8 Horror Movie Remakes That Are Better Than The Originals
1. The Thing (1982)
Like Cronenberg's The Fly, there are a lot of people who don't know that John Carpenter's 1982 horror classic is actually a remake.
And also like Cronenberg's The Fly, The Thing completely overshadows the original that inspired it - in this case, that's the 1951 film The Thing from Another World.
There are several reasons for this, but the main point that makes Carpenter’s The Thing the vastly superior version is the fact that the creature in his movie is able to shapeshift and take the form of other humans - in the 1951 movie, it’s just an alien.
This adds a completely new dimension to the story: paranoia. Where is the creature? Is it disguised as one of us? Which one of us? How do we tell? As a result, the tension is heightened throughout, and the horror - when it inevitably hits - is shocking and surprising.
It's beautifully done too, with stellar practical effects that still hold up today - even an unfortunate man's chest turning into a huge, ravenous mouth still looks convincing. And disgusting.
Looking back, it's hard to say why The Thing was dismissed by critics upon its initial release, because today, it's commonly regarded as one of the best horror movies of all time - and rightly so.
Any other horror remakes that greatly improve on the original? Leave your picks in the comments!