It's cheaper for Hollywood and Broadway to recycle than pay for original scripts or good writers. They also perceive it as "safer", a better box-office gamble, if it's a known quantity. I've accepted that they'll continue to do this as a matter of economy, and trademark of the myopic film executive's brain.
All I can do is promote what I really like when it gets done over, and either buy it or rent it when the remake is released. Although, a friend pointed out once that when I do this, the studio still makes money because they own the title that's being remade, so any revenue from rentals or purchases go right to them, and it didn't matter that I didn't buy a ticket for the new one or not.
It's like with books; every weekend, the bestseller section at the local bookstore is crowded and picked over, but the main fiction section is quiet and underpopulated, sometimes save for the lone student needing a book for a paper or report.
Do yourselves a favor: drag your friends into the "classics" section when you go to rent stuff, or bring an old favorite over for movie night. Once the groans subside, they'll settle down and realize that old movies are just as enjoyable (and sometimes even funnier or discussion-provoking if they reference obscure jokes or topics; one night I found myself reading the wiki article on "monkey glands" aloud to a group after we'd watched "Auntie Mame"), and even more so when your friends complain there's nothing good on or at the theater.
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parisel
17 years ago
mcwhat,
Better yet, take them out at your local public library. It's free, so no profits for the studio after the initial purchase. Of course the library doesn't have all the movies, but even in a small city they have a surprising number. A few libraries charge a nominal fee for new releases, but most don't.
And certainly for children's movies, that they love to watch over and over, it just makes sense to get them for free.
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