Reliving the ’80s, one movie at a time

There was so much wrong with the 1980s, it’s amazing anyone would want to revisit those years. Yet the decade’s movies are quickly becoming Hollywood’s favorite source material.

In addition to new versions of “RoboCop” and “Evil Dead” that are set to hit theaters in 2013, remakes of everything from “Police Academy” to “Scarface” are in the works.

“Dirty Dancing.” “WarGames.” “Short Circuit.” “Valley Girl.” “The Flamingo Kid.” “About Last Night.” “Endless Love.” “Highlander.” “The NeverEnding Story.” Some of these eventually will fall by the wayside.

But enough of them will survive to storm movie theaters like the invading North Koreans – the Russians are so 1984 – in the “Red Dawn” remake that’s set to open Nov. 21.

“The track record’s not good,” says Louie Coruzzolo, 20, of Henderson. “The remake of ‘Psycho’ was terrible. ‘Red Dawn’ doesn’t look too good.”

Other moviegoers agree. “I think they need to come up with new ideas,” says Donna Waters, 25, of Summerlin. “I mean, some of the remakes are good, but some of them aren’t that great.”

Although they may not always win over audiences, even the most expensive remakes save money. With a proven title, studios don’t have to waste advertising dollars explaining a movie’s plot.

It’s that same belief in brand awareness that saw, on one weekend last May, the arrivals of movies based on the boardgame Battleship and the pregnancy guide “What to Expect When You’re Expecting.”

It’s why “The Amazing Spider-Man” was rushed to theaters just 10 years after “Spider-Man.” And it’s why there are already rumblings about rebooting the Batman and “Twilight” franchises.

“It’s just (about) making money, and that’s what I’m against with the remakes,” says Jake Tiranno, 21, of Henderson. “If they remake it and they put a lot of care into it and put actual heart in the movies, then it wouldn’t be” an issue.

Money clearly was a driving factor in the “Red Dawn” remake. To put a modern spin on the story, the Soviets and their allies from the 1984 original gave way to the Chinese. But, long after filming was completed, its producers realized that decision could offend China, which is fast becoming a top consumer of Hollywood films. Ultimately, the movie was re-edited and digitally altered to make the attackers North Korean.

The first part of that scenario appeals to Joshua Benton, 20, of Las Vegas, who sees remakes as a way of making stories more enticing to new generations. After seeing the 2011 remake of “Footloose,” some of his friends sought out the 1984 original.

“They could appreciate it,” he says, “but they didn’t like it as much as the remake, because the remake had all the new special effects and things like that.”

However you first experience a story likely will be your favorite, Benton adds.

“It makes it really hard to see a remake if you’ve seen the original. It’s the same thing when you go see a movie that’s (based on) a book. If you’ve already read the book … the book’s always better.”

Still, he and others remain open to giving them a chance.

“I don’t mind seeing a remake as long as it’s good,” says Tiranno, who can only recall one that he liked more than the original: “True Grit.”

The 2010 Western was a rarity in that it was both a commercial and critical success, earning more than $170 million and 10 Oscar nominations. (Another remake, “The Departed,” was named best picture in 2007, but it’s unlikely many U.S. moviegoers saw the Hong Kong thriller, “Infernal Affairs,” on which it was based.)

For the most part, filmmakers are staying away from the great movies of the ’80s. No one’s beating down doors to redo “E.T.” or “Gandhi.” But they’re still tackling movies to which audiences feel a connection.

“I like to stick to the original. I don’t want to see any of the remakes,” says Frances Santiago, 18, of Henderson. “Like with ‘Footloose,’ I like the one with Kevin Bacon in it. The new one, I didn’t see it at all. I just didn’t like the fact that they’d remake it.”

She’d also hate to see “The Breakfast Club” remade, as would Benton. And while “Raging Bull” tops Tiranno’s list of ’80s movies that should remain off-limits, he’d also cringe if anyone ever remade “The Goonies,” “The Lost Boys” or, once again, “The Breakfast Club.”

Unfortunately for them, those are the types of movies that studios are gravitating toward. But for at least one local movie buff, that’s exactly the way it should be.

“Any movie that was really good, intellectualwise, I’d rather they not (remake it),” says Brett Meltzer, 36, of Summerlin. “But if they want to do these topical movies like ‘Top Gun’ that really was more about selling tickets than it was quality, then I don’t mind them doing that.”

Contact Christopher Lawrence at
clawrence@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4567.