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Originally Posted by method
A couple of your examples don't fit. Hero only had Tarantino's name to hook potential audiences. Other than Jet Lee, there isn't anyone that could garner a larger audience that Miramax wanted.
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I disagree. CTHD didn't have many household names, except for Chow Yun Fat, and it was an unprecedented success. I'd say that Jet Li is more recognizable to an American audience than Chow Yun Fat.
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Originally Posted by method
Motorcycle Diaries is based on Che Guevara writings from the 50's. I wouldn't really put it in the same category as The Ring and The Grudge.
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I'm not so much putting Motorcycle Diaries in the same category as The Ring, and The Grudge, but i'm pointing out that hollywood is looking towards other countries more and more for their inspiration. Its no coincidence that Motorcycle Diaries is getting so much hype.. afterall, Salles is responsible for another movie that was a hit in the states; City of God.
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Originally Posted by method
How is Hollywood reworking foreign films a bad thing? Most people don't have access or any interest in another country films due to the language barrier. A reworked film could also open up a viewer eyes to another countries work and cause a person to seek out the original.
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You're right, the concept of reworking foreign films for a western audience isn't really a bad thing. Afterall, its not like Hollywood is purposely TRYING to declass foreign cinema. However, what Hollywood doesn't seem to understand (or is turning a blind eye to) is that much of the original context of a movie is lost when the setting, characters, and language are changed. And yes, I am aware how tedious it is to subtitle movies from one language to another.. the process is mind numbing.
Using The Ring as an example.. the movie itself was pretty bad. Cheap jump-at-you-every-ten-minute surprises followed with some sort of cursed cassette. Not such a great movie. But, Ringu has since become a cult-classic.
Personally, i wasn't thrilled about The Grudge, until i heard it was a remake from a previous Japanese horror movie. Who knows, maybe it'll make another classic :P
However, most people will only become interested in the original version if the remade version entertained them to some extent. If the remade North-American version sucks beans up the wazoo, who would want to see the original version?
Such is the case with The Grudge.. by making a shody version of a scare-you-pantless-till-you-cry-for-mommy kind of film, they are actually defacing foreign cinema, and convincing eager movie-goers that the ideas behind foreign films are blase and predictable.