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5 Remakes That Surpassed The Originals

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In most cases, remakes are bad. They’re either too close to the original, like the 1998 Psycho remake, or just bad in general, like Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes. But every now and then we get a great remake, most of the time because the directors changed the movie in just the right way, or because they put their heart and soul into the movie. These, in my opinion, are those remakes.

The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976/2014)

 Original vs Remake of the Town that dreaded Sundown

When The Town That Dreaded Sundown was released in 2014 I didn’t even know it was a remake. It just felt like an interesting movie. What I got was a self referential throwback to the slasher movies of yesteryear.

Instead of giving us a simple remake, telling the same story set in 2014, with the same things happening, they decided to pay homage to the original movie and even show scenes from it. The movie is based on a true story that was made into the 1970s movie, and that movie is watched in the remake. Now, many years later, the killer seems to have come back.

The original wasn’t bad, it was alright. It’s just nothing special, forgettable. It came shortly after Halloween, basically a rip-off. Instead of a Shatner mask they got the killer a bag over his head. The remake not only was an enjoyable movie, it also made me want to see the original. And that’s why it made the list.

The Hills Have Eyes (1977/2006)

Remake vs Original of The Hills Have Eyes

 

Both movies are actually quite similar, eventually telling the same story: A family with their van accidentally ends up in the desert with no contact to the outside world, and then evil incestuous hillbillies attack.

The original was cheaply made, with bad acting throughout. It was still a good movie because its director: was horror legend Wes Craven. Alexandre Aja, one of the more recent masters of horror, is the director of the remake. He put quality in this movie, and while the characters were still stereotypical, at least the acting was much better.

Also, just a technical advantage, the remake looks much cleaner because of the higher production quality, and it looks more realistic because of better special effects.

The Thing (1951/1982)

Remake vs Original The Thing

No, I’m not writing about the 2011 remake/prequel. John Carpenter’s The Thing is a remake of The Thing from Another World from 1951.

They are both set in the arctic, on a station with scientists. In both versions they are attacked by an alien being. In the original, that alien is a plant-like being. The remake is … different. The titular thing is basically a transformer, can turn into animals and humans, which adds a new layer to this movie.

The original is black and white, a little slow and misogynistic. The remake is fast paced, different and has some of the greatest special effects in movie history. And that’s why it’s better than the original.

Dracula (1931/1958)

Remake vs Original Dracula

There have been lots of adaptions of Dracula. I’ll be comparing two of the most famous ones, who are both only called Dracula (or Horror of Dracula, depending where you live).

Dracula starring Bela Lugosi is one of my favorite movies of all time. But let’s be real, it’s a little slow and feels like they were filming a stage play. On the other hand, we get Dracula, starring one of the greatest actors of all time, Christopher Lee, and his adversary is Peter Cushing. Both give this movie gravitas.

Also, what Hammer studios added to the classic story is blood and sex. They don’t care about taboos. That’s what makes the remake better than the original Dracula. Of course, if we put Nosferatu in, that beats them both just because of Max Schreck as Count Orlok.

The Ring (1998/2002)

Remake vs Original Ring

This is probably my most controversial pick on this list. Both Ringu and The Ring are well loved by horror fans. Also this is the only remake that has nothing to do with age or time. It’s about culture.

Both are pretty much the same story. A scary video tape goes around. If you watch it you get a call, and someone tells you you’ll die in 7 days.

As with The Hills Have Eyes, the remake had a much bigger production value. The original is cheap, but the story turns it up a notch. The remake has the same story, but has a much higher budget. And for western audiences, the remake feels more natural, because of cultural differences. Last but not least, the evil video just feels scarier in the remake.

If you liked this list of remakes, check out

8 Horror Remakes that Kicked Ass

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Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

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Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

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Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

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The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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