Nato And Remy’s Last Stand: Giving Thanks To The Best Moments From 2013’s Horror Crop

Nato – Restored Faith In Remakes And Reboots

Remakes and reboots have been given a bad rap over the last few years, and deservingly so, but 2013 has been a monumentally successful time concerning both interpretations. Why? Let me list a few titles. Evil Dead. Maniac. Curse Of Chucky. Return To Nuke ‘Em High Volume 1. Hell, I’ll even go out on a limb and say Carrie. I know, the last one is a bit of a stretch, but young Chloë Grace Moretz absolutely nailed the character despite the overly CGI ending, and deserves a shout out for her re-imagining of Sissy Spacek’s Carrie White.

All these films were successful for different reasons, but they all showed that the words “remake” and “reboot” don’t have to be damning statements. Take Evil Dead for example. I fully believe Fede Alvarez made the movie that Sam Raimi would have if he were given the proper budget. Alvarez nailed the terrifying feel and over-the-top style of Raimi’s franchise, but did so with an updated feel – exactly what a remake/reboot should be.

Maniac on the other hand changed things up while keeping the remake aspect in mind, implementing POV filming through the eye’s of Elijah Wood’s character, providing a completely different feel from William Lustig’s original slasher. Wood’s performance was enough to make this remake a winner, but the creative choices also greatly benefited a remake that challenges its original source material for supremacy – and wins, if you ask me.

I’ll look to Curse Of Chucky as my final example, a reboot that spun a tonal 180 degrees much to the delight of most franchise fans who got suspicious after Seed Of Chucky. Don Mancini heard how many fans were begging for Chucky to return to a darker atmosphere, ditching the slapstick comedy, and he delivered a completely unique Child’s Play movie that barely compares to both Bride Of Chucky and Seed Of Chucky – while still keeping their plot points cleanly intact.

While I still think a certain level of originality needs to be brought back into the horror genre, 2013 certainly has me thanking these horror remakes and reboots for reinstating my faith in their once doomed status.