A friend and I were ripping into remakes the other day, but then we got around to a few we actually liked better than the original, even some iconic movies. So, I just thought I'd ask is there a remake that any of you prefer over the original, either because you were exposed to it first or just like it better or whatever. If so, name it and why, if you like.
King Kong-I prefer Jackson's 2005 version, to me its about the monkey and the original, while I love stop motion, Harryhausen is one of my favorite sfx guys, Jackson's is just that much better to me. I can't stand the weird '76 version, too weird with the horniness.
Invasion of the Bodysnatchers- Honestly too many damn versions to count, but while I love both the original '56 version and '78 version, I gotta go with the '78 version. I love downer endings and for the most part its better acted.
Night of the Living Dead- While I do like and respect Romero's original, its dated, not the best acted nor budgeted and therefore much prefer Savini's '90 remake. Romero was a producer, so its pretty much his remake anyway.
The Shining- As a generic horror movie Kubrick's is pretty good, as an adaptation its a stinking pile of shit. The '97 tv made one, Mick Garris's, is to me both a much better movie and a supremely better adaptation.
King Kong-I prefer Jackson's 2005 version, to me its about the monkey and the original, while I love stop motion, Harryhausen is one of my favorite sfx guys, Jackson's is just that much better to me. I can't stand the weird '76 version, too weird with the horniness.
Invasion of the Bodysnatchers- Honestly too many damn versions to count, but while I love both the original '56 version and '78 version, I gotta go with the '78 version. I love downer endings and for the most part its better acted.
Night of the Living Dead- While I do like and respect Romero's original, its dated, not the best acted nor budgeted and therefore much prefer Savini's '90 remake. Romero was a producer, so its pretty much his remake anyway.
The Shining- As a generic horror movie Kubrick's is pretty good, as an adaptation its a stinking pile of shit. The '97 tv made one, Mick Garris's, is to me both a much better movie and a supremely better adaptation.
cobalt Wrote:What about The Thing? I really liked John Carpenter's version. The head sprouting legs like a spider and scuttling off.....just works.
Oh, defintely, actually I'm surprised I forgot this one. Though Hawk's '51 version is cool and I do enjoy it, Carpenter's '82 version is better all around. Acting, budget, atmosphere, you name it, its got it. As for the 2011 version, it was a big meh. Explained things that didn't necessarily need explaing it, CGI was shit and didn't have the atmosphere.
JC's T[I]he Thing [/I]is the best remake IMO, followed closely by Cronenberg's T[I]he Fly. [/I]My favorite reboot is Battlestar Galactica.
Scott
Jesus died for your sins, get your money's worth. Chad Daniels
cobalt Wrote:What about The Thing? I really liked John Carpenter's version. The head sprouting legs like a spider and scuttling off.....just works.
Not only better done, but truer to the source material, "Who Goes There," by John W, Campbell.
FPW
FAQ
"It means 'Ask the next question.' Ask the next question, and the one that follows that, and the one that follows that. It's the symbol of everything humanity has ever created." Theodore Sturgeon.
I've never read "Who Goes There?" but I have to agree also about BSG being one of the best reboots hands-down of just about anything I've ever seen...
I tilt at windmills, you tilt at windmills, we tilt at windmills together.
quixotic - Caught up in the romance of noble deeds or unreachable ideals; romantic without regard to practicality.
I'd say the Dawn of the Dead remake was better than the original. Also, extremely under the radar, but the Fright Night reboot was really good. It made a whole lot more sense than the original.
They passed an old woman who was just opening the door of a brown Cadillac. An old man was already sitting in the passenger seat. The car had a personalized plate with the letters “J-U-S-P-R-A-Y”.
“That stuff work?” Israel said to her.
“‘Scuse me?” the little old woman said, clutching her keys.
“The spray. Does it keep them away?”
“Keep who away?” She looked confused.
“I gotcha.” Israel gave her a conspiratorial wink.
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GeraldRice Wrote:I'd say the Dawn of the Dead remake was better than the original. Also, extremely under the radar, but the Fright Night reboot was really good. It made a whole lot more sense than the original.
As much as I like the remake of Dawn, the original is still my favorite zombie movie. Much more characterization in it and you don't have the fast zombie gimmick, though I don't mind htem so much in the remake. Also, I have to disagree on Fright Night, although it did have the Doc in it, I thought the other actors were sub-par and just felt too rushed. The original has a distinct feel to it and has great character like McDowell's Peter Vincent and Sarandon's Dandridge was much cooler than Colin's.
I just now remembered that there was a remake of The Blob. I vote for the original with Steve McQueen from 1958. The 1988 version was alright, but I remember watching this movie as a kid on the Saturday night horror theater on WPIX out of NYC. My mother would make us Jiffypop and leave us be. Good times, indeed.
There is no wise man without fault
I found a 1973 sequel "Beware! The Blob" on YouTube I remember watching on cable as a kid, it's great cheezy b-movie fun and it's complete on YT....
I tilt at windmills, you tilt at windmills, we tilt at windmills together.
quixotic - Caught up in the romance of noble deeds or unreachable ideals; romantic without regard to practicality.