The Horror of The Remake
Remakes are all the rage--but are they any good?
Last week, I went to the movies with my friend to go see Evil Dead Rise. I had been wary about going to see it.
The Evil Dead franchise is one of my favorite franchises of all time. The goofy nature of the original trilogy is something I value as a horror fan. It’s silly, bloody, and full of lore—it’s about everything I want from the genre. Plus, it helps that Ash Williams was the main protagonist, who gave us one of the more interesting “final” characters in horror.
The 2013 remake wasn’t offensive to the franchise. It opted not to include Ash (for the most part), a smart move, considering nobody could replace Bruce Campbell. Instead, we were given a new final girl named Mia.
I liked Evil Dead (2013), but that didn’t mean I wasn’t cautious about Evil Dead Rise. Remakes in the past had left me with a bad taste in my mouth, even the ones that were branded as “a new chapter” of the franchise it was a part of.
When the movie was announced last year, I cringed over the concept of a new installment of the franchise. I had been fed too many bad remakes these last few years, so I was scared about them taking on my beloved Evil Dead. The only good thing for me was that, well, at least Ash Williams wouldn’t be part of it; his legacy would continue on, untouched by the greed of Hollywood.
But then, I found myself in the theater to watch the film. With contraband jalapeño Cheetos in one hand and a coke in the other, I looked up at the screen with hesitation. Would this movie actually be worth my money? Did I sneak this bag of Cheetos in just for another bad remake?
Luckily, the movie had proved itself worthy of my crime. It was one of the few remakes that successfully inserted itself flawlessly into an iconic franchise. Even without the groovy man on screen, the film was enjoyable.
Though, Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell did work as executive producers, so that probably had a little bit to do with it.
Between Rise and the 2013 remake, the Evil Dead franchise keeps true to its identity. They know fans love the over the top effects, skinbound books, and demonic creature designs.
Other franchises aren’t as lucky to get the same treatment.
Fearing the Unoriginal
Horror remakes are nothing new. In the early 2000s, we were given films like Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003). In fact, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise had two different remakes just three years apart, with one in 2003 and the other in 2006.
These weren’t really unwelcomed. It had been awhile since people saw the iconic masks of Michael Myers and Leatherface. Some of the movies were good, some of them were okay, others were god-awful. But at the time, people weren’t totally opposed to the idea of remakes.
Today, things have changed.
By the 2010s, people were already over it. The big four all had their respective remakes: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003 and 2006), Halloween (2007), Friday the 13th (2009), and A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010). Some of these were better than others, but people weren’t really digging remakes anymore.
That didn’t stop Hollywood from cranking more out.
That brings us to to the recent Halloween trilogy that started in 2018. I… didn’t really like this trilogy. Even though it’s pretty unanimous to hate both Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends, Halloween (2018) wasn’t as hated. It is the best out of the recent trilogy, just not my favorite in the franchise.
Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends felt disingenuous. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of the 2018 film, it did still feel like a Halloween movie. Halloween Kills, on the other hand, focused on the town of Haddonfield and how Michael had ruined their lives. Okay, then, at least there’s some decent kills.
Gotta admit the scene of an entire group of people beating up on Michael only for him to kill them all was pretty hilarious material too.
Halloween Ends doesn’t fair any better. Actually, it’s worse.
An entire Halloween film with barely any Michael Myers. The only one to ever get away with that was Halloween III, and that’s because it actually had an interesting story to back it up. This one doesn’t.
Between the impersonator Myers, family drama, and the weird romantic side plot, the film was doomed to fail from the start. This movie isn’t what Halloween is about. Plain and simple.
God, and let’s not even get into that “final brawl” between Michael and Laurie.
These movies felt like desperate cash grabs, even if the director wants to stand by his precious creations. These films in particular were part of the reason the word “remake” began to make me feel sick in recent years.
Then, there’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022). A film built on knowing absolutely nothing about what made Leatherface… well, Leatherface.
It’s essentially just Halloween (2018) with a Texan skin. That wouldn’t be too bad. Unoriginal, sure, but it wouldn’t make the worst movie.
Well, other than the fact that Michael Myers and Leatherface are completely different in terms of character, motive, and about everything else.
Leatherface is made into just another silent killer, ditching the iconic cries he once melodically sung. The entire story is about how he apparently went into hiding (for some reason), and don’t even get me started on the dreaded “You’re cancelled, bro.” Actually, that gory bus scene is probably the best part of the entire film.
This movie made him kill out of rage.
The original 1974 film took a different take on what a slasher was. Leatherface didn’t kill out of evil, he killed out of fear. He was controlled by his family due to his mental capacity being that of a child. Leatherface was never a one-man deal; his entire family was just as terrifying.
“What he does scares the hell out of him.” - Tobe Hooper on Leatherface killing, Interview Magazine
Boredom & Decay: The Modern Remake
The modern remake is boring, uninspired, and typically unwanted.
Sometimes, there’s a hidden gem, usually there’s not.
Too many remakes lately feel the same. Either it doesn’t respect the source material or it falls flat in trying to be different while also having “buzz scenes.” They all borrow the same tropes from each other, all use the same jump scares, all feel like one in the same.
The issue is trying to top the original.
They want to be gorier, scarier, and more intense than the original ever was.
I don’t care about any of that.
The plotline is just as important as the blood and guts. If you want to make a good remake, then expand and focus more on the story.
Evil Dead Rise first gave us a plot. We learned about the characters, understood the stakes, found out about an evil book with them. Between the bloody grater scenes, there was still an overarching story present within the film.
I can even give this praise to Scream VI, which definitely redeemed itself after Scream V, giving a film that went back to the roots of the original.
Even Hellraiser (2022) did an amazing job in presenting a plot that distinguished itself from the 1987 film yet still felt familiar. The creature designs were beautifully eerie, and the atmosphere fit the bill.
With these tiny glimpses of hope, what does that entail for the future of remakes?
A New Era?
I don’t oppose remakes.
I know it may seem that way considering I’ve been bashing them throughout this whole thing, but I actually don’t mind them. Sure, I would prefer new films to be given the chance to shine, but remakes can be good as long as they try to be.
I welcome the concept of a remake. It brings new fans that can then discover the originals. The more the merrier, as the old saying goes.
Besides, one of my first introductions to the horror genre was a remake. The Ring (2002) was one of the first horror films I watched as a kid. You know, the remake of the iconic Japanese film? Remakes can be decent, but people have to actually try to make them good.
It’s hard to bring in new fans if we continue to receive awful remakes. Nobody wants to give anything a chance if their first impression was a long, drawn-out gore fest with no value.
But recent films like Evil Dead Rise, Scream VI, and Hellraiser (2022) have given me just a glimmer of hope.
Especially in light of recent events, with the WGA strike happening. I can only hope that their demands are met, as they’re only fighting for what I believe is fair. If you’re interested in a quick rundown, I’d recommend looking at Drew Gooden’s recent video about it.
So maybe when the next remake is announced, I won’t have to cringe and curse under my breath.
Maybe.
Do you have a favorite remake? A most hated remake?