In recent years, countless classic horror films have found new life in various remakes and reimaginings. Robert Eggers gave “Nosferatu” an upgrade, and Maggie Gyllenhaal reinvented “Bride of Frankenstein” with an outrageous, polarizing overhaul, with Jessie Buckley taking on the eponymous character in “The Bride!”
You can also count Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” for Netflix, Lee Cronin’s “The Mummy,” “Silent Night, Deadly Night” and “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” among the most recent remake offerings. There’s an endless supply of horror stories itching for modern perspectives from today’s most ambitious filmmakers.
But there’s one remake no one expected, and it’s now heading to streaming very soon.
‘Faces of Death’ Remake Hits Shudder Soon
After a limited theatrical run, the film will now find its way onto Shudder on Friday (July 10). “The notorious cult classic has a new chapter,” the popular horror-centered streaming service wrote on Twitter/X.
“Faces of Death,” written by Isa Mazzei (“Cam”) and director Daniel Goldhaber, stars “Stranger Things” actor Dacre Montgomery as a bloodthirsty maniac who uses social media, such as Reddit and TikTok, to stalk and kill his victims. Barbie Ferreira (“Euphoria”) plays opposite, as the naive, yet earnest, Margot. When she discovers a connection between a missing person and a disturbing online video, she launches a plan to track down the killer and take all the evidence to the police.
Goldhaber’s “Faces of Death” comes 48 years after the 1978 original. While it’s a remake in name, it’s not really in story. In an interview with People, the writer/director stressed that it’s more of a sequel than a remake, noting that “it’s not even really a re-imagining. It’s a movie about ‘Faces of Death,'” he told the magazine.
“You cannot make everybody happy, but we felt very confident that we had a really fun and scary and meaningful story to tell about this legendary piece of media,” he added.
Original Film Marred in Controversy
Written and directed by John Alan Schwartz, the 1978 “Faces of Death” was met with controversy from the start. Due to its graphic violence, the U.K. ruled that it violated the Obscene Publications Act 1959, and it was added to the official video nasty list. Additionally, two years after release, the Australian Classification Board refused to give it a classification. It remained banned in Australia until 2007, when it saw a DVD release. The three sequels remain banned in the country.
“Faces of Death” was also banned in New Zealand and Germany. The ban in Germany was officially lifted in 2022. Promotional materials for the film claimed it was “banned in 46 countries.” While untrue, the assertion stirred up even more interest in the mondo horror film.
In 1985, Escondido High School teacher Bart Schwarz showed his class the film, which depicts autopsies, car crashes, a firing squad, and other disturbing scenarios. Two students, Diane Feese and Shery Forget, sued the Escondido, Calif., school and won a $100,000 combined settlement, as reported by the Arizona Republic in January 1987.
Despite the controversies, “Faces of Death” has only grown in popularity over the years. And the remake/sequel certainly deserves some of the credit.
