"Carrie" is a 1974 horror novel written by Stephen King about a girl with telekinetic powers who goes on a rampage and brutally murders everyone in her high school.
The book inspired the 1976 film of the same title, which has since become a horror classic. In 2013, "Carrie" was devolved into an absolute mess of a remake.
In the past decade, more remakes of classic movies have been released, some great, but most awful. Of course, filmmakers have released "re-envisioned" films for decades; it is not a new concept. However, recently, it has felt more like a money grab than an artistic choice, and tasteless reboots are submerging the market.
When Hollywood directors see the success of one film, they seem to want that success for themselves; what better way to get that than by releasing the same film?
Remakes are often worse than the originals and these reboots take popularity and attention away from films that deserve it.
Especially with movie franchises like Star Wars and Marvel, people get more excited about new movies coming out because they are familiar, and people know what quality to expect.
"(Remakes) are usually part of a franchise and are therefore a proven monetary commodity," according to an article from Brigham Young University's The Daily Universe. "People gravitate toward what is familiar as a way to help funnel out excess information."
Moreover, rather than re-developing a film using new technology and director influence, these films are often direct copies of the original. A good example of this is Disney's live-action films.
"The Little Mermaid" is a cartoon Disney classic, but the live-action version featured minimal changes to the story and overall atmosphere. The movie was highly anticipated because of the nostalgia value of a classic Disney movie, but it largely disappointed critics because of its lack of imagination.
Some remakes are just plain bad. Going back to the 2013 adaptation of "Carrie," the same story that created a horror classic in 1976 somehow created an easily forgettable horror movie 40 years later.
The original film is scary because it is mysterious and thrilling; it doesn't tell the audience everything. In the remake, the plot and characters are much more exaggerated; they're more horrific and less strange, which beats the creativity out of the plot. It's like watching a fan of the 1976 movie try to describe the concept to their friends. After reading the novel and watching both films, I found that the 2013 movie is disconnected from the charm and thrill of the original story.
There are rare times when reboots work, though. Take, for example, the movies surrounding the book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." All three of the movies have been widely successful and incredibly different.
The 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder, is much brighter and more whimsical than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which came out 34 years later.
The 2005 film starring Johnny Depp, based on the same story, is nearly unrecognizable from the original — yet it still works. With "Wonka," starring Timothée Chalamet, we get another, but very different, look at the classic story. Every fan may have a favorite among the trio, but none of these films are widely disliked.
The Willy Wonka movies are a good example of how different directors can take one story and expand on it, which is exactly how reboots should be approached.
If a movie sequel or reboot is going to work, the director must be creative. Ultimately, a flood of remakes could represent a lack of creativity in Hollywood.
While many incredible new movies are still being released, it is important to notice that we are seeing more remakes now than ever, and they are weighing down the film industry. It's time to fill writers' rooms and start working on some new ideas. Let good movies live on in their original formats.
Kenzie Shuman is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Kenzie know by emailing her at ms667222@ohio.edu or messaging her on Instagram @zieshuman.
