Remakes That Were Good

[harrisonh]

I just saw the thread on the worst remakes of all time. I agree with most of the posts and have a few more like star is born, bishops wife/preachers wife, father of the bride, birdcage, three men and a baby
We all have heard HORRIBLE pop songs that were dim xerox's of the original. But there are a few movies where the remake has some real artistic merit or had something to add.

How about a thread of movies where the remake is a decent movie, in some cases as good, some cases even better and in some cases not quite as good, but respectable. This is timely because of the worst remakes thread and because of Avatar being recently released. MANY see it as Dances with Wolves, but it has alot of interseting things to say about colonialism about vietnam/Iraq/Afghanistan and it sure is eye candy! This is NOT a just a list of remakes, and does not count sequels, it is just an answer to the other thread of horrible remakes.

Lets hear of some good remakes or remakes that had something to add to the original

Some candidates are



Heart of Darkness/Appoclypse Now
The Thing
Blow Up/Blow Out
8 1/2 / Nine
Man Who knew too much
Ben Hur
Taking of Pelham 123
Cape Fear
Hidden Fortress/ Star Wars A New Hope
Seven Samurai/Magnificent 7
Muitney On the Bounty/ MOTB/ Bounty
King Lear/Ran
The Fly
City on Fire/Resevoir Dogs
Ronin Gai/Unforgiven
La Jete/12 Monkeys
Yojimbo/Fistful of Dollars
Saw
Ring

[charlieray1]

Some good choices -- certainly The Fly, The Thing and Man Who Knew Too Much were good remakes -- and though it took me a second to remember that it wasn't the original, Ben Hur is a fantastic remake.

However, Cape Fear? Really?! Geez, I hated that. The original is great -- so suspenseful, with such powerful scenes between Peck & Mitchum. But the DiNiro version? Everything that was subtle and carefully constructed in the original was over the top and in your face.

He's a great actor, but that was a epic fail of a remake, IMO.

Good thread.

I nominate the 70's version of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, the American version of Gaslight, and the 1939 Charles Laughton Hunchback Of Notre Dame as very worthy remakes.

[Astrakan]

I'm always one to defend remakes. I have no problems with them, and there's PLENTY of worthwhile remakes out there. Yours is a good list, and here's a few more:

The Wizard of Oz
The Maltese Falcon
The Ten Commandments
Scarface
The Magnificent Seven
Dawn of the Dead
3:10 to Yuma
Fatal Attraction
True Lies
Munich
Scent of a Woman

[Monolithium]

Originally Posted by harrisonh

The Thing

Better than the original. This is how a remake should be done.

[harrisonh]

I prefered the Mitchum origianal, you're right, much more suspenseful, but the remake did have some interesting things to add.


GREAT additions to the list from both of you that have replied so far! Forgot many of them. Now, I'm gonna have to spend some time this weekend watching some of those

ion network is showing DAVE this weekend which is a remake of prisoner of zenda and like Kagemuscha

[42041]

Scorsese's The Departed. But halfway-decent is all I'll give it.

[Blu Myers]

The Thing may be the best remake ever. Cape Fear is great too.

[ChadFL]

Horror films:

Dawn of the Dead (2004) - Fantastic remake of a classic
The Crazies (2010) - This year's remake was FAR better than Romero's original film
Night of the Living Dead (1990) - Very good remake
Last House on the Left - Remake was so-so, but much better than the original
My Bloody Valentine 3D - A very solid remake that far surpassed the original
The Blob (1988)
The Fly (1986)
The Thing (1982) - Maybe the best remake ever
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
The Ring (2002) - Far better than the Japanese original
The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

[Monolithium]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

Irradiated freaks who love to rape girls, shoot mothers in the head, burn people alive...

It was good at making me uncomfortable.

[Zero_Cool]

I enjoyed both dawn of the dead movies. I like the new one more just because it's up to date with effects and stuff like that.

[Foggy]

I think the films that should be remade are the ones that had some much potention but flaunded at presentation time.

[csdot]

Man on Fire

[iam1bearcat]

The Hills Have Eyes (2006) definitely gets points for being unsettling. alot of scenes in that movie had me pissed, outraged and disgusted... and it's weird because that never happened before or since (and that's with seeing both Hostel films and all 6 million Saw films).

The Amityville Horror the original was god awful, and maybe it's because I really enjoy seeing Ryan Reynolds in a film, but i thought he did an excellent job here and the movie was decent / solid. i've seen alot worse than this film.

The Thing after watching Carpenter's film i wanted to see the original. after seeing about 40 minutes of it i never want to see it again. best remake ever.

[Flyfisherman]

Originally Posted by harrisonh

I just saw the thread on the worst remakes of all time. I agree with most of the posts and have a few more like star is born, bishops wife/preachers wife, father of the bride, birdcage, three men and a baby
We all have heard HORRIBLE pop songs that were dim xerox's of the original. But there are a few movies where the remake has some real artistic merit or had something to add.

How about a thread of movies where the remake is a decent movie, in some cases as good, some cases even better and in some cases not quite as good, but respectable. This is timely because of the worst remakes thread and because of Avatar being recently released. MANY see it as Dances with Wolves, but it has alot of interseting things to say about colonialism about vietnam/Iraq/Afghanistan and it sure is eye candy! This is NOT a just a list of remakes, and does not count sequels, it is just an answer to the other thread of horrible remakes.

Lets hear of some good remakes or remakes that had something to add to the original

Some candidates are



Heart of Darkness/Appoclypse Now
The Thing
Blow Up/Blow Out
8 1/2 / Nine
Man Who knew too much
Ben Hur
Taking of Pelham 123
Cape Fear
Hidden Fortress/ Star Wars A New Hope
Seven Samurai/Magnificent 7
Muitney On the Bounty/ MOTB/ Bounty
King Lear/Ran
The Fly
City on Fire/Resevoir Dogs
Ronin Gai/Unforgiven
La Jete/12 Monkeys
Yojimbo/Fistful of Dollars
Saw
Ring

Star Wars was not a remake of Hidden Fortress. Not even close! Some elements might have been the same but thats all.

[HeelsHater]

Saw is a remake? I'm confused.

Anyways, I will second those who listed Man on Fire and The Crazies. Great stuff.

Also, I haven't seen the original Italian Job but I enjoyed the remake.

[csdot]

also Peter Jackson's King Kong

[Foggy]

The Departed

[Sabotage]

You're all going to hate me but I thought Rob Zombie's Halloween was way better then the original.

[Monolithium]

Originally Posted by csdot

also Peter Jackson's King Kong

How could I forget this one?

This has been a masterpiece since the moment I first watched it. In 4:3 no less!

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally Posted by HeelsHater

Saw is a remake? I'm confused.

Me too.