Let The Independents Rise Again

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In a world where movies can make someone laugh, cry, gasp for air and fear for their very lives... a giant sign in California makes sure you keep watching those exact movies over and over again.

Like a great big brain washing experiment, the world of remakes is completely out of control on so many levels.

If there is a great movie, written by one of the most brilliant writers of all time hit the screens in the 70's remade in the 90's then remade again in 2013, don't you think it's time to take a look at your long term plans for the silver screen? When is enough exactly enough in the world of remakes? I also beg to ask, where have all the writers gone that wrote these original masterpieces and why aren't they as pissed as myself?

I remember the good old days, when the likes of John Hughes and Wes Craven could make movies that stood out and had a voice all of their own. A time when I cried with The Breakfast Club and I closed my eyes when Freddy came onto the screen. When 3D was a delightful treat you would get for very special movies starring Michael Jackson at Epcot at Disney World. Now movies like Jackass are in 3D and those movies you loved as a kid are getting a CG "upgrade" along with it. This is truly a travesty that should be stopped but it keeps getting stronger every time you buy a ticket to see one of these "cough" masterpieces.
Gremlins is next on the Bucket list Hollywood has to ruin and I am sure whatever fan favorite you have is on that list as well.

I wouldn't be so bitter if these movies were spaced further apart, maybe stuck to the original story line and gave some real Effects teams work on creating original monsters and not some guy with a computer. There was once talk of how actors would be replaced by CG actors one day, well that day is dawning people and fast.

Just as you see Hulk get a big green computer smile, the same might happen to Al Pacino one day.

I often wonder if Tommy Lee Jones is real when I see him now, or if he is a victim of CG, but I digress.

Just like how MTV no longer should have the "M" in it, these movies shouldn't be able to hold the titles of the originals.

Is there any hope left for us who yearn for something original and organically creative? Perhaps. I think social media has bridged a lot of Indie film pioneers like Troma with screenwriters that have fresh and unique ideas. Troma is the perfect example of how something so small can become a huge success in the movie making business with founder Lloyd Kaufman's visions coming to life on screen. With such movies as Poultrygiest- Night Of The Chicken Dead, Decampitated, The Toxic Avenger and Terror Firmer Lloyd's small budget films have generated a large and loyal fan base that shows no signs of stopping.

He also embraces other small screenwriters and film makers to submit work to him so he can make those dreams a reality for those in the horror/comedy world. Small screen actors and actresses who don't hold SAG cards have a good shot at getting into these roles and not have to worry about beating out today's "it girl" when it comes to something on a micro budget.

If ever a time to hop on the small film wagon, now is perfect.

We can't compete with the huge booms of Michael Bay but we sure can produce something with a hell of a lot more substance.

Also boycotting has been putting a choke hold on some directors and producers to stop production on films that were in the works, like "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" I think they cut their own throats on that once they decided to make them from space.

Here is a perfect example to take from this, a little movie called "Pump Up The Volume" should be on your DVR, XBOX, DVD collection and for some of us, VHS originals. Watch it and breathe its message in like a giant hit of creative pot. Inspiration is everywhere even if money isn't.

Take that 10 bucks you were going to see the next "Carrie" film with and put it into your own. Collaborate with others, synergy is not just for cooperate douche bags but for the little guy who wants to make his mark.

It doesn't matter if you want to make a film about killer flowers or people finding love in a desert. The point is to make something that hasn't been churned and duplicated to the point that it's unrecognizable.

And once more, shame on these original film makers for ever letting their beauty be rehashed into garbage for a buck. There is a recession but selling your soul for money doesn't earn you brownie points with Karma. When I see something like "Last House On The Left" end with a microwaving head scene, I get utterly depressed. Classics are called classics for a reason. When movies from the 30's, 40's and 50's are remade and done so beautifully, it's a respectable art but when I look online to see what's out and swear it's 1986 again, something is really fucking wrong.

So I will say it again and again, Indie artists... unite! IFC is still going strong so believe your work has a home somewhere.

Netflix has been streaming low to no budget films more now than ever and independent companies are dying for new scripts worth their salt.

If you got it in you, do it. Let's rise up and scream it out - NO MORE HOLLYWOOD REMAKES!