Top 10 Untouchable Movies

#10: “The Exorcist” (1973)

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Every Halloween, there’s another new flick that markets itself as the scariest movie of all time. But no film has scared audiences quite like this 1973 masterpiece. An “Exorcist” remake may try to up the ante with more gore, more blood, and more vomit – not to mention more CGI. This would be futile, however, as no actress’ portrayal of Regan MacNeil could ever be more horrifying than Linda Blair’s and no director could recapture William Friedkin’s spine-chilling imagery. The original reached the pinnacle of terror and will simply never be topped.

#9: “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982)

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The 20th anniversary version of the Steven Spielberg classic felt like a stab in the heart with its computer-generated E.T. and walkie-talkie wielding FBI agents. At least there’s some solace in the fact that that’s the closest we’ll ever likely ever come to a remake of “E.T.” Everything about the original film still holds up flawlessly: the story, the characters, the music, the pacing, the humor, the sentiment, and even the practical effects. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Oh, and don’t even think about trying to make a sequel either…

There are some iconic characters that are accessible to different performers throughout each new generation, like Cinderella, James Bond or Batman. It’s impossible to imagine any actor other than Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle, though. Who else could get inside Travis Bickle’s mind other than Robert De Niro? What director could surpass Martin Scorsese’s haunting vision? Although there had been buzz that Lars von Trier was considering doing a remake of “Taxi Driver” for a while, that rumor has fortunately been debunked.

#7: “The Godfather” (1972)

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Speaking of performances that can’t be matched… “The Godfather” just might have the greatest cast ever assembled for a motion picture. Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone, Al Pacino as Michael Corleone, Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen, the list goes on. With Francis Ford Coppola behind the camera and Mario Puzo co-writing the screenplay, this was an equation for a sheer cinematic triumph. Even the best modern mob movies have the burden of living in the vast shadow of “The Godfather,” making a remake sound like a thankless project to produce.

#6: “Back to the Future” (1985)

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Since Michael J. Fox is suffering from Parkinson’s and Christopher Lloyd isn’t getting any younger, “Back to the Future Part IV” is probably never going to happen. We wouldn’t put it past Hollywood giving a remake to this immortal film the green light, however. However, just as we shouldn’t alter the space-time continuum, we shouldn’t tamper with a movie this perfect. As far as we’re concerned, Fox is forever Marty McFly, Lloyd is forever Doc Brown, and time will never change that. This is one road we shouldn’t go down.

#5: “Gone with the Wind” (1939)

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With every passing generation of actors, it’s always fun to consider who would play Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler in a modern remake of “Gone with the Wind.” However, just because it’s fun to think about doesn’t mean we should act on it. You know the saying: “They don’t make ‘em like that anymore”? This applies especially to epics from Hollywood’s golden age. The 1939 adaptation already encompassed the drama, romance, and spectacle of Margaret Mitchell’s novel to the fullest extent. A remake is destined to be an epic flop.

The idea of remaking “Casablanca” sounds like the setup to a joke. The thought of any two actors trying to recreate the chemistry between Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman is blasphemous. Just as “Casablanca” ends with Rick letting Ilsa go, Hollywood should let go of the prospect of remaking this timeless picture. If a remake gets off the ground, we’ll regret it; maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of our lives. We’ll always have the original. In short, here’s looking at you, kid.

For every unnecessary remake that pales in comparison to its predecessor, we get a rare interpretation that’s actually as good, if not better, than the original. “Citizen Kane” 2.0 would most definitely not fall into the latter category. Why? Well, because, it’d be a remake of what many consider the single greatest movie of all time. That’s no easy feat to outshine. Every respectable director knows that “Citizen Kane” shouldn’t be touched, which gives us hope that a remake will never happen…unless Hollywood really does run out of ideas.

Honestly, it’s hard to picture how the pitch meeting for a remake of “Schindler’s List” would go down. “Oh yeah, that silly Spielberg movie needs a major contemporary makeover. Who wants to watch a three hour black and white flick? We’re thinking of draping Nazi Germany in color, keeping the running time down to an hour and a half maximum, and working in more explosions! Oh, and since the whole mass killing thing is kind of a downer for mainstream audiences, maybe nobody could die.” Yeah, when hell freezes over. We’ll stick with Mr. Spielberg’s vision and Mr. Neeson’s performance, thanks! Before we immortalize our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: - “The Graduate” (1967) - “The Great Dictator” (1940) - “The Matrix” (1999) - “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) - “Pulp Fiction” (1994)

The year 2001 has come, gone, and it didn’t exactly parallel Stanley Kubrick’s vision. On that basis, you could argue “2001: A Space Odyssey” is dated and could use a remake. On the other hand, this is a magnum opus that will never be withered by age, whether viewed in 1968 or 2068. Even if the title is grossly inaccurate, the film’s themes of humanity, technology, evolution, and the unknown will always be relevant to our changing universe, and its cinematography will remain marvelous no matter what. Instead of attempting to reinvent the past, let’s look ahead to the future. Do you agree with our list? What other movies are untouchable in your eyes? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.