Horror Movie Remakes

It would seem that the elusive world of horror films is slowly running out of ideas. This is obviously evident in the fact that we have seen so many remakes of horror films. "The Hills Have Eyes", "Nightmare on Elm Street", and even older films like "13 Ghosts" have all received modern revamps for a more modern audience. I thought a look at some other films that were prepping for remake status might prove fun and insightful.

I have wondered that for some time. I understand older films lacked the technology we have today to put in the state of the art effects. Maybe that ability to instill more realism is the reason behind the bombardment of remakes in the horror genre. Perhaps it is marketing. It is difficult to get a new villain over with studio execs. They want things that are guaranteed to sell. It would be much easier to market a Nightmare on Elm Street remake to a producer because Freddy has already proven he could sell tickets and DVDs. Maybe the reason is horror is losing it's steam and running low on new ideas. Regardless of the reason, the horror remake is here to stay.

Few horror fanatics can forget Bruce Cambell's portrayal of Ash. His classic lines such as "good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun" and of course "Gimme some sugar" have become common mainstays on the internet sound byte downloads. This remake has been talked about for many years and seems to always pop up anytime a new zombie flick hits the big screen. Die hard Cambell fans have rallied at conventions and online for a remake of this cult classic, or at the very least a sequel.

Sadly Sam Raimi has been throwing up some mixed signs on this one. One week he seems gung ho on the remake becoming a reality and the next week he shoots it down the drain. It has been crazy because no one really knows just where this one stands as far as actually seeing the remake come through. It is clear in my eyes that if this film is to find any level of success, Bruce Cambell has to be a part of the project.

My take on this one is leave it be! The original was an instant cult classic and remaking it may seem like an insult to the die hard fans who have kept it alive for so long. The initial appeal of the film is not going to be something that can be recaptured.

When I first heard that a 2nd remake was in the works, that's right this one has already been remade once, I face palmed so hard. The original was such a goofy concept but it had real potential as a cult film and an instant B-movie masterpiece that has been showcased on numerous underground horror hosts' programs.

Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine will be penning the new version and Nichols will direct the film. You may recognise the names from the internet's Ask A Ninja. No real information has been released on this one. The idea of tomatoes that come to life and kill people is obviously funny and it's going to appeal to a certain audience I just don't feel a third visit to tomato land is in the need category.

My take leave it be. Two versions is plenty and a third will just cheapen the original's appeal.

The universal monsters have long been the face of hollywood horror. Oddly enough Frankenstien, Dracula, Wolfman, and even the Mummy have all seen their fair share of big screen exposure. The creature has almost become the forgotten member of the group.

A new Black Lagoon film may very well be what old school horror fans are waiting to see. I think it would be a great thrill to get to see the character come to life with newer up to date effects and better quality equipment.

My take on this one is go for it. A new Creature From the Black Lagoon would be awesome. It is one of those characters that captivated an audience generations apart from today's audience. It would be interesting to see how today's crowd would react to the creature.

With popular remakes such as Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and Halloween it was just a matter of time before Chucky came to play in remake land. The first Child's Play was literally a scary work of art. The antagonist was a voodoo practitioner who implanted his soul into the body of a goodguy doll. For those of us old enough to remember, the goodguy bore a disturbing resemblance to the classic buddy doll. Needless to say after Child's Play I really stopped playing with my buddy and he went on vacation to my attic.

Chucky quickly went from horrific to humorous as each sequel became more and more comedic. I think a revamp of the original may reset the overtone that caught our attention in the first place.

No word has been released yet as to who will voice the pint sized bad guy Chucky although several names have made common ground on the internet. Robert Englund, who played Freddy for many years, Reggie Bannister of Phantasm fame, and even Johny Depp have all been rumored to be taking the voice role on Child's Play.

My take on this one is sure why not. I mean we have all of the major scare faces featured in remakes. Freddy, Jason, Leatherface, and Micheal Myers, why not give Chucky a chance to shine a little.

Yet again Raimi is making it difficult to get any clue as to the potential for remake here. The only clear fact discovered so far is Bruce Cambell will not be in this film. Several names have been suggested to replace B movie superstar Bruce Campbell including Sean William Scott and Ashton Kutcher.

Evil Dead was one of the most prolific cult classics and it would be very complicated to remake such a epic film. My take is leave it be! Without Cambell it would only serve to insult the fans of the series and really adding a popular star to the mix will degrade the film.

I am a huge fan of Hellraiser and it's stock pile of sequels. Doug Bradley is just so horrifying as the demonic Pinhead. The first real talks of a Hellraiser remake came several years back but was put on hold due to the fact that sequels were popping up like weeds.

Right now the biggest news on a remake of Clive Barker's most frightening creation is news that die hard fans are not going to like very well. Doug Bradley will not be reprising the role of Pinhead. A new actor will have to try and fill the shoes of such an amazing character.

I have to admit that a Hellraiser film without Bradley at the helm of the elusive and dark Pinhead just rubs me the wrong way. How do you replace such an amazing actor with a new face. But then again they did it with Freddy, and truth be told I did not like that either.

My take on this one is leave it alone. Hellraiser was so genre changing. It made horror a thinking game and really it does not need to be remade at all. If anything the sequels have been great so I would suggest going that route.

Dave Kajganich has been appointed to direct the remake of Stephen King's clown from hell horror flick It. The original was actually a TV mini series that was later released on home video and sales sky rocketed. It was one of King's most loved books and quickly rose to cult classic status with stars such as Tim Curry, and John Ritter,

Warner Brothers in association with Lin Pictures, and Vertigo Entertainment have been working together to bring It to the big screen for a second time. The original featured a very disturbing performance by Tim Curry has the killer clown Pennywise. As of right now there is no official word as to who will be putting the clown costume on to recreate the original feel. Rumors spread early that Curry would in fact be doning the clown again but that has never been confirmed.

Other rumors insist that Curry will be taking the role as the over protective father or perhaps even the adult Eddie Bowers. No real word has been released on this one but the internet is buzzing with rumors and what ifs. Any time King comes to the big screen it is generally a big deal and a new look at It might see a big increase in sales of the paperback.

My take is make it. A new look at the classic novel turned movie might be worth the wait. A fresh new coat of fright could do wonders for this one. I loved the original but it really did not capture some of the horrific moments the book showcased and with today's movie abilities it could very well capture that initial terror.

Remakes are a part of the new Hollywood trend and it looks like they are going to be here for awhile. Horror films have always been the center of remake hysteria. Maybe our culture just needs to revisit the older films but we need to do it with a new approach.