Considering just how messed up director Damien Leone has made things with his Terrifier trilogy, it's interesting to gauge what impressed the filmmaker in the years before he gave us Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) and the circus of carnage that came with him. Over on X, Leone took some time out to give props to the 2006 remake of The Hills Have Eyes from Alexandre Aja.
Following in the footsteps of Wes Craven's 1977 road trip from hell, the film sees a family find themselves stranded on a highway, only to be attacked by mutated locals that have cannibalistic tendencies. The 2006 version starred Aaron Stanford, who was recently seen reprising his role as Pyro in Deadpool & Wolverine. Back then, he was the mild-mannered son-in-law, who, after an attack on his family and one of the only remaining survivors, goes on the warpath against the locals that wronged him, resulting in a bloody and brutal attack, while discovering a forgotten nightmare that should've remained lost to the desert.
"My favorite remake from the 2000 era of classic remakes," Leone wrote. "Took everything that was great about the original and amplified it perfectly in my opinion. Which was your favorite remake from that era?"
Other fans responded to Leone's query, giving shout-outs to the likes of The Crazies, starring Timothy Olyphant. There was also heaps of praise given to Zack Snyder's fast-paced redo of The Dawn of the Dead, which at the time was penned by a plucky young screenwriter named James Gunn (wonder whatever became of him?).
One film that got many nods from fans in Leone's thread was the 2003 Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which has gained more love over the years after initially receiving a negative reception from critics. As for The Hills Have Eyes, it's certainly an interesting pick from Leone, and one that, if there were ever an option to revisit, the Terrifier director would make for a perfectly twisted pairing. Have a look at what retreads tingled our spines via our list of 25 best horror remakes here.
