Iconic Films That Were Remakes

[onetet]

Remakes and reboots are regularly trotted out as evidence of filmdom's utter lack of imagination, and it's hard to argue against the majority of them being flat, inferior, unnecessary, and/or just pain cash-ins.

That said, remakes (and sequels) have been around since the early days of film, and some bona fide classics were the second (or third, or fourth) stabs at their source material. Here are a few:

The Maltese Falcon (1941) John Huston's film noir classic starring Humphrey Bogart is actually the third film adaptation of its source novel by Dashiell Hammett; earlier versions hit screens in 1931 (under the same title) and 1936 (as Satan Met a Lady, a lighter adaptation starring Bette Davis).

House of Wax (1953)--This André de Toth/Vincent Price film was the first major-studio 3D release, as well as a remake of 1933's Mystery of the Wax Museum.

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)--Hitchcock's classy Jimmy Stewart/Doris Day production was a remake of the director's own 1934 film. During his U.S. career, at moments when Hitchcock was between projects and needed some funding momentum, he would often propose a remake of one of his UK films.

Solaris (1972)--Tarkovsky's film was famously remade by Soderbergh and Clooney in 2002, but perhaps lesser-known is the fact that Tarkovsky's version was actually the second Russian adaptation of Stanislaw Lem's great novel, the first being a 1968 two-part television film.

The Thing (1982)--John Carpenter's landmark sci-fi/horror hybrid was earlier mounted in 1951 as The Thing From Another World, with Howard Hawks as co-director.

The Departed (2006)--As is no surprise to most people here, Scorsese's best film of the 2000s is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs.

In addition to Hitchcock, directors as different as Tod Browning, Cecil B. DeMille, and Ozu remade some of their earlier films later in their career. Many westerns, spaghetti and otherwise, were not-too-loosely based on foreign source material, such as Fistful of Dollars 's relationship to Yojimbo, which resulted in legal woes.

--What are some other remakes that are at least equally excellent to their original version and/or more embedded in our cultural memory than the earlier film?
--What are some sequels that get a bad rap, but which you like as much or better than their original?

[Doctor Jack]

The Departed is iconic? I didn't know mediocracy is now considered iconic.

The Wizard of Oz and The Ben Hur that we all know and love are remakes. Those are iconic films.

[onetet]

Originally Posted by Doctor Jack

The Departed is iconic? I didn't know mediocracy is now considered iconic.

The Wizard of Oz and The Ben Hur that we all know and love are remakes. Those are iconic films.

Eh, it's an extremely well-regarded film from the 2000s that, in the context of the other films listed, at least illustrates a continuum of major talents coming together for a remake.

[Gerby]

Sorcerer is just as good as The Wages Of Fear.
Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers '78 is better than the '56 version IMO.

[Doctor Jack]

Originally Posted by onetet

Eh, it's an extremely well-regarded film from the 2000s that, in the context of the other films listed, at least illustrates a continuum of major talents coming together for a remake.

Fair enough. Just can't see it with the iconic label.

The Magnificent Seven would be another one. Basically a remake of Seven Samurai.

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by Doctor Jack

The Departed is iconic? I didn't know mediocracy is now considered iconic.

The Wizard of Oz and The Ben Hur that we all know and love are remakes. Those are iconic films.

Hitchcock's MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH is considered one of his lesser efforts.. a much better example than THE DEPARTED which seems to be another one of those films that has a backlash from members on this site (for no good reason imo)

I would add that there are some other great remakes that surpass their originals--

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978)
THE FLY (1986)
THE BLOB (1988)

[Gerby]

I also think the 1939 Bob Hope remake of the 'Cat & The Canary' is better than the 1927 original.

[Al_The_Strange]

Um, not sure if these are truly iconic, so the iconic police can slap me upside the head if I'm wrong.

Casino Royale: has been adapted before as a parody film in the 60s, and a made-for-TV film in the 50s.

The Dark Knight: should be obvious.

A Fistfull of Dollars: remade from Yojimbo, itself remade from an American detective novel.

The Ring: remade from the Japanese film Ringu.

Lord of the Rings: was a cartoon before it was a movie. Same for The Hobbit.

The Magnificent Seven: remade from Seven Samurai.

Star Wars: remade from The Hidden Fortress, with elements of other stuff tossed in.

[Gerby]

You could argue Brian De Palma's 'Scarface' is as good if not better than the Howard Hawks original.

[AKORIS]

barring the term "iconic" I would also add that I personally prefer the remakes of

CAPE FEAR (1991)

THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (2005)

MAN ON FIRE (2005)

[Anthony P]

don't know if Iconic but

Omega man & The Last Man on Earth

[Gerby]

Some of the Turkish remakes are golden...if you've seen any then you know what I'm talking about.

[MechaGodzilla]

Probably not iconic, but Herzog's Nosferatu is another remake that's every bit as good as the original. Of course it should also be mentioned that it's just another in a long line of Dracula adaptations.

[Trigger89]

It may not be iconic, but the 1986 remake of The Fly is arguably superior to the original 1958 movie.

[Abdrewes]

Evil Dead II

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by Trigger89

It may not be iconic, but the 1986 remake of The Fly is arguably superior to the original 1958 movie.

don't see how anyone could really argue that point....

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

don't see how anyone could really argue that point....

Is there anyone who prefers the fly makeup/suit of the original over the remake?

[Doctor Jack]

Cape Fear (1991)
12 Monkeys (1995)

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

don't see how anyone could really argue that point....

agree or even not think of it as Iconic

[Buscemi]

Heat was Michael Mann's remake of his own 1989 TV movie L.A. Takedown. The latter was based on an earlier draft of the Heat screenplay and simplified a lot of the more expensive elements of the script.