Films that absolutely needed that remake.

This is a remarkable film, but the remake Terry Gilliam's 1996 film, 12 Monkeys, was needed to flesh out the story, add motion pictures (the original was a collection of still photos) and a theatrical release. Both films hold up well.

The original film was very good. The second, a 1977 version, was even better. (The third and fourth, not so much.)

Sergio Leone's 1964, A Fistful of Dollars "Americanized" this Japanese film. Both are great!

This film inexplicably stuck to the Hungarian location, surnames, and strange whatnot shop locale from the original material (a 1937 Hungarian play). It's a classic. But, even with James Stewart and Margaret Sullivan (she's a doll), the movie was ripe for a remake. The first effort, "In the Good Old Summertime" (Judy Garland), was not outstanding. But, 1998's You've Got Mail is just wonderful.

Alfred Hitchcock, who made both of these films, said: "Let's say the first version is the work of a talented amateur and the second was made by a professional."

It is hard to believe that a Henry Hathaway/John Wayne collaboration could be bested. But, thanks to the presence in the original of Glen Campbell and Kim Darby (and despite the presence of Dennis Hopper and Robert Duvall), in 2010, the Coen brothers did just that. The second film is superior in every way to the original, though the original is very good too.

The original, while great, was not able to live up to the story from which it was derived. the 1982 sequel "The Thing" made up for its shortcomings and then some.

William Friedkin's 1977's film "Sorcerer" updated this story and translated it into the English language. Both are great.

F. W. Murnau's 1922 classic is great, but silent. One could argue that 1931's Universal classic, "Dracula" is a remake, but I'd hold out for the 1979 "Nosferatu The Vampire" as the true remake of this film. The second one has sound and is exceptional.

1931's Dracula is considered a classic, but it wasn't very good really. 1958's Hammer version "The Horror of Dracula" and 1992's "Bram Stoker's Dracula" are both better. There have been scads of other adaptations. Some are good and some are bad.