When I saw this blogfest I just knew it was right up my alley. But you know what? It's hard to come up with definitive films. There are so many terrible remakes of great films, but equally, there are a bunch of fantastic remakes of mediocre films.
So often foreign language films are remade to make them more accessible for English language audiences, but in translation, a lot of what made the films great, the cultural context, gets lost.
And the most pointless remakes are when filmmakers decide to remake their own films. What were you thinking, Michael Haneke? Funny Games is one of the creepiest films I've ever seen, but the English language remake you did of your own film is just insipid, despite being almost shot for shot identical.
So for my best remake I'm going to go for The Departed which is an English language remake of Hong Kong action flick, Infernal Affairs.
A close second has to be Scarface. Brian De Palma's version is actually better than Howard Hawk's original because the laws about what could and couldn't be shown on screen had relaxed and therefore the more shocking aspects of this story could actually be shown.
As for the worst remakes? There are so many terrible ones., but none quite so repugnant as the English language remake of my favorite film, Wings of Desire (or Der Himmel uber Berlin) as City of Angels. I would urge you to avoid this film like the plague.
And there's a bonus question! Best and worst remakes of songs. Again, there are so many bad ones and I don't want to leave you with a horrible taste in your mouth, so one of the best... Rowland S. Howard's version of She Cried by The Horrors. This song is THE song I played over and over when I wrote The Sidewalk's Regrets.
I wouldn't have thought you'd be a fan of The Departed or Scarface. They're dripping with harsh machismo and violence and are nothing like what you write. I'm not fond of City of Angels either, but more because I don't like a rom-com to have a sad ending. (That's why I didn't include TIm Burton's brilliant Edward Scissorhands in my Black Comedy list -- if you cry at the end, it's not a comedy, dang it!)
ReplyDeleteI want pics of zombie slippers! :-D
Prior to this blogfest I used to think I watched a lot of movies. LOL - I haven't seen any of the movies you mentioned.
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I agree that it's very rare for an English translation to live up to the foreign counterpart. I have to agree with City of Angels, and I didn't even know that was a remake.
ReplyDeleteI have yet to watch Scarface but I hear its brilliant.
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I appreciated that The Departed pointed me in the direction of Infernal Affairs.
ReplyDeleteToo late! I've already seen City of Angels.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it's a shame when foreign films are remade for English speaking countries. (Are Americans too stupid and lazy to read subtitles?) It's rare that a better film is made that way.
Thanks for participating in our blogfest.
I did not see either 'The Departed' or 'Scarface', so no comment there. Never saw the first version of 'City of Angels' but aside fro the soundtrack not too impressed.
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Scarface is one of the favorites from what I've read. Al Pacino is a brilliant actor to me. City of Angels is terrible but it might be just that I can't stand Nicolas Cage in any role. Thanks for participating!
ReplyDeleteThat shower scene haunts me Kate. Cool list.
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Scarface--definitely a classic. I'm glad to know someone else writes to a soundtrack :) I did like City of Angels but I saw it with a date so I was thinking about love. Don't judge me!
ReplyDeleteI saw the German (I think) version of Funny Games with subtitles, and it was a very strange experience.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry - I'll avoid City of Angels.
ReplyDeleteAnd hey, you chose wisely in my blog's best/worst contest; you're invited to claim your prize: flowomiles AT hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteI was really disappointed in the remake of "Let the Right One In" (renamed "Let Me In" in the English version). As for one of my favorites, I'd have to go with John Carpenter's remake of "The Thing." For some reason, I have horror movies on the brain! :)
ReplyDeleteI liked the Swedish version so much, I never watched the US remake. I never watched the remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo either. No one but Noomi will ever be Elisabeth Salander for me....
DeleteI haven't seen the movies you mentioned up there, nor have I heard the song (either version, that I know of). Oh dear, colour me unedumacated! hehe
ReplyDeleteI have seen The Departed and Scarface but not the foreign movies they were remakes of.i enjoyed both movies. I also saw City of Angels and I enjoyed it but I did not see the original version. One of my fav remakes was The Thing....someone else mentioned it in their comments also.
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