[nosferatu]

Whilst I'm looking forward to some film releases next year, "The Uninvited" and "The Haunting in Connecticut" etc. I can't say I'm overwhelmed at the prospect at a remake of Friday the 13th.
Whilst film technology has advanced and movie production today holds no parralel with methods used originally, I doubt they'll ever recapture the horror. Certainly not for those who have seen the original.

Has there ever been a remake better than the original? in any film genre? For notable failures have a look at Steve Martin's filmography...Sgt. Bilko and the lamentable Pink Panther.....a sequel of which is also due for release next year!!!

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

When it comes to movie remakes, are they just banking on the famous name getting people to buy tickets? As you say, the technology has improved, but if movie producers/writers/directors enjoy a classic movie, why not use that concept as a starting point, but inject their own heavy doses of creativity to make something unique and original (even if "inspired" by something old)?

All the "modern" classics are being redone recently with newcomers in the iconic character roles... Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Evil Dead. Some fans love it, some purists get angry. But it's bound to happen whether we like it or not, so I just say...

...ignore the remakes if you don't like them. Just because Rob Zombie made a new Michael Myers movie, that doesn't mean the original ceases to exist. Same goes for sequels. Those are often terrible, but you can always go back to part 1 and enjoy it.

As for the idea of remakes that are better or on par with their originals, how about...

The Thing (1951 vs 1982)
The Fly (1958 vs 1986)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 vs 1978)
Little Shop of Horrors (1960 vs 1986)
Evil Dead vs Evil Dead 2 (more or less a remake)

[nosferatu]

I must admit that that is a good list of remakes and maybe it is a generational thing. I didn't see the originals first of all of those movies, it was the remakes. I would love to think that that was the philosophy behind them but I know it all boils down to money.

However, when I laughed / cried at the remake of The Shining - how on earth did they ever think that people would want to watch that ? How could you ever improve on Jack Nicholson's performance?

Other remake "horrors" or rather horribles such as The Omen, The Fog, Wicker Man etc are just awful. Even the effects didn't really compensate, overall they were pretty poor.

I didn't find Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Amityville Horror too bad but as I already new the plot I was never going to be overly scared or exilerated.

Maybe that is the problem - I already know the story, the characters etc. The thing is some of these films are my Kennedy Assassination Moments - I remember the day, what I was wearing, where I saw it etc details, so big an impression they made upon me.

I suppose sequels suffer from the same problem but I would love it if someone could produce a film like Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street today that had the same effect on me now as it did when I was a teenager.

I hope Friday the 13th (2009) proves me wrong and all of a sudden I'm back to turning the light on when I go upstairs and gingerly opening doors to darkened rooms ..... waiting for the cat to pounce and give me heart failure, but somehow I doubt it.

[Raven]

Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" is one of my favorite horror movies. The re-make, while I think it sucked, followed the book almost to the letter. It's long been stated Stephen King was unhappy with Kubrick's take on his novel. King had a much bigger hand in the making of the second one.

I remember watching "Friday the 13th" as a kid, and being completely scared. Now when I watch it I can't believe I didn't laugh my way through it. Unfortunately I have lost that childhood innocence that had me terrified of Jason, Freddy and Michael. While certain scenes in movies will make me jump, they don't leave me feeling scared of things that go bump in the night.

[nosferatu]

Yeah, I agree. The last time I was as scared as I was when I was a teenager was driving on the motorway in the rain when imminent death by a total stranger seemed a more realistic prospect.

The thing with adaptations is that authors generally not going to be happy with it. Understanably really. Their work is often shredded to make it fit into 2 hours.

I used to love Stephen King books and to me the film of Misery will never live up to the trepadation I felt when reading the book but still enjoyed the film nevertheless.

I believe that the film of "Watchmen" that is also due for release suffers from a similar problem. The author, Alan Moore, has already disowned it whilst I think the trailers look promising.

As for Stanley Kubrick, we would need a whole new forum to start on him....

Funnily enough, over the weekend Channel 4 showed again "100 Scariest Moments Ever" and a lot of them are old school black and white films / TV programmes that these days even kids wouldn't batter an eyelid at but had adults writing to newspapers and politicians asking questions about in parliament.

Part two is on Wednesday so I'll let you know what the Top Ten are.

[nosferatu]

Just checked their website. The Top Ten are:

10. Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
9. The Omen (1976)
8. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
7. Halloween (1978)
6. Ring (1998)
5. The Blair Witch Project 1998)
4. Alien (1979)
3. Jaws (1975)
2. The Exorcist (1973)
1. The Shining (1980)

Interestingly, 2 from the 90's, 2 from the 80's and 6 from the 70's.

I'd forgotten all about Jaws and Alien but the screams are all coming back to me now....

[matspud]

The last time I was as scared as I was when I was a teenager was driving on the motorway in the rain when imminent death by a total stranger seemed a more realistic prospect.
.

I am REALLY pathetic when it comes to horror movies. I recently went to see Mirrors. Spent half the movie with my eyes closed ( pretending to be asleep..... not scared). Would only go into the bathroom that doesn't have a mirror and , when I had to change the mats in the other bathrooms, crawled in so the "mirrors" couldn't see me
What a WUSS

[Raven]

I am REALLY pathetic when it comes to horror movies. I recently went to see Mirrors. Spent half the movie with my eyes closed ( pretending to be asleep..... not scared). Would only go into the bathroom that doesn't have a mirror and , when I had to change the mats in the other bathrooms, crawled in so the "mirrors" couldn't see me
What a WUSS

I really envy you! I constantly watch horror movies hoping to get that same feeling back. Believe it or not, I want to be scared! I want to be terrified laying in bed in the dark and I want to be to terrified to reach out to turn on the light.

I remember when I was young and I watched "It". There is a scene where a girl goes into her bathroom and blood comes up through the drain in the sink, I think she can also hear Pennywise calling for her. I was scared for months after that of the sink drain.. Oh the good old days.

[matspud]

Oh Pennywise...... REALLY don't like him......................or Chucky from Child's play.

Don't like anything scary that happens in baths either. ( no rude comments please!!!!!!!!)

I used to be able to watch anything..................not now

[badgers]

I remember watching "Friday the 13TH" like 7 or 8 times on HBO and getting to know where all the scary parts were at. Then watching it again with my family ---- and like a split second before the scary part (axe in the head, dead body coming through kitchen window) I would scream ----- this of course would help enhance the scare in the movie causing eveyone else in the room to let out a scream of terror. Then I would curl up in fits of laughter.

At one point I was hit with several pillows and told to "Knock it off!!" But that was soon followed by everyone laughing.

[Sind3315]

I'm excited to see it, just to see how it's redone. Just like Rob Zombie's Halloween, I really liked it. He added more background to it which always fasinates me... And even though I know the story line, I'll still jump when something jumps out on screen, just my nature. LOL!

[nosferatu]

I think with Horror films, for the best atmosphere and spooky miasma, you need to watch it at a cinema or group of friends. Other people's screams and nervous energy lend a lot to a film.

I watched Resident Evil on TV last night. When I saw it at the cinema, there was lots of screaming, shrieking etc and I thought it was quite good. Watching it last night, it fell a bit flat. Mostly my fault I admit, I was ironing at the same time which I wasn't doing first time round at the cinema plus there weren't any commercial breaks every 12 minutes at the Odeon either.

[The Vlad Hatter]

I don't scare easy. The last time I was scared was during Candyman, but not because of the movie. There was a small group from a local gang. Every time a somebody died, they got up and started dancing. I got the feeling they enjoyed death a little too much.

[The Captain]

I read that the upcoming Friday the 13th is NOT a remake, it picks up with Jason right after the Freddy vs. Jason movie. So it is a whole new (as new as a slasher movie can be) movie and story. I'm excited to see it, I liked F vs J.

[zombombie]

New Friday the 13th coming our way in 2015...on Friday the 13th no less And it'll be the 13th movie in the series, if you include Freddy vs Jason.

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/11/27/p ... 13th-movie