Videodrome Remake in Works

Another classic film is about to be chewed up and spit out into a remade form. The next film to fall to the remake gods is the cult classic Videodrome, directed by the amazing David Cronenberg. The news is a hard pill to swallow and doesn't excite me in the slightest. Videodrome while not being one of my favorites of Cronenberg's it is still good and has me asking if a updated story would even work in today's highly technological society, furthermore why the hell is a remake necessary?

The original 1983 film starred James Woods as Max Renn a sleazy Executive of the UHF channel 83 in Canada. He decides to air snuff television in which viewers watch as real-life people are murdered. The show transfixes viewers into deep hallucinations leading to brain tumors and self-mutilation.

Variety reports that the reboot or remake will update the story into today's world. "The new picture will modernize the concept, infuse it with the possibilities of nano-technology and blow it up into a large-scale sci-fi action thriller." Ehren Kruger has been hired to pen the script and will co-produce the remake with long time associate Daniel Bobker. Kruger doesn't give the biggest vote of confidence, his other writing efforts include The Skeleton Key, The Brothers Grimm, Reindeer Games and my personal favorite Scream 3 (note the sarcasim). No word on a release date or director as of yet...more news to follow as it develops.

I am not at all a big fan of remakes, I can see where in some instances why they work, but the wide majority of them just seem like a huge waste of time. Videodrome has a Criterion edition, shouldn't that alone ban it from a remake? Probably not, ask Arnofosky how his Robocop remake is coming. First and foremost, we should allow younger generations a chance to see some of the older classic or cult films and let them pass judgement on the originals. Take for example Videodrome, most likely a majority of the young generation have never seen the original and now, why would they? Secondly, was the original Videodrome that popular that Universal needed to jump at the idea of it? Videodrome was and is, a cult film, much like Cronenberg's other films i.e. Dead Ringers and Scanners. The film was only in theaters 10 days in 1983 taking home $1,194,175 total opening weekend in the #8 spot. Videodrome's domestical total were a whopping $2,120,439. Lastly (and this one is getting tired), have all of the ideas dried up in Hollywood? Is there nothing original to write about? I don't think every single comic book has been optioned yet, I am sure Hollywood could crap out some more generic horror, romance and comedy films with the latest and hottest actors and actresses in them. I hate to rant, but it is necessary....leave classic and cult films alone, let them stand the test of time, instead of cheapening and raping their very exsistences.

What say you? Have you seen Cronenberg's Videodrome? Would you want to see a remake? Are you tired of remakes or do they kickass compared to the older versions? Strikeback...