So much for objective headlines. As you can tell by the title of this article, I begin with the assumption  that modern remakes of the classic  haunted house films are bad. The question I then ask is “how bad are they?”  Maybe I am being a bit too harsh. Maybe I should put a leash around my bias and just explore the films for what they are worth, even if their worthiness amounts to very little (ah geez, there I go again with that “bias” thing!)

Welcome to October everyone! I heard through the grapevine that this is the season of scary celebrations. It has something to do with a day at the end of the month that we call “Halloween.” We here at  Thebooksofdaniel.com  are going to contribute to the “spookies”  with three compare/contrast articles concerning the modernization of three classic haunted house films. In the days to come, prepare yourselves for a presentation  of six films. These films would be:

The Haunting  1963/1999

The House on Haunted Hill 1959/1999

13 Ghosts 1960/ Thir13en Ghosts 2001

Up until now, I  had considered the remake films unworthy of this blog. What a classic film snob I  was! I have seen all six films  and, truth be told, there are bits and pieces of the three modern incarnations that I enjoy. Do these enjoyable  moments redeem  the films overall? No, not necessarily. Or maybe. I don’t know. But I will know soon. See, I’m going to watch all six films again. It’s been nearly  20 years since  I’ve seen the remakes. (Which I guess means they aren’t so “modern”. Oh well, they are modern enough for the purposes  of the upcoming articles .)  I need to refresh my opinions  and I will do so with fresh viewings.

Get ready for an exploration of the key differences between each pair of films. From the story to the production value, I will note what has changed, for better or worse   (probably  for worse. Oh man, there I go again!). Why is one film better than the other? (Why is the classic film superior? Uh, I   seem to have misplaced the bias leach). Finally, just what are those decent  moments in the otherwise  unfavorable films? (I won’t go there this time.)

So, when all is said  and done, will I regret that very  biased article title? Will I be forced  to rename the article  “Classic Haunted  Houses  Movies and Their Remakes – How Great Thou’ Art? Probably  not. But I will keep an open mind and I’m sure I’ll learn something  and have fun doing so. I hope this will  be true for you the reader as well.