Remakes. It’s a dreaded word in the horror community. Why, you ask? Because most horror remakes suck. “The Amityville Horrorâ€, “A Nightmare on Elm Streetâ€, “The Fogâ€, “Friday the 13th†, even the best of these horror remakes have been lackluster to say the least. On this week’s webcast of Slasher Studios, we talked about horror movies that we think SHOULD be remake. Whether it was a problem with the script, the direction, the acting, or something else wrong with the production, the following are movies that have the potential to be great. They just didn’t quite work the first time around. For those of you who missed the show, click on the link below to listen to Kevin Sommerfield and special guest Joshua Schuh discuss their list.
The Official Slasher Studios Top Five:
5. “The Slumber Party Massacreâ€
Probably the best known of the popular “girls have a sleepover and get murdered one-by-one†subgenre of horror movies. “Slumber Party Massacre†is fun, a little bit cheesy, and quite outdated. The film moves at a snail’s pace throughout the first half and when the killer is reveled, he isn’t exactly frightening. This is a prime example of ripe 80’s cheese. It is fun for what it is but imagine a “Massacre†that was actually scary!?!
4. “The Burningâ€
A fun “Friday the 13th†rip-off that has some great death scenes and a memorable villain (Crospey has been and will always be freaky as hell. The problem with “The Burning� Too many damn characters. So many characters in fact that none of them really leave an impression so that you don’t care who lives and who dies. This is a fun movie, don’t get me wrong, but I always thought that it could be a better movie than what it is.
3. “Sleepaway Campâ€
Everyone remembers the ending of the film. Nearly no one remembers just how bad the rest of the film is. Like the other movies on this list, this is a great example of 80’s camp. It is so over-the-top, so loony, so terribly acted (the Aunt is a hoot), that it is seen more as a comedy than as a compelling horror movie. The ending is creepy as hell but imagine if something more was done with it. It gives me chills just thinking about it and if the rest of the film had been as compelling, it would probably be remembered as one of the best horror movies ever made.
2. “Happy Birthday to Meâ€
Another slasher in the string of holiday 80’s horror movies, “Happy Birthday to Me†is better than the majority of the pack. The acting is actually quite good, the murders are incredibly well staged, and the twist ending is pretty damn clever. Still at 110 minutes, the film is grossly overlong. At least 15 minutes could have been cut (especially the boring flashback sequences that add little to the story) and no one would have cared. The is probably the best made movie on the list and I think that a remake would be/could be fantastic.
1. “Slaughter Highâ€
Probably the goofiest movie on the list. This movie takes the revenge aspect to a whole new level but adding on some of the worst acting you’ve ever seen, a lead “teen†who is at least two decades too old for her part, and a twist ending that makes no sense whatsoever. Still, the central story is quite strong and the deaths are well handled. “Slaughter High†will never be a “good†movie but a remake could be a hell of a lot of fun.
Slaughter High is a fantastic classic horror. Likeable cast and eery plot. Spooky backdrop and great story. The ending made sence. A great campfire story. I do agree however that a remake done right with this movie has explosive potential.