Marcus Nispel

Blu-ray Review: ‘Conan the Barbarian’ Remake Fails in Every Way

Conan the Barbarian

CHICAGO – There were a disturbing number of remakes in 2011 that failed to justify their existence, including “The Thing,” “Footloose,” and, perhaps worst of all, Marcus Nispel’s “Conan the Barbarian.” The man behind the equally worthless remakes of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Friday the 13th” has carved out his own niche of dubious filmmaking decisions that make the original look like a masterpiece in comparison. The first “Conan” worked almost entirely because of the star power brought to it by Ah-nuld. The words star power and Jason Momoa have never been used together in a sentence before now.

Blu-Ray Review: ‘Conan the Barbarian,’ ‘Conan the Destroyer’

Conan the Barbarian

CHICAGO – I’m going to withhold judgment until I see it but, on paper, it makes no sense to remake John Milius’ 1982 fantasy/action classic “Conan the Barbarian” for one simple reason — there’s only one Ah-nuld. The movie weighed heavily on the charisma of its unique star, someone who was essentially catapulted to the A-list by this film and lightning only strikes once. Does anyone think that Jason Momoa, star of the August 19th remake from Marcus Nispel (remake “King” after desecrating “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Friday the 13th”) will find the same magic? Check out the originals, now on Blu-ray, and see the standard he has to live up to.

Blu-Ray Review: Jason Voorhees Returns in Killer Cut of ‘Friday the 13th’

Friday the 13th

CHICAGO – The reboot of “Friday the 13th” was another financially successful notch in the belt of Platinum Dunes, the film company behind the remakes of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “The Hitcher,” and “The Amityville Horror”. Making $90 million worldwide and more domestically than any previous Jason Voorhees movie (that didn’t include Freddy Krueger), “Friday the 13th” has a following that will be ecstatic with the excellent Blu-Ray release for the slasher title.

Lack of Originality, Actual Scares Render Marcus Nispel’s ‘Friday the 13th’ Ineffective

Friday the 13th

CHICAGO – Your reaction to Marcus Nispel’s “Friday the 13th” is likely to depend on how nostalgically you remember the original and how you reacted to producer Michael Bay’s “remakes” of “The Amityville Horror,” “The Hitcher,” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”.

Slideshow: 29-Image Gallery For ‘Friday the 13th’ With Jared Padalecki

| Image 1 of 29 |
Chelsea (Willa Ford) discovers Jason (Derek Mears) watching her from the shores of Crystal Lake.

CHICAGO – This 29-image slideshow contains the official press images for “Friday the 13th,” which was directed by Marcus Nispel and features Jared Padalecki, Danielle Panabaker, Willa Ford, Aaron Yoo, Amanda Righetti, Travis Van Winkle, America Olivo and Derek Mears as Jason. The Warner Brothers Pictures release opens on Friday, February 13th, 2009.

Blu-Ray Review: Go Back to Camp Crystal Lake With ‘Friday the 13th: Uncut’

Friday the 13th
HollywoodChicago.com Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0
Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Every time a movie gets remade, you can expect the original to appear in some varying degree of “special” edition on the home market. A week-and-a-half from the Michael Bay produced and Marcus Nispel remake of “Friday the 13th,” Paramount has unleashed deluxe editions of the original on Blu-Ray and the first two sequels on DVD.

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  • Manhunt

    CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.

  • Topdog/Underdog, Invictus Theatre

    CHICAGO – When two brothers confront the sins of each other and it expands into a psychology of an entire race, it’s at a stage play found in Chicago’s Invictus Theatre Company production of “Topdog/Underdog,” now at their new home at the Windy City Playhouse through March 31st, 2024. Click TD/UD for tickets/info.

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