Best and Worst Movie Remakes

[Wall-E1]

Spin off of my other thread. What are the best and worst remakes out there?

The best...
1. Dawn of the Dead (still love the original, but how can you compete with zombies that run?)
2. Invasion of the Body Snatchers - Donald Sutherland version (It's been remade so many times. This is the best of the remakes)
3. Let Me In (Improved upon an excellent foreign film)
4. King Kong (I like all the versions, but the new Peter Jackson take is the best)
5. The Thing (Much creepier and bloodier than the original)

The worst...
1. Planet of the Apes - Marky Mark version (I still don't fully understand it, however I do understand how bad it is)
2. Pink Panther (Why would Steve Martin do this?)
3. Clash of the Titans (I grew up with the original. Nothing could top that version)
4. The Bad News Bears (Nobody can ever replace Walter Matthau in that role)
5. Nightmare on Elm Street (What, no Robert Englund? What were they thinking?)

 

[DebIreland]

Best: Cape Fear.

Worse: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

 

[4greatboys]

The worst...
.5. Nightmare on Elm Street (What, no Robert Englund? What were they thinking?)

Yes! Plus he looked so much creepier than the new Freddy.

 

[Planogirl]

The worst remake to me was The Haunting. The old classic film is one of my favorites and they completely butchered the story in the remake. It irritates me to no end.

I understand that Bogey's Maltese Falcon was a remake. It's bound to be better. I did like The Ring and I would agree with The Thing.

 

[jog58]

Spin off of my other thread. What are the best and worst remakes out there?

The best...
1. Dawn of the Dead (still love the original, but how can you compete with zombies that run?)
2. Invasion of the Body Snatchers - Donald Sutherland version (It's been remade so many times. This is the best of the remakes)
3. Let Me In (Improved upon an excellent foreign film)
4. King Kong (I like all the versions, but the new Peter Jackson take is the best)
5. The Thing (Much creepier and bloodier than the original)

I agree the Dawn of the Dead remake was pretty fantastic. Sticking with the zombie theme, worst remake ever was the 2008 remake of Day of the Dead. Putrid doesn't even begin to describe how awful this movie was. The fact that it was $2.99 on bluray should have been a dead [no pun intended] giveaway.

 

[Planogirl]

I agree the Dawn of the Dead remake was pretty fantastic. Sticking with the zombie theme, worst remake ever was the 2008 remake of Day of the Dead. Putrid doesn't even begin to describe how awful this movie was. The fact that it was $2.99 on bluray should have been a dead [no pun intended] giveaway.

OT - the Kings of Wrestling? I hear about them constantly and I have to admit that they are pretty sweet. That is, if you're into that type of thing.

 

[jog58]

OT - the Kings of Wrestling? I hear about them constantly and I have to admit that they are pretty sweet. That is, if you're into that type of thing.

Yeah, they're pretty fantastic. Especially if you're into that type of thing lol

 

[purplegirl247]

Best: Ocean's 11. We saw the George Clooney one first, then got all excited for the Rat Pack version. Couldn't get through the first half hour. It was just talk talk talk. Arthur was surprisingly good with Russell Brand, I thought.

I'm not sure about the worst, but there are a few that I scratch my head over. Why remake Footloose? The original is awesome. On the opposite end, why remake Conan? Who was begging for that, lol?

 

[No.17CherryTreeLane]

The Psycho remake has to be one of the worst. Whose brilliant idea was that?

 

[hulagirl87]

Arthur was surprisingly good with Russell Brand, I thought.

I'm not sure about the worst, but there are a few that I scratch my head over. Why remake Footloose? The original is awesome.

I agree with you on both of these! I loved Arthur with Russell Brand!!!! As for worst I think The Stepford Wives with Nicole Kidman was pretty bad.

And I'm telling you right now. If they remake Dirty Dancing like I hear they are going to, I'm going to be so peeved! I love that movie. You don't mess with that!

Oh, and the Clash of the Titans remake wasn't too bad either.

It seems like there are more and more remakes lately. Straw Dogs is coming out in a couple weeks. I remember my mom telling me about the original one and how scared she was after seeing it. I watched the trailer for the new one and it's pretty scary!

 

[jog58]

I agree with you on both of these! I loved Arthur with Russell Brand!!!! As for worst I think The Stepford Wives with Nicole Kidman was pretty bad.

And I'm telling you right now. If they remake Dirty Dancing like I hear they are going to, I'm going to be so peeved! I love that movie. You don't mess with that!

Oh, and the Clash of the Titans remake wasn't too bad either.

It seems like there are more and more remakes lately. Straw Dogs is coming out in a couple weeks. I remember my mom telling me about the original one and how scared she was after seeing it. I watched the trailer for the new one and it's pretty scary!

It looks quite scary but Alexander Skarsgård is in it [even though he's not the nicest fella in this movie to put it mildly] so I will just have to force myself to go see it.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Best:
+ Dawn of the Dead (So much going for it!: recharged the whole zombie genre; Ty Burrell; cool zombies; Johnny Cash's rumbling baritone apocalyptic theme song over the credits)
+ Scarface (The Pacino version is so amazing and iconic that you forget its a remake)
+ Casino Royale (same title but different plot; significant thing here is Daniel Craig successfully, against all odds, made Bond interesting again)
+True Grit (successful retelling of a classic!; amazing acting, well written, beautiful cinematography)
+ Fright Night (Not that it was super, but I just thought it deserved a mention since the remake was pretty decent but is insignificant enough that it is about to be forgotten forever)
+The Magnificent Seven (I like westerns better than I do Japanese art films)


Worst:
- Superman Returns (The most recent Superman reboot with Brandon Routh as the Man of Steel was an absolute bomb. No redeeming value at all IMO)
- Psycho (Vince Vaughn??? Really????)
- Poseidon/Poseidon Adventure (Why oh why did Hollywood feel the urge to thoroughly soil one of the iconic movies of my childhood? No way can you ever improve on Shelley Winters' heroic swim or Ernest Borgnine, Jack Albertson, and Gene Hackman hamming it up and chewing scenery)
- Alice in Wonderland (Not that the Depp/Burton version is horrible, but I much prefer the Disney cartoon version or a couple of live action versions produced in the 70's and 80's)

 

[zippitydoo]

Best: Dawn of the Dead
Worst: Clash of the Titans, Last House on Left

 

[jenrose66]

Off the top of my head my favorite movie remake is "Psycho" with Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche, it was very unfooled around with and a great nod to the original.

Most disappointing remake for me was Halloween by Rob Zombie. I mean he was brilliant with House of a 1000 Corpses and his movie after that wasn't bad (can't remember the name)...I couldn't believe how bad his remake of Halloween was.