The idea of reworking an old story or movie, as is the case with remake films, is not in itself a bad one. Stories have been told over and over again for centuries, but some filmmakers seem to have a knack for taking a clever or well-thought-out story and tearing it to pieces.

Lately I have become increasingly frustrated with a trend which, in my eyes, reduces the cultural significance of the movie industry. I have a love-hate relationship with the “remake.”

Certain remakes are done successfully and bring life back to an old favorite. One such successful remake is the “The Parent Trap” starring a much younger, and more innocent, Lindsay Lohan. This movie retold the classic story of two girls meeting at summer camp and realizing they are actually twins.

The new version varied somewhat from the original to make it more current, but did not lose the quality which made the original such a hit. I will not argue that remake hits are a rarity, but I think remake flops are more common.

A recent example of a remake which failed miserably with critics, and reminds me of why I veer away from remakes in general, is 2005’s “House of Wax” starring Paris Hilton and Chad Michael Murray. This movie borrows the title of a 1953 horror classic of the same name, as well as the wax concept. The 1953 movie is actually a remake of a 1933 film, which itself was based on a play.

The idea of reworking an old story or movie, as is the case with remake films, is not in itself a bad one. Stories have been told over and over again for centuries, but some filmmakers seem to have a knack for taking a clever or well-thought-out story and tearing it to pieces.

There are also cases where the filmmaker does not touch the story and focuses exclusively on the cinematography. “The Omen,” for example, was a remake line-for-line and scene-for-scene of the original.

Where is the creativity in that?

I think the movie would have been more effective had it been updated somewhat. The original has some weird parts that are typical of ’70s movies, which do not necessarily represent current trends in filmmaking.

When I see previews for a remake, especially of the horror genre, I always wonder if some writer actually proposed bringing an old movie back to life or if the studio decided they wanted an easy way to make some money. I am not sure of the inner workings of a movie studio, but I can just imagine a high-powered executive saying that they need a movie for fall release, and since no interesting scripts have come across his desk, he wants to commission the remake of the 1942 classic, “Cat People.”

Remakes have become so common that most people do not recognize one when they see it. These films transcend stereotypes of remakes and slip seamlessly into film history. Others, however, stick out like a sore thumb. These are the films, like “House of Wax,” that give remakes a bad name and are the reason I do not spend money on them.

I know remakes are unavoidable, but the next one I see will certainly not be a teen horror movie, like the upcoming “The Hitcher.” Time and again these films fail to creatively use the best asset they are borrowing from the original: A good story.

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