A lot has been said about horror movie remakes, most of it negative. Fans complain about remakes because they fail to live up to the magic of the original (A Nightmare on Elm Street), are pointless English translations of perfectly good foreign films (Let Me In), or are just plain bad (The Omen). But every now and then a remake is actually...well, good. Here are just a few worth checking out.
The Ring
Japanese film Ringu (1998) is widely regarded as one of the scariest in the country’s history. It tells the story of a videotape that kills anyone who watches it seven days later, and a reporter (Nanako Matsushima) who must uncover the truth and save herself and her family. The movie was remade in the United States in 2002 with Naomi Watts in the leading role. The two films are similar, but with Gore Verbinski directing the American version, how could it have gone wrong?
King Kong
The original King Kong (1933) is a classic monster movie. It has been remade twice; the first (1976) left out the dinosaurs and other monsters that resided with Kong on Skull Island and was more overtly sexual. But Peter Jackson took over the story and, in 2005, updated the movie once again. This remake takes place in 1933 but effortlessly updates the story with modern technology. It has the perfect blend of action, drama, and romance; once again, Naomi Watts is the leading lady and Kong (Andy Serkis, with the same motion capture technology that allowed him to play Gollum) has to vie with Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody) for her affections. Has Peter Jackson ever made a truly bad movie?
Piranha
Piranha (1978) is part campy monster flick, part not-so-subtle Jaws parody. It is gross and has little in the way of substantial plot, but it isn’t supposed to; it it’s supposed to be fun, and it is. Piranha 3D (2010) follows a different story line but the basics remained the same: Man-eating piranhas flock to the surface to feast on unsuspecting swimmers. Piranha 3D doesn’t hold back on the gore (or the nudity), nor does it pretend to be anything it isn’t. It’s a fun summer monster movie, and it does its job well.
The Last House on the Left
The classic revenge film by master of horror Wes Craven came out in 1972 and centers on Mari Collingwood (Sandra Peabody) and Phyllis Stone (Lucy Grantham), teenage friends who are kidnapped, raped, and murdered by escaped convicts. When the convicts unknowingly seek shelter at Mari’s parents’ house, their crime is revealed and the grieving parents seek revenge. It is controversial and gritty; the remake, released in 2009, is tamer (some may even say watered down) and changes several details, but is still effective and powerful.
Are there any other horror remakes worth watching?
Hattiesburg residents: With the exceptions of Piranha (1978) and King Kong (1933), all of these classics and their respective remakes are available at Blockbuster Video. Go check them out!
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