Pop Culture Curmudgeon

Is Nothing Sacred?

Can we stop remaking the movies I grew up on?

First, Hairspray. I’ll admit that I did watch this the other day, and it wasn’t horrible. It kept a lot of the spirit of the original, but it was a pale imitation of John Waters’ original cult classic.

Then, Footloose. And The Last Dragon. And Rocky Horror Picture Show.

And now they’ve announced that Will Smith is producing a remake of the Karate Kid as a vehicle for his son’s burgeoning acting career. Why, God, why?

I understand that it is hard to come up with original ideas. And I see the appeal of a tried-and-true formula, especially when the movie industry is selling fewer tickets than in the past. But these remakes still make me want to die.