Quoting
Irish (view post)
I disagree with trans on a fundamental point, though, because I think remakes and recuts can occasionally supplant their original sources.
Cf: "Scarface," "The Maltese Falcon," "The Magnificent Seven," "A Fistful of Dollars," "Oceans 11," "The Thomas Crowne Affair," "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," "Heaven Can Wait," "The Thing," "Cape Fear," "The Birdcage," "Insomnia," "The Departed," "The Hills Have Eyes," "True Grit."
Then there's "Star Wars" special editions and various "director's cuts." Cf: "Blade Runner," "Terminator 2: Judgement Day," and the entire "Alien" franchise, etc. Some of these recuts are radically different than their sources. The originals are then relegated to the status of second disc extras in "ultimate" edition box sets, if they're commercially available at all.
Sure, the originals still technically exist somewhere, but they're not part of the cultural conversation in a meaningful way. Like, I see someone talking on social media about "True Grit," I already know they're not talking about John Wayne. This matters because without public interest there will be less incentive for streaming companies to host those original films.
If you love older work, this system --- that only values what's newest and what's still commercial --- really sucks.