The idea of seeking out Independent features is becoming more and more attractive these days. Why? It seems like the only thing the studios are putting out are rehashed versions of already successful ventures. I understand that studios need to turn a profit. It’s safer to pour your money into a Transformers film than it is to pour it into an independent flick from the street.
However, the constant rehashing of material is starting to get out of hand. We can all agree that J.J. Abrams is the smartest man in Hollywood right now. Not only did he revive an overdone franchise, but also he’s going to cash in on it for many years to come. The overwhelming success of Star Trek is starting a trend in Hollywood. I feel like this trend is only going to bore audiences, rather than excite them.
I shall dub this the Age of the Reboot/Remake.
Cast of Star Trek (2009)
Star Trek is the most recent success in this age. However, I won’t ignore ventures like Superman Returns and Christopher Nolan’s newest Batman series. It appears that everyone wants to cash in on this trend. It seems like every classic horror movie is being remade; Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Last House on the Left, the Halloween series, and My Blood Valentine. They even went so far as to remake the Pink Panther films.
What is really the point? We can all say that these movies are classics in their own right, so why do we need to do it over? It’s really about what project you choose to do. Bringing fresh faces and fresh stories to Star Trek and Batman is a brilliant idea. However, rehashing out ideas like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Aliens seems a little far-fetched and almost stupid. It was actually this article in regards to the Alien franchise that sparked this particular blog.
Alien Director’s Cut Poster
The point is – some franchises can benefit from it, while other can’t. Don’t get me wrong, I love Steve Martin, but he doesn’t hold a candle to Peter Sellers.
What I want to know is: where did the creativity go? Where are all of the original ideas? It’s been awhile since a film like The Matrix came along. It was original in its own right. With the way that this trend is playing out, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone was hell bent on “rebooting” The Matrix. Can you imagine the fan uproar on that?
Pick the right projects to tackle instead of blindly throwing darts at a board. Every studio wants to franchise. Problem is, they seem to be careless in making the sequels. They turn them out so fast that there doesn’t seem to be any real thought behind making a good movie. Nolan did it with Dark Knight and Cameron did it with Terminator 2: Judgment Day. It is possible to achieve!
I’d love to see original, well thought out, and well executed material. Problem is, if you are searching for good content rather than awesome special effect, indies maybe the only thing we have left.
