Column: Remake Rewind
Staff: Jeff Owens |
May not be suitable for younger readers. |
Description: Jeff wrap nostalgia in a box with shiny new bow - and inside that box is a bloody heart pounding for its next horror fix. Remake Rewind combines nostalgia and a new generation of horror comparing the classics to their remake counterparts.
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Remake Rewind: Maniac
For some inexplicable reason, I'd never seen the classic movie, Maniac (1980) until I learned that a remake was forthcoming. Thank goodness for that, because I may have never made a point to do so. I guess that's one positive result of a remake for me; it makes me watch the original. And the original was far better than I'd ever imagined it would be. |
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Remake Rewind: Evil Dead
Oh, how I let my hopes lead me to unrealistic expectations! It's not that I didn't like the new Evil Dead, it's just that, while solid and well-made with its own unique style, it falls short of being a modern day classic. |
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Remake Rewind: My Bloody Valentine
Welcome to the first-ever Remake Rewind where public approval will determine the ratings for an original slasher classic and its contemporary remake. |
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Remake Rewind: Silent Night, Deadly Night
Opening on only 398 screens in November of 1984, I never got to see Silent Night, Deadly Night in theaters. I always considered it "straight-to-video" (at that time, VHS). However, I will never forget the controversy it caused. |
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Remake Rewind: Red Dawn
I've never cared for Red Dawn, the 1984 movie about a Communist invasion of the United States and the ragtag team of high school students who fight back from the outskirts of their small Colorado town. In fact, I can barely watch the entire thing without nodding off. It's not that it's boring; it's just that the story is so one note. |
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Remake Rewind: Total Recall
There are things I like and dislike about both versions of Total Recall. Since the plots are so similar, part of the fun while watching the remake is noticing the little tweaks that either pay homage to the original or try to update it. |
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Remake Rewind: The Hitcher
The Hitcher (1986) is the second 80's horror movie I've seen this year that has either aged very well, or I've liked more now than I remember liking the first time I saw it. The first was Fright Night (1985). Unlike Fright Night (2011) though, the remake, The Hitcher (2007), is as good as the original. |
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Remake Rewind: Mother's Day
One of the cult movies to come from Troma Entertainment beginning in the mid-1970s is a little gem called Mother's Day (1980). While the name borrows from other "holiday horrors" of the era like Halloween and Friday the 13th, it actually has nothing to do with Mom's special day. |
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Remake Rewind: Cat People
Of all the remakes I've rewound in this column, I'm not sure there is a pair of movies as different from each other as Cat People (1942 and 1982). One is a masterpiece of imagination, its scares generated from atmosphere and mood. |
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Remake Rewind: The Toolbox Murders
A movie title like The Toolbox Murders creates specific expectations. I know what’s in my toolbox, and I can imagine all kinds of creative and deadly ways to use those tools on my enemies. |
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Remake Rewind: All Things Considered
It's been a while since I've watched any of the 1950's sci-fi "invasion" movies, but I imagine The Thing from Another World (1951) is one of the best of them. It may seem old-fashioned and talky, but it is also atmospheric and creepy. |
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Remake Rewind: Straw Dogs
The questions and ambiguity make Straw Dogs unfold like art house horror, as does the cinematography once the violence begins. When people fall, it is in slow motion. When people are intimate, there are fast, back and forth flashes to other people and places. |
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Remake Rewind: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
The movies are called “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark”. The DARK. Arguably, what you cannot see is scarier than what you can see. The 1973 version remembers that, providing only quick glimpses of its creatures. But in 2011, we have CGI, and, apparently, no imagination. |
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Remake Rewind: Fright Night
When I first saw the original Fright Night in 1985, I didn't particularly like it. In the years since its theatrical release, I've never wanted to see it again. However, watching it recently in anticipation of the remake, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. |
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Remake Rewind: The Amityville Horror
It is rare, if not impossible, to find a horror remake that undeniably improves upon its predecessor. Some come close, but usually because of the fun in seeing an old favorite updated 20 or 30 years later. In this case... |
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Remake Rewind: The Crazies
I’m a crazy, he’s a crazy… wouldn’t you like to be a crazy, too? My guess is that a very small percentage of people who helped the The Crazies reach a respectable $40 million at the box office had any idea that it was actually a remake at the time. |
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Remake Rewind: Night of the Demons
Lipstick nipples, abandonded mansions and Halloween shenanigans take place in this edition of the Remake Rewind when we tackle Night of the Demons. How does the remake stack up to the original? Two “Nights” Gonna be a Good Night!
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Remake Rewind: Which Stepfather Knows Best
It turns out that something good can arise from the seemingly pointless remake of yet another 80's horror flick. I would argue that a present-day viewing of the original exposes more flaws than you'd remember and that the remake is actually pretty damn enjoyable. |
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Remake Rewind: Black Christmas
A Scary Christmas to All, and to All a Good Fright! the 1974 cult classic, Black Christmas. Watching it today, you might think that Black Christmas stole ideas from any number of other horror movies, but it's important to remember that it actually predated them.
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Remake Rewind: Happy Friday the 13th Jason vs Jason
To celebrate Friday the 13th (August) we bring you a Remake Rewind! Compare and contrast the 2009 remake vs its original counterpart. Which one will make it out alive? |
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Remake Rewind: The Blob
The list of horror films that truly reflect the times in which they were made is short, but THE BLOB tops that list. By no means is it a great movie, maybe not even a good movie. But there is no denying that it is a significant and relevant part of horror history. |
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