Non-French Steve wrote:
> Common sense tells you:
>
> a) Don't remake Psycho
> b) Don't remake The Stepfather
Good thing Huston didn't listen to
c) Don't remake The Maltese Falcon
Remakes are nothing new. Sometimes a remake even offers its own
peculiar charms.
And sometimes a beloved cult classic or some relative obscurity (like
The Stepfather, perhaps) isn't always as perfect as its reputation
suggests, and becomes beloved as much for its flaws as its high
points. I'd actually be interested in seeing some of those old B
flicks and Grade B noirs redone with an actual budget or a more
credible cast.
Like, I love THE DARK CORNER. It's one of my favourites. A pre-Lucy
Lucille Ball was great in it, but the male lead who played the private
eye was a bit of a popsicle stick. I'm not sure if any current actress
could better Ball's performance, but I'd really love to see someone
with a little more dramatic muscle play the male lead.
Redoing something that's become a cultural touchstone, like Psycho or
Casablanca or even The Rockford Files is, of course, asking for
trouble. But with some minor obscurity most people aren't all that
familiar with or attached to, I say let the cameras roll. And even if
the remake sucks, it may prompt the release, as Mark pointed out, of
the long lost original on DVD.
Hell, I'd even sit through a remake of Adam Sandler as HARRY O, if it
meant the release of the original series on DVD.
Kevin Burton Smith
Editor/Founder
The Thrilling Detective Web Site
"Wasting your time on the web since 1998."
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