I wouldn't greenlight any of those based on those lines alone, but it's possible that the right director with the right team could pull those off.

The first one is rather close to the later Saw movies. The second is Wanted, loom and all. The third is my biopic, and the fourth is my sister's.

Metropolis.

I just think it would be neat.

Hey, look at these tracks! I think I'll put this thread onto them.

Thought for Teague: Avatar.

Go.

Avatar is essentially the epitome of what you're describing. A reinvisioning of a classic story (Pocahontas) as something new.

Explain yourself.

You're going after a straw man here, maul. If you listen to a shortly pre-AVATAR commentary -- I believe it was GHOSTBUSTERS 2 -- we all go on record as not caring a whit that AVATAR even from the trailers looked like POCAHONTAS with blue kitties. In fact, we defended it specifically on the grounds that there's nothing wrong with retelling a classic story in a new way. That's not the problem any of us have with AVATAR, the problem is that it's superficial and dull once you look past the eye candy.

Just because he likes the idea of a remake/retelling doesn't mean that he has to like every movie that does it. You're trying to nail him on an inconsistency in his position that doesn't exist.

EDIT: Also, Zarban, the first idea you mention could make a fine dark comedy/social satire a la AMERICAN PSYCHO. It wouldn't work as a wacky, lighthearted romp, but my whole point is that the success of an idea hinges on execution.

The other three are undeveloped, is all. The old ladies have to make the perfect embroidery pattern... in order to...? Figure out a decent ending to that sentence and you've got a solid movie (or don't, and you've got WANTED). Swap "plastic bag" for "mud puddle" and you're on your way to developing AMERICAN BEAUTY. Swap "monotonous rural life" for "strict parents" and you've got the broad strokes of WIZARD OF OZ.

Or were you doing that on purpose?

How is 'Robot Pinnochio' a crummy and worn-out idea? The Pinnochio story is a charming tale and robotics are an obvious modern twist on the formula - where else has it been done aside from AI that makes the concept worn out?

You could make compelling stories from all of those ideas, or at least using these ideas in combination with other ideas.

I would love a story where man creates an artificial life, and instead of being a Pinnocchio, or a soulless machine who judges man as obsolete, he's just kind of a dick.  Not evil, but not fun to be around and kind of a douchebag.  Stays over longer than the party and doesn't bring chips or beer, never volunteers to drive, hooks up with stupid chicks that he brings over and then gets in an argument at your place.

Man's greatest achievement......is sort of fussy and insufferable.

I just realized how many bad remakes we could prevent if somehow we could get Harlan to work on the scripts without a deadline...

I think that was kinda his point.