Horror on Blu Pt. 2: Remakes
Posted October 27, 2009 12:17 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
With Halloween around the corner CityNews.ca film opinionist Brian McKechnie has hunkered down with a slew of horror movies on Blu-ray to see what titles are worthy of upgrading to high-definition for. In Part 2 of his 5 part series he looks at remakes you may want to pick up on Blu-ray.
These days it seems that everything is being remade. While I can only think of one that actually improves upon the original (see my review of The Last House on the Left below), a lot of them are actually enjoyable even if controversial. Two available on Blu-ray that I had no hope for were Rob Zombie’s Halloween and The Hills Have Eyes. Not better than the originals but solid nonetheless. Unfortunately I couldn’t get either in time to review for this series.
Here’s a look at some remakes I did check out on Blu-ray.
Friday the 13th (2009) IMDb / Amazon
I’m a hardcore fan of the Friday the 13th series (see Horror on Blu Pt. 1). I’ve seen all of them multiple times (even Jason X). So when I heard there was going to be a remake (or retelling) I didn’t know what to expect. Either it was going to be great and bring back masked killer Jason Voorhees in full force or it would suck like a majority of the sequels have. To my delight, the filmmakers handled it well and gave us a Friday the 13th not only worth watching but also worth owning. The Killer Cut release on Blu-ray is definitely for true fans too. It includes both the theatrical and extended cuts of the film (about ten extra minutes), an in-depth look at Jason called Rebirth of Jason Voorhees, additional scenes, picture-in-picture trivia track, The 7 Best Kills and the featurette Hacking Back/Slashing Forward which looks at what made the original film so successful and why it’s good to reboot the series. It also includes a digital copy of the film and BD Live features.
Final verdict: Friday the 13th is one of the better remakes to come along and the Blu-ray release is packed with goodness. Highly recommended.
The Last House on the Left (2009) IMDb / Amazon
The original 1972 The Last House on the Left (itself a remake of Ingmar Bergman’s Jungfrukällan) is one of the most overrated horror films ever made. We can thank it for launching director Wes Craven’s career though, who is also producer on the remake. The updated version is a great thriller with a lot of tension and has wiped the original off the map. Yes, there are some graphic scenes of violence as most would expect, but this is a film for adults (parents primarily) and not teens. It has a smart script, great cinematography and an amazing cast (Monica Potter and Tony Goldwyn are brilliant as the parents). The Blu-ray release is very crisp and includes both the theatrical and unrated versions. Special features include the featurette A Look Inside, deleted scenes and a digital copy.
Final verdict: If you’re looking for a solid horror flick for adults you’ve got it with the new The Last House on the Left.
Dawn of the Dead (2004) IMDb / Amazon
No one messes with George A. Romero’s Dead series! That was the feeling I had when I heard about the Dawn of the Dead remake when it was filming in Toronto back in 2003. Then I saw Canadian indie queen Sarah Polley was attached and my interest piqued. She doesn’t do films to get famous or for a big paycheck, she does them because she’s a true artist. So I gave it a chance and I was pleasantly surprised. They got it right! The mall, the zombies, the cast – all perfect. It shows that director Zack Snyder (this was his first film) along with writer James Gunn and the rest of the team actually care about and respect the original material. The Dawn of the Dead remake was a success at the box office, won fans and critics over and revitalized the zombie genre. On Blu-ray the film comes in the Unrated Director’s Cut and the picture and sound quality is stunning. The locations in the film go from dark to bright often with vibrant colours mixed in. All of this is truly showcased in high-definition. Sadly, the special features are weak and don’t even include the ones from the previous DVD release. You do get an audio commentary with Snyder and producer Eric Newman and the disc does use the interactive U-CONTROL function for picture-in-picture interviews and behind-the-scenes footage while the film plays.
Final verdict: One of the best zombie films to come out of Hollywood in a long time. Definitely worth owning on Blu-ray.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) IMDb / Amazon
Nothing can compare to the original 1974 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre when it comes to pure terror. The movie has haunted me for many years and was a huge inspiration in my work on film. I still watch it often too. Why would I give this remake the time of day then? For starters I don’t look at it as a remake, I look at it as any other sequel in a franchise (and if you’ve seen the sequels to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre you will know this is better than them all). It’s gritty, dark and violent as hell. Marcus Nispel, who directed this and the Friday the 13th remake, knows how to cast big, angry looking villains and it adds to the creepy factor. I also like actors Jessica Biel and Eric Balfour and they work well in this. Since most of the film is really dark the high-def picture is not as awe-inspiring as you’d hope. The blacks do come across nice and the Dolby True HD 5.1 mix makes the chainsaw and screaming very intense. Special features include multiple commentaries, an alternate opening and ending, deleted scenes and the feature length documentary Chainsaw Redux: Making a Massacre.
Final verdict: Give your surround sound a workout and add this to your Blu-ray collection. I’ve seen it for as little as $9.99 online and for that price it’s a no-brainer.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994) IMDb / Amazon & Wolf (1994) IMDb / Amazon
Kenneth Branagh turns Robert De Niro into the classic creature in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein while Mike Nichols makes Jack Nicholson howl in Wolf. Coming off the success of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 Bram Stoker’s Dracula (which is also av
ailable on Blu-ray) both of these were rushed into theatres in 1994 and are decent adaptations. They are also the last time we’ve seen the famous monsters on the big screen. The films have aged well and look and sound great in high-definition. Problem is neither title has any special features to make them worth owning.
Final Verdict: Unless you are a huge fan and must see them in high-definition I would wait till we get some better sets with features.
Let me know what horror remakes you’re enjoying on Blu-ray. Comment below or email brian.mckechnie@citynews.rogers.com with your suggestions.
Top image: Jason in the new Friday the 13th. Courtesy Warner Home Video.
