Film Buffs

With Guillermo del Toro’s announcement that he’s no longer directing the Hobbit films, the writer, director, and producer is freed up to follow more of his own properties. Many fans are hoping these will include Hellboy 3, which del Toro says he has definite plans for, but isn’t on his list of upcoming projects. Instead, the always-interesting filmmaker is involved with a variety of films across several genres. The most recent of these, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, premiered at San Diego Comic-Con last month.Del Toro’s influences have always included classic horror and weird fiction like H.P. Lovecraft’s. His previous films like Hellboy and Pan’s Labryinth pop with eye-catching creatures and old-fashioned scares. With Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, he takes his first shot at actually updating such a sourcein this case, a 1973 made-for-television film of the same name. Read more »

With Hollywood apparently running low in the fresh ideas department, studios seem to be serving up repackaged leftovers, sometimes throwing in a big budget to try to make an old classic shine again. Unfortunately, this approach is often either done too soon or strays too far from why audiences fell in love with the original film. Here is a list of the 5 most unnecessary remakes out there.5. The Karate Kid (2010) When it was first rumored Mr. Miyagi was being brought out of retirement, a lot of people thought Karate Kid was being rereleased for a new generation to enjoy on the big screen. After all, it came out in 1984, just long enough ago for some of its original young fans to share it witht there kids today. An entirely new remake was nowhere near necessary, but sentiments are tempered in that this movie could probably survive on its own. With some key setting and plot changes, at least the new version offers a fresh spin on the classic, as opposed to just recasting it wish new stars and better effects.4. The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) At first glance it would seem this 1951 film could use a freshen-up. Studios were probably licking their chops at the chance to apply today’s new technology to one of science fiction fans favorite scripts, but in doing so they missed the point of why fans today still rave about the golden oldie. The black and white version is quirky, engaging and believable in its naivety and doesn’t fit with the modern day script updates and thematic relevance re-writers forced down viewers’ throats.3. Lolita (1997) It takes guts to remake a Kubrick film, with his notorious reputation as a perfectionist, and Adrian Lyne’s new version is far from terrible, but a lot of the genius in the 1962 film lies in crafting Nabokov’s novel to be not only suitable for the sensors of the early 60′s but true to the story’s central motifs. Remaking Lolita under today’s relaxed societal norms turns the film from a masterpiece into a mere movie. Read more »