Edward, everything you said is true, except that Hollywood writers are not "mindless". Having some experience in the film business, I can tell you that the costs are prohibitive, to the point movies are made in places where unions do not control every expenditure. Remakes are done because their profits are known, and new twists or effects are likely to repeat those profits. True Grit, for example, is not a slavish (no pun intended) repeat of the Duke's classic, but it will make money, while some new production could be a bomb. Fans of John Wayne will see the new version, out of curiosity, while their children will go to see what they were so enthused about. The old version was just shown on AMC last week, to refresh our memories. It's all a matter of money. Stan