The RE-IMAGINING of the SEQUEL to the REMAKE of the PREQUEL - THE FINAL GRIPE
October 19th 2007 00:09
We are living in dark times, desperate measures, clutching at cinematic straws. Well, not us per se, but the insidious Hollywood machine. The 80s weren’t this bad, but we felt it. It had begun in earnest during the latter part of the 70s, but it went a little crazy during the 80s, then in the 90s it escalated a little more. Now, in the new millennium, sequel/prequel/remake mania has reached critical mass.
At the same time another horror movie was also capitalizing on the sequel formula of success. The Omen (1976) was followed by Damien: Omen II (1978). Less vacuous as Jaws 2, Omen II maintained the arc of the story, the villian now older and more powerful, whereas Jaws 2 was roughly the same, except with another shark (actually I’m protecting a guilty pleasure, I know).
And then there was Halloween (1978)’s sequel Halloween II (1981), with the tagline, “More of the night He came home!” Halloween II holds a fond place in my horror heart as it was the first truly adult movie I saw at the movies; it was rated R16 and I was only 13 (and lied about my age at the box office). When I saw Halloween a year or so later on VHS I was impressed at how the sequel picked up literally straight after the first film, even re-telling the final moments of the first movie at the start of Halloween II to re-fresh audiences memories.
The sequel and the remake are about making money. It’s never been about the story or the art. I don’t care what anyone says. George Lucas will argue that the Star Wars series is all about the story; The Journal of the Whills to be precise (the name he gave to the entire saga, mentioned at the beginning of the novel of Star Wars), but let’s face it, Empire Strikes Back is impressive, but it’s no New Hope.
Sequel-mania won’t go quietly. It will rage hard long into the dark night. Taking down as many of us as it can. Then we have the disease that is remake-itis. Or if the producers fancy themselves as “filmmakers” then it’s a “re-imagining” or “re-envisioning”. This is a pandemic in Hollywood. And it seems to have singled out the horror genre. What did the horror genre do to warrant such injustice?! Oh, the humanity!
But I’d be a hypocrite if I went the whole hog on this one. I love David Cronenberg’s remake of The Fly (1986) and John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982) is a masterpiece. I’ve enjoyed some of the recent remakes; Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead (2004) and Alexandre Aja’s The Hills Have Eyes (2006). And no doubt I’ll enjoy some more to come, although I’m really not looking forward to it. The future’s so bright I gotta wear shades. It should be dark dammit! The list is long, I won’t go into it here, suffice to say some of my very favourite horror movies have either already been remade or are in pre-production. The Hitcher (2007), Halloween (2007), Day of the Dead, The Evil Dead, even The Thing is being remade again.
I gotta stop; the gripe that is. It’s getting me nowhere, like any vitriol; it only leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. But it feels good to spit it out. So, on a dark-brighter note my next seven posts will be a countdown to All Hallow’s Eve, seven of my all-time favourite horror movies, some of which have had sequels or have been remade: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1955), Cat People (1942), Suspiria (1977), Phantasm (1978), Alien (1979), Possession (1981) and Videodrome (1982) …
For my complete list of all-time favourite horror movies, check my Orble profile page. I’ve already reviewed several of them. The other significant favourite (and a sequel) Day of the Dead (1985) I will review further down the beaten track, along with Night of the Living Dead (1968) and Dawn of the Dead (1978) … and Zack Snyder’s “re-envisioning” thrown for contentious measure.
But for now, have a bloody great weekend, and don’t let the remake bite!
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Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
What we really need is another 'scary movie' franchise to show us the true horror of ripping something off.
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
I hear ya about those remakes. It depresses me to see them haking up great movies to make sequels and remakes.
Though, I have to say. Empire was my favourite of the Star Wars movies.
Have a great weekend you gore hound!
Kylie
Comment by Cibbuano
20/20 Filmsight
Science News
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
Am snarling anyway. Great post, Bryn! WHEN WILL IT STOP?! Some are OK but it has become too easy. Noone bothers actually creating something knew, spreading the word on it, generating interest, when films and concepts of the past are handed to them on a platter, pretty much ready to be served!
Michaelie
Comment by Nina
TV Babble
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Michaelie, too true.
Nina, Saw just makes my eyes roll. Period.