What to Make of All These Remakes?

Has Hollywood run dry when it comes to the horror film genre? As of late, the recent trend by studios have been to quickly churn out sub par remakes of our beloved horror classics, but are they worth our time and movie dollars? I say, “no”, though there may be minor changes, expanded story lines, bigger budgets and even more attractive casts, the newer films certainly don’t have the impact that their predecessors did.

Back in the day, there was a general excitement and almost something taboo when it came to horror films, it was event for most of us. Being 12, I fondly recall the trailer for ‘Friday the 13^th’ and how I pleaded with anyone old enough to accompany me to the local cinema. A child of late night horror films by way of ‘Creature Feature’ and ‘Elvira’s Movie Macabre’, there was a pure magic these films possessed, that are lacking in today’s efforts. I believe it’s the approach, the films of yesteryear were fresh and had heart, a pure love of the genre. Today, there are a very few fans who are cogs in the studios wheels, but luckily there are the Rob Zombies who infuse their passions for the genre into their works. ‘Halloween’ was among one of the decent remakes, expounding on the original story and creating a new mood of rage the original lacked.

Like potential victims in a slasher film, most remakes have a limited run and meet with and untimely fate. In my opinion the worst remake would have to be ‘The Fog’. John Carpenter’s masterpiece suffered at the hands of director Rupert Wainwright, primarily a video director, his vision did nothing for the story. Carpenter was a producer on the film and it seemed promising, but alas the vision was as hard to navigate through, as it’s title. The film was rushed and the actors looked bored. Selma Blair did not live up to Adrienne Barbeau’s ‘Stevie Wayne’, the rock of the film. However, I will give a nod to the new light shed on the leper colony.

It’s not all gloom and doom, there have been some survivors. A great example is Universal’s remake of “The Mummy.” Though not completely a horror film, it had chemistry and Stephen Sommers quite literally resurrected the tale of “The Mummy.” Sommers’ affection for the story is apparent in the detail he took on the appearance and story. Personally, this film is among my all-time favorite films and it’s a film that I can, and do, watch every time it appears on the cable grid. It is one of the rare instances where it surpasses the appeal of the original.

I’m not sure what the future holds for the genre but there are a slew of remakes on the horizon, including “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, “Friday the 13^th”, “Children of the Corn”, “Hellraiser” and “My Bloody Valentine” to name a few. Personally, I don’t hold out much hope for these films outdoing their cherished originals, but my love of the genre will drag me to my local Cineplex and I’ll be lurking in the dark shadows waiting for that killer flick to take it’s hold. Are you going to take your chances?