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They're Remaking Red Dawn?! Shame On You MGM!

by Alex Billington
July 9, 2008

Wolverines! One of my personal favorite untouchable cult classics is Red Dawn, the 1984 movie about Russia invading America. Guess what - Hollywood is remaking this one, too. Oh hell no! I'm sure no one is surprised to hear that it's MGM (who is also remaking RoboCop and Hellraiser) who is bringing this back from the dead. There is really no way I can see this turning out great, but let's see who's involved first. Screenwriter Carl Ellsworth, of Red Eye and Disturbia, is writing the screenplay, while Dan Bradley, a second unit director and stunt coordinator on films like The Bourne Ultimatum, Spider-Man 3, and Quantum of Solace, will be directing his first feature film. Any chance it could be any good? I doubt it.

Ellsworth explains his plans: "The tone is going to be very intense, very much keeping in mind the post-9/11 world that we're in. As Red Dawn scared the heck out of people in 1984, we feel that the world is kind of already filled with a lot of paranoia and unease, so why not scare the hell out of people again?" Because you don't fix what ain't broken! For those poor souls who aren't familiar with the amazing Red Dawn, the film begins with Russian paratroopers landing outside of a school in Colorado. They then presume shoot up the entire place except for a group of four teenagers who flee to the mountains who then rally and fight back. Absolute brilliance. Red Dawn was one of Patrick Swayze's greatest roles of all time, too!

Considering Ellsworth's description sounds like they're going to modernize it (maybe China or Iraq will invade instead) and turn it into an explosively cheesy and entirely unnecessary re-imagining, I'm really not at all looking forward to this. I love the original Red Dawn so much, not because it's a masterpiece, but because it's so perfectly low quality that it's more entertaining than anything we've seen all this year. Unfortunately a remake means they're not going to keep that same campy aspect from the original. Instead, it's going to be turned into a film designed to attract high school teens for opening weekend and that's it. Shame on you MGM! Why are you ruining so many of my childhood memories?!

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Dr Phaust

Ah so it's just going to be Red Dawn with a bunch of pretty kids in it then and alot more explosions. Hollywood needs to pull its head out of its arse. Whats next? remakes of the Bruce Lee films with a CGI Bruce?
wetworks

I'll be refusing to see this...I know let's remake ET...wait, no, let's remake Jaws next...and that Godfather movie, we really need to update that for a new generation that's apparently unable to rent DVD's to see a classic...
E

If they even touch ... Goonies ... I will have to hurt someone.
Jont

i want them to drop this and remake return of the swamp thing "hes gotta grudge because they turned him into sludge" http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi620298521/
Darrin

this film might turn out to be really good but this is so wrong. Red dawn is a classic.
Steve

While I completely agree with your comments, Alex - I ask why do they have to call this a remake? Why can't they just make a somewhat different movie with muslim extremists/terrorists instead of Commies (and maybe do it from a character's perspective, a la Cloverfield) and go from there? I think a movie done this way could tell a different story than the beloved Red Dawn.
Dave Lister, JMC

So... what are going to call it? The original was called Red Dawn as a reference to the invading Russian army. If it's not Russians (or the Chinese as the article mentions) invading, you can't very well call it "Red" Dawn. So what will it be called if Iraq invades? Camel Dawn? Dawn of the Turban? You Killed My Dictator? There's no way this should even be done at all. Let it go.
harrison

theyre getting the cast of high school musical for this i hear great movie, only movie i enjoyed swayze in
http://www.paynebyname.com Payne by name

It's not hip to like this film but I thinks it great. Swayze and Sheen dying as brothers together in the snow covered playground was a memorable scene. Some great set pieces and to me it was always like the coolest dream I ever had. Can you imagine if Russia ever invaded the USA, what a film that would be. Blow me then if they didn't give it the Hollywood treatment. This claim has to be bogus because surely no studio has the political stomach for the inevitable backlash that would come from which ever country/religious group it was that did the invading.
Viper

"The tone is going to be very intense, very much keeping in mind the post-9/11 world that we're in. As Red Dawn scared the heck out of people in 1984, we feel that the world is kind of already filled with a lot of paranoia and unease, so why not scare the hell out of people again?" Oh, come on! Ooga booga booga! The Muslims are gonna getcha! Be afraid! Be afraid! They're under your bed! They're in your closet! They're gonna be under the table at your birthday party! Profile! Fear! Cry! But it's ok. Your government has banded together some hot teenagers. Go back to bed America, your government is in control again. Here. Here's The New American Gladiators. Watch this! Shut up! Go back to bed, America. Here is The New American Gladiators. Here is 56 channels of it! Watch these pituitary retards band their skulls together and congratulate you on living in the land of freedom. Here you go, America! You are free to do what we tell you! You are free to do what we tell you! The War on Terrorism is a joke. Red Dawn is awesome though. The only possible way I would maybe even see a remake is if the antagonist is the American government after declaring martial law and shoving people into FEMA Camps. That's the only realistic plot if you want to make it a modern story.
Jojo

Everyone in hollywood has to be given a chance to prove himself. Just because he is a second unit director does not mean that the movie will suck. I see bunch of bafoon moviebloggers claiming they could have made an awesome flick but I bet they can't do shit except watching movies and writing about them. So ya Alex Billington there ya go.
rissu

oh ffs, leave this movie alone -- stop doing remakes.
Sean

Jojo, you missed the point completely. He loves the movie so much that making a "modern" version of it is absolute heresy, regardless of director. The fact that a stunt coordinator is going to try his hand at the whole thing is just icing on this shitty, shitty cake. The movie is absolutely one of my favorites (I think I'll watch it tonight. Currently the special edition DVD is sitting at my feet ), and the idea of it being remade with a modern twist (China, Muslims, North Korea, etc.) is fucking stupid, plain and simple. It's a bid for money, and unless some fantastic bloody reviews come out for it, I refuse to give money to someone who would so ruthlessly slaughter a classic for his own ends.
http://heroesarg.com Frank

Dear MGM Big Wigs, Die. With love, Frank
Chris H.

The China scenario is the only viable one that I can see. You people have to realize that the original Red Dawn was a campy take on Soviet communist paranoia. What are people paranoid about today? Well terrorists don't invade, there aren't enough of them. How about all the talk about how China is this growing juggernaut of a nation, how their military is expanding at an incredible rate, and all of this is true! If they go with the China scenario I'll be happy, because anything else would be rediculous.
interl0per

DIE IN A FIRE MGM, stop throwing up on the classics! Honestly, F*** them if this is the best they can deliver. I call a boycott of this tripe when it hits theaters. Maybe when they all bomb horribly they will stop thinking this remake/reboot thing is a gold mine.
avoidz

Throwing up on the classics? That's putting it lightly. More like taking a giant stinking dump on each and every good movie from the past twenty-five years.
wm

Any movie that's 25 years old is free reign for remakes with these studios. It's a shame, but it's going to happen. If movies are still around 25 years from now, Trnsformers, The Dark Night will be remade again. Doesn't it make you want to be a millionare so you can buy all the rights to great movies and then deny any hack that wants to remake them...pure joy that would be.
avoidz

Yes, but so many of them; one after another after another...
JeepFu

In my opinion there is no reason to remake this (awesome) movie. Even with the Cold War over the story is still relevant. That people who prepare for war (or prepare for the worst) will be able to fight and if people fight then can win even against seemingly impossible odds, even if you're a group of young children. The kids in Red Dawn were fighting for something they believed in, fighting an evil enemy, and never gave up (even unto their deaths). What's not to like? What's so wrong with that it needs to be remade? Of course the movie will be "modernized" and even made politically correct as not to offend potential real-life invaders. Although how can you make a World War III invasion of America P.C. I have no idea. Hollywood...anything for a buck...
vyperstrike

JESUS GOD IN HEAVEN! IS NOTHING SACRED ANYMORE?????
johnny

What I find hilarious is the irony that will not be apparent to anyone in the US, but absolutely everyone else 'round the world. Red Dawn (an awesome movie btw) is about a county being overrun and occupied by an other. The occupying forces have military advantage (tanks, helicopters etc) over those they occupy. The (occupied) civilians take up arms and perpetrate acts of violence and sabotage on the occupiers. Doesn't this sound familiar to anyone, this movie is playing out right now, maybe not as pretty as Hollywood makes them but all the elements are there. Come one America pull your head out.
eagle

Give it a chance. I know that Red Dawn is classic, but, lets see what they are going to do with it. There are plenty of re makes out there that are better than the first. Lets wait and see.
Jim

WTF!?!
BC

Johnny, I don't think anyone's interested in your political commentary, especially with the arrogance you drape all over it. As far as a remake goes, this is one of my favorite movies from my childhood, so I don't have high expectations for any remake. If you want an updated movie with a similar plot-line and themes, fine, but don't call it "Red Dawn!"
Jorrie

All I can ask is why? Why must they ruin something so amazing?
Dan

As some of you said..i cant be called Red Dawn....maybe Yellow Dawn (Chinese) or if they go with terrorism crap - Brown Dawn!
Larry

I think a remake is good idea, RED CHINA will more than likely be the invader. In the movie i'd say CHINA uses cyberwarfare to basically shut down the US defense grid, power grid, etc. along with selective nuke strikes to knock out key points of communication( in the 1984 version the Russkies did this) I guess the crack commando units that parachute in could be Russians(in the 1984 version it was Cubans) to sort of open the door for the main Chinese invasion. Or something to that effect. Id like to see the intial invasion be expanded upon, in the original we see two US helicopters in action after the Cubans parachute into Calumet( I think thats how it's spelled) also a US fighter Jet drops some bombs( when Jed and the boys are at the Gas Station you can see the explosions in the distance) A US helicopter also shoots up a roadblock the Cubans/Russians set up, anyway the intial invasion scenes for the remake should be bigger. I'd like to see some Apache helicopters in action. Yes and some F-22's. More US and Enemy tanks fighting.( original had I think about 5 or six tanks altogether in various scenes) I'd really like the ending to be kickass as well. Say a US armed force arrives from various US bases around the world, turns the tide of the war and the Chinese and Russians retreat. Well lots of ideas and rumors to be had until September 24th, 2010. WOLVERINES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Marty

This movie could be good. Some songs for the soundtrack could include "Real American" by Rick Derringer " World War" by ICON "Final Countdown" by Europe "Run To The Hills" by Iron Maiden "Broken Heroes" by Saxon "Soldiers Gun" by Stage Dolls "Where Eagles Fly" by Sammy Hagar "Toy Soldiers" by Martika "When Children Cry" by White Lion plus some of the original score from the 1984 version..
Timothy

so it's the Chinese and Russians invading, i think it's the best idea for the remake, i've heard alot of discussion about the Chinese couldn't invade because they have no aircraft carriers, well i think with this remake, since it's the Russians who are helping the Chinese, the Russians Navy will help transport the Chinese manpower to the US mainland. And how could the Russian/Chinese naval and air force not be detected, well for the movie, i'm sure the Russians/Chinese will use some cyberwarfare,EMPs, to knock out a good portion of US defense and power grids which will limit US armed forces ability to communicate,coordinate to stop the invasion, also satellites will be knocked out by cyberwarefare, or missles launched into space(China has this ability) I'd also think with the remake script the Russian/Chinese would send in crack commando units to parachute into various areas to further cause confusion and wreak total havoc. I've heard the budget for the remake is around 70 to 80 million, not bad. I hope this film is action packed. Hope to see more of the US armed forces in action than the original had, more Wolverines. MORE!!! WOLVERINES!!!!!!!!!!!!
Darien

I think this movie will be better than most are thinking. WOLVERINES!!!!!!
RR

Only a stinking, UC Berkeley, tree-hugging, tie-dyed t-shirt wearing, Birkenstocks loving, communist would not want to see this movie re-made. God Bless America! (...and Ronald Reagan)