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Here's a head scratcher for you, fellow Fortress Dwellers - do you remember the time a major movie came out that was based on an original idea, not some book (comic or otherwise) interpretation or that other favourite of lazy Hollywood - the dreaded REMAKE.

Seriously, browse through a list of some of the biggest movies over the last few years. Here's a quick heads up..

King Kong - Remake
Chronicles Of Narnia - Book Adap.
Lord Of The Rings - Book Adap.
The Ring - Jap Remake
Hills Have Eyes - Remake
Fog - Remake
Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Remake
Da Vinci Code - Book Adap.
War Of The Worlds - Book Adap.
Charlie's Angels - Remake
Dukes Of Hazzard - Remake
Shaft - Remake

And that's just a random few names that popped into my head. Add the Batmans and Spidey's and Superman Returns, not to mention the countless Japanese horror remakes and utterly redundant sequels (Basic Instinct 2?) and you have a movie industry that is, creatively speaking, dead in the water.

I can understand remaking movies that are more than a little well-worn. The likes of Nosferatu, for example, could do with a re-telling for a modern audience. But with the studio exec's hunger for a hit film they'll plunder anything with a remotely famous name to draw in the punters. Hence the countless shabby horror remakes we've had to endure (and keep on enduring).

And let's not forget the plethora of TV shows that have been updated and remade for the movie going audience. Again, anything with even a remotely famous name is getting pillaged and repackaged for a generation who are quickly earning no identity for themselves.

I don't know what age you lot are, but when The Curmudgeon was growing up we had the likes of Back To The Future, Star Wars, Gremlins, Goonies, E.T, Indiana Jones, Aliens, Predator and countless others to watch - original, innovative movies that you didn't already know the endings to. This generation? "Oh yeah - we had King Kong. And Narnia. And War Of The Worlds. Who doesn't know how THEY end?"

It's a bad situation, my friends. And sadly - it's going to get worse.