Totally fucking agree. You can't make this film any better! It was so good and it being spoken in the English language really takes away from it.

I'd rather they put the money into promoting foreign films so that people WOULD go see them. It's not like an American audience cant be sold on a foreign film if they hear its good... Crouching Tiger, Life is Beautiful, Pans Labyrinth, etc.

Remaking a film doesn't mean the original had problems and needs to be fixed. American films that are remade should feel lucky that they were even considered to be remade. Most foreign films sadly won't be given big releases here in the US, so I don't necassarily see remaking them a bad thing

To DRAWNandQUARTERD-I cannot recall any American movies remade by foreign countries (unless you count Haute Tension as an Intensity remake) but a lot of great foreign films remade into crap films. The best of remakes succeed at being great because there was something wrong with the original to start with (The Thing, The Fly). This does not work if the original film is without its problems otherwise you get crap like the remakes of Psycho, One Missed Call, Kairo and the soon to be Suspiria remake. I completely agree with the director here. There has to be a problem with the original film for there to be a reason to remake it in the first place. From what I've heard from Matt Reeves he doesn't even have a problem with the original film. So what's really the point? You're not gonna make it any better?

LAME!!! Unfortunately this is derivative of the complete vacuum of creativity and originality in Hollywood. Remakes are simply the sequels of this generation. Even Cloverfield, which is arguably a decent film is completely derivative of Abrahms trip to Japan and being inspired by Godzilla memorabilia. Hollywood=watered down drivel meant to capitalize on the not-so-bright middle American that's too lazy to read subtitles (or subtext, for that matter).

After cloverfield, that is the best he can do? a remake of a amazing foreign movie? a remake? really, is that the best you have? After the GROUNDBREAKING Cloverfield? jesus... can i call this a great "creative" depression? wake the F*** up...

You tell 'em Thomas Alfredson!!! We don't need anymore lazyass Hollywood directors fucking with other people's work just because they're too damn lazy to think up their own shit. Why don't we remake SAW and KILL BILL while we're at it? And [REC] is fantastic -- no remake could possibly top it -- especially an American one. These movies don't need to be improved and if the majority of Americans are too fucking lazy to read subtitles then they don't deserve to watch this gems and should stick to shit like NEVER BACK DOWN.

thedescent08, you read my mind. i was totally thinking of REC. the movie is perfect as is (even though i got really tired of the shaky-cam thing). i can't even imagine how a remake of that film can surpass the original. i haven't seen "Let TRO In" yet but i hear it's amazing.

I don't blame him for being upset about it. I'm mixed on the idea though. I think people should just see the original, but you know most won't bother with a foreign film. At the video store I work at people always return foreign films complaining that they weren't in english and they want to get something else. It's annoying and ridiculous, but that's how it is. We even put a subtitled sticker on the movies, but people don't seem to pay any attention or they don't know that it means they aren't in english. Anyway, at least if they remake it more people will be aware of the original and check it out. That's one good thing (maybe the only good thing) about remakes of foreign or lesser known films.

Not all americans watch subtitled films but there are a lot more that do now than ten years ago. especially since its become a lot easier to see foreign films. This trend of remaking a film just because its not american is ridiculous. In most cases its not an improvement. I really don't care to see remakes of time crimes, {rec}, and let the right one in. The originals are great enough.

I agree completely. Remakes have bloomed out of control and there has been a lack of creativity in the horror genre for several years. The last creative and unique piece of work to come out as of late is the saw franchise and scream. If writers engaged more into trying to make something innovative there would be know time for film remakes. On the flipside remakes good or bad still breathe life into films some might have never heard of thus boosting the revenue.

anybody that won't watch a movie because it's not in a language that is theirs is a whiner. reading subtitles is child's play and only the truly lazy and unmotivated don't like them. i can hear those now defending themselves with "oh, but i miss the visuals while reading..." ya, if you read like a retard. as far a remakes go, sure you can look at it purely from a watchers point of view and say a remake is okay. but from an artists (writers, directors, etc) view it means something completely different. yes, some say copy is the best form of flattery but I do think more care needs to do into what does get remade and why? I mean, remaking a movie because an audience is to fucking lazy to read is totally bogus in my opinion. but hey, se la vie...

middle mainstreem america annoys the HELL out of me. I would hate to be put in the same category as any of them, and I wish they would stop saying "america" cause its this lazyness thats making me unpatriotic. :-/ They should just put "let the right one in" in the thearers and see how it does before they remake it. I think pans lybrinth did pretty good, but I do remember rolling my eyes when a few ppl moaned that they had to read the movie. like they cant read and watch a movie at the same tim.

I think it's redundant, but if this is how hollywood wants to spend their money than that's fine. Mainstream american audiences aren't the problem, either... the problem is a combination of "Marketing" and big chain multiplex theaters flooding the market with teen target demographic films and family friendly films for people old enough to have little kids.

Bollocks!

While I totally agree with the fact that it's mostly laziness that makes people not want to watch movies with subtitles, there are some people who have issues like dyslexia who absolutely cannot handle subtitles. It's not that they're stupid, it's just not possible for them to do it. I totally agree with TA it must feel so shitty when you've worked so hard to create a movie and so many people will never see it, just the remake, even though your film is one hundred times better.

I agree with him! Remake shitty movies to make them better. Excellent idea! There is a whole treasure trove of turds to choose from there.

I agree Quarantine looks grappy compared to the original [REC].

As someone who watches many foreign films, I'd rather NO subtitles than a dubbed version, because even dubs totally fuck up a movie. Most of my comments on B-D decry remakes of any sort, be they a cultural port or decade update. Since we mention [REC], I'll comment on that - the plot of [REC] is so thin and non-existent and the little dialogue there is so unimportant that you don't need subtitles or dubs to watch it. Which makes porting it even easier, as you don't need a real screenwriter or director, just a handheld, a few screamers, a top editor, and a crew that does good more than shit. Which means that the profit margin on the film is higher than any original IP. As a viewer, I'm pissed - but I'm always pissed, and Hollywood is still in film for money. People bitch that there aren't enough original films out there, that studios should be funneling money into new material than remakes. Well that is not just economically stupid, it's impossible given the competition. There's plenty of original movies out there - it's just that most of them come from foreign markets, have zero budget, and are thusly never seen by the majority of remake haters on B-D, but by the film savvy crowd who always pass on cultural remakes and are never at a loss to find a new cutting edge director in the non-mainstream market. Broaden your film taste, and you won't be so disappointed with what the American studios shove on you as you'll be too busy watching better and less costly independent fare. The problem isn't the studios - it's where you the viewer are willing to put your money.

i think the main problem with a LTROI remake is that it would be so easy to get the atmosphere wrong - it's a very unique and truly excellent film which will be far trickier to get right than just changing the language. the acting is spot on from the two child leads and i find it hard to imagine it being captured again by a new cast

What it boils down to is that there is a perception by from your own production companies that: Americans - stupid and/or lazy, xenophobic, and close minded. As a country the rest of the world see only, arrogance, and wanton disregard for anything foreign. Hell this is the country that vilified France for not supporting an unsanctioned invasion by US troops in the middle-east. It maybe a misguided perception or maybe it hits view home truths, but either way America as a whole is so self-involved that anything from outside its sphere is mistrusted or disregarded out of hand. How many great non-english films get ruined by the US distributors, by censoring them, altering them, or forcing the release of an English dubbed version? Don’t get me started on the remakes. The trailer for Quarantine was a 2 min version of [REC] from beginning to end with the addition of a dog. Hollywood used to be the creative capital of he world when it came to film, now it’s a business run by suits too busy counting numbers to give a crap about the content, as long as all the boxes are ticked it will get released.

I have been able to enjoy a few movies that have been remade "american style". But as seperate movies....I think of them as totally different movies. I love many foreign language films....my only problem usually is the size or color of the text....sometimes they are hard to read. I agree with cryocore in the observation of the Production companies and other countries. I have lived in Europe and the US and even I saw the US that way when I was over the pond. Its sad that many good films are overlooked because of that mentality.

The thing that bugs me is how quick a production will get on remaking a film that most North American audiences don't even know about. It completely ignores the artistic integrity and potential legacy that a film could create and perpetuates a perception that anything outside of the Hollywood system isn't as significant as an actual carbon copy of said artistic property. Audiences haven't had the chance to see if a remake would even be worth their time. Why not just do what so many film makers did several decades ago? Watch Seven Samurai, make The Magnificient Seven. At least then you have more room for creativity and your not ruining the original films name. These assholes just want to profit off another films quality before it could get the chance to make a real impact. It's absolutely ridiculous, the film is still on the festival circuit! Sure, it's been picked up, will get a limited theatrical release and be on dvd by next year, and it will just be one of many DVD PRODUCTS that a consumer can choose to buy. It's so hard for people to appreciate authenticity these days. Well, at least I'm seeing LTROI at the Screamfest.

I'm glad for the most part you guys seem to be in agreement that remaking a foreign film before its even been released over here is a shit move. And I hope a lot of you live in NY or LA so you can see the original in theaters in a few weeks....

They will probably decide to make it PG-13 too so fans of TWILIGHT will want to see it... Everyone should see the original and watch the remake online!

part of the fun of finding a great foreign flick is knowing a lot of people dont already know about it... thats what makes it special... plus, it makes it that much better when you have to hunt for it

Oh man, of all the people to remake this. LTROI was all about the subtly and emotion, and, it's not that Cloverfield was a bad film, but it had all the emotional complexity of a McDonald's menu, and all the subtly of sledgehammer. If the film has to get remade, I wouldn't want it to be from Reeves, that's for certain. Of course, I'd really prefer they just leave it alone, and let the original do its thing. I'm glad Alfredson is standing up against this, after Quarantine this is becoming a HUGE problem.

I love it when foreign films get mainstream releases. It just seems Americans are too lazy to read subtitles.