With the release of "The Grudge" it has just occured to me that Hollywood has hit a record low. Yeah, we're still recycling video game stories ("Sky Captain" sure it's not a video game but it might as well be) and remaking classic films ("The Manchurian Candidate") but these are now the GOOD movies. When "Dungeons and Dragons" came out a couple years ago I thought that basing a movie on a board game was the worst idea I've ever seen. Now in 2004 alone we've seen the release of "The Grudge", "Shall we Dance?", and "Criminal". Is Hollywood THAT creatively bankrupt that they have to look at newly-released foreign flicks for plot ideas. "Criminal" based on the Spanish "Nine Queens" was released a meager TWO YEARS after it's inspiration. Not only that the btwo film's plots are nearly identical. The two versions of "The Grudge" were released three MONTHS after one another. The two films are based on the same story and directed by the same person. America: watch the damn original movie. Read the subtitles! Jesus christ! Are we, as a country, that lazy?! For an american director to reimagine a little-seen foreign film so that it will be more accessible to american viewers is a decent enough idea, but why cant this directore produce a re-release of the original film? If he really believed in that film ENOUGH that would be the decision he would make! Martin Scorcese is planning to direct a remake of "Infernal Affairs" which is fine Scorcese is a good director, but ultimately he's wasting his talent. Find a decent script, Marty, dont steal from others!

Is anyone else frustrated with Hollywood's constant bastardization of all films, foreign or not?

Absolutely... Remember "La Femme Nikita"?? That movie rocked... and they felt the need to remake that sucker, casting Bridgette Fonda as the lead??? What a freakin' joke.

There's a few productions from my home country (Denmark) who's been "adapted" to US audiences.

Most noticably "Nightwatch" (1997) starring Nick Nolte, based on the danish "Nattevagten".
Words cannot express how bad the US version turned out as opposed to the original.

Also, US TV series "The Kingdom" is based on danish series "Riget" (by Lars Von Trier). I haven't seen the US show but rumour has it they completely screwed it up plot and character wise in order to make it fit US family target groups. Allthough "Riget" is definetely Von Triers most mainstream work to this date, it ain't exactly for all tastes...nor should they adapt it into being.

I have to agree. The US remake of The Hidden with Jeff Bridges is pure dirt aswell, just to add to your woes.

On the plus side, Hollywood may have balls after all. They are going to try turn The DaVinci Code into a movie.

I know it's not cinema, but I just heard that they are going to try and make an American version of my new favorite series, The Office. They'll probably put a laugh track on there too, just to make sure that we know when we're supposed to laugh.

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Originally posted by jakal40:
I know it's not cinema, but I just heard that they are going to try and make an American version of my new favorite series, The Office. They'll probably put a laugh track on there too, just to make sure that we know when we're supposed to laugh.

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Yep just like what they did with "Coupling".

While I've never seen either of these (and not sure that I want to) I hear the American remake versions of Breathless and Les Diaboliques are horrible.

I've seen both versions of La Femme Nikita which was a great Luc Besson flick, which was remade into that subpar movie Point of No Return with Bridget Fonda.

I understand that Godard/Seberg's "Breathless" is a favorite, but one thing I will say about Jim McBride's remake: the ending borders on perfection.

"Diabolique" was a major letdown, but the story can't help but hold SOME interest.