Horror Remakes: Ever a Good Decision?

As production continues on the Nightmare on Elm Street remake and more and more casting news surfaces for the upcoming Friday the 13th remake, I find myself becoming increasingly agitated, perhaps even anxious. It's not that I am inherently opposed to remakes -- I am in fact typically very much in favor of reimagining stories to make them relevant for a new generation. But then I think about Rob Zombie's Halloween; I think about Jessica Biel's Texas Chainsaw Massacre; I think about Paris Hilton's House of Wax, and I have to ask: is remaking horror ever a good decision?

I would have to answer with a reserved no. I say reserved because there are some cross-genre remakes like Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Fly whose updates were at least as successful if not better than the original. But because these films also share roots with Science Fiction, I cannot unabashedly put them in the "Win" column for horror. And aside from these horror/scifi hybrids, I can't think of a single great remake.

I think perhaps this is because unlike most other genres of film, horrors are essentially timeless. The motivations for Jason attacking the camp counselors, for example, will stay relevant as long as the human race continues to engage in recreational sex -- and I don't see that changing any time soon. There is really no need to update the visuals because, let's face it, we nailed blood and gore a long time ago, and so reinvention becomes at best a scheme to earn a quick buck without having to be original.

Can you guys think of any successful horror remakes? Are there any upcoming remakes you're looking forward to? Is there any way to successfully remake a horror classic?

Who's Your Favorite Horror Villain?

Who's your favorite sicko, psycho, crazy, killer, stalker, hunter, ghost, ghoul, undead, zombie, vampire or freak?

I have to go with Zelda from Pet Semetary.

She's not in the movie for long, but man are you glad to see her go.

Win Godzilla on DVD

With the release of Cloverfield behind us and the country split on whether J.J. Abrams' monster epic has the right stuff to change the genre forever, the time has come for you to weigh in on who you think is the greatest monster to ever attack a metropolis.

Are you a King Kong fan, or does he have nothing on Godzilla? Is The Deadly Mantis more deadly than The Fly?

Tell us what you think, and enter for a chance to win the two-disc Deluxe Collector's Edition of the original Gojira (Godzilla).

Update: This contest has ended and a winner has been randomly selected. See after the jump for the winner and the comment.

Continue »

Who's Your Favorite Vampiress?

This is a sad week for the undead as we learned of the death of Maila Nurmi (a.k.a. Vampira). Afterwards, we took a moment to give her a proper YouTube retrospective.

And then we realized the only way to properly honor Vampira would be to pay heed to her legacy, her successors, her sisters in bloodsucking. You've already decided which vampire movie is your favorite, now pick Dracula's Bride: