A Reel Opinion: Classics Reborn

Hollywood has long been a copycat business. If one studio has a hit doing sci-fi, then the rest will follow. We’ve seen this with 3D, fantasy, franchises based on books, monster movies, and connected universes. It’s a pattern that’s become predictable, yet profitable. 

 

This year, Hollywood found a new, shiny toy: The Re-release. This year has seen many re-issues into theatres celebrating significant anniversaries. Earlier this year, STAR WARS: EPISODE III – REVENGE OF THE SITH returned to the big screen for its 20^th anniversary and turned in a surprising box office result. And just like that, multiplexes are loaded with films that are anywhere from 15 to 50 to 60 years old. BLACK SWAN from 2010 returned this month for its 15th anniversary, as will JAWS in IMAX for its 50^th. And later this year, we’ll be seeing big-screen comebacks for BACK TO THE FUTURE, THE BREAKAST CLUB, TOY STORY, APOLLO 13, and THE SOUND OF MUSIC. It’s become such a popular thing that STAR WARS (1977), has already been announced for a theatrical run for its 50^th anniversary…two years from now in 2027. 

 

This has been good business for studios and theatres, with the latter still battling the shadow of the mishandled pandemic and the convenience of streaming. Re-releases have been an easy way to make a few bucks; the films reputations do the selling for them. Nostalgia is a big selling point, with audiences remembering where they were 20 or 25 years ago when they first experienced these films in theatres…along with the opportunity to introduce the next generation to old favorites. 

 

The flip side to this is newer films may struggle to find footing when they are going up against legends. Darren Aronofsky’s newest film, CAUGHT STEALING, could not secure premium IMAX screens, thanks to the return of JAWS the same weekend. Original films may struggle just like they do when they go up against remakes, but hey…a re-release is better than a lazy remake. 

 

Re-releasing old films reminds us that the big screen is where cinema began. It delivers nostalgia and triggers strong memories, and reminds us why these films remain culturally relevant and powerful. The only mystery is why Hollywood didn’t start doing this sooner. 

 

 

A Reel 30: BRAVEHEART and APOLLO 13

Thirty years ago this month, there were two historical dramas in theatres competing for box office glory and Oscar gold: Mel Gibson’s BRAVEHEART and Ron Howard’s APOLLO 13. 

 

The first to arrive (in May), was BRAVEHEART. 

Mel Gibson directed and starred in this epic which recounted the legendary Scottish warrior William Wallace in the First War of Scottish Independence. Written by Randal Wallace (no relation), the 178-minute epic would also star Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Catherine McCormak, Angus McFadyen, David O’Hara, and Brendan Gleeson. It would finish as the 19^th highest earner at the worldwide box office. 

 

In June, Ron Howard’s APOLLO 13 blasted off. 

It was a dramatization of the aborted Apollo 13 mission to the Moon, and was an adaptation of the book Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13 by astronaut Jim Lovell (who crewed the mission), and Jeffrey Kluger. The ensemble cast included Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Ed Harris, Gary Sinise, and Kathleen Quinlan. It would finish as the third-highest earner of the year worldwide, behind TOY STORY and SE7EN. 

 

At the 68^th Academy Awards, BRAVEHEART led all nominees with ten nominations, and APOLLO 13 came in second with nine. The late great James Horner, who composed music for both films, would be nominated for both. BRAVEHEART would be the big winner, taking home five Oscars including Best Picture. APOLLO 13 would win two (Best Sound and Film Editing). 

 

Today, debate still rages over BRAVEHEART’s win over APOLLO 13. BRAVEHEART gets criticized for its historical inaccuracies (although APOLLO 13 took liberties too), and also for the much-later bad behavior of Mel Gibson. Despite this, both films are remembered as two of the best of 1995 and of the 1990’s. Both films pack an emotional punch, and provide some of the most memorable big-screen moments. Both Gibson and Howard are at the top of their game, and both films deliver iconic characters and quotes. The two could not be further apart in form, style, and timeframe, but share a kinship in telling stories of human resilience. If you happen to have 318 minutes to spare, this will make for a great double-feature.    

A Reel 50: THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

“I’m just a sweet transvestite, from Transexual Transylvania!” 

 

This week marks the 50^th anniversary of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. 

 

Directed by Jim Sharman and based on the 1973 musical stage production of the same name, ROCKY HORROR was a musical comedy horror centered around a young, engaged couple (Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick), whose car breaks down near a castle. Seeking help, they meet the head of the house, Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry, in his debut), a mad scientist and alien transvestite. 

 

After the stage production made its debut in London in 1973, the following year it came to the United States, where the theatrical rights were bought. The film would then head back to England, where filming would take place at the famed Elstree Studios and a country house in Berkshire, England. Most of the cast was from the original stage production, and the sets re-used many dressings from the Hammer horror films. 

 

The film would open in England in August of 1975, before its American debut a month later. Reactions were mixed and audiences were small. A new marketing campaign was put together with a re-designed poster with the tagline “A different set of Jaws”, a spoof of the poster of JAWS which had released the same year. By using midnight showings, ROCKY HORROR would find its audience and become one of the biggest cult-favorites of all time. By never being officially pulled from release, it still runs in midnight showings today, and is considered to be the longest-running film in history. 

 

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Over the years, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW has become more than a cult classic. It is a phenomenon whose legacy is defined by its enduring influence on film, theater, and pop culture. Through midnight showings, where audiences interact with the screen shouting lines, and dressing as characters, it transformed into a living performance, blurring the line between spectator and performer. Its brash celebration of queerness, camp, and sexual liberation was groundbreaking for the time. The film’s themes of self-expression resonated and made a safe space for people to explore identity without judgment. Characters like Dr. Frank-N-Furter challenged gender norms decades before such conversations entered the mainstream. Its legacy lies not only in its longevity but in how it empowered audiences to embrace individuality, turning a flop into a timeless celebration of self-expression and community.

 

“And crawling on the planet’s face, some insects, called the human race, lost in time, and lost in space..”