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Top 5 Horror Remakes of the 21st Century!

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The concept of a remake is not a new one. In fact, some of the most beloved and classic films in history are remakes. Brian De Palma’s Scarface, John Carpenter’s The Thing and David Cronenberg’s The Fly are great examples of what can be accomplished when a remake is done properly.

However, the popular consensus seems to be that remakes (or “reboots”) are for the most part unnecessary and more often than not, turn out to be terrible, uninspired attempts to cash in on a popular film or franchise. I can fully understand why horror fans would take this stance in particular, as horror movies, in general, seem to get more remakes than any other genre in film.

As horror remakes/reboots/etc. continue to come down the pipeline (most notably with Andy Muschietti’s IT and the upcoming Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich), I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on the top 5 horror remakes of the 21st century (so far). These films improved or altered aspects of their originals successfully while paying homage to them in one way or another. This list by no means indicates they are perfect or succeeded in all their attempts completely, but at least they are more than carbon copies of their predecessors.


The Ring (2002)

The film tells the story of Rachel (Naomi Watts), a journalist investigating the death of four teenagers (one of whom is her niece). As she delves into the particular circumstances surrounding their deaths, she uncovers rumors of a videotape that kills its viewers seven days after it has been watched.

Based on Ringu, a Japanese film released in 1998, the film as a whole sticks relatively close to the plot of the original film. What makes the film stand apart from its predecessor is the amped up presence of the villain, Samara. With her pale skin and long black hair covering her face, Samara is able to kill simply by scaring the shit out of her victims. Seeing her crawling out of a TV to this day is one of the most terrifying scenes put on film. Director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of The Caribbean, A Cure for Wellness) was able to craft an intense, atmospheric and suspenseful thriller amplified by a star-making performance by Naomi Watts – all while maintaining a PG-13 rating.


The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

Tobe Hooper’s original film is without a doubt one of the most influential and everlasting horror films of all-time. Hooper was able to capture a sense of fear and terror through the simple idea of what is possible when humans venture into the unknown, creating one of the most iconic villains in history: Leatherface, a one-man wrecking crew with a love for masks made of human flesh, meat hooks and above all else, chainsaws.

Director Marcus Nispel (who would later go on to direct the Friday the 13th reboot in 2009) had a tall order to fill when he took on the task of directing the remake. There is nothing Nispel could have done to outshine the original, so instead, he focused on developing a very dark, gritty and intense film that layered on the violence and gore. It is this approach that makes the remake a worthy companion to the original. In fact, one could argue that Nispel did overly succeed in one particular area: The costume and makeup design of Leatherface. Andrew Bryniarski is very scary looking and his costume only serves to amplify his already hulking 6 foot 5-inch 270-pound frame in the film. Not to mention the film features a very fun performance from resident military guru R. Lee Ermey as Sheriff Hoyt.


Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Before he was known as a flashy comic book director with films like 300 and the upcoming Justice League, Zack Snyder got his first opportunity in the realm of horror. Directing a film based on George A. Romero’s zombie classic, Snyder took the basic concept of the 1978 classic and turned up the intensity.

The film gets into the zombie mayhem early, as Ana (Sarah Polley) awakens one morning only to realize a young girl has become infected with some kind of virus, turning her into a blood-thirsty monster. After seeing her attack her husband and turning into a monster himself, she flees and eventually meets up with other survivors, taking up residence in a local shopping mall. As the film progresses, we meet an array of characters highlighted by Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction), Jake Weber (Homeland) and Mekhi Phifer (8 Mile).

Snyder incorporates zombies that are fast, effective in numbers and unrelenting in their dismemberment of the living. He never lets the audience get too comfortable. The makeup and gore effects are top notch as well, making for some truly gory kills. The addition of one particular scene involving a chainsaw and another involving the birth of a baby only add to the film as a whole. Having the screenplay written by James Gunn (Slither, Guardians of the Galaxy) is the cherry on top of this zombie treat.


The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

The late Wes Craven had a knack for finding new and disturbing ways to terrify audiences. It’s only fitting that the man who would eventually be responsible for creating Freddy Krueger would first tell the tale of cannibalistic mountain dwellers who stalk and terrorize an all-American family.

Craven’s original Hills Have Eyes was described by many critics in 1977 as brutal and disgusting, and it originally received the X-rating due to its violent content. The film still holds up by modern standards because it relied on genuine performances from the likes of Michael Berryman and James Whitworth and still lives within the realm of possibility to a certain extent within our society today.

French director Alexandre Aja (High Tension) was given the opportunity to helm the remake under the guidance of Wes Craven himself, who acted as a producer on the remake. Aja decided to take the basic concept of Craven’s original 1977 film and incorporate the devastation that nuclear testing could have on the human body through some of the most excellent prosthetic and makeup effects ever put on film. Aja focused his film on making the audience care deeply about his all-American family with the purpose of devastating them with every disturbing kill throughout (of which there are many).

Aja pulls no punches and brings the brutality and gore front and center, and he definitely succeeds in making the audience squirm; there is no better example of this than with what can only be described as “the rape scene,” which continues to be the fabric of nightmares for anyone who views the film. Incorporating “Buffalo Bill” himself, Ted Levine, into the film only enhances the viewing of this brutal remake.


Evil Dead (2013)

Sam Raimi will forever be cemented within the realm of the horror genre thanks to a little film he made in 1981 called The Evil Dead, which itself was actually a feature-length remake of his own short film Within the Woods. Raimi is responsible for introducing the world to one of my favorite sarcastic antiheroes: Ashley J. Williams aka Ash, of course played by Bruce Campbell.

The original film has a much more serious tone than its two sequels and uses practical effects almost exclusively. The film is a shining example of low-budget filmmaking, resulting in a fun, gory possession film that has earned a cult following in the decades since its original release.

Given the continued success of the franchise, Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell decided to produce a “reboot” of their original film in 2013 in place of the heavily demanded Evil Dead 4 that fans have been clamoring for even to this day, tapping first time Uruguayan director Fede Alvarez to helm the project.

Like many remakes, Alvarez took the basic structure of Raimi’s original and tweaked it to reflect modern times in a sense. The film does not feature any of the original characters and focuses on a new lead protagonist named Mia, who is forced into going to a remote cabin in the woods to help detox from a nasty drug habit. However, as the film progresses, things do not go as planned and the skies turn red with blood (literally).

Alvarez’s film is very serious in tone and the film brings an intensity that is unrelenting at times. The reliance on practical effects and makeup add to the realistic tone the film is going for, resulting in some truly horrific gore effects. The film succeeds in taking what made the original so memorable and enhancing it through a standout performance by Jane Levy and more blood than we’ve seen in a mainstream film in years (Alvarez used over 50,000 gallons of fake blood for a single scene!).

Editorials

‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

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leprechaun returns

The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

LEPRECHAUN

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

LEPRECHAUN RETURNS sequel

Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Leprechaun Returns movie

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

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