Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share your movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page here.
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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Good Remakes
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This week's theme is a suggestion by Mettel Ray. Wow this is hard. Usually, the expectations with remakes is low and most don't exceed them. Harder yet to find one where I have watch the original and love the remake. So most that I've picked are ones that I like, that just happen to be remakes...and are generally considered to be good remakes so.
Let Me In (2010)
This is the only one that I've seen the original movie, Let the Right One In, and perhaps one can't even call this a remake since it's based on a book and therefore just another adaptation. Usually I can't even decide which, the 2008 or 2010, I like better. I'd probably say the 2008 one, but maybe that's only because I saw it first?
The Departed (2006)
Remake of Infernal Affairs (2002) which I have yet to see. Intense drama thriller about an undercover agent and mole in the mob and the police repectively and perhaps because I have not seen the original I've enjoyed how the twist and turns in The Departed play out.
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Let Me In (2010)
This is the only one that I've seen the original movie, Let the Right One In, and perhaps one can't even call this a remake since it's based on a book and therefore just another adaptation. Usually I can't even decide which, the 2008 or 2010, I like better. I'd probably say the 2008 one, but maybe that's only because I saw it first?
The Departed (2006)
Remake of Infernal Affairs (2002) which I have yet to see. Intense drama thriller about an undercover agent and mole in the mob and the police repectively and perhaps because I have not seen the original I've enjoyed how the twist and turns in The Departed play out.
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Remake of the 1978 movie of the same name. I really like the remake and since I haven't seen the original, I 'm just going to make a guess that the remake is better acted and with better special effects.
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Horror movies are not my thing so I haven't seen your first or third though I have heard positive things about both. I know most people just love The Departed but I hated it from beginning to end but then I'm variable on Scorsese on the best of days.
ReplyDeleteI didn't have any trouble this week actually though there are many, many bad remakes I guess I've just been lucky to see my share of good ones including these three.
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)-Freshly released from prison Danny Ocean (George Clooney) has a plan to pull off an elaborate heist of several Las Vegas casinos. He looks up his old pal Rusty (Brad Pitt) and together they gather a group of con men with various skill sets to pull it off. Excitement and merriment follow. The original Frank Sinatra/Dean Martin Rat Pack version has the germ of a very good idea and a very lackadaisical execution, the sequel improves on that idea in every aspect….well I wouldn’t say Julia Roberts is the equal of Angie Dickinson but otherwise it’s golden.
3:10 to Yuma (2007)-In the Old West impoverished farmer Dan Evans (Christian Bale) hires on with Pinkerton men to transport outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) through the hardscrabble trip to Contention to be put on the 3:10 train to Yuma and prison. Through the many hardships on the trail the two men form a grudging respect for each other which is sorely tested when Wade’s gang is waiting at the end of the journey. Hard, tough minded Western is based very closely on the excellent 50’s version of the same name that stars Van Heflin & Glenn Ford in Bale & Crowe’s roles. Both very entertaining films the ’07 version benefits from the flashy supporting turn of Ben Foster as unhinged henchman Charlie Prince.
Enchanted April (1992)-In 1920’s London upper middle class housewife Lottie Wilkins (Josie Lawrence) is neglected by her business minded husband and yearns to escape the constant rain and gloom of the city. Sensing her church acquaintance Rose Arbuthnot (Miranda Richardson) is in the same fix she proposes they rent an Italian villa for the month of April. Realizing they can’t quite afford it themselves they advertise for other ladies who might be interested. They receive only two replies, Caroline Dester (Polly Walker), a beautiful socialite seeking refuge from an endless string of facile admirers and Mrs. Fisher (Joan Plowright) a crusty, closed off lady who lives in her memories. After a hellious journey and a bumpy start the four women come under the spell of the beauty of the Italian villa (the cinematography is amazing) and surrounding grounds leading to a life changing experience. Based on a bestselling novel and originally filmed in a staid 30’s version (though with a good cast including Frank Morgan and Ann Harding) this adds a half an hour to the running time and vivid color to flesh out the story.
I've seen bits of both the original and remake of Ocean's Eleven...not a big fan...but they were decent enough movies.
DeleteI really like the 2007 3:10 to Yuma. Have not seen the original.
I've seen 1992 Enchanted April too, I don't remember a lot, but I think I was a little bored.
We match on Dawn of the Dead. The Departed is excellent and popular today. Let The Right One In is one of my favorite movies so I never bothered with the Let Me In remake because I don't care for Chloe Grace Moretz so that alone lets me know I won't love it as much.
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad with Let Me In...let me guess you don't like Chloe Grace Moretz because of that precocious thing she had going on then. I kinda think she's a little too aware of the camera at times too.
DeleteLet The Right One In looks really scary. I have no desire to see Dawn of the Dead but I might see Sean of the Dead:) The Departed is excellent but I, too, have not seen the original.
ReplyDeleteI feel like Let The Right One In is more of a sad eerie movie than jump scare sort of scary.
DeleteI also picked The Departed. It is such a great movie and it surpasses the original in every aspect.
ReplyDeleteI'm another who picked The Departed. Great movie. I also agree Let Me In is on par with Let the Right One In. Both were excellent. Somehow I've not seen either Dawn of the Dead. Gotta fix that soon.
ReplyDelete