ARTICLE BY CARLOS R. SAVOURNIN
We’ve all done it. We see a trailer for a movie, and when it starts, there’s something familiar about it. Halfway through the two
We’ve all done it. We see a trailer for a movie, and when it starts, there’s something familiar about it. Halfway through the two and a half min presentation, we start to think, “I’ve seen this movie before.” Any when the title is finally revealed, we roll are eyes and think; “Are you kidding me? Another remake?” and the inevitable, “Are there no original ideas left?”
We’ll leave that last question for a whole other article, as I, myself, have wondered that, as well. However, I noticed something while watching a recent remake that made me think twice about my opinion of these films.
The remake mania concentrates most on the horror genre. This year, we’ve seen Pet Semetary, which was a hit amongst critics and audiences alike, and the upcoming Child’s Play rehash which shows a different kind of Chucky – one that is not possessed by a serial killer, rather; one that is part home assistant gone mad…. Throw your Alexa away right now.
Both of these remakes do two things that stand out from the others; they’re telling a different story using a familiar platform, and introducing the story to a whole new generation of audiences. The original Child’s Play and Pet Sematary were released in 1988 and 1989, respectively, which means audiences have either seen them 100 times, or not at all. So, instead of remaking the same film we saw 30 years ago, the writers of Pet Sematary did something no one was expecting – they made it different. The first half of the film was exactly the same as the 1989 version – even dialogue was exactly the same. But, the last half took what we expected and flipped the story on its head and delivered an effective, original (yes, original) scarefest that no one expected. For those who haven’t seen it, I won’t spoil what this event was, but this is one example of a successful remake that included an idea to completely separate it from its original source. The Child’s Play remake has yet to be released, but if the trailer shows anything, is that it’s following suit.
Remakes seem to be the norm nowadays with countless numbers of them being released over the last 10 years. Some were great (It, Dawn of the Dead, The Ring, Evil Dead to name a few), some not (Nightmare on Elm Street, Carrie, Amityville Horror, etc) and some just downright unnecessary (When a Stranger Calls, The Wicker Man, House of Wax, the list goes on and on). It’s undeniable that remakes are here to stay, so let’s hope that those behind these films are paying attention and take note of what Pet Semetary did; make remakes original.
That means you, Chucky.
Remakes seem to be the norm nowadays with a countless amount of them being released over the last 10 years. Some were great (It, Dawn of the Dead, The Ring, Evil Dead to name a few), some not (Nightmare on Elm Street, Carrie, Amityville Horror, etc) and some just downright unnecessary (When a Stranger Calls, The Wicker Man, House of Wax, the list goes on and on). It’s undeniable that remakes are here to stay, so let’s hope that those behind these films are paying attention and take note of what Pet Semetary did; make remakes original.
That means you, Chucky.
Published 5/12/19
