Raising the Undead

In 1981, an American Werewolf terrorised Londoners with special help from Rick Baker’s special effects makeup. This writer wasn’t yet born (and still hasn’t seen the film) but is ever grateful for the movie’s contribution – think Michael Jackson’s Thriller and the not-so-successful, nor particularly memorable sequel, An American Werewolf in Paris (which I hate to admit I enjoyed).

That 1981 monster is being awakened, announced horror film web site Bloodydisgusting.com, adding An American Werewolf in London to the ranks of the undead that are being resurrected.

They’re Here!

Quite a number of horror films have been classics in their own right and hardly seem deserving of the watering down effect of sequels and remakes; case in point, Poltergeist (1982) and Child’s Play (1988) – the storyline of which became increasingly ludicrous, especially the annoying Bride of Chucky (1998) and Seed of Chucky (2005).

In 2007, when the proposed remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds was announced, the 1963 female lead actor, Tippi Hedren, reportedly said, “Why would you do that? Why? I mean, can’t we find new stories, new things to do?”

But, with the tons of remakes, re-imaginings and re-tellings that Hollywood is churning out, revamped horror is not going away soon.

This is Not a Dream

When Freddy Kreuger first slashed his way across the big screen in 1984, he helped build one of America’s most successful film franchises, A Nightmare on Elm Street, including a cross-over movie with Friday the 13th’s Jason Voorhees in Freddy Versus Jason (2003). Screaming fans can now stay awake for the 2010 remake of the first of the franchise.

While Stephen King’s evil clown from It is back from 1990 – well, not until 2011 – and promises to be scarier, gorier and bloodier, consequently earning a rating upgrade to R. The mini-series will be produced as a single film and will be “set in the mid 1980s and present day almost equally”, says script writer, Dave Kajganich.

But does more blood and gore always translate into more Box Office dollars? Apparently, it does. Since the murderous John Kramer, a.k.a. Jigsaw, first hacked on the scene in 2004, all six Saw movies have managed to gross over $50 million, “putting them in the top 10 all-time highest total gross for Lions Gate”, according to Boxfficemojo.com.

Howl In the Night

Perhaps one of the most anticipated remakes (at least for this writer) is The Wolf Man, with a stellar cast of Benicio Del Toro, Hugo Weaving, Emily Blunt and Anthony Hopkins. The film, set for release in 2010, follows the plot of its 1941 predecessor, with a few negligible changes. Once more, Rick Baker creates the werewolf. With vampires invading Hollywood, a werewolf makes for an exciting (albeit hairy) change.

More Resurrections to Dread:

• Friday the 13th: The very first of the 12 film franchise was released in 1980. In 2009, a remake of the pioneer movie was released on Friday, February 13. (see ‘Jason Overkill’ on 234next.com).

• My Bloody Valentine: Valentine’s Day had never been so gut-wrenching – until 1981. This year, the scene of the massacre is revisited by Supernatural actor Jensen Ackles and model/actress Jaime King

• The Uninvited: Loosely based on 1944’s film of the same name, this version follows the adventures of a teenage girl, just released from a mental hospital, who is plagued by ghosts.

• Children of the Corn: Stephen King’s original short story first hit screens in 1984 and spawned 2009’s made-for-TV remake.

• The Stepfather: Gossip Girl’s Penn Badgley turns to a more terrifying genre (without getting rid of the pouting and brooding expressions) in this remake of 1987’s “family horror”.