Reimagining 1970s Horror – Rise of the Remake
Not all 1970s horror remakes are created equal, but here are four that this writer loves.
I am a fan of 1970s horror. I loved the psychological aspect of the films back then. I liked that they could be scary without the blood and gore that seems so prevalent in most of the horror films made in the last couple decades. It was about what you thought was just beyond the camera, what was creeping around the corner, the voice on the other end of the line and the fear of what you just couldn’t see.
Four of my most favorite 1970s horror movies have been remade in the last decade. When each was first announced I worried. Remakes are sometimes known to be worse than the original, and I worried that these homages would sully the love I had for these psychological thrillers. Luckily, with each one, I was pleasantly surprised.
The original The Amityville Horror, 1979, starred James Brolin and Margo Kidder as the heads of the Lutz family. They were replaced in the 2005 sequel by Melissa George and Ryan Reynolds. Both films nearly follow the same story line. There are obviously some differences, but both are equally as creepy.
Both movies allow you to feel the change in the male protagonist as the house takes over his mood and actions. You begin to hate this man that shouldn’t be to blame for his actions. Both have a psychological aspect to them, but some of the more intense moments from the original are more on the visually frightening side in the remake. They take liberties that maybe weren’t alright in the time the original was made in the cinematic universe.
I was happy with the performance of Reynolds, most importantly. Knowing the story already did not hurt the enjoyment of seeing the movie through to fruition.
My biggest issue with the remake of The Omen, 1976, which I must delve right into, is the removal of my favorite scene. I loved the decapitation scene near the beginning of the movie. It was dramatic, but not full of gore. The lack of this scene was not, however, enough to make me stop watching.
The 2006 version did lose a little bit of the psychological factor, although both boys were equally as creepy in the role of Damien. The nanny still hung herself. The hound of hell was still vicious.
Liev Schreiber and Julia Stiles did well in their roles, though Schreiber is no Gregory Peck. There were things about Lee Remick’s Katherine Thorn that I preferred, but likely only because I wasn’t used to seeing her as characters in romance and teenage flicks.
The first time I saw the original Black Christmas, 1974, was on local TV. It was a lot different when I finally saw it uncut. It really is a bit of a dirty movie, with foul language. Margot Kidder had an outstanding role and really led the cast.
In the 2006 remake the attitude was a little more tame, but the gore wasn’t. Popular actresses of this time were cast, like Katie Cassidy, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Lacey Chabert.
While I loved the creepy aspect of the original, with the heavy breather on the phone, I have to say that the body impaled on the Christmas tree in the remake was divine gore worthy of an award.
From the moment that I heard Chloe Grace Moretz was going to be Carrie, in the 2013 version, my concerns were diminished. She is an amazing young actress and very versatile.
Carrie isn’t my favorite Stephen King movie, but it’s in the top 5. I really enjoy Sissy Spacek’s portrayal of the telekinetic teen, but found Moretz easier to look at. I also liked that the remake delved more into the story of Carrie and not more focused on her tormentors like the original from 1976.
I was never a John Travolta fan. I did think Piper Laurie made a better Margaret White, but Julianne Moore didn’t suck.
I am sure there are some remakes out there you’ve loved, or hated. These are just a few of my favorites that started in one particular decade. I could have written some hateful words about the remake of 1960’s Psycho or the joke of a remake of Rosemary’s Baby they just did that made me question why Zoe Saldana suddenly couldn’t act. Alas, I will save them for another time.