Rip Off vs Homage

[urgeok]

Originally posted by Kemal
Basing one story on another doesn't make it a rip-off. Stories get told, retold, and appropriated by other cultures. Elements of stories get mixed. I think just about every military adventure story is a retelling of the Odyssey. Everything's been done before. The trick is to do it well, and to change settings, characters, and to have your own "twist."

the military example is pretty vague .. war is about man vs man. winning and/or survival.
There was probably a story before the Odyssey that was about war in that case .. unless its the 1st recorded fictional account of conflict.

Simply basing a story on another isnt a rip off per say, its how it was done.

Until i sit and think of a better way to articulate this i can only use depalma as my best example .. blow out AND Body Double .. thats a bit much.

It was just too close to the source. Had he simply remade Blow Up or Vertigo i wouldnt have felt so weird about it. The changes he made just seemed pointless. I think its the fact that it was dome more than once made it a bit off in my view.
Sort of like a band selling itself with cover versions instead of developing better origional material. If a band does it once, its a fun goof .... but if they keep doing it ... it doesnt sit well.

[MisterSadistro]

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". I agree that if the filmmaker gives the nod to someone as an influence and acknowledges it, that's cool. To repetitively rip off the same ideas, premise, characters, etc. from anyone is not.
Anyone else remember Kingdom Come, a band that looked and sounded more like Led Zeppelin than Led Zeppelin did and they came off as if they had never even heard of Led Zep before ?
CK

[urgeok]

Originally posted by MisterSadistro
"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". I agree that if the filmmaker gives the nod to someone as an influence and acknowledges it, that's cool. To repetitively rip off the same ideas, premise, characters, etc. from anyone is not.
Anyone else remember Kingdom Come, a band that looked and sounded more like Led Zeppelin than Led Zeppelin did and they came off as if they had never even heard of Led Zep before ?
CK

or Rancid, who claimed they never heard the Clash ?

[Elvis_Christ]

or Rancid, who claimed they never heard the Clash ?

:confused: Rancid are way different from the Clash. God I hate the Clash overated assholes I'm sick of people going on about them.

[urgeok]

Originally posted by Elvis_Christ
:confused: Rancid are way different from the Clash. God I hate the Clash overated assholes I'm sick of people going on about them.

i was never in love with the clash - apart from their first album ... but if you dont think that Rancid sounds just like them you have to be kidding me ..

[filmmaker2]

I know that the "Dawn of the Dead" remake was a licensed property, and everyone who owned the original got their money, etc. And I also know that film is a commercial medium; it's an art form that exists primarily to make money for its investors. Technically it's not a "rip-off," but it does have vibrations of money-sucking evil about it.

Man, what an unnecessary, crassly commercial, and badly executed abomination it was (in my personal and deeply heartfelt opinion)! I mean, a lot of people liked it, and that's cool, I'm not dissing those good folks, but I personally was appalled.

[urgeok]

Originally posted by filmmaker2
I know that the "Dawn of the Dead" remake was a licensed property, and everyone who owned the original got their money, etc. And I also know that film is a commercial medium; it's an art form that exists primarily to make money for its investors. Technically it's not a "rip-off," but it does have vibrations of money-sucking evil about it.

Man, what an unnecessary, crassly commercial, and badly executed abomination it was (in my personal and deeply heartfelt opinion)! I mean, a lot of people liked it, and that's cool, I'm not dissing those good folks, but I personally was appalled.

man i thought the complete opposite. It looked like a labour of love to me.
No one make a zombie movie thinking it will be a critical success.. let alone the 'remake' of a cult favorite. I thought it was a huge risk, and like you - i'm not dissing the people who didnt like it ..
I just dont understand why some people didnt

[filmmaker2]

I think I'm just really attached to the original film, which I thought was near brilliant. The "new spin" put on the remake didn't strike me as very inspired. It kinda tastes like one of those puffed rice crackers to me, you know, mostly air.

[urgeok]

Originally posted by filmmaker2
I think I'm just really attached to the original film, which I thought was near brilliant. The "new spin" put on the remake didn't strike me as very inspired. It kinda tastes like one of those puffed rice crackers to me, you know, mostly air.

i've been a huge fan of the origional since it came out.
But i still liked the remake .. i liked the characters ..esp. the main guy.
Most criticisms come from the fact that the zombies ran instead of doing the proper zombie shuffle...i didnt much care.

I really found the characters origional and refreshing .. even the ones you thought were cliched suprised you in the end.


And the celebrity turkey shoot was priceless..

[filmmaker2]

Maybe I should watch it again? Hmmmm...