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Author Topic: Thought experiment: What public domain movie would you remake?
Laszlo  1554 posts
Registered: Nov '06
14702_Anakin Skywalker
Date Posted: 6/12 4:43am Subject: Thought experiment: What public domain movie would you remake?
In this age of remakes (we ever not had remakes?) I’d have to say I’m more interested in seeing a film from 80 years ago remade over those from a decade ago. I was reading the Wiki on an obscure Fritz Lang film I like called M when I noticed its copyright expired. Though I’ve pinched some concepts from it for my movies I’d never though until now ‘hey, you know, I could remake that’. Recently in the social thread (I think) someone asked ones if War of the Worlds was in the public domain or not yet.

So as a though experiment I was wondering of the this list of films folks would, if it so suited them, have a crack at? Maybe Lady Frankenstein and Radar Men from the Moon are irredeemable, but there are a few gems like The Street Fighter and even Night of the Living Dead.

 

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VaporTrail  9980 posts
Registered: May '02
14913_Obi-Wan
Date Posted: 6/12 7:55am Subject: Thought experiment: What public domain movie would you remake?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_in_the_public_domain
Battleship Potemkin came up in more than one of my film classes... though I can't understand why you'd want to remake that except to add a cheesy, unnecessary storyline and give it an R rating.
It might be interesting to do Man With a Movie Camera again in the digital age, though it might just come off as yet another reality/documentary.

I really don't recognize a lot of those titles and most of the ones I do have of course already been redone or are part of a larger franchise. Flipping through, it's interesting to see cases of 1930's films being remade in the 50's.

 

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AdamBertocci  19898 posts
Title: Manager: Fan Films
 Registered: Feb '02
8070_Sal & Friends
Date Posted: 6/12 8:44am Subject: Thought experiment: What public domain movie would you remake? - Date Edited: 6/12 8:46am (1 edits total) Edited By: AdamBertocci
What about re-adaptations of public domain material?

I'd love to take a crack at "The Tempest" (revisionist or straightforward Shakespeare) or "Much Ado About Nothing" (revisionist only, with a modern setting and dialogue and such).

As for things that we primarily think of as movies, two words... "Flash Gordon". I've LONG had a vision for how I'd do it. It would be glorious and absurd, and in general a film for those who loved the 1980 flick but thought it was too subtle.


an obscure Fritz Lang film I like called M

please tell me this is a joke

actually I guess since 99% of the world are functional illiterates it probably IS obscure sad



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DorkmanScott  13967 posts
Title: Manager Emeritus
 Registered: Mar '01
44356_Fan Films - Ryan vs Dorkman
Date Posted: 6/12 9:34am Subject: Thought experiment: What public domain movie would you remake?
Much of H.P. Lovecraft's work is in the public domain and I'm working on adapting some of them to feature screenplays.

And yeah, I didn't know M was "obscure" either. That could be an interesting remake.

 

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Laszlo  1554 posts
Registered: Nov '06
14702_Anakin Skywalker
Date Posted: 6/12 10:13am Subject: Thought experiment: What public domain movie would you remake?
The only place I'd heard of M was in a 'big book of horror movies' I'd read back in college, oh, 15 years back. The premise stuck in my mind though, and I’d tried finding a copy on DVD/VHS with no luck until eBay came around. Between then I’ve never heard any reference to the film, ever. A shame because the premise is so simple, yet so cool.

Ultimately the movie had weird pacing issues – but it’s one of the first ‘talkies’ so I can forgive it for that.

 

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Evil-Henchman  2384 posts
Registered: Jul '04
6614_Darth Vader
Date Posted: 6/12 12:33pm Subject: Thought experiment: What public domain movie would you remake?
AdamBertocci posted:
What about re-adaptations of public domain material?

I'd love to take a crack at "The Tempest" (revisionist or straightforward Shakespeare) or "Much Ado About Nothing" (revisionist only, with a modern setting and dialogue and such).

As for things that we primarily think of as movies, two words... "Flash Gordon". I've LONG had a vision for how I'd do it. It would be glorious and absurd, and in general a film for those who loved the 1980 flick but thought it was too subtle.


Flash Gordon is already being remade... again. So is the original Highlander. doh!

 

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madhorizons  927 posts
Registered: May '06
42010_Darth Nihilus
Date Posted: 6/12 12:43pm Subject: Thought experiment: What public domain movie would you remake?
Not that it'd ever happen....but from that list, the ones I'd remake/respark:

Gulliver's Travels
Nosferatu (keeping it silent)

 

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tumblemoster  2405 posts
Registered: Dec '00
Date Posted: 6/12 12:43pm Subject: Thought experiment: What public domain movie would you remake?
I've been sitting on a treatment for a Peter Pan film for two years. I'd like to make that.

 

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DVCPRO-HDeditor  1567 posts
Registered: Nov '06
47650_Darth Ben Kenobi
Date Posted: 6/12 6:08pm Subject: Thought experiment: What public domain movie would you remake?
I'd take a crack at The Invisible Man. Griffin's character fascinates me.

 

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doggans  7766 posts
Registered: Aug '02
6279_George Lucas
Date Posted: 6/12 6:42pm Subject: Thought experiment: What public domain movie would you remake?
I'd love to film a version of "His Girl Friday", but it really does not need to be remade.

(And yes, I'm aware that it already is sort of a remake, but STILL.)

 

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drewjmore  678 posts
Registered: Aug '07
6642_42
Date Posted: 6/12 8:13pm Subject: Thought experiment: What public domain movie would you remake?
A bad idea on many levels, but I can't help thinking the Wizard of Oz was done improperly the first time.
Sure they had to simplify the story for it to be tellable in a reasonable running time, but
the re-working of it into a screenplay //really// watered down the social commentary.

 

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dan-yoda  1199 posts
Registered: Sep '03
6534_Comic Book Jedi
Date Posted: 6/12 8:48pm Subject: Thought experiment: What public domain movie would you remake?
I noticed on the public domain movie list that all of Ed Wood's movies are in the public domain.

With Hollywood's recent trend of whoring out the remakes...

God help us all.

 

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VaporTrail  9980 posts
Registered: May '02
14913_Obi-Wan
Date Posted: 6/12 9:02pm Subject: Thought experiment: What public domain movie would you remake? - Date Edited: 6/12 9:40pm (3 edits total) Edited By: VaporTrail
dan-yoda posted:
With Hollywood's recent trend of whoring out the remakes...

If anything, that list proves it's not just a modern trend. A lot more noticable now and there's certainly more movies being made per year, but it seems proof that it's always been this way almost since the beginning. Except for the first films, of course. Lucky *******.

Ever since there's been movies, there's been people who think they can make it better than the first guy did.
Which reminds me, I still need to see that shot-for-shot remake of Psycho. I don't recall why they did it, but it seemed like "Your movie was perfect... except for the black & white." Which I don't agree with, but w/e. I'm curious.

 

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Boter  1879 posts
Registered: Jul '02
44265_Chiss
Date Posted: 6/12 9:39pm Subject: Thought experiment: What public domain movie would you remake?
Eh, they were just remakes of novels.

Some of which may have been remakes of oral traditions.

I tell you, the early cavemen had it good. They could come up with anything, and their audience would be all shocked.

"The he befriends the sabertooth and together they hunt a mastodon!"

"Gasp! We are shocked!"

Actually, it'd be more like, "Ugg! Ooog unga waah!" "Ooooo!"

 

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VanderPike  60 posts
Registered: Jan '04
40058_Clone Trooper Unleashed Art
Date Posted: 6/12 9:40pm Subject: Thought experiment: What public domain movie would you remake? - Date Edited: 6/12 9:41pm (1 edits total) Edited By: VanderPike
I have a finished script for Night of the Living Dead... none of the remakes have ever done it any justice. And although I know it isn't in the public domain yet... KRULL!!!

 

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NZPoe  1426 posts
Registered: Nov '01
13864_Boba Fett
Date Posted: 6/13 4:14am Subject: Thought experiment: What public domain movie would you remake?
Laszlo posted:
I was reading the Wiki on an obscure Fritz Lang film I like called M when I noticed its copyright expired. Though I’ve pinched some concepts from it for my movies I’d never though until now ‘hey, you know, I could remake that’.


You may not be aware, but Fritz Lang's "M" WAS remade in 1951:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043766/

Secondly, although the film has expired out of copyright in the USA, its ownership may still be disputed in several other territories (for instance, "Nosferatu" is STILL not public domain in Germany!). Even with a thought experiment, its best to investigate the availability of any property in all major territories before considering a remake, especially since Fritz Lang's partner and co-writer - Thea Von Harbou - often simultaneously would often commit their films into novel/short story/serialized written form (most notably with "Metropolis") for which the rights may NOT have yet expired.

Always good to double check before you leap happy

As for the thought experiment itself - I've got dibs on "White Zombie", "London After Midnight" (remade as "Mark of the Vampire", also out of copyright now in some territories), "Fearless Hyena", "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".....and going down that Wikipedia list, I have to say "Duck and Cover" and "The Story of Menstruation" also seem like tangible blockbuster properties grin

 

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