Absolutely nothing like war? Let’s see. Man of Steel, a reboot of the Superman saga, is coming out this weekend, which is a good a reason as any to check the value of reboots. Those who oppose this new trend claim it stems from a lack of creativity, laziness and greed. Those who condone it say that sometimes movies become outdated, because of cultural and technical changes (special effect, CGI and such), and a reboot is a means of making the same story relevant to today’s viewers. This sounds like a noble endeavor in theory, but does it pass the reality test? For my research I have chosen 10 titles and their respective reboots and compared between them. I wanted to examine what has been changed (and why) in terms of mood or even plot, whether those reboots have something of value to add to the original or just intent on being a money milking machine. For the latter I take a look if they at the very least succeeded at making the money they so desperately need (to make other reboots, of course).

Here we go:

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We are all creatures of habit, and the people heading Cannes Film Festival (and probably the most prestigious of them all) are not all that different, as evident from this year’s line-up, which includes many past winners. It’s also safe to say that the competition is more open this year, since the Festival’s favorite auteur of recent years, Michael Haneke (3 grand prizes in 11 years) is absent this time. Here are some choice repeat offenders, and a couple of hopefuls, we’ll be seeing this year:

Baz Luhrmann

The Australian director won a minor prize at Cannes in 1992 for the stylized romance Strictly Ballroom. More than 20 years later he returns with another film in the same vein, an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.

Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola won a prize in 2006 for Marie Antoinette, a film based on a true story, which centered around a strong female presence and featured an abundance of style and fashion. Fast forward 7 years and Ms. Coppola returns with The Bling Ring, a film based on a true story, centered on a strong female presence which features an abundance of style and fashion.

Nicolas Winding Refn

A brooding Ryan Gosling as a criminal hero already brought Winding Refn the grand prize in 2011 with the rough, L.A set, neo noir Drive, so why not repeat parts of the formula, only this time set the action in Thailand? Hopefully, Only God Forgives will not follow in the footsteps of The Hangover Part II and will manage to replicate its predecessor.

The Coen Brothers

With no less than three previous wins (Barton Fink, Fargo and The Man Who Wasn’t There) Ethan and Joel Coen are undoubtedly well liked on the French Riviera, so Inside Llewyn Davis, their gloomy musician’s life affair, will probably be warmly received.

Jim Jarmusch

Another multiple Cannes Winner (Stranger Than Paradise, Mystery Train, Broken Flowers and the short Coffee and Cigarettes III), Jarmusch returns to the festival with Only Lovers Left Alive, a film that looks like a diversion from his usual oeuvre, since it deals with vampires, but, come to think of it, he will most likely portray them like all his heroes, as quirky misfits.

Steven Soderbergh

It is fitting that Soderbergh, who won in 1989 with his debut Sex, Lies, and Videotape and helped usher in a new era of independent cinema, will screen Behind the Candelabra, his self-professed last film, in the same venue. Similarly to his first film, Soderbergh’s last one also deals with sexuality, although this time in a much flashier way.

Roman Polanski

Polanski has only one Cannes win, which came pretty late in his career, for the epic The Pianist. However, Venus in Fur, his entry for the competition this year, is a little more reminiscent of his latest film, Carnage, since it’s also based on a play and seems to have the same chamber drama qualities.

Paolo Sorrentino

With Il Divo, his Cannes winner from 2008, becoming unexpectedly topical since its subject, former Italian head of state Giulio Andreotti, passed away last week, Sorrentino’s La grande bellezza may not enjoy the same success, as it brings a different, more personal, view of life in Rome.

James Gray

Being in the competition three times (The Yards, We Own The Night and Two Lovers) and never winning, James Grey can only hope that fourth time is a charm. The fact that The Immigrant is a gloomy period piece certainly won’t hurt its chances.

François Ozon

Nominated only once, a decade ago, for Swimming Pool, French director Ozon should hope to benefit from a home court advantage (as some of his compatriots have in previous years), with Jeune et jolie, an episodic and contemplative tale of a young prostitute.

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Technorati Tags: Cannes Film Festival, Michael Haneke, Baz Luhrmann, Strictly Ballroom, F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Sofia Coppola, Marie Antoinette, The Bling Ring, Nicolas Winding Refn, Ryan Gosling, Drive, Only God Forgives, The Hangover Part II, The Coen Brothers, Barton Fink, Fargo, The Man Who Wasn’t There, Inside Llewyn Davis, Jim Jarmusch, Stranger Than Paradise, Mystery Train, Broken Flowers, Coffee and Cigarettes III, Only Lovers Left Alive, Steven Soderbergh, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Behind the Candelabra, Roman Polanski, The Pianist, Carnage, Paolo Sorrentino, Il Divo, Giulio Andreotti, La grande bellezza, Rome, James Gray, The Yards, We Own The Night, Two Lovers, The Immigrant, François Ozon, Swimming Pool, Jeune et jolie

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“Oblivion”, a bleak thriller about future dystopia, set on a distant planet and starring Tom Cruise, is nearing it’s release date in theaters. We at Jinni wanted to stop for a moment and try to figure out what is it about the future and distant planets, that seems to make the movies about them so grim? They’re always set in some broken society, a ruined civilization, or on a menacing distant planet, which in many cases is ruled by evil aliens or is being threatened by them in some way. I guess that since the future is unknown, we project our fears onto what it holds. We imagine the worst so that we can be prepared for the worst the moment it arrives. I say: think positive! Break the rules! Why must we always dread what the future holds? Let’s rewrite the future and include some laughs and romance instead of all of the atrocities we’re being forced to face. With some minor genetic alterations, courtesy of our Entertainment Genome, here’s what the future could look like:

Avatar (2009)

Genes of the original – Exciting, Betrayal, Danger, Battles, Society.

No reason not to start with the biggest bang; “Avatar” is currently the highest grossing movie of all time, known for its amazing 3D and special effects that truly captivate it’s viewers. It tells the story of Jake Sully, who decides to take on the role of his brother who died on the distant world of Pandora. In exchange for his help, he will regain use of his legs through an expensive surgery granted to him by the army. What he doesn’t know yet, is that the military wishes to drive away the natives, simply known as the Na’Vi, and take control of their rich minerals. In order to mine these resources, they want to remove the Na’Vi from their homes.

The Jinni take – Humorous, Feel Good, Looking for love, Meet the Parents.

Jake Sully hasn’t been able to find true love for years now because of his paralyzing disability. He hears about a new form of technology that can be found in the distant planet of Pandora. In Pandora, it is possible to transfer your consciousness to a different body, taking on the form of the planet’s native people, the Na’Vi. Once Jake switches bodies, he meets Neytiri and falls in love with her, but their love cannot be fulfilled until her parents accept him as part of their tribe. Nothing goes right as Jake tries to readjust to his new culture in this romantic comedy, packed with ups and downs!

Moon (2009)

Genes of the original – Tense, Bleak, Psychological.

This clever independent film revolves around an astronaut named Sam Bell who is the sole resident of the moon, a distant planet in itself, and his mission to harvest the resources that are needed on Earth. Being all alone, all he has is a computer named ‘GERTY’ to talk to. Being on the moon for almost 3 years weighs heavily on him and he starts hallucinating. After an accident on the station’s harvester, Sam makes a shocking self discovery that turns his life upside down and makes him question his identity and beliefs.

The Jinni take – Silly humor, Buddies, Drug abuse, looking for sex.

Sam Bell always yearned to leave his bubble and explore the great big world beyond. So he upped and left society to work on the moon, where he got to explore the little planet as well as create an unlikely friendship with the station based super-computer ‘GERTY’. While harvesting on the moon, Sam discover a lunar mineral with effects resembling LSD, which cause him to have hallucinations of a sexual nature. Unable to control his urges, the two embark on an obsessive quest to find companions, and the movie follows the misadventures of these 2 wacky characters.

Dune (1984)

Genes of the original – Atmospheric, Stylized, Rivalry, Morality, Deadly creature

In the far future, the only resource that matters in the universe is called “The Spice”, and it can only be found on a distant planet named ‘Arakis’ which is also known as ‘Dune’. The planet is infested with fearsome monsters known only as the sand worms. Two families – the Atreides and the Harkoonen - fight for control over the spice because he who controls the spice, controls the universe; and thus begins a string of events, including betrayals, quests for revenge and a prophecy that comes to life through th e duke’s son, who becomes a great leader. The movie includes a great deal of immorality and corruption in order to obtain the spice at any cost!

The Jinni take – Exciting, Adventurer, Save the Princess, Against the odds

In order to save the princess from the evil baron Harkoonen, Peter Atreides must venture to the distant planet ‘Arakis’ where the princess is kept, where he fights his way through a number of deathtraps, faces out-of-this-world spells and rituals that were set for him by the evil baron, and fends off gigantic terrible sand worms who swarm the planet. Could Peter’s quest be doomed to begin with, or will he overcome the impossible and defeat all the evils that stand in his way, and manage to save the day?! Check out this exciting escapade to find out!

Starship Troopers (1997)

Genes of the original – Suspenseful, Rough, Evil Alien, Space Wars, Human Existence.

In the future portrayed in this action classic, people obtain citizenship only through serving their country. We follow the escapades of Johnny Rico and his girlfriend Carmen as they graduate from high school and decide to enlist in the military and join the fight for the fate of humanity against the evil alien bugs. The bugs, which are infesting the universe, are evolving and becoming more intelligent with every passing day. It is up to the military to foil the bugs’ plans to wipe out humanity from existence. Filled with gore, and some fast paced action, this movie doesn’t let you rest for a split second.

The Jinni take – Offbeat, High School Life, Fish Out of Water

Humanity values equality over anything else, especially during a time when the human race has discovered they are not alone in the universe. Johnny Rico transfers to the alien planet of “Klendathu” in order to study foreign affairs, and to expand his horizons beyond the knowledge of his own race. Once there, he soon finds out that the bugs are more benign than they look and that there’s definitely more than meets the eye. In this fish out of water comedy, Johnny Rico is thwarted into ridiculous situations, that call for trouble at every turn.

Oblivion (2013)

Genes of the original – Suspenseful, Future Dystopia, Fate of Humanity, Conspiracies.

This is the story of one of the last drone repairmen stationed on Earth. With the help of drones, humanity extracts vital resources from the planet in order to survive in the aftermath of the war with the terrifying Scavs. When Jack meets a stranger while on one of his patrols, he initiates a chain of events that brings him to question everything he believes in, including the fate of humanity.

The Jinni take – Touching, Adventure, Hotshot, Love and Romance.

Jack Harper and Victoria are paired up on a mission to salvage resources from the ruined planet Earth. Initially antagonistic, they seem to be different in every possible way. Jack is more curious and roams around the ruins, while Victoria wants to be thorough and complete their assignment without wasting time. When both of them make a dangerous discovery, it’s up to Jack to get Victoria back to safety. Suddenly, their true emotions surface, and it appears that all this time they were just holding back. Now, Jack will do anything to get a second chance at love.

Alright, I know, our takes are not really serious and producers will probably not be knocking down our office doors, bidding for these scripts. It’s more likely that they would turn out to be really good B movies… but it does make you think, doesn’t it? I suspect that the magic of Sci-Fi lies within it’s ominous nature. While threatening and scary, it’s also very intriguing and brings to our attention the need to stop and take a minute to consider ways to avoid these dark futures. In a world that strives for peace, no one wants to be under the threat of destruction.
And thus I bid all of you a fruitful week, free of existential threats!

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Technorati Tags: Oblivion, Tom Cruise, Avatar, Moon, Dune, Starship Troopers, Sci-Fi, Aliens, Earth, Drones, Humanity, The Future

Popularity: 2% [?]

Tomorrow, the highly anticipated and much buzzed about remake of the horror cult movie The Evil Dead is being released; but this is not a mere remake, mind you, the film received a surprising gender twist, as Bruce Campbell and his distinctive brand of over acting have been replaced by Jane Levy.

And since tomorrow is also “Fun At Work Day“, what could be more fun than writing a post about how some films and TV series would look like if they’d undergo similar gender bending? Nothing can. So here is what we came up with:

Clueless

Teenage boys are usually portrayed looking for sex in any way imaginable (just think of American Pie and its predecessors). wouldn’t it be nice to see them all caught up in shopping and matchmaking instead of violating innocent pastries? If Jason Biggs had a young brother, it would be perfect.

Fight Club

An offbeat and dark humored satire might just be exactly what Angelina Jolie’s overly serious career needs. She could easily replace Brad Pitt in leading a group of social misfits beating each other for fun, or as a cure for soul crushing social decay. You can even call it “Girl, Disturbing”. The Twist? She’s really Anne Hathaway’s alter ego.

Girls

A series about four twentysomething buddies trying to figure out what being an adult really means may not sound like the most far reaching idea, but it will definitely be hard to imagine them confronting each other so lengthily without having things deteriorating to a fist fight.

Elementary

Sure, the are many films and TV series about male/female crime fighting duos. And yet even in the latest one about the prodigy private detective set in modern day New York, the creators only went half way and gave the gender twist to Watson, the uptight character, while reserving, as usual, the role of the brilliant yet unstable partner for a man. We think it’s time to go all the way and have a keen observing, drug taking clever detective lady with a male sidekick - Just switch between Lucy Liu and Johny Lee Miller.

Downton Abbey

Just imagine a series about an aristocratic family life in early 20th century England, with three brothers trying to find suitable brides while living under the watchful eye of their snobbish, ill tempered and witty grandfather.

Wait… is Ian McKellen available?

Mad Men

In order to put a good gender twist on this Emmy winning series, set in the 60’s, about an office run by womanizing bosses, we would have to place it in a parallel world. However, it would probably be worth it, if only for the chance to see John Hamm perform this French pop classic.

Anna Karenina

While director Joe Wright’s best efforts focus on female protagonists, it would be interesting to see how he would have handled this tragic love story if its concern was an unhappily married man. Our guess: much less chances for a costume design Oscar. Or, even better, we can go the extra mile and make it a drag adaptation, starring Andrew Garfield, since we already know how he looks in a dress.

Arrow

Super heroines are not only extremely scarce, but when they do appear, it’s mostly as a part of an ensemble, and they are never really given a chance to develop or explore the darker side of their personalities. So, what could be better than a presumed dead billionaire heiress trying to right the wronged (preferably without a ridiculous voice over)..? Scarlett Johansson already played the black widow, so being the green arrow isn’t such a stretch.

New Girl

Roommates have always had comic potential, and having an ever optimistic, sometimes clueless young man living with three bantering best friends could definitely work. The only problem? Finding a female equivalent for the term “douchebag”. Michael Cera, are you in?

Evil Dead

While survival in the woods is a time honored horror theme, adding chainsaws to the mix, and putting them in a female lead’s hands is pretty rare; and although the scares and gore seem to be bountiful in this one, we’ll have to wait and see if it will reach the original’s cult status.

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Hollywood’s resident bad boy - Quentin Tarantino – celebrates his 50th birthday today. During the half a century he’s been on this planet, QT has managed to cause quite a bit of mayhem, while collecting numerous prestigious awards on the way. We, here at Jinni, wish him all the best (and advise him to stay away from acting), and since he’s gone and joined the cadre of elderly filmmakers, we’ve listed nine directors who haven’t reached their Jubilee yet. (And while we would love to have a stronger female presence on this list, it has, regrettably, remained mostly dominated by men.)

Quentin Tarantino (49+1)

Never shying away from controversy, Tarantino’s recent films have dealt with sensitive subjects such as slavery and racism in the least politically correct way imaginable. Luckily, he injects his rough films with generous amounts of dark humor.

Most Memorable Movie – Pulp Fiction

A groundbreaking tale of criminals running loose in Los Angeles, this postmodernist cult hit not only won the grand prize at Cannes but also resurrected John Travolta’s career.

Guillermo del Toro (49)

Starting out as a makeup artist, it is hardly surprising the Del Toro films show a passionate interest in insects, monsters, and all kinds of deadly creatures. However, he does not limit himself to scary and gory affairs, as he sometimes chooses to take a more offbeat approach.

Most Memorable Movie – Pan’s Labyrinth

Directing a surreal coming of age film set in the 1940s war-torn Spain, just between directing two comic adaptations about an antisocial yet heroic huge demon, might seem like a radical divergence, but Del Toro managed to create a truly essential piece of dark fantasy.

Guy Ritchie (45)

What’s the link between fast and funny gangsters stories set in London and London-based fast period pieces about a hotshot hero fighting crime (aside from the locale and the pace, that is?) Well, it’s their director, who apart from a brief stint as Madonna’s husband/domestic moviemaker, had established himself as the UK’s premier boys’ night entertainment supplier.

Most Memorable Movie - Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Setting the tone for the rest of his career, as well as unleashing Jason Statham and Vinnie Jones on the unsuspecting world, Ritchie’s debut film is still his wittiest, most enjoyable creation.

Lynne Ramsay – 44

This Scottish director doesn’t have the most extensive filmography – and recent developments suggest that it won’t grow anytime soon – but the handful of films she has directed have an exceptional elegiac quality to them.

Most Memorable Movie – We Need to Talk About Kevin

A disturbing literary adaption which inspects the darkest corners of the human nature and features one of the best performances in Tilda Swinton’s career, which is no mean feat.

Wes Anderson (44)

Best known for his meticulous visual style (some would go even further and call it obsessive), this Texas native has gathered somewhat of a cult following for his quirky views of dysfunctional characters.

Most Memorable Movie – The Royal Tenenbaums

Featuring an all star cast, this dry humored and clever film created the template for the rest of Anderson’s oeuvre, which, sadly, replicated the Tenenbaums’ formula with diminishing returns.

Paul Thomas Anderson (43)

Not related to Wes (and  gladly, neither to Paul W.S. Anderson), PT Anderson’s films are also entirely different, focusing on tense, often destructive, human relationships. The only possible exception being Punch-Drunk Love, which, while being charmingly humorous, also dealt with an emotionally damaged protagonist.

Most Memorable Movie – There Will Be Blood

An epic piece set in the early 20th century, this captivating film showcases the sometimes overwhelming intensity PT Anderson’s work often achieves, both visually and emotionally.

Christopher Nolan (43)

Without a doubt, the most commercially successful director on this list, with a lifetime gross of over $1.5 Billion, Christopher Nolan seems to have found the perfect middle ground between Hollywood tone and a more personal, often mind bending, style.

Most Memorable Movie – Memento

As tempting as it is to insert a nonlinear pun about this original film’s importance, we’ll just say that it catapulted Nolan’s career, and proved that clever and commercial aren’t mutually exclusive. Now, what was that memorable film by Christopher Nolan?…

Nicolas Winding Refn (43)

Offering a unique vision which is both rough and atmospheric, Winding Refn’s films may not be for everyone, since they often display strong violent content, but they also have have surprisingly quiet and reflective moments.

Most Memorable Movie – Drive

In this hyper stylized neo noir about a lone wolf cruising nocturnal Los Angeles, inflicting horrible violent comeuppance on various bad guys, Winding Refn pushes his signature style to its furthest, neon-lit limit.

Sofia Coppola (42)

Sofia Coppola’s films have a very distinct look & feel, concentrating on gloomy and atmospheric stories about young women, often in vulnerable emotional situations, surrounded by an unsympathetic world. Looking at her upcoming projects, it doesn’t seem like she’s going to stray too far away from her niche.

Most Memorable Movie – Lost in Translation

Not only did this stylized story about unfulfillment and alienation win an Oscar for its screenplay, it was also Scarlett Johansson’s breakout role and provided Bill Murray a much deserved Golden Globe.

Ben Affleck (41)

The youngest director on this list, Affleck probably had the most comprehensive makeover, transforming himself from an oft ridiculed actor (Gigli, anyone?) to a multiple awards winning director, dealing with historical events.

Most Memorable Movie – Argo

His most recent film, which was also his biggest commercial and critical success, really elevated Affleck from the status of an actor with a knack for directing into that of an accomplished director whose Oscar nomination snub raised more than a few eyebrows.

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