It is not an entirely false generalization to say that remakes are a large portion of the media we consume and see advertised (sometimes ad nauseum) every cinematic year. Very few things nowadays sprout from original IP, and the horror genre is far from excluded from that.
If only our politicians were as eager about recycling as our Hollywood producers seem to be…but that’s a conversation for a different day.
Whenever a new remake is announced, I often see two prominent camps emerge.
- The “Y Tho” tribe, purists who may or may not have a soft spot for the original, but all definitely wish for the Hollywood horror output to be all brand new thoughts and ideas. They love to insist “the original was better” but still may or may not attend a screening opening weekend to affirm their declaration.
- The “Let’s Gooo” tribe, who usually has its own opinion whether positive or negative (or even lukewarm) of the original, but are ok with Hollywood taking another crack at it. If it’s a favorite they too will show up opening weekend to see if the remake does the original justice, but if it’s not a favorite, they may wait until it hits streaming.
Both tribes have their merits and either side can fluctuate in numbers depending on the remake in question. (I will also take this time to say it is ABSOLUTELY okay to change tribes according to the movie, it’s all discourse and it’s all valid!)
That said, one may ask, “Chel, what side are YOU on?” And to that, dear reader, I will be candid: I am a proud, card-carrying member of the Let’s Goooo tribe. I love a good remake, and even bad remakes have a spot on my watchlist and in my movie loving heart.
Perhaps it is because I identify with the filmmakers who need some guidelines, a few sturdy walls to ricochet ideas off of when trying to think creatively. Perhaps it is because I have never believed that “too much of a good thing” could be anything but well…a good thing…
Either way, now that I have identified my biases, allow me to make my case on why remakes are an important part of not only the universal fabric of cinema, but an important part of the integrity of the horror genre.
My case can truly be summed up in one word: accessibility.
Whether it’s due to language barriers or simply a limited knowledge of the encyclopedic lexicon of horror movies, remakes are the “spoonful of sugar” that can help newbies to the genre dip their toe in the spooky pool and see how they feel.
Think back to some of the remakes from the early to mid-00’s: “The Hills Have Eyes” “Last House on the Left” for example. For many horror novices, they are not jumping right in on these (admittedly brutal) original Wes Craven texts for their first forays into the genre. There’s something about the gritty effect of horror in the 1970s that still gives my stomach a tug of nerves from time to time. But, these 2000s remakes with their higher-definition quality as well as familiar actors help them hold onto the reminder that “It’s only a movie. It’s only a movie.”
Sometimes, these modern retellings frame the stories in more relatable ways. Take “Black Christmas,” each iteration adds its own angle that better reflects some of the external thoughts and factors that college-aged women may be facing. Even when it’s to a heavy-handed level of camp, it’s much easier to put yourself into a movie that seems like it “gets it” and it usually results in the scares being more genuine without the safety screen of “I identify with nothing in this movie.”
This case can also be made for American/English remakes of international films, the language barrier and the disinterest in subtitles may have prevented many people from ever experiencing some fantastic horror movies. Imagine never experiencing movies like “The Grudge” or more recently “Speak No Evil” simply because the thought of watching in another language proved to be a barrier.
It’s like going to a theme park and deciding which rollercoasters to ride. Some will immediately want to hop onto the wooden coasters that creak and groan just enough to suggest that MAYBE it could be your last ride ever. Others may opt for the metal, state of the art coasters that were designed and built by teams of engineers and physicists to defy gravity and still keep you safe. Both offer their own form of excitement and rush.
All horror fans will remember the moment when they were watching one of their first horror movies and it just clicked. We realized we loved the rush, the drops and twists and turns. And we needed to feel it again. And again. And again.
For many horror novices, these remakes are their gateways to a greater love of horror. Maybe their decision to check out a horror remake that happens to be in theaters on a Friday night is exactly the thing they need for their click to happen.
And now, with this newfound excitement for this movie and the horror genre, they will be more inclined to seek out the originals, bringing the experiences and feelings that the remake incited, and examining if/how these originals try to make the same impact. Or maybe, those movies showed them aspects of horror that they didn’t understand or like, further refining their horror movie palate.
Remakes aren’t a reason to bury the originals, but to dust them off and reflect on why these stories lasted so long in our minds that they inspired a new generation of filmmakers to make their own versions. They are meant to remind all of us of the long and, at times, cyclical legacy of horror and that there is a seat at the table, and a spot in the watchlist for these horror stories in all of their iterations.
It’s all horror, and it’s all for us.
