Horror Remakes

I was just thinking about horror remakes on my drive in to work today while listening to the DEADPIT RADIO podcast and I wondered how many of these remakes actually make people happy. How many do critics stand up and cheer for? I thought that I was missing something that might explain how these movie remakes keep getting kicked out.

I checked METACRITIC and gathered some data on some of the remakes that have come out of late. Here's what they had.

Perfect score - 100/100
THE FOG - 27/100
FRIDAY THE 13th - 34/100
QUARANTINE ( [rec] remake ) - 53/100
HALLOWEEN - 47/100
HALLOWEEN II - 46/100
FRIGHT NIGHT - 64/100
NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET - 35/100

In some cases, the rate wasn't bad - FRIGHT NIGHT specifically. Honestly, a lot of the people that went to go see it probably were not even born when the original came out. And, I think that's where the studio mindset is. Cash in on a franchise that a whole generation may not have been aware of. However, it doesn't seem to be working. Why are they still doing it?

Quarantine was made in the same year the original film came out. The same year. Rotten Tomatoes gave [rec] 96% fresh and gave Quarantine 59%. However, the Quarantine 2 movie which happens to take the story off in a departure from [rec]2 came in at 83% fresh, at least at the time I'm writing this. Maybe coming up with an original concept here saved the film?

I've railed against remakes before and I'm sure no one is even going to read this, however it just amazes me that this format still gets green lit when original films still come out and have to struggle for a theatrical release.

2009's HOUSE OF THE DEVIL was an amazing film that blew me away. (86% Fresh on RT) It was an homage to films of the 70s and 80s - sure, but it was original.

TUCKER AND DALE v. EVIL (89% Fresh on RT) made me laugh so hard I thought I was going to toss my popcorn! However, it spent a long while floating through festivals and the like and is finally seeing the light of day this October in main theater venues.

But...SAW 39 pops into theaters without and issue.

Odd....odd stuff.