The Big Picture: Americana

[Aptspire]

Tintin could turn out fine, mainly because it's Spielberg at the helm
and as far as really really bad adaptations in the making are concerned
TETSUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (crap director (book of eli), crap rating (PG-13), Crap actors rumored (Robert Pattinson, Keanu Reeves), crap adaptation rumored (mainly about 9/11, instead of a big bang mindf***))

 

[Jaythulhu]

I'm not sure why so many people are upset about American remakes like it's a new thing. Or remaking/adapting ideas in the first place.

You've obviously never seen the american attempt at remaking red dwarf or kath & kim. Godawful, both of them. The subtlety of Australian and British humour is lost on most americans, yes? I've seen your sit-coms. Without a giant sign saying "THIS IS THE PUNCHLINE", they'd be unrecognisable as any form of comedy.

 

[Avistew]

I'm not sure why so many people are upset about American remakes like it's a new thing. Or remaking/adapting ideas in the first place.

You've obviously never seen the American attempt at remaking Red Dwarf or Kath & Kim. Godawful, both of them.

The focus of my first sentence is "like it's a new thing". Because it's not. The second sentence meant "remaking/adapting ideas in the first place isn't new either". As opposed to remaking movies specifically.

Of course there are terrible remakes, but they're not terrible specifically because they're remake. They'd be terrible if they came out like that in the first place, too.

 

[Jaythulhu]

I'm not sure why so many people are upset about American remakes like it's a new thing. Or remaking/adapting ideas in the first place.

You've obviously never seen the American attempt at remaking Red Dwarf or Kath & Kim. Godawful, both of them.

The focus of my first sentence is "like it's a new thing". Because it's not. The second sentence meant "remaking/adapting ideas in the first place isn't new either". As opposed to remaking movies specifically.

Of course there are terrible remakes, but they're not terrible specifically because they're remake. They'd be terrible if they came out like that in the first place, too.

Actually, in regards to the two examples I gave, they're terrible simply BECAUSE they're american remakes, and all of the subtlety, humour and character has been bled from them by the networks creating the adaptations so that an american audience can "get" them.

That said, go and take another look at ALL the remakes of 1980s IPs. Every single one of them that I can find is a pathetic, awful cash-in by americans without any of the heart or soul that went in to the originals. As gay and awful as the original A-Team or He-Man shows are, they're mana from heaven compared to their contemporary american remakes.

At this point in time, the only remake of something from the 80s I can find that's as good as or better than the original is the GI Joe: Renegades cartoon.

 

[Aiberg]

I'm from Istanbul, Turkey!!! Yeeey

 

[UberNoodle]

The thing that people find offensive about America remaking things is that it is done as a substitute for actually ACCEPTING those foreign things. There is no reason that the originals couldn't find even wide acceptance in the USA and be left at that. The Japanese don't have to remake Armageddon to love the crap out of it. Australians don't have to remake King of Queens in order to enjoy it. Those things are accepted as what they are and left to be that way.

But typically, distribution rights in the USA are sold on the condition that remake rights are as well. And the way that globalisation and multinational corporations work, even non-American films probably lead back to some office in Hollywood. This is what's offensive. While the rest of the world actually watch foreign film all the time, perhaps more than their own domestic film (and seldom bat an eyelid or even think of that as strange), the USA continues to flood the world market with its own works and leave little room in their own country's cinemas, TV scheduling and store shelves for other works of merit from overseas

That is, unless it's a 'retrospective' just in time to hype the release of a remake.

Essentially it's American Exceptionalism, the idea that the nation is number one, unbeatably unique, and OF COURSE these things would be better if more Americans were in them. And unsurprisingly, this gets the goats of a great many non-Americans who are sick of seeing their local film and television reduced to being just marketing for American remakes. The salt in this wound is that, these same people probably find barely enough room left in their own cinemas for works of their own!

An example which comes to mind is in Korea, where regulation demanded that cinemas support local film to a particular percentage each year. This gave rise to the Korean film industry explosion, but the USA got this regulation significantly reduced for their FTA, and there were protests and strikes. The thing is, Hollywood films are like many other things fast in America: they are sugary, fatty, way more than you need and are generally bad for you. But that sells because it hooks right into some primitive core in the brain that craves that kind of quick and dirty pleasure. Cinemas want to sell tickets more than anything, and that regulation was keeping them honest.

That was a bit off topic, but it all comes to together to show why non-Americans get upset by the remakes.

 

[UberNoodle]

Tintin could turn out fine, mainly because it's Spielberg at the helm
and as far as really really bad adaptations in the making are concerned
TETSUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (crap director (book of eli), crap rating (PG-13), Crap actors rumored (Robert Pattinson, Keanu Reeves), crap adaptation rumored (mainly about 9/11, instead of a big bang mindf***))

OR, America film goers could just love and enjoy the original for what it is and leave it at that. While it seems that a very large percentage of high profile film and TV 'MUST' be remade in the USA in order to succeed, if we in Australia remade every high profile American movie or TV show, we'd go broke (and kill ourselves from self loathing).

I agree with you wholeheartedly about the Akira remake, and Tin Tin will be great, noting who's behind it, however, foreign things are foreign because they are foreign. That's a large part of what makes what they are. Watching a foreign film is also anthropological study. Taking away the language, culture and nuance is removing that vital part of the original's identity, but in my mind, those two are inseparable.

What's more, there's no reason to remake any of these films or TV shows. Note that Bob was hard pressed to find examples for his 'foreign cultures do it too' show reel. The simple fact is that most other countries seldom remake American film, and if they do, those films are of the straight to video variety and the motivation is entirely different (to get a quick buck by tricking consumers with a look alike).

But, certainly, Americana as influence or aesthetic for non-American works is found everywhere (many things by Ryuhei Kitamura), but that's another kettle of fish.

Arrgh, two big rants on this. Stopping ... now.

 

[Siege_TF]

Wasn't there a Japaneese remake of Groundhog Day caled the Melancholy of Haruhi or something?

 

[shadyh8er]

I'm sorry, I got lost in my own nostalgic fantasy world when you mentioned Peter Jackson is part of a project to turn Tintin into a couple of CGI movies. Mr. Spielberg, this better make up for the Crystal Skull.

 

[shadyh8er]

Wasn't there a Japaneese remake of Groundhog Day caled the Melancholy of Haruhi or something?

HA! That made my day!

 

[RJ Dalton]

Dude, for so being against sequel-bating, you sure seem to sequel-bate a lot.

 

[vortexgods]

Hah! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

[a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/demonbane/episode-1-i-am-providence-568214"]I am Providence.[/a]

 

[CrazyGirl17]

Interesting one, Bob. The bit about the Turkish (I think) Spider-man having an army of killer guinea pigs reminds me of that one South Park episode with the giant killer guinea pigs... the thought of which amuses me more than it should.

Anyway, good episode, can't wait for the one on the TMNT anime...

 

[Siege_TF]

I almost forgot about the anime adaptation of Harry Potter;
Naruto.
Believe it!

And Archie Comics the anime: Tenchi Muyo!

 

[Endocrom]

There is a suprising lack of Bollywood references here (just one that I saw).

Take of this what you will, I just thought it was an interesting quote.

"Financially, I would be more secure knowing that a particular piece of work has already done well at the box office. Copying is endemic everywhere in India. Our TV shows are adaptations of American programmes. We want their films, their cars, their planes, their Diet Cokes and also their attitude. The American way of life is creeping into our culture." -Vikram Bhatt [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollywood#Plagiarism]

 

[Mosstromo]

I am impressed Mr. Movie Bob. You know of El Santo. I know that internet bridges even the most inaccessible of cultural geo-points, but still, you had to recognise the "silhouette" to talk about the man.

On the subject proper: I think that you are correct to bring attention to the blurring barriers of re-makes or re-modellings done from and towards the USA production machine. There is nothing wrong with that, au contraire, it is a pretty healthy practice I figure... IF... not done just because it seems that the USA machine feels its citizens just cannot cope or handle any other culture but its own. I hope it is nothing of the sort. Nor a kind of desperation to find subjects elsewhere that are economically non-risky since they've proven themselves. Or even a dark and patriotic greed that figures film money should be kept within the "family" and not be give to outsiders.

In any case, as always, a very good show Mr. MovieBob, with very interesting and thought provoking observations.

 

[bloodstream]

Angry short rant incoming.

"The girl with the dragon tattoo" is a translation I've never been able to neither understand nor accept. Here we have a story with a magnificent title already, one that's in my opinion clever and interestingly telling about the story
"Men who hate women".

So what kind of asshat decided that "ooh I know, girl with dragon tattoo, yeah that'll sound cool".

To whomever made that decision
Sincerely, go fuck yourself.

angry rant ended.

 

[Cherry Cola]

You know, when I hear the title "The Big Picture", and the introduction is about Americanisation, I expect it to be an intelligent discussion about cultural imperialism. Not random references of shows and films based on American culture.

I don't think Bob has ever done any proper critical thinking over anything. He's just used his knowledge about film and tropes and it's somehow gotten him to this position.

 

[Jabberwock xeno]

Wonder why he didn't mention powerpuff girls z...

 

[MovieBob]

Angry short rant incoming.

"The girl with the dragon tattoo" is a translation I've never been able to neither understand nor accept. Here we have a story with a magnificent title already, one that's in my opinion clever and interestingly telling about the story
"Men who hate women".

So what kind of asshat decided that "ooh I know, girl with dragon tattoo, yeah that'll sound cool".

To whomever made that decision
Sincerely, go fuck yourself.

angry rant ended.

I have absolutely no source for this, but I'm willing to bet that that change in particular was more about genre bookstore marketing than anything else - in North America, "long-ish and vaugely character-descriptive" is the standard-format for the titles of mystery/detective thrillers in popular fiction; while "Men Who Hate Women" sounds (to a casual book-shopper) more like the title to any of a hundred relationship-advice books.