"sweded" films

[Koant]

In Michel Gondry's newest film, Be Kind Rewind, Jack Black and Mos Def invent the process of "sweding," in which they take classic films and remake them into short films using videotape, a  virtually nonexistent budget, amateur actors, and insane amounts of creativity. Since the film's release, fans have started making their own sweded films, putting them on video sites all over the internet. Here are the current Top 10 sweded films (in no particular order):

See them here: http://www.alwayswatching.org/features/top-10-sweded-films

[Morrissey Gran]

Since the film's release, fans have started making their own sweded films

And for many decades previously, too. My version of the Wicker Man was almost as good as the original, and I made that over a decade ago!

I hate the term 'sweded' though, so can nobody ever use it again cheers.

[Koant]

YT link or it didn't happen!

[Morrissey Gran]

Oh, dear child, this was looooong before this funky Youtube thing was dreamt of – the film resides on a very old VHS at the bottom of a pile, and fuck knows how one would ever get it off tape and online.

[surreal]

Gondry did a sweded version of the trailer for Be Kind Rewind:

[youtube=425,350]http://youtube.com/watch?v=-B0dJQ35rDs[/youtube]

[Ignatius_S]

This kind of stuff used to be posted to sites like AtomFilms at least 8 years ago. Also there are online animators who do ultra-condensed version of films (e.g. 30 Second Bunnies Theatres - http://www.angryalien.com/), which is kind of the same idea.

[Famous Mortimer]

I think "invent" is a bit of a strong word, given that this sort of thing's been going on for years (didn't SNL do stuff like this when they had the star of a film in as a guest host from time to time?) and like's been said, Atom Films have been doing it too...same with Channel 101 and 102. Ah well, I've yet to see Be Kind Rewind so I'll reserve further judgement.

[Feralkid]

Oh, this has been happening since the Super 8 era. 

Back in the day Why Don't You had a report on some kids who'd remade Raiders of the Lost Ark.  Whilst that great Arena documentary from about 1981 about Superman also features some amateur film-makers talking about their 8mm remake of Richard Donner's film.   

I think it's a fairly common impulse for tyro film-makers to try and re-create another person's work.  First time I ever got my mits on a video camera I decided to recreate the video for Wuthering Heights using a Kate Bush puppet I made from yarn and an oven glove. 

It's also a common impulse for actual Hollywood directors too.  Hence the films of Brian De Palma....

[Phil_A]

A few years ago there was a story in the media about two childhood friends who'd spent years making a scene-by-scene recreation of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, and it was going to get an actual cinematic release, or a film made based around the story of them making the film or something like that. Haven't heard anything about it since, though.

[VegaLA]

I used to butcher my fave films as remakes back in 1989, including a Dr Who series and built up quite a collection. They still exist as VHS tapes at my friends house and I occasionally nag him to convert them to DV but I can see me doing it myself when I visit him next time. I could upload them to YouTube, but then i'd have to go into hiding.

[Famous Mortimer]

Unless you look very similar to how you did 20 years ago, you'll be alright. Upload away!!

[surreal]

A few years ago there was a story in the media about two childhood friends who'd spent years making a scene-by-scene recreation of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, and it was going to get an actual cinematic release, or a film made based around the story of them making the film or something like that. Haven't heard anything about it since, though.

That'll be this one (trailer only unfortunately):
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78AOrMtUiY0[/youtube]