Buttmunker

I picked up the novel Cujo by Stephen King after many years, and was thinking about the early-80's film based on it. With all the great movies that are getting unnecessary remakes done, there are so many not-so-great films that really could benefit from a remake.

"Cujo" is one of them. I mean, okay, there's not much you can really do to enhance a story about a rapid Saint Bernard - it is what it is, but in 1983, the movie industry had some kind of misplaced scruples about what should happen to children (I guess), and the film didn't end the way the novel ended. At least with a remake, they can end the film the right way, plus I suppose they can make Cujo even scarier through CGI.

Speaking of King stories, I'm sure most of his catalog can benefit from remakes. I know they're redoing Pet Sematary (a decent film, but a remake couldn't hurt), It, and The Stand (if Gary Sinise reprises his role as "Stu Redman," I'll be very happy).

Obscure films should also be in line to be remade. By obscure, I mean films that either weren't box office hits when released, or critically acclaimed films.

What are some films that you think would benefit from a remake?

RichC2

Your example is more of a re-adapating source material more so than an actual remake (which usually refers to a movie being remade based on the original movie.)

whoopdido

A CGI St. Bernard? Surely you must be joking.

I'll be the first to admit that Cujo isn't a very good movie and it could probably be improved upon, but CGI'ing the dog would not help the matter at all. Frankly I found the real Cujo to be quite menacing--the dirtier and bloodier he got, the scarier he got.

It's actually a great premise. Too bad the movie sucked and the novel wasn't much better. There have been so many "trapped by animals" movies though that I don't know what more could be done with it.

Ash Ketchum

I remember a low-budget film from 1973 called THE DAY OF THE WOLVES, starring Richard Egan, Jan Murray, Rick Jason and some good character actors (Percy Helton!), that was about a military-style caper gang that takes over a Florida town and closes it off from the outside world to plunder it of any money and wealth it has. Egan plays the sheriff who offers the only significant resistance. There's a nice twist ending and I very much enjoyed Jan Murray's performance.

However, it's way too cheaply made to be effective. In some shots you see traffic moving freely in the background, even though the town was supposed to be closed off. There's not enough of a sense of the gang actually taking over the town. It's a good plot, but it needed a good budget and maybe a more high-profile 1973 cast, e.g., Kris Kristofferson as the gang leader and Charles Bronson as the town sheriff or James Coburn. Or vice versa. With Bo Hopkins, Paul Koslo, Don Stroud and Harry Dean Stanton in there somewhere.

Could this be remade today? You'd have to find a plausible way to cut off cell phone and internet service in a small town and come up with some kind of treasure that the town had, in this depressed economic era, to justify the expense and logistics of such a detailed operation.

Dragon Tattoo

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie could benefit from a much-neeeded remake.

Ash Ketchum

Only if the original Japanese "Zyuranger" crew was involved:

Larry C.

Here ya go Scarface 1983

You get

Cameron Diaz = Elvira
Eva Mendes = Gina
Benicio Del Toro = Sosa
Bobby Cannivale = Manolo
James Gandolfini = Frank Lopez
James Woods = Tony's Lawyer
Jordi Mollà = Omar
David Zayas = Ernie
Johnny Depp = Tony Montana

UPDATE:
Gary Oldman = Mel (for RichC2)

RichC2

I'd watch a Scarface remake with Gary Oldman in every key role.

GoldenJCJ

You lost me with this sentence. It's so ridiculous I can't even wrap my head around it.

Groucho

I would like to see The Detective remade as a prequel to Die Hard.

Ash Ketchum

Would the casting director be looking for a young Bruce Willis or an old Frank Sinatra?

Larry C.

No sit WTF is he talking about? CGI SUCKS and is the bain of anything horror!

Pizza

I think every movie should get remade with Woody Allen starring in it.
Imagine...
Woody in Jaws: "You're going to need to get a bigger boat."
As Charles Foster Kane: "You can't buy a bag of peanuts in this town without someone writing a song about you."
Rhett Butler: "I've always thought a good lashing with a buggy whip would benefit you immensely."
Pulp Fiction: "I dunno, I didn't go into Burger King."
It's a Wonderful Life: "Now, come on, get your clothes on, and we'll stroll up to my car and get... Oh, I'm sorry. I'll stroll. You fly."
Norman Bates: "Uh-uh, Mother-m-mother, uh, what is the phrase? She isn't quite herself today."
Dirty Harry: "Go ahead. Make my day."

Yes, the Wood man is the greatest actor we have ever seen and can easily fit into any role and make it ... his own.

anomynous

Oldboy
Citizen Kane
The Godfather
Gone With the Wind
Patton
Pulp Fiction
Casablanca

AnonomusBob15

i'd always hoped that Children of the Corn would get a remake. A real remake, not a SciFi original. The premise, the music, and several key scenes absolutely scare the shit out of me. It could be very effective if done correctly. No budget contraints and some better child actors, and adult actors for that matter. I love the original, but it could be improved upon.

Mabuse

Didn't Children of the Corn get remade around 1995?

Ash Ketchum

You've got Woody in the wrong parts in those remakes. I'd buy Woody as the shark. And as Scarlett O'Hara! "Fiddle-dee-dee, tomorrow is another day." And as Clarence. And as Marion Crane in the shower: "I'm a BLEED-er!" And as Scorpio constantly adjusting his glasses before trying to fire the sniper rifle.

Talkin2Phil

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PopcornTreeCt

These threads always turn into jokes but I'd honestly like to see Jurassic Park remade. Not so much a remake but a stronger, more faithful adaptation to the book.

AnonomusBob15

No, it's had many sequels. Part IV was decent (the only watchable one) and included an early Naomi Watts. It came out around 1996.

It was remade a couple of years ago as a Sci-Fi original, which was just all sorts of horrible.

No one really cares for the first film. I'm surprised it got as many sequels as it did.

RichC2

Sequels are odd like that, Pulse -- the remake of the Japanese movie -- spawned two sequels in the US in a 2 year period.

rw2516

Doc Savage: Man Of Bronze
Flash Gordon

arminius

The Land/People That Time Forgot

J. Farley

Cujo is an excellent film and doesn't need to be remade. On the other hand, while I enjoy the Schwarzenegger flick, a new version of The Running Man that keeps the book's ending would be nice. Doubt it would happen these days though since it involves a plane going into a building.

AnonomusBob15

Pet Semetary does not need to be remade either. It could use a decent sequel though. The second one was strange.