Zemekis/Disney To Remake "Yellow Submarine?"

[Oscarfan]

I heard that on the radio the other night. I wonder if they'll try to bring some sense into it.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I heard that on the radio the other night. I wonder if they'll try to bring some sense into it.

Bring sense to Yellow Submarine? The world would end!

 

[Drtooth]

This is just bizarre, heh. I mean the original Yellow Submarine wasn't perfect, but it had a lot of charm and represents a moment in time in history. Once again we're telling kids none of that matters. And we wonder why kids could care less about anything.

I really don't think kids will care one way or another. If Disney wants to meddle in the film and turn it into everything they're doing right now- perish the thought- that's the only reason these jaded kids would watch the film. Even then, i hate what's happened to the public's perception of the Beatles over time... they became kiddy music with tone deaf kids singing the songs... and I'm thinking the only Beatles thing on anyone's mind currently is Beatles Rockband. While I'm sure Zermekis wants to bring something to this project, I just can't see the point, how it would be any better than the original, or even how it would work. Yellow Submarine's charm IS that it was limited 2-D animation. They were able to do so much with it. And this was done by the same studio that, ironically, did the Beatles cartoon series (check out the "Taxman" episode on youtube... you can see certain animation segments that look very similar to the film).

However, I don't quite think the message is ignore the old, care only for the new... the message seems more to be "we're too lazy to come up with anything original, and we're afraid originality will scare away a sizable film going audience."

Thankfully the original is on DVD. And unless this remake is somehow amazing, the only version I'm showing my kids is the original.

Correction... the original WAS on DVD. If you go to amazon or try to look for it (unless you have a copy of your own) it costs a fortune. I still don't see why they can't rerelease it to theaters, then back to a special-special-special Edition... or at least just the latter.

It's a shame you never see sizable film re-releases anymore. I remember Disney used to keep re-releasing all it's old movies back to theaters and that was well into the 90's.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I really don't think kids will care one way or another. If Disney wants to meddle in the film and turn it into everything they're doing right now- perish the thought- that's the only reason these jaded kids would watch the film.

They're not jaded, they're clueless. They want to think they're jaded.

Even then, i hate what's happened to the public's perception of the Beatles over time... they became kiddy music with tone deaf kids singing the songs...

Hmm well I kinda understand what you mean. But the Beatles have always had broad appeal. That's why they're considered the greatest rock n roll band of all time and certain "Stones" will always be #2.

However, I don't quite think the message is ignore the old, care only for the new... the message seems more to be "we're too lazy to come up with anything original, and we're afraid originality will scare away a sizable film going audience."

Yeah but "old=bad" is the only message some kids will hear. Thankfully there will always be kids who feel differently, but of course they'll be treated like wierdos (by both kids and adults).

That's a shame that it's harder to find now. If this did happen, it would be nice if they then rereleased the original. That would only help as far as bringing in even more money, hehe.

 

[Drtooth]

Yeah but "old=bad" is the only message some kids will hear. Thankfully there will always be kids who feel differently, but of course they'll be treated like wierdos (by both kids and adults).

But, I must say this... there is NO doubt in my mind that the remake will ever replace, or even come close to the original to the general public. No remake has ever replaced the original... no matter how many sequels or how many roles that Eddie Murphy played. Not even the millions and billions of 101 and 102 Dalmatians live action merchandise Disney forced down everyone's throats. Remakes will ALWAYS be looked at with suspicion... and not just by people like us.

Take the 1990's remake of Psycho. Virtually everyone said "What was the point?" with that one. The guy promised to remake it to the letter, shot for shot (which it wasn't, as anyone can tell you), but people still thought it was a terrible idea, and it didn't do well at all. Meanwhile, the original Psycho has been referenced a thousand times, and is still considered one of the greatest suspense films of all times.

That said, I think the wisest man in the world is Michael Cain. In an interview he gave the sagest advice I've ever heard.... remake a flop. It worked for him. Look at Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Not only do people not even remember the original (which flopped badly), they made a Broadway Musical based on the remake! One of the only exceptions to the rule of people accepting a remake over the original. But we have Frank Oz and Steve Martin as well as Michael to thank for that one.

 

[Bob1995]

Wait... Motion Capture? That's like trying to remake Fantasia in live action!

 

[CensoredAlso]

If it's anything like that Beowulf movie, I'm definitely not seeing it. That was an absolute travesty.

 

[frogboy4]

If it's anything like that Beowulf movie, I'm definitely not seeing it. That was an absolute travesty.

I liked parts of Beowulf. It was a movie ahead of its technology with a director increasingly less interested in actual storytelling.

I've been saying that since his Forest Gump film came out. To be honest, Zemekis began as a good filmmaker heading projects like fun Romancing the Stone, the blockbuster Back to the Future and then Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The following BTTF films where more about the effects than the film and that's where the wheels fell off the wagon for me.

Forest was an excuse to thread together a bunch of technological sight gags. Some where touched by the story, but I just wasn't as sold. Death Becomes Her had spectacular actors and performances, but little else besides a "wow, look what we can do" sort of attitude. I adore Who Framed Roger Rabbit. It's one of my favorite movies, but still feel that much of the film would have been better had Spielberg actually taken the reigns himself. He usually shows a lot more balance with story and technology. At least back then he did.

Now Zemekis seems too self indulgent with the CG. Polar Express was pretty much a zombie movie with hollow-seeming characters. Monster House got it better using some stylization and maybe Christmas Carol will too. Still, I am digging James Cameron's more thoughtful approach to the use of CG in his new Avatar trailer. That sort of techno-film making feels like a treat rather than a result of studio cynicism that everything must have a particular new look.

This is an example of good original CG done right.

 

[Drtooth]

Now Zemekis seems too self indulgent with the CG. Polar Express was pretty much a zombie movie with hollow-seeming characters. Monster House got it better using some stylization and maybe Christmas Carol will too. Still, I am digging James Cameron's more thoughtful approach to the use of CG in his new Avatar trailer. That sort of techno-film making feels like a treat rather than a result of studio cynicism that everything must have a particular new look.

I'm just gonna come out and say it. I don't like motion capture all that much, outside of Henson's digital puppetry. I kinda dug the old 1930's rotoscoping technique (especially in Betty Boop cartoons with Cab Calloway)... but something about motion capture just... well... it doesn't feel all that free and animated. Pixar has to make it appoint to say "We don't motion capture! This is all us." at the end of their movies now.

And I totally agree with you on Polar Express. If they were trying to make it look like the illustrations of the book, the only got it partially right on the backgrounds. Them people looked so stuff... and like Tom Hanks. No thank you.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Yeah, I mean that's what went wrong with Dinosaur. All the motion capture.