Friday

Is the cinema turning into the theatre? This is a random postulation since I went to the theatre last night, to see Charley's Aunt, and thus didn't see a film. What struck me is that when we go to the theatre most of the time we expect to see a 'classic' - a play that was originally written over fifty years ago. Very rarely do most people go to see a new, contemporary play. I have done it, of course, as have you, and there are a great many of them out there but many theatres aim at presenting mostly, or only, classic drama. It is a sign, perhaps, of the fading interest in theatre. Now, are there not a lot of remakes going on in cinema at the moment? Could this be compared to the predominance of classics on in theatres. Most obviously, no, not at all. The two art forms are wildly different. A remake of a film involves a lot more creative input than a re-presentation of a play, but then a play is performed everyday for a week, and normally much longer. But is it a sign that cinema is beginning to turn inwards on itself. There are filmmakers making extraordinary films, as their are similar playwrights, but what I'm talking about is general trends and impressions. Maybe your impression is entirely different? Cinema, after all, began by making almost entirely remakes of plays, then slowly expanded its creativity. You could say, the remake has been a part of Hollywood since its inception. Perhaps.