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Movies on the Radio: Best and Worst Remakes

WUNC News | By Laura Pellicer,
Frank Stasio
Published May 31, 2017 at 12:53 PM EDT
Keith Weston
/
WUNC

Film remakes can introduce a beloved film to a new audience or take a mediocre movie to a new level of greatness. But when a remake is badly executed, it can butcher a cherished classic. On this edition of “Movies on the Radio,” film experts Marsha Gordon and Laura Boyes pick apart the artistry of a remake.

 The best and worst movie remakes

They discuss the importance of casting and how remakes adapt to changes in historical context. Host FrankStasiotalks withGordon, film professor at North Carolina State University,andBoyes, film curator at the North Carolina Museum of Art, about listener picks for the best and worst film remakes.

   Robocop, Remade in 2014https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuVphAuRo7Q The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Original from 1947

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdHKldF3UPM The Ladykillers Remake, 2004 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVL6AjybCZ0 Point Break Remake, 2015

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQvPRb4HADE Charlie and The Chocolate Factory Remake, 2005

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFVGCUIXJls The Thing Remake, 2011

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txjm94GnrPA Oceans 11 Remake, 2001

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imm6OR605UI

Copyright 2017 North Carolina Public Radio
Laura Pellicer
Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.
See stories by Laura Pellicer
Frank Stasio
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
See stories by Frank Stasio