Hollywood’s REMAKEitous Epidemic Continues….
By: Jessie Tooker
There is an old saying “Everything eventually comes back in style,” and apparently that adage not only applies to clothes but films as well. Lately, there has been a bombardment of remakes of films and television shows. I for one am baffled by this sudden surge of renewed interest in these stories. Are there really so few original ideas left in Hollywood that they must resort not only to sequels, but outright regurgitations of the originals? The machine that is Hollywood has begun to pump out carbon copies of the films of yesteryear in order to make a quick buck. The sad part is they are not even coming close to the originals.
One of the most anticipated movies of 2011 was the remake of the 1980s classic dance film, “Footloose.” I must admit, I was one of the many eagerly awaiting its release, and as many others I was sadly disappointed. While the first few minutes appeared promising, the scenes and dialogue became increasingly familiar to the point that one feels as if they had time travelled back to 1984. There were points in the film where it appeared that the actors were actually trying to copy Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer, and they were successful. I am no movie critic, and I am sure that there are many people who enjoyed this unprecedented homage to their teen years, but in my opinion, it is a complete and total waste of perfectly good film.
While there are countless other “hand me down” films being made, this practice is not limited to the film industry. Television is beginning to become just as “original” as their cinematic counterparts, and it is becoming hard to distinguish which is the worst of the two evils. It is no secret that television has become increasingly predictable over the last few years. It seems that no matter what channel one turns to, the same reality-based shows are on. However lately it is not reality that reigns supreme, but nostalgia. In years past, one had to turn to such channels as TV Land or the Hallmark Channel in order to enjoy television hits of years past, but now one can enjoy such classics as Hawaii Five-0 or the more recent “Beverly Hills 90210” on their regular network channels.
Now, before anyone runs to on their televisions, understand it is not the show we remember. It is a “new and improved” version for the new millennium. Networks have taken beloved classics and modernized them in order to make them relevant to today’s viewers, or so they say. Sure, the clothes and cars have changed, but the story lines have not. Anyone who was not living under a rock in the 1990s is familiar with the phenomenon that was Beverly Hills 90210. If any of the most casual viewers of the show tuned in to the CW’s 2008 version of the show, 90210, they would probably think they travelled back to 1990 and not much has changed since we said “Aloha to Hawaii” but the clothes.
All in all, television is falling into the same pattern of unoriginality as that of films. It is obvious that both the film and television industries owe much of their recent success not to their own creative abilities but to those who have come before them. So, before viewers rush off to see the latest film, or hurry home to watch their favorite new show, they should ask their mom first. She could probably tell them about it.
There is an old saying “Everything eventually comes back in style,” and apparently that adage not only applies to clothes but films as well. Lately, there has been a bombardment of remakes of films and television shows. I for one am baffled by this sudden surge of renewed interest in these stories. Are there really so few original ideas left in Hollywood that they must resort not only to sequels, but outright regurgitations of the originals? The machine that is Hollywood has begun to pump out carbon copies of the films of yesteryear in order to make a quick buck. The sad part is they are not even coming close to the originals.
One of the most anticipated movies of 2011 was the remake of the 1980s classic dance film, “Footloose.” I must admit, I was one of the many eagerly awaiting its release, and as many others I was sadly disappointed. While the first few minutes appeared promising, the scenes and dialogue became increasingly familiar to the point that one feels as if they had time travelled back to 1984. There were points in the film where it appeared that the actors were actually trying to copy Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer, and they were successful. I am no movie critic, and I am sure that there are many people who enjoyed this unprecedented homage to their teen years, but in my opinion, it is a complete and total waste of perfectly good film.
While there are countless other “hand me down” films being made, this practice is not limited to the film industry. Television is beginning to become just as “original” as their cinematic counterparts, and it is becoming hard to distinguish which is the worst of the two evils. It is no secret that television has become increasingly predictable over the last few years. It seems that no matter what channel one turns to, the same reality-based shows are on. However lately it is not reality that reigns supreme, but nostalgia. In years past, one had to turn to such channels as TV Land or the Hallmark Channel in order to enjoy television hits of years past, but now one can enjoy such classics as Hawaii Five-0 or the more recent “Beverly Hills 90210” on their regular network channels.
Now, before anyone runs to on their televisions, understand it is not the show we remember. It is a “new and improved” version for the new millennium. Networks have taken beloved classics and modernized them in order to make them relevant to today’s viewers, or so they say. Sure, the clothes and cars have changed, but the story lines have not. Anyone who was not living under a rock in the 1990s is familiar with the phenomenon that was Beverly Hills 90210. If any of the most casual viewers of the show tuned in to the CW’s 2008 version of the show, 90210, they would probably think they travelled back to 1990 and not much has changed since we said “Aloha to Hawaii” but the clothes.
All in all, television is falling into the same pattern of unoriginality as that of films. It is obvious that both the film and television industries owe much of their recent success not to their own creative abilities but to those who have come before them. So, before viewers rush off to see the latest film, or hurry home to watch their favorite new show, they should ask their mom first. She could probably tell them about it.