Remaking “The Toxic Avenger” makes little sense on paper.
The joy of the original lies in just how truly awful it was. How do you recreate a cinematic traffic accident? That isn’t stopping Hollywood from bring Toxie back to the big screen.
The new “Toxic Avenger” will carry a green message for the 21st century – cuz you know today’s teens like nothing more than being lectured by mutated superheroes. (hat tip: Slashfilm)
The original also spoke out against polluters, and the recent “Toxic Avenger” musical played up the pro-environmental themes. So carrying over that theme isn’t as illogical as, say, squeezing green gags into sitcoms.
The catch here is the new film will be rated PG:13, meaning its environmental message will be targeted at a younger audience than the R-rated original.
I’m less bothered by the green angle – green is good when done responsibly and not peddling Armageddon fantasy as fact. – but recreating a cult classic makes my blood boil.
What’s next, a remake of “Plan 9 From Outer Space?”
Let’s leave film classics – and classic clunkers – alone.
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Hmmmm…while we’re at it, let’s go back and redo all of the John Waters/Divine movies and make them less campy so that they can be more accessible and appeal to a wider audience.
I am bothered by the green angle. Usually, movies aren’t too subtle when it comes to environmental messages. The only exception I can think of off the top of my head is the wonderful “WALL-E”.
DON’T give the Industry any ideas!
Cult classics are axiomatic; remakes thereof should be “rewarded” by low B.O., but unfortunately, there may be enough ticket buyers to validate the result, anyway.
As for the green message, meh. Films of this range – budget-wise – have messages that easily are lost to the audience. After all, how many viewers left the “Saw” films vowing to live better, more moral lives?
D.
A year or so ago a friend and I got loaded and he rented “Toxic Avenger” through his 360. Seriously, what a piece of garbage. Not so stupid it’s funny like “The Room” or “Plan 9,” but just awful. What makes the Troma films so unwatchable is that they know they’re making something awful and simply don’t care. I never for the life of me could figure out how they got any cult following at all, much less a reasonably large one.
Have you seen “The Room?” It just played here – again – at a midnight showing in Denver and I missed it!
There’s a fine line between junk … and great junk. And I think time – and nostaglia – often blurs that line.
Oh, I’ve seen “The Room.” In fact, I’m throwing my third “Room Party” this next weekend, where people show up and watch the film with the aid of spirits and friends. It’s a blast!
I think “The Room” is great junk. I was actually surprised at how many meaningful conversations it has inspired about the nature of cinema and what makes it work.
There IS a remake of Plan 9 from Outer Space being made !
http://robojapan.blogspot.com/2010/04/new-promo-video-for-grave-robbers-from.html