5 Movies That Should Be Remade

Remake. The very word can send a shiver down a film fan’s spine. It’s just a further sign that Hollywood is no longer original, that they must pillage classics for ideas to recycle. But maybe the idea of remaking a film isn’t such a bad idea. If no one felt the need to tell The Wizard of Oz in a different way, the only film versions of that story would be wholly unremarkable. The legendary Judy Garland film wouldn’t exist. As a result of a remake, we have two different but excellent versions of Scarface.

So what are the instances where a remake is warranted? It may be because a film had a great concept that it couldn’t deliver on, or maybe that the film just didn’t explore an idea enough. Maybe a slight update is needed. There are plenty of legitimate reasons for remakes. Here are five films can could be due for a fresh coat of paint and a new screen adaptation.

5. Click (2006)

Of all the places to find an important cautionary tale, one wouldn’t expect Adam Sandler to be the source. Somehow, though, his 2006 film Click does contain an interesting serious message. His character gains a remote control that allows him to pause, rewind and fast forward any part of his life. As a result of this, there are unintended consequences that end up hurting him. It has all the makings of a potential classic cautionary tale, one that teaches the lesson to appreciate what you have, even the small moments. In some ways, it can even be a modern twist on the It’s a Wonderful Life story.

By the time the film gets to that point, it’s already been marred in a mess of unfunny and juvenile humor. Sandler uses the remote in all kinds of ways that are supposed to be funny but aren’t. It is only later on that the film takes a hard, sharp turn into something serious. The transition from goofball humor to deadly serious is jarring and does no good. The dark ramifications of the remote are interesting, but by the time the film gets there most of the time to explore it has been squandered.

A remake with a more consistent serious tone could use the remote idea to great success. There is great potential in a story where someone skips through important events of their life, and must frantically try to fix them. Click doesn’t even explore the idea of “fixing” the problems that arise from the remote. It just takes a great idea and presents it in a half-baked form. A remake should take this fantastic idea and run with it.

4. Suspicion (1941)

Often known as the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchc*ck was a master of something else: fighting those who wanted to censor his films. Whether it was the Production Code or studio pressure, Hitchc*ck often found himself at war for the content of his films. Most of the time, he found clever ways to work around obstacles, like the length of an on-screen kiss or putting a toilet on screen. But the battle for the ending to Suspicion was one he couldn’t win, which hurt the film.

The film, based on the novel Before the Fact, focuses on a wife (Joan Fontaine) who slowly comes the realization that her husband (Cary Grant) may be plotting to kill her. It’s a classic Hitchc*ck type story, an innocent person pulled into something evil. Both Grant and Fontaine (who won Best Actress for her role) are great throughout. Grant in particular is intriguing in a different role for him, a menacing and sinister man. And that proved to be the problem.

Hitchc*ck’s plan with the film was to give the perspective of the victim before they were killed. RKO Pictures, though, would not allow Cary Grant to be portrayed as a villain. The only acceptable ending was for it to suddenly turn out that Grant was a good guy all along. That is indeed what ends up happening, one of those sitcom like endings where everything was just a big misunderstanding.

The completely inconsistent ending brings down an otherwise great film. Although it would be hard to equal the two stars in the film, a remake is well deserved to fully explore the novel’s unique idea.

3. The Purge (2013)

The Purge is a classic example of a great idea with poor execution. In fact, it takes that idea and uses it in the exact opposite way it should be used. The concept: on one day a year (12 hours, to be exact) all crime is legal, while all emergency services are halted.

That brings up so many questions worth exploring. Looking at the implications it would have on society conjures up a grand, sprawling film. It can carry with it huge, important cultural messages while examining the implications such a situation would cause.

Instead, the film ends up spending most of the time focusing on one family, and their quest to protect their home. Essentially, it becomes a locked room film. There’s nothing wrong with those kind of films. But that isn’t the way to handle this story. Taking a film that needs a grand scale and reducing it to the smallest scale possible is a waste. The Purge as just a vehicle to do a “trapped in a house” film is pointless. That kind of film can be made many different ways, none of which waste a huge concept.

Shrinking a big story into a small one turns a unique film into a run of the mill film. The Purge offers the potential for a lot of interesting ideas, but uses none of them. It settles into a comfortable zone instead breaking ground. There is the potential for a big film with a big message, but a remake is necessary to accomplish that.

2. Blow-Up (1966)

I first saw Blow-Up for two reasons: it is highly praised and the murder mystery described sounded very interesting. Since then, I’ve watched it multiple times in attempt to see it in the same great light so many people have. But each time, the same excruciating problems come up.

A great look at the 60s, as well as photography and fashion at the time, Blow-Up is a bit more concerned with style than story. The murder mystery is never fully explored, as there is never much emphasis put on figuring it out. Plot elements come and go, as if it’s never that big of a deal. What does get most of the focus are scenes that end up dragging down the film and eat up a lot of time. Yes, it is important to show that David Hemmings’ character, along with the women he photographs, are emotionally detached. But how much time needs to be devoted to watching them roll around the room devoid of any emotion? The message may be there, but when told his way, it can leave the viewer just as empty and emotionless as the characters.

A remake doesn’t need to replicate the message of the film. What it could do is pick up some of the plot pieces the film deemed not important enough to use. A whole film could be built just around the intriguing murder mystery that is ultimately insignificant. Blow-Up may be high in style, but striving to make a version that is higher on plot would not be a crime. In fact, it may make for a more entertaining viewing experience.

1. The Shining (1980)

Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is an absolute classic of horror, one of the best ever made in the genre. But Stephen King does have a point about the adaptation of his novel. The two stories almost exist on a different plane, largely due to Jack Nicholson’s iconic performance. One of the strong points of the book is the transformation the hotel puts him through, from normal man to madman. Nicholson’s brilliant performance doesn’t establish that. By the time the film opens, there is already the overwhelming sense that something is very wrong with him.

That makes a major difference because it changes what makes King’s stories work. His books are often so long because tons of time are devoted to building up sympathy and relating to the characters before terror is unleashed upon them. Because of that, King’s characterization of Jack Torrance is that he is not a bad guy (something he further explored in his new sequel to the book). That only makes the story more tragic, especially considering Jack’s “good” side crops up throughout, even at the end.

It also creates a situation where the hotel itself is much more of the villain than in Kubrick’s version. Even the reason why the family is being tortured is different. While in the film, the hotel wants to reclaim Jack, who appears to have a connection with its past, the hotel in the book wants Danny. Danny is the target, as he is the one with the unique power. But since he has that power, he is too hard to control. Jack ends up being the vessel to get him because although he is good, he is also weaker because of his problems.

With such widely divergent information, it’s perfect for a remake more faithful to the book. That already happened with King’s miniseries, an adaptation that was faithful but failed on a number of levels. It didn’t live up to Kubrick’s version or the novel.

Kubrick’s Shining will always be a masterpiece, but the potential for a remake that captures the spirit of the book is still there. It may not end up as frightening as the film, but it just may produce a more emotional and gut wrenching film.

Some of these choices may seem odd, as they are great films in their own right. A couple of them are even considered classics. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t an opportunity take plot ideas and take them in a different direction. Maybe remaking a film doesn’t tarnish a film at all. Maybe it just allows us to see a similar idea in a different light.

Do you agree or disagree with the choices? Which films would you like to see remade? Let us know in the comments!

(top image source: Click – Columbia Pictures)