Response to a "Duke of Hazzards" review

I felt the same level of disgust when I saw "Starsky and Hutch - the movie". It was soooooooo unlike the TV program I grew up watching and was a complete disgrace to all that the 70's stood for (I'm talking from a purely child's point of view)

If they want to make a tribute to past TV shows, it's fine. But I do hope they do it with a certain degree of finesse and an understanding of what the original shows stood for. This total ignorance of original concepts and reckless massacre of much loved TV shows and movies is a sad indicator of our times. It would be great if such experiments in smut were carried out on something original like what they did with "American Pie" and its progeny.

But why tamper with our memories?

If this seems like I'm being overtly sensitive about the matte, that's right. I am not just sensitive about it but I am angry. Most of the old programs attracted us for their charm and engaging quality. The re-interpretation shows that they haven't studied the original but, instead, rehashed the superficial elements into something else.

Now I'm against re-working old TV shows because sometimes when it works, it rocks. Star Trek is a good example of such success. In my opinion, Jean Luc Piccard came across as a much better captain than Kirk. The series franchise did not depart from the main concept but made it stronger and stylised. The original had technical limitations and all the subsequent TV shows tried to fix them.

The new 'Battlestar Galactica" may not have the brooding presence of Lorne Greene but, at least, it's not made into something else altogether. However, the new version did not capture my attention like the original because it lacked a compelling storyline and tight direction.

I shall not even comment on the new Star Wars movies even though the recent film did try and make some amends. But it's a case of being 'too late' when it should have been sooner.

I shudder to imagine how the new Pink Panther, Herbie, Dr Who and Willy Wonka are going to be... of course, I'll go with my fingers crossed and if the movies suck, then, at least, I'll focus on the popcorn. Popcorns rarely disappoint, do they?

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