Yahoo! Halloween 2010

Freaky Foreign Film Remakes

 

• Introduction

  

  Why are so many foreign horror films being remade into Hollywood versions? Because the screenplay has already been written, development is quicker, cheaper, and less risky. Usually the Hollywood versions of the films are more accessible to a wider audience and because they don't have subtitles, they get a bigger distribution. All of this equals more money to be made. Do yourself a favor and check out the original foreign versions of these films.

  » Learn More

• "Ringu" / "The Ring"

  

  "Ringu" (1998), Japan's highest grossing horror film, is also one of its scariest. It's no wonder that it was remade in 2002 starring Naomi Watts. Loosely based on an old Japanese ghost story, "The Ring" is about a disturbing videotape that causes its viewers to die a week later. After watching it, a reporter investigates the mystery behind the video and tries to break the curse to save the lives of herself and her son.

  » Learn More

• "Let The Right One In" / "Let Me In"

  

  Teenage vampire movies don't start and end with the "Twilight" series. Only two years after the critically acclaimed Swedish film "Let The Right One In" (2008) was made, an American version is ready to hit the silver screen. The movies tell the story of a bullied 12-year-old boy who develops a friendship with an eternally young vampire girl. “Cloverfield” director Matt Reeves' American version, retitled “Let Me In” (2010), stays very close to the original, but will be more accessible to a broader audience.

  » Learn More

• "Funny Games"

  

  Sometimes monsters don't have green skin or fangs. In the Austrian film "Funny Games" (1997), director Michael Haneke shows us that looks can be deceiving when a pair of preppy teens takes a family hostage and tortures them for what appears to be no reason. In 2008, Haneke directed a shot-for-shot remake of the original film starring Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, and Michael Pitt. Maybe you shouldn't say "yes" next time a neighbor asks to borrow some eggs.

  » Learn More

• "Jian Gui" / "The Eye"

  

  "The Eye" – originally released in Hong Kong in 2002 – tells the story of a blind violinist who receives a cornea transplant that allows her to see more than she asked for. Along with her renewed vision, she now sees horrible visions of tragedy. With the help of her doctor, she tries to find out who her donor was and why she's seeing ghosts. Jessica Alba starred in the 2008 American remake, which many critics deemed inferior to the original.

  » Learn More

• "Ju-on" / "The Grudge"

  

  "The Grudge" (2004) is an American remake of the Japanese film "Ju-On" (2002). After a horrific murder, the ghost of a young boy and his mother haunt anyone that enters their house. A social worker (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar), who comes to visit a family, must figure out how to break the spell before it leads to her demise. Following the success of "The Ring", Hollywood saw the potential in remaking Japanese horror films and "The Grudge" became one of the most profitable films of that year.

  » Learn More

• "Spoorloos" / "The Vanishing"

  

  There's little more frightening than having your loved ones disappear. In 1988's Dutch film "Spoorloos", a man and his girlfriend stop at a gas station. She goes into the convenience store but never comes out. After three years of searching for his girlfriend, the man and her kidnapper finally meet. In 1993, George Sluizer, director of the original film, remade an American version starring Jeff Bridges, Kiefer Sutherland, and Sandra Bullock. It was panned for having a much happier "Hollywood" ending.

  » Learn More