Tag Archives: Charleton Heston

Screenings In 70MM Film Hit Differently

This past Saturday, it was back to the Aero at Santa Monica, California for more Ultra Cinematheque 70 Fest.

So far, every one of these screenings have been preceded by a short film titled “Six Tons of 70MM”, in which we follow Matt Burris, an employee of the American Cinematheque, driving around L.A., picking up the prints that will be played throughout the festival. He talks about the work and costs involved in booking, transporting, and projecting these big, heavy-ass prints — this year’s festival totals 40 films — and explains how the higher resolution format makes for a more theatrical experience, quoting Martin Scorsese with “Seventy-millimeter hits different”.

Because this short plays before every one of these 70mm screenings, I was ready to call Burris the Nicole Kidman of the American Cinematheque — if the son-of-a-bitch hadn’t already beat me to the punch during his intro to Saturday afternoon’s screening of 1996’s HAMLET, Kenneth Branagh’s *unabridged* adaptation of the Bard’s play, which was shot in Super Panavision 70. During Burris’ intro, we were told about how the length of the film — over four hours — meant that the *two* projectionists on hand for this screening would be dealing with 20 reels, each weighing about 30 lbs each, totaling about 600 pounds of movie.

I’ve only seen the play performed once, and I’ve never seen any of the film adaptations, neither the Olivier, Gibson, not even the Ethan Hawke one — but I have seen STRANGE BREW, if that counts.

So I can’t compare flicks, but really liked this pumped-up version of the play, which isn’t surprising considering Branagh’s tendency as a director to just Fuckin’ Go For It on some over-the-top shit. That approach might be off-putting to some, but I didn’t have an issue with it, just as I didn’t have an issue with it during his HENRY V. (I still want to see his FRANKENSTEIN movie, for morbid curiosity’s sake, if nothing else.) It didn’t feel like four hours, more like two-and-a-half, if I’m being honest.

I knew of this film during its original release, but totally forgot about the cast, which includes welcome-but-not-surprising appearances by Kate Winslet, Derek Jacobi, Julie Christie, Brian “Gordon’s alive!” Blessed, John Gielgud, Rufus Sewell (giving me Purple Rain-era Prince visual vibes here), and many other of the usual respected suspects for this kind of film.

But then every once in a while, someone like Jack Lemmon or Robin Williams or Charlton Heston or fuckin’ Billy Crystal will pop up and it kind of took me a bit to get acclimated to the sudden Yank-ifcation of the atmosphere; of these Special Guest Stars, I felt Crystal (no, really) and especially Heston gave the best performances.

The print looked good, some lines here and there, but there was an odd inconsistency in the rear surrounds with echoing voices in the interior scenes, some parts had it, others didn’t.

But the main thing is that it was a great looking film, shot on 70mm, shown in 70mm, and unlike say, certain foot-fetishizing filmmakers, Branagh and cinematographer Alex Thomson took full advantage of the format, filming in big, wide spaces, both interior and exterior. They do a lot of talking here, but make no mistake, this is a goddamn Movie.

There was a ten-minute intermission a little after two hours, which allowed some of us in the audience to use the restroom, get snacks, or in my case, run four blocks down to feed the meter (which by that point, had expired about ten minutes earlier) because this was a 2PM afternoon show and those Montana Ave. parking enforcers don’t get off the clock until 6pm.

Later that evening, I was back inside the Aero for STREETS OF FIRE, directed by one of my Mount Rushmore directors, Walter Hill. I had actually seen this 70MM print before at the Aero in ’17 — it starts with a British Board of Film Classification at the beginning — and both viewings were equally loud and pristine, both viewings rocked my world.

It’s not even so much a Style Over Substance deal here, it’s more like Style *Is* Substance — the music, the clothes, the attitudes, the neon-lights, the wet streets, the cars (oh my god, the cars), the bikes, the guns, and badasses of both genders.

(And Diane Lane too. I mean, wow.)

Diane Lane in Streets of Fire

Let me mention the music yet again, because both the mix of rock & roll, doo-wop, Ry Cooder score, and Jim Steinman’s breathlessly passionate rants and screeds and laments set to melody, well, they shouldn’t blend so well, and yet they do, kinda like how the film’s world of 1950s meets 1980s shouldn’t blend so well, and yet it does.

During this viewing, I focused more on the dynamic between Michael Paré’s Cody and Amy Madigan’s McCoy. I love how they don’t flex or flaunt, they’re just casually ultra-competent, it’s just what they do when called upon to do it, and I wish I lived in the timeline where we got to see them do more of it together in follow-up films. I’d have followed them anywhere.

One of the things I love about Hill is just how meat & potatoes and no-frills his stories are, they’re real cut-to-the-quick tales that don’t overstay their welcome, populated by characters that are old-school types rather than fleshed-out collections of hopes, dreams, anxieties, etc. (Hell, he didn’t even give the characters of THE DRIVER names, just designations.) He gives you the good guys and the bad guys and that’s it, that’s the Walter Hill way, and his way is an increasingly fresh — and dying — breath of air in today’s chatty and jokey “he just like me fr fr”/“so that just happened” world of action cinema. (Not that I’m against that kind of movie — I enjoyed THE FALL GUY — I just don’t want to see *only* that kind of movie.)

Give me men and women of few words and more actions, is what I mean, or to quote McCoy, “Are we gonna do it, or are we gonna talk about it?”

Hell yeah, McCoy — you can watch my six and sleep on my couch any time.

Great crowd for this showing, a packed house full of both fans and first-timers alike who clapped and laughed at all the right moments. I overheard a lot of excited reactions after the film by people who had no idea what they were in store for, but were very happy they got to experience it. Which in turn made me even happier.

On the walk back to my parking spot, I passed by a car blasting the soundtrack — this also happened when I saw this in ’17, as well as after a 35MM screening at the New Beverly Cinema in ’10. I just thought you should know that. For the Silo, E.F. Contentment. All photos by the author.

Most & Least Successful Movie Remakes

Most Successful Movie Remakes

Movie remakes have been a staple of Hollywood for decades. They can reintroduce classic stories to new generations and update them with the latest technology, much like how online casino and online slots platforms reimagine traditional casino games for the digital age.

On the other hand, more cynical viewers might view movie remakes as easy “cash grab” attempts. Whatever your view on movie remakes, they come in all shapes and sizes, spanning genres, eras, and styles. While many fail to live up to the originals they’re based on, they occasionally match or even exceed them.

Charleton Heston scoping out mutants with an infra-red scope rifle in The Omega Man. More on this film below.

So, which are the most (and least) successful movie remakes of all time? To find out, our friends at Spin Genie ranked some of the biggest movie remakes based on their critical reviews, box office revenue, and Google searches. We’ve then done the same (sorry some of the figures shown on the charts below are in US dollars but with today’s exchange rate you can multiple by 1.37 for CAD) for the original movies they were based on and worked out the difference in scores.

The most successful movie remakes

Top 3 most successful movie remakes

1. I Am Legend

Original movie score: 3.34

Remake movie score: 7.78

Score difference: 4.44

The 2007 adaptation of I Am Legend, starring Will Smith, stands out as a significant improvement over the 1971 version, The Omega Man that starred Charleton Heston. The remake received good reviews (particularly for Smith’s performance) and, at the time, was the highest-grossing non-Christmas film to ever release in December. On the other hand, The Omega Man received a much more mixed reception and grossed just $7.7 million USD (adjusted for inflation). A sequel to the remake is currently in the works, with Michael B. Jordan set to appear alongside Will Smith.

2. Ocean’s Eleven

Original movie score: 3.55

Remake movie score: 7.92

Score difference: 4.37

The 2001 remake of Ocean’s Eleven transformed the original 1960 Rat Pack classic into a modern heist film with an all-star cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts. It improved on the original in each factor, being praised for its stylish direction, witty script, and ensemble cast. The remake’s success led to two sequels and a spin-off with an all-female lead cast. It also influenced the wider movie industry, with numerous heist films produced in the following years.

3. Dune: Part One

Original movie score: 4.81

Remake movie score: 8.81

Score difference: 4.00

Canadian director Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 adaptation of Dune brought Frank Herbert’s epic science fiction novel to life with stunning visuals, a stellar cast, and a faithful yet innovative approach. The remake vastly improved (debatable to those that grew up loving the original version) upon David Lynch’s 1984 version, which had been criticized for its convoluted plot and lacklustre special effects. (Also debatable to original fans, especially when a new much longer cut of the film exists to tackle these complaints.)

The sequel, Dune: Part Two, came out earlier this year and improved even further on Part One in its critical reception and box office revenue.

1st to 5th most successful movie remakes
6th to 10th most successful movie remakes

The least successful movie remakes

least successful movie remakes

1. Peter Pan

Original movie score: 8.37

Remake movie score: 5.04

Score difference: -3.33

The 2003 adaptation of Peter Pan failed to capture the magic of the original 1953 Disney classic, scoring significantly worse for reviews and revenue. The remake received ok reviews, but they were nowhere near the animated original, which is beloved for its timeless charm and classic story. Financially, the remake was a failure, grossing $207.9 million USD, which resulted in a financial loss compared to the film’s budget. 

2. Carrie

Original movie score: 7.26

Remake movie score: 4.08

Score difference: -3.18

The 2013 remake of Carrie failed to live up to the 1976 original, which is considered a horror classic. The remake’s attempts to modernize Stephen King’s tale didn’t impress critics or audiences, with an average review score of 55.5 and inflation-adjusted revenue of $114.1 million USD. The original film, known for its intense atmosphere and Sissy Spacek’s iconic performance, set a high bar that the remake could not reach.

3. House of Wax

Original movie score: 4.59

Remake movie score: 1.78

Score difference: -2.81

While the original House of Wax didn’t score very highly, with 4.59, that’s still an improvement of 2.81 on the 2005 remake, putting it in third place. Despite its modern special effects and star-studded cast, the remake couldn’t match the original’s eerie atmosphere and Vincent Price’s memorable performance. The original has an average critic score of 69, and its reputation has improved over the years, unlike the remake.

Much maligned- The Remake of Planet of The Apes by Tim Burton. Not as bad as you remember.

1st to 5th least successful movie remakes

Which remake has the best reviews?

Best Reviews - A Star is Born

A Star is Born – 82 out of 100

The movie remake that resonated with movie critics the most is the 2018 version of A Star is Born, with an average score of 82 out of 100. The musical romantic drama was Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut and is the third remake of the 1937 original. It was one of the biggest films of 2018, and critics raved about the performances of Cooper, Lady Gaga, Sam Elliott, and the soundtrack. It also won numerous awards, getting eight nominations at the 91st Academy Awards.

Which remake made the most money?

Made the most money - Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast – $1.6 billion USD / $2.2 billion CAD (inflation-adjusted)

Financially, Disney’s 2017 Beauty and the Beast is the most successful movie remake, with an inflation-adjusted box office total of $1.6 billion USD. It opened to a record-breaking debut, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 2017 and the tenth-highest of all time. The enduring popularity of the original and the nostalgia of adults who grew up with no doubt helped the film’s incredible box office success.

Which remake is the most searched?

Dune: Part One – 52.3 million annual searches

The remake with the most online popularity is Dune, with over 52 million searches. This is undoubtedly helped by the fact that the series is currently extremely popular due to the release of Part Two earlier this year, but it shows just how successful the remakes have been. The series has been considered a tough one to adapt due to the intricate nature of the novel, but the films have proven hugely successful.

Dune Part 1 remake was released on 3D Blu-Ray for even more dramatic effects.

Methodology

We compiled a list of movie remakes and their originals using IMDb, looking at the most-reviewed remakes. We included the original version of each movie and compared it to the most recent adaptation. For movies remade multiple times with multiple popular remakes, we included each popular remake. We did not include spinoffs, prequels, or sequels. We did not include TV films, streaming releases, or rental earnings. We removed all movies for which the relevant data was unavailable.

We calculated each movie’s average review score using IMDb and Metacritic review scores on 03/06/24.

We sourced the box office earnings of each movie using Box Office Mojo. Where unavailable, we used Wikipedia, The-Numbers, IMDb, Variety, Den of Geek, Or of Involving Motion Pictures, and AFI Catalog. We included earnings from the original release of each movie, looking at worldwide earnings wherever possible. All figures were sourced in USD and adjusted for inflation as of 2024 using the US Inflation Calculator. Figures were converted to CAD using Google Finance on 07/06/24.

We sourced the number of Google searches for each movie using Google Ads Keyword Planner, looking at global Google searches from 1/05/23 to 30/04/24.

We gave each original movie and each movie remake a normalized score out of 10 for each factor before calculating the average score out of 10 for each movie. We compared the score out of 10 for each original film and its remake to reveal the most and least successful remakes. For the Silo, Charlotte Green.