Wednesday, May 12, 2010

How to Get into Old Movies...Part 3


Part 3: Compare Old Movies to Their Current Day Remakes

Whenever anybody brings up seeing movies that he or she believes everybody should see, my girlfriend often makes the joke that there are only two movies she has ever seen: [random movie] and The Women from 1939. This always makes me think that if the cinematic powers that be were willing to pony up a remake to The Women (not a knock at all), it's amazing that just about every classic movie hasn't been remade in some way, shape or form.

That being said, it is amazing how many old movies - both great and not so great - have been remade or aped in some way. Some have been shot by shot, such as the 1998 Psycho with Vince Vaughn. Some have updated the effects and made the story more topically relevant to the current state of the world, like 2008's The Day the Earth Stood Still. Some have merely copied the historical topic, such as 2006's 300 and 1962's The 300 Spartans.

Now not many people realize that many of these new movies have cinematic ancestors. Therefore, this could be a perfect opportunity to usher in an old movie or two for a friend.

If your friend is a female, I would suggest watching the 1994 version of Little Women, alongside either the 1933 version with Katherine Hepburn or the 1949 version with Elizabeth Taylor and Janet Leigh. For guys, I might suggest last year's version of The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, along with the Walter Matthau original. If your student is a little younger, try comparing last year's Race to Witch Mountain with the Disney original Escape to Witch Mountain.