Greg Smith's response to earlier remarks made by myself and others regarding the CITIZEN KANE/SIMPSONS connection, raises an issue which I have found vexing ever since I discovered that many viewers of APOCALYPSE NOW knew nothing of it's sources in Conrad's HEART OF DARKNESS. Since then I too have wondered about the different levels upon which such texts are enjoyed and appreciated. Mind you, I'm NOT talking about parody, as several others have only today begun discussing in relation to the KANE/SIMPSONS connection. Note how many recent films have not only been re-makes (e.g. CAPE FEAR), but re-makes of much older, even 'classic' films which most of us on this net now doubt appreciate in relation to their 'originals,' but which No doubt most of us on this net appreciate a film like Coppola's DRACULA or the Costner version of ROBIN HOOD in relation to earlier versions. Indeed, it seems as if that is half the fun -- yet it is not the average viewer's experience. I suspect few went to see OUTLAND with HIGH NOON in mind, or STAR WARS with THE HIDDEN FORTRESS in mind, or the 1988 version of D.O.A. thinking about the 1950 original, etc. (to get off the subject of re-makes for a moment, I wonder how many went to see THE TWO JAKES having not seen CHINATOWN). I'm sure we can all think of dozens of re-makes and re-workings (MURDER, MY SWEET and FAREWELL, MY LOVELY, etc............). I suspect our students see a lot of these recent reincarnations, however, and know nothing of their indebtedness to earlier manifestations, or that they can be seen as (in the case of Dracula) 'variations on a theme' of longstanding. I have decided, therefore, to offer a course next semester in which I'll attempt to 're-connect' a number of recent popular films with their 'originals' by showing them together. My criteria are: 1) the re-make must be recent enough to have been seen by the average college student (this would exclude THE MAGNIFICENT 7); 2) the original must be generally regarded as a 'classic' of sorts, or at least be a significant milestone in the history of cinema (this would let out the original CAPE FEAR), or at least be a work of an important director (thus, I might include BOUDU SAVED FROM DROWNING). I have my list all worked out, but I'd be interested to hear if anyone else out there can think of other 'classics' which have been re-made or re-worked in the just the last few years. My fear, like that expressed by some of the rest of you, is that the connection to the past becomes lost at some point, and although the recent versions can still be enjoyed, this appreciation is deeper and richer when viewers have a sense of their 'history.' Additions to the list? -- Derek Bouse