The Hitcher

[Mighty_Emperor]

Oooooooooo I liked the oriignal film (I watched it 3 times the first day I hd the video - not from choice but people kept coming around wanting to see it):

www.imdb.com/title/tt0091209/

and now a remake is in the works:

July 1: Hauer in new HITCHER?

A blurb in Variety about Rutger Hauer taking on a new agent noted that one of his upcoming projects will by Rogue Pictures’ remake of THE HITCHER. Hauer, of course, played the menacing thumber in the 1986 original, and there’s no elaboration on whether he’ll reprise the role or take a different part. The new HITCHER will be directed by music-video veteran Dave Meyers from a script by Jake Wade (WHEN A STRANGER CALLS remake) Wall. No other casting has yet been announced; Hauer can currently be seen in BATMAN BEGINS and also appears in Lions Gate’s upcoming mythological chiller MINOTAUR.

www.fangoria.com/news_article.php?id=4330

IMDB:
www.imdb.com/title/tt0455960/

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Searching around I also found a couple of cash-in films:

Hitcher 2 / Hitcher in the Dark (1989):
www.imdb.com/title/tt0098072/

The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting (2003):
www.imdb.com/title/tt0299988/

 

[Heckler]

The sequels are awful don't bother and the original worked because nothing was explained, I have a horrible fear that they will attempt to resolve some of the questions in the remake.

 

[hokum6]

Bad idea. Why mess with a classic horror?

 

[stu neville]

Absolutely right! The original was an object lesson in "Less Is More" - why screw with it? OK, I can just about see the rationale for remakes where improved FX will do justice to the story, but when they didn't need FX in the first place (particularly when they actively shunned them), then leave well alone.


Spoiler, just in case you haven't seen the original








Case in point - when he has the girl tied between the trailers, and the revs the truck.. everyone I know flinches, even on second or third viewing. How can you improve on that? Will seeing her dismembered help in some way?

No.

 

[AMPHIARAUS]

.

Will seeing her dismembered help in some way?

No.

Couldn't agree more. Suggestion vs CNN style

 

[Mighty_Emperor]

Seems it is as bad as we thought:

The Hitcher

* Cert 15

Phelim O'Neill
Friday June 1, 2007
The Guardian


Tense, brooding, scary - there are plenty of words to describe 1986's superior B-movie The Hitcher. None, however, apply to this remake. Only neglible changes have been made (the lead victim is female, for example) but they are enough to unhinge an already flimsy premise as a wandering psychopath searches for someone to stop his killing spree. Sean Bean is miscast in a role that Rutger Hauer played almost as an unstoppable force of nature. Don't even slow down for this one; certainly don't tag along for the ride.

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic ... 39,00.html

Apart from creative bankruptcy is there really any reason to do this? It'll probably scrape the money back on DVD sales but it seems so very pointless.

Wikipedia for the masochists wantng to know more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitche ... 07_film%29

Which has some interesting stuff:

Who was going to see this??

The movie debuted at #4 on the Box office with $7,818,239 made in the opening week. After three weeks the movie placed #11 at the Box Office and subsequently made $16,366,370. 5 weeks after its nationwide release, The Hitcher had been pulled from most screens due to its poor performance at the box office and low reviews.

Dear Lord why??

Despite being a remake of The Hitcher, the plot of this film bears much more resemblance to its direct to video sequel The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting.

 

[Novena]

Why indeed... :furious:

The first I knew of this was when I saw the trailer on TV - it had me fuming immediately as I love the original. And Sean Bean!?!? Why oh why?! Whoever dreamt up this travesty deserves shooting :headbutt:

 

[hokum6]

Watched it a couple of weeks ago. Absolutely terrible. Avoid like the plague.

 

[Dingo667]

No one can beat than Rudger Hauer.

 

[Stormkhan]

Since I love the original film and I have a deep distain for recent Hollywood remakes, I was going to avoid this one. It is nice, however, to find ones forebodings absolutely justified.

 

[Reverend D]

I absolutely love the original Hitcher. Great film, and Rutger Hauer was (as always) fantastic in it. Agree that one of the best things is that who John Ryder is and what his motivations are are left unexplained and for the viewer to think about for themself.

 

[GNC]

I absolutely love the original Hitcher. Great film, and Rutger Hauer was (as always) fantastic in it. Agree that one of the best things is that who John Ryder is and what his motivations are are left unexplained and for the viewer to think about for themself.

Ryder tells us what his motivation is: he wants to be stopped. Who he is, well, that's a mystery.