Who asked, "Why don't they remake *bad* movies?"
March 23, 2022 5:21 PM Subscribe
I remember reading a major film critic complaining about Hollywood remakes of fine films, then asking a good question. "Why doesn't Hollywood remake *bad* movies instead?"
I was convinced Roger Ebert said this, because it was certainly his style, but now I can't find him saying in. Nor can I discover any other movie maven posing it. Did I dream this?
I was convinced Roger Ebert said this, because it was certainly his style, but now I can't find him saying in. Nor can I discover any other movie maven posing it. Did I dream this?
Michael Caine said something along these lines when the Get Carter remake came out in 2000. I can’t now find the quote though.
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 7:27 PM on March 23, 2022
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 7:27 PM on March 23, 2022
Before I looked under the fold, I would have said Ebert too. It *sounds* like something he'd say. I wonder if you could ask at RogerEbert.com?
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:52 PM on March 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:52 PM on March 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Ok, I found some quotes from Michael Caine on the subject:
[about remakes of his classic films such as Get Carter (1971) and The Italian Job (1969)] "I wish they would remake the BAD ones!"
"My view is that you should always do remakes of failures. Then you've got nowhere to go but up, you know? They can't say, 'Well, it's not as good as the original, you made a piece of crap'. They'd just say, 'What a piece of crap that was,' anyway."
"Don't remake a successful picture, because you're liable to be the flop. Steve Martin and I made a much better picture of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) than Marlon Brando and David Niven did. What I wouldn't do anymore is play any guest shots. I've given that up. I did it as some fun and it backfired in Get Carter (2000) so I'm not doing it again. Now I hear that they're going to remake The Italian Job (1969) with me in the Noël Coward part. I'd consider it, yes."
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 8:33 PM on March 23, 2022 [11 favorites]
[about remakes of his classic films such as Get Carter (1971) and The Italian Job (1969)] "I wish they would remake the BAD ones!"
"My view is that you should always do remakes of failures. Then you've got nowhere to go but up, you know? They can't say, 'Well, it's not as good as the original, you made a piece of crap'. They'd just say, 'What a piece of crap that was,' anyway."
"Don't remake a successful picture, because you're liable to be the flop. Steve Martin and I made a much better picture of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) than Marlon Brando and David Niven did. What I wouldn't do anymore is play any guest shots. I've given that up. I did it as some fun and it backfired in Get Carter (2000) so I'm not doing it again. Now I hear that they're going to remake The Italian Job (1969) with me in the Noël Coward part. I'd consider it, yes."
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 8:33 PM on March 23, 2022 [11 favorites]
I remember a clip with Frank Whaley asking why they don’t remake bad movies and he says something like: I was in Swing Kids, a movie about dancing Nazis, they should remake that one.
I can’t find the clip, but I feel like it was part of promotions for something? I feel like I saw it a bunch of times, maybe as part of trailers or ads in a theater?
posted by vunder at 2:10 AM on March 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
I can’t find the clip, but I feel like it was part of promotions for something? I feel like I saw it a bunch of times, maybe as part of trailers or ads in a theater?
posted by vunder at 2:10 AM on March 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you, BlahLaLa . Just pinged them.
posted by doctornemo at 12:20 PM on March 25, 2022
posted by doctornemo at 12:20 PM on March 25, 2022
Response by poster: That may be it, EXISTENZ IS PAUSED. I wonder where Caine was speaking, and to whom.
posted by doctornemo at 12:21 PM on March 25, 2022
posted by doctornemo at 12:21 PM on March 25, 2022
Response by poster: I haven't seen any other potential sources for this quote, so I'll call it done for now.
posted by doctornemo at 8:56 AM on April 24, 2022
posted by doctornemo at 8:56 AM on April 24, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by dobbs at 7:24 PM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]