The Battle Continues

Way back in November 2009 one of the first things I ever blogged about was remakes and cover versions. In an entry entitled Creation vs Evolution I moaned about how raw or new talent is often ignored in favour of churning out remakes of old films that don't really need remaking. Nothing much has changed in the last few years. We are still being subjected to the same rehashing of ideas and we are still stupid enough to accept what we are given. I suppose I am also guilty because here I am writing about the same thing!

So why has this come up again? I was doing a little trolling through IMDB.com checking out what films are in production and I came across Red Dawn. So I decided to compile a little list of some of the "delights" coming to a screen near you soon

Red Dawn - The Russians have been replaced with North Koreans (or Chinese depending on which site you believe) but WTF! At the time the original was released Americans were still paranoid about the Ruskies so it was at least conceivable although very far-fetched. Even so, it's a cult-classic little film that shouldn't be messed with.

Carrie - Do I need to comment?

Robocop - Seriously do they think this concept can be made better. No amount of Special Effects or CGI is going to improve this franchise.

Annie - Please don't. It's worse than the Go Compare advert.

Oldboy - If people aren't willing to sit through the original film with subtitles then they don't deserve to have this fantastic film in their lives anyway.

Point Break - There is absolutely nothing wrong with Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves in rubber.

Dirty Dancing - Why have all these studios got it in for Patrick Swayze? Okay I know he wasn't the world's best actor but the man had screen presence and that is going to be hard to replicate. Didn't they learn their lesson when they remade Footloose?

There are just too many to mention so here is a link I found with a comprehensive list of what we are set to endure

http://www.nextmovie.com/blog/upcoming-movie-remakes/

The overall message here is - If it's not broken don't fix it. Most of the films they are lining up to remake don't deserve a second chance, the others are classics that should be allowed to stand alone for the great films they are. I think it is obscene that they are even considering remaking a Hitchcock classic such as The Birds. As far as I am concerned, there should be a law against it.

Why can't they remaster some of these old films and re-release them instead. I would love to see some of these back on a big screen.

As a wannabe writer, I will always favour Creation over Evolution in this argument. I fear I am going to lose.

Heartland

Netflix is a fairly new addition to our household and I have been getting my money's worth watching loads of films and tv I have missed.

I came across the tv series Heartland just recently and I am now a big fan. There are not many true "family" shows around anymore. It can sometimes be hard to find something we are all interested in watching. It can be even harder to find something that is age appropriate. Heartland has got us all hooked though, even the men in the house who pretend not to watch are actually enjoying it (although they'll never admit it!)

The series is set on a horse ranch in Alberta, Canada called Heartland and follows the highs and lows of the people who live and work there. At the centre is Amy Fleming, a young girl who has inherited her mother's gift with horses. The stories vary between family dramas and heart warming horse rescues and rehabilitations.

You don't have to be a horse fan to appreciate this show though because there is plenty of other stuff going on too. The dysfunctions of the Bartlett / Fleming family and the trials and tribulations of their love lives supplies more than enough entertainment. Oh, and I dare you not to fall in love with Sugarfoot!

50 Shades later

I don't like the follow the crowd (I think I've mentioned that before) so it took quite a while for me to give in but I've been and done it!
The 50 Shades Trilogy by E.L. James has been all over the social network sites for months. Everyone seems to be reading it, have read it already or can't wait to read it. Not since Harry Potter has there been such a hoo ha about a book series. Women everywhere are raving on about Ana and Christian. Anyone would think that never before has there been this much kinky sex in a book!
Well now I've read all three books, I can honestly give my opinion...
I downloaded this trilogy onto my Kindle on Monday morning and I just finished the third book a half hour ago. I read a lot and I am a fairly quick reader but to polish off three books in three evenings is good going even for me. This highlights how easy these books are to read. I wouldn't say I found them engrossing (like some people!) but they flowed well and kept my interest. Yes, there is a lot of sex and some of it is kinky but it is also repetitive. The author continually describes Ana's libido as her "inner Goddess" and this rankles after a while. Constantly using the same vocabulary to describe her characters (Christian is so mercurial!) also raised my hackles quite a bit. However, the characters are very good and the storyline is okay.
With all the postings on Facebook and Twitter, I had certain expectations of what the books were about, I expected to hate the Christian character but instead found him sympathetic and interestingly complicated. Ana is also quite likeable although not as believable. I don't think anyone really thinks that someone who kept their legs crossed for twenty-one years would be so quick to lose all inhibitions. Okay, it's fiction so, in theory, you can make the characters do whatever you want. However, this sudden turnabout in character made me uncomfortable. It was too convenient.
Do not believe the hype though. These books are not just about sex. Aside from the dominance / submission, sex toys and orgasms, there is actually a story here. It is a story we have read many times in many formats - It has a classic Love Conquers All.
I am sure that most women will find the books enjoyable and titillating. I am also sure that most of the excitement around these books is from women that don't do an awful lot of reading. There is a lot of variety out there and a lot of erotic fiction if you look for it.
If you've read the books and thought they are the best thing you have ever read, then I honestly believe you are not reading enough. If you have been inspired to spice up your sex life or even better pick up another book to read, then I guess E.L. James' work here is done.