10 horror movie remakes that got it right
With 'Evil Dead' on the horizon, we pick our favorite fright-flick redos
With Fede Alvarez's "Evil Dead" remake looming on the horizon (the grisly horror flick hits theaters on April 5; read Drew's SXSW review here), we thought it was a good time to follow up on last summer's "10 remakes that got it right" gallery with a horror movie-themed version. Indeed, while artistically-bankrupt remakes of our favorite (?) horror films far outnumber the successful ones, we were nevertheless able to rustle up a few superior examples to steer Hollywood in the right direction.
Click on the gallery below for the full list, then let us know which is your favorite by voting in the poll further down the page.
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March 21, 2013 at 4:19AM EST Reply to CommentAfraid of the Dark were all garbage. Boring garbage. The rest of this list is pretty solid.
Leaving The Crazies off the list makes you suspect.
March 21, 2013 at 4:20AM ESTceggertsen I wasn't a fan of "The Crazies" at all...felt it was very by-the-numbers. I think I may be in the minority on that one though.
March 21, 2013 at 6:27PM ESTChesterfield
March 21, 2013 at 5:21AM EST Reply to CommentThe 'Saw remake is OK at best, and it has that extremely misplaced shot where the camera travels through the whole in the girl's head. That completely ruins any atmosphere or tension built up at that point.
Nispel also has Pathfinder and Conan (2011) on his resume, I can't believe he's not in Director jail. Those films are the very definition of "wasted potential".
Roy Munson there's a remake of Saw??
March 21, 2013 at 11:09PM ESTRoy Munson oh, you meant chainsaw. never mind
March 21, 2013 at 11:16PM ESTBut I thought the shot through the gunshot was the highlight of a crappy film. (If memory serves, Ebert agreed). Why is that "extremely misplaced"?
Chesterfield I felt it was too goofy and didn't match the tone of the film. There is nothing like it before or after in the film (though that is obviously not a dealbreaker), and it's funny when it's supposed to be horrifying. IMO, of course, but I have read some reviews saying the same.
March 22, 2013 at 6:33AM ESTFarren
March 21, 2013 at 5:32AM EST Reply to CommentI think The Omen remake should be in this list. The original is less creepy for me.
CrumbThumber
March 21, 2013 at 6:47AM EST Reply to CommentI thoroughly enjoyed the American remake of Let the Right One In. It doesn't add too much new, but it is still a good story told well.
DLM Entertainment
March 21, 2013 at 11:00AM EST Reply to Commentwhat, no love for the Amityville Horror 2005 version? That's a solid piece of horror and a great performance by Ryan Reynolds. Also, the introduction of genre favorite Chloe Grace Moretz. Solid flick, great performances, and one of the hottest babysitters in recent memory.
ceggertsen I thought it was decent...probably would've made the Top 15.
March 21, 2013 at 6:26PM ESTsfsrsfsrg
March 21, 2013 at 12:17PM EST Reply to CommentDon't Be afraid of the Dark?!?! Really?!!? That is probably one of the ten worst remakes.
sfsrsfsrg
March 21, 2013 at 12:18PM EST Reply to CommentDon't Be Afraid of the Dark!?!?! Really!?! That is probably one of the ten worst remakes.
ceggertsen Agree to disagree!
March 21, 2013 at 6:25PM ESTtroopermsu
March 21, 2013 at 1:10PM EST Reply to CommentReading about some of these got me remembering the film experiences, especially The Ring and The Thing, and that got me all tensed up before I even realized I was feeling the visceral emotions of the movies again.
ceggertsen :)
March 21, 2013 at 6:25PM ESTbubbatwo420
March 21, 2013 at 4:49PM EST Reply to CommentI would also vote for The Crazies to be on this list as i thought Eisner did a terrific job with a been-there done that plot. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is underrated if only for the small Del Toro flourishes throughout - don't see the hate on that one.
ceggertsen I was not a fan of "The Crazies" remake...though I know a lot of people were.
March 21, 2013 at 6:25PM ESTDrHasslein
March 21, 2013 at 6:08PM EST Reply to CommentWhat, no Willard? 2003 remake absolutely blew the original out of the water.
Matt Joseph
March 22, 2013 at 11:33AM EST Reply to CommentNo THE BLOB '88? Heresy. Savini's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD '90 is also a worthy remake certainly better than some of the pictures included here.
John F.C. Taylor
March 23, 2013 at 8:39AM EST Reply to CommentThat's just the point. The original Thing was science fiction, not horror. So the Kurt Russell movie couldn't be a remake. Same for Body Snatchers.