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The remake of THE BIRDS has an interesting group flocking to it...
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. I've noticed a trend recently where it's been cool to dismiss Alfred Hitchcock's work. There a few untouchables, usually NORTH BY NORTHWEST and VERTIGO, but I've seen a lot of people feel the need to voice their dislike of Hitchcock's films and his style.
I'm not one of those people. I've loved Hitchcock since I was a kid and the movie that hooked me into Hitchcock's library of titles was THE BIRDS. It's his biggest straight up horror movie. PSYCHO I love, of course, but there's something broader about having your main villains being animals attacking humans. Maybe it also had to do with the film being in color and seeing the bright red of the blood as Tippi Hedren got pecked.
Anyway, I loved the movie then and I still do. So, no I'm not all that hot on the idea of remaking it, but even I have a base level of curiosity with the names that have come out today via the trades.
It's pretty clear nobody's signed, but right now Naomi Watts is attached to play the Tippi Hedren character, pending approval of the shooting script, and Martin Campbell (CASINO ROYALE) is in talks to direct. That's pretty interesting. We know Watts has been part of some good remakes before and Campbell can handle action and has the style.
I wonder if they're going to INVASION it up and make it modern or if they'll keep it period. I'd love to see it set in the '60s again, maybe even try to capture that great poppping IB Tech color scheme, but restructure the story. If they're going to do it at all, I could see that being interesting. Or maybe they should just leave well enough alone. Thoughts?
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Campbell is no Hitchcock.
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Please, for the love of movies, can we join together to end this remake sickness? Come on, you guys have the power to change things. Organise a campaign, an awareness campaign to promote ZERO TOLERANCE to all remakes. So maybe some remakes are good? Like Dawn of the Dead? Well that never needed to be a remake. It was barely a remake. And some films you don't think were classics so you don't care? Sure, but accept the remake and sooner or later a film you do care about will be utterly butchered. Meanwhile originality is going down the toilet while cack film after cack film is churned out with classic titles. Please, AICN. I am appealing to your love of movies to try to end this. It has gone too far. It needs to stop. Now I feel like a subway loon. Thank you for your time.
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Platinum Dunes should be nuked off the face of the earth.
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Love Watts but this smells like Bird sh*t.
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AWWWWW, MAN!!! I KILL ME!!!
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Period = more expensive. Executives don't like that. Coppola had to fight like crazy to keep The Godfather period. The fucking Godfather.
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In the fine tradition of Godzilla vs King Kong, Freddy vs Jason, and Echs vs Sever... have a flock of homicidal birds vs the flying piranhas from Cameron's Piranha 2: the Spawning and I'll give you the finest film ever created.
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I don't fucking get it.
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Because the large grey mass that don't hang out at AICN talkbacks and don't know shit about movies see a poster with a title they recognize so they go check it out. Trust me, I work at a movie theater. People will see anything.
CUSTOMER
Do you have any comedies?
ME
Yeah we've got Superbad and Chuck & Larry.
Superbad is kinda like American Pie, and
Chuck & Larry is with Adam Sandler.
CUSTOMER
I'll take two for Chuck & Larry. Put us
In the back near the aisle.
ME
Absolutely, sir. That'll be 20 dollars, and
You're a complete moron.
CUSTOMER
Thank you. -
Period.
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Who wants to live in a town with a bunch of assholes that spend all day dreaming (Just kidding they don't dream) of ways to get rich while tarnishing classics. It doesn't matter that a good actress and a servicable director are involved. At the end of the day it's been done before (as a fucking masterpiece, by the way). Even worse, it will probably TRY TO EXPLAIN THE BIRDS' BEHAVIOR, since that seems to be the style today. Hitchcock will roll with laughter in his grave.
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and why should we pay them any attention?
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And stop bigging up these remakes as if 'hang on, actually this might be pretty good' hype. Just cause watts is in it (she was in kong for fucks sake, and ring, another pointless remake) and cambell may direct its nothing to get excited about. The only remakes worth mentioning I think of the last 20 years are the thing and the fly, and both were by directors who rock. Cambell doesn't rock, he's just good.
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stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid remake. The Birds is PERFECT.
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She is the female Marky Mark. I´ll say it again THE BIRDS IS PERFECT. Leave that movie alone.
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It'll be interesting how they pace this version, while I love Hitchcock's adaptation of DuMaurierres story, I found it to be a bit uneven in it's pacing and somewhat anti- climactic. I'm sure that Cambell will address this, it really needs a bigger third act, but I would hope those stand-out Hitch sequences (the gas station especially) are left intact and every drop of tension is wrung out in true Hitch style. Excited as to how this develops.
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surely the film can be done in 10 minutes. A bird attacks the girl, the girls mace's the fucker. End of.
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I'm with you 100% bro. Its gotta stop. And despite poor box office receipts (the fog, the wickerman, to name but a million) they still keep remaking them. I thought if something like this flopped they would stop making them. So whats going on? Is there something we don't know about? A conspiracy? How long before they get round to bladerunner (heaven forbid). AICN should just stop hyping up remakes all together. This makes me sick. And when they get round to reviewing it they'll prob just slag it off like the hitcher anyway.
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I agree. No point in a remake. I thought this was a place for people who love movies. No point in even referring to people who don't take Hitchcock seriously.
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for the love of all that is holy. the film industry is cannibalizing itself so badly now that it doesn't even bother trying. just rip everything the fuck off.
anyone who goes to see any further remakes is actively enabling these fuckwits to continue to shovel shit down our throats. so just don't do it, okay?
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'nuff said
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Yeah that'll be the day. Or Big Trouble in Little China starring Sean William Scott and John Cho.
That said, I'd probably pay to see a new reinterpretation of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, if it was completely different from Blade Runner and if it came from the right creative team. William Gibson writing and Zack Snyder directing maybe?
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No, a remake simply for new special effects is the spawn of satan.
A well executed remake with a fresh take on the source material might work.
But a remake simply for new special effects is the spawn of satan! -
The spawn of satan!
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Oct 19, 2007 4:34:39 AM CDT
My guess: It'll be updated and address bird flu hysteria...
by prof. pop-cult
Naomi Watts' character will either be a viral scientist of some sort, or her boyfriend/husband will be. There will be quirky side character who is an avid bird watcher.
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Oct 19, 2007 4:39:51 AM CDT
I have to hear what the cast and crew are thinking. The script i
by khrono
I do agree that Watts is the perfect choice, but I still don't get the point. Beside the obvious updating and money potential, I doubt any real effort will be put in the film.
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Oct 19, 2007 4:44:17 AM CDT
If M. Night Shyamalan made this, and it was an "In Name Only" re
by thenorthlander
...it would have a twist at the end.
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is the greatest director of all-time. I love almost everything he's done, and I don't want to see this remade. Sure, I like Campbell, but I also like Gus Van Sant (sometimes) and look what he did to Psycho! He made the most pointless remake ever and that's saying something.
As far as people not liking Hitchcock, I've never heard of such a thing. If it's true, though, that is completely sad. -
Who the hell wants to see a flick with birds gone bad? Unless they're zombie birds...who eat human flesh...and lay their eggs in the bodies of their victims...hmmmmm.
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...if you want it in the 60's and you want the IB Tech color scheme, what is the point of remaking it?
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At least it seems that way. Fucking cunts, I hope someone goes postal and takes out all the idiot suits who greenlight this shit.
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hitchcock film. i dunno about the idea of a re-make... I guess it could be good, but there are so many places it could go wrong... I'm just glad for the moment that they don't seem to be making a teen horror film out of it..
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I wouldn't mind more remakes like that, actually.
It doesn't drop the value of the classic movie. -
Filed under the "who gives a fuck" file. Now get the FLOCK out of here.
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i mean, the movie isnt that long but it takes almost an hour before anything literally happens...before that you'd never guess its a movie about "bad birds"...but anyway, its funny seeing people bitch about remakes.......who cares, the originals will always be there and if you're not interested in the remakes then its simple, just dont see it.
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I thought that film geeks could agree on the three greats. Hitchcock, Kubrick and Welles.
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Oct 19, 2007 6:38:59 AM CDT
This will have Alfred Hitchcock spinning in his grave like a top
by yeti
Is is just me or is Hollywood remaking re-imagining and re-doing EVERYTHING these days?
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If it's set today and about some super-zombie bird flu, I won't.
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If we are bothered its because we like/love the original. What bothers us is that when they mess up the 'new' version, the average joe comes out and says 'well that was dirt, so the original must be even worse!'. Its kind of giving something we love a bad name. And we love these films for many reasons, as in they invoke TONS of emotions in us, like im sure we could all write a huge essay on whats vital about Blade Runner or Jaws or whatver. But these remakes seem to dumb them down, simplify them, and youre left with an empty carcass ie. the basic premise of the story. That hurts us who know that we like these films because of far greater things than the plot. Basically, i want other people to see what i love, to share it (awww!) hence when a friend comes over you show them something youve seen and you want to share. Remakes just fuck that up on a large scale by pushing titles in peoples brain in the 'make sure i never watch THAT!' department. Why would anyone dig out the old Hitcher after the new one? Theyre gonna avoid it, and thats a shame. Dawn of the Dead 1978 forever!
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Even now at her old age she's still hotter than her daughter, Melanie Griffith, could ever be.
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but this could actually be a remake I'm interested in.
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Oct 19, 2007 7:31:44 AM CDT
LEAVE IT ALONE, THEY JUST REMADE REAR WINDOW WITH LEBEEF
by bringingsexyback
and it was stupid as hell, a complete insult to the Hitchcock legacy. LeBeef should be shipped off to Saudi Arabia with "GAY" stamped on his head.
Naomi Watts is great, as we saw in Eastern Promises, but even she can't pull off a remake of The Birds. That premise was pretty thin to begin with, and this movie will only incite more hatred of birds. I'm not a card-carrying bird rights activist but birds have it pretty bad, as they have to breathe the pollution we throw into the air and global warming is fucking up their migrating seasons. This movie will only make people shoot birds instead of watching them fly. Please stop. -
There are tons of stupid B-Horror flicks that would make fun remakes. Night of the Lepus, Deadly Eyes, etc.... The friggin' Birds is perfection. A classic FILM. It's not just another killer critter flick. I don't care who the hell directs it, it's wrong and shouldn't be happening. It's this abomination of a remake that proves that Jaws is not safe.
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I haven't read about any Hitchcock bashing. I think that's just NeoCon propaganda.
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... because I have no desire to see the first hour dedicated to the horrible homelife of crows and the psychological damage that drove them to be so murderous. Just sayin'...
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when was the last time you popped that in your DVD player? REMAKES SUCK. Make that your next t-shirt.
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It was going to be said, and I'm not ashamed of saying it!!!
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Starring Equinas. Talk about a horror movie ...
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Is Hollywood so bereft of ideas, that they need to remake every old horror film and "adapt" every crappy old children's show from the 70's & 80's? Where are the new ideas?
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Oct 19, 2007 7:48:09 AM CDT
I had flashbacks to it during "The Seeker: The Dark is Rising"..
by anna valerious
Which is odd, considering I never saw the original. But who doesn't remember the birds just perched on the trees in total stillness? That, and there was even a Madame Alexander Wendy Ann doll which had her being attacked by birds. (The "Psycho" one is interesting...)
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Dissing the obnoxious, letcherous old twat for being a knob end is another thing entirely though.And I can't even raise the energy to start ranting over re-makes anymore! I'm beaten in by em ''YOU WIN!''I will now mindlessly conform and go with the masses like a zombie drone to feed the Hollywood machine.
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Oct 19, 2007 7:54:02 AM CDT
Hitchcock is the Greatest Director in the history of cinema
by samuel fulmer
There is no denying, that he was the perfect mixture of art and entertainment. Most directors coast on the reputation of one or two great films, but Hitchcock has too many to count (Blackmail, the 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes, Rebecca, Shadow of a Doubt, Notorious, Strangers on a Train, Rear Window, Vertigo, North By Northwest, Psycho, The Birds, Frenzy). Sure he may have made some bad films, but when you direct over 50 films in your lifetime, you're bound to have some. I still remember reading on this site a few years back where Tarantino said that he thought Psycho II was better than the original Hitchcock film. I think maybe he went on some anti-Hitch rant if I remember, so maybe that's what Quint is referring to.
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in a land where nobody has a fucking shotgun! Yeah, that sparrow attack in the chimney was horrifying.
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yeah, modern movies feel the need to over-explain things when it comes to why bad things are happening to humans.
um...50% of the fear factor is the mystery of WHY, dumbasses. I'm sure they'll say it's 'solar flares' or 'global warming' messing up the birds 'electromagnetic compasses'driving them all insane. and I'M SURE there will be much allegory toward the bird flu, and SARS and shit. like 'the birds' is global, and it starts in china or something.
......left unsaid, I love how every viewer assumes their own reasons, some will think it's god's judgement, or the first wave of nature vs. man, or toxic spill, or virus, or whatever.... -
It's the look and sound of vertigo...
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I like to give remakes the greenlight because it covers my ass. If I stake my career on an unproven property, such as a fresh idea, I could be out on my ass if it does not do well at the box office. My colleagues and I intend to greenlight remakes of every single movie that has ever done well. It is our intention to never greenlight anything that is different. We don't care about movie-goers. We don't care about movies. We care about occupying positions in the movie industry.
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Oct 19, 2007 9:08:37 AM CDT
So help me God if anyone rips on Strangers on a Train in this TB
by rhcp2sweet
I will track them down
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That was genius
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Oct 19, 2007 9:18:08 AM CDT
Predication for Future Tarantino Quote Regarding Strangers on a
by samuel fulmer
"Strangers on a Train is such a piece of $*$!!! We all know that Throw Mama From a Train is better."
Of course I'm basing this off the fact that he thinks Psycho II is better than Psycho. -
The original THE BIRDS is one of the few films with no score which gives it its chilly tone...just the chirping and squawking of the birds. I doubt anybody will have the fortitude to do that with a remake but they could actually get close to the feeling of the original if they did that.
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They'll pull a John Landis a la American Werewolf in London (all the moon songs) and put in a bunch of Bird songs. Birds the Word will play over the opening credits of Birds gliding accross the screen and Norwegian Wood "This Bird has Flown" will play over the apocolyptic ending in which Naomi Watts machine guns the birds into oblivion.
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He has that rare, modern-day quality to shoot and edit action sequences in an "old-school" way, without resorting to MTV/Miller Beer commercial bullshit like the recent wave of horror remakes. Naomi Watts is also an excellent choice for the Tippi Hedren role (at least Watts can act, and Kong proved she can certainly pull off the requisite screaming). That said, Hitch's original is brilliant, and it'd be sad to see it botched up. I'll reserve judgement for now. A Perfect Murder was a really well-done remake of Hitch's Dial "M"...
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And you see how that turned out.
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Honestly, the thing about Hitchcock's films is that they not only still hold up today, they are still genuinely affecting and entertaining today. If we're honest with ourselves, most of us will admit to occasional boredom when watching most movies from before, say, 1970, but a person would have to have a serious ADD affliction to get bored during The Birds, or more particularly Psycho. They should can the remake and spend a fraction of the money on a theatrical rerelease-less money, maybe, but also less risk, and no artistic bankruptcy.
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Oct 19, 2007 10:07:28 AM CDT
You know it won't be period, sorry Mori but that''s a dumb state
by stormwatcher
To even think they are contemplating making it period and all is either meant to be ironic on your part or is just a rather silly thing to say. And really, other than yourself there is NO AUDIENCE to see this particular movie be set in Period. Obviously their gonna play up the whole Bird Flu aspect and involve the media and net and explain the virus as they do with everything now.
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Campbell's got a great old cinematic style about it. Especially the way he shoots action scenes. I can see his stuff being very suspensful for The Bird remake. And Watts is a good choice. Oddly enough, last night I was thinking about a Bird Remake and how it would look in my mind. The film is good, but tragically dated.
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As long they don't try to Gus Van Zant it...As long as they don't give the Birds "motivation"...as long as they pay homage, but create enough gripping "new" material to let this stand on it's own...It might be worth remaking. A "Peter Jackson/King Kong" love for the source material would be helpful, too. We know how far CGI has come, and we know that the titular characters will look awesome and realisitc as hell...but it you fail to capture the suspense, the dread and the unholy randomness of the premise...you are just wasting money and time remaking this...Just as Jaws wasn't about the shark...The Birds was never about the damn birds...the human side of the story is what drives these things. Unfortunately, with unlimited CGI at their disposal...modern directors tend to forget that. I can already envision a new scene where berserk ostriches and angry emus break out of the zoo and start killing everyone in sight with raptor-like efficiency...BUT, do we care about the humans they are slaughtering? If not...don't bother.
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of improving a movie that was good in concept but turned out to be garbage or mediocre. When they take their selection from the cream of the crop of the Hollywood archives and chose an all time, world renown classic made by a Master, how much more do they actually believe they can improve on it? There's a reason something is considered a classic. Even if they sacrifice a herd of goats and somehow manage to create a movie that's better, it's still going to have a tough time "competing" with an icon. The only exceptions I'd have to this are movies that could really, really, really, really benefit from new technology (no I can't think of any at the moment) or classics that are themselves based on a simple, universal idea or classic story like "Robin Hood" or "Dracula". Maybe even some of the old Errol Flynn or Burt Lancaster adventure stuff but even then I'd be very, very careful about making the choice and choosing the talent.
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Oct 19, 2007 10:49:52 AM CDT
Hey, Have ya'll heard that Kanye West is remaking Der Ring des N
by conspiracy
Those old beats just weren't credible with todays kids...so he has rebooted it, with much respect given. It's no longer a 4 opera cycle, but a 3.5 minute video with bikini clad bitches and giant fucking robot birds.
Really...as I've said before...Hollywood has no creativity left. I guess this is what happens when the kids who spent their lives in the 80's shut in their rooms with MTV and video games grow up to be studio execs and directors. -
Watts, a good choice. She's a classic blonde. Hitchcock would have gone bananas for her.
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This makes zero sense. Zero. I can understand them remaking Halloween and Friday the 13th. I dont agree with it but I understand. Bottom line, the remake will make money and there's a built in audience. But why remake this??? Fans of the original should be instantly turned off just by the mere MENTION of this (especially what happened to the Psycho remake) and how are they going to sell this to audiences that never saw the original??? Who the hell is going to care about a movie today about killer birds??? This actually might be the worst remake idea EVER... Bring on the CGI pigeons from hell...
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I understand why everyone alot of you think this property should be left alone. But I think that this could end up being a pretty decent film. The Hitchcock version as many of you have stated was less about the birds and more about the human element. However I dont see what would be so wrong with the director's and writers amping up the action a little bit for the ADD generation. Hell maybe It will inspire younger viewers to check out the original.
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That movie came out in 1994. This shit needs to stop. Seriously.
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I almost laughed at the Kanye joke...but then I remembered that commercial where 50 Cent literally bends Beethoven's 9th over and rapes it mercilessly. I think culture officially died with that commercial.
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Hey, why not get a headstart??? HUGH JACKMAN or JOSH HOLLOWAY for INDY!!! MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL for Marion!!! And you might as well get Shia to reprise his role. hehehehe
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50 Cent > Beethoven
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Who dares diss the Hitch? I mean seriously, why would anyone?? The guy's films were original, cool, fun, artistic, scary, stylish, had lovely gals, good acting, great stories, wonderful twists, memorable villains, etc. Reamking the Birds is tosh... Alan Smithee tried and failed.
So how about trying the top 10 worst remakes/remake-ideas ever? This is close to the top... -
But they're idiots who don't understand cinema to save their lives.
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1. The Blob
2. Night Of The Creeps
3. Deadly Friend
4. A Entire Movie About "The Raft"
5. The Green Slime
Samoa Joe > Your Favorite Wrestler -
Hitchcock, thankfully, offered no explanation for the birds' aggression. I'll lay you 10-1 odds they find a way to work an environmental theme into this. Nature strikes back and all that. If I am right, I hope the same people who've criticized Rob Zombie for over-explaining Michael Myers' aggression will step-up to do the same for The Birds.
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I hope they dont try to explain why the birds are behaving that way. Based simply on the fact there wouldnt/couldnt be a plausible explanation....BTW does any one remember the movie "Frogs"
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I'd rent it.
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I remember Frogs all too well. It freaked me out as a kid. My father took me to see it as double-feature with The Conqueror Worm. A wonderfully disturbing afternoon for a 10 year-old.
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Scared the shit out of me as well. Not to draw parallels to the birds remake or frogs. but what exactly was the explanation for all the animals killing people?
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I worked at a movie theatre too. Convinced a few people to see some decent movies. my point was moreso classics, titles you dont touch. If they come near Commando someone is going to die.
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Is a must have book. Whenever one of his films is on I reference it beforehand. Rreally helps to enjoy his work.
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I hardly know any titles but when they're on tv and are incredibly harmless I sit there mesmerized by them, i don't know what it is, maybe the music, maybe the happiness. the ones with the metropolis streets. fuck me i need me a fix.
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I'm a sucker for the dialogue and the delivery in older movies. I just love how everyone talks.
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They can remedy that problem easy. My vote is for Klaus Badelt!
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I'm guessing people dissing Hitchcock are likely to have the word 'Asshat' as a middle name? Who's been dissing the master? We should be told - only so we can lock them in stocks and throw rotten fruit at them. Idiots. And don't remake 'The Birds'... PLEASE! I seriously wont be seeing it on principle. The studios just crossed a line in my book. I hope they lose millions on this.
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Who has obviously only just learned to eat with a knife and fork. You cast iron moron. How does your body function knowing how stupid your brain is? Stick to watching Rob Zombie films and shit with Vin Diesel in it huh? You depress me saying stuff like that. Knuckleheads like you would burn libraries with that thinking. What a world.
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because no one could really be that friggin' stupid.
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"I'm 26 years old, I have the attention span of a gnat, and I need to see bright lights and pretty colors to keep my attention." You are an idiot. Your line "Why remake classics?Because they fucking suck." indicates you have no business posting on a site for lovers of movies.
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... Don't forget Surfin' Bird for when the Tippi Hedron character is rowboating across the bay. (Maybe PeeWee Herman can ride by on a jet ski at that point wearing "the big shoes" and laughing his signature laugh.)
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Oct 19, 2007 1:21:23 PM CDT
I have to say it, Hollywood, if you're going to remake movies...
by reel american hero
Then leave the classics alone and remake shitty movies. Trust me, there are plenty enough to go around. At the least, that way the bar's already set low so that the films can easily be made better. Fix the movies that suck if you feel a pressing need to not be original. -
After all, he's one of the only directors that has made decent Hitchcock rip-offs. Body Double rocked!
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I saw this movie for the first time recently and for a brief fleeting moment i found myself thinking "this is a really great movie, but some of these effects are pretty dated. i wonder how this would do with updated technology". I then stepped back to think about how silly a concept the movie is in the first place and what an amazing filmmaker Hitchcock was to turn that into not just a good movie, but a great movie. I don't even think Spielberg could make a movie about birds attacking people that comes close to Hitchcock's original. The industry would be well served these days by executives taking a minute to think about the odds of topping classics made by the all-time great directors and actors.
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I always see people mention that the only two good horror remakes from the 80's are THE THING and THE FLY. What about the Chuck Russel's version of THE BLOB? I don't think its on the same level as THING or FLY and it stars the incredible goofy Kevin Dillon (Johnny Drama), and Shawnee Smith (SAW films), but this is still an awesome remake with kick ass blob effects and tons of gooey gore.
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I thought that had a Hitchcock vibe to it but it might've just been the score... Like DePalma, he could do a Hitchcock movie now but again why would he??? (Or any respectful filmmaker for that matter...)
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...But with a good director and Glorious(Yeah I Said It) CGI. It could be something special.
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It's a remake of a 1962 movie directed by J. Lee Thompson. And also I might add another film to add on the list of good remakes, in my book. -
Didn't scorsese's remake have the same score as the original, only updated a bit? I'm not 100% on this, but I'm pretty sure.
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Oct 19, 2007 2:46:01 PM CDT
I know Hitchcock didnt direct the original Cape Fear...
by thworldisyours1
But the Scorsese remake has that Hitchcock vibe to it IMO...
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Go back to Hitchcock's films and look at the perfection of
the editing rhythms, the shot compositions, the camera movements, the placements of the actors....and compare that to what passes for filmmaking today..shaky-cam unwatchable garbage, digitally mixmastered by ADD-afflicted directors with attention spans shorter than a gnat's. Hitchcock helped invent the grammar of how to tell a coherent story on film...but today his genre(thrillers)has fallen into the hands of music-video morons with no real life experience so their films reflect no humanity, no real emotion and no artistry whatsoever. -
with no subtext. Just a goofy monster movie, remade as a goofy monster movie with better effects. The Fly and The Thing added subtext that made them deeper films.
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Patrick McGilligan's landmark biography of Alfred Hitchcock. If you are a fan of film you cannot afford to miss.
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That scene where hitch fills that room full of birds and then floods the screen is about as awesome a use of the camera as one is likley to see. I still have no idea how it was done.
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Well said. Can't add more to that. I saw a recent making-of of Frenzy, and he knew where exactly to place the camera, what lens to use, etc. without ever looking through the lens.
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Micheal Bay was going to direct this...
and of course the Birds would explode on contact. -
there's a movie that could be turned into something awesome with updated effects, by the way I agree that THE BLOB is not even close to being as effective as THE FLY or THE THING and I wannna make that clear. I just think that its a fun movie to watch and is worthy of being known as "a good remake"
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I'm with you. The Blob was a cheap '50s sci-fi horror flick with a unique monster thats more notable for Steve McQueen than anything else. Its the perfect model for a remake. I have fond memories of the cheesy Invasion Of The Saucermen, that would inject their victims with alcohol, so their stories of an alien invasion would be discounted.
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..it's too small....
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they even kind of paradyed that in the simpsons when homer gets obducted by the kang and kodos and then they spray him with rum so no one would believe his story
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Sorry for the delay; hope you're still reading. If I remember correctly the supposition in Frogs was that nature was striking back against man because of his polluting the environment. You probably remember that the ecology movement was huge during the early 70s.
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What about "Risseldy rosseldy mow mow mow"?
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Oct 19, 2007 4:49:16 PM CDT
ScoreKeeper, don't forget, while not a horror film
by grammaton cleric binks
Castaway had no score either, at least while Tom Hanks was on the island. They did that emphasize the feeling of isolation.
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Oct 19, 2007 4:59:25 PM CDT
Ooooh, ooooh, I got the ending: "Watch the skies. Watch the sk
by kabong
So what if it's lifted from the end of another movie.
That's Hollyweird. -
"Bunnies, bunnies it must be bunnies" ☺
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Oct 19, 2007 5:23:38 PM CDT
I wonder what will be the last original movie idea ever put on f
by ebonic_plague
It will probably be a sequel and direct to video. Then our pop-culture will become like that alien race on an episode of Star Trek TNG that only communicated in obscure references to old legends. "Darmok and Jilad at Tanagra. Batman and Barbarella in The Office."
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It would be fun to see, film by film, which remakes
people would give the thumbs up/down to. I think after
all these tbs about them, there must be some definitive consensus (?) -
Terrible idea. Hitchcock's movie is a classic that should remain un-messed with. The goons in charge of screwing with near-perfection should be hung by their thumbs! Besides, we already got a bit of a tribute to The Birds in the Pang Brothers recent "The Messengers".
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Remake, revision, reimagining, re-whatever, no matter what they do to classics we do still have the originals. Personally I think the biggest insult, when it comes to the current "re" trend, isn't the destruction of classics but not giving us our 10 bucks worth at the cinema. Try something new Hollywood types, you might be surprised.
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Actually I really dont remember that...Born in 82' LOL but I get the gist of what your talking about.
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Marathon all-day tomorrow... I'm definitely gonna watch The Birds because I haven't seen that in years and I want to see if it's as good as I remember it. One good thing about all of these horrible remakes is that it makes the original look even better in retrospect (i.e. Halloween)...
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God damn this is some sad shit. No originality left anymore period. And no, I guarantee it's not going to be period, they'll modernize it like everything else. Another classic film ruined with a fresh coat of shit.
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I did think the Birds was a pretty good film. But Its not untouchable just because its Hitchcock. I Bet it will turn out to be a at least on par with the original.
*Mark My Words* -
someone call david keith.
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I would love to see this movie remade in the 60's style... but I don't think the Campbell will opt for the color scheme. I think people might get a feeling more 'down with love'. Expect to see excellent period clothing and set design with a darker palette.
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I LOVE Hitchcocks movies, but that is not a reason to not remake them. When I look back upon the Birds, I think it is my least favorite of his movies simply for the fact that it is more "straight up horror" than some of his other more though inducing films. With Fx the way they are today,I bet when the birds DO attack, it will be pretty frikin' wicked.
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is its structure. The first thirty or forty minutes or so is quite an endearing scenario of a guy and a girl getting to know each other and moving towards, you imagine, a longer-term relationship. I buy into it. It's charming and well-done. Then, seemingly out of the blue and for no apparent reason, the tone changes dramatically and becomes a frenetic battle for survival. The characters have earned our feeling for them and we fear for them and hope that they will survive this inexplicable, life-threatening situation. And, as others have said, I love the fact it isn't explained at all. So much of the tension of the film is that the characters themselves are grasping for understanding and, of course, in the midst of that situation, there just isn't any. The Birds is a great film. Screw the sometimes hokey effects. It's a suspense thriller with actual heart, real character development and intelligence. That's always - always! - something to be applauded, in my book. Rod Taylor is great as the easygoing charmer who sparks Tippi Hedren's interest. Tippi is a little mannered in her performance but not cripplingly so. It isn't hard to warm to her. Jessica Tandy is great too as Rod's overprotective, aloof mother. ... and that final scene is simply awesome. Have some respect for Hitchcock. Have some respect for The Birds.
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...just ended this thread. The end.
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If anyone even THINKS of touching NORTH BY NORTHWEST, they will most certainly die of no fewer than 78 stab wounds to the face, heart and genitalia. It's ESP. Yeah, that's how I know that.
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she has been my fave actress since mulholland drive. if naomi is part of the remake, then i would at least watch it to see her . i may be the only person that enjoyed the van sant's psycho and i am fine with that. the psycho remake was an HOMAGE to hitchcock's masterpiece. i love the van sant version. anne heche was perfect as marion crane.
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you seem to consistently have the worst ideas of anyone on AICN and re-working the '60's look of "The Birds" with a new narrative is the worst in that line. But hey, I love your enthusiasm.
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remember that saturday night live skit that parodied the birds? was it called the clams? my god that was back in eddie murphy's days i think. i must be getting old.
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According to the trades, they're going back to the book. Nothing wrong with taking a fresh look at the book. Why all the moaning ab out remakes. I'm more upset that they keep turning books and plays into films instead of writing original scripts.
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then i say lets see it. it might be entertaining to watch as long as they use a good director as well. the hills have eyes part 1 remake was better than the original because they used a good director. the hills have eyes part 2 remake was pure shit from the first 2 minutes until the end because they didn't use a good director.
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if so, has anyone read it. that might be an interesting book.
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hitchcock, kubrick, kurosawa are the holy three. bringing up the lower tier would be fellers like spielberg, scorsese, coppola.
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Rebecca is Hitchcock's first US film, and one of his greatest. I LOVE that flick. Daphne du Maurier was a very popular writer in her day. Sorry for saying The Birds was a book. I forgot it was a short story. It's been a while since I read it. But it was IN a book. Heh Heh.
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but i friggin hate the birds. I despise remakes but this is one that desperately needs it. http://tinyurl.com/pv8do
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Seriously, they have higher priority than transformers.
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Yes, one of the highest grossing movies of all time! Doesn't that just smell of remake potential? Besides the movie is old. Like decades old. Surely that makes it ripe for an update? It's gold I tell you! Pure gold!
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This time make it a documentary and really burn the damn town down... that would be a remake I'd pay to watch! FIRE FIRE
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Oct 20, 2007 6:12:38 AM CDT
'a lot of people feel the need to voice their dislike of Hitchco
by sepulchrave
RETARDS
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You are right. And your comment about Jon Arbuckle and Conan the Barbarian on the other thread made me laugh.
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Oct 20, 2007 11:24:53 AM CDT
Combine the plot with that of The Swarm and call it...
by nazzim o'bazzim
The Birds and the Bees!
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...it's R E M A K E
My bologna has a second name it's...
U N O R I G I N A L I T Y
I want to gouge my eyes out every day
And if you ask me why I'll say
'cause douchbages in Hollywood have taken originality away -
I understand that was one of the reasons for 'No animals were harmed in the making of this motion picture...'
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I'm sitting here watching 'The Birds' on AMC and remembering what a classic movie this is and how with every stupid remake that Hollywood does, it robs the new generation of young movie goers of ever discovering the great originals. It's a shame but this madness needs to stop! All of these executives need to be fired for greenlighting any remake, whether it's a classic tv show 're-imagining' or a early 1920's film remake. Stop the remakes Hollywood!!!
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Oct 21, 2007 10:47:24 AM CDT
So is Naomi Watts going to spoof Paris Hilton in the remake???
by thworldisyours1
That would be kinda funny... Watched the original for the first time in years and yeah it's damn near perfect. All I really ask of the remake is PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE under no circumstances EXPLAIN why the birds are attacking!!! I dont want to hear about some viral "bird-flu" or the birds had an abusive childhood or whatever. Please leave that crap out of it. The remake has no chance in hell of being as good as the original but at the very best it can be a decent film on its own...
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I personally grew up on Hitchcock also. The Birds was a sweet film. Honestly though I no longer get as excited until I see what going on. I could care less how good the director is or isn't. Over all the actor/actress cast in films no longer excites me. If the person who is making the film is a slave to the system and has no true passion for the source material, the property will ultimately suck. Even little known movies, directed by small directors like War of the Worlds by Steven Spielberg was over all a stink burger. Tom Cruise an ok actor but the movie over all left certain things to be desired. Then you take a movie like The Longest Yard. Again nothing to write home about, but over all a fair remake that you're truly unashamed to like. A little passion goes along way and not just trying to make some $$$$. So over all I'll see the remake and make judgement after I watch it. Trust me less expectations you have....the better chance you have to enjoy it.
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