13 Horror Movies That Should Be Remade

Horror remakes can be a double-edged sword. Genre fans seem to love to hate them and hate to love them. But, films like The Ring, Dawn of the Dead and Let Me In have proved that reimaginings can be high quality and great fun. Here are 13 horror films from the 1980s that we would like to see remade.

By Tyler Doupe

The Funhouse

Tobe Hooper, who struck horror gold with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, is also responsible for the 1981 gem The Funhouse. The premise, about a kid that goes missing in a local carny and what happens to those who go looking for him, is ripe for some up-and-coming director, (maybe with Hooper serving as a producer?). There was buzz about a Funhouse remake a while back, but no news has surfaced in some time.

Tourist Trap

A fun and silly destination horror film that incorporates telekinesis and wax sculptures, Tourist Trap is a blast. However, it’s also campy, silly, and could potentially benefit from a facelift. We would love to see a reboot that keeps some of the mannequin magic that makes Tourist Trap fun, but goes back to the drawing board for a slightly more plausible plot.

The Dorm That Dripped Blood

This 1981 low budget fright flick wasn’t exactly an essential entry in the slasher film sub-genre. However, The Dorm That Dripped Blood, which set its victims in a deserted dorm before Christmas, provides a great setup for a college campus slasher film.

Open House

This 1987 horror film had Adrienne Barbeau going for it. And that’s about all it had going for it. A remake of Open House (the 2010 movie of the same name was not a remake of this film) would be a chance for a new creative team to put their spin on the idea of a killer targeting real estate agents. We think it could be the perfect setup for a campy-meets-self-referential slasher film, especially given the market over the last few years.

Slumber Party Massacre

It was exciting to see feminist perspective infused in to an '80s horror film. As for a reboot, we would insist upon seeing a feminist writer/director who could update the film for the 21st century. Jen and Sylvia Soska’s new film American Mary is fierce, unflinching, and has strong feminist overtones. We would be interested to see what the "Twisted Twins" would do to update SPM for the new millennium.

The Howling

The Howling is a celebrated werewolf film and we would be very skeptical to see just anyone helm a remake. We would be open to seeing what someone like visionary director Alexandre Aja (Piranha 3D) could do, given the opportunity to write and direct a remake. (While The Howling did technically receive the direct-to-dvd reboot treatment, we are still holding out for a proper remake with studio backing and a sizable budget).

Poltergeist

It had likable characters, a creative premise, and good effects for the time and remains a horror classic. But, what about a new film that takes its cues from the original, but adopts a darker, R-rated approach? Our main concern would be that the film avoids recasting the Tangina character. Attempting to fill Zelda Rubenstein’s shoes would be a tall order. (A remake is reportedly in the early stages of development, but shooting has yet to begin).

Chopping Mall

This film is campy fun at its best, just what the people responsible for the Roger Corman classic were shooting for. We would welcome a remake that takes the kill-bot idea and the mall setting and really goes for the gore. Done right, a reimagining of this cult classic could be two tons of fun. Rumors of a remake surface from time to time, but to date, no serious remake is being developed.

Madman

Don’t say his name out loud! Madman was one of several copycats to come out after Friday the 13th that had horny camp counselors being hacked up in all sorts of ways after a kid yells the villain's name aloud. Isn't a mean, drunk farmer who kills people for fun the perfect horror evildoer to terrorize kids out in the woods? (Rumors of a 3D remake surfaced in 2010, but that appears to be dead in the water).

Hell Night

One of several horrors Linda Blair did after her turn as the violent and foul-mouthed Regan, Hell Night is a mediocre slasher. It’s a fun film, but the body count is low and the acting isn’t great. We could see Hell Night reworked by a team with a fairly successful reboot under their belt, like Todd Farmer and Patrick Lussier, the team behind My Bloody Valentine 3D.

Road Games

This Stacy Keach/Jamie Lee Curtis collaboration is more of a suspense thriller with horror overtones than a straight horror film, but due to Curtis’ scream queen reputation, it was marketed as a slasher film. We would welcome a reimagining of the film that would explore the vehicular cat-and-mouse that made Road Games popular with fans of Hitchcockian suspense, but add more overt horror elements.

Bloody Birthday

Bloody Birthday stars scream queen Lori Lethin as Joyce, a young woman being harassed by a group of pint-sized predators. The film was made on a shoestring budget and has ample opportunities for a new director to improve upon the source material. We are more than ready for a no-holds-barred killer-kid flick, and a remake of Bloody Birthday could fit the bill perfectly.

Christine

With The Halloween franchise receiving a controversial reimagining and situation that was The Thing pre-make, it would be good to see someone re-imagine Carpenter and do it really well. Especially if Carpenter were to serve as a producer/mentor to a young director, similar to the approach Wes Craven took with the Last House on the Left remake.