Iconic director William Friedkin took on an adaptation of The Wages of Fear, creating his own nerve-biting version of the French film, and novel. The film stars Roy Scheider as one of four unlucky men from around the globe who have found themselves, for one reason or another, stuck in a Latin American country that…
Tag: remake
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) – Alfred Hitchcock
James Stewart and Doris Day find themselves caught up in international intrigue and a political assassination in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much, a remake of his own film from 1934. While on a working holiday that takes the family to Paris, Casablanca and Marrakesh, Dr. Benjamin McKenna (Stewart), his wife, Jo (Day)…
Never Say Never Again (1983) – Irvin Kershner
Sean Connery returns to his iconic role of James Bond, in this non-canon film that is basically a beat for beat remake of the classic 007 film, Thunderball. And there’s a reason for that. Going head to head with Roger Moore’s Bond outing of Octopussy, Warner Brothers had the rights to make a 007 film…
Mighty Joe Young (1998) – Ron Underwood
There are a few reasons to watch the Disney update of the RKO classic Mighty Joe Young, which is the next title in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies by director John Landis. First it features the wonderful Charlize Theron, second, the always awesome Bill Paxton, third, the amazing animatronic and effects work of the…
The Departed (2006) – Martin Scorsese
I come to a rather interesting list in the Ten Bad Dates With De Niro book that has a couple of films that I haven’t previously covered for the blog. It’s a list of remakes that are arguably better than the original. And the critical reception, not to mention that of the audience, would seem…
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) – Ron Howard
I’m very particular about my holiday specials when it comes to television and movies. My treasured titles are very select, and I get very put out when a new one is thrust upon me. I love A Charlie Brown Christmas, Emmett Otter, John Denver & The Muppets, The Muppet Family Christmas (I like my Muppets),…
Clash of the Titans (2010) – Louis Leterrier
The next title that I dove into for the Myths, Legends and Fairy Tales chapter of DK Canada’s highly enjoyable Monsters in the Movies book was doomed for me from the moment of it’s inception. The remake of 1981’s Harryhausen effects driven classic was never going to wow me. Why? Gone are the practical effects…
Dawn of the Dead (2004) – Zack Snyder
It takes guts to want to remake a Romero zombie classic, but that’s where we are with the next zombie film featured in DK Canada’s highly enjoyable Monsters in the Movies book. Zack Snyder, a wonderfully visual director, who never actually seems to be able to handle story and character (or any measure of subtlety)…
House On Haunted Hill (1999) – William Malone
I’m not sure how this title, a remake of the classic 1959 William Castle film ended up in the zombie chapter of DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies book, as having just sat through this one, I don’t recall any zombies, or living dead. The concept itself is fun enough, an amusement park mogul, Stephen…
Pet Sematary (2019) – Blu-Ray Review
The most recent Stephen King adaptation, and remake of the 1989 film, comes home on DVD and blu-ray today from Paramount Pictures. Featuring some pretty significant departures from the source material, but arguably faithful to it at the same time, this variation of the classic monkey’s paw tale is a fairly solid tale, while not…
The Mind Reels 