I watch a lot of horror movies and If you’ve seen any videos on this channel, you’ll know that I get very attached to the movies that I grew up watching when I was a kid. I view those movies through nostalgia colored glasses and I get almost protective over them… so it feels somewhat like a personal attack on something I love when companies try to remake those movies that I think were already done perfectly… If you take a beloved movie title and make a shitty remake with the same name… you will get an automatic audience and that will most likely help you when marketing that movie, BUT it will also mean that it’s impossible to watch that movie without comparing it to the original… and if that original is a pop culture phenomenon or a very loved cult classic, trying to remake it almost always ends up in disaster. However… once in a while, not very often, on extremely rare occasions… a remake not only turns out well but is arguably better than the original. So in today’s video, we are going to take a look at a few movies that have done one of the most difficult things in all of filmmaking… they have managed to remake a horror movie and do it without pissing off the horror community, which is not an easy task… so, these are 10 horror remakes that are better than the originals.
I can’t wait for all the hate in my comments section on a few of the movies on this list so let’s not delay it any further…
Number 10: Ok this fist one is pretty obvious and I think it is the usual example people give when talking about great horror remakes… It’s The Thing from 1982 and it’s a loose remake of a 1951 low budget movie that definitely needed updated. This is the perfect kind of movie to remake.. It doesn’t mess with a cult classic that was already perfect.. It takes an older, low budget movie with a solid premise and adds updated effects and a larger budget to create a classic in the genre that should never be remade again…
Number 9: Alright, this one is going to cause some controversy… I’m actually not even sure it should be on the list.. Sometimes I prefer the original and sometimes I prefer the remake and I know it’s going to piss off some people since it’s a cult classic but number 9 on the list is The Dawn Of The Dead from 2004. The original is a beloved classic, which usually means the remake will be hated but I think it managed to not completely piss off the community somehow. It takes everything cool about the original and cranks it up a bit, earning a spot on this list…
Number 8: This next movie is something I think is kinda smart to remake… it takes things that are working in other countries and remakes them to be more palatable for an American audience. I could have picked a few different movies for this spot but my number 9 on the list is The Ring from 2002. Many can argue that the original is a good movie but remaking this opened up a whole genre of horror to new fans that may have gone unnoticed if it weren’t remade to suit an American audience.
Number 7: This next movie is another one that I think was a smart remake… Take an old movie that is no longer really known, especially to younger viewers, with a solid premise and give it an update with better technology and familiar actors and you just might have a successful remake on your hands. Thirteen Ghosts from 2001 isn’t my favorite horror movie by any means but I would definitely rather watch it rather than the original and for me, that’s the only real criteria that I’m using to consider it “better” than the original.
Number 6: OK.. this next one is another on the list that I may get a lot of shit for… It’s a cult classic that will potentially get me booed out of the horror community by admitting that I enjoy watching the remake more than the original… It’s Night Of The Living Dead from 1990 and although it may not be as classic and loved as the original, for me, it’s just more entertaining and the updated zombies and gore effects make it much more watchable.
Number 5: Well, I already pissed off all the Romero fans so we might as well do another one! This next movie on my list is again from George Romero and it’s a movie that wasn’t on rotation at my house and really wasn’t even on my radar until the remake and that movie is The Crazies from 2010. Now i’ll be honest, this isn’t a movie that I particularly like that much but I think it’s more watchable than the original, which makes it earn a place on this list!
Number 4: We already pissed off all the Romero fans, why don’t we move onto the Wes Craven fans! Again, both of these movies are well done and have their fans but If I had the option to watch the original or the remake, I’d choose the remake. That movie is The Hills Have Eyes from 2006. This movie just makes me sad and I don’t really watch it much but I think it’s a decent remake that really amped up the hideous savages and gore making it simply a better watch for me.
Number 3: This next movie is a no brainer just like number 10 was… It takes an old black and white movie with a good story and modernizes it a bit making a superior movie. It’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers from 1978 and enough time had gone by after the original allowing technology to improve to the point where a remake made perfect sense. It’s a quality 70’s horror movie with a great cast that again, maybe should have been left alone!
Number 2: OK.. now we are getting to the last couple that will probably have no arguments what-so-ever since they are often used as examples of quality remakes and are considered cult classics themselves. Number 2 on the list is The Blob from 1988 and it’s a really well done cheesy 80s horror movie, which is pretty much what I love. It’s such a strange concept to have a formless creature but when combined with 80s style practical effects, it creates a cult classic that is definitely better than the original.
Number 1: You may have guessed this final movie on the list because again, it’s a well known and well loved remake that did everything right! It’s The Fly from 1986 and just like John Carpenter’s The Thing, it took an old, outdated movie that could definitely benefit from updated special effects to properly tell the horrific story. It’s in the horror movie hall of fame for me and is definitely a great example of a horror remake done better!
Alright, what do you think?… I’m almost afraid to ask because there’s a few on this list that may be up for debate for sure so leave your thoughts in the comments below and don’t forget to like and subscribe if you love horror content and I will see you in the next one!
