I’m not sitting idly by while Eggy has all the fun making top 10 lists. As one of his latest is Top 10 Movies That Should Never Get Remade, I’ve decided to throw together a list of 10 movies that should be remade. I wouldn’t necessarily call this “Top 10” as there’s no real order. Plus, making it an accumulative list, makes it easier than struggling to reduce the list to just 10 and then order them.
Usually, my stance is that remakes should only be done with bad movies. Remaking great movies never made much sense to me, they’re already great! That said, most of the movies here I actually like. So you might ask:
“But Shawn, why remake them if you like them?”
Simple, they can still be made better, especially with today’s technology. That doesn’t mean just loaded with CGI either. Without any further ado, here’s 10 movies that I think could use a remake:
The planned live-action He-Man was recently cancelled, but probably for the best. It was from Netflix and we saw what they did with the recent animated version. This version was completely void of all that.
The original Master of the Universe movie was a train wreck, to say the least. This was for many reasons. Mostly because Cannon was Cannon. Some of the set pieces were great. Unfortunately, it was yet another fish-out-of-water movie. He-Man and his friends were brought to modern day (for the time) Earth, from Eternia. This is something done constantly in movies. It’s even the premise for the first Thor movie in 2011.
The main change I’d like to see in a remake is He-Man staying on Eternia. With today VFX Eternia could be amazing. Show us the Great Wars leading to He-Man receiving his powers as a prologue. This time don’t give us new Skeletor henchmen, but classics like Evil-Lyn, Beast Man and the more obscure ones, like Stinkor. If you really need to, you can even have some people from Earth somehow get transported there.
The Howard the Duck movie was all kinds of dumb. Though, some would say it’s “so bad it’s good” I don’t agree with the sentiment much. Although there’s some fun stuff for sure, the plot was typical. Another example of a character from another planet coming to Earth. To be fair here, that’s the idea from the comic books.
Howard’s look still holds up well enough, all things considered. We’ve seen the CGI version of him in the MCU, most notably the end credits of Guardians of the Galaxy. I think having him in this form would be best for a remake. I’d keep it on Earth, although it’s a tired trope. It would, of course, be part of the MCU. That would help people become accustomed to an anthropomorphic duck walking around.
I’d have the movie play out as a neo-noir crime thriller. Howard can beat up fools with his legendary Quack-Fu. Howard has been known to mix it up with a lot of different characters in his comic books. It might make sense to have this as a series instead of just a movie or a number of movies. Also, I wouldn’t want this remade just yet. At least until Marvel gets their act together again and we can see it done on an upswing.
In 1936, The Green Hornet was created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker. In that amount of time, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas in a wide variety of media. This includes his debut in a radio show in the 30s, film serials in the 40s, a TV show in the 60s, comic books from the 40s until now, and in 2011 finally in a feature-length movie.
I was excited about the movie, even though it was starring Seth Rogen. At the time the most annoying part of Rogan was his stupid laugh, he wasn’t as insufferable as he is now. The screenplay was also written by him and Evan Goldberg, so it seemed promising. The movie failed to capture the feeling of Green Hornet and the comedy wasn’t at all funny.
The Green Hornet might do well as a series again, but as a movie franchise it could work if done correctly. Have it more neo-noir and maybe a bit of cheesy fun, in the vein of the Batman 60s TV show. The latter is more consistent with a series. Either way, a good remake could take the franchise to new places.
This is the first movie listed that I really enjoy. Black Roses has an interesting premise, but unfortunately it didn’t seem to have the budget or talent to make it really worthwhile. Also, the special effects weren’t terribly good either. If remade, it would need an almost complete overhaul.
I’d keep the plot basically the same, but have some changes to how the teens become homicidal. I’d have it still take place in the 80s, mostly for the music and because the style of horror would look weird if modernized. Maybe have it a bit more psychological, with the brainwashing of the teens.
A bigger budget could do a lot with a movie like this. Keep it in a small town, but give it more room to breathe and at least give the band an actual arena of sorts to play at. Not what looks like a conference room in a school library. It would also help on the demon side of things as well. Not necessarily in the form of CGI, but if done right, that would work too. I’d also have some cool cameos from rock stars from the area… much like a movie later on this list.
The main character is Sam Hell. I do get the joke of course, but it’s not that cool. The idea of Sam Hell going to Frogtown should be more like when Kurt Russell in Tombstone says “…and Hell is coming with me!” That type of badassery and not just used in the title Hell Comes to Frogtown, because it’s the last name of the character.
The plot of Sam having a high sperm count, and being needed to help repopulate the world after it’s been destroyed by war can stay. It’s a typical post apocalyptical movie. He sets out with a lady scientist and guard to Frogtown to save some ladies that he needs to bang out for the good of mankind. It’s kind of weird, but that 1988 for you. It’s called Frogtown because it’s run by anthropomorphic frogs. I never thought I’d use “anthropomorphic” twice in one article.
I like the look of the frogs, mostly, but CGI would really help here. Practical effects could work too. Back then, the movie was cheap so half the frogs look like animatronics and the others are just people in makeup. The makeup wasn’t that good. The set pieces were trash and the night scenes were sets with a spotlight aimed straight down. The day scenes were cool and shot in what I assume is the Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park.
The remake should have better setpieces for Frogtown, not just use a boiler room, but have an actual town of sorts made up. Keep the plot basically the same, except they don’t intend to go to Frogtown. Have Same, a scientist, and their personal armed guard finding women to bring back for him to impregnate. They get ambushed by Commander Toty’s men, the women are kidnapped and they have no choice but to go into Frogtown to save them. The original movie makes it seem like the waste area and the frog people are not to be messed with.
Although I like Brainscan, I feel it didn’t quite reach its protentional. It didn’t seem to know what it wanted to be. It seemed like it was trying to be a slasher of sorts, but also a crime thriller too. This was two years before Scream rejuvenated the slasher genre. It simply didn’t find its footing and capture an audience.
I think a remake could really do the movie a lot of good. Give it a second chance to catch the attention that I think the original deserves. As much as I like the movie, it was a bit slow even with the murders. I think a major change I’d make is around how people are killed off. Have the victims feel in danger and try to prevent their death instead of them happening off camera or while just sleeping in bed. Have them be chased down.
I’d also make The Trickster more creepy. The original tried to make him a new character with a lasting presence as a Freddy Kruger-type. This time, just have him be creepy. We, the viewers, should have our skin crawl when he’s on screen. Making him basically a buddy to the main character didn’t work, and I think that’s a big reason he’s basically nothing now.
Trick or Treat is kind of in the same vein as Black Roses, for me. That said, though they’re both kind of guilty pleasures. I like this movie a lot more. I feel a lot of nostalgia for this movie. Overall, I would say this has issues on the screenplay side of it.
Sammie Carr, a rock star that died, is now haunting Eddie’s stereo and pushing Eddie in a direction. At one point he seemingly possesses Eddie. Later, Carr is his own entity that is loose, jumping from one electronic device or instrument to another. Eddie, an unpopular kid, uses what he learns from Carr to get back at the bullies, taking it to new heights. Then, suddenly, he doesn’t want any part of it.
The plot is a little convoluted. Not complicated so much, but disjointed. In some ways, it feels like the first and second half are two different movies. This is probably due to the movie having three writers. Perhaps with fewer writers it might have had a more cohesive screenplay. The plot would have been smoother. So take the original, smooth out the rough edges, and make it more streamlined. Keep it in the 80s with the same music too. Maybe get Ozzy and Gene Simmons to make appearances again.
This is kind of a difficult one for me. I really like A Boy and His Dog but I never read the book it is based on, so I don’t know how true to the source material it stays. Harlan Ellison, who wrote the book, had quite the imagination. A lot of his work is dark and bleak. This movie is no different.
I wouldn’t change the plot at all. Leave it as is, but expand the world more. Don’t take away the mystery, but give us more of the real situation and desperation. I wouldn’t change one thing about the underground world. It’s easily the most fascinating part of the movie.
I’d like to see what could be done with a bigger budget and better technology. Get a different dog, make it a German Shepherd. The little cute fluffy dog was a bit too silly for me, although that might have been the type of dog in the book.
When it comes to nostalgia, there is little greater than Krull. I watched this movie hundreds of times as a kid and I still love it. But it does have faults that could be made right with a remake. The set pieces are perfect and could be adapted straight.
I wouldn’t want a lot of CGI in a remake of Krull, but some of the special effects could use a facelift such as for the shapeshifter or the main enemy – The Beast. The main plot is simple, and that is just fine. An alien comes to planet Krull and kidnaps a Princess, the Prince must save her. He heads out and meets new allies on the way. All is well and good with this even if a lot of what they have to overcome is a bit derivative. Keep it as the sci-fi swashbuckler it is.
The biggest changes would be the iconic glaive. Keep the glaive exactly the same, but this time actually use it! Even people that don’t know Krull well at all remember that glaive, and know that it was never really used except in the end. Speaking of the end, have the end fight be more meaningful. In the original it is pretty anticlimactic. Have the fight really take a toll and have the glaive have a bigger impact.
Logan’s Run is easily my favorite movie on this list. I truly love this movie and think it is one of the greatest sci-fi fantasy movies of all time. So it might seem weird that I want it remade. If it’s never remade, I’m okay with that. About 10 years ago Ken Levine (director of the BioShock games) was supposedly working on the screenplay for a remake. I have no idea what happened there.
The plot to Logan’s Run is simple and great. A dystopian society masquerading as a utopia has the equilibrium of resources maintained by killing off members of the population at the age of 30. This is done in a ritualized scenario, cheered on by the people. However, some still try to escape it. All of this is great and needs nothing changed.
Although some of the set pieces are charming in a cheesy 70s sci-fi way, much of the movie could do better today. Most notable area for improvement is the miniatures that look more like toys. Most of the other set pieces are clearly on the cheap too. I’ve seen much more from movies made with far less. That’s the real reason I would like to see this remade – better setpieces and better practical effects. I don’t think only CGI would be warranted. If any makers of a remake of Logan’s Run couldn’t help themselves, maybe it is better left alone?
So there’s the list. What do you think? Am I way off on movies that should be remade, or do you agree with at least some of these? Also, tell us what movies you think could use a remake in the comments.
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