10 Directors Who Remade Their Own Films

Remakes are a dime a dozen in Hollywood but what happens when a filmmaker remakes their own movie?

The Red Drum Getaway: Hitchcock Meets Kubrick In New Mashup

In this fascinating short film called “The Red Drum Getaway” which takes footage from many Hitchcock films like Jimmy Stewart in Rear Window and Vertigo and combines it with excerpts from a number of Kubrick films.

It’s interesting to note that the video contains only color films so no Lolita or Dr. Strangelove. Check it out below: [NSFW]

‘Bates Motel’ Has Some Teasers; Motel Room Sales Decline After Viewings

This seems to be the days of Alfred Hitchcock with his imprint and likeness being reintroduced to pop culture recently with movies and television series abound. We had The Girl, the HBO movie; Hitchcock, the Anthony Hopkins film; and now we have some more awesome news on the new A&E series, Bates Motel.

Now, we haven’t heard too much other than the first details of the Freddie Highmore as Norman Bates as a kid series with Vera Farmiga playing his less decrepit looking mother in her youth, but we at have this first picture to show. Which is awesome because I love the house looming large in the background and it creates such a buzz for me in wanting to watch this series. But that’s not all folks! We also got some teaser trailers for you that show absolutely nothing yet definitely set the tone of (hopefully) what is to come. Shall we take a gander?

http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1

Want more? How about the 2nd teaser?

http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1

So yeah, all you really need is the Inception “BRRHAAAAAMMM” horns and you can make anything epic. Again, it sets a great tone for the series as we try to figure out what about the house makes the people go a little bit….Psycho? Too much? But seriously, looking into the relationship between how the son developed into the adult Norman Bates and the impact of his mother on his future is something we all need to see. With the teasers showing that perhaps the Bates Motel is something not to be trifled with, or at least the family, we might know exactly how dedicated this family is to each other.

Anyways, leave some comments on the bottom or on our Facebook so we can see how excited about this you are or how lame you are if you don’t like Hitchcock. It better be the former because that’s just un-American otherwise. Bates Motel is due in 2013 on A&E.

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Countdown to Halloween #1: Michael Myers

And finally we’re down to the very last in our countdown, the biggest, the best, the #1. Of course, I’m talking about Michael Myers. His name is literally tied to Halloween, and will be for all future generations to come. When it’s Halloween and you’re at a party with a bunch of friends, what movie are you gonna put on first? Hallo-frikkin-ween. What is it that exactly makes him #1? Well first and foremost, he’s one of the most innovative characters of his time, in THE iconic Halloween movie.

Hitchcock: The Girl of “The Birds”

Can’t wait until Hitchcock with Anthony Hopkins is released? If you have access to HBO and are free tomorrow, you can watch another interpretation of the Master of Suspense’s life.  

The Girl premieres as a HBO Films exclusive on October 20 at 9PM/8Central and focuses on the relationship between Alfred Hitchcock and The Birds actress Tippi Hedren.  Starring Toby Jones as Alfred Hitchcock, Sienna Miller as Tippi Hedren, and Imelda Staunton as Alma Hitchcock, this film dares to entertain the rumors that Hitchcock became infatuated with his leading ladies in one way or another.

If you compare the acting talent from Hitchcock to the acting talent in The Girl, it’s nearly impossible to say which ensemble will do better.   Hopkins and Jones are probably the best choices we could think of to ever depict this great director on-screen.  Pitting Mirren against Staunton as Hitchcock’s wife just seems mean, as both women have had long, successful acting careers.  And we don’t doubt both Johansson and Miller will be stupendous as the leading ladies of the films being made within the films.

The most stark contrast between the two trailers, though, is how different in tone these two movies appear to be.  The big-budget version with Anthony Hopkins has a comedic aspect to its drama, where Hitchcock’s snarky British humor is revealed with lines such as “try the finger sandwiches – they’re made of real fingers.”  This HBO interpretation, however, does not indicate anything more than tension between the three main characters, focusing instead on Hitchcock’s questionable fidelty to his wife and the consequences thereof.  Both facts about Hitchcock are historically accurate (his humor and his alleged infatuation with his female stars).

Ultimately, we think it will come down to the quality of the script and each story, as well as the production quality of both versions.  Will they both stand strong in their interpretations of Hitchcock, or will one shines out as the more professional, well-made of the two?

Hitchcock: Psycho and The Man Behind the Camera

His influence on Hollywood horror, suspense, and thriller films is legendary, so much so that he’s been dubbed “The Master of Suspense.”  He worked with hundreds of famous names during the production of his movies, acting and producing talent alike.  His name is known worldwide.  And yet no one thought to make a movie about this great man as a director and person.

Now we’re getting two of them; Hitchcock and The Girl –  We’re only concerned with the first one for now though…

Directed by Sacha Gervasi, Hitchcock will get a limited release in U.S. theaters this November.  Starring Sir Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock and Helen Mirren as his wife Alma Reville, the film follows the story of Hitchcock and his wife as he struggles to make the movie Psycho in 1959.  As if Hopkins and Mirren are not going to be enough joy to watch on-screen, they are joined by Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh, Jessica Biel as Vera Miles, and James D’Arcy as Anthony Perkins; who of course played Norman Bates.

Hitchcock is supposedly going to be “a love story”, but we’re guessing from the trailer there will be a lot more to the film than hearts and kisses.

Hitchcock has elements of not just love between Hitchcock and Reville, but also some delightful hints of an underdog story.  According to Hollywood history, most people thought Hitchcock was mad to try a “low-class” horror film like Psycho, a situation which this trailer clearly exemplifies.  In addition, we see the typical struggle between an artist determined to go after his passion of creating a film and the producers and accountants who insist that it will be a financial flop.

Judging from the trailer, this film appears to have something everyone will enjoy.  There’s the relationship between Hitchcock and his wife for the romance lovers, and there’s the business and social tensions that arise around Hitchcock’s decisions for those of us who love a good drama.  Even more than that, though, will be the nostalgia this film brings to all film buffs.  Oh, and let’s not forget the dry British humor Hopkins already delivers so well in the three short minutes of the trailer.

Seriously, the breasts are there for a reason, darling.

Make sure to add Hitchcock to your list of movies to see this year — fortunately, you won’t have to wait very long.  In the meantime, check out this PSA in theatres now that Hopkins filmed as Hitchcock, begging movie-goers to avoid cell phone usage during films:

Countdown to Halloween #27: Norman Bates

What is the fascination with serial killers? Let’s be honest with ourselves. We put on a facade in public that serial killers are diabolical filth we do not wish to be fetishized. In actuality, if you are not directly involved in their schemes or one of their victims, you can’t help but hold a bit of intrigue for them. If you don’t believe me, then why is Showtime’s Dexter on its seventh season?

‘Bates Motel’ Could Be as Heart-Pounding as ‘Psycho’

Alfred Hitchcock may no longer be walking this earth, but his cinematic influence has yet to disappear entirely.  Directors of horror films will still say they are going for that Hitchcock-like sense of terror and tension, and other directors simply decide to remake his stories entirely.  We’ve seen several well-known remakes already, including Mission: Impossible II in 2000, Flightplan in 2005, and Disturbia in 2007. Now it’s time for Hitchcock’s Psycho, possibly his most famous title, to get some new attention.

A&E recently announced their plan to produce a series called Bates Motel, a prequel to Hitchcock’s Psycho.  Coming from executive producers Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Kerry Ehrin (Friday Night Lights), the series will chronicle the relationship between Norman Bates, the famous serial killer, and his mother Norma. It will reveal how he became the murderer we know him as today. Cuse said: “We are incredibly excited to start production on Bates Motel. We think our take on the Bates family will both be surprising and subvert expectations.  We can’t wait for people to check in” [The Hollywood Reporter].

Your son is gonna grow up crazy, woman.

Though the series will not debut until next year, plenty of decisions have already been made.  A&E announced fairy early on, for example, that Vera Farmiga (The Departed) will be playing the role of Norma Bates.  TV Guide also announced two weeks ago that child star Freddie Highmore snagged the role of young Norman. You may remember Highmore as the wide-eyed, innocent-looking chap from Finding Neverland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Bates Motel will also star Max Thieriot as Dylan, “Norma’s oldest son and the big brother to Norman who is described as a petulant and rebellious James Dean-type” [The Hollywood Reporter].

As a Hitchcock fan, I am ashamed to admit I have not had the opportunity or made the time to see Psycho yet.  I have adored Rear Window for years, marveled at the three-shot-only The Rope, flinched at the heights of Vertigo, and mentally pictured Hitchcock filming North by Northwest when I visited Mount Rushmore my sophomore year of college.  And yet after all of this, I have not seen Psycho.  It’s also a degradation considering I’ve been at two of its filming locations – the old Jefferson Hotel building in Phoenix, Arizona, and the I-99 between Fresno and Bakersfield, California.

There are several reasons I’m determined to see Hitchcock’s classic and then watch the A&E prequel.  First of all, because I’m one of those people who generally wants to see or read the first version of a story before I watch another interpretation of it, I’m going to have to add Psycho to my list.  Fortunately, I have plenty of time to get to it since Bates Motel is not coming out until next year.  However, since I’ve managed to avoid the original film for 25 years, I better not just assume I’ll “get to it” given another year, either.  I’ll have to be diligent this time around.

In addition, I cannot wait to see Freddie Highmore’s interpretation of Norman Bates.  Freddie fascinated me from the first time I saw him act in Finding Neverland, and has not lost my respect since.  Definitely impressive is a young boy who can consistently hold his own against a veteran favorite like Johnny Depp.  His role in Bates Motel will reveal much about how he’s developed as a young man and as an actor.

I only have one trepidation regarding the new series, though, and that has to do with Cuse’s comment that it will surprise and “subvert expectations.”  To me, that implies, “We wanted to try something new that may not have anything to do with the original intent of the previous director/writer.”  I automatically think of films like The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor that were intended to be in the same “spirit” as the first film(s) but failed miserably.  My one consolation is that the teaser poster released for Bates Motel produces the same chilling aura as when someone mentions the word Psycho.  Hopefully these artists’ skills of capturing that Hitchcockian atmosphere transfer over into the entire cast and crew, as well.

This looks promising.

Seeing classic filmmakers’ works be appreciated, copied, and referenced in this day and age gives me hope that television and Hollywood magnates will not altogether forget their past so we can continue to pass on these stories to our children.  Hopefully, this is the way that A&E is viewing its Bates Motel, and if so I’ll be ready to turn on the television.  I just need to make sure to add Psycho to my “things to watch” list this week.

Hitchcock Biography: Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Red Forman and The Karate Kid

A Hitchcock Biography sounds like a perfect idea for a film. The man was a genius, with over 60 titles to his credit he gave us such classics as Psycho, Rear Window, North by Northwest, The Birds, and Vertigo. He was a truly brilliant filmmaker. The folks at Left Hand Horror give the official press release from Fox Searchlight. In it  they say that principal photography began April 13th. The film stars Anthony Hopkins as Hitchcock. The cast also includes Academy Award® winner Helen Mirren as Hitchcok’s wife. The ever beautiful Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel, Toni Collette of Little Miss Sunshine and Sixth Sense fame, and to round it all off we also have Red Forman (Kurtwood Smith) and Daneilson (Ralph Macchio), who most likely will have something to do involving boots and asses.

Psycho Girlfriend: Season 4 – Episodes 1&2

So when we last checked in with Seth and Brandi we weren’t sure if we were just watching the Season 3 Finale, or the actual end of the series. Lucky for us, the ill-fated couple wasn’t done torturing each other, and now they’re back with a 4th season.

Here are the first 2 episodes…

Source: Reckless Tortuga