Horror Movies: Originals vs Remakes

 Watching through the Friday the 13th franchise and playing some of the Silent Hill 2 Remake has gotten me thinking more on the idea of remakes and reboots. This is because with movies you have many different avenues to access films whether that be physically or digitally. Like, I found a sealed DVD copy of The Matrix at a shop for super cheap. But this does not apply to games. You may have to scour multiple digital storefronts to access a specific title or even shell out loads of money for an original physical copy. That is not even taking into account the process of emulation. An alternative that does not properly serve many people. 

This is because emulation runs an imperfect experience. Creating new glitches on top of needing to work with your PC setup. As well as finding the right emulator that fits your preferences. So, it's quite comical to hear people jump straight to emulation when discussing preservation or of ways to play a game. Because at the end of the day, these games were designed with specific functions and limitations in mind. Playing something on your supercomputer that was made for the PS1 has a chance to dampen the experience in odd ways. 

But this is not really a discussion on Original Hardware vs Emulation. I want to talk about my preference toward Originals over their Remake or Reboot counterparts. This topic is going to focus on my love of film with some video game stuff sprinkled in. And to start off, I'd like to talk about A Nightmare on Elm Street. 

A Nightmare on Elm Street is easily one of my favorite movies of all time. And it happily cemented Wes Craven as one of, if not, my favorite director. So, I often think upon how well crafted the movie is from the transitions into the dream world, to the dread that is created from the sleep deficient characters. An extremely strong entry that is only matched by its third installment, Dream Warriors. This is the blessing and curse of this franchise. 

Any film without Wes's guiding hand is most certainly felt. They make Freddy too goofy and marketable. That fear from falling asleep is replaced with anticipation as to how Freddy is going to clown on someone next. When Nightmare returned to its roots with the Remake, I was excited. But at this point in time, I had only watched the first movie and Freddy vs Jason. Even then, I didn't like it. As a result I have only watched it one other time. 

And my problem wasn't with Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy, I thought he was one of the highlights. My issues lie in the fact that the movie focused spectacle over ingenuity. Those really tight transitions from the waking world into the dream were gone. They made it so painfully obvious that it detracted from what made the idea of falling asleep so terrifying. It wasn't just the Man in the Fedora with his claw scraping along the piping of the boiler room. It was not knowing whether or not you actually fell asleep. 

I have always held that aspect against it. The Remake modernized a classic in a way that hampered the franchise, while also continuing a trend that has haunted it to this day. And there hasn't been a new film since. A Nightmare on Elm Street is not unpopular, but there is a lack of confidence without Wes Craven behind the wheel. And I don't blame them. 

However, there are some remakes or reboots that I do think nail the jump. The first one being the Friday the 13th Reboot from 2009 and the other being Slumber Party Massacre from 2021. These two films work as modernized entries in two franchises that include much of the charm and ingenuity that they were known for. 

With Friday the 13th, I know many people seem to think that this is a remake. But it just isn't, it's a reboot. A remake pertains to a singular film while a reboot usually incorporates aspects present in a myriad of entries. And funnily enough this film resembles Friday Part III more than any other entry. This is because of the Iconic Hockey Mask as well as the house feeling more like Higgins Haven. So, it's hard to really nail down specifics. 

What I think makes this movie work so well is Jason. And it's not just the presentation, the whole package is great. Derek Mears is large and intimidating. His portrayal feels terrifying. Jason is alive and running again. He is setting up traps brutalizing anyone in his path. A great return to form that sadly never materialized anything film related. This is easily a top five entry in the franchise. Michael Bay really needed this win for his production company. 

This next entry may need an introduction. The Slumber Party Massacre is a horror film from 1982 written by Rita Mae Brown about a serial killer terrorizing girls at a slumber party, pretty self explanatory. The gimmick that sets this movie apart from the pack is the Driller Killer and lines that break genre conventions pertaining to women. Some clever stuff that the director, Amy Holden Jones was able to slip in. Like, talking about masturbation and some feminist language for example. So, there are other things that get brought up and mentioned in the special features for the home release that I need to watch again. 

But now I need to talk about the remake Slumber Party Massacre, directed by Danishka Esterhazy. I remember seeing that they were making this, and my first thought was, "why?" Not because the original is bad, but because there were so many other horror movies to choose from. And it even released on the SyFy channel I think. When it reviewed extremely well, I was excited. I ended getting the Blu-Ray for it, and the movie did not disappoint. Slumber Party Massacre got to do so many things that the original did and it even had some female gaze to go along with it. 

I love this movie and I think that everyone should give it a shot. Bringing back the Driller Killer and making the movie all-around enjoyable without tarnishing the legacy of the first one was great. Another entry in this franchise stands out once again in this horror boom where many have not. I just wish that there was some consistency in movie remakes. Because for all of the Slumber Party Massacres, you get more Texas Chainsaw Massacres and Prom Nights. Remakes that miss the mark and barely resemble the films that they are remaking. 

However, we don't need one-for-one shots though. I have seen Psycho but not it's remake for this reason. There isn't any originality to be had there. This might as well have been plagiarism in color. At the end of the day, I really just want both things to be available to me readily. 

As a result, I am playing the Silent Hill 2 remake without direct access to the original and that sucks. The most accessible version of that game is the fan-port on PC. Silent Hill 2 is stuck on the Xbox and PS2. That is absolutely criminal because it serves to say that the original is replaceable. And I guess that means the HD collection is back on the table. An imperfect port that does not do the game justice. 

What else is there to say on this topic? I am ultimately a horror fan that enjoys the creativity of the 1980s with how they were able to make their films. Those imperfect blemishes are endearing and are seldom to see nowadays. The editing and digital teams are simply too clean nowadays. I can see the passion, but I can't always see the heart. And I just want more of that. Work with what we've got and hope that all the pieces fall into place. 

And remember to Free Palestine, Free Congo, Free Sudan, Free Venezuela and to Free Lebanon from the onslaught of their oppressors. Never stop talking about them. They think that we don't care, but we see everything. Never forget that.