When the Small and Big Screens Collide

[Zoneboy]

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Good ideas are hard to come by, so we'll have to cut Hollywood some slack for its ever-accelerating obsession with turning once-popular television shows into movies.

But be warned: Now that "Sex and the City: The Movie" has proven that the TV-to-big-screen formula can work -- and work well -- it's probably safe to assume every television show you've ever seen will eventually arrive at the cineplex.

But how do you decide whether said television-inspired movie is worth your while -- and your hard-earned $10 -- when you could stay home and watch reruns for free?

Following is a quick guide to distinguishing the small-to-big-screen trash from the treasures.

• Avoid the '70s: There are certain shows that should just stay where you left them: in your basement in the '80s, appearing in perpetual rerun and waiting for you after school or a long, chlorinated summer day at the pool.

But don't let nostalgia lure you in to big-screen remakes of these favorite shows. Once you get to the theater, you'll quickly realize that Jessica Simpson's Daisy Duke is the biggest hazard ever and that not even Demi Moore in a wet suit will make "Charlie's Angels" any more heavenly.

In short, tread lightly at this weekend's opening of "The Incredible Hulk," beware of the "Dallas" movie that's supposedly coming out next year, and if you ever hear of "Three's Company: The Movie," run, don't walk, in the other direction.

• Be selective about the '60s: This remake arena seems a little safer, simply because we're more removed from the original material.

But that doesn't mean you won't encounter some duds. "The Mod Squad" movie that came out in 1999 starring Claire Danes wasn't well received, to say the least.

And even though Nicole Kidman's nose-twitching was top-rate, people weren't finding much magic in 2005's "Bewitched" movie.

The remake of "Get Smart" that's set for release Friday has promise, it appears, but only because star Steve Carell has the ability to make even the dumbest comedy feel, well, smart.

• Look for continuity: Some of the best remake movies don't so much remake the original series as pick up where the original left off.

That's what made "Sex and the City" work. The stars weren't thrown into a crazy story line just for the sake of making a movie. The movie served to move the existing story along.

"The X-Files" employed the same method, maybe too well. The continuation provided in the first "X-Files" movie in 1998 needed its own continuation, necessitating yet another "X-Files" movie. As of now, it's set to come out in July.

If someone can ever threaten, cajole or pay David Chase enough to make a movie out of "The Sopranos," it'll likely work for the same reasons.

And if that ever happens, by all means, let nostalgia lure you in

[PlayOn]

i'm just going to avoid movies that were once great TV shows all together. i'm still mad over the Garfield movie fiasco!