Calling All Film Lovers: Here are Six 80s Films That Deserve a Reboot and Voucher Codes for HMV, Amazon and Zavvi

The Ghostbusters reviews are in and it’s safe to say they’re a bit a mixed bag. Some overwhelmingly positive, some middling, and some trashing the whole thing. It raises the question of whether there are any other 80s movies ripe for a reboot. To qualify for successful reboot status, a film has to be a classic, but not too much of a classic (unless you’re brave enough to put a bold contemporary spin on things). Memorable, but not so much so that you’ll be forced to make a complete replica. A cult favourite, but not so much so that a new version is going to upset Internet. So where should we be looking for these future 80s reboots? Here are my personal picks…

1)      Three Men and a Baby

Fun Fact: the original was directed by none other than Leonard Nimoy. As a much as the world loves Leonard Nimoy and his life works, I think everyone can admit that the original Three Men and a Baby is very much of its time. With today’s gender politics slightly at odds with those of the 1980s, a new version of Three Men and Baby could be an interesting prospect.

2)      Innerspace

Who doesn’t love Innerspace? Secret government scheme to miniaturise pilot for vague science reasons goes awry and said pilot gets injected into bottom of hapless individual instead. Hilarity ensues! A timeless tale that could easily be updated. And perhaps another one ripe for a gender swap too?

3)      Desperately Seeking Susan

Does everyone love this film as much as I do? You can count the number of good Madonna films on one hand (just about) and this is one of them. Whether it’s a blessing or a curse that Madonna would probably not be in the running to reprise the role of Susan, you can still hope for an inevitable eye-catching and headline-grabbing cameo in any potential remake.

4)      Clue

With Cluedo in the news again last week because of plans to drop the ‘dated’ character of Mrs. White from the board game, is it time to also reinvent this cult classic? Any news of plans to do away with Mrs. White would have been met with outrage from fans of the film because I think we can all agree she was one of the best characters, and I suspect they might have the same reaction about any remake too…

5)      Twins

This is perfect ‘memorable favourite but not a definite classic’ territory but the big question is can anyone fill the ample shoes of Schwarzenegger and the not so ample shoes of DeVito?

6)      Gremlins

Now, I understand that a Gremlins reboot would be unacceptable for many, and the fact that the sequel was truly terrible does not help this case, but we can all agree that the actual gremlins (and Gizmo) were the true stars of the movie, so this removes any issues folk might have with replacing a much-loved big name. I, for one would be excited by news of a Gremlins reboot to compare and contrast to the original. Although perhaps without a re-telling of that horrible getting stuck down the chimney story. No one wants that again.

Movie Lovers Voucher Codes with Amazon, HMV and Zavvi

I think they key factor in any proposed 80s reboot is that it has to originate from a place of love for the original movie rather than just a love of potential big bucks. If you need to refresh your memory of any of the above, you can take advantage of the extensive range of titles housed by Amazon, or use the online 2 for £10 DVD deal from HMV, and if you’re looking for an additional DVD discount, Zavvi voucher codes are currently offering an extra 10% off for new online customers. You never know, you might even come across another 80s favourite ripe for a reboot while you’re there. But let’s all agree to stay away from any suggestion to remake Back to the Future, yes?

By Anna Scott, 11th July 2016