# What Movies SHOULD Be Remade? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 9, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571 "2009-01-09T19:49:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![SunSandSuffering](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@SunSandSuffering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunSandSuffering)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/61 "2009-01-13T13:30:12Z")
[Night](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069005/) of the [Lepus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Lepus). [Review](http://www.horrordvds.com/viewarticle.php?articleid=299). ---
**Author:** ![JoeSki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b487fb/32.png) [@JoeSki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeSki)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/62 "2009-01-13T14:22:44Z")
I’d like to see more westerns done in a contemporary setting, like Gran Torino. We can use these for starts… [ul] [li]Magnificent Seven / Seven Samurai[/li][li]A Fistful of Dollars / Yojimbo[/li][li] The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly[/li][li]High Noon[/li][/ul] Can you imagine The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly being redone in modern day Afghanistan? Tuco would be a local scoundrel, Angel Eyes a corrupt US General, and Blondie a mercenary/bounty hunter. I think it could work extremely well if the right director was found. I’d also like to see Phillip Marlowe come back to the screen and to actually resemble the Phillip Marlowe from Chandler’s books. Catch 22. Awesome book, choppy, lame movie. More relevant than ever. It’s time to open it back up. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/63 "2009-01-13T14:43:17Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I was thinking **Rope** might be the best Hitchcock film to remake. I love the original, but a remake would be interesting without the gimmicky camera techniques. They could get away with a much larger gay subplot today. Too bad the [1993 British production](http://www.johnbarrowman.com/stage/rope.shtml) of _Rope_ is not available on film. It starred John Barrowman, Alexis Denisoff & Anthony Head. By following the link at the page, one may read reviews of the production. They apparently “got away” with quite a bit… Would the cast be available for a film? ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/64 "2009-01-13T14:45:17Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Thought of another one: [The Warriors](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080120/), a cult film from the 70’s. > > The concept is great, and the gang violence is pretty compelling, but there are also some distracting flaws in the execution: the extremely dated costumes, hair styles, and look of New York; the overwrought “Warriors, come out and play!” sequence; and some depictions of blacks that border on “blaxpliotation.” Done with modern filmmaking techniques, it could be awesome! [It’s being done.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0423512/) I’d vote for _Hopscotch_. On the minus side, it’s a cold war thriller/comedy, which means it could be updated to today’s time - the cold war may not be raging, but we still have spies. Walter Matthau was great as Miles Kendig, with his sad basset hound eyes, so he’d be difficult to cast but it could be done. Another minus is the very dated costumes, so it’s ripe for an update. In fact, I can see a new version as sort of a “The Bourne Retirement”, if humor were injected into the Bourne stories. Lose the horrible band from the seaside club, but keep the line from Myerson: “Now I know what the FBI stands for: Fucking Ball-busting Imbeciles!” [Hopscotch link](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080889/) ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/65 "2009-01-13T16:17:42Z")
I’d like to see good film versions of “West Side Story” and “South Pacific”. I did not find either of these to be successful adaptations. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/66 "2009-01-13T16:39:28Z")
[Memoirs of an Invisible Man](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104850/). Needs to be more sci-fi drama like the book, not a Chevy Chase romantic comedy. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/67 "2009-01-13T17:03:49Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Thought of another one: [The Warriors](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080120/), a cult film from the 70’s. > > The concept is great, and the gang violence is pretty compelling, but there are also some distracting flaws in the execution: the extremely dated costumes, hair styles, and look of New York; the overwrought “Warriors, come out and play!” sequence; and some depictions of blacks that border on “blaxpliotation.” Done with modern filmmaking techniques, it could be awesome! I disagree. I’m really against remaking great cult films. It’s like when they remade Shaft with Samuel L Jackson. Or Deathrace 2000 as Deathrace with Jason Statham. The originals are great because they are products of the time period when they were made. NYC as a lawless wasteland. The cheesy synth soundtrack. The whole 70s vibe. The remakes just become forgettable action flicks. “Borders on blaxploitation”? CAAAAAAANNNNN YOOOOOOOOOOOOU DIIIG-IIIIIT!!? ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/68 "2009-01-13T20:31:20Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > I said this once before in a previous thread: **Sunset Boulevard** only with nudity. The original, great as it is, was forced by the standards of the era to minimize the fact that Bill Holden’s character was sexing Gloria Swanson’s character. > The modern remake should feature an aging female star as Miss Desmond. She should obviously be past the first flower of youth while still having a fap-worthy body…which we should get to see frequently in hot (softcore) sex scenes. There are many women in Hollywood whom I can see being great in the role. > Who to replace Bill Holden, though? For awhile I thought that if they absolutely _had_ to remake **Sunset Boulevard** , they should set in the music industry and have the two main roles gender-switched. The now-male “Norma Desmond” character would be a reclusive has-been rock star–sort of a composite of Bob Dylan, Phil Spector, and (especially) Elvis in his last years–and the now-female “Jo Gillis” would be a struggling singer-songwriter who gets involved with him with ultimately tragic results. However, given that Phil Spector’s own life now resembles the plot of **Sunset Boulevard** (complete with a violent death), it’s obvious reality has upstaged things. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/69 "2009-01-13T21:19:23Z")
_They Live_? The origional had an 80’s feel to it, I dunno…I’d be tempted though. Or CHUD? Though it would likely be butchered. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/70 "2009-01-13T21:26:11Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > (and he never says “Hulk SMASH!!” anyway) [tiny nitpick] In the Ed Norton one, he did say it [/tiny nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/71 "2009-01-13T21:31:08Z")
[TR2N trailer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPGWYAUF3v4) ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/72 "2009-01-13T21:59:17Z")
> [@JoeSki](#): > > We can use these for starts.. > > [ul] > [li]Magnificent Seven / Seven Samurai[/li][li]A Fistful of Dollars / Yojimbo[/li][li] The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly[/li][li]High Noon[/li][/ul] Let see, Magnificent Seven/Seven Samurai has already been done as a Sci-Fi movie : [Battle Beyond the Stars](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080421/). A Fistful of Dollars/Yojimbo as been done as a Prohibition-era movie : [Last Man Standing](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116830/). High Noon as already been done as a Sci-Fi movie : [Outland](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082869/). So the only one left without a remake is The Good, The Bad and The Ugly ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/73 "2009-01-13T23:10:09Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I’d really love to see that old Audrey Hepburn flick made again, what was it -? _Roman Holiday_. I positively loved that movie but while I will watch them I don’t love black and white movies. I know this is total blasphemy but I would be happy if every old movie was colorized. Sorry. I just kept picturing what her dresses looked like, and the color of her eyes, and the beautiful world she found herself in suddenly, and of coure Peck. I wanted it so badly in color… > > however I don’t think they would address it correctly. I don’t want some silly emo angsty teen, I want someone just like Audrey, so I don’t think any of the girls nowadays could do it justice, barring perhaps the young lady in Lemony Snickett. It was a perfect movie but I cannot protest too much as much to my shock the remake of Sabrina was very good. Finding someone for the lead roles would be difficult of course. I don’t think [Emily Browning](http://www.imdb.com/rg/photos-title/gallery-link/title/tt0815245/mediaindex)has the right look or voice for the part though. Don’t forget that Audrey was an unknown before Roman Holiday, they could find another unknown I’m sure. > [@silenus](#): > > **Starship Troopers** - with power armor and Heinlein’s philosophy this time. Absolutely. Just once make a Heinlein movie true to the book. It is possible and Starship Troopers should have been an easy one. > [@Sunspace](#): > > I was going to say this. > > And I’ll add his _The Puppet Masters_ as well. Give it the proper milieu as described in the novels (flying cars, etc) instead of making it contemporary with our world. Yes! > [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > _ **The Lord of the Rings** _ Too soon but I look forward to a combined HBO/BBC miniseries that is even more true to the books. > [@salinqmind](#): > > The Last Unicorn was once upon a time scheduled to be made starring Mia Farrow and Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Molly and Schmendrick the Magician. It truly, truly broke my heart when the deal fell apart, I know the animated version is still much loved, but how hard could it be to get this thing made? There’s CGI, they could put a damn horn on a beautiful white Arabian horse. There were plans for a live action Last Unicorn in the works recently but it appears to be canceled. I would like to see a remake of some flawed movies like Excalibur and Ivanhoe. I would like to see a remake of some nearly perfect but nearly forgotten classics like “The Thin Man”. ---
**Author:** ![Roadfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@Roadfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadfood)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/74 "2009-01-14T01:19:01Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > damnation alley? Modern special effects (and writing) could certainly make a better movie. But they will never be able to top the all-time best movie line in history: “This town is invested with killer cockroaches. Repeat: Killer cockroaches.” ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/75 "2009-01-14T01:22:31Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > **Reality Chuck** writes: > > I’ve said several times on this Board that the BBC adaptation (which has run on American PBS) seems to be quite faithful to the book. Unfortunately, AFAIK, it’s not commercially available (but I might be wrong. My copy is taped from TV) > > [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081850/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081850/) > > )The site shows a “BBC Video” box cover, but I don’t know how available it is. > Agree with **Starship Troopers** and **The Puppet Masters** (which wasn’t completely awful, but was worse than it should have been) > **I, Robot**. I think it should’ve been done with Harlan Ellison’s script, which had Asimov’s blessing, althgough others on the Board don’t like that. But it needs to be redone, in any case. > > **From the Earth to the Moon** – the film version of this is atrocious. > **War of the Worlds** – for God’s sake, do it right, as a period piece. > **A Connecticut Yankeee in King Arthur’s Court** – not one filmed version, out of half a dozen, resembles in any way Twain’s story. Not even Will Rogers’ version. > **Rocket Ship Galileo** – it’s the least of the Heinlein juveniles, but it’s still livelier than the vfilm ostensibly made from it, **Destination Moon**. (Even though that had a screnplay by Heinlein) > > Jules Verne’s **In Search of the Castaways** – the Disney version, sadly, isn’t all that faithful. Two Russian versions are said to be much better. The music from the older one is still very popular in Russia. If we can’t reshoot this, can we at least dub the Russian versions and release them here? > Anything by John Varley – you’d never guess he was an acclaimed science fiction writer from the filmed versions of **Millenium** , **Nightflyers** , and **Sandkings**. > **Nightfall** – after two versions, Asimov deserves a film that actually bears some resemblance to his story. > **Immortality, Inc.** (AKA **Immortality Delivered** by Robert Sheckley. The filmed version with Mick Jagger and Anthony Hopkins (!!!) bears no resemblance to his book. For that matter, they ought to do his **The Status Civilization** as a film. I still maintain they ripped off big gobs of this for **Total Recall**. > > Oh, yeah. Not that the original ABC TV-movie was bad (I haven’t seen the British TV adaptations), but I’d love to see a big buidget movie treatment of Robert H. Van Gulik’s **Judge Dee** series. There was a rumor at one point that Paul Veerhoeven was doing a Judge Dee film, but it was mistaken, or he changed his mind. I’d still like to see it. I heartily approve of your first 4. 'm not a film buff, but I’ll go with all your titles. Nice job, **CalMeacham**. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/76 "2009-01-14T01:24:49Z")
I would like to see **Gone With the Wind** redone, maybe as an HBO mini-series. The movie was excellent, but in the interests of time they had to cut so much out. I would love to see Will Benteen, and Archie, and Scarlett’s two other children. ---
**Author:** ![Rattlehead02](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rattlehead02/32/3944_2.png) [@Rattlehead02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rattlehead02)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/77 "2009-01-14T01:56:08Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > THE FOUNTAINHEAD (Brad Pitt & Oliver Stone both are toying with this idea.) I’d love to see a remake of this. however, I just don’t think there is any way that Oliver Stone would stay true to the message of the movie. I’m not saying it has to be as heavy handed as Ayn Rand. Anyone but Oliver Stone should be in charge. Also, I’ve read rumors of Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie being involved in an Atlas shrugged movie. Are you mixing that up with The Fountainhead? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/78 "2009-01-14T04:15:37Z")
Remakes are (pardon my use of a strong word here) fucking retarded by their very nature, but I was just thinking the other day that I’d like to see another _Gremlins_ movie. Not really a remake, but it shouldn’t necessarily have to conform to the continuity of the first two, either. It was a fun, slight scary, somewhat funny, absolutely quintessential 80s movie. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/79 "2009-01-14T04:58:31Z")
I’d like to see a remake of Stephen King’s The Stand. Not sure if a movie or another mini series is the way to go. Also a remake of Frank Herbert’s Dune. I like the look of the David Lynch film but the Sci Fi Channel mini-seried had more depth. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571/80 "2009-01-14T07:28:55Z")
A remake of Cukoo’s nest that was more true to the book would be great. Chief Bromden’s hallucinations and paranoia through the lense of modern movie-magic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-should-be-remade/480571.md?page=5)