Top 10 Badass Reimaginings of Classic Monsters
Ted Hentschke
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3) Wolfman:
Though not as popular as vampires, werewolves have been given their fair share of screen time lately. This is the classic transformation narrative, where even after one has succumbed to the curse, they must endure it over and over again. Protagonist or antagonist, the idea of a savage wolfman is terrifying both for their uncontrollable violence and your own should you survive. Here are the films that retold this tale the best.
An American Werewolf in London (1981):
Talk about redefining a genre! Debatably as much of a classic as the 1941 original The Wolf Man, An American Werewolf in London brings a whole new level of psychological tension to the transformation narrative. I know there are plenty of us out there who think about the possibility of becoming a transfigured denizen of the night and say, “That would actually be pretty kickass! I actually basically hate all my friends/neighbors/potential food anyways.” Now, what if those victims were to haunt you as spirits until you die? Quite literally just pestering you to please kill yourself. Not in a rude way, just politely reminding you that they are in eternal agony until you die. Plus, they are slowly decaying all over your nice things. Now your hot new nurse girlfriend and snazzy wolf powers don’t seem too great, do they?
Ginger Snaps (2000):
Remember being a teenager? Hormones running amok, body going through all of these changes, emotions shooting everywhere? I’m lucky that I’m a dude, and all I had to deal with was spontaneous boners and realizing I wasn’t cool enough to get mad laid, yo. Girls have it rough, what with the periods, growing interest from the opposite gender, and turning into a werewolf. All right, that last part is just Ginger Snaps, but it’s a hell of a great metaphor. Taking the literal transformation of puberty and transposing it into the werewolf transformation narrative, Ginger Snaps tells a classic story from a fresh and interesting perspective. Females are already underrepresented in the medium, with topics such as menstruation and puberty being relegated at best to uncomfortable jokes. It’s great to see the werewolf story being used to highlight such issues, and even better to see it done well. It’s no mystery why this film is a cult classic.
4) Mummy:
Empty toilet paper rolls across the world can attest to the eternal love for mummies. Even as non-revenants, the idea of an ancient king having his organs scooped out, body turned into jerky, and locked in a sarcophagus at the bottom of a trap-laden pyramid is the stuff of little boy’s dreams. The walking cursed kind is just icing on the cake and obvious horror material. Though sparse as a present antagonist (I chose to exclude ancient vengeful spirits like the one in Unrest (2006)), there’s still some great modern examples of the wrapped-up wraith wreaking havoc.
The Mummy (1999):
While I don’t think that anyone would call Stephen Sommers’ The Mummy a masterpiece, it’s a hell of a good time. Technically a remake of the 1932 film of the same name, this version focuses more on action and adventure. Brendan Fraser does his best Indiana Jones impression, bringing a sense of comedic levity to the intense fights and death-defying perils, but don’t think this movie is all fun and games, as the flesh-eating scarabs and organ-stealing mummy still haunt my dreams.
Bubba Ho-Tep (2002):
Chances are if you are a casual horror fan, you haven’t even heard of Bubba Ho-Tep. Forgoing a theatrical release, director Don Coscarelli instead showed the film selectively at festivals across the country. It gave the film a personalized, indie feel, generating underground hype before the DVD release. Even without this snippet of history, the film is great on its own merit.
In The Shady Rest Retirement Home, Elvis (Bruce Campbell) is living out his golden years in anonymity. Turns out the Elvis that died in 1977 was an Elvis impersonator named Sebastian Haff, with whom Elvis switched places to get some peace and quiet. Now an old man, no one believes he is the real Elvis. His best friend, Jack, claims to be JFK, who was dyed black and abandoned there after the assassination attempt. Together, they must fight a mummy dubbed “Bubba Ho-Tep,” who decides to feed on the elderly since all those young kids keep running away and beating him up. Need I say more?
