The modern state of mainstream cinema is mostly a sad one, albeit somewhat fascinating. At the risk of sounding like an elitist, Hollywood has become too reliant upon remakes, sequels, reboots, reimaginings, and whatever other action that begins with "re." There are many reasons why but none are as relevant nor as predominant as this: the value of name recognition and nostalgia.
To put it simply, Hollywood executives are terrified to produce anything that doesn't have some kind of recognizable name value attached to it. They can no longer see the potential in new ideas, only the potential profit in the nostalgia market.
This kind of practice extends to all sorts of media. Not too long ago, a friend of mine created a concept for an original television series (heavily inspired by some seminal works of science fiction) and, according to him, the producers he presented it to refused to consider it because there was no "pre-existing material" to market the show off of.
The idea that all new material must be somehow directly connected to a pre-existing concept is incredibly limiting, emotionally draining, and creatively bankrupt. This mindset is, quite literally, the only reason a movie based on the board game Battleship exists...and it's just as terrible as you would expect.
Yet, despite what most Hollywood executives would have you believe, there are ways to take what was once familiar and present it in a unique and, dare I say, original way. I know this because it has been done before. It has worked in the past, and I can prove it. And it can be done again if those in power would only have the stones to take a chance.
Ladies & gentlemen, I present TheNorm's Top 5 original movies spawned from other creative ideas.
#5
Nosferatu (1922)
F.W. Murnau's classic film from 1922 may very well be one of the earliest examples of reshaping an idea for the benefit of creative vision. From the beginning, Murnau wanted to directly adapt Bram Stoker's classic novel, Dracula. However, he was unable to acquire the rights from his widow at the time. So, he changed the character names, aesthetics, and plot aspects to create his vision and avoid legal issues. While his attempts ultimately failed, prompting the termination of most original prints, Murnau's film has risen to the highest ranks of classic cinema.
Whatever you may choose to believe (if Murnau tried to steal Bran Stoker's story or not), there's no denying how influential and visually striking the film is. It became the foundation for reworking classic ideas moving forward and has inspired countless cinephiles ever since.
#4
Robocop (1987)
Not many people know this, but Paul Verhoeven's satirical action classic wasn't always what it is today.
Initially, the script began as an attempted adaptation of the long-running British comic book series, Judge Dredd. However, over time, the script was reworked, rewritten, and reedited so much that it eventually mutated into the story we know and love. This wasn't a case of unobtainable character rights so much as a case of a more exciting and original idea inspiring its way out of the ether.
While the similarities between Judge Dredd and Robocop remain reasonably obvious (a crime-ridden city with a heavily armed badass in a helmet dispensing instant justice), the movie remains a classic in its own right and another fine example of what happens when creativity is granted the opportunity to grow and change.
Not to mention one of the best lines in cinema history: "You're move, creep!"
#3
Darkman (1990)
In the 1930s, a prevalent fictional character was featured in pulp novels and, most famously, portrayed by a young Orson Wells on a serial radio show. He was a man with the power to cloud men's minds and read their thoughts, stalking the night seeking out evil-doers and delivering justice. He was known as The Shadow!
Then, in the late 1980s, director Sam Raimi, known for The Evil Dead and Crimewave, expressed interest in making a brand new feature-film adaptation of The Shadow, one of his favorite characters.
Only one problem; he couldn't afford the rights to it.
So, rather than quit, he took some inspiration from the beloved character and built a brand new one. Thus, Darkman was born! Becoming a cult classic and inspiring many other kinds of anti-heroes. Not to mention providing some of the building blocks for Sam Raimi's eventual take on another famous superhero, Spider-Man.
While the two characters are polar opposites from each other (philosophically and tonally), there's no denying where Darkman got his style. It's challenging to look at that long coat, covered face, and fedora without hearing the immortal phrase, "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!"
This is one movie that definitively proves a classic never dies.
#2
Watchmen (2009)
This movie makes the list on a technicality. While the film itself is a direct adaptation, it's based on a graphic novel that had a different concept entirely.
According to Wikipedia, comics writer Alan Moore originally conceived the story of Watchmen as a revisionist book, following the exploits of a handful of obscure and underutilized characters in the DC Comics library. Some of the characters included The Question (who eventually became Rorschach) and Peacemaker (who eventually became The Comedian). However, while the editor of DC Comics at the time, Dick Giordano, liked the general idea of the story, he refused to allow Moore to use his desired characters. He insisted that Moore reshape the story with different ones.
Undeterred by this roadblock, Moore set about creating new characters heavily inspired by those he originally wanted to use. Resulting in a groundbreaking graphic novel that provided one of the most insightful, albeit satirical, examinations of superheroes in modern culture. This, eventually, led to one of the best movie adaptations in cinema history, even if only because director Zach Snyder didn't realize that the story was a satire.
#1
Star Wars (1977)
Before transforming into the grand space opera today, the original Star Wars began its life as something almost entirely unrelated. George Lucas, among other things, is a big fan of the late Akira Kurosawa, the Steven Spielberg of early Japanese cinema known for seminal works such as Throne of Blood and Ran.
Early into his career, George Lucas wanted to produce and direct an American remake of Kurosawa's classic film, The Hidden Fortress. As you might have surmised, Lucas was unable to acquire the rights. So, he took the basic plot, changed out Samurais with Jedis, and created an entirely original universe.
Aside from the general plot and other narrative elements, Lucas's admiration for Kurosawa can also be seen in the filmmaking techniques, such as the heavy use of telephoto lenses.
Star Wars is and always shall be the beloved creation of George Lucas, but let us not forget what inspired its creation in the first place.
Originality as a concept is still alive even today; it just needs to be nurtured and grasped at the right moment. While only a handful of stories in the world are regurgitated and retold, it is never the story itself that must be original; it is how you tell the story that ultimately matters most.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment