A new addition to my "Worst Movie" list:

[CanuckAmok]

"Spun". Directed by Jonas Akerlund. 2002.

Summing this movie up in one revised title: "Natural Born Trainspotting for a Dream".

Yes, this movie has managed to lift nearly every creative element from three of the most interesting, well-made drug/counterculture movies of the last few years (Natural Born Killers, Trainspotting, Requiem for a Dream) without re-uisng them in any way to make this movie watchable.

A promising cast, completely underemployed: Jason Schwartzman, John Leguziamo, Mena Suvari, Mickey Rourke (who is capable of the occasional good performance and who should not be loathed because he never says no to a project... the guy's gotta eat).

I won't call it plagiarism, I'll be generous and call it an "homage". The exact same camera effects, white-trash chracters (without any depth, however). Racial stereotypes that would make Al Jolson blush right through his blackface.

Jonas Akerlund, you just made the list; you owe me 94 minutes.




The list so far:

The Doom Generation
Saturn 3
Galaxina
Spun
Gorilla at Large
Godzilla (the most recent one)

[RedStateShame]

1. If I may add one to your list

We saw the re-make of "Amityville Horror" Tuesday night, and it was a royal turd. I don't know if maybe the director had seen "The Shining" and mistaken it for "The Amityville Horror." Plus, I think Ryan Reynolds had time to either work on his abs or his acting for this film, and his 6-pack is shown frequently in it.

[CanuckAmok]

2. Bad remakes have their own circle of hell.

Godzilla, yes, but also Bewitched, Dukes of Hazzard, SWAT, House of Wax, Planet of the Apes, War of the Worlds, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Avengers, Psycho (Vince Vaughan?!).... the list goes on.


The only exceptions to this rule:

1) The Canadian remake of "Dawn of the Dead", starring Sarah Polley and Ving Rhames. The director (Zac somebody, of course) had the good sense to no even attempt to copy Romero, and instead took the movie in an entirely different direction. (Maddox' review says more than I ever could: http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=dawn_rules

2) John Carpenter's "The Thing". Ever see the original? Carpenter took the original, which was basically just another 50's creature feature and turned into an incredible, tension-filled epic of paranoia and really, really cool monster effects.


All other remakes can kiss my butt.