The Best and Worst Remakes Blogfest
http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-to-z-challenge-memento-meant-to-live.html
Hosted by:
Alex J. Cavanaugh http://alexjcavanaugh.blogfest.com/
Stephen Tremp http://authorstephentremp.blogspot.com/
Father Dragon Al http://fatherdragon.blogspot.com/
Livia Peterson http://leaveittolivia.blogspot.com/
And the last day of The May Monster Madness.
http://www.anniewalls.com/2013/04/may-monster-madness-sign-up-linky-list.html
So here are some "monster" movie remakes.
Best Remakes
Back in 2011 for my horror movie blogathon I covered the Swedish Horror film Let The Right One In (2008) and it's remake Let Me In (2010). It is rare when a remake can capture the same feel of the original and still have something new to say. Let Me In does that. Many will claim that Let the Right One In is superior, and it is in some ways (Eli's backstory is very disturbing), but Let Me In is also very, very good.
Another one that is better than the original is The Omen. The 2006 remake of The Omen is much better acted and better looking, just not sure if the story is any better (though I like Richard Donner as a director better). The remake of the classic Amityville Horror is scarier, even if the movie itself isn't as good as the original.
Among my non-horror faves hats of to Yojimbo (1961) and Fistful of Dollars (1964) and Last Man Standing (1996). Both added something new to the classic Yojimbo. It should be remade again today with gang lands or drug cartels (maybe it has).
Worst Remakes
Halloween is notable. I like Rob Zombie and I think he has some great ideas, but his Halloween movies really do suck. Same with the remake of Nightmare on Elm Street. Nothing was as scary as the first time you saw Freddy in the theatres. The Ring was not as good as Ringu.
Though I keep a special loathing for Gus Van Sant's shot-for-shot remake of Psycho. Sorry, but there is nothing here and even Psycho 4 was better.
I'll go as far as saying that most horror remakes come up short of the original.
ETA: forgot about the song! Anyway, here is a cheat. One song, two remakes. The Smith's "How Soon is Now". The original was teen-agnsty sitting in your bedroom crying because you are so deep sort of song. Love Spit Love did it better in The Craft and it became the theme song to Charmed. Here it sounded more adult. tATu redid it again for the worse version I have ever heard.
More Blogfest posting fun later today!
12 comments:
I've not seen either psycho, so I can't comment, but I agree with Nightmare!
Ironically I picked The Ring as the best remake!
The Amityville Horror remake was so much better. The original scared the crap out of me when I saw it in the theater, but watching it again within the past few years I realized how BAD it really was.
Diane, I just saw that! I liked the original better to be honest. I rewatched Amityville recently too and kept thinking why did I think this was so scary back then?
I think I saw the original in a Drive In!
I preferred the original Omen, but that is just my opinion.
Yvonne.
Oh, Tim! How can you knock the original version of The Omen? For me it's one of the unassailable classics, like The Exorcist, Psycho and The Blair Witch Project that gives me genuine chills to this day.
Also can't believe you're taking swipes at faux-lesbian/jailbait rock duet tATu??? But then they are one of my many musical guilty pleasures ;)
im intrigued by let me in, simply bec. i love chloe moretz.:)
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
I actually felt that the Omen remake was a pretty much note-for-note reshoot...did not feel it improved on the original at all (missed what you saw in the acting).
That original was pretty darn creepy...
You're right about Rob Zombie. Great with music and the haunted fest at Universal Studios, but his movies are awful.
Thanks for participating in our blogfest.
Was there a remake of Elm Street? God, if I couldn't start the first one, I wouldn't a remake. Thanks for participating, Tim! :)
I mentioned Psycho in my wrap-up. Good choices.
M.L. Swift, Writer
I enjoyed both versions of LET ME IN -- each was gripping in its own way.
The one(s) I've seen are the Amityvilles.
Everclear also did a cover of "How Soon is Now" but I thought it was...all right. I *am* a rather big Everclear fan, that said.
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