The American Movie Dream – Repackaged and Resold

I’ve always loved the cinema since I was little. I have fond memories of watching a double bill of Empire strikes back and return of the Jedi as a child. The excitement of getting the Radio Times to see what the Christmas Movie was on ITV or BBC and the wait for the next Spielberg movie to come to the screen. Even in my teenage years and twenties reading all I could about what was going to be my celluloid fix. I immersed myself in the news and wonder of film and still do.

Yesterday saw the announcement that Halloween 3-D is now delayed so the director can finish a further project and today saw the statement of further cast signing up to the US remake of the brilliant Norwegian film Let the Right one in (Bizarrely its going to be named Let Me In??)

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=25966

It seems to me a day doesn’t go by in the movie industry when a remake (well re-imaging as it’s preferred as they prefer to call it), Sequel or franchise is declared as the next big thing. After a summer of absolute cinema toss has just passed us I have been reflecting on what has gone wrong in Hollywood.

The films tasting the Hollywood Glitz this summer has failed to excite me. I can truly say that the only movies that I have enjoyed are District 9, the Hangover and the one day release of the scrubbed up “High Def” version of the Thing. Check them out on IMDB.com as I’m not here to review each film in turn.

All 3 films had originality and a kept the importance of story over FX. Watching each of these restores my faith in why I love the cinema.

However the flip sidesequels and franchises like Transformers 2. I have to say I have not seen this amount of dross since Pearl Harbour or more recently Australia. I went to see Transformers 2 when I was ill as i didn’t mind the first one. However I imagine the crayon snapped at the final draft of the first one and when it came to writing the second the script writers drool was the only available ink.

Often I walkout of movies as the credits go up thinking “Well that was ok-ish” and yes I even did that for The Dark Night. I think its because although many people rave about blockbuster I somehow know I’ve seen it all before.

Dead ringers do a fantastic sketch were all the characters from Lord of the rings, Star Wars and Harry potter all get confused as the story lines are far too similar and this is how I see main stream movies these days.

Don’t get me wrong I won’t rave about bizarre Art House films or experimental cinema. I like a movie with a story and a comprehensible ending. What I don’t like is to be treated like a money paying zombie that will be impressed by bright lights and big bangs.

I have one saviour though and that is European cinema. I implore anyone who will not watch a film because of subtitles to get over it as they are missing out on some of the finest movies ever made. This brings me to the other film (Well films as it was in 2 parts) I loved this summer – Mesrine

It’s a true epic set over 4 hours and 2 films detailing all you could need to know about France’s Public Enemy number 1 in the seventies. Compare this with Public Enemies with Depp and Bale in and there is only one winner

Le cinéma à jamais français