The Dismal Fate of the Movie Reboots

Hollywood executives green-lighting movie reboots often leave me shaking my head and wondering, "What were they thinking?" Just this past week, The Thing in its third rendition is hitting the theaters. I saw the original and enjoyed it enough, although I'm not a big fan of the genre. Movie critic Archie Campbell said we already know the plot, so there aren't too may surprises there.

Here's a real puzzler for you: The Postman Always Rings Twice. Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange took the roles played by John Garfield and Lana Turner in the first English version of the film. I love Jack and Jessica, but Garfield nailed that part down tight. Nobody can improve on it. Jessica is hot, but Lana Turner was incadescent in those smoldering scenes where she appears.

A few years ago, I saw the 1998 remake of Psycho starring Vince Vaughn as Norman Bates and Anne Heche assumed the Janet Leigh role (Marion Crane). H'm. You just hope the Hollywood brass never remakes some film classics like The Wizard of Oz or Jaws.

By Ed Lynskey
Twitter: @edlynskey
Author of Lake Charles
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