Author: DH Hanni

Musings

Weekly Musing: Remake, Reboot, Remix, Re-whatever

DH Hanni

Over the last decade plus, there’s been an explosion of remakes and reboots. Sometimes the remake/reboot is a way of updating an older TV show or movie. Sometimes it’s a case of a successful franchise being rebooted probably just so the studio can make more money. Mostly it is at the movie theater where we see these but TV is starting to pick up the torch. In the 2015 – 2016 TV season there will be a limited run of The X-Files and Heroes Reborn will pop up on the schedule. There’s also been a smattering of bringing back shows for a limited run like 24 but by and large, TV has been safe from this remake/reboot fetish.

One of the biggest reasons why remakes/reboots are popular is there is built-in brand recognition. This is coupled with nostalgia you can see why remakes and reboots are big business. Look at how many TV shows and movies from the ’70s and ’80s have already been released or in the works. No matter how truly god awful these things are, still Hollywood makes them because studios make back the stupidly ridiculous amounts of money they spent. But the problem with using nostalgia as a business model is that most people view the past through rose-colored glasses.

This isn’t to say that no reboots/remakes should ever happen. Some have been incredibly well-written and well-received both on the small and big screen. 21 Jump Street was hilarious although it only vaguely resembled the TV show. The Batman franchise on both the small screen and big screen has been wildly success. And the granddaddy of them all, M*A*S*H is probably more well-known as a TV show first then as a movie even though the movie came out in 1970 based on a book that had come out 2 years prior.

So, just for fun, what shows would I like to see come back? Keep in mind this list is purely for fun as there is a huge part of me that would truly shudder if anyone actually decided these were a good idea. And yes, my list is based purely on nostalgia.

Punky Brewster: Oh, yes, this should come back. Although if this were updated, Punky would probably be from a different country, it wouldn’t be an elderly man as her adopted father, the dog would be some messed up breed like a Goldendoodle, and Punky’s awesome bed would disappear. The show would probably be ruined by bring in a love interest for Punky’s adoptive parent and then more focus would be on that rather than the relationship between Punky and her adopted parent.

Out of This World: I think I’m probably the only person from my generation who watched this show. It was quirky, odd, and science fiction which I didn’t realize at the time. Evie, the show’s man character, was part human, part alien and could freeze time. Who wouldn’t want that ability? Given how popular extra-ordinary people are this is one show that maybe could come back. Naturally I think the tone would change from gentle, family-friendly to dark, gritty, and Evie would suffer from way more angst due to dad never appearing here on Earth. Also, Evie would probably be written to kick ass and fight crime instead of just being sorta normal. On second thought, maybe this shouldn’t be remade.

Daria: This is one show I truly, desperately wished would come back. Daria Morgendorffer’s biting and highly accurate social commentary is much needed. I’d love to see her as a grown-up, though not necessarily with children of her own, can’t see her as a mother. Instead of being jaded by her fellow teenagers, she would be jaded by her fellow co-workers and neighbors. I also think Daria’s take on gender roles would be refreshing and rational rather than the emotional Social Justice Warrior crap that currently populates the internet.

I can’t honestly think of any other shows it would be fun to “what if” they were remade. By and large I prefer original ideas or quality book adaptions to just digging up what worked in the past. I guess when millions of dollars are on the line, it’s better to go with the safe bet even at the risk of fatiguing audiences.

 

Musings

Weekly Musing: Take a Look at This

DH Hanni

Book covers are a big deal. It’s what we, the reader, see first and if it’s attractive enough, prompts us to pick up the book. In addition to the basics like the author and title, we spend a lot of our time looking at the cover art.  After all it’s supposed to tell us what kind of book is in our hands. Is it an adventure novel with a ship tossed about in a violent storm? Is it a bodice-ripper with half naked people in awkward positions? Is it a YA book with an emotional teen on the cover? So much information is conveyed just by looking at the book cover, if anything, more than the blurb does.  At least nowadays with everyone having the attention span of a gnat.

With this in mind, I began thinking what personally draws my eye to a book. To be honest, I can’t recall what the covers of my favorite books look like because well, books go through cover changes. When I examine the covers in my own library, I notice what I appreciate most are simple covers. For example, I love these covers for my editions of the Outlander series, Pillars of the Earth, and A Song of Ice and Fire because it’s just a solid color background with an item meant to represent something about the novel’s world. Understated perfect for such sweeping epics. No need to clutter up the front with noise.

And I don’t think this pared down approach to book cover design is strictly for epics, I’m noticing it a bit more on some sci-fi books. The Humans by Matt Haig has an oddly wonderful cover. A human nose against a white background. Intriguing, what in the world is this about? It’s only when you read the book does the cover make a lot of sense. Or Lock In by John Scalzi. Again, very simple design with what appear to be white and red plastic figures. Why are some of them red? Only by reading the book does that cover make a lot more sense.

That’s the brilliance of a well-designed book cover. Don’t crowd it with lots of images or colors. Focus on one thing for the reader’s mind to linger over long enough to grab them. Of course publishing is a business which means they have marketing departments who do their homework analyzing what sells, what doesn’t, what is trendy, etc. when designing a cover. Each genre has it tropes and there are even gender biases in place to supposedly help us readers. Yet when covers stray from the expectation, I think that energizes a reader and cast the net out to a wider audience.

This is something to keep in the back of my mind as I hope to move forward in my writing career. When I get to point where I have a book(s) published, I’d like to see the covers of my book have the simplicity I admire. I don’t want them to fit into the trendy tropes of the time, why should I? If a book is to be hugely successful, its cover should strive to appeal to the general public rather than a specific group.

Simplicity in cover book art also creates this notion of timelessness. How many books have we picked up at a book store or yard sale or at the library with covers from previous decades? Nine times out of ten they look cheesy and dated. Admittedly some have some wonderful artwork and style a niche group appreciates today. However, most look so bad you may stay away from it as a reader. Shallow as it may sound, we humans are a visual bunch and we do judge a book by its cover so let’s keep it simple.

Musings

Weekly Musing: Oh, Look! A Squirrel!

DH Hanni

If my somewhat crappy memory is correct, when I first started this blog over two years ago I believed I mentioned something about suffering from what I refer to as Writer’s ADD. What I meant by that is when I write, regardless if it’s an initial draft or revision, I can go along at a good clip then I just stop and do something else for a few minutes. Usually this is to help me think, like staring off into space, but truth be told there are times when those distractions are just excuses to not write. I’m not proud of this and I know the reasons why I allow it. Something I’m trying to work on that since I know my word count and efficiency would go up and shocker of shockers, maybe my anxiety would decrease some.

IMDb: It’d be too easy to say the internet as a whole since in 2015 that’s pretty much what a black hole the internet is. Of late, IMDb is the bane of my existence. Why I feel the need to argue with idiots about TV shows and movies is beyond me. I guess it satisfies my analytical nature and to participate in discussions. I’m also genuinely curious about others’ thoughts and perspectives. However, IMDb really isn’t the right platform for that. So many trolls infest it. Good luck trying to have a rational, logical argument with someone who clearly has the emotional IQ of a teenager who just sooooooo knows they are right. What’s worse is I wind up learning spoilers and have even come to loath a show or movie because of how nutty some of the fans are.

Games on my phone: I play three games on my phone. They manage to suck up my time because I tell myself I’m taking a break to think. This wouldn’t be such a bad thing if these game breaks came after half an hour or an hour of writing but I stop after a relatively short period of time. I think it’s a combination of fear, anxiety, and writing gremlins creeping in to tell me to get stuck in a corner on purpose. Instead of just buckling down and tackling the problem, I justify it as a break.

YouTube: More specifically what are known as “crack” videos which are snippets of a particular show or movie people edit together with various pieces of music and dubbed over dialogue for laughs. Usually these videos are about 5 minutes or less which makes them incredibly dangerous. They’re potato chips. One just won’t suffice although if I see one more person using Alicia Keys’ “Girl on Fire” or Dido’s “White Flag” I’m going to through something at my computer. But dammit, the lulz. So much lulz.

Spotify: This is a double-edged sword. I love Spotify because of all the new artists I’ve discovered, the playlists which help me tune out the world, and being able to create playlists for whatever I’m working on. However, dear god when an annoying song comes on and I have to stop what I’m doing so I can skip it. Or if I hear a song that blows me away and I have to stop what I’m doing and save it. And sometimes I just can’t get the right music mix and I get grumpy.

Oddly enough, there are common distractions which don’t suck me in. For example, Facebook. I can easily limit my time on that since most of it is just the same old same old. TV isn’t a distraction either since there is absolutely nothing on TV during the day I care to watch. I could very easily binge watch all the shows and movies I’ve got saved up but if I did that I’d feel so much guilt for wasting time. Same reason why I can resist the urge to play video games. Why those other things don’t feel me with as much guilt I have no idea.