Remake? - Hell Night (1981) Discussion

I agree .. i think this is an underated movie and the concept is excellent .... this would be a good one to remake

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I think Hollywood needs to try to use more creativity and stop remaking movies. The remakes seem to get worse and worse. Plus... why do we have to have remakes anyway? I enjoy films being of their own time. People that only want a new version are missing the beauty of these films. I'm not saying that no movies are valuable in modern times. I just feel sadly that the creativity in writing the plots are more poor in many films today.

I have enjoyed special effects at times as much as anyone else, I admit that honestly, but I also have given up on most modern horror films due to the all effects weak plot premise. Part of the magic in the older ones I think has to do with the makers having to be more creative. They didn't have all the computerized effects, but they knew how to light a horror movie and set a mood better during the low budget days. It seems like more things were thought out in many movies. They built suspense and made you wait and become more and more interested in a horror movie as it progressed. Modern special effects have made many viewers feel that they must see constant effects, and very very soon.

Please understand that I grew up watching what someone else called the Golden Era of horror films. I'm not trying to talk badly about modern horror films. I realize that we all have our own opinions. I just thought someone else might understand some of my thoughts on here.

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[–] cudabluez 17 years ago

I totally agree with you on all counts.

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[–] kirk_bones 16 years ago

if this was remade it would be filled with gore like modern horror "classics" eg Hostel, and it would lose the cheesieness that makes it so much fun.
the hollywood remakers should leave this film alone

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[–] diezman 17 years ago

I watched Hell Night a few nights ago and thought that it would be a great candidate for a remake.

I just didn't think it was that good of a movie. It had a great premise but it was ruined by lousy acting and a lack of atmosphere.

The only redeeming value of the movie was the gorgeous Linda Blair.

Before anyone goes off on me about remakes- I saw the original when it was first released as a teenager back in the early 80s.

Even back then I thought Hell Night was extremely cheesy and poorly executed.

A remake of Hell Night would be an improvement.

Good movies don't need to be remade. Hell Night was a stinker and needs to be remade.

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[–] airons1972 17 years ago

You know what? I'd actually hate Hell Night to be remade today. I mean, look
at all the 70s/80s horror films that been remade recently like... The Fog, The hills have eyes, Amityville Horror, etc... they all suck compared to the originals.

What makes Hell Night a great movie is that it is so atmospheric, like the old
black and white gothic horror movies of the 60s, The Hammer Horror's films, and the Roger Corman Edgar Allan Poe movies such as House of Usher, Pit and the pendulum, etc.

Like so many others have said, they don't make movies like this anymore. Any
movie with a haunted manor or castle, flickering torches, dark tunnels, creepy
gardens is worth a watch. Somethimes they are bad, but every once in a while you will discover a good movie like Hell Night. i Bet this would have been a great movie to watch at a drive-in.

Ashley Irons

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[–] PopperTheKungFu-Dragon 9 years ago

It had lousy acting yes, but I think it had great atmosphere. Sure it was cheesy and cliched, but it was still pretty terrifying.

The only redeeming value of the movie was the gorgeous Linda Blair.

Seems like you and I really are on opposite ends here because I thought she was the worst thing about the movie. She was so bland, I almost fell asleep whenever she started talking.

Poorly Lived and Poorly Died, Poorly Buried and No One Cried

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[–] alucardvenom 17 years ago

remake is on the way, and Dante Tomaselli is the one who will remake it (it's not sure, but he spoke to the original director and I think he gain a promition to do it)

Born free, Live free...

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[–] jenwhalley 17 years ago

Remakes should not be done and if done do the same story as the original story off the original film.

I have bought the original version of the Fog 2 disc addition and I compared it to the remake I noticed the remake was a load of rubbish and nothing like the original it was over the top and boring.

At least with the original it had something about it with the characters and the atmosphere as well as the story plot.

As for the remake it had nothing to it my vote goes to the original films.

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[–] tobikanoby 17 years ago

I agree, we are all sick of remakes, but until people stop going to see them the execs in movie land won't stop. It's a shame that the horror genre was chosen to such unjust activity. We are stuck with them for now. My suggestion is this; why not make a remake of a movie that can actually do justice to the original? This is one of those movies. I thought the original was good (but not original by any means, but then again, not much is), but by today's standards could be a lot beter. One thing is for sure, when this aired on HBO in the early 80s on late night, it scared the fn crap out of me for a few years.

People don't luv him, they fear him, there is a difference!

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[–] smurdock-1 17 years ago

let's hope not .. need someone better than him to do it ...

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[–] rixrex 17 years ago

I always thought that this could stand a remake. I liked the original back when it came out, and would probably like a decent remake. One thing is that it would be great to have Kane as the bald-headed mutant brother, and The Undertaker as the other long-haired mutant brother. And Stuart Gordon as director. Now that would be really scary.

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] Frank_Freddy1985 17 years ago

Uh... No This movie should not be remade I mean look around these days a lot of films are being remade which is total *beep* I

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] BuenaDennis 17 years ago

I would really like to see Hell Night remade. The original is pretty good but could be so much better. I say Remake it. If people don't like remakes, then they don't have to watch them.

REPLACE "Bosworth's ultra lame Lois Lane" w/ Erica Durance, Charisma Carpenter or Sophia Bush!

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[–] Mr_Ectoplasma 17 years ago

"Hell Night" is a great horror flick - the Gothic atmosphere mixed with the slasher elements is gold. However, it has some problems. The acting isn't wonderful, the script needs a little work, and the makeup on the villian is a little outdated (but still surprisingly creepy looking in my opinion). It isn't perfect by any means, and I think we can all agree on that.

As for myself, I don't mind remakes. Usually they don't live up to the original film, but they don't really hurt it either. If anything they'll bring more attention to the original (however minimal it may be), especially if they remake is horrid (*cough* The Fog remake *cough*). Anyway, I wouldn't mind a remake of Hell Night, but it would need to keep some things from the original and not stray too far away from the story. The Gothic mansion would have to stay for sure, I would want there to be only the four main characters, and the villian should be the same. And I really wouldn't want to see an extensive flashback story on the villian's life history (probably one of my only complaints about the "Black Christmas" remake).

It has the potential to be remade pretty well, but half of the remakes (and just horror films in general) lately haven't been that great.

My Black Christmas (1974) Fansite
http://www.angelfire.com/indie/blackchristmas/

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[–] luvehorror 17 years ago

You guys should really becareful for what you wish for.

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] stusuxx 17 years ago

u guys are all like "i want to see it get remade" and when or if (hopefully not anytime soon) it happens, you guys are going to be on here complaining about how stupid it is.

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[–] nickt030 17 years ago

Remake mania!

What is wrong with you people?!

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[–] rixrex 17 years ago

There's nothing wrong with seeing a film's potential for a remake. It's pretty natural for genre fans to do this. If it were up to those with limited thinking, there'd not have been that outstanding Batman remake.

Some films are so crappy that no remake would ever be done, others are good but have little things that could be done better, and so fans want to see a remake that addresses those things. Hell Night is that type of film. Once in a while, the fan turns out to be somebody in the film business who has some pull to get a remake through. Other genre films are just so superb that the only reason for a remake is a "cash-in" on the film's recognition, and this fuels most remakes, and these typically have their detracters amongst the original film's fans, while younger fans many times prefer the remake.

I like the remake of Toolbox Murders much more than the original, which is one of those that is flawed in some ways. I like the original Hills Have Eyes, but I like the remake nearly as much. Same with TCM. I thought the Universal series of monster movies was great, but I will take the Hammer remakes over them anytime, just a personal choice as they came out when I was a kid. I did not care for the remake of When a Stranger Calls vs. the original, even though it was more polished.

Hell Night could be remade, obviously not as a cash-in, but it sure would be nice as an updated sequel, with some really scary looking real-life characters playing the mutant brothers, like Glen Jacobs and Marc Callaway, and bring back Linda Blair possibly.

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[–] smerd_70 17 years ago

" Just think how much fun could be had if this movie was updated for a whole new audience."

Couldn't the whole new audience just go and rent Hell Night? Or are they not capable of enjoying a horror movie unless it has crappy CGI, annoying top 40 songs, and at least one or two actors from the CW Network?

No pulse, no heartbeat. If condition does not change, this man is dead.

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[–] rixrex 17 years ago

Uhm, no, to answer your question. The new audience, if consisting of youths and not older viewers wanting a retro experience, would not have the same enjoyment by renting it as we older ones did when we first saw Hell Night, and it's just a matter of generational differences. Hell Night would be considered tame by today's youth and most just would not enjoy it as much as a new version, even if they did enjoy it as it is.

It doesn't have to have crappy CGI, annoying top 40 somgs or CW stars to be remade and turn out fine for young people and older ones too. But it could be sour if it's remade by a group of imbeciles who can't see past a dollar sign. Yet it could also have no CGI or limited but good CGI, and well-done music or good modern songs, and no CW teen-fodder actors. I think your fears are valid, but not necessarily a certainty.

I always liked watching the old-time Universal horror films, but they come from my folks' time, and I will always prefer to see a Hammer version over any of them. For example, Karloff's Mummy bored me as a kid but Christopher Lee's was fabulously frightening. And at the time of the Hammer remakes, there was a similar outcry about excessive violence and pandering to the youth market in those films vs the Universal series, and how it was silly to redo films already done well.

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The Eyes of the City are Mine! Mother Pressman / Anguish (1987)

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[–] smerd_70 17 years ago

Then I really feel sorry for some of today's generation. When I was a youth I got just as much enjoyment out of horror films that were as old as Hell Night is now. I watched horror films from the 60's and older and never once thought how much I would love to see them redone for my generation.

Don't get me wrong, I do like some remakes, there are a few I like as much as the original... but I'm still going to be hesitant, because for every Hills Have Eyes or Dawn of the Dead, there's going to be a Black Christmas, Psycho, The Wicker Man, or When a Stranger Calls.

No pulse, no heartbeat. If condition does not change, this man is dead.

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[–] rixrex 17 years ago

Don't worry about it.

What you just said was said by my folks about me watching Hammer films.

And it will be said by this younger generation when they get a look at what their kids watch.

That is unless we are all enslaved in a Radical Islamic or Evangelical society by then.

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The Eyes of the City are Mine! Mother Pressman / Anguish (1987)

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] hypestyle 16 years ago

get guillermo del toro to do it.. get a top notch, non-exploitive script..

"With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility"
Stan Lee, 1962

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[–] mgoode2001-1 16 years ago

According to the most recent issue of Entertainment Weekly, a remake is in the works. It's mentioned in the story about how well the PG13 remake of Prom Night did and how they are making more pg13 remakes of obscure 80s' horror movies. It's in the Summer Movie Preview issue towards the beginning if anyone is interested.

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[–] flcnesbitt 16 years ago

No more remakes!

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[–] iThom 16 years ago

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/12008

It's also Pg-13. :) How nice, lets change the title to Heck Night. YAY!

Sean Penn looks like he's been outside since he was two

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[–] 16 years ago

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