One of the reasons that the horror genre is looked down on so much is that they don’t know when to say when. Some franchises like Saw or Paranormal Activity have as many sequels as The Land Before Time. Well, I’m here to enable scary movies even more by claiming that there needs to be even more sequels. The following movies are good enough to be stand alone horror flicks, but in each, there is a possibility for even greater potential. I know the majority of horror sequels are terrible and corrupt everything special about the original. However, there are several great sequels that match or even outdo the original. The following movies have either been pitched at one point or are sequels that I wish would happen.
5 – Freddy vs Jason vs Ash
Back in 2003, horror fans finally got to see their nightmares come true when Freddy and Jason finally went head to head. Sadly, the death match wasn’t everything it could’ve been. That didn’t stop movie producers from thinking about who’d face off next. Pinhead vs Candyman. Leatherface vs Michael Myers. Chucky vs Small Soldiers…
But the fans wanted another match up with Freddy and Jason. Only this time, Ashley Williams, the protagonist from The Evil Dead series would fight them both. It went so far that a script development was written. Sam Raimi, in the height of his Spider-Man fame, was set to produce. Many of those involved said New Line canceled the project after Raimi wanted to have Ash win the battle and kill Jason and Freddy for good.
The script became a comic series a few years later. The story was ridiculous but had some great moments. The finale placed Ash in the Evil Dead cabin, only that it changed based on Freddy’s dream machinations. That’s a final battle I’d pay to see.
4 – Tucker and Dale vs the Zombie Apocalypse
Tucker and Dale vs Evil was first released during the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. It was released months later but bombed domesically. The movie was saved by the foreign box office and DVD sales. It has since gained modern cult status among horror comedy fans.
The horror-comedy worked because of the chemistry and comic chops of Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine. That movie played on the killer hillbilly trope and turned it on its head. Fans have wanted a sequel ever since. Labine and Tudyk have been questioned repeatedly about the dream project. Labine finally clarified, last year, that everyone was planning on a sequel. He followed it up with the comment that they won’t make it if it’s terrible in any way.
For the sequel, I think we need to see these bumbling hillbillies fight on incoming hordes of zombies. Either that or mess with the current supernatural trend in Tucker and Dale vs the Paranormal. I’d love to see them create their own ghost hunter-type show, with a lackey following their every move on camera.
3 – Trick ‘r Treat 2
Trick ‘r Treat is one of those movies that came out of nowhere to rise above the typical B-list horror flicks. I first found this movie on the Blockbuster racks hidden among the sea of crappy scary movies. It’s an ’80s movie that was somehow made 20 years too late, but is no worse for it. I’d argue that it’s required viewing of any true Halloween movie fan.
That movie was basically an anthology of horror tropes bound together by a single Halloween night. It’s basically Crash with strangers giving candy as the theme instead of racism.
The writer/director, Michael Dougherty, announced the much anticipated sequel last Halloween, but admitted that no script had been written. Now, a year later, there is no further news about the project. I don’t know why this wouldn’t be priority number one for Dougherty.
2 – Bubba Nosferatu
It’s hard to imagine that Bubba Ho-Tep came out in 2002. That movie gave Bruce Campbell some needed revitalization as he played an aging Elvis Presley living out his days in a nursing home. He is unexpectedly placed in a situation where he needs to join forces with a man who thinks he’s JFK (Ossie Davis) in order to fight an ancient Egyptian mummy.
There has been talk, ever since, about a sequel. The project fell flat when Campbell had creative differences with director Don Coscarelli over the tone. Coscarelli signed on Ron Perlman to take over the Elvis role and Paul Giamatti to play his manager, Colonel Parker. After backing out, Campbell has made statements about the development of the movie and his involvement, stating that it will be a prequel and he’ll be dealing with Nixon at some point.
The official synopsis of ‘Bubba Nosferatu: Curse of the She-Vampires’ is as follows. “This prequel to Bubba Ho-Tep finds Elvis shooting a film in Louisiana when he runs afoul of a coven of she-vampires.” If they’re going with a prequel, they should hire Nicholas Brendan, who has always reminded me of Campbell in his younger years.
1 – Drag Her Out of Hell
If Sam Raimi didn’t create the horror-comedy genre with The Evil Dead, then he perfected the formula. His 2009 feature, Drag Me to Hell was one of my favorite movies of the year. He mixed genuine tension and fear with shock value laughs. It’s at least a two-time watch. If you’ve only seen it once and hated it, it’s worth trying again. It will grow on you in the best possible way.
This movie scored 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. I have no idea why Raimi has never gone back to this story. He needs to stop wasting his time making Disney movies like Oz: The Great and Powerful and focus on smaller films that his audiences love. There are no plans or even discussions on a possible sequel. Drag Me to Hell is a great stand alone movie that doesn’t need anything added on, to be honest.
However, this is potential for a sequel. I say this, only with the disclaimer that only Raimi should be attached and no other director. Spoilers for the first movie follow. The sequel should follow Clay years after his girlfriend Christine was literally dragged to hell. He sees a therapist to try and block out the awful memory but keeps dreaming of her until he seeks out methods and rituals to pull someone out of hell. Along the way, he summons several demons that make his life a living hell and torment him in the most ridiculous Raimi ways possible (see also: laughing deer head, gushing bloody nose, etc). This movie would have to be Evil Dead 2 to Drag Me to Hell’s Evil Dead. It would have to up the camp value dramatically to feel different.
Sam Raimi, Alison Lohman and Justin Long, wherever you are. Make this movie.
