Hollywood still Struggling with Originality

edition.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/24/film.magnum.reut/

When will the remake madness end?

More often then not remakes (or sequels for that matter) don't measure up to their originals (although the remakes they have chosen weren't classics to begin with). One place where remakes have found a special niche is in jazz. Jazz artists sing standards and within that community the music of Berlin, Porter and Gershwin for example, are treated with utmost respect and care. No serious jazz musician would dare tackle a timeless classic like 'I've got My Love to Keep me Warm', 'What is this Thing Called Love and 'They Can't Take that Away from me' without truly being ready for it.

Has film been as diligent as custodians of their heritage? They do seem to have a lower batting average on this front. One thing I have noticed, remakes of silver screen classics (whether from the 30s, 40s or 50s) miss their mark - never mind that the script writing back then was astonishing. On the other hand, Marvel has done a solid job of adopting its comics to the big screen. Why this is so is not the point of this blog but I have a suspicion that keeping in the spirit with the essence of the original has something to do with it.

In general, it's perfectly fine to produce remakes. If anything, it introduces different interpretations and perspectives to established works. A classic is just that; classic. It should be able to adapt to any generation provided that the person in charge of such a project has respect for history. Sometimes the remakes are even better than the original. Some come up short.

Magnum PI, is one of my personal all-time favorite shows. The character development and interaction between the main characters were irreverent to the point of coolness. However, what is Thomas Magnum without Tom Selleck? Part of the problem is that Hollywood does not know how to keep in line with which the shows were intended. This takes artistic courage and the reality is that they are mostly interested in turning a profit. So, they cut here and forget that until true fans are left with a poor (albeit modern) generic version of the original. It's too bad.

I'm one of those odd (some may think impractical) classicists who wants to see the original casts and music on these shows in some capacity. Modernize it here and there and go with it. I hear 'The A-Team' will be in production but without the original cast (George Peppard passed away). If they do this, the least they can do is either pick obscure and eccentric Hollywood actors (in the Roth, Buscemi, Walken, Malkovich mold. Viggo Mortensen seems right) or unknowns to do the job.

I don't know who will be involved with the Magnum film but I do hope they cast it right. It will be very hard to capture the nuances of Magnum on the big screen. I don't have much confidence (how many Batman's did they have to make before they got it right with Batman Begins?) but I am always open. Heck, they couldn't even make a straight forward and linear plot like 'Dukes of Hazzard' work. Why Dukes of Hazzard and not, say, 'Hill Street Blues?' or 'Dallas?' Why stop here? 'Simon and Simon?' and if we desire (since they already did the 70s thing with 'Starsky and Hutch') the 'Rockford Files?'

Like how Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald (the auteurs of jazz) interpreted the works of the great songwriters of the 20th century with absolute purity and brilliance, I hope Hollywood one day finds the integrity to do the same with their own wonderful film and television legacy on a consistent basis. Maybe then there will come a point when a director will feel compelled to do a specific film or genre as a rite of passage to challenge their craft like they do in jazz. Until that happens, they should cease the insanity and go with original projects. Or are they that desperate for scripts?