5 Awesome Emerging Cinema Trends and 5 That Suck

2. Sucks - Reboot/Remake Mania

Sequels, for the most part I have little problem with, as long as the original deserves a sequel, and the sequel is done right, but the same can't be said for reboots and remakes. The most recent example of a reboot of a previously successful franchise, The Amazing Spiderman, came barely five years after Sam Raimi's Spiderman 3, which may have been a critical disappointment, but which was still commercially successful. The Fantastic Four reboot is also under way, after the atrocious second film - also out in 2007 - went nowhere. Red Dawn, out this weekend in the US is the latest example of a remake of an existing intellectual property, hoping to draw out fans of the original, as well as a new generation of fans. Look through the list of movies current in production, and the trend shows no signs of stopping. To be fair though, not all reboots are terrible. Casino Royale (2006) and Batman Begins (2005), which started the whole current reboot trend, were both terrific movies, that reinvigorated their respective franchises. While great for us movie-goers, their successes changed the perspective of studio executives in an ultimately negative way. Now, instead of focusing on producing more original content, they only want familiar properties to trot out to audiences. As a result, fewer middle-ground budgeted movies are getting made, as the money flows into tentpole after tentpole film, leaving what little is left for ultra-low budget/micro budget films. Gone are the old days where studios would spend $40-60 million on an adult drama (however, there has been a sliver of revolt against this, with some filmmakers - like Ben Affleck - getting traction in that area, giving hope to those of us who miss those types of films.)