Celluloid Comfort Food

A friend of mine, M., recently sent me a link of movies that are being REMADE. Movies. Not T.V. shows that are being revamped for the big screen. But previously made films that are perfectly good, generally beloved, films that have already been released into the wild. She was very upset that 'Near Dark' was on the list, a movie that I have never seen and somehow feel my life is lacking for it considering how outraged M. was. She then asked which listing ticked me off the most.

This was my response:

"Alright. I want you to know that this list has disturbed me greatly. And I keep bouncing between outrage over Footloose (What?!? Who could do it better than Kevin Bacon and John Lithgow? I mean really. Love me some John Hughes flicks, but this is the essential 80's flick for me. Call it celluloid comfort food, if you will), Escape From New York (Because it's freakin' Escape from New York! Despite it's flaws, I don't think it gets much better than Kurt Russell and filming in parts of St. Louis. A cult classic for a reason...) and The Evil Dead (Not my favorite film by far, but it's such a part of the American horror film lexicon. The idea of remaking this, even by it's own director, should cause rioting in the streets -- it's such an icon as well as cult classic.)

So thank you M., for causing angst inside this head of mine. Of course, if you didn't share, I wouldn't know to start petition drives to nip these ideas in the bud."


M. was completely tickled by the 'celluloid comfort food' comment. But it's true! Films become such a representation of our lives. We watch movies to escape from our lives. We love certain films for how they reflect our lives. Either we relate to the film or we want our lives to be like that on the screen. I tend to like films that are happy. Either they are funny or they are inspiring. But I generally like to leave a film feeling good about myself.

One notable exception in the movie 'No Country For Old Men.' I am glad I didn't drive when I left the theater because I might have driven my car into a wall. But the movie totally, totally blew me away. Despite being the antithesis of "feel good movie of the year."

But there are movies that you watch over and over again for certain qualities in them. And those certain qualities make you happy, whether the film is a happy one or not. My friend Tom and I recite lines from 'Heathers' as a part of our regular conversations. He talks about his "watt-ah-melon-ous" -- or his heat -- that came from watching 'The Birdcage.' I regularly chase my cat around the house, saying "Kitty!" a la Boo from 'Monsters, Inc" and my husband and I frequently advise each other to "Have fun storming the castle," taken from 'The Princess Bride.'

And these movies aren't always on your list of favorite films. But they are the ones you pop into the DVD players while you're wrapped up in a blanket on the couch eating soup when you feel kinda crappy. Others might call them guilty pleasures, but that has an implied air of embarrassment about it. Me, I have no shame...

1) Heathers

2) The Princess Bride

3) The Birdcage

4) Monsters, Inc (Noticing a trend here?)

5) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

6) A League of Their Own

7) Ghostbusters

8) The Blues Brothers

9) The Sound of Music

10) Clerks

These movies make me feel good. Some of them I would consider favorites, most I would not. I think it's due to their quotability factor. Why quote a movie you don't like and if it's not quotable, then maybe it's not worthy of multiple viewings.

But notice that none of them are on the list of remakes. Not all the movies on the list make me happy, nor have I seen all of them. But I do know that nearly all of them are indelibly marked in the cinematic history as being classics or, more aptly, cult classics. And there's a reason for that.

And apparently the very reasons that make them the classics they are, are the same reasons to remake them. Or so people who make a lot more money than I'll even see have decided.

If any from my list were to be remade, I must say that the world would be a little less bright. A little less happy.

And yes, I love 'Footloose.' It just isn't on my Top 10 List because it's not the most quotable film I've watched. But it is my youth. And had one of the best movie soundtracks next to 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' (which was never released as far as I can tell). And was simple and wholesome and reminds me off days when you tried to "beat the man" rather than just trying to tread water in the real world. And a remake will make me wonder, what's next? A relaunching of 'The Electric Company?'