With the news that Hollywood is thinking about launching a new version of “The Wizard of Oz,” TB9 unleashes an all-out assault on the horrifying trend that is the “remake.”
Warner Brothers is reportedly interested in remaking the 1930s classic “The Wizard of Oz.” Two ideas are being mulled over, including one that features Dorothy’s granddaughter returning to Oz to fight the forces of evil. You read that right, folks. You just can’t make this stuff up.
I’ve had all I can stand and I can’t stands no more! To all the moronic Hollywood executives out there in la la land: stop raping my freakin’ childhood! I guess we can add creativity to the list of things that have gone bankrupt in California over the last few years.
What in the hell has happened to historical perspective? Has Hollywood become so dull and uninspired that the only way a movie gets made these days is if it’s a remake? Horror was the first genre in which we saw these “new visions.” Flicks like “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Dawn of the Dead” led the way for this new remake trend and you know what? They weren’t that bad. But what’s happened now is they let it get out of control – they’ve even remade classic horror properties like “Halloween,” “Friday the 13th” and the upcoming “A Nightmare on Elm Street.”
Over the last few years, here are just some of the horror movies that were remade or share the same name as the original: “Halloween,” “Friday the 13th,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “The Hills Have Eyes,” “Last House on the Left,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “The Wolfman,” “The Crazies,” “My Bloody Valentine,” “Dawn of the Dead,” “Sorority Row,” “Prom Night,” “Black Christmas,” and to an extent, even Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” is a remake, albeit a bastardized one that should have never seen the light of day. (Another thought for another day)
The virus is spreading – more genres are beginning to reboot franchises and remake movies that aren’t even two decades old. Over the last few months, we’ve gotten word of restarts for film series’ like “Spider-Man” and “American Pie.” Are they really going to remake “American Pie?” The first movie came out just over ten years ago! More importantly than that – unlike “Spider-Man,” it’s not like “American Pie” is an established franchise. When they wanted to make the original “American Pie,” they could have just remade “Porkys,” right? At least they went out of their way to create new characters. Folks are lazy now – instead of thinking of original ideas, they simply attach themselves to ideas that already worked and hope for the best.
Let’s go back to “Oz” for a second. When I was a kid, my mother first introduced me to the original movie. While I don’t watch it every day, I can honestly say there’s definitely an emotional connection that can be had from watching something your parents did. I’ll definitely show my future children the original, as well. All these remakes do is further the notion that newer is always better and create totally unnecessary generational divisions.
When done correctly and after a certain period of time, remakes or newer versions of classic properties can be worthwhile. For instance, “Star Trek” was absolutely fantastic, and the recent Robert Downey Jr. version of “Sherlock Holmes” was entertaining as well. It goes without saying that what Christopher Nolan has done with the Batman character over the last half-decade is truly the greatest triumph in the short history of the “comic book movie” genre. However, the time between original and remake is becoming shorter and shorter and in some cases, it’s just not worth trying to recapture what the made the originals so special. “The Wizard of Oz” is certainly one of those cases.
Let it be known that I’m definitely leaving out some titles that are being remade, and that’s because there have to be at least thirty to thirty-five remakes we’ll be seeing over the next five years or so. What the hell Hollywood?! What the hell.
That said, I’ll see you guys in 2022 for the “Avatar” remake in Digital 4D Highest Definition featuring All-5-Sensovision.
Good point, good read. So many memories I share with my Mom and Grandma and you are right this is the one venue that can remain a memory of your childhood, and that was also shared by two other generations. This world is moving so fast – we need to slow down and remember the history and the memories of our family can never be a remake.
When you say the “original” Wizard of Oz, I assume you are referring to the 1939 version? You know that one (the one with Judy Garland) was itself a remake, right? It was first made in 1910, and again (in an unfaithful version that included Oliver Hardy) in 1925. Many fans objected to spending three million dollars in 1939 for a new version…and they didn’t like the idea of Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion.
Just pointing out…some remakes (like the 1939 Wizard of Oz) can be good.
Bufo Calvin
The Measured Circle blog
Bufo,
Well played sir, well played! I appreciate the comment and 1925′s “Oz” is a film that I admittedly never even knew existed.
I’ll clarify my original point, and I do believe I made this point in the piece somewhere – I understand that remakes can be good. Regarding “Oz” The current plans for an “Oz” remake annoy me. I was talking about this with a coworker the other day – a faithful adaptation done in IMAX 3D would most certainly be a worthwhile endeavor.
Thanks for reading and for providing me with a history lesson!
-Ken