put in mindless CGI but CGI isn't always a bad thing.

Also don't remake a movie if it is only like 20 years old, unless they tried to use excessive ammounts of CGI...no maybe not even then.
 
I voted with my wallet.

I already have my authentic Lone Ranger Eye-bandana and hat. I'm also ready to camp out for tickets.

Think Val Kilmer will star in Real Genius?

lol...
 
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