[Maelstrom]

ok, I have sat back and watched some movies and enjoyed some movies but are we seriously completely out of "relatively" new ideas. Beyond the remake of indiana jones, every other movie being based on a graphic novel or comic book is there going to be anything original.

And at this point, I mean at least taking a story and making it your own, I understand absolutely unique plot lines are basically gone but every new movie seems to be a copy of old thought. The newest one that I just read about is

http://themovingpicture.net/beverly-hills-cop-4-is-on-the-way

So curious, are there any new ideas worth looking at or have we come full circle. Lots of bad/good remakes of media already produced.

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[TimJ]

Movie making is a business first and foremost and like any other business. they try to make what they know will sell. It's easier for some movie exec to imagine (or be told by accountants) something that is already familiar/loved will sell easier than something completely original. Plus it's infinitely easier to get a movie made once you've already had a movie made so studios simply aren't being deluged by new original ideas all the time anyway. Take Uwe Boll. Somehow the guy keeps making terrible movies about video games. Why? Well I'm not going to bother to do the research but I'll bet his movies don't cost much and normally make a profit, and since they're always based on video games there's always a presumed "built in" audience.

The only way to get around the tendency to stick close to what you know (or assume or demographics tell you) will sell is to a) get lucky, b) be successful enough to be able to get something you want made or c) become an exec with the power to push things through and not be an idiot. Those factors exist in decent numbers but the fact remains the most money gets thrown at what is considered the safe bet and familiar is a safe bet, sequal is a safe bet, big star is a safe bet, and name director is a sort-of safe bet (depending on who and what they're making).

There's tons of original ideas and scripts everywhere, the thing is from bottom to top the film and TV industry is a business and the people who get ahead are the people who make money for the studio (or whatever) which means at every step of the ladder the majority are businessmen, not necessarily people with a great eye for great filmmaking.

[lotek]

I've noticed the same trend (I mean who couldn't help but notice?) lets remake old
TV shows into movies. A prime example is Underdog, or George of the Jungle to name 2 that borrowed
from cartoons. I personally cannot wait for "So you want to be a millionaire" The Movie.
I agree that there are probably thousands of new scripts out there, with hundreds of them
being reviewed by producers daily. The problem is most of the hollywood types haven't had an
original thought in their heads since the Nixon Administration.
There is so much good literature out there that begs for being made to film,
the problem is what we end up with is Starship Troopers, ya know?

Marty

[Little Darwin]

I am sitting here trying to think, and I don't even remember Beverly Hills Cop III... I and II sure, but not III

While I liked the Foley character, I don't think there was enough depth there for a series of films, and the premise apparently failed with III.

Now, I need to go to IMDB to see if it can refresh my memory on BHC III.

[Little Darwin]

OK, I looked it up, and now I remember why I forgot it...

Very forgettable. The most memorable part was that the theme park scenes seem to have been filmed in the Bay Area (Great America), not in Southern Cal. :)

[TimJ]

I've noticed the same trend (I mean who couldn't help but notice?) lets remake old
TV shows into movies. A prime example is Underdog, or George of the Jungle to name 2 that borrowed
from cartoons. I personally cannot wait for "So you want to be a millionaire" The Movie.
I agree that there are probably thousands of new scripts out there, with hundreds of them
being reviewed by producers daily. The problem is most of the hollywood types haven't had an
original thought in their heads since the Nixon Administration.
There is so much good literature out there that begs for being made to film,
the problem is what we end up with is Starship Troopers, ya know?

Marty

Oh wow, man. You bagged Starship Troopers.

Dude, I think it's brilliant. Think of it this way (though I'm sure it's not supposed to be taken this way): You're watching a propaganda film made by the future society depicted in the film.

I think Verhoeven made a better movie than even he thought he was making. I think it's probably the best takedown of fascism ever put on screen. Seriously.

Anyway, that was 11 years ago, better to dig on the recent, awful I am Legend.

[ATAC49er]

better to dig on the recent, awful I am Legend.

Remake, as well; the story is post WWII, I believe (DEFINITELY older than I am!), and the very forgettable "The Last Man On Earth" with Vincent Price was taken straight from the written story of 'I Am Legend'.

Haven't seen the new one, don't do theaters; but I am still curious.

[TimJ]

Remake, as well; the story is post WWII, I believe (DEFINITELY older than I am!), and the very forgettable "The Last Man On Earth" with Vincent Price was taken straight from the written story of 'I Am Legend'.

Haven't seen the new one, don't do theaters; but I am still curious.

I thought it was terrible. It wasn't much like the book. The Omega man was more like th ebook. But book shmook, it was a lousy movie.

[jan12]

yeah, it can't be like the book

[Keith99]

...There is so much good literature out there that begs for being made to film,
the problem is what we end up with is Starship Troopers, ya know?

Marty

Are you dissing Starship Troopers (the book)?

Like them or hate them the book put out some fairly interesting ideas, some that have just a wee bit of relevence to the U.S. today. Though I don't know how one would make the ethnic comment Heinlein did in the last few pages in a film. (The clues are there, but Johnie Ricos ethnicity isn't in yuor face til the end with a comment about Tagalag).

To the everlasting glory of the infantry shines the name, shines the name, Roger Young. Readers should get this, viewers will be lost.

[lotek]

Sorry I missed getting back to this.

I love Starship Troopers (the book) problem is the movie
has very little to do with what Heinlen wrote other than something to
do with bugs.
The book was a very chilling social commentary, both on military, fascism
and society on a whole. The movie left out almost everything about the boot
camp, the societal aspects that lead to the current culture. Left out the part about
the punishment, and the whole history of that.
Read the book, the war with the bugs was really only a subplot of the book, not the
central event.

marty

[for minor sky]

The problem with turning a book into a movie is that you can have a great book without a great story, but you can't do the same thing with film. American Psycho was a perfect example of this. The story in and of itself isn't really that good. What makes the book so enthralling is how you delve into Patrick Bateman's mind. You can't really do anything like that with film, which is the reason that no matter how true to a book that a film adaptation stays it will still be a completely different experience.