New trailer explores edgier version of 'Citizen Kane'

Posted Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 4:35 PM Central

by John Couture

You would think that certain Hollywood classics are untouchable. That despite living in the age of remakes and sequelpalooza, that studios would remain level headed when it came to those movies that should never be remade.

Star Wars. Casablanca. Citizen Kane.

Well, this is Hollywood and common sense is in short supply. Enter Mark Potts and his attempt to either beat Hollywood to the punch or show just how inane it would be to remake Citizen Kane.

His trailer (embedded below) is actually pretty enjoyable, but it makes me think that Robert Rodriguez simply did his version of Citizen Kane and this is the trailer for it.

It's definitely grittier, but yet it still finds a way satirize the same targets that the original movie did. And yes, before you even ask, there is a sled in it. Well, sort of.

This got me thinking. What if other directors remade Citizen Kane? I could see Kevin Smith's version focusing on Kane's insecurities, featuring verbose speeches and exactly one camera move. Or how about Michael Bay, who links a newspaper conspiracy with a plot to destroy the world. There would be massive explosion sequences and random beautiful women running for no apparent reason.

What about you? Give us your most interesting director's take on Citizen Kane. Or simply tell us if you like this faux trailer. I certainly dig it, especially as a harbinger of the dangers that would befall Hollywood if they dared to tinker with the "untouchables."