Remaking <i>The Hitcher</i>...

Is it just me or does remaking Robert Harmon's 1986 classic, The Hitcher, just seem like a horrible idea? Another horror remake courtesy of Michael Bay and Platinum Dunes, this one actually sports a semi-coherent cast, but all signs still point to it being pretty much dead in the water.

Let's get one thing straight right off the bat: I have no problem with remakes. When done properly they can be not only box office gold, but also interesting and entertaining films. Zack Snyder did it right with his 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake and Michael Bay's first shot at The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was certainly better than expected. Of course, there are a ton of duds out there (the awful When a Stranger Calls immediately springs to mind), but given the right cast and crew a remake can work to capture a whole new audience for a well-loved (or even overlooked) film.

That being said, I'm expecting something fairly abysmal out of The Hitcher. Sean Bean can certainly hold his own - even if his career's been a bit of a downward plunge since The Lord of the Rings - and Sophia Bush is fun to look at, but that's about all the film has going for it. The poster art's not bad, but the trailer just doesn't bring with it any of the suspense and terror that you felt when you sat down to watch the original film. There's just something about C. Thomas Howell and Rutger Hauer that I don't think anyone reproduced in a remake.

I have, however, yet to see the film so all this is just speculation on my part. I guess we'll find out on Friday. Let's hope they prove me wrong. I could use a good horror film.