So they're remaking "Plan 9 From Outer Space"

[Spaceman Spiff]

I guess they decided to release this today because of the date.

Plan 9 teaser trailer.

I clicked on the link, expecting it to be a joke, but nope--it's real. Apparently, these people at Darkstone Entertainment are putting together this serious-minded remake that "honors not only the original source material, but also Ed Wood's intentions when he made 'Plan 9 From Outer Space'. Wood's plan was to make a very scary sci fi/horror film and [director John] Johnson wishes to do exactly that - create a film that Wood would have enjoyed, or perhaps even made himself, if not bound by the technological limitations placed on filmmakers 50 years ago."

That's a pretty generous explanation for the problems with Wood's productions.

Plan 9 From Outer Space has always been one of those movies that fans have speculated about how a remake would be treated. Do you go for deliberate badness? Camp? Or make a serious attempt?

I guess we now know. It's an independent, low-budget project, which is as it should be, but from that trailer, it just looks like yet another low-budget zombie flick. I hope that's not the case, though I'm not sure just what I hope for where this is concerned.

Nice touch with Criswell's radio broadcast, though.

 

[Neroon]

Anyone up for a midnight premiere?

 

[Broccoli]

Looks like an Asylum production...which could be intentional considering the source.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Remake Plan 9? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!

 

[Mike Farley]

Aside from the radio broadcast and the title card did that have anything to do with the original?

How can you honor what Ed and crew were trying to do if you're throwing out everything they did do?

And why advertise as a remake of a cult classic if you're not going to use any of the imagery from that classic?

PLAN 9 is not a good movie by any definition, but it has a quirkiness and sense of earnestness about it that makes it watchable and fun...even if that's just on a MST3K level.

The new one looks like yet another, bad, straight-to-video zombie movie made for $3.99 in someone's backyard.

 

[Lonemagpie]

According to Darkstone's MySpace page, the guy making it is all of 16 years old - so it probably *is* made in his parents' backyard for $3.99...

ETA- then again, according to Plan 9's MySpace page, he's 50.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

In order to properly remake an Ed Wood film, it would have to be a low budget piece of shit. It would also have to have a genuine star past his prime deign to be in it. The budget already looks too high, this wasn't shot in my backyard, and I don't see Anthony Hopkins.

 

[RAMA]

Blah, looked awful.

 

[Roshi]

Um, what the fuck?

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

Where's the crappy looking saucers and the stock footage?

 

[Mike Farley]

The saucers appear to have been replaced with a floating lump of garbage?

 

[THE CHEBB]

My friend, can your heart stand the shocking facts of grave robbers from outer space?

 

[23skidoo]

It just looks like another zombie movie to me. Meh.

I mean, if you want a zombie movie with a sense of humor, most of the Romero knock-offs will do. If you want a period zombie movie with a sense of humor, they already did Fido.

So what's the point?

Alex

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I'll just let Darth express my sentiments.

Zombies? Again? Can we just get all the zombies and all the vampires together and let them fight it out in a giant mud pit instead of appearing is more movies?

The flying, err, macrame ball was pretty cute, tho.

 

[Chris3123]

Remember that guy at the beginning of the trailer, who got dragged away? No doubt he's dead. Murdered. And I'm even willing to go so far as to say someone's responsible!

 

[Broccoli]

I'll just let Darth express my sentiments.

Zombies? Again? Can we just get all the zombies and all the vampires together and let them fight it out in a giant mud pit instead of appearing is more movies?

Now there is an idea for a movie:

Zombies vs. Vampires

 

[Aragorn]

^ The Asylum already did that. But the cover art was clearly an attempt to cash in on Freddy vs. Jason. The title seems to be missing from their site, but there's an R-rated trailer for "Vampires vs. Zombies" out there somewhere.

Found it on YouTube!

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I was wondering who owned the rights to approve this, but it looks like the original went into the public domain a few years ago.

I guess once that happened, it was only a matter of time. Are you a low-budget filmmaker who needs instant publicity? Why, just remake a cult favorite!

 

[Orac Zen]

Eh, I'll pass, thanks. I suppose it was only a matter of time but the original is so utterly, pricelessly silly any remake is (IMO) essentially pointless.

I wonder where my copy is...?

 

[RJDiogenes]

My mantra: Continuations good, remakes bad.

This is an interesting idea, though, making the movie Ed Wood would want to have made. I've always kind of had a soft spot for Ed Wood. He was very earnest, but he was the very definition of reach exceeding grasp; he was stuck at ten years old-- and not in a good way.

The trailer does not look encouraging, however....