As we’ve noted once or twice before, movies based on original scripts are becoming a rare breed. It’s a good guess that any movie released today is based on something: a novel, a TV series, a true story…

But what happens when a movie is the result of several incarnations? From book to TV series to musical play to movie… In this post, we’ll try to find order in the remake madness by comparing the different versions in order to decide which is best.

10.

Fame (1980) → Fame (1982) → Fame (2009)

The most recent of these movie incarnations is the current reinvention of the 1980 hit Fame.

It all began with the musical film about a bunch of teenagers at a prestigious high school of performing arts. It was surprisingly successful, earning six Academy Award nominations, two wins, and the love of critics and viewers alike.

Following hot on its heels was the TV series Fame (1982-1987). Very popular in its first seasons, it won several Emmy and Golden Globe awards. Most of the characters from the 1980 film reappeared, so there was a sense of continuity for fans.

The new 2009 version is not exactly a remake of the original movie or the TV series. The setting at a high school for performing arts remains, but the characters are entirely new. The trailer feels more like High School Musical. Think questionable mix of naïve 80s storytelling with contemporary hip music score. Hmm…

Will this movie become a cult hit like its predecessor or be remembered as a tacky remake of a teen classic? So far, as the results from the box office and critics pour in, the latter looks more likely. Over on Pop Vox, Jennie Yabroff compares it to watching American Idol on the big screen - only worse.

9.

Hairspray (1988) → Hairspray (2002 musical play) → Hairspray (2007)

The first version of Hairspray is one of John Waters‘ most well-known films. The story is more or less the same as in the newer version, only it’s not a musical. The movie was not a great success when first released, but quickly became a cult classic on VHS.

Ten years later, an idea was raised to turn the plot of the film into a stage musical. After some turmoil, the musical opened in 2002 and was an immediate success both financially and critically: Raking in Tony Awards, running for over six years and spanning several international productions.

The success of the musical did not go unnoticed by Hollywood studios, who decided to create a new film combining both the 1988 movie (keeping the campy feel and with John Travolta playing a mother!) and the stage version (a musical). The formula seemed to work: along with 4 new songs written especially for the film, Hairspray was released with great success, though it’s early to define it as a cult classic.

So which version is best? In the box office arena there is a definite winner: The 2007 version grossed over $200 million. But on the critical side, the 1988 version gets the upper hand by a little: 97% of good reviews vs. 91% for the 2007 version on RottenTomatoes.

8.

Pride and Prejudice (1813 novel) → Pride and Prejudice (1995) → Bride and Prejudice (2004)

A definite case of artistic freedom stands before us.

Pride and Prejudice is one of Jane Austen’s best novels and a timeless classic. Over the years, it’s been adapted in dozens of movies, TV series, miniseries etc.

The most notable is the BBC adaptation in 1995, which still stands as one of the greatest Austen adaptations (and raised Colin Firth to stardom).

But perhaps the most outrageous and original adaptation of the classic novel is the 2004 Bollywood-style Bride and Prejudice. In this adaptation, Lalita (the Indian parallel to Elizabeth Bennet) meets rich businessman Will Darcy and an immediate love-hate relationship is born. The classic plot is enriched with catchy songs like “No life without wife” and “My lips are waiting.” Conservative Austen fans would probably be appalled, but the Bollywood version is a funny, feel good experience, if you are willing to take a fresh look at a favorite classic.

7.

Sweeney Todd (1973 play) → Sweeney Todd (1979 musical play) → Sweeney Todd (2007)

The first mention of Sweeney Todd was in 1846 in a magazine that featured cheap, sensational fiction. In early versions of the story Todd is portrayed as a gruesome, cold-blooded killer. The first version that gave Todd a more humane side is Christopher Bond’s play from 1973, in which Todd is a wrongfully imprisoned barber who returns to London after 15 years of banishment. Todd as a vengeance-seeker was more relatable than as a killer without a cause.

The famous musical play by Stephen Sondheim is based on the 1973 play, adding an orchestral-operatic score to the story of vengeance and obsession. The original production won many awards, including 8 Tonys, and has been produced around the world many times since.

Director Tim Burton, who saw the original Sondheim musical as a student, dreamed of adapting it to the big screen. In 2006 his dream was fulfilled… Burton’s version is based quite rigidly on the play, with all of the songs except some background music taken directly from it.

Which version is best? It’s hard to compare the different mediums here – each version wins in its own field. Sondheim’s version is highly praised to this day, and Burton’s version is considered the best cinematic adaptation of the story and one of Burton’s finest films overall.

6.

The Producers (1968) → The Producers (2001 musical play) → The Producers (2005)

The Producers (1968), Mel Brooks‘ first attempt as a director, is a surprisingly successful staging of a musical about Hitler. The responses to this wild showbiz farce were naturally very mixed: some thought it outrageous to treat such issues in a comical way, while others felt it was extremely funny and brave. Like many works of art that were ahead of their time, the acceptance and praise of this film grew over the years until it achieved classic status.

In 2001 a musical play adaptation was produced on Broadway. Unusually, in this adaptation Brooks himself was responsible for the song lyrics and some of the music, preserving the sense of humor. The main difference between the two versions is that the 1968 movie was a much darker comedy in comparison to the more upbeat, light stage musical.

The play won no less than twelve Tonys, paving the way for a movie version of the musical. Theoretically, there was no reason why this film shouldn’t succeed. The two leading stars from the Broadway play also star in the film (Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick) along with several smaller roles and even the director of the play. Plus, it had highly successful and acclaimed origins. But theories and reality don’t always match, and The Producers (2005) turned out to be a financial flop with mixed reviews (51% positive reviews at RottenTomatoes vs. 93% for the 1968 version). However, we can’t blame the producers for trying…

5.

The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) → Little Shop of Horrors (1982 musical play) → Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

The original Little Shop of Horrors (1960) was a low-budget horror-comedy B Movie by one of the most productive B Movie directors, Roger Corman. Over the years the film developed a cult following, partly due to a small role by the young Jack Nicholson, which was heavily promoted in the VHS release of the film.

The cult following resulted in the decision to produce a Broadway musical based on the film. This version maintained the basic tone of dark humor, but with several changes: the masochistic dental patient character was eliminated, and at the end everyone gets eaten by the plant.

In 1986, the musical version was adapted back to film. It follows the plot of the play quite closely, except for bringing back the manic dental patient - if only Bill Murray’s acting was always so superb - and the ending. Unlike the grim ending of the stage musical, in the musical movie version (spoiler ahead!) Seymour saves Audrey and they live happily ever after… This change came after extremely negative reviews from test audiences, and gives the entire film gets a lighter, brighter tone.

Today both films are critically well-received and loved by audiences.

4.

Reefer Madness (1936) → Reefer Madness (1998 musical play) → Reefer Madness (2005)

Here’s a case of original material that was taken in an opposite direction in its later incarnations.

The 1936 version was a morality tale produced by a church group. It features high-school students lured to try marijuana, who subsequently descend into manslaughter, rape, suicide and other proportional deeds…

It was rediscovered in the 70s as an unintentional comedy and in 1998 was adapted as a stage musical in Los Angeles, as a humorous parody of the original. The show was later performed Off-Broadway, after going through substantial rewrites.

Despite the fact that the stage musical did not gain much attention and closed quite quickly, the cable network Showtime decided to adapt it as a straight-to-TV movie musical. The result was the extremely funny, campy and irreverent Reefer Madness (2005), which became an ironic favorite for stoners to watch while getting high. The tunes are catchy, the humor is quirky, the costumes are magnificent – it’s a true cult favorite that will make you hum “Listen to Jesus, Jimmy” for days.

3.

Mamma Mia (1975 ABBA song) → Mamma Mia! (1999 musical play) → Mamma Mia! (2008)

A jukebox musical is a risky proposition: The creators really like the songs of an artist or band, so they try to think of a story that can reasonably hold them all together. (As opposed to “regular” musicals where the plot is conceived before or alongside the music - though that’s not a guarantee it won’t be as ridiculous…)

The 1999 stage musical of Mamma Mia! really revived this genre, by performing some of the most beloved songs of the 20th century – by ABBA. And the plot? Well, it’s not that important.

The musical was an enormous success with audiences, and is currently 13th in the list of longest-running Broadway shows, right after classics like The Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Grease.

Such success could not go ignored by Hollywood, and in 2008 a cinematic version was released. The all-star cast, including Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Julie Walters, sing and dance to the popular tunes. Unlike the similar Producers’ case, ABBA’s magic touch did the work. Like its stage inspiration, the movie was very profitable, if not critically acclaimed - becoming the highest grossing movie musical of all time worldwide.

The numbers are hard to ignore, and so a sequel is already planned. Will it include the same songs? Will ABBA finally reunite for the occasion?? And do we even want that to happen???

2.

Chicago (1926 play) → Chicago (1975 musical play) → Chicago (2002)

The story of Chicago began when a journalist/playwright covered two real-life murder trials. She emphasized the sensational aspects of the cases, claiming the murdering women were corrupted by men and liquor. Later she turned this report into a play, which even received a silent film version in 1927.

After her death, rights for the play were acquired by Bob Fosse, who choreographed the musical play in 1975. Songs were written to fit the Brechtian atmosphere of glamorized crimes and criminal celebrities.

The musical was not extremely successful, but in 1996 a renewed production gained much attention and covered its initial costs faster than any other musical in history. It eventually ran over five thousand times before closing down.

In 2002 a film was released, influenced by both the 1975 and 1996 musical plays, especially by the vaudeville look of the songs, which in the movie are presented as Roxie Hart’s fantasies. The film was very successful both financially and critically. It won 6 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and grossed over $300 million worldwide.

1.

8 1\2 (1963) → Nine (1982 musical play) → Nine (2009)

Everyone knows the Fellini classic 8 1\2. It is considered one of the best films in cinematic history.

But how many of us know there is a musical play based upon this film? The stage musical Nine takes the story of the famous film, adds music to it, and creates a whole new take on the story. Strange as it sounds, the musical became quite successful and received five Tonys. Several revivals of the musical have been enacted since.

This November we’ll get the cinematic version of the musical, with Rob Marshall’s Nine. Marshall has already successfully adapted material that has gone through several incarnations. Will he repeat the phenomenal success of Chicago and take over the Academy Awards ceremony? Or will it be a pretentious flop? By the look of the trailer and with an amazing all-star cast that includes Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Sophia Loren and many others, the result is sure to be glamorous…

Technorati Tags: Fame, Nine, movie, film, remake, television, Broadway,   based on books, based on play

Popularity: 4% [?]

Filmmakers are always on the look-out for good stories. Producers are always on the look-out for financial success. Sometimes the opposing sides go for a lazy compromise: remake! Why not redo a proven success, only bigger and better?

In the last decade it’s been especially popular to update movies from the 50s, 60s and 70s, usually with elements of sci-fi, horror and fantasy. The problem is that the remakes are usually much worse than the originals. Only a few manage to rise to the original’s level, let alone surpass it.

So for those of you who feel nauseated at the sound of the word “Remake” and for those of you who’ve already bought your tickets to The Day the Earth Stood Still, we’ll try to determine once and for all which are better – originals or remakes!

10. Planet of the Apes (1968) vs. Planet of the Apes (2001)

Tim Burton’s much anticipated version of this movie (yep, even he got tempted…) proves that sometimes it’s better not to fix what’s not broken. While the original version is highly acclaimed by critics and even got into IMDb’s top 250, Burton’s version got bad reviews and even “won” the Razzie award for worst remake of the year. After such a bad critical reaction, the studio abandoned the idea of making a sequel, even though the movie was a financial success.
Winner: Planet of the Apes (1968)

9. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) vs. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

Although the original was strongly criticized for its violent, gory content and was even banned in some countries, it’s still considered one of the best and most influential horror films of all time. The remake, however, was not well accepted among the critics, with only 35% fresh reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Nevertheless, financially the remake was a success and a prequel was made 3 years later. Our bet: watch out for a third installment…
Winner: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

8. The Time Machine (1960) vs. The Time Machine (2002)

Both films are based on H.G. Wells’ sci-fi novel The Time Machine. But while the original 1960 version got decent reviews (76% at Rotten Tomatoes) and won an Oscar for special effects, the more modern version got a terrible 28% and wasn’t a big box office hit. The fact that the remake’s director, Simon Wells, is H.G. Wells’ great grandson did not prevent this movie’s failure. We guess Wells senior got restless in his grave…
Winner: The Time Machine (1960)

7. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) vs. The Invasion (2007)

Among remakes that were complete flops compared to their predecessors, The Time Machine is almost insignificant compared to this catastrophic remake. Invasion of the Body Snatchers is considered a true masterpiece among critics and general audiences alike. In 1993 it was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry of USA and in 2008 the American Film Institute granted it 9th place in the best sci-fi films made in America ever. The remake, however, was panned by critics and only made back about half its budget.
Winner: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), big time!

6. Dawn of the Dead (1978) vs. Dawn of the Dead (2004)

In this case the remake is not as disastrous as others on the list – the 2004 version got fairly good reviews and was one of the only zombie films to gross over $100 million around the world. But all of this is nothing compared to the original version by George A. Romero, which is considered by many to be one of the best horror films ever made. And consider the financial success of the original movie, whose budget was only $650,000. It grossed over $55 million worldwide. There is no doubt as to who is the winner.
Winner: Dawn of the Dead (1978)

5. War of the Worlds (1953) vs. War of the Worlds (2005)

This is a case of close call between the movies, as both of them generally got positive reviews and similar user ratings on various sites. The original movie won an Oscar for special effects and was 1953’s biggest sci-fi hit. The 2005 version was the biggest financial hit Steven Spielberg had known since Saving Private Ryan (1998) and was the 4th most successful movie of 2005.
Winner: We’d have to say it’s a tie.

4. The Omen (1976) vs. The Omen (2006)

Yet another horror flick that was remade 30 years later. The original one makes it to the top of scariest movie moments and got generally good reviews. The 2006 remake is treated as nothing more than a mediocre horror film that can’t be compared to the original. Even financially, the remake could not top the box office earnings of the original movie 30 years earlier.
Winner: The Omen (1976)

3. Little Shop of Horrors (1960) vs. Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

After such a long list of remake failures one cannot help but wonder – is it even possible for a remake to outdo the original? The next movie proves that it’s possible, although not common. The original 1960 film was a very funny and highly acclaimed movie with a small yet unforgettable turn by Jack Nicholson. But the musical version of 1986 is the one we all know and love today – it became a cult hit and got 91% good reviews at Rotten Tomatoes. Interestingly enough, this is also the only remake in the list that was not made during the 21st century. Is it possible filmmakers forgot how to create good remakes over the decades…?
Winner: Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

2. The Poseidon Adventure (1972) vs. Poseidon (2006)

The story of a ship that flips over just calls out for up-to-date special effects. Shouldn’t be too hard, right? Wrong! The original Poseidon was a huge box office hit, the second most profitable film of 1972 after The Godfather. It was nominated for several Oscars, and won 2. Maybe the fact that the actors were considered very good made the difference, because the 2006 remake had impressive special effects but nothing more. The remake was nominated for a Razzie in the worst remake category and barely covered its costs. The producers should have learned from the failure of the original’s sequel…
Winner: The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

1. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) vs. The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)

Examining the list so far, it doesn’t look too promising for the up and coming new remake. Casting Keanu Reeves isn’t encouraging either… We want to apologize to the producers for not offering this detailed study before they decided on spending $100 million with success odds as low as winning a Vegas roulette… This remake will have an especially hard time since the original is highly acclaimed, ranked 7th in Arthur C. Clarke’s List of the Best Science-Fiction Films of All Time, just above 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film was also selected for preservation by the National Film Registry of the United States and appears in IMDb’s top 250 films. Let’s hope that this remake will be a turning point, and mark a new era of high quality remakes that surpass their originals.
Winner: Too soon to tell, but you’re welcome to watch and report back!

Unconvinced? Search for yourself on Jinni:
Remake * Sci-fi * Horror * Fantasy * Disaster * Classic * Blockbuster * Boys’ night * Critically acclaimed * 50s * 60s * 70s * Based on a book * Masterpiece * Oscar winner * Musical * Time travel* Androids and robots* Zombie* Space and aliens

Popularity: 44% [?]