Dylan Duarte
There's something about the horror genre - the films it produces, specifically - that makes the idea of a remake seem particularly appealing. Every genre sees remakes, to be sure, but horror remakes seem to outnumber them all. Why is this?
I have two theories. One is that horror films, especially those from up-and-coming filmmakers, tend to be of lower budget. So when looking for a property that's ripe for a remake, I imagine it's fairly enticing to take a solid film with a small budget and remake it in a grand way.
My other theory is that, because so much of horror is purely concept, that remakes are just easy to come up with. The Friday the 13th films don't really have a plot, just the concept of an undead guy in a hockey mask that slices and dices with a machete. Want to remake a slasher? Just re-do the killer's origin and give him a roster of "modern" teens to disembowel.
Whatever the reason, Hollywood sees a lot of horror remakes. And while remakes are generally shunned, and with good reason, there are more than a few diamonds in the horror rough. With the remake of Fright Night coming to theaters soon, I thought I'd discuss some truly great horror remakes.
The Crazies
A film about a biological weapon's effects on a small town, George Romero's original film was released in 1973. Almost forty years later, a small team of writers bring a remake to theaters starring modern-day Clint Eastwood Timothy Olyphant (Deadwood, Justified). Although the original has become something of a cult classic, it was never truly well-received. The remake, however, was a tense, effective thriller.
Night of the Living Dead
Another Romero film? Relax, we've still got one more to go! While the original Night of the Living Dead remains a classic, and is probably a stronger film, I'll always have a place in my heart for Tom Savini's 1990 remake starring Tony Todd and Patricia Tallman. Romero rewrote his original screenplay for his oft-used special effects and makeup artist to direct from.
Dawn of the Dead
Alright, this is the last of the Romero films. Romero is an accomplished director with an arsenal of great films, so is it any surprise that they're often reproduced? Zack Snyder's 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake had little in common in the original, other than focusing on a group of zombie apocalypse survivors taking shelter in a shopping mall. It was very much a product of its time - faster, gorier, and, in many ways, scarier. It may not be as intelligent as Romero's original, but it's a solid horror flick all the same.
The Fly
I've never seen the 1958 original, but that's alright. This isn't a list of remakes that surpass the original, but remakes that are good films - and David Cronenberg's 1986 remake of The Fly is a very, very good film. Jeff Goldblum gives a memorable performance as a man who accidentally splices himself with a housefly in a teleportation experiment gone wrong. While it's just as much science fiction as it is horror, The Fly is absolutely terrifying.
The Thing
Again, I haven't seen the original black-and-white The Thing From Outer Space and I really have no desire to. John Carpenter's remake of The Thing is, in my opinion, one of the finest horror films ever made and I'm far from alone in that thinking. Wonderful effects, performances, and a setting that's scary all on its own make this "remake" a truly fantastic piece of filmmaking.
Guest author Dylan Duarte is a movie buff and professional writer. When he's not reviewing movies, he also writes about Halloween costumes. He can be reached at dylnduarte@gmail.com."
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