Mixed feelings: ‘Weird Science’ and ‘Vacation’ remakes

Those of you alive back in 1985, or those that just like to go back and watch old films, may know of a little film by a director named John Hughes called Weird Science.  To those of us who were of an age to sit in the theaters and see this first-hand, it was a great bit of sci-fi inspired comedy that featured that always acceptable premise - two nerds getting a hot girl.  In this case, however, the two nerds made the girl out of nothing, using the super-powered science of the all-powerful “computer.”

To some of us, this movie is a staple of our younger movie-watching experience. Now, Hollywood once again wants to destroy our childhood by remaking something that should really be left alone.  This one is coming at us from Universal Pictures and producer Joel Silver.  While one might wonder at what they’re thinking (other than “Hey, money!”), it looks like they are at least trying to give the modern flick a different spin.  Rumor has it that they’ll be going for an R-rating with this one, which, given the nature of the original story, could prove rather… interesting.

Personally, I say leave it alone. They already made a horrible TV show based on this property, so why even bother?  Of course, those fancy Hollywood-types rarely listen to me.

In other news, the 1983 Chevy Chase family comedy Vacation was supposed to be getting the reboot treatment as well.  Well, it looks like the gods may have smiled down upon us, because they’ve hit a few snags with that one. Citing “creative differences,” the production in charge of a new Vacation have put it on the back-burner, perhaps indefinitely.

Ironically, this one might have actually been worth watching.  It doesn’t hope to reboot the franchise as much as continue the story with yet another Griswold adventure.  The plan was to follow Rusty, all grown-up with his own kids, as he went on his own road trip.  Heck, they even had Chevy Chase in talks to come back, if only in a supporting capacity.

While I would cringe at the possibility that this would just end up as a repeat of the original Vacation, I think they were at least heading in the right direction.  I’ve always been pretty liberal with my acceptance of remakes and reboots, but they so rarely turn out to be anything other than crap that it begins to make me skeptical at the first mention of anything I enjoyed being brought back in a new form.

Until next time, love em or hate em, the remakes are here to stay.  Over and over and over, in some cases.

Weird Science poster courtesy of aintitcool.com

Vacation poster courtesy of culture.com