Pop Almanac
The Pop Almanac Podcast #5: The Thing/Remakes
Oct 19, 2011 | 10:15 am
Why are so many movies, especially from the 80s, being remade these days?
This week on Pop Almanac, Brendan and Duncan gave the recently released remake of John Carpenter's The Thing the benefit of the doubt, but found it lacking any reason to exist.
Why did star Mary Elizabeth Winstead even need to fly to Antarctica? Why did the new version replace the memorable practical special effects of the original with second-rate CGI? Your hosts address how badly the remake (which was technically, confusingly, a prequel) lacked the basic things that made the 1982 version a cult classic, and they mean more than just Kurt Russell's awesome beard.
Then they discuss some other recent remakes, including the Footloose remake, which reportedly somewhat makes up for the lack of Kevin Bacon (whom Brendan has a specific theory about).
All this and more awaits in the fifth Pop Almanac, provided you have at least one filling.
Stream the episode below or right click here to download.
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The School of Civic Leadership will be housed in the Biological Laboratories building.
Photo courtesy of the University of Texas at Austin
