Vanessa Maki with ten horror movies that could benefit from a modern remake…
A topic that can spark a lot of controversial thoughts in the horror community is remakes. There are people who inherently dislike remakes, and there are folks who embrace some of the remakes we’ve seen over the decades. Horror remakes don’t always live up to the original film, but on occasion they do match up or even supersede the movie they’re remaking.
What about the horrors that have never gotten a remake or have, but it was forgettable enough? Imagining specific horror movies, whether they’re cult classics or not, getting the remake treatment is enticing to think about. We have more than a few filmmakers who could deliver great horror remakes. It’s just a matter of the right people taking on the right titles and all that jazz.
The following films are ones that could easily receive a remake with more modern takes on the material. All but one have never been remade in any capacity. Enjoy your ride down this what if lane…
The Birds
As far as Hitchcock films go, this is one of the best known in terms of his horror films. The Birds follows a town that comes under attack by murderous birds. Naturally, the premise of the film sounds a bit silly at first. Though, once you really think about animal attacks and how vicious they can be, it’s quite scary. And the possibilities are endless with modern remakes in terms of the violent bird attacks.
In terms of a remake, there are several ways to approach this, and there would have to be practical effects. Using horrible CGI birds throughout the entire film would really dampen the experience. And overall the ambiguous ending would need to stay because cookie cutter endings aren’t always satisfying in stories like these.
Ganja & Hess
In terms of Black horror cinema, Ganja & Hess isn’t discussed nearly as much as it should be. Ganja & Hess follows the relationship between an anthropologist and a widow who become vampire lovers. It’s very much a disorienting love story, and not one that’s typically told like vampire horror films usually are. The film’s themes are very layered regarding Blackness, addiction, and classism.
A modern look into this film would have to be handled with care, and there are plenty of actors that would be able to vibe in a film like this. Considering the original came out in the early ‘70s, it could easily be set during that time period or have a ‘70s aesthetic at the very least. While it’s not the most known horror film to receive a remake, it’s got potential to be updated.
Prom Night
Yes, there is a remake from 2008, but it’s bad, and therefore a better remake is in order. Prom Night follows a group of friends who are stalked and picked off one by one, due to something they did when they were children. It might be controversial to say, but the original isn’t an amazing slasher to begin with. And the remake that came out in the 2000s isn’t a memorable affair.
Exploring this film through a more modern lens would do it well. The characters could actually be younger looking folks, and there are plenty of scream queens and kings to be part of the cast. It’s one of those ‘80s slashers that might work better in a modern day setting, especially when it comes to better filming.
Tourist Trap
There are individuals who might argue that House of Wax (2005) is more of a remake of Tourist Trap than House of Wax, but it’s not officially, so here we are. Tourist Trap follows a group who finds themselves in peril when they are stalked in a roadside museum by a telekinetic serial killer. There aren’t many supernatural slashers out there, so it does have a more unique element to it in comparison to other slashers with a typical human killer.
A remake of the film would likely be rated R and would have more graphic violence than its original. Ultimately, that would play better with a modern audience, rather than the more subdued scenes from the original film. Not to mention there aren’t very many supernatural slashers out there these days. So it might not be something interesting for audiences to gnaw on.
Night of the Comet
A cult classic that hasn’t been made into a fresh modern remake? A shame. Night of the Comet follows a pair of sisters who find themselves trying to survive a zombie apocalypse. Instead of everyone else being zombies, though, they either turned to dust because of an awaited comet or turned into deranged zombies. This film is also cited to be an influence for Buffy Summers, and that much is clear if you watch Night of the Comet.
The film is quite fun and with the right cast, it might make for a blast of a remake. Zombie apocalypses aren’t all that fresh anymore, and there have been countless horror films that explore such apocalypses. Though, a comet having such an impact on a city isn’t usual and that would add a different spin to things for new audiences.
The People Under the Stairs
As far as Wes Craven films go, The People Under the Stairs should be mentioned more when discussing his films. The People Under the Stairs follows a young boy who embarks on a robbery mission gone wrong, and discovers the homeowners are more than just shady landlords. The film taps into the ever-so-timely themes of gentrification, classism, and capitalism. Considering the current state of the world, the themes in the film will always be relevant.
There were talks about Monkeypaw Productions tackling a remake of this, but nothing has been said in quite some time regarding that. Depending on who ends up firmly behind bringing this potential remake to life, it will either be a hit or miss. Tackling satire in this day and age isn’t as easy, primarily due to media literacy being an issue for a lot of people. Though, it’s still a horror film that wouldn’t be horrible to remake.
Event Horizon
It’s a sci-fi horror film that you either really enjoy or wanted more from. Event Horizon follows a space crew whose rescue mission for the Event Horizon is derailed when they are pulled in by the sinister presence on the ship. It could easily be described as Hellraiser in space, except it doesn’t give the audience everything it wants like Hellraiser does.
The thing about sci-fi horror films nowadays, there’s a lot of potential for disaster with CGI and if there aren’t good set pieces, then it really impacts the enjoyment of a film. A remake of Event Horizon would actually need to show more than the original does. And the characters would need to be fleshed out more to fully care what’s happening to them. Otherwise? There’s a fair amount to work with, especially with practical effects involved.
Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight
The magic of practical effects are on display throughout this film, and it’s a delight. Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight follows a group of folks in a boarding house who try to stop a demon from kickstarting the apocalypse using an ancient key. It might not have been a hit, but it’s one of those horror films that deserved better reception than it got. Not to mention, one of the best Black final girls came out of this film.
Does this film require a remake? Probably not. However, remaking the film would be cool and depending on who they cast in the Jeryline (Jada Pinkett Smith) role, we’d have another great final girl on our hands. Capturing the same magic and feeling of the original might be hard, but if Ernest Dickerson were to be part of the project, it might work out.
Disturbing Behavior
Studio cuts can really wreck a film and make it into a disaster, can’t they? Disturbing Behavior follows a group of students in high school who realizes some of their classmates have been mind controlled. Horror films that take inspiration from The Stepford Wives aren’t always great, but this one had potential if it had been handled differently on a studio level.
Tackling the film in this current age might be intriguing to do, especially with the ideas about conforming in society. And there are plenty of routes to go with how the antagonists might go about that in a modern sense. There’s the route of making people into actual robots, psychologically messing with people’s minds etc. All of which would be terrifying, especially when people would lose any sense of individuality.
Valentine
Love it or hate it, at the very least the killer’s mask in Valentine is memorable. Valentine follows a friend group who is being picked off one by one, leading up to Valentine’s Day. It’s not a stellar 2000s slasher, and that’s why it’s getting the remake treatment might work in its favor.
The flashbacks to bullying could easily be done a bit better than the original film. Though bullying is a done-to-death motivation throughout the subgenre. Therefore, it may or may not land with audiences that are a bit tired of that trope. But if people are coming just to see slasher goodness, with a cool mask, a Valentine remake might not be such a bad thing.
Would you like to see any of the above movies remade? What horrors do you think are ripe for modern remakes? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Vanessa Maki
