For most film fans, the word "remake" is something like a slap in the face. Because the inherent notion of a remake is enough to turn stomachs and provoke gag reflexes; those vile, putrid, unnecessary exercises in creative death that Hollywood is obsessed with churning out, year after year, in a desperate attempt to convince people to shell out more even money for something that they've already paid for once. It's no wonder that remakes have such a bad reputation, then. Just look at the ill-judged remakes to have been tossed out over the course of this year (Poltergeist - what were they thinking?), almost none of which will stand the test of time and will very likely been relegated the bottom of bargain bins at your local supermarket in the coming months. And it seems like every day now the news of another remake in the works spreads across the internet, infuriating and upsetting all those who happen to learn of their existence. The remake train is unlikely to slow down, given that Hollywood appears to be convinced of their profitability. That said, it would be really nice if somebody could put a stop to these...
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
