The Hollywood Remake Massacre: Adaptation, Reception and Value

Abstract

This chapter explores audience, fan and critic responses to horror film remakes, and argues that these reception contexts can be seen as a counterpoint to industry acclaim or awards recognition when considering the cultural value of such a maligned adaptive form and a denigrated genre. Using examples from online discussions and reviews of horror remakes, and drawing on a number of examples of these contemporary adaptations, the chapter illustrates how viewers play a key role in framing the reception of film remakes, and considers issues of fidelity, genre and fandom to demonstrate how this particular mode of horror production and its resulting texts are especially vulnerable to criticism as a result of preconceived notions of cultural value.