Remake...? - Them! (1954) Discussion

[–] chrisstrobel 20 years ago

Are you sure you're not thinking of "Empire of the Ants" from the mid-
seventies that starred Joan Collins? That was loosely based on a story
by H.G. Wells. I don't believe "Them" was ever remade although I heard
a rumor that John Carpenter was at one time interested in doing that.
Hope this helps.

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[–] lost_rich 20 years ago

man i hope not. as much as i might agree that John Carpenter is good at film, this is one masterpiece that's best left alone. take it out of it's era and you loose so much of the beauty of the film...

...the rich

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[–] jperez01 20 years ago

Carpenter made a remarkable impression with the remake of Howard Hawk's "The Thing From another World" taking the plot and characters closer to its rots in the John W. Campbell short story. For whatever reason though he really lost that midas touch some time ago.

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[–] SWILLIAMS-13 20 years ago

FANGORIA MAGAZINE NOTED ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO A REMAKE WAS IN THE WORKS. THEY ANNOUNCED IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DIRECTED BY THAT HACK WHO DID "HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS." LUCKILY IT NEVER HAPPENED. AND YEAH, CARPENTERS TOUCH IS LONG GONE

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[–] champagnenellie 19 years ago

I agree--this film should not be remade. The beauty of the film is keyed to the period in which it was made--NO REMAKE PLEASE.

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[–] Chris1891 19 years ago

I seem to recall that the guys that did 'Independence Day' were talking of remaking Them! in the late 90's and starring Will Smith - I think the film degraded into 'Eight Legged Freaks' - I don't know where I read this, but it stuck in my mind because I'm a huge 'Them!' fan!

Kirk : Spock, Bones, Ensign Ricky, you're with me

Ensign Ricky : Oh, crap.

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[–] Rayniack 19 years ago

I think a new A-class Hollywood film with a $100.000 budget could be extremly cool.

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[–] booklynx 19 years ago

I remember when I was much younger, there was a move with giant ants using stop-motion animation, but I've never seen it since./ This was a couple decades ago...at least. Any idea what movie that was. It wasn't a THEM remake, but it was a giant ant movie. It was NOT Empire of the Ants, as I am well familiar with that movie. Any ideas?
Based on what I've seen here, I can expect a reply sometime in 2006. LOL

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[–] aerohard1 19 years ago

I remember when I was much younger, there was a move with giant ants using stop-motion animation, but I've never seen it since./ This was a couple decades ago...at least. Any idea what movie that was. It wasn't a THEM remake, but it was a giant ant movie. It was NOT Empire of the Ants, as I am well familiar with that movie. Any ideas?

I think I know the source of your stop motion giant ant film. Have you ever seen the outer limits episode "The Zanti Misfits"? It featured Bruce Dern. The giant "ants' were criminals from the planet Zanti that their government sent to earth with the idea in mind that we would end up killing the undesirables for them. As cheesy as the effects were, those ant bodies with the human faces still creep me out. The annoying thing is that this particular classic episode rarely gets shown.

"You will not be saved by the god Plutonium. In fact, YOU WILL NOT BE SAVED!"

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[–] booklynx 19 years ago

Hey aerohard!!!
No, it was the Zanti Misfits. A great Outer Limits segment that I remember very well. This was truly giants marauding through a city. Must have been in the 70's if not the 60's that I saw it, but not since. Thanks for the post, though.

http://www.booklynx.com
To Serve Man

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[–] RMCCREESH 18 years ago

Agreed ! A remake would be a box office smash. especially with the special effects we have today.

A remake of THEM would be a successful and profitable venture.

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[–] c-huddleston 18 years ago

OR a total nightmare.

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[–] palxndr 19 years ago

No!

Nein!

Nyet!

Non!

No remake for any amount of money! Don't even colorize the flick!

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[–] booyahboy_uk 19 years ago

Why not? I think it would be entertaining to see the ants looking more insect like than big stiff furry models.

"If they move......Kill 'em!"

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[–] jluis1984 18 years ago

Does anybody know if Edgar Wright's new movie "Them" is based on this? He directed Shaun of the Dead!

My collection http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.html?id=jluis1984

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[–] crusaderof5 18 years ago

A remake would be interestin, especially with todays technology. However, the only person I'd want to do a remake is me! :)
Seriously, the X-Files were really a good remake of THEM. you had an male FBI agent and a female scientist. Obviously the similarity falls apart after that, but I thought it was interesting.
On a lighter note, according to a book I read the insane rancher was Fess Parker's first role. Aparently Disney wanted James Arness for Davy Crockett and ordered a reel of THEM to see him. When they saw Parker, they went for him instead!

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[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] rebeccalmcgee 18 years ago

If I could do a remake, I would make sure the essence and feel of the movie was the same, just update it for todays audiance.

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[–] helvetti 18 years ago

Aaand that's exactly what went wrong with psycho '98.

Now remember kids, if an Arab is not working for you, he is working AGAINST you.

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[–] scarhead101 18 years ago

I remember something like this. It was in the early 80's - I must have been 5 or 6 at the time. I recall one scene where there was some goofy kid that jumped in a dumpster then got covered in ants - he ran away from the dumpster then jumped or fell in a pool. People were screaming - it was just cheese-tastic!

But sadly, I don't think I've seen it since then.

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[–] Nocturne83 18 years ago

If they'd remade this, they would have to up the gore and kills - if it turned out to be a PG-13 flick, then it would be another "Godzilla" flick I think - you have all the elements of total destruction, but nothing interesting. Some films are perhaps best left alone. What is it with this remake thing on all the 50s B-SF movies anyway? Are the guys in L.A. really THAT DRY for ideas? Come' on people...:p

-Noc-

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[–] helvetti 18 years ago

It would be cool if thre was a mockumentary about the THEM!-ants.

Now remember kids, if an Arab is not working for you, he is working AGAINST you.

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[–] waximus1 18 years ago

That would be the best approach. The magic of the movie wasn't the special effects. It was the sobriety with which the plot was approached. Any remake that wanted to be a good film would concentrate on the logistics and human reactions, not on how many bugs can be blown up.

I agree with the earlier post that said "The only one I'd trust to make this would be myself."

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[–] Rcronister 18 years ago

I agree although i would leave it as it is. all of the classic horror movies were made so that you can imagine what the ant does to people. like the time the cop was in the back of the general store. You imagine what happened to him instead of seeing the modern age gore. who knows? maybe the ant didn't kill him but instead paralyzed him with mucus or something.

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[–] ClassiqFanatiq 18 years ago

Maybe?

Ants! It Happened at Lakewood Manor (1977) (TV)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076214/

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[–] CrystalEgg 18 years ago

I seem to remember having seen a more recent version of 'Them!' (perhaps late 70's or early 80's)

I know it's not the film you're talking about, but the best candidate for a remake of Them! is Aliens. A small "desert" town is menaced by insectile critters. The first survivor they find is a little girl with a doll(in Them!, the doll is nearly missing it's head, in Aliens, the body is missing). The military is sent in with guns and flamethrowers to exterminate the creatures. In both films the queen and egg chamber are discovered and assaulted with flamethrowers. Even the colony world of Aliens is shrouded in swirling vapor and dust similar to the desert setting where the ants originated. Aliens goes one better with their queen getting it's vengeful last licks in.

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