Top 5 Remakes Of Classic Movies That Are Actually Good

Second Times The Charm

Remakes, reboots and sequels are all the rage these days, and it’s fair to say that the majority of them fail to live up to the grandeur and majesty of the original. Then again, there are times when a second attempt doesn’t only manage to live up to its predecessor, but somehow surpass it. The cinematic quality of these five flicks are a clear example that Hollywood can indeed get it right on the second round!

#5: “Little Shop of Horrors” (1986)

The original iteration of this cult favorite is a fairly typical, if exceptionally fun, creature feature by B-Movie icon Roger Corman. So naturally, it got adapted into an Off-Broadway musical. Makes sense to us! In 1986, the musical was brought to the big screen in a lavish horror/comedy/musical starring Rick Moranis and Steve Martin, with a slew of cameos by comedy legends likes Bill Murray. The songs by the great Howard Ashman and Alan Menken make this the most toe-tapping horror movie you’ve ever seen, and as much fun as the original is, the remake is superior in pretty much every regard. Oh, and did we mention it’s directed by Frank Oz, aka Yoda?

#4: “True Grit” (2010)

When it was announced that the Coen Brothers, the directing duo that brought us “No Country for Old Men,” “Fargo,” and others, were remaking the classic John Wayne Western with Jeff Bridges in the lead, we were excited to say the least. The Coens definitely put their stamp on the film, bringing a massive dose of grit and their signature intense violence to the classic tale of revenge on the frontier. The Dude has a long way to go if he wants to supplant The Duke in our hearts, but his turn as Rooster Cogburn definitely does justice to the original and blazes its own trail at the same time.

#3: “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978)

Originally released in 1956, this sci-fi classic drew on Cold War paranoia to weave a terrifying story of a covert alien invasion that slowly replaces normal humans with exact duplicates that are grown in mysterious pods. The film became an instant classic and was remade over twenty years later to critical acclaim. The remake stars Donald Sutherland and pretty much turns all of the creepiness and paranoia of the original up to eleven, with the alien doppelgangers now even more sinister than ever thanks to their tendency to let out a terrifying shriek when they identify a regular human. Well, no more sleep for us!

#2: “Scarface” (1983)

Perhaps one of the most quoted movies of all time, most people don’t even know that Brian De Palma’s coke-fueled gangster epic is even a remake at all. The original by the great Howard Hawks and producer Howard Hughes follows an especially brutal gangland boss’ rise to power and subsequent fall. The remake replaces the Prohibition-Era gangster action with the tale of an ‘80s drug lord, played with legendary gusto by Al Pacino. Bursting at the seams with ‘80s excess and De Palma’s usual stylistic flair, the new version has become a massive cultural touchstone since its release, overshadowing the original in most, if not all regards.

#1: “The Thing” (1982)

Years before John Carpenter brought his gore-filled magnum opus to screens, a very similar story was told in “The Thing from Another World.” This 1951 horror/sci-fi flick was adapted from the novella “Who Goes There?”, telling the story of an Arctic station beset by an alien creature. While the original has its fans, the 1982 remake by the director of “Halloween” is indisputably more well-known and popular, and is often cited as one of the greatest horror films ever. We can’t really argue with that assessment, given the film’s incredible effects, paranoid atmosphere, and absolutely world-class facial hair on star Kurt Russell. It really is the stuff of horror movie legends.

Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Reboots and Remakes That Nobody Asked For.