The Hitcher (DVD)

[The Blind Dead]

Over the years remakes, prequels, sequels, spin-offs and blatant rip offs have been something it seems most filmmakers are concentrating on. It's as if all the originality that was once in film making has dissipated into oblivion and we're left with nothing but constant rehashes of story lines we've seen and heard all before. Where is the depth and imagination films once possessed? When are we going to see something come out that isn't remade from, some kind of a prequel/sequel or a spin off? When will Hollywood understand an original film can do just as well as something they remake? Hopefully soon because even though complaining does no good, I'm sick of remakes.

With that said I was surprised by the film that I thought would just be another generic remake of a classic film that should be just left alone. I'm also a fan of the original film so I went into this one after hearing all the negative with an open mind so my thoughts wouldn't be biased against the fact that I had heard so many bad things about it. Granted the film is not a perfect film, remake or not, but one the levels it's supposed to work - it does.

Most of you may be familiar with the original storyline for The Hitcher and if you're not, you're about to be educated. The original film told of a student on his way home from college who picks up a hitchhiker that from the moment they meet said student's life becomes a living hell. The hitchhiker goes throughout the...[READ MORE HERE] (http://www.joehorror.com/0000802.html)

[Pain]

The original left a lasting impression on me, and has bore many repeated viewings. The same couldn't be said about this in my opinion. Flat, soulless and rushed. Perfect for this generation:lol:

Great review though Chris:)

[The Blind Dead]

Still haven't seen it. Probably wait till DVD...HMMM...damn it's already on DVD! lol

[evilzombie20]

[QUOTE=Pain;299665] Flat, soulless and rushed. Perfect for this generation:lol: [QUOTE]

Hey! I resent that!

The film was a bit rushed but I think the pacing worked fine for it. My only real issue was the only character who seemed to have a brain in the movie was Sean Bean's character. Other than that, I thought this was pretty well done.

[Pain]

Flat, soulless and rushed. Perfect for this generation:lol:

Hey! I resent that!

You resemble that? I know you do Chris:lol:

[evilzombie20]

You resemble that? I know you do Chris:lol:

:-| Please - I hate this generation. Most of em' are either rap loving wanna be's or death metal head morons. No thanks. I'm a 90's kid.

[Pain]

*puts Death Metal cd's away*:-(

[evilzombie20]

*puts Death Metal cd's away*:-(

Yeah but you're not a moron so you're good. :)

[zombiekilling101]

:-| Please - I hate this generation. Most of em' are either rap loving wanna be's or death metal head morons. No thanks. I'm a 90's kid.


thats not true.. give our generation alittle credit... you forgot wannabe goths and emo kids.:)


This movie was like pain said.. rushed and souless. Not a good flick and I'll pass this up unti it reaches 5.99 and DDD.com.

[evilzombie20]

This movie was like pain said.. rushed and souless. Not a good flick and I'll pass this up unti it reaches 5.99 and DDD.com.

I have to disagree. Rushed, yes, souless - no.

I think one of the biggest mistakes people make when watching remakes is they have the original in mind, or compare it to the original. You can't do it. These movies that are being remade are classics and have no comparison. Taking this film as it's own and not as a remake makes for a much more pleasurable viewing experience.

[Pain]

Yes you can compare them. Especially as there are entire sequences lifted from the original movie and copied shot for shot. I do recall a certain member here that has serious issues with the Day of the Dead remake. I'm fairly positive that they won't find watching that a plasureable experience.

Whether or not you found the movie a pleasureable experience or not does not escape the fact that it was soulless.

Although I will admit to the fact that most folk didn't even know The Hitcher was a remake in the first place.

[evilzombie20]

[QUOTE=Pain;299934]Yes you can compare them. Especially as there are entire sequences lifted from the original movie and copied shot for shot. I do recall a certain member here that has serious issues with the Day of the Dead remake. I'm fairly positive that they won't find watching that a plasureable experience.[QUOTE]

Yes you COULD compare them but it's like comparing a sequel to it's original, sometimes there is no comparison. One is obviously better than the other. In cases with remakes, it's a 50/50 chance but if you watch it as a film that was made maybe as a homage to the original, might be a better experience.

As far as the DAY OF THE DEAD remake, they're raping a classic. Uttering lines "It's a bad day to be a zombie" doesn't just make it a bad remake, it's a bad movie all around. The footage we were exposed to was god awful and regardless if it was something slapped together by the crew for the cast, that footage is in the movie. I had my doubts about it before, now I know - it will suck. THE HITCHER on the other hand, with the original still being a classic, did not suck.

I watched it as if it was a stand alone film. Not as a remake. But as a warning as to why you shouldn't pick up hitchhikers or how screwed up some people really are. I didn't see it as a remake. I watched it with the idea it hadn't been done before and that worked for me.

[Pain]

I don't recall saying anywhere that it sucked, I said it was soulless.

[evilzombie20]

I don't recall saying anywhere that it sucked, I said it was soulless.

I'm sorry. I should've written that better. I wasn't saying that YOU said it sucked. I'm just saying it doesn't mean that it did suck because it was a remake. As a film, not as a remake or a sequel, the film works.

[zombiekilling101]

I'm sorry. I should've written that better. I wasn't saying that YOU said it sucked. I'm just saying it doesn't mean that it did suck because it was a remake. As a film, not as a remake or a sequel, the film works.


As a stand alone film I didnt enjoy it. It was rushed.. and it seemed they put stuff in for a "cool" factor... and I'm not down with that.. especially if the film isnt working.

I agree that people including myself tend to compare remake to OGS but I try not to. But like Pain said, when its copied shot for shot and sequences are lifted.. its hard not to compare when they manage to copy something with more money and yet it turns out crappy.

[Zombie King]

Still haven't seen it. Probably wait till DVD...HMMM...damn it's already on DVD! lol

Yes, it is out on DVD. I hope you haven't wasted your money yet because it isn't even worth watching. I often enjoy remakes so I went to the theater opening night for this one. The only other time I can remember being so disappointed was when I went to see "Primevil." I put the original in the same catagory of excellence as "The Excorsist, The Serpant and the Rainbow," and "Night of the Living Dead." The remake was like a Pee-Wee Herman movie or even "Barbie's Playhouse." Shit, "Barbie's Playhouse" was even better!

[Zombie King]

It's as if all the originality that was once in film making has dissipated into oblivion and we're left with nothing but constant rehashes of story lines we've seen and heard all before. Where is the depth and imagination films once possessed?

As sad as it is, I just think Hollywood has ran out of ideas. Everyday that passes, creativity shrinks. Remakes have gotten so big because everything about anything has already been developed. It was bound to have happened. Sure, new movies pop up and will continue to but it's rare. Even movies that aren't labeled as remakes have already had a similar movie or story told in the past. I hate it too but if you think about it, it was bound to have happened sooner or later. Thats logistics. It's just going to get worse the more time passes by. Thats my thought anyway! I could definetely be wrong. I think it's a lot like population. Theres only so much room in the world. Pretty soon it will be impossible to expand.

[The Blind Dead]

I love the Pee-wee Herman movies. He's a legend.

Hollywood hasn't run out of ideas, it's simply an issue of profit and business. When you consider how many remakes came out in the last 10 years in comparison to ORIGINAL films you'll see the whole "remakes have taken over" fear is greatly exaggerated and slightly paranoid. This year alone there have been dozens of films released and only a small handful were remakes. Everytime I hear horror fans say "Hollywood has run out of ideas" it makes me wonder if horror fans even have the slightest clue how many films "Hollywood" releases each year and how original and interesting many of them are.

[Zombie King]

Hollywood hasn't run out of ideas, it's simply an issue of profit and business. When you consider how many remakes came out in the last 10 years in comparison to ORIGINAL films you'll see the whole "remakes have taken over" fear is greatly exaggerated and slightly paranoid. This year alone there have been dozens of films released and only a small handful were remakes. Everytime I hear horror fans say "Hollywood has run out of ideas" it makes me wonder if horror fans even have the slightest clue how many films "Hollywood" releases each year and how original and interesting many of them are.

I hear what you're saying. I'm not neccasarily talking about 'remakes' though. Just originality in general. I know there are less remakes than the rest but you can't honestly deny that the great vast majority of movies that come out have already been thought of. How many different vampire and werewolf movies can one make without them being somewhat like the rest? Mainstream or independent, it really doesn't seem to matter. I used to be just a mainstream movie guy (yes, I was a dork and thought that only theatrical appearance movies were the only ones that were well done) and this is why I've moved to independent and underground because I want to see something completely new that I haven't seen before. But for the most part, no matter what I do, when I'm chillin and watching a video I usually end up saying to myself "God, I've seen 5 movies just like this."

[The Blind Dead]

I hear what you're saying. I'm not neccasarily talking about 'remakes' though. Just originality in general. I know there are less remakes than the rest but you can't honestly deny that the great vast majority of movies that come out have already been thought of. How many different vampire and werewolf movies can one make without them being somewhat like the rest? Mainstream or independent, it really doesn't seem to matter. I used to be just a mainstream movie guy (yes, I was a dork and thought that only theatrical appearance movies were the only ones that were well done) and this is why I've moved to independent and underground because I want to see something completely new that I haven't seen before. But for the most part, no matter what I do, when I'm chillin and watching a video I usually end up saying to myself "God, I've seen 5 movies just like this."
I'm a cinema fan first and foremost so I find myself a bit surprised when people claim Hollywood lacks originality. If you want original you're going to have to look a bit further beneath the surface. Films like Brick, Mysterious Skin, Thanks for Smoking, Transamerica, Brokeback Mountain, Jesus Camp, Deliver Us From Evil, Teeth and a shitload more are phenomenal films just waiting to be discovered.

[Zombie King]

I'm a cinema fan first and foremost so I find myself a bit surprised when people claim Hollywood lacks originality. If you want original you're going to have to look a bit further beneath the surface. Films like Brick, Mysterious Skin, Thanks for Smoking, Transamerica, Brokeback Mountain, Jesus Camp, Deliver Us From Evil, Teeth and a shitload more are phenomenal films just waiting to be discovered.

You're right. I've actually seen "Brick", "Thanks for Smoking" and "Transamerica". All very good films. "Thanks for Smoking" makes my top 10. I can't express how much I love that film. I was really just talking about horror films though. I feel the horror genre is running out of ideas. You are a very knowledgable man when it comes to films (more so than 99.9% of the other critics) so I sincerely hope I am wrong. I hope it is just profit and business and not lack of room for creativity.

[The Blind Dead]

You're right. I've actually seen "Brick", "Thanks for Smoking" and "Transamerica". All very good films. "Thanks for Smoking" makes my top 10. I can't express how much I love that film. I was really just talking about horror films though. I feel the horror genre is running out of ideas. You are a very knowledgable man when it comes to films (more so than 99.9% of the other critics) so I sincerely hope I am wrong. I hope it is just profit and business and not lack of room for creativity.

Once again, I respectfully disagree with you. Horror has dozens of new and interesting films available. Unfortunately, due to a lack of marketing many sit underappreciated and in many cases unreleased. If you'd like original check out...The Hamiltons, The Abandoned & Roman for starters. I'd also highly recommend Dark Remains, 13 Tzameti, Automatons, Bad Reputation, Blood Trails & Breaking Dawn just to give you a taste of some of the more interesting films out there for genre fans.

[Zombie King]

If you'd like original check out...The Hamiltons, The Abandoned & Roman for starters. I'd also highly recommend Dark Remains, 13 Tzameti, Automatons, Bad Reputation, Blood Trails & Breaking Dawn just to give you a taste of some of the more interesting films out there for genre fans.

Thanks buddy! Do you think any of these movies are available for rent at Hollywood or Blockbuster or do I have to purchase online? I've also really been considering joining Netflix. Is Netflix a pretty good way of getting titles that the stores don't carry? I'll try to get my hands on "The Hamiltons" and "The Abandoned" and "Roman" first! Once again, thanks! I love having a big list of movies to watch that I haven't seen yet.

[The Blind Dead]

The Hamiltons, Roman, Dark Remains, 13 Tzameti, Blood Trails and Breaking Dawn are all out and available. I'm not sure if all Blockbusters or Hollywoods carry these but than likely they will.

The others I mentioned have either not hit DVD yet or are available online.