Welcome to Gaia! ::

News of 2 Remakes:



The John Carpenter classic, Escape From New York, is to be directed by Len Wiseman, director of Live free or Die Hard, and the Underworld movies, with Gerald Butler of 300 fame to be the iconic Snake Plissken. What do you guys think of these choices?

Bonus: Warner Brothers has announced that they are going to remake
Enter the Dragon. Who would you see direct and star in it?

Now let me come out and say i think neither of these movies should be made, both are cinema classics. The thing with classics is they are timeless, one of a kind. What would the art community think if the Louvre Directors decided to re-do the Mona Lisa because its a little old?

I know I'd s**t bricks if they completely redid the original Star Wars Trilogy.

That being said i think Wiseman is a horrible choice, he made on good movie (Die Hard) one decent move (Underworld) and one HORRIBLE movie (Underworld 2: the angry were-smurfpire strikes back!)

Gerard Butler on the other hand I think is a decent choice, altho he has only been in a few movies. 300 and a dvd only release of Beowulf, which i have not see. I felt he did a good job in 300, not a great job but a good one. I felt he yelled too much, which at first made you think that hes tuff, angry and scary, but after 2 hours of cinema it got a little annoying and lost its effect.

Butler could pull off a decent Plissken but no-one can stand in Russel's shadow. As a whole i feel the whole film will not be able to overcome the high standard of the original.

Now for Enter The Dragon, i don't know who is directing it to tell you the truth, and as i stated earlier it shouldn't even be something to think about. some movies are art and should not be touched. Now if i did have to chose an actor for this role, the only acceptable actor would be Brandon Lee, he could never have replaced Bruce but it would be an acceptable sub to honor the memory of his father. however that isn't possible as Brandon died while filming The Crow. I'll keep an eye out for more info on the Enter the Dragon remake (which they are going to call Awaken The Dragon) and keep y'all posted. sorry don't have much to say on this one, I'm still just too shocked they are actually doing it.

Officer Thunderpunch is not pleased!

While I think those within the film industry should be seeking more creative heights then simply remaking old films, classics or not, the idea of a remake is over all not that terrible in my opinion. A film being remade isn't even close to the same amount of stupid/horror if a book was re-written. Plays have various runs that chance in setting, feel, actors and the like all the time, since the beginning of entertainment.

Then again, if someone wanted to remake The Godfather, The Gold Rush, or To Kill a Mocking Bird- that'd be horrifying. Highly valued, loved, and culturally "important" films do not need, nor should they be, remade in my opinion. And usually such films are left alone. The only one I can think of right now that I felt shouldn't have even been considered was The Manchurian Candidate. The 1962 original did not need a 'face lift' to be relevant to today's political climate as the overall theme of the film is still relevant. The only thing that changed was the cast- a drone less vehicle for big talent to try their hand at now admired roles/characters.

But B or cult films getting remade? Sure, why not?

I mean, I'm excited for the Death Race 2000 remake if it ever actually gets made. I wanna see what the hell that's gonna be like. The original film is most certainly a cult film but it's just downright horrid. If a remake of it was taken in a self-acknowledgment kind of way or altered to be "good", either would be interesting.

I can't say I have an opinion about a Bruce Lee remake as I myself am not a fan. Its doubtful I'll see the remake.

However, if The Sound of Music was remade with like Hilary Duff or something I'd about pee myself. So I get where you're coming from. Respect towards the original, if it is a highly valued work by many (and God knows Bruce Lee films are), should be treated with sensitivity to fans expectations and wants.

I actually would prefer something new as opposed to a carbon copy of Bruce's style. If I was a member of Bruce's family I would feel more insulted if they brought in someone who does exactly what Bruce did as opposed to someone like Jaa who would take it in his own direction.

What made Bruce spectacular was his style was fresh, gave Westerners a whole new genre of action. Tony Jaa embodies near the same spirit. Where we all got use to Jet Li, Jackie Chan, and other Martial Arts Actors who's styles hail from China, all of a sudden here comes Jaa straight out of Thailand with his hybrid style of Muay Thai and Gymnastics. It's different, it's exciting, and it’s exactly what Bruce was in his prime.

I have mixed feelings when people talk about 'dead men's legacies' because on one hand; I understand why people wouldn't be to hot on the idea of remixing a dead mans work...but on the other hand; I see people who have either completely forgot about Bruce or have never even heard of him before. The remaking can be viewed with two very different set of spectacles...one person may see it as exploiting the legacy of a legend...another person can see it as a tribute to the man who made Martial Arts films what it is today.