Thoughts on remaking horror movies

The newly released "Evil Dead" remake got me thinking on whether or not it was a good idea to remake old films, specifically horror movies. This is widely regarded as an awful idea, with films such as the remake of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" receiving an average of only 5.0 on IMDb, being slated by many critics for it's attempt at bringing the classic story to the younger generations, with a focus on gore over substance. This usually wouldn't be so much of an issue, as although the "Nightmare on Elm Street" remake wasn't exactly adored by the masses, the original had it's fair amount of gore, but the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre had almost no violence whatsoever, focusing more on psychological terror. I was a surprised at this as you probably are reading it, as when you think of the series you think of extreme gore, but the original directed by Tobe Hooper in 1974 was rather tame in comparison. 

Now, saying all this, I have no problem with gore at all. I can watch any of the Saw movies or Hostel trilogy without barely flinching, let alone complaining about it. But I am against bad movies, unless they're bad for the sake of it, which seems the way the "Scary Movie" films are headed. Movie remakes can turn out rather enjoyable, such as the recent "The Amazing Spiderman", but very rarely better than the original. Although from what I have heard of "Evil Dead", it seems like I am going to enjoy it more than the original, contradicting that statement. 

Evil Dead (2013)

Regardless of this, I think the main reason horror remakes are almost always panned by critics or at least lower in quality in my opinion, is down to the simple feel of the movie. Watching the original 1984 Nightmare on Elm Street is enjoyable because not only is it a classic horror movie, but because it feels like a classic horror movie. This is down to the cheesy acting, the slightly grainy camera and the (at times) goofy special effects. For example, the scene in the original Nightmare on Elm Street when Freddy Krueger stretches his arms to scratch the sides of the alleyway would not be the same if it were re-done with CGI in the remake. The fact that they included the part of the movie in the remake where Freddy stretches the wall but with CGI is testament to this, as I prefer the original by far.

I suppose in the end though it all comes down to personal taste. In my opinion, horror movies should not be remade unless members of the original production team are involved, which is what has happened with the Evil Dead remake, which is currently doing exceedingly well for a horror movie. Only time will tell though, as long as Hollywood doesn't start remaking films like Clockwork Orange or The Shining, then I'll keep watching anything that perks my interest. 

Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)