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Old 02-16-14, 09:43 PM
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'80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

I can't imagine any of these remakes being anywhere nearly as good as the originals. I was born in 1971, and I had a lot of fun watching many of these in the theater in the 80s, as well as on HBO again and again and again. But that was a special time, and you can't just recreate it. Each decade has its own unique feel.



http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-...214713917.html

'80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

February 14, 2014

Did you notice that three of this week's major releases — "RoboCop," "Endless Love," and "About Last Night" — are remakes of '80s movies?

The Hollywood remake machine shows no signs of slowing down, with the '80s emerging as the most popular targeted decade from which to draw the reimagining, rebooting and/or regurgitating of various cinematic entities.

Below you'll find no less than 20 1980s movies that are set for an upgrade — some arriving as early as later this year, some that are still a ways off and others that may end up just being stuck in limbo until the 2080s.

1. "An American Werewolf in London" (1981)

The rights to perhaps the greatest werewolf movie of all time (with "Ginger Snaps" probably a close second) were bought from director John Landis by The Weinstein Company back in June 2009, with "The Number 23" writer Fernley Phillips hired to give the classic tale a "modern spin." This endeavor was probably brought on by a case of "Twilight" fever, which has since cooled down — which means there's a good chance this will never see the light of day (or, rather, of the moon).

2. "Annie" (1982)

The last big-screen incarnation of the Little Orphan starred Aileen Quinn in the title role, with Albert Finney as Daddy Warbucks, Carol Burnett as Miss Hannigan, Ann Reinking as Grace, Tim Curry as Rooster, and Bernadette Peters as Lily. The latest version will see "Beasts of the Southern Wild" star Quvenzhané Wallis as Annie, with Cameron Diaz as Miss Hannigan (awesome) and Jamie Foxx as Daddy Warbucks, renamed as Benjamin Stacks, because that's just what happens sometimes. The new "Annie" will come out tomorrow... er, Dec. 19.

3. "Dirty Dancing" (1987)

The last time we heard anything about the remake of the beloved classic romance starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey was back in June 2012, when it was reported that Lionsgate was pushing it "at least until 2014." Well, it's 2014, and as far as we know, director Kenny Ortega (who was the choreographer on the original film) hasn't started any new dancing yet.

4. "Escape From New York" (1981)

John Carpenter's B-movie mini-classic followed the adventures of professional anti-hero Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) as he infiltrated the maximum security prison that is future NYC (well, if you count 1997 as the future) to rescue the President of the United States. Hollywood's been trying to get this remake off the ground and over the wall for years, with everyone from Gerard Butler to Tom Hardy to Jason Statham rumored for the role of Plissken ("Call me Snake...").

5. "Fletch" (1985)

Kevin Smith was supposed to make a new "Fletch" with frequent collaborator Jason Lee in the role of the crack reporter/master of disguise originally incarnated by Chevy Chase. Now, the remake has been in development at Warner Bros. since February 2011, with no one currently attached to the part. Uh... how about Jason Lee?

6. "Highlander" (1986)

"Who wants to live forever?" asked Queen in the theme song of the totally awesome fantasy film starring Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, and Clancy Brown. Well, the remake doesn't seem to want to live at all, as it's gone through no less than three directors (Cedric Nicolas-Troyan is currently attached after both Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and Justin Lin dropped out) and is currently without a star after Ryan Reynolds exited the project back in July 2013.

7. "The Monster Squad" (1987)

Rob Cohen ("xXx") is attached to the remake of the horror comedy in which a group of kids battles classic Universal horror monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster and the Wolf Man, but as of October 2012 the project is stuck in development hell at Paramount.

8. "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" (1988)

It's going to be hard to fill the shoes of the amazing Leslie Nielsen in his role as bumbling detective Lt. Frank Drebin but "The Hangover" star Ed Helms is going to give it a try in the reboot, which was announced in December. The script is being written by Thomas Lennon and R. Ben Garant, who are probably best known for their work on the "Night at the Museum" and "Reno 911" series.

9. "National Lampoon's Vacation" (1983)

Lt. Frank Drebin isn't the only '80s comedy character that will be resurrected in the form of Ed Helms. The "Hangover" star will also be playing an all-grown-up version of Rusty Griswold in what's being described as a reboot of "National Lampoon's Vacation" (even though it's techinically a sequel if Helms is playing Rusty and not a new version of Chevy Chase's Clark). "Horrible Bosses" scribes John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein wrote the script and were set to make their directorial debuts, though the holiday road is currently closed as the project's been delayed due to "creative differences."

10. "Overboard" (1987)

Garry Marshall's romantic comedy tells the rather icky tale of a working-class carpenter who convinces a spoiled heiress that she's his wife after she falls off a yacht and gets amnesia. The original film stars then real-life couple Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, while the in-development remake has Jennifer Lopez and Will Smith attached. There's been no movement on this one since Hawn wished the production "Good luck" back in February 2012.

11. "Pet Sematary" (1989)

The original adaptation of one of Stephen King's scariest novels is a fun, sometimes goofy and often tasteless horror show that closed with a rather catchy theme song by the Ramones. Admittedly, the story could probably use an updated version... though we wouldn't be surprised if the characters of Gage (the little kid who comes back to life to wreck murderous havoc), Winston Churchill (the resurrected cat) and Zelda (the stuff of damn nightmares) end up being completely CG or at least mo-cap creations.

12. "Poltergeist" (1982)

The yin to "E.T.'s" yang, "Poltergeist" is one of the best horror films of the '80s and one of the greatest haunted house movies of all time. The Sam Raimi-produced remake is currently in production with a cast that includes Sam Rockwell, Jared Harris, Rosemary DeWitt, and Jane Adams, with a release date of Feb. 13, 2015. We expect it'll be... fine.

13. "Romancing the Stone" (1984)

Forget (or maybe just embrace) the fact that it's kind of a shameless rip-off of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Romancing the Stone" is a rollicking good time, with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner oozing hot chemistry as adventurer Jack Colton and romance writer Joan Wilder, respectively. As of two-and-a-half years ago, Katherine Heigl was being considered for Turner's role, with Gerard Butler and Taylor Kitsch the leading candidates for Colton. Dear lord, that all sounds so awful.

14. "Scarface" (1983)

It's a classic for all the wrong reasons, but "Scarface" remains one of the most groundbreaking crime dramas of all time, a grand opera of excess from director Brian De Palma and star Al Pacino. As of summer 2013, David Yates (director of the entire second half of the "Harry Potter" series) was in talks to direct the reimagining that's rumored to deal with Mexican drug cartels. Yates has since signed on for "Tarzan," so don't expect any movement on this one for a while.

15. "Short Circuit" (1986)

No. 5 is Alive again as "Hop" and "Alvin and the Chipmunks" director Tim Hill is developing a remake of John Badham's sci-fi comedy that starred Ally Sheedy and Steve Guttenberg. Original scene-stealer Fisher Stevens has apparently been approached to star and the film will reportedly be "darker" (sigh) as it updates the story for the contemporary world of drone warfare. Fun!

16. "Time Bandits" (1981)

As of March 2011, Terry Gilliam's gonzo fantasy is set to be reimagined as a "big-screen kids action franchise" by former Handmade Films Intl. execs Guy Collins, Michael Ryan and Fred Hedman. We could totally see Will Ferrell filling in for David Warner as Evil ("Slugs? God invented slugs?"), though we imagine that super-dark and just plain weird ending ("Mum? Dad?") wouldn't fly today.

17. "The Toxic Avenger" (1984)

Troma's crown jewel is set for a "family-friendly" reimagining by writer-director Steve Pink ("Hot Tub Time Machine"). Arnold Schwarzenegger signed on in May 2013 to play "the Exterminator" (HA META HA), an ex-Black Ops agent who trains a high school student turned Toxic Avenger in how to use his powers for good, but as of December he's no longer attached.

18. "Videodrome" (1983)

David Cronenberg's ultra-gross body horror cult classic featured James Woods pulling a VHS tape out of his stomach, an image that will probably have to be adjusted to account for today's world of Blu-ray discs and digital downloads. The remake was first announced in August 2012 with award-winning commercial director Adam Berg set to make his feature film debut from a script by Ehren Kruger, which aimed to update the story of a controversial television station and its reality-altering broadcasts by incorporating elements of nano technology. Whatever.

19. "WarGames" (1983)

The story of two computer-savvy teenagers (originally played by Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy) who gain entry into a powerful military weapons program could arguably benefit from an upgrade to account for today's light-years-ahead technology. Seth Gordon ("Horrible Bosses") was announced as the director of the reboot being set up at MGM back in June 2011, though there's been no going forward with playing Global Thermo Nuclear War ever since.

20. "Weird Science" (1985)

Here's another film that could possibly benefit from a modern-day equipment upgrade, not to mention the fact that it could certainly cash in on the fact that nerd culture is about a billion times more mainstream now than it was back in 1985. John Hughes's original Brat Pack remix of the "Frankenstein" legend had two dorky teens (Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith) using their computer (and a bolt of lightning) to create the 'perfect woman' (Kelly LeBrock), who ends up being their mentor in the ways of romance and self-confidence. The remake was announced in April 2013 but there's been nothing scientific going on since.
Old 02-16-14, 09:58 PM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

I guess Hollywood has run out of ideas...insert nail in coffin.

Such a travesty. I refuse to watch "remakes" - they usually end up sucking anyway.
Old 02-16-14, 10:31 PM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

I liked the Highlander remake script writen by the screenwriters of Iron Man. That's a remake I would like to see actually made. And I love the original.
Old 02-16-14, 10:53 PM
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Originally Posted by mickey65
I guess Hollywood has run out of ideas...insert nail in coffin.
That happened a long time ago.
Old 02-16-14, 11:01 PM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

Yup. What a disgrace, truly.
Old 02-16-14, 11:25 PM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

I don't give a shit if they remake any of those movies except for Videodrome & Escape From New York. Please don't fuck with those.
Old 02-16-14, 11:31 PM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

I have no real interest in any of these.

Barring terrible reviews I might be inclined to see the following in theater.

An American Werewolf in London
Escape From New York
Poltergeist


If they were available on netflix I'd probably check out:

Pet Sematary
National Lampoon's Vacation
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad
Videodrome
Weird Science

The rest I wouldn't watch ever.
Old 02-16-14, 11:39 PM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

Originally Posted by inri222
I don't give a shit if they remake any of those movies except for Videodrome & Escape From New York. Please don't fuck with those.
eh, I thought the same thing when they came out with remakes of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Halloween. Both paled in comparison to their namesakes. But neither took away any of the lustre from the originals. If anything they made them look better.
Old 02-16-14, 11:43 PM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

I have no interest in any of this shite either, but the cynicism and creativity vacuum in Hollywood is galling.
Old 02-17-14, 12:00 AM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

Didn't they already remake Dirty Dancing? The only movie that might be worth remaking is WarGames, though I don't see how it gets properly made in a post-Cold War era.
Old 02-17-14, 01:15 AM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

If there had been this many remakes in the 80s, think about what might be in the works now!

Time Bandits is a personal favorite and any remake has so much potential to just ruin it, though I've heard Terry Gilliam say he wanted to do a new version so I'd at least be open to that. A sequel was written a while ago but never got anywhere. (I'd always wanted to see what happened to Kevin after the movie ended.)

How about a new Howard the Duck movie?
Old 02-17-14, 01:22 AM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

Personally I'm hoping for another Spiderman reboot, within this decade.
Old 02-17-14, 01:58 AM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

Is it me or does it seem like hey Sa that most of those are stalled or in development hell? I'd be surprised to see any of them be made.
Old 02-17-14, 02:49 AM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

They could do whatever they want, i don't exist in this time anymore, i only huddle away to murky shadowy 1940s movies.

(though Escape from New York is probably the zenith of the latter 20th century)
Old 02-17-14, 04:00 AM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

Wanna see Highlander.
Old 02-17-14, 05:04 AM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

Originally Posted by Alan Smithee
If there had been this many remakes in the 80s, think about what might be in the works now!
The 1980s were full of remakes:

1980:
BLUE LAGOON
FLASH GORDON

1981:
THE LEGEND OF THE LONE RANGER
THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE

1982:
CAT PEOPLE
I, THE JURY
THE THING

1983:
NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN
SCARFACE
TO BE OR NOT TO BE

1984:
THE BOUNTY
GREYSTOKE: THE LEGEND OF TARZAN, LORD OF THE APES
SHEENA
THE TERMINATOR (according to Harlan Ellison)

1985:
BREWSTER'S MILLIONS

1986:
THE FLY

1987:
DRAGNET
NO WAY OUT
THE UNTOUCHABLES

1988:
DANGEROUS LIAISONS

And those are only the ones I saw!

P.S. AGAINST ALL ODDS (1984) was a remake of OUT OF THE PAST (1947). Shannon Nutt's post below reminded me of this. There must be quite a few more like it.

Last edited by Ash Ketchum; 02-17-14 at 08:35 AM.
Old 02-17-14, 07:19 AM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

Many of those will never be made.
Old 02-17-14, 08:14 AM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

10. "Overboard" (1987)

Garry Marshall's romantic comedy tells the rather icky tale of a working-class carpenter who convinces a spoiled heiress that she's his wife after she falls off a yacht and gets amnesia. The original film stars then real-life couple Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, while the in-development remake has Jennifer Lopez and Will Smith attached. There's been no movement on this one since Hawn wished the production "Good luck" back in February 2012.
I'd rather see this one with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. I could totally see Pitt as the carpenter, and Jolie as the stuck-up rich bitch.
Old 02-17-14, 08:19 AM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

Originally Posted by Alan Smithee
How about a new Howard the Duck movie?
Nowhere to go but up on that one. Now, if it were only possible to get 1986 Lea Thompson to reprise her role...
Old 02-17-14, 08:30 AM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

Originally Posted by mickey65
I guess Hollywood has run out of ideas...insert nail in coffin.
People have been saying that forever. There were just as many remakes in the 80s as there are today. They just gave them different titles back then, so you'd 'think' they were fresh. Today, they do the opposite because people latch onto a brand name.
Old 02-17-14, 08:56 AM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

I'd like to see a Hollywood version of the 60's tv series Rat Patrol (a concept that could be a great one-off but didn't have a varied-enough scenario to sustain interest for a tv series).

The problem is that I'd like to see Brad Pitt play Sgt. Troy, but he's already about worn out the WWII genre lately between Inglorious and his upcoming tank movie.

Without looking over a list of the genre, there's not much '80's stuff that come to mind that I'd care to see remade. Come to think of it, that goes for most remakes. The "genius" of remakes (aside from having the built-in name recognition/publicity) is that a lot of fans (including most of us) will check out the product out of curiosity if nothing else (and maybe just to have the fun of slamming the remake).

There are some instances in which the original (while perhaps beloved by fans) strayed A LOT from the source material. I remember being appalled by "Fletch" upon first viewing since I was a big fan of Gregory McDonald's book series & wasn't totally prepared (although should have been) for the over-emphasis on Chase's comic shtick. I later got over it (and recognize the drama undertones even if they are overwhelmed by Chase) & just look at it in the same way I see Woody Allen's Casino Royale. However, most remakes pale in comparison to the original even when they are more faithful (the tv miniseries of The Shining vs. Kubrick's version). I did like the Cohen Bros. remake of True Grit much better than the original.

Wonder what the feeling is of the forum. Are most remakes just shameless attempts to cash in? Or are they serious attempts to 'best' the original (or even to BE original)?

Last edited by creekdipper; 02-17-14 at 09:10 AM.
Old 02-17-14, 09:20 AM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

http://www.horrorbid.com/forum/viewt...?f=279&t=14418

Kind of a fun read speculating about what a remake of 1989's Troll 2 would look like. The casting pics are worth the look.
Old 02-17-14, 10:37 AM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

Originally Posted by Groucho
Nowhere to go but up on that one. Now, if it were only possible to get 1986 Lea Thompson to reprise her role...
Or Lea Thompson's daughter, Zoey Deutch.
Old 02-17-14, 12:06 PM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

Originally Posted by Troy Stiffler
Many of those will never be made.
Yeah, if you read the fine print many seem to be just industry noise.
Old 02-17-14, 12:31 PM
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Re: '80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

I rarely goto the movies anymore becuase of this constant sequel/prequel/remake crap, but apparently someone is because they keep making them. If Hollywood Studio's were losing money then they would stop putting out this crap, but maybe I'm in the minority because I wish people would boycott these movies.


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