Superior Remakes #5:The Thing (1982)

The Thing is a 1982 sci fi horror film. Directed by John Carpenter (Halloween, The Fog, They Live) and starring Kurt Russell (Escape from New York, Big Trouble in Little China), Keith David (they Live) Wilford Brimley (Cocoon) and Thomas G Waites (The Warriors). The film is a remake of 1951's The Thing from another World as well as an adaptation of the novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell.

Set in an Antarctic research station, the film opens with a neighboring Norwegian helicopter chasing a husky into their camp in an attempt to kill it. Puzzled by this, MacReady (Russell) takes a few men to investigate the Norwegian camp only to find it abandoned apart from a bizarre twisted corpse. After realising that the Norwegians had uncovered an extraterrestrial being in the ice, the thing begins to work it's way through their ranks, imitating and assimilating. After uncovering the science behind the creature's behavior, Blair (Brimley) goes mad and it is down to the rest of the team to figure out which of them is human, and which of them is the thing.

Released to little fanfare in 1982, the studios blamed E.T and Blade Runner, The Thing has gone on to achieve cult status and quite rightly be hailed as a masterpiece. This should come as no surprise to those familiar with the work of John Carpenter, a man who produced several masterpieces at the peak of his powers, and also marks the high point of Carpenters numerous collaborations with Kurt Russell. The film has all the qualities you expect from a Carpenter film: crawling steadicam shots, creeping atmosphere and a tremendous score (This was actually credited to Ennio Morricone but has Carpenter's style all over it). The cast are also on top form and, although there may be a few characters too many, really capture the wild eyed suspicion that defined the novella.

Amidst the ground-breaking special effects work being done by Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London) and Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead) at the time, Rob Bottin is a name that seems to have been lost in the shuffle and that is a real crime. Only 23 years of age at the time, Bottin's special effects are mind boggling and helped to create many memorable visuals that have been burned onto people's retinas for decades. I'm still unable to figure out how many of the creature effects were achieved and this could not (and in the case of 2011's remake in disguise, would not) be done better with CGI.

As a remake, it is vastly superior over Howard Hawks' The Thing From Another World, a film which unfortunately relied upon a walking vegetable as it's monster. As an adaptation, it takes all the interesting cold war paranoia found in Campbell's novella whilst cutting through the dry, and needlessly complicated, science of the alien. The Thing is a perfect horror film, a perfect science fiction film and proof that, in the hands of a master, remakes can be superior indeed.

***** 5 Stars

What do you think of The Thing? Have you seen the original?

Superior Remakes #4: Maniac (2013)

Maniac is a 2013 slasher remake of the 1980 film of the same name. Directed by Franck Khalfoun (P2) and produced by Alexandre Aja (Haute Tension, Piranha 3D) the film stars Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings trilogy) and Nora Arneseder (Safe House). The film updates the sleazy 80s New York setting to a modern day Los Angeles.

Maniac centres around Frank, a mannequin restorer, and his psychotic impulses to stalk and kill women. Through flashback sequences we learn that he didn't exactly have the greatest mother and that this had somewhat of an impact on his hobby of scalping young attractive woman and, disturbingly, stapling the scalps to his beloved mannequins at home. However, when Frank meets photographer Anna (Arnezeder) he finds that he wants a relationship that goes a little bit further than stabbing and scalping but can he keep his murderous migraines in check and resist the urge to kill?

Maniac (like the original) is unique in that it tells the story completely from the perspective of the killer. Frank is the villain, albeit a sympathetic one, but he is also the protagonist and there is no heroic character or police detectives trying to hunt him down...there is just the killer and his victims. This is made all the more compelling by the genius use of the POV filming technique, we see the film literally through Frank's eyes and the camera doesn't turn away from the violence or the horror just as a real killer wouldn't be able to. This can have several different effects on you depending on your disposition but it can't be denied that it completely sucks you in and forces you to care about the character.

In addition to the POV style and striking visuals (clearly Aja's influence) there is a tremendous soundtrack to accompany the carnage from french producer Rob and is easily the best and most effective since the Cliff Martinez engineered soundtrack to Drive (2011). The contemporary French electro sound is perfectly suited to the movie, whether it be a pulsing stalking movement or a schizophrenic blend to echo the madness on screen. The violence in the film is sometimes graphic but always stylish and there is some creative stuff including a cheeky nod to Pet Sematary (1989)

The original Maniac was by no means a bad film but it was the perfect candidate for a remake, a low budget affair that was ripped apart by the censors but had some creative ideas but lacked the vision to realise it's full potential. Khalfoun and Aja are those visionaries and have created a instant horror classic that will only gather more cult status as time passes. For this critic it's the best horror film of 2013 and I really can't see anything having the balls or the penache to surpass the powerhouse that is Maniac!

***** 5 Stars

What did you think of Maniac? How does it compare to the original?

Superior Remakes #3: The Ring (2002)

The Ring is a 2002 psychological horror film. Directed by Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy) starring Naomi Watts (King Kong, 21 Grams) and Martin Henderson. The film is a remake of the seminal Japanese horror film Ringu (1998) but adapts the back story and setting for a western audience.


The film opens with two teenage girls discussing an urban legend involving a mysterious videotape, the legend goes that after viewing the videotape you receive a phone call telling you that you will die in 7 days. It is revealed that one of the girls did indeed watch the tape exactly a week ago and consequently suffers inexplicable heart failure, it also just so happens that the victim's Aunt is top journalist Rachel (Watts) and after a plea from her sister she sets about investigating the mysterious circumstances surrounding her Niece's death. Rachel manages to retrieve and watch the tape prompting her to receive her own phone call to indicate her days are numbered. After showing the tape to her ex partner Noah (Henderson) and accidentally to their son Aiden, Rachel becomes trapped in a race against time to save her family and find a way to break the curse of the tortured Samara.


Ringu was a tremendously groundbreaking film and helped to not only revive south east Asian horror but also had an enormous influence on western horror. The Ring is a direct result of that influence and as good as the original is, the American remake is just that little bit better. There are 2 main reasons for this, the striking direction by auteur Gore Verbinski and the incredibly strong central performance by Naomi Watts. The original had it's own style and atmosphere but The Ring goes way beyond that with it's blue-grey palette and iconic imagery creating a fresh and engaging style all of it's own. The repeated use of imagery from the tape such as the tree, the horses eye and of course the iconic well ring create an immersive sense of empathy as you experience a little taste of the hallucinations that the characters are experiencing.


Watts is tremendous as the rather unsympathetic Rachel character, her first appearance is when she arrives late to pick up her son from school and the parenting skills just get worse from there on. This is a really refreshing change from the virtuous hero/heroine and of course draws a parallel with the fraught relationship between Samara and her mother making for a really interesting characterisation of the lead. The use of advanced CGI effects in the film has been a point of contention for fans of the original, and whilst I will agree that the iconic ending of Ringu has been given an unsatisfactory gloss here, there is one use of CGI that I feel greatly improves upon the originals effects. The fleeting shots of the victim's faces after their encounter with Samara are some of the most disturbing images I've seen in a horror film, and the grotesque lifeless expressions left much more of an impact than the originals use of a negative freeze frame.


Most successful Japanese horrors have been remade for the western market purely for people who can't be bothered to read subtitles and some have been disastrous (Pulse, I'm looking at you!). However, the way in which The Ring has been remade has allowed for the brilliant premise to be retained whilst adapting the mythos for a completely different culture, and combine this with it being arguably one of the most visually impressive horror films (alongside The Shining) and you have a truly terrifying film with enough depth to creep under your skin and stay with you for a long time.


5 Stars *****

What did you think of The Ring? Do you prefer Ringu?

Superior Remakes #2: Let Me In (2010)

Let Me In is a 2010 remake of the 2008 Swedish romantic-horror film Let the Right One In, itself an adaptation of the 2004 novel of the same name. The film is directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) and stars Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass, Hugo), Kodi Smit-Mcphee (The Road) and Richard Jenkins (The Cabin in the Woods, Stepbrothers). The film was one of the first production projects for the newly ressurected Hammer studios.



 The film follows the story of 12 year old Owen (Smit-Mcphee) and 12(ish) year old Abbey (Moretz). Owen is a lonely bullied child growing up in small town New Mexico, his life takes a turn for the better when Abby and her "father" (Jenkins) move into the local apartment complex. The pair soon become inseparable companions and Abby gives Owen the confidence to violently confront his bullies, however the budding romance soon takes a turn for the worst when it is revealed that Abby is actually a vampire who is hundreds of years old. Her guardian is not actually her father but rather the individual tasked with collecting blood so Abby doesn't have to get her hands dirty, but after he opts out of the relationship Owen and Abbey have nobody left but each other and their unconventional romance flourishes.


Let the Right One In is a tremendous film, original and groundbreaking in terms of the vampire sub-genre but as good as it is, Let Me In is simply better. The film's strengths are the same as the original in that it swings wildly between suspenseful, atmospheric horror and beautifully moving romance. The reason why Let Me In improves upon this dynamic is mainly due to the central performances by Moretz and Smit-Mcphee, this was Moretz's second major picture after her breakout in Kick-Ass and her performance in Let Me In solidifies her as a future star. In the original film I found the Oskar and Eli characters a lot less likeable and rather 2 dimensional at times which affected my investment into their relationship. However due to the performances in Let Me In the characters of Owen and Abbey are played with a lot more vulnerability and pathos creating a much more compelling romantic storyline.


Something which has divided audiences and fans of the original is the supposed exaggeration of the horror elements of the film when compared with the original. Although the Swedish version did underplay the horror brilliantly and used a more melancholic piano score it was not consistently subtle (CGI cats spring to mind) and I prefer the special effects of the remake, however much they steer the story into cliched territory. The muted palette of the original is also retained and is used very effectively to create the isolated setting of the film, as mentioned the score of Let Me In does employ a more melodramatic feel but I really enjoyed this and thought it evoked the gothic-romantic elements of a vintage hammer film.


It's not often that a tremendous foreign film is improved upon by an American remake but I truly feel that Let Me In is the superior film. Stronger acting, score and production values create an utterly immersive story that create the anomaly of a romantic horror film that doesn't wallow in sentiment or overplayed horror conventions, and that is a very tricky balance. I'm not a great fan of vampire films but I would place this amongst the absolute classics of the 21st Century, the original is definitely worth checking out as well but Let Me In is the version that will stay with me the longest.


5 stars *****


Which version do you prefer?

Superior Re-Makes #1: The Fly (1986)

The Fly is a 1986 sci-fi/horror film and is a remake of the 1958 film of the same name starring Vincent Price. Directed by body-horror auteur David Cronenberg (Scanners, Videodrome) and starring Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, Independance Day) and Geena Davis (Thelma & Louise, Beetlejuice). The film won an Oscar in 1987 for Best Makeup Effects.

The Fly (much like the orginal) centres around a brilliant scientist attempting to invent a teleportation device. In this case it's Seth Brundle (Goldblum) who stumbles upon this miracle and agrees to share his discovery with Veronica Quaife (Davis), a journalist for Particle Magazine who soon becomes his lover. Brundle has built his custom pods and has teleported inanimate objects successfully, but teleportations of living animals have gone awry (as demonstrated by the famous "inside-out baboon"). After a row between the lovers, Brundle decides he can't wait any longer and after some tweaks to the device, teleports himself successfully. However, as the movie progresses it becomes clear that when Brundle was teleported, a fly had managed to get inside the machine thus splicing their DNA together. This results in a spectacular metamorphosis as Veronica watches the man she loves transform into the grotesque Brundlefly.

This film is well remembered (and won many awards) for it's groundbreaking special effects. In a time long before before CGI was commonplace, Chris Walas (makeup artist) created some of the most incredible practical effects of the 1980s (The Thing and American Werewolf in London not withstanding).  Combined with the twisted mind of Cronenberg, the film certainly stands as one of the most disgusting films ever made. I have my own peronal memories of watching this film as a kid and my brother having to leave the room as he couldn't stomach it and I'm sure many other people have had the same experience, particularly with the arm wrestling scene. I'm sure that the effects of the orginal film were groundbreaking for the time, but after seeing the fully transformed Brundlefly, a guy wearing a furry fly head can't help but be overshadowed by Cronenberg's disturbing vision.

Symbolically, the film represents a very different time in society when compared to the original. The 50s version was an allegory of scientific experimention, as were most sci-fi movies of that era, but wisely Cronenberg adapts the premise to act as a metaphor for degenerative disease which is widely seen as a response to the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. The Brundlefly is up there with King Kong as one of the most sympathetic movie monsters of all time. This was present in the original, but through Brundle's agonising transformation we really invest so much more into the character. As a result of this excellent writing and character development, the film manages to straddle a very bizarre line between revulsion and actually being moved by the tragic fate of the character.

The original is still well worth a watch, if only for the presence of Vincent Price, but Cronenberg's Fly is an absolute masterpiece in the body-horror sub genre that has come to define his work. The film did spawn a fairly decent sequel which followed the story of Brundle and Veronica's child, but for a really seminal 80s creature feature you must see this film. Just make sure you watch it after you've had your dinner.

5 stars *****

Have you ever seen the film? Do you think it's a superior remake?