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Do we rely on Foreign Horror too much?

The question is mple. Does America rely to much on foreign horror to bring the goods nowadays? Every good horror movie put out by a different country is instantly picked up, dumbed down, and made with the hottest new faces to feed the lack of quality being put out by Hollywood at the present time.I can see studio execs right now in production meetings saying "We have no good ideas, whats good on the foreign market?" Well, there's a cool movie in Sweden called Let the Right One In. We should pick it up and put it out here! No, then we would have to read, we don't like to read, okay, lets just remake it. Great idea make it happen....and if it doesn't work we'll just remake Nightmare or Friday the 13th or something" .

Yea, I'm sure that's how it goes. Then once they see this works they keep taking the same tried and true method and hitting the repeat button. Could this be the reason that there is no "fresh" horror coming to theaters? Are we going to

rehash perfectly good movies over and over again? Please let me know. I believe, for the most part, this is true. So lets get to the bottom of this, shall we?

Nice read bro.

I agree with you 100%.

I find my self embarrassed sometimes by the lack of originality in the US.

I feel there are three major problems with our film industry.

One of the problems is that the people directing a remake sometimes fail to understand the original.

For example, the Martyrs remake.

The guy that produced Twilight is producing the remake.

He released this statement "I love that movie… I think it’s not remake-able in its form for an American audience. But the core elements of it are fascinating. I love the cult and what it’s about, and I’m also obsessed with the nature of childhood friends — growing up when one doesn’t believe the other one and the corruption between that. I’m excited.".

So why doesn't this guy not remake it and come up with his own story ung the core elements he described above?

This is something I will never understand.

You would think someone would get more out of creating an original idea then just ung someone elses work.

The director of The Last Exorcism is attached to direct this remake and had this to say "Martyrs is very nihilistic," Daniel Stamm said. "The American approach

would go through all that darkness but then give a glimmer of hope. You don't have to shoot yourself when it's over." Did he watch the same movie I did?

It would not be nearly as effective if he put a glimmer of hope into this film.

Its called Martyrs for christ sake. Another problem is we don't offer anything new in these movies we are remaking. I am one of the few that does not like the Let The Right One In remake.

Yes there were some differences but it is practically a shot for shot remake.

Did Reeves read the book?

He could have really took a different angle with the remake but chose to do the same exact thing Alfredson did. I can't enjoy or respect a movie that I have seen someone else already make.

This being said I am not necessarily against remakes they are going to happen if we like it or not.

I would just like to see people bring a fresh take when remaking a film.

I RESPECT Rob Zombie for what he tried to do with Halloween.

Yes I hate both of the films but at least the man tried to breath some fresh air into the series.

I will give a remake a chance as long as it is a fresh take on the original.

Supporting a shot for shot remake just doesn't make much sense to me.

The last major problem is Money.

Everyone knows that if you slap Halloween on a film that we will go see it.

So why should these guys stop feeding us dribble if they are still making money?

I could go on forever about the money issue but Im not going to.

Awesome thread Stiles You are one of the best writers on horrorbid.

I somewhat agree about the dumbed down part, but the movie that

you provided isn't a real convincing choice to back up your rant. I mean I actually thought "Let Me In" was leaps and bound better then the original. I was really glad that this was redone, it was almost like they took a good idea and made it better, which rarely ever happens. Most of the time they just fuck up a good idea. But all in all, yes indeed, most of these movies are "dumbed down verons" with "the hottest new faces". Quality isn't priority because its those "hottest new faces" that put all the asses in those chairs. It's sad but true.

You said you wondered if there were any fresh movies out there... I would say absolutely, we just don't see them because the industry for the most part is afraid to take the gamble. Thats why they rely on remakes, especially ones that are based off of movies that have already been successful either over here or in another country. They figure if a movie grossed a lot before, then why couldn't lightning strike twice. They thing they don't seem to realize is; most true horror fans don't like there favorite characters to be fucked with. We like them just the way they are.

Thanks immortaldeath and bnizzle, I just grabed at the fist one I could think of horror related..... But there is also talks of Old Boy being remade with will smith and Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I would hate to see either of these touched. I loved Old Boy and I'm just starting The Girl Trilogy.

Hmm it looks as if I gned up in the past and didn't realize.

Ill get rid of that account.

@ Bnizzle: Did you read the book? The reason I wasn't a fan was because Reeves did pretty much the same thing Alfredson did with the novel. There were a couple things in the book that could have made it different a different film. Let Me In was not terrible by any means but I felt Reeves could have gave it a fresh take if he took more from the novel.

And please do not take anything I say out of context I am not bashing your opinion. I respect it brother.

I didn't read the book, but my opinion is based strictly by comparing both movies de by de. If you gave me both DVDs and told me to watch them both and choose one; Let Me In would be the one I chose.

Check the book out if you like to read.

Its pretty fucked up in some parts.

I didn't think Let Me In was bad. I just would have liked to see Reeves take more from the novel.

I've been wanting to have this discuson for a long time now.

I can see both des of the remake coin.

I like them when the directors put their own spin on it, or shed new light on a storyline.

I'll be honest, I loved Rob Zombie's 'Halloween' for that.

He took an iconic slasher and gave him a better developed backstory.

I actually felt bad for young Michael Meyers. By humanizing a little, I feel his crimes became that more horrific.

I feel the same way about the ANOES remake.

I loved Jackie Earle Hayley as Freddy.

I love Robert Englund as Freddy, and I love the original, but I also loved what they did with the remake.

I also think that remakes can help bring in a new, young audience who would have probably seen the original, heavily editied, on whatever network.

If I see a remake that I like, I go watch the original and compare.

I'm sure pleanty of people do the same.

That being said- I think many studios are remaking (as bnizzle said) films for money.

It's about making a buck instead of investing in a good script.

Some of them suck.

I wasn't a fan of the 'Friday the 13th' remake.

Or 'The Last House on the Left'.

Or 'The Wolfman' (i thought wolfman was ok, but wasn't happy I paid to see it in the theatre).

It's safter to remake something someone else has done that was successful, than to take a risk with something unfamilar.

Now the main question at hand:

are we relying too much on horror films?

My answer: yes.

Kind of.

I think it goes back to the other de of the remake coin- studios are looking for something that was successful and want to replicate it.

If an Americanized veron can bring something fresh and a little differnt it, then I'm all for it.

I loved the Americanized 'grudge'.

I also liked 'the ring'.

I didn't like 'The Eye' .

I didn't care for the 'uninvited'.

I am equally nervous about the 'girl with the dragon tattoo' and 'martyrs' remakes.

And here's why:

when we here americanize a foreign movie, we do usually gloss over the gritty subject matter, and change the pacing and suspense of it.

What's 'Martyrs' without the violence or that ending (that movie was so disturbing and stayed with me for a long while)?

What's the 'Girl with the Dragon tattoo' without the violence toward women?

Those themes are crucial to those movies. I've learned that aan horror focuses a lot on suspense.

you have to t through an hour and a half for a pretty great pay off at the end.

Here in America, we like our action.

We love our spoon fed plots and don't always want to think too much or pay attention during our movies.

Foreign films are a bit more subdued (from what I've seen).

They require the audience to pay attention.

Most of all- they require the audience to be paitient, and paitience is something that is lacking here.

Hollywood and art are at odds. Good horror comes out of left field and leaves your jaw dropped ether in shock, awe or innovation. Nether of these things are a guarantee investment return so remaking a movie that everyone knows will generate income for at least a weekend or two hopefully recoup some production cost and then let dvd sales trickle in to pay off the rest. As we all know we'll say "remakes suck" but we will go watch the film ether in the theater (or if you really think the film will blow, a torrent) and then whine as the best movies we love get shoved up our collective keysters and then get the buness end wiped all over our faces, then we come back for another anal pounding hoping for the reach around and some cuddling afterwords with tribute the the originals or a nod to actors-director-writer-gaffer from the first film. So in short do we rely on Foreign films too much. oh hell yes. Is there any hope that we will come up with something better? doubt it they keep rebooting remakes and ignoring the indie guys who are making the NEW WAVE OF HORROR MASTERPIECES but these guys have no backing and can only hope that Sundance film fest will show it

or Troublemaker films will pick them up and (guess that phrase) remake it.

Excellent post. In short form, yeah we truly do.

It pisses me off when films that are have barely found an audience are snatched up by the money hungry studio shitheels and bled dry of all that made them great. Why they cant just buy the rights to teh originals and release them is beyond me. Do they think people cant read?

100% of the time they fuck up the films in the translation, with the exception of LET ME IN, But that in itself was way to dependent on LTROI. Same shots, locations and same scenes from the book, as other posters have mentioned. Sure it turned out okay, but so did FUNNY GAMES remake. Why? Because its the same vion. It has very little artistic merit. ( I know, funny games was made by the same director twice. Thats his deal and lets leave him to it! lol)

Anyway, fuck hollywood. Peace.