Follow Up Friday

A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

I had almost forgotten this remake existed and after watching it again, I wish I had. I know this was technically directed by Samuel Bayer (mostly known for directing music videos), but can we all just be honest and call this Michael Bay’s Nightmare on Elm Street? There were several points at which I thought to myself, “wow, this is Michael Bay as fuck,” which is fitting since that word was used way more in this than in the original. I’m not normally one to shy away from cursing (I love Seven, of course), but it seemed so…unnecessary in this.

Then again, much of the dialogue seemed unnecessary – this Freddy talks too damn much.

Alien: Covenant (2017)

So, Alien: Romulus is coming out in theaters next month, which means it’ll probably be another couple of months until I get around to watching it at home, but I am excited for it! So I’m (re)watching this in anticipation, and because it wasn’t yet released in 2016.

Alien: Resurrection (1997)

I first saw this movie with the whole family on Thanksgiving Day of 1997 (the day after its release). I hadn’t seen it since, mostly because I remembered being really disappointed by it. That’s about all I could remember about it though. Well, that and the twist. So really, I remembered the one piece of information that makes the first half of this movie interesting because it’s a twist, and I remembered being disappointed by it. I’ll admit I wasn’t really setting tonight’s movie up for success.

An American Werewolf in Paris (1997)

So, I really like Tom Everett Scott, and I REALLY like Julie Delpy, but I don’t really think I liked this movie any more than the original. I wanted to! Especially since John Landis wasn’t involved with this one! But it didn’t land for me.

April Fool's Day (2008)

I’m not really sure whether this is technically a remake of the other April Fool’s Day or what. It seems perhaps maybe there was an earlier version of the screenplay that was more closely related to the original? I did notice in the opening credits that there were two listed “based on the screenplay by” credits, in addition to the “screenplay by” credit, so I guess there were at least three versions of it.

There are some interesting similarities between this one and the earlier one, though. Both plots center around a group of rich college kids – in particular, the central character to each is a girl with a weird name starting in M (and much like Muffy, I’ve never met a Milan either). Both take place around April Fool’s Day. Both feature handheld camera footage in some way. Both are horror films. Both are a little ridiculous.

Black Christmas (2019)

I’m a little frustrated because I feel like this film was SO CLOSE to being a five-star film, but its pacing was way off. They saved the interesting and action-packed parts for the last 20 minutes while dragging some of the other themes on too long? And I think that was a mistake.

Black Christmas (2006)

Remember how I said I hoped the cast of this one could hold a candle to the cast of the original? Of course you do; that was yesterday.

Candyman (2021)

When this movie started, I was all set to give it four stars just for the understated credits sequence and the foggy Chicago skyline angles. But by the end I couldn’t quite bring myself to rate it so highly.

Cape Fear (1991)

I forgot that this being a Martin Scorsese film meant it was going to be looooong. And it was long, but it wasn’t quite the slow burn of the original. And it was definitely much darker.

Carrie (2013)

I’m surprising even myself by saying this, but I think I like this one just a little bit better than the original. Now don’t get me wrong – I still think the original Carrie is classic horror and shouldn’t be skipped. But this one seemed to flow better. And the payoff seemed…more worth it?

Interestingly, while I was more familiar with some of the actors in this one, Judy Greer is the only one I felt was cast well. Well, that’s not quite true. I think Julianne Moore was excellent as Margaret White, but I didn’t believe her as Chloë Grace Moretz’s mother.

Child's Play (2019)

Since I watched all the Friday the 13th movies a few months back, I decided to watch this remake (reimagining?) instead. I really like Aubrey Plaza, but this movie was kind of a disappointment.

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

As you may have guessed, I love this movie. I saw it in theaters when it came out. Twice. And I almost never see things in theaters. I know it’s not perfect, but I’d be lying to myself (and my readers) if I rated it anything less than 5 out of 5. Today’s viewing confirmed that, of course.

(Spoiler alert. There might be a lot of spoilers for this one.)

Doctor Sleep (2019)

Okay, I was…hesitant to watch this, because it’s a two and a half hour movie, but it IS Mike Flanagan (AND Stephen King), and I watched The Shining last time around, so it had to be included here. And I’m glad it was.

Evil Dead (2013)

In contrast to the original, 2013’s Evil Dead is a movie that speaks to me. It’s a darker take than the 1981 film, it’s definitely scarier, and I like it a lot. I saw it in the theater with a bunch of friends opening week (something I almost never do), and since then it’s been one of the few several horror movies I find myself watching over and over and over again.

The movie lures you in with a powerful start and stays strong throughout. The effects are well done, the pacing is comfortable, and the cast is awesome (and should be familiar to some horror fans). Jane Levy (as Mia) was one the only one I hadn’t seen in anything else before this, and I was really impressed with her performance.

Flatliners (2017)

I love it when remakes/reboots are meaningful and can stand on their own, and I feel like this movie does just that. I liked it about as much as the original, which is impressive considering that that was a Joel Schumacher film, and you know I love those.

This one’s also a bit darker and scarier than the original, also impressive given its PG-13 rating.

Friday the 13th (2009)

It’s hard for me to tell if I liked this movie more than the original because it was a better movie or because it had a more familiar cast (but no Kevin Bacon), but whatever the reason, I did like it more. It’s got a decent cast, well done background music, and a couple of good one-liners.

This is another one of those remakes that’s more like a sequel than a remake, and one of those remakes that tries to be scarier or darker than its original, and in this case, both of these work. It feels more polished and sure of itself than the original.

Fright Night (2011)

I’m tired and my clothes smell like Downy so I’ll be quick. Tonight’s movie was better than last night’s movie in practically every way.

Also, it has David Tennant. And of course Anton Yelchin. Watch this movie. Don’t watch the other movie.

Halloween (2007)

So. Rob Zombie’s remake of John Carpenter’s Halloween. Sorry, I should say reimagining. In some ways, it reminded me of Michael Bay’s Nightmare on Elm Street remake. But mostly it didn’t remind me of that at all. And mostly I liked this one. I just wish it weren’t so long. It’s really long.

Halloween Kills (2021)

I’m sorry, I don’t think I’ll have much to say about this one or tomorrow’s movie, other than I’ll be glad to be finally done with this franchise.

I Spit on Your Grave (2010)

This is another horror movie remake that tries to be far more disturbing than its predecessor. It succeeds, but only superficially.

It (2017)

It’s a big undertaking doing a new adaptation of a Stephen King novel, especially when the original was such a classic. And the original was long enough, but this is even longer. Sure, it’s split between two parts…but the original was a TV miniseries split between a few parts also, and this first part alone was OVER TWO HOURS.

But I have to give it credit where credit’s due. This movie is pretty scary, pretty interesting, and has some really fantastic performances by both the kids and by Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise.

Jason X (2001)

Happy Friday the 13th! Hope you’re all doing something spooky to celebrate!

I’m so happy this movie exists. It’s so silly and stupid and I was so entertained.

Lost Boys: The Thirst (2010)

I liked this one. A lot. Like, a lot. I don’t think I’ve ever loved every film in a series so damn much. The first one in a class of its own for all sorts of reasons, but these second two because Edgar Frog is just a fantastic character, and Corey Feldman, well, is Edgar Frog. In fact, if you told me that vampires do exist and Corey Feldman actually slays vampires, I’d probably believe you. Or at least I’d really want to believe you.

I think I’m glad that it took 21 years for these sequels to come out. They seem to have been thought through pretty well. Corey Feldman has only become more Frog-like as he’s aged. And I don’t think I even saw the original until 10 years after its release (though in the years since then it’s made quite an impression on me).

Lost Boys: The Tribe (2008)

I was a little hesitant to watch this since I loved the original so much and sequels (especially horror sequels) often aren’t as good as their predecessors, but I gave it a shot because of Corey Feldman.

And you know what? It wasn’t bad! In fact, I rather liked it. Not quite as much as the original, but that movie is such a huge part of who I am now that I can’t really expect many other movies to mean as much to me. And Edgar Frog is still an awesome character.

My Bloody Valentine (2009)

I feel a little guilty rating this one 4 out of 5 because I liked it mostly for how over-the-top ridiculous it was. And it was way over-the-top ridiculous.

My biggest regret is not having gone to see this in 3D when it came out in theaters. I think that experience would’ve had me on the floor laughing. As it is, it’s one of those movies you can tell was made to take advantage of 3D – watching it on a tiny screen (while wearing headphones) without 3D means that some of the climactic scenes don’t really land. I mean, a pickaxe coming towards your face? Scary. A pickaxe moving around the center of your iPad screen? Not so much.

Pet Sematary (2019)

I’m going to try to avoid the “F” word here, but I liked this one about as much as yesterday’s. It’s about the same length, the same pacing, and (mostly) the same story.

Poltergeist (2015)

This movie was really disappointing. I was really hoping I’d like it more, especially with Sam Raimi’s name attached to it, but the original is better in almost every way. I say “almost” because there were a couple things this movie did well: the special effects and the stupid old tree. So many of the scenes were much more believable in this movie than in the original, in appearance if nothing else.

To be fair, if I’d never seen the original I probably would have rated this one higher. It’s creepy and well paced and the underlying story is the same. But since the original is just so damn good, my opinion of this one suffers a bit.

Prom Night (2008)

Well I definitely liked this better than the original. For a few reasons, really. But it’s definitely not perfect.

Rabid (2019)

It’s probably no surprise that I like this one better than the original. I mean, it was directed (and written) by the Soska sisters, of American Mary fame, and it’s no secret how much I love that movie. And while this movie does NOT have Katharine Isabelle, it has Laura Vandervoort, whom I’ve already mentioned at least once this year. And Stephen McHattie!

Rings (2017)

This wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t impressive. I don’t think it’s a story that needed to be told (again). But in the midst of all of these horror remakes and reboots, I can see why someone thought it was necessary.

Sorority Row (2009)

Okay, I do have some more to say about this one than about yesterday’s. I liked this one better, but not better enough to give it a higher rating. But it has been a while since I’ve watched a scary movie with Julian Morris!

Straw Dogs (2011)

Okay, it is true. I definitely liked this more than the original. The story is more tightly told, with the scare factor and tension being built up much earlier and more consistently.

Suspiria (2018)

Okay, for all my prior complaints about long movies? THIS movie is long. THIS movie is the longest movie I have watched for this site (it beats the next longest, The Shining, by 8 minutes). THIS movie is OVER TWO AND A HALF HOURS LONG.

Terror Train (2022)

Well, this was kind of a letdown. And yet…why is there a sequel, and why am I watching it tomorrow?

Look, if I had seen this movie first, I might have given it 3 stars. As a standalone film, it’s fine. But as a remake? It’s unnecessary. It doesn’t add anything to the original, and in fact is missing Jamie Lee Curtis AND David Copperfield! So I can’t in good conscience give it a full 3 stars, but it’s fine.

The acting is mostly fine, although the characters are all kind of dicks (like, moreso than in the original?). I really liked the actress playing Mitchy (despite the “this poly dropped a molly” line), and I recognized the actor playing Mo from From, a supernatural horror TV series for which I am desperately awaiting season 3.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)

It seems a lot of people didn’t like this movie, but it’s under an hour and a half, well-paced and well-acted, and has action pretty much from the start.

The Amityville Horror (2005)

I liked this movie about as much as I liked the original. Which is to say, I liked it okay.

I forgot that this was another Michael Bay remake until the Platinum Dunes opening logo popped up. And in fact I almost forgot again while I was watching the film, which says something. Right up until the sex scene, which had Michael Bay written all over it.

Aside from that, it’s quite tame compared to some of his other remakes. It stays mostly true to the original film (based on the book, based on the questionably true story) except for a few minor details.

The Fog (2005)

As I mentioned yesterday, this movie was kind of boring. Now that I’ve seen the original, I understand some of the choices that were made for this remake…and I still think it’s kind of boring. I guess that’s what you get when the director of Blank Check (yes, that Blank Check) decides to do a PG-13 remake of a John Carpenter film.

But it wasn’t the worst movie I’ve watched. The acting was fine, and they definitely went for gold in the music department – the composer, Graeme Revell, did the music for several movies I really liked (Gossip, The Craft, Idle Hands) and one movie I’ve named as my favorite on more than one occasion, The Saint. And he does a great job in this one! The music was the least boring part about the movie.

The Grudge (2019)

Okay, I think this might be my favorite of the American Grudge films. A lot of the problems I had with the previous films were mostly gone or otherwise solved in this one, and I found it genuinely entertaining.

The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

Okay, well, it goes. I liked this one about as much as the original, even though it was not insignificantly longer.

The Hitcher (2007)

I mentioned yesterday that I saw this version first and liked it. And it’s true – while I didn’t really like Michael Bay’s remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street, I did like this one. In fact, aside from seeing his name in the opening credits, there was only one point during this remake where I even remembered that it was a Michael Bay movie (the car crash scene, specifically).

I didn’t realize this until seeing the original, but there were some interesting choices made for this film that I kind of liked. For one thing, it’s clear early on that the gender balance is better in this version – I don’t know if they realized that Sophia Bush would sell better than Zachary Knighton (whose real name I never remember but I just finished watching all of Happy Endings again so I couldn’t help but think of him as Dave Rose) or what, but the character in this one gets an upgrade to girlfriend and road trip companion.

The Last House on the Left (2009)

I’m really tired today, so I’m happy to say that this one is mostly an improvement on the original. I’ll keep this short.

This version focuses more on the story and on character development than on exploitation. There are still some disturbing scenes, but this one has an R rating, so it’s not nearly as graphic.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

Here’s a Michael Bay remake I can get behind. Sure, that’s mostly because I wouldn’t have realized Michael Bay had anything to do with this if I hadn’t looked it up, but still.

The Thing (2011)

Before you ask: yes, I know this is technically a prequel rather than a 30-years-later remake, and I know that the original I’m referring to is technically a thirty-years-later remake of a Howard Hawks film.

That said, it’s a pretty damn good homage to an incredibly damn good film. I just wish it weren’t trying so hard to show off that it had three times the budget and thirty years of special effects advancement behind it.

The Wicker Man (2006)

Hello and happy May Day! I wanted to keep on theme, so my movie ordering is a bit off this week. I don’t know that I’d ever seen this movie before, OR its original…so we’ll see how watching this version first fares for tomorrow’s?

Village of the Damned (1995)

I wish this movie were better. I think it might be the oldest remake I’ve watched yet? It’s old enough to be a Throwback Thursday pick itself!

When a Stranger Calls (2006)

I don’t think this movie was great, but I do think it took the best parts of the original and tried to make the most of them in a remake. I don’t think it always succeeded, but I can appreciate the attempt.