Explore every episode of the podcast The Good, The Bad and The Remake: Movie Podcast

It's the end of season 3, its Neal's choice and it's... not really a remake? Or is it? Rules being broken left, right and centre in this episode...

High Noon is considered a classic of the American West, one of the most significant Westerns ever made and an influence on an entire sub-genre. And none of the GBR crew have seen it before. No pressure then, High Noon.

Outland is a fondly remembered, if underseen, sci-fi appropriation, which everyone is quick to point is really stretching the definition of "remake". But it's got Sean Connery, exploding heads and an impressive, Jupiter moon-base set. And at the end of the day, isn't that all we really want?

Subscribe, follow and get in touch in these places: If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd: Neal's profile - ⁠⁠https://boxd.it/1EHhT⁠⁠/ Ben's profile - ⁠⁠https://boxd.it/1lH3J⁠⁠/ We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places: Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/ and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake/ And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

It's Ben's turn to get a pick in, so he's gone for the 1962 paranoid, political thriller The Manchurian Candidate starring Frank Sinatra and Angela Lansbury, followed up by the Denzel Washington-led remake from 2004, with a supporting cast to die for. Both films are uniquely disturbing, commenting on the times in which they were produced and dealing with some difficult ideas. But can the powerhouse combo of Denzel and his Philadelphia director, Jonathan Demme, possibly de-throne a film that has, in many ways, entered the cultural zeitgeist? Subscribe, follow and get in touch in these places: If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd: Neal's profile - ⁠⁠https://boxd.it/1EHhT⁠⁠/ Ben's profile - ⁠⁠https://boxd.it/1lH3J⁠⁠/ We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places: Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/ and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake/ And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

It's the one we've been waiting for. After watching Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Thing, The Fly was the natural third part of the sci-fi/horror remake trilogy. An original that has its own fair share of iconic moments, not least a genuinely unsettling climax (even to this day), it's something rather special: a glossy, technicolor studio film with some radical ideas and a fractured narrative that sets it apart from the pack. Plus Vincent Price, which never hurts. But David Cronenberg's remake is close to genre-defining. Smart, remarkably gooey and disgusting, with star-making performances from Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis, its something of a classic of its time. So the question is, is this as Remazing as expected, or does the original hold unexpected qualities? Subscribe, follow and get in touch in these places: If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd: Neal's profile - ⁠⁠https://boxd.it/1EHhT⁠⁠ Ben's profile - ⁠⁠https://boxd.it/1lH3J⁠⁠ We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places: Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/ and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

Two of the greatest performers in martial arts history go head-to-head this week.

Firstly, one of the most iconic actors of all time, the inimitable, the game-changing, the one and only Bruce Lee. Before Enter the Dragon made him a worldwide star, Fist of Fury (AKA The Chinese Connection) displays Lee's furious speed and charisma in a barnstorming action adventure. Awesome fights, gorgeous cinematography and an early 20th century tale of honour and conspiracy.

Twenty years later, the equally incredible yet, stylistically, very different Jet Li took on the same role in Fist of Legend, teaming up with legendary choreographer Yuen Woo-ping in the process. The styles of fighting and film are massively different, but are the results? And who will come out on top?

FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

Subscribe, follow and get in touch in these places: If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd:

Neal's profile - ⁠⁠https://boxd.it/1EHhT⁠⁠

Ben's profile - ⁠⁠https://boxd.it/1lH3J⁠⁠

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places: Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/ and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

One of the most beloved Ealing comedies of all time takes on one of the most beloved filmmaking duos of our time.

Alexander Mackendrick's The Ladykillers has long endured, thanks to its brilliant concept, dark humour and excellent cast. So, why on earth did the Coen brothers, coming off of nearly two decades of critical adoration, choose to remake it? Well, we think we know and we've got some feelings about both films too. Join us.

Subscribe, follow and get in touch in these places: If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd:

Neal's profile - ⁠⁠https://boxd.it/1EHhT⁠⁠

Ben's profile - ⁠⁠https://boxd.it/1lH3J⁠⁠

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places: Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/ and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

The grandaddy of all modern zombie films is our subject this week, as we take a look at the OG, George A Romero's black and white gamechanger, The Night of the Living Dead. The team all have varied history with it, but also all felt the impact of key scenes.

So when it comes to watching an all-colour remake by makeup maestro Tom Savini, working from a reworked script by Romero himself, does it have any chance of being Remazing, or was it always destined to be an also-ran?

Subscribe, follow and get in touch in these places: If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd: Neal's profile - ⁠⁠https://boxd.it/1EHhT⁠⁠ Ben's profile - ⁠⁠https://boxd.it/1lH3J⁠⁠ We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places: Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/ and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

This week, we're getting sweaty and clenching our buttocks tightly, because we've got two renowned movies filled with tight-fisted, white-knuckled tension.

The Wages of Fear (AKA Le Salaire de la Peur), from director Henri-Georges Clouzot, is a proto-action thriller from the 1950s, which takes a while getting to its set-pieces and then doesn't let up until the final frame. Twenty-some years later, William Friedkin (The French Connection, The Exorcist) decided to (not) remake it as the poorly-titled Sorcerer, updating those incredible action scenes with a massive budget and a more socio-politicial undercurrent.

As always, we're here to weigh up the pros and cons of both approaches, before pitting them against one another.

Subscribe, follow and get in touch in these places: If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd: Neal's profile - ⁠⁠https://boxd.it/1EHhT⁠⁠ Ben's profile - ⁠⁠https://boxd.it/1lH3J⁠⁠ We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places: Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/ and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

We're sticking with the season 3 theme of "tricky relationships" this week, with the 1942 and 1982 versions of Cat People. The original starts out like a noir film and gradually turns into a psycho-sexual thriller, quite different and risque for its time. Catherine is a big fan of this one and its producer, Val Lewton, so the discussion is chockful of tidbits for all you nerds out there. The remake was directed by Paul Schrader and takes advantage of coming out in a more liberal time, by adding in lashings of blood and boobs. As well as other more... mature themes, so you've been warned: don't listen to this one in front of the kids. Subscribe, follow and get in touch in these places: If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd: Neal's profile - ⁠⁠https://boxd.it/1EHhT⁠⁠ Ben's profile - ⁠⁠https://boxd.it/1lH3J⁠⁠ We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places: Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/ and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

We've been described as being too niche with some of our picks, so we've sold out and gone mainstream for this week's pick. Solaris is a ponderous, nearly 3-hour, Russian science fiction from 1972. If just reading that gives you pause, there's at least one member of the GBR crew that agrees with you. However, revered as an influential masterwork, Andrei Tarkovsky's difficult film was remade by American auteur Steven Soderbergh in 2002, starring George Clooney. At almost half the length, the question is, can it retain the philosphical spirit of the earlier film, or is it a cynical cash grab? Subscribe, follow and get in touch in these places: If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd: Neal's profile - ⁠⁠https://boxd.it/1EHhT⁠⁠ Ben's profile - ⁠⁠https://boxd.it/1lH3J⁠⁠ We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places: Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/ and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

Season 3 is here and we're kicking off with a much requested and somewhat controversial remake.

Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 horror-thriller Psycho changed the game. An iconic score, moody black and white photography, some of the most parodied sequences and dialogue in cinema history and the first ever appearance of a flushing toilet. So, naturally, Gus Van Sant followed up his biggest hit with a colour, shot-for-shot remake, taken from the exact same script.

Have we got another Point Break on our hands, or did Van Sant pull it off? Vince Vaughn certainly did...

Subscribe, follow and get in touch in these places:

If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd:

Neal's profile - ⁠https://boxd.it/1EHhT⁠Ben's profile - ⁠https://boxd.it/1lH3J⁠

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

The GBR squad are back!

After a long break, we got together another list of 10 movies and their remakes, spanning the spectrum of Unmakes, Agreemakes and Remazing and we're here to tell you what's coming up over the next ten weeks.

As always, let us know your thoughts in these places:

If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd:

Neal's profile - ⁠https://boxd.it/1EHhT⁠

Ben's profile - ⁠https://boxd.it/1lH3J⁠

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

And thanks for listening. Tell your friends!

**CONTENT WARNING: In order to discuss the events of both films, we discuss scenes of sexual violence**

Back for a bonus episode, due to popular demand we've done what none of you should probably attempt and that is watching both adaptations of Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - back-to-back.

The 2009 film from Niels Arden Oplev marked the arrival of Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist, both of whom would go on to fairly successful Hollywood careers. Its a relatively faithful adaptation of the novel, albeit on a budget that only just elevates it above its TV movie roots.

Just a couple of years later, the same story got the Hollywood treatment under the stewardship of David Fincher. With a budget close to $100m and James Bond in the lead, surely this had to smooth off some of the book's rough edges in order to see a wide release, right?

Catherine's read the books, Neal and Ben haven't. So how will that affect their opinions of these two films, which share so much in terms of narrative, but are wildly different in style and approach?

If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd:

Neal's profile - https://boxd.it/1EHhTBen's profile - https://boxd.it/1lH3J

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

It's the season finale, which means two things: it's the last episode for a little while (stay tuned to the very end for more on how long that might be) and we've got to go out with a bang. Few people are aware that Heat, Michael Mann's epic crime drama, is itself a remake of an earlier Michael Mann film: LA Takedown, which was originally shot to be a TV pilot and was released as a TV movie. Even fewer have ever seen it and it is this that we are discussing on this episode. LA Takedown was made on a fraction of Heat's budget, but with a script that has word-for-word passages that were recycled for the later film. It's probably no secret that it's not up to the quality of the remake, but does it work on its own terms? The answer is not as straightforward as it may seem. And then, the big one, the grandaddy: Heat has become one of the most influential crime films of the last few decades, from Den of Thieves to The Town to The Dark Knight, Michael Mann's way with action, dialogue, visuals, sounds and heists is legendary. So strap in, cos we're going deep on this one. Thanks as always for following along the last few weeks. Make sure to let us know if you want us to do more and what you'd like to hear us talk about. If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd: Neal's profile - https://boxd.it/1EHhT Ben's profile - https://boxd.it/1lH3J We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places: Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/ and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala 

Our penultimate episode of this run is the first time we're discussing a director remaking his own film.

The Vanishing 1988 (AKA Spoorloos) is a meticulously structured, detail-driven psychological thriller, centred around a young couple who come into contact with a fiercely intelligent sociopath. Years after one of them goes missing, the other two meet up and the events that led to the titular vanishing will be revealed in the most twisted way imaginable. A classic foreign-language thriller, this is renowned for its thematic richness and brilliant, tension-inducing editing and excellent performances.

The remake (1993) teams the same director with Jeff Bridges, Kiefer Sutherland, Nancy Travis and a pre-stardom Sandra Bullock. And... we had some thoughts about it.

More than probably any film we've discussed yet, the original is a film you need to see before listening to this episode. We've done our best to avoid spoilers until they're clearly marked, but if you want to experience The Vanishing the way it was intended, get the 1988 film watched.

If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd:

Neal's profile - https://boxd.it/1EHhT
Ben's profile - https://boxd.it/1lH3J

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

Two westerns separated by five decades, but connected by a short story from Elmore Leonard and lead actors who are real cutey pies.

First up, Glenn Ford and Van Heflin are at odds, as the former tries to convince the latter to spare him from the eponymous prison train. It's light on action, heavy on charm and presents a fairly believable vision of the old west in Van Heflin's simple farmer.

Then, 50 years later, we got the big budget remake from James "Logan" Mangold, with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale stepping into the shoes of Ben Wade and Dan Evans. This time, Mangold adds in half an hour of runtime - mostly in action scenes that are quite spectacular - and he changes the ending.

So which is going to fare better: the simple, straightforward semi-classic; or the bombastic, big budget update?

If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd:

Neal's profile - https://boxd.it/1EHhT
Ben's profile - https://boxd.it/1lH3J

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

CONTENT WARNING: The films discussed this week contain scenes of sexual assault, which we felt we had to address.

A brace of violent psychological thrillers this week, starting with the 1962 J. Lee Thompson classic, Cape Fear, starring Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum. Shockingly edgy for when it came out, it was a new experience for 2/3rds of the GBR team, so the big question is, can a film that's pushing 60 still retain the power to genuinely unnerve, or have cinematic boundaries of taste and propriety moved on too far for it still to work?

Almost 30 years later, Martin Scorsese celebrated one of his highest grossing films with the remake, starring Nick Nolte, Robert De Niro, Jessica Lange and Juliette Lewis. Given the time in which it was made and coming straight after Goodfellas, the remake is immeasurably more graphic and explicit in its violence and malevolence, but with Scorsese throwing every cinematic trick in the book at it as well, is it just all too much?

If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd:

Neal's profile - https://boxd.it/1EHhT
Ben's profile - https://boxd.it/1lH3J

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

This week, something completely different to anything we've done before, as a 1950's B-movie is turned into a comedy for all time, while sticking surprisingly close to the original's story, script and even performances.

Zero Hour! is a straightforward slice of mid-budget disaster movie, as a former military pilot has to use his long-dormant skills to save a flight beleagured by food poinsoning and a storm, while carrying his estranged wife and son as passengers. None of the team had seen this before, so the question going in was: would it stand a chance of still working on its own terms, or would it become laughable...

...because the second film we're discussing needs little introduction. Considered by many to be the funniest film ever made, Airplane! is a Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker classic. It's also more than forty years old now so, returning to it, has the comedy aged, fallen out of favour, or is it still as relentlessly hilarious as we all remember it to be?

Along the way, we get a bit sidetracked into a discussion of what became of the big budget spoof in the years after AIrplane!, from the Naked Gun and Hot Shots films, through to today.

If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd:

Neal's profile - https://boxd.it/1EHhT
Ben's profile - https://boxd.it/1lH3J

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

The two films under review today - one from 1974 directed by Joseph Sargent, the other from 2009 and directed by Tony Scott - have something in common, beyond them sharing a plot and title. Both, in very distinct ways, act as monuments to the cinematic styles of the period they come from. Sargent's film is grimy and unglamorous, with an unmistakably '70s score. Scott's film is full of rolling cars, hyperactive editing and John Travolta.

Which one will come out on top and can Tony Scott enter the rarefied ranks of the Remazing?

If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd:

Neal's profile - https://boxd.it/1EHhT
Ben's profile - https://boxd.it/1lH3J

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

An 80s classic that none of the team had seen this week, the arrival of Mr Kevin Bacon (and his six degrees of separation) in a foot-stomping, illegal dancing, modern musical. Does it still stand on its loose two feet 35 years on, or is it just fondly remembered by the generation that grew up with it?

Following it up, the 2011 remake from Craig 'Hustle & Flow' Brewer, this time populated with professional dancers instead of scrappy, up-and-coming actors. The wrinkle is that Ben has seen this one (possibly four separate times) and has a real fondness for it. How will this impact on seeing the original for the first time?

And, inspired by the film's plot, we take a little detour around the world to find some other odd, illegal activities.

If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd: 

Neal's profile - https://boxd.it/1EHhT
Ben's profile - https://boxd.it/1lH3J

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

We're dishing up some more horror this week, with George A Romero's seminal 70s classic, Dawn of the Dead ('78) and the big budget feature debut of the sometimes controversial Zack Snyder, Dawn of the Dead ('04).

They both partly take place in malls and feature gore and the undead. That's pretty much where the comparisons end. So when there's no more room in DVD Hell, which film will walk the Earth?

If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd:
Neal's profile - https://boxd.it/1EHhT
Ben's profile - https://boxd.it/1lH3J

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

Here at GoodBadRemake, we're conscious of getting up ourselves and using this podcast as an excuse to talk only about prestige pictures.

Which is why this week, we're watching two dyed-in-the-wool B-movies.

Death Race 2000 - starring David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone - was made in the mid-70s for a pittance and went on to become a cult favourite. Its remake Death Race - starring Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson and Ian 'Lovejoy' McShane - was made for $45 million, has spawned three sequels so far and Catherine didn't even know it existed.

Will either of them quench our collective thirst for blood and carnage? Can any three word review ever beat 'Samurai Cowboy USA'? And can the Stath follow where Matt Damon went before and secure a GBR seal of REMAZING?

If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd:
Neal's profile - https://boxd.it/1EHhT
Ben's profile - https://boxd.it/1lH3J

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

Season two kicks off with two awards big-hitters, winning dozens of international awards between them.

Firstly, the smash hit Hong Kong crime film Infernal Affairs, starring megastar actors Tony Chiu-Wai Leung and Andy Lau. This is a fast-paced, slick, exciting cops and robbers thriller, with a uniquely complex hook. It's so good, in fact, that less than five years after it's release, Martin Scorsese remade it with Leonardo di Caprio and Matt Damon in the lead roles, as The Departed. 

But just because its more expensive and has an English language audio track, that's not necessarily enough to convince the GBR team that it was worthy of remaking. The Departed is arguably the most requested film we've done to date. Find out whether it lived up to the hype.

If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd:
Neal's profile - https://boxd.it/1EHhT
Ben's profile - https://boxd.it/1lH3J

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

The GBR squad are back with 20 more films - 10 originals, 10 remakes. Want to know what we're going to be watching and talking about over the next 10 weeks? Have a listen to this.

If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd:
Neal's profile - https://boxd.it/1EHhT
Ben's profile - https://boxd.it/1lH3J

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

Happy New Year from the GBR team! To ease you into 2021, we've got a brace of action movies to enjoy from the comfort of your sofa.

1995's Sudden Death was one of the last big theatrical outings for Jean-Clause Van Damme and a notable entry in the Die Hard rip-off sub-genre. So it's Die Hard in a Hockey Stadium, with Powers Boothe eating large chunks of the scenery as the Hans Gruber-alike. But however that may sound, its an exciting film that is also pretty funny and includes some highly GIF-able moments, including a fight with a mascot in a kitchen.

None of us (meaning, mankind) expected or even much wanted a remake, but in 2020 Michael Jai White stepped up to the plate and so we have Welcome to Suddent Death, wherein hockey is swapped for basketball and a $35m budget is swapped for considerably less. You need to be in the right frame of mind for this one, but there's a ton of fun to be had if you are.

Joining us to discuss both films is Alex from The Arniethology presents.... podcast, and opinions on both films have split the team right down the middle. But will Alex vote in line with his Arniethology cohort Ben?

If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd: Neal's profile - https://boxd.it/1EHhTBen's profile - https://boxd.it/1lH3J

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

Christmas arrives at The Good, The Bad and The Remake offices for real this time, as we watch the two Miracle on 34th Street films.

The original, directed in 1947 by George Seaton, is something of a classic, brimming with festive wonder and cheer, as well as getting properly stuck in to questions of mental health, commercialism and politics. There are also thoroughly endearing turns from Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle and young Natalie Wood as the girl who doesn't believe in santa. If you only watch one Christmas film this year, The GBR team recommend you make it this one.

However, the 1994 remake - overseen by John 'Home Alone' Hughes -  is probably even better known and stars young Mara Wilson in the Natalie Wood role, Sir Richard Attenborough is perfectly cast in the Kris Kringle role and then there's the debate-stirring Dylan McDermott in a rather fetching sweater. There's no question of the film's sweetness and sentimental charms, but can it hold a christingle candle to the earlier film? More importantly, can it join the rarified ranks of the films that have earned a Remazing rating?

If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd:
Neal's profile - https://boxd.it/1EHhT
Ben's profile - https://boxd.it/1lH3J

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

Sponsorships: off for this episode

Christmas is coming and the first of the GBR team's Christmas Specials has arrived, and it doesn't get much more festive than this. Sort of.

First up is the original Black Christmas from 1974, starring Franco Zeffirelli's Juliet, Olivia Hussey; 2001's Dave Bowman, Keir Dullea; and the once and future Lois Lane, Margot Kidder. Considered one of the first slasher films, this was a template that many films in the genre followed, especially John Carpenter's Halloween a few years later. Ben loves horror, Catherine doesn't and Neal is just happy - but none of them have seen this, so how will it land?

Next up is the 2019 remake starring Imogen Poots and Cary 'Man in Tights' Elwes, which takes the basic setup of the '74 film, but updates it with a modern, feminist agenda for a slightly younger audience. The ideas are there and it's coming from the very successful Blumhouse production house, so will this be Remazing, an Agreemake or will we try to Unmake it?

If you're interested in the team's views on non-remake properties, you can follow us on Letterboxd:
Neal's profile - https://boxd.it/1EHhT
Ben's profile - https://boxd.it/1lH3J 

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

The Good, The Bad and The Remake is back for a Christmas double bill of festive films and their remakes and Neal, Catherine and Ben are here to get you ready for them.

Send us your feedback to goodbadremake@gmail.com

The public have spoken and the films for the final episode have been chosen - by a landslide, you voted for Neal, Catherine and Ben to watch The Thing From Another World (1951) and its remake John Carpenter's The Thing (1982).

The original is another slice of high-grade 1950s B-movie from producer-director extraordinaire Howard Hawks. Adapted from John Campbell's story 'Who Goes There?', the thing from another world takes on the form of a very tall man with an odd-shaped head, limbs made of plant and a taste for blood. If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, fear not - there's actually lots of great stuff to recommend in this sci-fi thriller.

The 1982 remake needs little introduction - it's the one with Kurt Russell's magnificent beard, the chest cavity that eats hands, a head that sprouts legs, THAT blood test and one of the best dog performances in cinema history. Neal and Ben are lifelong fans of this one, but Catherine's never seen it and doesnt much care for horror films. So will the Remazing award be contested or can John Carpenter et al win her over?

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

We believe in going out with a bang and, perhaps, saving the best for last. That's why this week Neal, Catherine and Ben will be tackling two classic, epic interpretations of the same story.

Up first is the indisputable masterpiece from Akira Kurosawa, Seven Samurai - featuring the Japanese John Wayne, Toshiro Mifune - a 3.5-hour, black and white, subtitled film from the 1950s. But don't let that put you off, it's genuinely really entertaining.

Then - vying for the final Remazing of the series - is John Sturges' 1960 Americanisation, The Magnificent Seven. Adapted into English and updated into colour, cutting an hour and a half of runtime and enlisting Hollywood legends in the shapes of Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Charles Bronson and Eli Wallach in the process, can Sturges stand a chance of matching the great Japanese master?

It's a hotly contested battle and neither film comes out unscathed.

Stay listening until the end for details of how to help select the bonus episode to close out this first run of films.

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

Two bona fide classics for you this week, as Neal, Catherine and Ben get stuck into the black and white 1950s B-movie version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers - complete with communist undertones - directed by Don "Dirty Harry" Siegel. Then it's onto Philip "The RIght Stuff" Kaufman's late-1970s update, starring Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright and the once and future Spock, Leonard Nimoy. Special effects, paranoia, fear and distrust course through both of these films, which are both clever, fast-paced and well direcetd. So will there be anything to call the difference in quality, or are we destined for a 5-star Agreemake? We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places: Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/ and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

An unplanned tribute to the recent passing of director Joel Schumacher this week as Neal, Catherine and Ben revisit his 1990 'brat pack' thriller Flatliners - featuring Julia Roberts, Keifer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin and Oliver Platt - from a time when he was a respected Hollywood heavy-hitter, prior to ruining the Batfranchise with Batnipples...

Then it's onto the much-maligned 2017 remake from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo's Neils Arden Oplev, and a cast that includes Juno herself Ellen Page, Rogue One's Diego Luna and up-and-comers Kiersey Clemons and Nina Dobrev. Can it capture the stylistic thrills of the earlier film and do something new with the material, or is it another case of a film that should have been left alone?

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

We've gone slightly more obscure this week, as Neal, Catherine and Ben take a look at the cult 1986 slasher-thriller The Hitcher - starring Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell and a very young Jennifer Jason Leigh - as three people caught in a vicious, cruel game of death and torture on a Texas Highway, climaxing with one of the great twists in 80s horror.

Then it's on to the Michael Bay-produced remake, starring One Tree Hill's Sophia Bush and - in the role of the psychopathic John Ryder - Sean Bean. Given that the original fllm didn't make much of a splash at the time, is this set to be a shot-for-shot remake cash grab, or will it forge its own path?

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

The GBR team tackle the most controversial pick yet, with a bona fide 80s classic in Ivan Reitman's original, not to mention an amazing cast - Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis and more - followed up by the 2016 all-female remake from Paul 'Bridesmaids' Feig.

Ben is all ready to man the defenses and with neither Catherine or Neal having seen the remake, could this start a fight, or will they come down on the side of agreeing and making up (agreemaking, if you will)?

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

A double bill of acclaimed, high-brow thrillers this week, as Neal, Catherine and Ben sit down with the late-90s Scandi-noir Insomnia, starring Stellan Skarsgard in a very dark role - prior to finding international fame in Good Will Hunting and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Then they mull over the slightly expanded remake from Christopher Nolan - his next film after Memento brought him to worldwide attention - starring Al Pacino, Hillary Swank and Robin Williams.

The original is very highly regarded by critics and the remake is arguably the forgotten film from its superstar director, so has it got a shot at winning the coveted GBR stamp of Remazing, or is it another lazy but glossy Hollywood Unmake, as so many remakes of foreign films are?

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

It's little surprise to most people that three people that grew up in the 1980s would have strong feelings about Paul Verhoeven's seminal sci-fi actioner - and Neal, Catherine and Ben are predictably gushing when it comes to rewatching it.  

But 2/3rds of the GBR team have yet to see the 2014 remake starring Joel Kinnaman, Michael Keaton, Gary Oldman and Samuel Jackson. With a lineup like that and a massive budget, can it really be as bad as some critics say?  

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:    

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/    

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake    

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com    

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

So far on The Good, The Bad and The Remake, we've had one terrible remake and one brilliant remake. Now, as Neal, Catherine and Ben sit down to watch the 2006 remake of the seminal 1970's classic - this time starring Nicolas Cage - it could well be equal amounts of both.

Which could be a problem when it comes to rating it.

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:  

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/  

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake  

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com  

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

For our second foray into the mixed bag of remakes, Neal, Catherine and Ben are weighing up the relative virtues of the two film versions of Little Shop of Horrors - the first a micro-budget Roger Corman b-movie from 1960; the second a big budget musical from Yoda himself, Frank Oz, from 1986.

One was shot in under a week with the pocket change of those involved with an early role for Jack Nicholson, the other is packed with songs from Al Menken, who went on to write songs for the Disney classics in the 90s, and features Rick Moranis, Steve Martin, John Candy, Bill Murray, Jim Belushi and Christopher Guest.

But will the remake justify its existence enough to avoid the dreaded Unmake branding of GBR? Will it rise to achieve the Remazing badge? Or, is it just an Agreemake, neither one thing nor the other.

We want your feedback, 3-word reviews and suggestions for any other films that have been remade, so find us in these places:

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake/

and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

The first episode proper has landed and Neal, Catherine and Ben are sinking their brain teeth into Keanu's first action film and it's 25-years-later remake, the Point Breaks. It's pretty much accepted that the original film is a minor classic of 90s action, but given that none of the team have seen its reincarnation, does it have any surprises or originality in store, or will it just be another lifeless retread with nothing to say? The Keanu-Swayze version certainly isn't flawless, so there is plenty of room for growth, in the hands of the right filmmakers.

Plus all the usual features - 3 word reviews, the facts and stats, listener feedback and the all-important GBR rating: Unmake, Agreemake or Remazing?

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and on Twitter: twitter.com/GoodBadRemake

And get in touch here: goodbadremake@gmail.com

Music is 'Bring Me the West' by phlaala

In the introductory episode, Neal, Catherine and Ben explain the idea behind The Good, The Bad and The Remake, the films that are going to makeup the first list of ten films and their respective remakes and all three share their personal histories with the films. Got a suggestion for a film to add to the list or a 3-word review of any of the upcoming films?

Get in touch in these places:

goodbadremake@gmail.com
https://twitter.com/GoodBadRemake
https://www.facebook.com/Goodbadremake