Covers and Remakes

[weeyellowbloke]

I really don't get why anyone would think a remake of an already successful film is good idea. The studio usually makes so many concessions to statisfy everyone that they usually satisfy no one, not the wider new audience or the die hard fans of the original. So why do it? Why not just re-release the original film so that a new audience can see it?

 

Sometimes though can turn out decent. Usually I think this happens when the original concept is taken, but a whole new film is built around it. This way the remake doesn't draw obvious comparison with the original. An example would be the Dawn of the Dead remake. Everyone was saying 'OMG, the zombies can run, this will be shit'. However, the film is clever because it took the original concept (dead rise, survivors trapped in mall) and added new characters, situations and general plot, so it doesnt draw any comparisons with the original apart from the name and can now be accepted as a similar, but totally seperate film.

 

I think the same thing goes with songs. If a new artist does a song in exactly the same style as the original it will immediatly draw comparison and criticism from fans of the original. However if someone brings new ideas and a fresh style to a song it can be accepted as being seperate. Two examples of which have been shown above with The Futureheads- Hounds of Love and Alien Ant Farm- Smooth Criminal. Some cover songs should be just shot at conception though, James Blunt doing Pixies, I think I'm about to vomit.

[Dan_Dare]

Wow I just unleashed a few flames with my scissor sisters post.

 

Well, I stand by it. Pink Floyd bore the shit out of me.

[Blackfox]

 

And I know everyone will disagree with me here, but I prefer H.I.M's cover of (Don't Fear) The Reaper as opposed to Blue Oyster Cults.... there's just more happening

 

Noooooooooooooooooo!

[Roostophe]

And I know everyone will disagree with me here, but I prefer H.I.M's cover of (Don't Fear) The Reaper as opposed to Blue Oyster Cults.... there's just more happening

 

Got a link? I gotta hear that.

[Haver]

Battlestar 2004.

 

Hello!

[MoogleViper]

I think it pains people to see another film or song being associated with the original, and that they think people will only see or hear the recent version and possibly forget about the original? Is that the case? Hmm.

 

 

I think that is usually the case.

 

One remake I really like. Hounds of Love - The Futureheads. Way better than the original in my opinion.

[Roostophe]

I do really like The Futureheads' cover of Hounds Of Love but I've yet to hear the original.

[MoogleViper]

I do really like The Futureheads' cover of Hounds Of Love but I've yet to hear the original.

 

It's boring. It is too slow.

[mcj metroid]

remakes in movies is a fairly recent thing,and though i am not a complete fan(i prefer original films like v for vendetta)of remakes u cannot say that they are terrible!i thought THE ring was a good remake but the ring 2 was bollocks!

poseidon (remake) was bollocks too compared to the original

 

but i like when they bring back favourite chacters and make prequels and sequals to them.Superman returns was amazing as was batman begins

 

 

 

BUT this has been around forever in music and are rarely rarely as good as the original.....especially dance remakes of 80s classics that piss me off.djs are so talentless.What about that bastard crazy frog or g4 covering Bohemian rhapsody!

 

I hate i hate i hate!

[ThePigMarcher]

Its all depends. Some covers are great (KoRn's version of Another Brick In The Wall Pts 1, 2 & 3)

 

I am sensing some bias here. Korns cover of Another Brick is bordering on blasphemy.

 

Jonny Cash did Hurt. I know it's a NiN original, but i'm going go pre empivly dismiss that was the inferior.

 

see also: comfortably numb is a far better song in the hands of the sissor sisters than Pink Floyd. The Original is just...boring.

 

Ditto , the Scissor Sisters - that was an absolute disgrace to quality music. Note to bands , do not attempt to cover the mighty Floyd unless you have some musical credibility and talent.

 

I am now going to undermine all of the above with a little bias of my own. Jonny Cash's cover of 'Hurt' (whilst very fucking good) was still inferior to NINs original.

[MoogleViper]

Its all depends. Some covers are great (KoRn's version of Another Brick In The Wall Pts 1, 2 & 3)

 

NO WAY!!!!

[Charlie]

I love live covers. Some normal covers/remakes are OK, some aren't. Don't Stop Me Now (McFly), for example is terrible as is G4's attempt at Bohemian Rhapsody.

[triforce_keeper]

I think it was McFly and busted? errm Build me up buttercup I loved that

[Platty]

 

Recently, there was an advert on tv about...wannadoo broadband, i think. There's a song that goes something like "space travel's in my blood, there ain't nothing i can do about it. Car journeys wear me out, etc."

 

I googled the lyrics and found out that the song is called "Another Girl, Another Planet" and was originally by a band called the OnlyOnes, but it was covered by Blink182.

After listening to both songs, i think the Blink cover is far superior. In my opinion, i think there's some damn good covers out there. As an Oasis fan, i was proud to see Ryan Adams do Wonderwall justice.

 

Yeah if you have got Blink 182 Greatest hits...Another Girl, Another Planet is on there... it's pretty good but the original is still awesome. Blink are not the only one's tho, It's a well covered song.

 

On of my favourite covers/duets is Damon Albarn and Ray Davies doing Waterloo sunset. It's great.

 

Other covers i like are

 

Oasis - My Generation (The Who)

Kasabian - Outta space (The Prodigy)

Franz Ferdinand - Miss Shapes (Pulp)

The White Stripes - I just dont know what to do with myself (Bacharach/Costello)

The Arctic Monkeys - Love Machine (Girls Allowed)

The Kooks - Crazy (Gnarls Barkley)

Pete Doherty - She loves you (The Beatles)

 

plus loads of others. heh.

 

As for film re-makes...well like like them

[gaggle64]

You can justify remakes anyway you want, but they are creavtively and artistically immoral, unless they're totally different to the original product anyway. With just about all remakes, someone somewhere is earning money from someone elses ideas and work and it really stinks. If I copy someone elses painting I haven't "remade" it, I've stolen it. Just because I did it in watercolours instead of oil, or "modernised" it by adding flashing lights doesn't change that - not my idea, not my work - in fact I'll have probably ruined it - so why do I deserve money for it?

 

Further more, why do people always remake classic films and songs and so on? Classics like Battle Royale, The Wickerman, Les Visiteurs, The Omen and song after song by The Beatles, Queen and The Who always get redone, and are never superior to the original. Why do cartoon makers fell the need to rip off shows like Thundercats or Looney Toons? If you simply HAVE to remake something, why not find something that maybe had a good idea, but was rubbish, like Canadian Bacon, Reign of Fire, Will & Grace and countless "punk fusion" tracks.

 

The odd remake once in awhile is normally fine, but in this current age of an imagination-starved entertainment industry, it's gone way too far beyond a joke. Not even a funny one.

 

Pink Floyd bore the shit out of me.

I thought people like you were just a myth.

[Ashley]

I think it was McFly and busted? errm Build me up buttercup I loved that

 

T'is amusing.

 

I think im the only person who judges covers by the quality of the song itself, not in comparisson to the original. I think if a song is good, be it original or a cover, then it should be fine. Fine, most covers don't compare to the original but who cares.

 

Some covers I like;

 

Busted - Build Me Up Buttercup

McFly - Don't Stop Me Now

Gravenhurst - See My Friends

Dandy Warhols - Little Drummer Boy

Rufus Wainwright - Hallelujah

Scissor Sisters - Comfortably Numb

Dashboard Confessional - Nightswimming

Natalie Imbruglia - Torn

Jennifer Saunders - Holding Out For A Hero

Butterfly Boucher ft David Bowie - Changes

Simple Plan - Happy Together

 

You can justify remakes anyway you want, but they are creavtively and artistically immoral, unless they're totally different to the original product anyway. With just about all remakes, someone somewhere is earning money from someone elses ideas and work and it really stinks. If I copy someone elses painting I haven't "remade" it, I've stolen it. Just because I did it in watercolours instead of oil, or "modernised" it by adding flashing lights doesn't change that - not my idea, not my work - in fact I'll have probably ruined it - so why do I deserve money for it?

 

But we live in a simulacra media; everthing is a replication of what has gone before. There are no original stories. A remake (eg The Wicker Man) is not much different from a hybridastion of many films before it (eg Saved).

[Meik]

Here is a great acoustic version of Hey Ya by Outkast that I stumbled across the other day.

 

Also G4's cover of Bohemian Rhapsody is incredible, fuck the original*.

 

 

 

 

*That was a joke, don't lynch me.

[gaggle64]

T'is amusing.

 

But we live in a simulacra media; everthing is a replication of what has gone before. There are no original stories. A remake (eg The Wicker Man) is not much different from a hybridastion of many films before it (eg Saved).

 

So why not at least put the effort into making your own "hybridisation" and create something at least vaguely new-ish to watch with it's own merits, instead of remaking an established classic like The Wicker Man, which you have almost no chance of improving or augmenting positively in any concievable way?

 

This is why it's called "creativity". You have to at least attempt to create your own, original, plot, sub-plot, characters, development, atmosphere, drama situations and story structures in order to justify yourself as an artist or film maker. You can't if all you do is "remake" the work of others. Such "remakes" beyond the most basic of translations aren't deemed justifyable in literature, art or alternative music. Why film and popular music?

[Ashley]

So why not at least put the effort into making your own "hybridisation" and create something at least vaguely new-ish to watch with it's own merits, instead of remaking an established classic like The Wicker Man, which you have almost no chance of improving or augmenting positively in any concievable way?

 

Because we also live in a captialist society. Remake = built in audience. Even those who deem a remake a bastardised version are likely to see it (if they want to even have a valid point). New audiences will see it. People may see it and then try and compare it to the original (thus more money) and they are also used as examples in media. Its the lazy but easy route to money.

[Cube]

Call me insane, but I prefer Bohemian Rhapsody by Russel Watson over the overrated original.

[Charlie]

Scissor Sisters - Comfortably Numb

Dashboard Confessional - Nightswimming

Natalie Imbruglia - Torn

Jennifer Saunders - Holding Out For A Hero

QUOTE]

 

 

Holding Out For A Hero by Jennifer Saunders is awesome, I love it, who sang the original version?

Torn is good too, Comfortably Numb s good, but no where near as good as the original.

 

Edit - I love Heaven by DJ Sammy as well

[bob]

I prefered gareth gates and the kumars version of Spirit in the sky to the original.

[Ashley]

Holding Out For A Hero by Jennifer Saunders is awesome, I love it, who sang the original version?

Torn is good too, Comfortably Numb s good, but no where near as good as the original.

 

Edit - I love Heaven by DJ Sammy as well

 

You broke my quote :p

 

Bonnie Tyler did the original HOFAH. I love Frou Frou, but much prefer Jennifer Saunder's version, its more epic.

[EEVILMURRAY]

Got a link? I gotta hear that.

 

Searching j00t00be for 'Him reaper', the first result was this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rrsq--eHzS4

The song is being used for some sort of Inyusha[?] video.

 

I didn't watched the video but the first two minutes I listened to was the song in its entirety.

[Roostophe]

Searching j00t00be for 'Him reaper', the first result was this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rrsq--eHzS4

The song is being used for some sort of Inyusha[?] video.

 

I didn't watched the video but the first two minutes I listened to was the song in its entirety.

 

*types comments as he listens*

 

Like it with the piano, sounds good.

 

Who's the woman?

 

Slower than the original, I dunno.

 

Haunting interlude. ooh.

 

That was pretty decent. I quite liked it.