Sometimes it’s just good but people are going to hate on it anyway.
Back when the Coen Brother’s remake of True Grit was released, I thought it was a fairly good movie when I first saw it at the theater but not particularly great and not as good as the original that won John Wayne an Oscar.
But then, I’m such a big fan of the original that I couldn’t help but anticipate another interpretation of the Charles Portis book on which both movies were based.
So the blu-ray purchase of True Grit was a no brainer for me. Except upon a second viewing, I was even less impressed with the rehash for many reasons I won’t go into on this blog except to say that while Jeff Bridges may be a great actor, his interpretation of Rooster Cogburn left a lot to be desired. (Yes Virginia, I do have another blog).
Flash forward to the remake of Carrie that was released to theaters in 2013, and home video just a few weeks ago.
I had seen the film in the theaters and was really impressed. I thought it did many things very well that DePalma’s stylized classic version missed out on. In fact, despite knowing the story well, I thought that director Kimberly Pierce had done a much better job of building tension and suspense.
The question was, would I still feel the same after a second viewing on blu-ray. The answer is, yes I did. In fact I feel even more strongly about my original critique.
I think the film was a victim of those critics who hold Brian DePalma’s original in such high esteem, that it wouldn’t have mattered how good this film was.
Still, the film should have been a bigger hit. I get irritated with movie audiences who flock to claptrap like the Paranormal movies, but stay away from a well made horror film in droves.
Sometimes first impressions do hold up.
Clyde's Alley 