| Movie franchises that keep coming back
By Bryan Reesman
Special to MSN Movies
They're baaaack. They're always back. Whenever a genre movie or character
enamors moviegoers, we can be assured that continued exploits will appear again
and again and again. It's a never-ending parade of cloned tales, which is a
formula that recent series like "Saw," "Final Destination" and "Paranormal Activity" take to heart, so much so
that many of the sequels are playing out like literal re-runs.
Hollywood has always exploited successful series, but genre and horror
fans in particular seem to take more punishment in that area. We always crave
something exciting and new, but sometimes we fall into the empty well syndrome
where we keep returning to series that have long run dry. Need proof? There
are six "Leprechaun" installments, nine "Children of the Corn"
flicks, 11 "Puppet Master" entries and 13 "Witchcraft" movies. I'll bet you
didn't even know about the first "Witchcraft." And we're just getting started
here.
Bing: More about 'Paranormal Activity 4' | More about 'Saw'
All that being said, sometimes a franchise can offer surprisingly good
sequels, depending upon the character, the storyline and the team behind them.
Parallel Universe takes a look at ten long-running series -- mostly horror, but
with a little sci-fi tossed in for good measure -- some of which have been going
for 30 or more years. Is there a secret to their success? And will newer
franchises be able to maintain the same longevity? Dive in and judge for
yourself.
What movies franchise do you think Hollywood should stop making? Tell
us on our MSN Movies on Facebook page and on
Twitter.
(Paramount Pictures) |
