almost ENTERTAINMENT

DO THAT AGAIN.

I understand why people have such a negative reaction to the idea of remaking a movie. I get it. I really do. But… c’mon. Wake up. Grow up. Do something up. They’re just movies. Even the argument that the only movies they should be remaking are ones that didn’t quite work the first time, and therefore can be improved, falls apart pretty quickly. If you left every great movie alone we wouldn’t have “The Parent Trap”. Either one. And I like both of them. You do, too. Admit it. In fact, the list of beloved movies that are actually remakes is a very long one. These are merely ones that I was either at one point myself surprised to discover, or surprised people around me didn’t know, were remakes. To be fair, not everything here is technically a direct remake of another movie (despite me labelling them such in large lettering). What officially constitutes a remake isn’t exactly black and white, what with novels and plays and things having been adapted multiple times. So I’ve done my best to briefly explore just what exactly is going on with each title.

SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)

Remake of the German movie FANFAREN DER LIEBE (1951).

FATAL ATTRACTION (1987)

Remake of DIVERSION (1980), a short film made for British television which Paramount attempted to destroy all copies of when they bought the rights.

A STAR IS BORN (1937)

Remake of WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD? (1932) directed by George Cukor, who would go on to helm the 1954 version, as well.

FEVER PITCH (2005)

Based on the same book as FEVER PITCH (1997), swapping out the lead’s love of soccer for baseball.

THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)

The third movie adaptation of Hammett’s novel, which had been done before in 1931 using the same title and in 1936 as SATAN MET A LADY.

TRUE LIES (1994)

Remake of the French movie LA TOTALE! (1991).

HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940)

Based on the play THE FRONT PAGE, which had made it to the big screen before in 1931.

HEAT (1995)

Remake of the TV movie L.A. TAKEDOWN (1989), also directed by Mann.

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS (1988)

Remake of BEDTIME STORY (1964) starring Marlon Brando and David Niven.

HOLIDAY (1938)

Based on the same Philip Barry play as the 1930 movie of the same name.

MAN ON FIRE (2004)

Based on the same novel as the 1987 version starring Scott Glenn.

AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER (1957)

Remake of LOVE AFFAIR (1939), also directed by Leo McCarey.

THE DEPARTED (2006)

Remake of Hong Kong’s INFERNAL AFFAIRS trilogy.

SCENT OF A WOMAN (1992)

Based on the same novel as the Italian movie PROFUMO DI DONNA (1974).

THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)

The true story of the Trapp family had previous been made into a German movie, aptly titled THE TRAPP FAMILY (1956).

THE REVENANT (2015)

Based on the same true story that inspired MAN IN THE WILDERNESS (1971)… but also based ‘in part’ on the novel by Michael Punke… which he based on a poem… which tells that true story.

MEET THE PARENTS (2000)

Remake of the 1992 movie of the same name.

GASLIGHT (1948)

Based on the play by Patrick Hamilton, which was made into a movie with the same name merely four years prior.

THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN (1988)

His fantastical life had been adapted many times before Gilliam took a crack at it, most famously in 1943 as MÜNCHHAUSEN.

ALWAYS (1989)

Remake of A GUY NAMED JOE (1943)… do yourself a favour and watch it instead.

SILENCE (2016)

The novel had previously been adapted into a 1971 Japanese movie with the same title.

THE PARENT TRAP (1961)

Erich Kästner’s novel had been made into a few movies before Disney’s take, most notably DAS DOPPELTE LOTTCHEN (1950), but I believe it was the first English language version, Pressburger’s TWICE UPON A TIME (1953), that caught Walt’s eye.