A new future for old fiction

As this blasphemy does not sound fantastic, the remakes are not simply contraindicated, but vital: first, they revive interest in the original; secondly, with the consideration of new technologies, these stories can be told much brighter and more captivating; finally, not all universally recognized masterpieces of science fiction are those to this day - and a remake could give them relevance and relevance. We looked back to the past and chose those pictures that would fit the new look with the change of epochs in mind.

It came from a distant cosmos (1953)/It Came from Outer Space

horror/fantasy

Director:Jack Arnold
Starring:Richard Carlson, Barbara Rush, Charles Drake, Joe Sawyer, Russell Johnson

Shot from the film "It came from a distant cosmos"

Jack Arnold's classic fantastic horror "It came from distant space" is recognized worldwide as a genre masterpiece, and it's no coincidence that the column of literary fiction Ray Bradbury worked on his script. Like the "The Day When the Earth Stood Still" appeared earlier, "It" demonstrated an unusual approach to the problem of aliens: aliens in these films appeared as creatures who understand people, but humanity met visitors, bristling with guns, submachine guns and missiles. In addition, "It came from a distant cosmos" shows the lack of a common view on how to treat such a visit. Quite recently, on this topic, Dani Villeneuve spoke in the "Arrival", which means that the problem continues to worry - and this is the best reason to launch a remake.

Day of the Triffids (1963)/The Day of the Triffids

horror/fantasy

Directed by:Steve Sekli, Freddie Francis
Starring:Howard Keel, Nicole Morey, Janet Scott, Kieron Moore, Mervyn Jones

Shot from the movie "Day of the Triffids"

Another classic tape, which is hopelessly outdated and looks not today as a fantastic horror, but as a comedy, is the "Day of the Triffids". For the sake of justice, a picture of Steve Szekeli and Freddie Francis already tried to reshoot, but it turned out either something indigestible, or something far from the original so much that the connection with it was blurred. Meanwhile, the topic of the treatment of nature against man is in demand today more than ever: we are afraid of GMOs and cloning, we are afraid of the disappearance of the ozone layer and the greenhouse effect, these fears can be earned quite well, especially since the "Day of the Triffids" is also the story of survival in Apocalyptic world, so popular today on small screens. Not so long ago, about his desire to update the classics claimed Mike Newell, but beyond the words of the famous director and producer did not move. It's a pity.

451 degrees Fahrenheit (1966)/Fahrenheit 451

drama/fantasy

Director:François Truffaut
Cast:Julie Christie, Oscar Werner, Cyril Cusack, Anton Diffring, Jeremy Spencer

Shot from the film "451 degrees Fahrenheit"

The anti-utopia of Francois Truffaut "451 degrees Fahrenheit" deserves a full-fledged remake, if only because the French director in the script of his painting deviated significantly from the letter of the novel by Ray Bradbury. Yes, and the alternative society in the film is not particularly impressive, Truffaut, it seems, during the filming was carried away by some other issues than those raised in the book Bradbury. Fortunately, totalitarian regimes such as those shown in Gradus were not a reality, but nations of different countries are facing separate manifestations of intolerance, reaction and radical conservatism. It is even surprising that the work of such a force, repeatedly put on the theatrical stage, carefully avoids the screen version - all hopes are now focused on the IEE channel, which announced the desire to make a TV movie for the novel scheduled for this year's release.

Star Trek (1966)/Star Trek

Action/Adventure/Fantasy

Directed by:Vincent McEvity, Jad Taylor, Robert Butler, Marvin J. Chomsky, Gerd Oswold, James Goldstone, David Alexander
Cast:Leonard Nimoy, William Shetner, James Duhan, George Takei, Walter Koenig

A shot from the series "Star Trek"

"Star Trek" - a story much more extensive, significant and epochal than even "Star Wars". This is not a simple set of seasons of television series and several feature films, it is a whole universe that has formed a worldview, moral guidelines and ethical rules for several generations of fantasy fans. And every new manifestation, every update of the line of these films and shows did not repeat the previous stories, but developed them, demonstrated the growth and connection of the past, present and future. Here and from the previewed tape of Quentin Tarantino I want to wait not for a banal remake, but for a unique fusion of tradition and innovation, what Star Trek always stood out from the crowd of not so talented and successful followers.

Barbarella (1968)/Barbarella

comedy/adventure/fantasy/fantasy

Director:Roger Vadim
StarringJane Fonda, John Phillip Lowe, Anita Pallenberg, Milo O'Shea, Marcel Marceau

Shot from the movie "Barbarella"

The strange situation that has developed in the world today, in which a militant feminism with sharp heels of heels marches on the unshakeable male superiority that seemed yesterday, should once lead to an explosion. No one predicts what it will be, but it's possible to fantasize about this topic, and as an experiment you can, for example, take a remake of "Barbarella", but only with a slant in the present day. Four decades ago, the beautiful Jane Fonda lovingly conquered the universe, let today someone try to remove something like this, or, conversely, the opposite - about a man, for example. In 1968, the sexual revolution could be frenzied into space, and what will today's feminists and violent defenders of equality be capable of and will their film be as much in love with the audience as possible?

The escape of Logan (1976)/Logan's Run

Action/Fantasy

Directed by:Michael Anderson
Cast:Michael York, Richard Jordan, Jenny Egatter, Roscoe Lee Brown, Farrah Fawcett

Shot from the film "Logan's Escape"

During the period of crises and social upheavals, the genre of anti-utopia often becomes especially popular with writers and directors - the film "Logan's Escape", filmed by Michael Anderson, fell to the court in the mid-70s, but today the topics raised in it are quite burning. Of course, overpopulation of the planet does not suffocate, but society's obsession with the cult of youth and beauty in the new century is felt at times more than forty years ago. As many remember, the "Flight" talked about the wonderful world of happy and contented people, for whom there is only one limitation: after the 30th anniversary they must free the planet for future generations. Thoughts to return to this picture began to visit the studio Warner Bros. back in 2011, but so far the case has not moved from the dead point. We'll wait, we have two hundred years ahead.

Close contacts of the third degree (1977)/Close Encounters of the Third Kind

drama/adventure/fantasy

Director:Steven Spielberg
Cast:Richard Dreyfuss, Francois Truffaut, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon, Bob Balaban

Shot from the film "Close Encounters of the Third Degree"

Wait to throw in the monitor sneakers, at least listen to the arguments. Yes, "Close contacts" is a brilliant picture, which in many respects changed the idea of ​​a possible meeting of civilizations, yes, this is a very personal film for Steven Spielberg, and hardly anyone can remake more emotional and profound than the original. But, on the other hand, the tape is hopelessly outdated technically, it lacks dynamics and rhythm, today it is not capable of capturing a young spectator. But the main thing is that today a new impetus for the interest in outer space among millions of ordinary people is needed to a much greater extent. Spielberg filmed the movie on a wave of conquest of new peaks, when it seemed that just about, and a man would set foot on Mars. But four decades have passed, and we are still arguing whether the Americans were on the Moon in 1969. Remake of "Close contacts of the third degree", neat and unobtrusive, could well bring back to children the dream of the cosmos that our parents and we lost.

Flash Gordon (1980)/Flash Gordon

Action/Adventure/Fantasy

Director:Mike Hodges
Cast:Sam Jones, Melody Anderson, Max von Sydow, Topol, Ornella Muti

Shot from the film "Flash Gordon"

It's even strange that in our era of craze for kinomics, the classic "Flash Gordon" by Mike Hodges, based on the comic books of the 1930s, has not gotten a new life to this day - that's who the alternative "Guardians of the galaxy" the right approach. It just seems that the story of a football player who went to space in the company of a charming travel agent and a mad scientist to free the galaxy from the tyranny of Ming the Ruthless, sounds delusional, on the screen it can be realized no worse than traveling to Krypton, fights with the Skrulls or the fall of Asgard. Yes, and humor in "Flush Gordon" has always been an order of magnitude greater than in the entire franchise "Avengers", taken together. In 1980, Federico Fellini and George Lucas could take the tape, but then this did not happen for a number of reasons, so why not surprise the viewer now and not call some unexpected director?

1984 (1984)/Nineteen Eighty-Four

drama/fantasy

Director:Michael Radford
Cast:John Hurt, Richard Burton, Suzanne Hamilton, Cyril Cusack, Gregor Fisher

Shot from the film "1984"

The anti-utopia of George Orwell "1984" today is remembered by everyone who is not too lazy - we are compared with the Ministry of Truth by the state media, Americans about and without gluing the label of the Big Brother on the state, radicals around the world find in Michael Redford's book and film a resemblance to their life and the environment. Surprisingly, since 1984 the novel has never been re-screened. To some extent the directors of the Soviet Union were affected by the collapse of the Soviet Union, to which Orwell pointed explicitly, but if we drop the red banners and the cult of the leader, then the resemblance to the novel of today's society becomes clear: we are again on the threshold of total state control and denial of the interests of the individual before interests country, power and ideology. Strangely enough, but 1984 again somewhere near, just restore - and a remake can be the strongest picture.

Dune (1984)/Dune

Action/Adventure/Fantasy

Director:David Lynch
Cast:Kyle McLachlan, Virginia Madsen, Francesca Annis, Leonardo Cimino, Brad Dourif

Shot from the film "Dune"

Frank Herbert's series of novels The Dune Chronicles have always been considered to be uncritical, and this is not far from the truth - the intricate relationships of the two warring parties that made space the arena of their confrontation are difficult to express in the language of a two-hour film. Attempt of David Lynch, made in 1984, can not be called successful - "Dune" criticized and fans of books, and critics, and ordinary viewers. The director himself is justified by the fact that the studio did not dare to show the film the way Lynch intended it, and remounted the footage at its discretion. Well, this is an excellent reason to take it all off again, as the novels deserve, but those wishing to wallow in the sands of Arrakis until the last moment were few, near zero. Until the already mentioned Dani Villeneuve, the author of "Arrival" and "Runner on the Blade 2049", did not take the reins of sandworms in their hands. It is not known when a new film will be ready, for which, incidentally, Villeneuve refused to stage a new Bond, but this event promises to be impressive. We wait.