Remakes are like the ghosts of movies

Ghostbusters hits theaters Friday. No, not a re-release of the of the 1984 classic starring Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson. A remake/reboot starring an all-female line-up with Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. The internet has buzzed with hatred for this movie for months, and much of it has been disturbingly directed at the female cast.

The premature judging, internet rage, and misogynistic comments are all inconsequential. Reviews and fan reactions are pouring in, and so far they have been mostly positive. Ghostbusters is hovering around 78% on rottentomatoes. Most of the reviews I've read point out similar highs and lows. It seems like some of the jokes would have landed better if they pushed them a bit further. The PG-13 rating is most likely to blame for that. The casting of Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig in more somber, deadpan roles, was also disappointing to some. McCarthy and Wiig are exceptionally funny women with great story-telling chops and perfect comedic timing. This casting choice did allow relative newcomers Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones (both currently on Saturday Night Live) a chance to shine. Some even suggested McKinnon and Jones stole scenes away from veterans McCarthy and Wiig. So the movie is good and the cast great, but I still don't like it nor will I watch it. I assure you, this has absolutely nothing to do with the female cast.

The timing was perfect when the original Ghostbusters came out in 1984. I was a kid and laughed nonstop at the antics of Murray, Akroyd, Moranis and even Slimer. The original has a special place in the hearts and minds of "80's Kids" and quite frankly we didn't want the remake. However, the studio did and the trend of remakes has become increasingly popular and right now the focus is on the 1980's. Remakes already have a story in place making them easier to produce, they have name recognition making them easy to market, and more international markets are available now with foreign fans hungry for our classics. The last part may be the most revealing as some remakes make 2 to 3 times as much or more internationally than domestically. Like it or not producing a remake or churning out sequels, for that matter, is just easier and less of a gamble than making an actual, original film.

American audiences are growing tired of lazy remakes. Bad reviews and poor word-of-mouth are very hurtful to a remakes litmus test second weekend box office. Regardless, they keep pumping them out. There are over one hundred remakes coming out in the next few years. Disney has a thing for remaking their animated classics into live-action films like they did with Cinderella and they will with Beauty and the Beast, Mulan and Dumbo. Some upcoming remakes are attempts at turning an originally unsuccessful cult classic into a blockbuster; such as Big Trouble in Little China or Clue. I'll be sticking with the cult classic versions. Stephen King's It is being remade from a low budget TV movie to a hopefully more accurate film. I'm actually excited for this one. Others are just desperate cash grabs, with no commendable intentions like Point Break or Ghostbusters.

Total worldwide gross $2.3 million

The worst from a creative's point of view may be when studio executives twist a script into something else by slapping the title of a popular 80's property on it and forcing it into nostalgia bait territory. The screenplay could have been an eye-opening drama about the ethics of drone warfare and the untold damage it causes. Instead, after some rewrites, re-shoots and re-branding we got the 2014 remake of Robocop. Another screenplay could have been a heartwarming coming-of-age, cautionary tale about young girls finding fame on YouTube in a world with no privacy, where every personal detail is on social media. Instead after seemingly zero thought, and even though it barely resembles the comics or cartoon, they called it Jem.

Experts are predicting a strong $53 million for Ghostbuster's domestic opening weekend. After the full theatrical run and the international market, it should easily recoup its $144 million budget and make a healthy profit. Hollywood has heard the fan backlash, misogynistic or otherwise, but unfortunately the good reviews and the potential profit of Ghostbusters will only encourage them to continue generating thoughtless, dreadful and most of all unwanted remakes.

We're ready to believe you.