OUT OF THIS WORLD

Not all remakes of sci-fi classics are doomed. Here are some redos that were just as good, if not better, than the originals:

"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" Philip Kaufman's unsettling 1978 version of the 1956 original.

"The Thing" John Carpenter's terrifying 1982 revamp of 1951's "The Thing From Another World."

"The Fly" David Cronenberg's graphic 1986 remix of the 1958 B-movie.

"Night of the Living Dead" Tom Savini's smart 1990 retake on the 1968 classic.

"I Am Legend" Will Smith's timely 2007 update of 1971's "The Omega Man" (a version of 1964's "The Last Man on Earth").

RANDY A. SALAS