10 Horror Remakes That Are Better Than You Might Think
Steve Barton
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House on Haunted Hill: House on Haunted Hill and Thir13en Ghosts play out as essentially carbon copies of one another. That’s not necessarily a terrible thing, but don’t anticipate any mind boggling differences between these flicks. Visually the edge likely goes to Thir13en Ghosts, but House on Haunted Hill has some creepy atmosphere going for it… and that damned super-fast blurry motion effect that – admittedly – blows my mind every time I see it.
There may be quite the abundance of plot holes to contend with here, and one of the strangest onscreen ensembles you’ll spot, but there’s brainless fun to be had. When compared directly to the original Vincent Price piece, the pic holds up pretty well. I love William Castle’s original, but let’s be real: The film is a little bit of a hackjob, despite its charm.
The Stepfather: It’s a little baffling how much disdain this remake drew. The ire was almost tangible, and truth be told, this Stepfather doesn’t really deserve that form of response. It’s not remotely near as chilling as Joseph Ruben’s flick, no doubt about it. Dylan Walsh is no Terry O’Quinn for that matter either. However, when Dylan snaps, it’s startling, and the man, no doubt, is frightening in his darkest moments. It’s a little flashy, I’ll openly admit. But any time this one hits the waves, I can’t help but to watch it.
You’ve got to admit, the “Who am I here?!” scene is exponentially better than it should have been. Those kinds of iconic shots seem damn near impossible to pull off, but in this case it actually worked out. That alone deserves really big points.
This is the type of motion picture that had no hope of rivaling the original source. It wasn’t going to happen. Terry O’Quinn delivered a once in a lifetime performance back in 1987, and kudos to him. That however isn’t a valid reason to crucify Walsh, who himself did a solid job as the face-changing killer in search of the perfect family.
The next time you’re thinking of dismissing this one, or refusing it a second chance, think for one moment and pretend the original film was never made. Now ask yourself: Could you have dug Nelson McCormick’s flick and the outrageous idea on display if an original feature had never been made? It’s still a cool enough idea that I’d be interested whether Joseph Ruben’s pic existed or not.
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