First off, thanks to all the folks who are hosting this fun blogfest: Alex J. Cavanaugh, Stephen Tremp, Father Dragon Al and Livia Peterson. And to the rest of you out there, you still have time to sign up if you want to participate! Just click on any of those links above & head on over to the linky list.
You know, I've realised I don't really have much to say on this topic, mostly because I haven't seen the most well-known remakes, or else haven't seen the originals of well-known remakes, so I have a really pathetic knowledge-base to draw from. In fact, there is a grand total of three remake-original pairs I have seen (at least from this list on Wikipedia) that I am drawing from for this blogfest. ;)
So, without further ado, here goes:
Best movie remake:
The Amityville Horror - it isn't all that spectacular, but of the remakes/originals I've seen, this is the one that just barely nudges into first place.
Worst movie remake:
And I'm sort of cheating because this is a tie:
Total Recall - while I know that Arnie's version is extremely cheesy in some ways, it is outta my childhood and I just love it. When I saw the remake, I had a harder time feelin' the lurve. It had its good parts, sure, but it was disappointing as well (i.e. no Mars???).
tied with
Footloose - the new one wasn't terrible, I don't think, at least from what I remember while watching it bleary-eyed on a really long plane trip. But I just can't love it more than the Kevin Bacon version.
So, there you go - my somewhat lame entry for the Best & Worst Remakes blogfest. ;)
I was similar when I sat down to write, realizing that I don't generally watch remakes. So, it's not really surprising to me that I have seen all of the originals you mention and none of the remakes.
ReplyDeleteRhonda from Laugh Quotes
I agree with you on your worsts. Kevin Bacon Footloose was soooo much better.
ReplyDeleteLoved Kevin Bacon in footloose and the orignal Total Recall is awesome!
ReplyDeleteHeard bad stuff about Footloose remake. Thanks for sharing your choices.
ReplyDeleteI don't watch a huge amount of modern movies either, so I'm right there with you. I'm mostly familiar with remakes from the silent and early sound era.
ReplyDeleteTrisha-
ReplyDeletePicking a worst remake was harder for me than picking a best.
There are so many to choose from, and most are simply unnecessary...and usually NOT an improvement.
Larry
i enjoyed total recall and footloose simply bec. i never watched the original:)
ReplyDeleteNutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
I love the original Footloose!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your choices! I saw the first Amityville Horror in the theaters and thought it was scary - until I saw it again about ten years ago and realized it was awful. The remake was really good though.
ReplyDeleteTotal Recall - all cheese and all fun.
Thanks for participating in our blogfest!
Footloose has appeared in many lists today. I really didn't even watch it as I loved Kevin Bacon's Footloose and thought it was difficult anyone could match that. Thanks for participating!
ReplyDeleteOops, I can't make any intelligent comments on your picks. I never watched either Amityville (not my thing). I didn't like the first Total Recall enough to watch the remake. And I liked the original Footloose too much to watch the remake. But I'll take your word on all three.
ReplyDeleteThe new FOOTLOOSE was really bad; can't beat the original. I liked the world-building in the TOTAL RECALL reboot, but it was missing Arnold.
ReplyDeleteI was going to so this blogfest, but then I realized I had no idea what I would write, so I skipped it. Of your choices, I've only seen both Footlooses. Would you believe I've never seen any of the other four?
ReplyDeleteTotal Recall's remake was horrible. I just watched it a few months ago. Why remake the Arnold classics?!
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen the newest Footloose. Just can't bring myself to do it. The first one is good enough for me :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting! I saw all the originals and none of the remakes. Suppose I didn't have the nerve. In fact, I'm having to gather my courage to see The Great Gatsby remake, and I didn't even care that much for the earlier versions.
ReplyDeleteVR Barkowski
Yeah, I was less than impressed with Total Recall. It was just a different kind of weird. And I've heard others who weren't happy with the remake of Footloose.
ReplyDeleteHi Trish. I missed this blogfest, but I keep running into it. I think remakes usually suit the audience of the era better, not always. I'm sure The Great Gatsby is going to be the greatest remake ever!
ReplyDeleteDenise
The new Total Recall looked so bad. I love the original even though it was cheesy. I need to see The Amityville Horror. It's been on my list for a long time.
ReplyDeleteI just watched the new Total Recall last night (again). It's not bad. Not great, either. But I'd say on the same plane as Arnold's...
ReplyDeleteI've not seen the new Footloose and didn't hear any good things about it.
M.L. Swift, Writer
How can you top Kevin Bacon? Seriously!
ReplyDeleteThe original Footloose was great! I agree with J. A.—there's no one like Kevin Bacon. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by this morning. The blitz is a great surprise. ☺
HA! I've seen all those originals and none of the remakes... I tend to assume remakes are annoying *shifty* I can see room for improvement, though, with Amityville Horror--that was such a fabulous book--one of a handful that really made me a horror fan when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen any of these remakes. I loved Arnold's Total Recall. Guess I'll check out the remake someday.
ReplyDeleteLee
Wrote By Rote
An A to Z Co-host blog
Hi, I'm stopping by from last Friday's best/worst remake, that I completely forgot about. So, I didn't get to participate, but if I had, Footloose ranked at the top of my worst remake.
ReplyDelete