An American Werewolf In London (film) - Remake

[Neil]

http://www.cinemablend.com/news/1582...-whos-involved Max Landis will write and direct the American Werewolf in London remake. The Walking Dead's David Alpert and Robert Kirkman will produce the project through their company, Skybound Entertainment. Landis is following in the footsteps of his father, John Landis, who wrote and directed the original movie.

[AcesandEights]

Mmmmm, no.

[shootemindehead]

We don't need this.

[MinionZombie]

We don't need this. What he said.

[bassman]

As said before, most certainly not needed. Max, while often obnoxious and irritating, really knows his movie lore if you've ever listened to him on a podcast. I actually just recently watched an episode of screen junkies movie fights featuring Landis, Alpert, and Kirkman. I may be mistaken but I believe at some point during that video he even mentions his father's film being perfect and untouchable?!? Movie fights is a fun watch/listen for fellow movie fans, BTW...

[MinionZombie]

As said before, most certainly not needed. Max, while often obnoxious and irritating, really knows his movie lore if you've ever listened to him on a podcast. I actually just recently watched an episode of screen junkies movie fights featuring Landis, Alpert, and Kirkman. I may be mistaken but I believe at some point during that video he even mentions his father's film being perfect and untouchable?!? Movie fights is a fun watch/listen for fellow movie fans, BTW... I watched an episode of that with Seth Rogen, and his arguments were solid gold - he trounced the competition - and was funny at the same time. I know what you mean. Max Landis can be very informed and make some good points, but he can also be very grating at times. I don't know exactly why that is, though...

[EvilNed]

As said before, most certainly not needed. Max, while often obnoxious and irritating, really knows his movie lore if you've ever listened to him on a podcast. I actually just recently watched an episode of screen junkies movie fights featuring Landis, Alpert, and Kirkman. I may be mistaken but I believe at some point during that video he even mentions his father's film being perfect and untouchable?!? Movie fights is a fun watch/listen for fellow movie fans, BTW... And that's probably how he feels. But it's probably not his decision to remake it, it's the producers. Then they asked him and he's probably thinking "Well, if anyone's gonna do it, might as well be me..." Kinda like how Haneke felt with funny games.

[bassman]

That's true. Might as well "keep it in the family", so to speak. The remake is inevitable, might as well be Landis' offspring at the helm. Regardless of who's in charge, we all know it will never come even remotely close to the original. I've heard Max say before that he'd like to see a shot for shot remake just with updated effects. My first thought was Van Sants' remake of Psycho, which felt pointless. My second thought was that the effects don't need updating!!! Who the f*ck looks at Werewolf and thinks the effects are bad?!? They're still regarded as some of the best in history, up there with Dick Smith's make ups, The Thing, etc!

[MinionZombie]

Yeah, a shot-for-shot remake would be absolutely pointless and just emphasise how pointless and shitty and idea a remake of AAWIL is/would be. And agreed, the effects are landmark. Now it'd just be some duff CGI *cough* The Wolfman *cough* transformation scene (I still liked that movie though). The techniques in practical effects are more advanced these days, sure, but even with some limitations in the original, the very fact that you know those effects are taking place on set, in front of actors goes a long way to making the effect convincing. Even with good CGI, you know it wasn't physically there in the room when the scene was shot. Sure, sometimes there's no other option, but on a project like this? There's no excuse for doing what they did with The Wolfman, or The Thing prequel (where they shot practical stuff, and then just slapped CGI all over the top of it so that they might as well have not bothered doing a single thing practical in the first place and it all looks terribly fake and weird and unconvincing). At least try and do something new with it, try and do something with it that they couldn't do at the time, maybe even find a new location? Search for new storytelling opportunities. John Carpenter's The Thing is half a remake and half a re-telling of the source material, but with cutting edge effects and the paranoia turned up to eleven. It did something fresh with the material that worked.

[shootemindehead]

At least try and do something new with it, try and do something with it that they couldn't do at the time, maybe even find a new location? 'An American Werewolf in Scunthorpe'

[MinionZombie]

'An American Werewolf in Scunthorpe' I'd probably give that a watch.

[bassman]

That would actually be a much better route to take. Rather than completely remake the original, make a semi-sequel set in a different city. Like the one from the late nineties set in Paris. So just like Paris, if it doesn't turn out to be a worthy film, it's forgotten in a short amount of time and rarely even associated with the superb original. Seems to be a safer and slightly more original angle, IMO...

[shootemindehead]

I was being facetious with the location, but behind that was an idea about the werewolf being, sort of, the victim rather than the agressor. I had an idea for a short story years ago about a werewolf being hunted in some rural area and written from the werewolf's point of view. Never really got around to getting it done. Although Scunthorpe isn't really rural, but you get the idea. I think something along the lines of that might make for a decent film. Or at least a decent second half. It obviously wouldn't be from the werewolf's POV though. The original has some of the elements of that. We see David get attacked, his transition and a far too rushed conclusion where the authorities shoot him down in Piccadilly. But, I've always felt that 'An American Werewolf in London' needed another 15 or 20 minutes to flesh it out more, as it were(wolf). A remake is generally a bad idea however, as I'm sure we'd all agree. The terrible sequel was a bad idea. So, I can see nothing good coming out of this. Even if Max Landis, who I sort of like, is behind it. Having said that, the only filmwork that I like from him has been 'Chronicle' which was a co-written effort. I'd prefer if they tried a serious approach rather than the, usually insipid, "horror comedy" approach - which, after the "rom-com", is my most hated sub-genre. The original gets away with it, because David's mind is going through some serious trauma and the macarbe humour is a result of that. But, generally Horror-comedies present elements that null each other out and the film's end up being ridiculously subjective and usually neither funny or horrific. Anyhow, it seems that it's yet another depressing inevitability. If it turns out good, we'll have one for the amazingly small "better remakes list". If it's shite, we can wait twenty years and nobody will remember it, but still be talking about the original 1981 effort - just like the largely unremembered 'An American Werewolf in Paris'.

[bassman]

This remake has been completely shelved after the recent abuse allegations against young Landis from nearly a dozen women. If the allegations are true, Max might have some demons that he needs to work out before he tries leading an entire film crew...

[Neil]

This remake has been completely shelved after the recent abuse allegations against young Landis from nearly a dozen women. If the allegations are true, Max might have some demons that he needs to work out before he tries leading an entire film crew... OMG he's caught up in this as well?