The great thing about a movie is that it lives forever. From film, to VHS, to DVD, Blu Ray and now 4k & digital, everyone's favorite movies keep seeing re-releases, ensuring fans new and old alike will be able to watch them whenever they want.
Unfortunately for some movies – especially those in the sci-fi space – technological updates can sometimes highlight the problems that went unnoticed before. Be it hokey acting, cheap sets, or once breathtaking special effects that don't hold up to today's standards, some classic – or not so classic – sci-fi stories could reclaim their proper places in film history with a remake.
10 The Blob Can Devour The Box Office Again
Originally released in 1958 and starring Steve McQueen as the oldest looking teenager of all time, The Blob was a smash hit when it came out, and for good reason. The Blob, which sees a literal blob of goo from space destroy a rural Pennsylvania town had effects that amazed audiences. The Blob was remade in 1988 with updated effects and plenty of gore that wouldn't have been allowed when the original was released. While both versions are great, a fresh remake could be just as fun and creepy today as it was in the past.
9 Logan's Run Is Old Enough To Die
Based on the novel by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. 1976's Logan's Run is set in the far-off future of 2274 where when a person turns thirty, they must undergo a ritual "Carrousel." Everyone is led to believe that when they go through Carrousel, they are rejuvenated, but in truth, they are killed as a way to keep the Earth's population in control.
Logan 5 and Francis 7, Sandmen who are tasked with bringing people to the Carrousel, learn the truth and go on the run. The overall concept of Logan's Run is perfect sci-fi fodder, and remakes have been discussed over the years despite nothing ever coming of it. Sooner or later, a new version of Logan's Run is bound to happen – it is just a question of who will bring it to life.
8 The Black Hole Is A Great Concept That Could Be Done Better
In 2012, George Lucas famously sold Lucasfilm to Disney for four billion dollars. That deal gave Disney ownership over Star Wars, leading to a resurgence of movies and shows set in a galaxy far far away. But way back in 1979, Disney tried to create their own version of Star Wars with The Black Hole. While The Black Hole isn't a direct knock-off of Star Wars like many other movies of the time, the similarities are impossible to ignore. Still, The Black Hole had a great look to it and some interesting things to say. A remake could help expand the sci-fi franchise landscape.
7 Time After Time Has All The Pieces To Be Solved
Written and directed by Nicholas Meyer – best known for helming Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – Time After Time is a time travel movie with an interesting twist. In the story, Jack the Ripper uses the time machine of H.G. Wells to travel from 1893 London to 1979 San Francisco. Wells follows after the famous serial killer, leading to a modern-day cat and mouse chase. Time After Time was turned into a TV series in 2016, but was canceled after just five episodes. Still, the basic concept is too fun to be left dormant for long. Time After Time will be remade in due time.
6 Dark Star Started So Much
Before Dan O'Bannon wrote Alien, he teamed up with his college pal John Carpenter and created Dark Star – a sci-fi comedy that isn't as good as it could have been but has a whole lot of promise.
Dark Star, which follows the crew of the Dark Star as they search for unstable planets to blow up while dealing with an annoying alien that is clearly just a beach ball, was originally a 45-minute film school project that was expanded into an 83-minute movie to get a theatrical release. While a lot of Dark Star doesn't hold up today, the basic idea – a comedy version of Alien – would certainly work.
5 Forbidden Planet Is A Classic That Shouldn't Be Forgotten
A well-loved classic that introduced the world to Robby the Robot, 1956's Forbidden Planet is the forefather of modern science fiction movies that also paid respect to the classics of the past by taking elements from William Shakespeare's The Tempest and adding a futuristic twist to them.
While Forbidden Planet's story stands strong, much of the make-up, effects, and filming style feel desperately antiquated by today's standards. Taking the story and updating it for modern audiences could bring new life not only to Forbidden Planet, but the genre in general.
4 X: The Man With X-Ray Eyes Is Ready To See Again
An independent sci-fi film directed by the iconic Roger Corman, X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes stars Ray Milland as a doctor who invents eye drops that are meant to give humans the ability to see ultraviolet and x-ray wavelengths. When Milland's Dr. Xavier – who has no relation to Marvel's mutants even though the movie and the X-Men both debuted the same year – uses the drops on himself, he comes to find that the effects are permanent and ever-increasing. In time, Dr. Xavier begins to see the very making of the universe before finally ripping his own eyes out. X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes is a dark tale that would work just as well today as it did then.
3 Barbarella Is Stylish Fun
While X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes is a shockingly grim tale, 1968's Barbarella – based on the French comic by Jean-Claude Forest – couldn't be more lighthearted and fun. The film, which stars Jane Fonda as the titular character, follows Barbarella as she is sent out by the United Earth government to find a mad scientist that has created a weapon that can destroy mankind.
There have been attempts to remake Barbarella over the years; Robert Rodriguez was planning to make the film after Sin City but it did not come to pass. Still, the original movie's style will continue to capture people's attention, and a remake could only lead more people to the original.
2 Fantastic Voyage Is Too Cool Not To Do Again
In what may be one of the coolest ideas for a movie, Fantastic Voyage sees a group of people get shrunk down and sent into the body of a scientist who has a blood clot in his brain thanks to an assassination attempt.
In truth, the effects of Fantastic Voyage hold up very well considering the movie is over fifty years old, but a new take on the story with modern effects could bring the story to new audiences in a way the original never can.
1 Ice Pirates Has Everything A Remake Needs
Originally planned as a sci-fi drama with a budget of $20 million dollars, Ice Pirates was turned into a comedy when the budget was slashed to just $9 million. While the final product is uneven and suffers from some very rough special effects even for the time, the movie has managed to gain a cult following thanks to its irreverent nature and bonkers ending. Ice Pirates is the perfect kind of film to remake; a movie that isn't all that good but is filled with potential.