Essentially 80s are back in Hollywood

For those who grew up in that decade, it remains the greatest decade ever. For the rest, it was the era that turned junk into pop culture phenomenon.
Yes, the 80s, often derided for aiding the popularity of commercial ‘pop corn’ flicks as opposed to arty films, is suddenly the go-to era for major Hollywood studios.
Just consider the number of 80s centric films that Hollywood has been churning out this year.And no, we aren’t talking about just remakes. The trend seems to be everything 80s – from remakes (Clash Of The Titans, The Karate Kid) to sequels (Tron Legacy), prequels (Alien), movie versions of TV shows (The A-Team) and even films that are just nostalgic about the 80s (Hot Tub Time Machine and the recent The Expendables).
Explaining the reasons for the trend, Kercy Daruwala, managing director for the Indian arm of a major Hollywood studio, says, “There is a large audience that has grown up on the classic movies of the 80s, which have become part of movie history. Plus, there is also a young audience that has heard of these movies, but doesn’t understand their success and is curious about them. So, there is a huge ready audience. Such remakes are not really new and will always continue.”
On the other hand, a spokesperson of another Hollywood studio, on the condition of anonymity, feels that only certain kind of movies hold this appeal, “Remakes of classics will only look awful. That is why we are not seeing remakes of Raging Bull, Scarface or even lighter fare like E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial.”
The idea, therefore, is to work on certain kind of movies that can be remade or provided with sequels or prequels without ruining the original experience — well-made B-movies like The Karate Kid and Clash of the Titans that somehow have a charm of their own.
Another reason being given by industry sources is that the generation that grew up with these movies and TV shows is the one that is now making movies. They want to make movies that caught their fancy in the prime of their youth. In a way, this is a means to relive their teens for them.
Daruwala concludes by saying that these attempts ultimately make the current generation get interested in the older films. “Many of these films have a strong emotional core. For example, The Karate Kid had a touching story of an underdog who defeats all odds and a strong social message. It’s good for the young generation to discover that it’s not just big budget sound effects that make a successful movie, and that they can have something in common with the older generation,” he says.
Follow us on Twitter for more stories