MovieChat Forums > Disturbia (2007) Discussion > Rear Window re-make, or ripoff?

Rear Window re-make, or ripoff?


Somebody may have already started a post on this but I think this was similar to Hitchcock's Rear Window. The Jimmy Stewart character is housebound in a wheel chair with a broken leg. He thinks he witnesses a murder, while spying on the apartment or house next door with binoculars. David Morse is the Raymond Burr character and Sarah Roemer the Grace Kelly one. Shia LaBeouf is under house arrest and can't leave like the Jimmy Stewart one. Not exactly but similar plot.

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I remember the first time my mom saw this, her commenting that it was basically like a re-make of Rear Window. I watched Rear Window a bit after that and thought that myself. I would say it's more a re-make.

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Actually the makers of this movie were sued by the makers if rear window saying it was a copy of it and they didn't get the rights for it. Don't remember the out come but it can be googled

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This is a sort of homage to Rear Window, in my opinion. That is a very good movie, this is updated and changed so much, it is only inspired by the original.

This gives a good nod to Rear Window. I think it is pretty different though. It is a shame the original makers sued, as imitation is the best form of flattery, and this is that.

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I hadn't thought of that but I can see the premise is the same.

Rear Window is an elegantly and masterfully made film, creating a superb story that is humorous, entertaining and suspenseful. Disturbia is fun and entertaining at times, but lacks sustainable suspense and isn't classy. Disturbia could have incorporated new and original elements within it, and a far more interesting film could have been created. There is a place for fun and entertainment, of course. Rear Window is just able to provide that, and much more.

Disturbia is one step above the ordinary teen slasher film. Rear Window will long be a part of the classic film lexicon after Disturbia has been long forgotten.

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An homage.

It's that man again!!

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The similarities to Rear Window are hard not to see - some scenes look like they're taken directly from Hitch's film, and above all the main plots are pretty much the same. Still, unless the filmmakers claimed they made something original with Disturbia, then I wouldn't exactly call the latter a rip-off. I feel it's more appropriate to label it as a modern take/slasher teen version (not a brilliant one but certainly effective) of Rear Window. Now if that counts as a remake or not, bottom line is the '54 classic was definitely used as an inspiration and there's nothing wrong with that.

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