Wait... there was a first one? Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for films that you might not realize continue or tie into existing stories.
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00:00 And if one does what God does enough times,
00:04 one will become as God is.
00:06 - Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:08 And today we're counting down our picks
00:10 for films that you might not realize continue
00:13 or tie into existing stories.
00:16 - Shop smart.
00:18 Shop s-mart.
00:21 You got that?
00:21 - Number 20, "Be Cool."
00:26 - Don't laugh.
00:27 You see, you're a movie, guys, you don't know.
00:29 But the music business goes in cycles.
00:31 - Fans of "Get Shorty" may be surprised to learn
00:34 that the 2005 film "Be Cool" is a veiled sequel
00:38 to the 1995 gangster comedy
00:40 that starred John Travolta and Danny DeVito.
00:43 In fact, both movies are based on Elmore Leonard novels,
00:46 which were released almost a decade apart.
00:49 In "Be Cool," Travolta and DeVito
00:51 reprise their "Get Shorty" roles,
00:53 with mobster Chilly Palmer transitioning
00:55 from Hollywood film production to a career in gangster rap.
00:59 Critically panned, "Be Cool" hasn't had the same shelf life
01:02 as its predecessor, with fans and critics
01:04 citing boring dialogue and a lackluster plot,
01:07 among other complaints.
01:09 - But what about speed?
01:11 - No, Mark, if you're important, people will wait.
01:15 - Number 19, "This Is 40."
01:17 - Let me see.
01:18 - No, I'm not gonna let you see.
01:19 - You're not gonna let me see
01:20 because you're not taking a poop.
01:22 - I've been flushing as I go.
01:23 - Considered a sort of sequel to the 2007 film "Knocked Up,"
01:27 "This Is 40" focuses on two supporting characters
01:30 from the aforementioned flick,
01:32 with no mention of the previous film's protagonists
01:35 or plots.
01:36 Both Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann return
01:39 to play married couple Pete and Debbie,
01:41 with the plot focusing on the many responsibilities
01:43 and challenges the husband and wife face
01:46 as business owners and parents
01:48 on the cusp of turning 40 years old.
01:50 While neither Seth Rogen nor Katherine Heigl
01:53 of "Knocked Up" make an appearance,
01:55 both films are written and directed by Judd Apatow,
01:58 with the director's own daughters
01:59 portraying Paul and Debbie's kids.
02:01 - Sadie, Sadie, Sadie, Sadie, Sadie.
02:05 - Charlotte, I'm doing my homework.
02:08 - Number 18, "Graffiti Bridge."
02:11 - You can't fight fire with fire.
02:13 When a man screams, you must learn to whisper.
02:16 - A standalone sequel to the 1984 film "Purple Rain,"
02:20 "Graffiti Bridge" sees the character, The Kid,
02:23 played by Prince, returning for a whole new chapter.
02:26 Set a few years after the events of "Purple Rain,"
02:29 The Kid is now part owner of an iClub
02:31 willed to him by the character of Billy
02:33 from the first film,
02:35 but must contend with rival Morris Day
02:37 and his group, The Time, who also return.
02:40 Promoted as the must-see sequel to "Purple Rain,"
02:43 "Graffiti Bridge" was despised upon its release,
02:46 which is likely a big part of the reason
02:48 the film itself has been forgotten.
02:50 - It's really nice.
02:53 On the outside, it's very nice.
02:56 It's the inside I got a problem with.
02:59 - Number 17, "Queen of the Damned."
03:02 - Humans are animals, rude creatures.
03:07 Their destruction can only make sense.
03:09 - You probably know the 1994 film,
03:11 "Interview with the Vampire,"
03:13 starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt,
03:15 but did you know that movie had a sequel?
03:18 The 2002 film, "Queen of the Damned,"
03:20 is technically a continuation of "Vampire's" plot,
03:23 with both movies being adaptation
03:25 of author Anne Rice's series, "The Vampire Chronicles."
03:29 "Queen of the Damned" spends much of its runtime
03:31 exploring the ancient origins of the fanged characters,
03:35 with many of the roles from "Interview" being recast,
03:38 including lead vamp, Lestat.
03:41 The movie met with scathing reviews
03:43 that described it as campy and muddled.
03:45 The tragic death before the movie's release of Aaliyah,
03:48 playing the titular queen,
03:50 was another shadow over the troubled adaptation.
03:53 - See, my children?
03:55 Remember your real family.
03:59 - Number 16, "Star Trek."
04:01 - I couldn't believe it when the bartender told me who you are.
04:04 - Who am I, Captain Pike?
04:06 - Your father's son.
04:07 - When director J.J. Abrams announced
04:09 his cinematic reimagining of the "Star Trek" universe,
04:12 series diehards responded with a range of reactions.
04:16 What no one was expecting was a clever tie-in
04:19 to the original "Star Trek" TV series
04:21 that would mark the film as a spiritual sequel of sorts.
04:24 This occurs toward the end of the movie
04:26 when a marooned Captain Kirk, played by Chris Pine,
04:29 has an encounter with an older version of Spock,
04:32 with Leonard Nimoy returning as the famous Vulcan.
04:35 It's a shocking reveal that feels right at home
04:38 with the film's sci-fi themes.
04:40 Nimoy's appearance helped make the movie
04:42 feel truly "Star Trek."
04:44 - Oh, look, I don't know you.
04:48 - I am Spock.
04:50 - Number 15, "Split."
04:53 - This is like that crazy guy in the wheelchair
04:55 that gave me away 15 years ago.
04:57 And he gave him a funny name, too.
05:00 What was it?
05:02 - Mr. Glass.
05:05 - Director M. Night Shyamalan is no stranger
05:07 to delivering third-act twists,
05:09 but the filmmaker went the extra mile
05:12 at the end of his 2016 film, "Split."
05:15 In a pre-credits scene that shows several characters
05:17 discussing "The Beast," played by James McAvoy,
05:21 a waitress makes a mention of a similar evildoer
05:24 locked up years before.
05:26 In a left-field shock, David Dunn, played by Bruce Willis,
05:29 tells the waitress the criminal's name is Mr. Glass.
05:33 Dunn was the protagonist of M. Night's 2000 film,
05:36 "Unbreakable," thereby making "Split" a sequel
05:39 and second entry in the "Unbreakable" series.
05:42 The 2019 film, "Glass," would bookend the trilogy.
05:46 - The man people in this city have been talking about.
05:49 The only person to survive that train wreck
05:51 all those years ago.
05:52 - Number 14, "21 Jump Street."
05:55 - Fortunately for you two, we're reviving
05:57 a canceled undercover police program from the '80s,
06:00 revamping it for modern times.
06:02 You see, the guys in charge of this stuff lack creativity
06:05 and are completely out of ideas.
06:07 - Here's another great example of a cinematic adaptation
06:10 unexpectedly paying homage to its TV roots.
06:13 Toward the end of the film, buddy cops Morton and Greg,
06:16 played by Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum,
06:19 are in a heated standoff with a vicious biker gang.
06:22 But it just so happens that two of the gang members
06:24 are actually Tom Hanson and Doug Penhall in disguise.
06:28 Both Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise reprise their iconic roles
06:32 from the "21 Jump Street" TV series.
06:34 While Hanson and Penhall don't fare too well in the movie,
06:38 the appearance of both characters makes the 2012 film
06:41 a years later sequel to the TV show.
06:44 - We know what it's like being undercover.
06:46 - Metro Police Jump Street Division.
06:47 - Yeah. - Come on,
06:48 you guys are Jump Street? - Yeah, yeah.
06:49 - That's funny because we were actually Jump Street.
06:51 - Number 13, "10 Cloverfield Lane."
06:55 - Please, please just let me go, please.
06:59 - There's nowhere to go, Michelle.
07:01 - A 2008 found footage film,
07:02 "Cloverfield" would re-spark interest
07:05 in giant monster movies.
07:06 But not until 2016's "10 Cloverfield Lane"
07:10 did fans of the original get a direct sequel.
07:13 The movie follows Mary Elizabeth Winstead's character, Mary,
07:16 who wakes up in an underground bunker
07:18 with John Goodman's Howard and John Gallagher Jr's Emmett.
07:21 A key part of the story is Howard and Emmett's insistence
07:24 that the world outside has been rendered uninhabitable.
07:27 Mary eventually discovers that the earth
07:30 has indeed been transformed
07:31 and in a way that makes "10 Cloverfield Lane"
07:34 a spiritual sequel to the 2008 original.
07:37 - He drove me off the road and he dragged me here.
07:40 So whatever he's telling you about the air,
07:45 some big attack, the purpose of this shelter is a lie.
07:49 - Number 12, "My Summer Story,"
07:52 aka "It Runs in the Family."
07:54 - Ralph, it's downstairs in two minutes.
07:58 - Since it came out over a decade after "A Christmas Story,"
08:01 MGM initially decided to call this sequel
08:03 "It Runs in the Family"
08:05 in order to distance it from the holiday classic.
08:07 - How about you, Ralphie?
08:09 (clock ticking)
08:10 - Who, me?
08:12 - Yeah, Ralphie!
08:14 - However, after becoming a huge financial disaster,
08:17 MGM retitled the home video release, "My Summer Story."
08:21 - Isn't the worm gonna drown?
08:22 - Oh, no, worms are good swimmers.
08:25 Go get 'em, tadpoles.
08:27 - Following the further adventures of young Ralphie Parker,
08:30 this sequel had all the main actors recast,
08:32 apart from Gene Shepard as the narrator
08:35 and Teddy Moore as Ralphie's teacher.
08:37 - Oh, Ralph, I'd like to see you
08:40 for a few minutes during lunch.
08:42 I want to discuss your book review.
08:44 - Although "A Christmas Story 2" was released in 2012,
08:48 further erasing "My Summer Story" from the public's memory,
08:51 neither film was able to resonate with critics
08:53 or audiences like the original.
08:56 Number 11, "The Chronicles of Riddick."
08:59 - I'm just passing through.
09:03 - A sleeper hit in 2000,
09:05 "Pitch Black" had the early makings of a cult classic.
09:08 This action-packed sci-fi horror hybrid
09:10 put Vin Diesel on the map,
09:12 leading to his roles in blockbusters
09:14 like "The Fast and the Furious" and "Triple X."
09:17 Given Diesel's newfound superstar status,
09:19 it made sense to make Riddick the title character
09:22 of this "Pitch Black" sequel.
09:23 - It's gonna be one speed.
09:25 Mine.
09:31 If you can't keep up, don't step up.
09:34 You'll just die.
09:35 - It didn't hurt that Riddick
09:36 was the most interesting character in the movie,
09:38 not to mention the biggest badass.
09:40 With its larger budget and kick-ass leading man,
09:43 this sci-fi adventure flick whetted our appetites
09:46 for more interplanetary mercenary chases.
09:49 Even in complete darkness, Riddick steals the spotlight.
09:53 - It's an animal thing.
09:56 - Number 10, "Patriot Games."
09:58 - Just piss me off.
10:01 Couldn't just stand there and watch him
10:03 shoot those people right in front of me.
10:05 - Before Tom Clancy was known for video games,
10:08 his popularity soared thanks to a series of novels
10:11 featuring Jack Ryan.
10:12 This CIA analyst has appeared
10:15 in five thrilling action flicks so far.
10:17 Since four different actors have portrayed him,
10:19 you probably never realized these movies
10:22 were at all related.
10:23 - How are you gonna get away, huh?
10:26 Wanna go for the other knee?
10:27 Come on!
10:28 - Jack Ryan was first portrayed by Alec Baldwin
10:31 in "The Hunt for Red October,"
10:32 but the character wasn't heavily prominent
10:34 in the marketing for that film.
10:36 Thus, nobody seemed to notice when Harrison Ford
10:39 was recast as Ryan in the 1992 sequel, "Patriot Games,"
10:43 which was so critically and commercially successful
10:45 that a follow-up with Ford came out two years later.
10:48 - If I go down, you're going with me.
10:50 - But with that being Ford's last time in the role,
10:53 it's safe to say Ryan is a man of many faces.
10:56 - I am telling you, I want back in.
10:59 - Number nine, "The Jewel of the Nile."
11:02 - Jack is dead.
11:03 - Don't be ridiculous.
11:07 Jack would never die without telling me.
11:09 - Before Robert Zemeckis thrilled the world
11:11 with his "Back to the Future" series,
11:13 he proved his worth
11:14 with the adventure comedy "Romancing the Stone."
11:17 - My minimum price for taking a stranded woman
11:19 to a telephone is $400.
11:21 - Will you take 375 in travelers' checks?
11:25 - The story of a romance novelist
11:27 who gets involved with kidnapping plots,
11:29 treasure hunts, and dashing smugglers
11:32 became a huge award-winning success.
11:34 - What'd you do?
11:35 Wake up this morning and say,
11:37 "Today, I'm gonna ruin a man's life."
11:40 - Rushed sequels were not that common in the '80s,
11:43 but thrilling adventure films had become a dime a dozen
11:45 thanks to a little movie called "Raiders of the Lost Ark."
11:48 - I hate snakes, Jack!
11:50 I hate 'em!
11:51 - Although the main cast of "Romancing the Stone"
11:53 all returned to the big screen a little over a year later,
11:56 and "The Jewel of the Nile" did find some box office success,
11:59 critics were less than pleased with the sequel's plot holes,
12:03 and talk of a follow-up to that eventually fell through.
12:06 - That was great!
12:07 - Great, huh?
12:08 I coulda got him killed!
12:10 - Number eight, "The Two Jakes."
12:12 - I wouldn't extort a nickel from my worst enemy.
12:14 That's where I draw the line.
12:16 - Believe it or not, there is actually a sequel
12:18 to Roman Polanski's "Chinatown,"
12:20 and it's called "The Two Jakes."
12:22 - Well, I was accusing you of murder, Mr. Berkman.
12:24 - Call me Jake.
12:25 - In addition to directing, Jack Nicholson reprises his role
12:28 as an older detective, Jake Gittis.
12:31 - You can't trust a guy who's never lost anything.
12:33 - Although the film actually received
12:35 fairly decent reviews,
12:36 mainstream audiences were confused by the title,
12:39 which seemingly had no connection to its predecessor.
12:42 On top of that, many film buffs felt that a follow-up
12:45 to "Chinatown" simply didn't need to exist.
12:48 - You got a nasty reputation, Mr. Gibbs.
12:51 I like that.
12:51 - As a result, "The Two Jakes" tanked at the box office,
12:55 and a third film titled "Gittis vs. Gittis"
12:58 never saw the light of day.
12:59 That's not a joke.
13:01 - What I do for a living may not be very reputable,
13:04 but I am.
13:05 - Number seven, "The Devil's Rejects."
13:08 - I am the devil, and I am here to do the devil's work.
13:11 - After Rob Zombie's directorial debut,
13:13 "House of 1000 Corpses" developed an instant cult following
13:17 among horror fans, so a follow-up was expected.
13:20 - Get on your feet.
13:22 Come on, let's go.
13:24 - Please, mister, this is insane.
13:26 - Zombie clearly loves horror,
13:28 and his first project was a love letter
13:29 to ghoulish and gory '70s grindhouse classics,
13:32 such as "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."
13:35 "The Devil's Rejects" follows the first film's family
13:38 of murderous maniacs.
13:39 Now on the run for their heinous deeds,
13:42 the style considerably shifts,
13:44 as we now find ourselves in a kind of
13:46 "the hills have eyes" road trip nightmare,
13:49 with a Bonnie and Clyde "Criminals on the Run" scenario.
13:52 - I'm Miss Bonnie Parker,
13:54 and this here's Mr. Clyde Barrow.
13:56 We rob banks.
13:58 - Although both films are now beloved cult classics,
14:02 not everyone realized they were witnessing
14:04 the same psycho family on screen,
14:06 especially since Zombie likes working with the same actors
14:09 for his various projects.
14:11 Number six, "The Road Warrior," aka "Mad Max 2."
14:16 - Hey, it's been a pleasure doing business with you,
14:17 but I'm leaving.
14:18 - Though it's now considered
14:20 one of the greatest action movies of all time,
14:22 audiences weren't to blame for not knowing
14:25 "The Road Warrior" was a sequel to "Mad Max."
14:28 - I'm scared, Thief.
14:29 - You know why?
14:31 - There's that mad circus out there.
14:34 I'm beginning to enjoy it.
14:35 - While the first film was making its rounds at the time
14:37 and slowly gaining cult status,
14:40 the apocalyptic "Road Revenge" movie
14:42 had not fully reached American shores until 1981,
14:46 at which point Mel Gibson
14:47 was still an unknown Australian actor.
14:49 (whistles)
14:52 - Two days ago, I saw a vehicle that had hauled that tanker.
14:56 You wanna get out of here?
14:59 You talk to me.
15:02 - Originally titled "Mad Max 2,"
15:04 the sequel was retitled "The Road Warrior"
15:07 for North American release.
15:08 Fortunately, a prologue that featured footage
15:10 from the first movie was included
15:12 at the beginning of the film,
15:13 so poor moviegoers unfamiliar with Max Rokitansky
15:17 wouldn't be confused.
15:19 - On the roads, it was a white-line nightmare.
15:21 Only those mobile enough to scavenge,
15:26 brutal enough to pillage, would survive.
15:28 - Number five, "US Marshals."
15:31 - The great Sam Gerrard.
15:32 - Yes, I am.
15:33 - And you always have to win.
15:36 - Yes, I do.
15:38 - 1993's action thriller "The Fugitive,"
15:41 starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones,
15:43 is an acclaimed classic,
15:45 but a lot of people don't realize that there's a sequel.
15:47 Tommy Lee Jones reprised his role
15:49 as United States Deputy Marshal Sam Gerrard in "US Marshals."
15:53 The movie references Harrison's fugitive character,
15:56 Richard Kimball, although he doesn't appear.
15:58 Of course, both films are really cinematic reworkings
16:02 of the 1960s fugitive TV series.
16:04 Unfortunately, "US Marshals" received mixed reviews,
16:07 with most considering it an unworthy sequel,
16:10 which helps explain its relative obscurity.
16:13 - Keep that in your suit, unless I tell you to take it out.
16:15 Get yourself a Glock,
16:16 or lose that nickel-plated sissy pistol.
16:18 - Number four, "The Color of Money."
16:20 - Money won.
16:22 It's twice as sweet as money earned.
16:24 - Although "The Hustler" was a classic of '60s cinema,
16:27 young moviegoers in the '80s
16:29 likely flocked to see "The Color of Money"
16:31 because it starred Tom Cruise.
16:33 In the film, Cruise plays a young pool hustler
16:36 and the protege of an aging Paul Newman.
16:38 Newman reprises his role as Fast Eddie,
16:40 who's now older and looking for an apprentice
16:42 to take under his wing.
16:44 - You gotta have two things to win.
16:46 You gotta have brains and you gotta have balls.
16:51 You got too much of one and not enough of the other.
16:53 - The 1986 drama was a big success,
16:56 finally earning Newman his first Academy Award.
16:59 Unless you were over the age of 25 at the time, though,
17:02 chances are you had no clue these two films were connected,
17:05 or that the first one even existed,
17:08 with that contrast being even stronger
17:10 due to the fact that the first was black and white
17:12 and the second was in color.
17:14 - Well, the ball's a little funny for everybody,
17:16 I told you that.
17:17 - Number three, "Desperado."
17:19 - Carolina.
17:20 Did I thank you?
17:23 - No.
17:26 - I will.
17:31 - In the case of Robert Rodriguez
17:32 and his big screen sophomore effort, "Desperado,"
17:35 audiences were unaware the surprise hit was a sequel
17:38 due in part to the change in language.
17:40 - It's easier to pull the trigger than play guitar.
17:43 Easier to destroy than to create.
17:48 - Both films follow the nameless Mariachi
17:51 and his run-ins with drug gangs,
17:53 but "El Mariachi" was entirely filmed in Mexico
17:56 and in Spanish by the American-born Rodriguez,
17:59 with a barely there budget.
18:01 But even so, it became an indie film legend.
18:04 (speaking in foreign language)
18:09 (speaking in foreign language)
18:13 - The sequel, however, had a major studio budget
18:26 and Antonio Banderas' rising star power.
18:29 Therefore, the original title of "El Pistolero"
18:32 was changed at the studio's request.
18:34 - Bless me, father,
18:35 for I have just killed quite a few men.
18:37 - Even the final installment in Rodriguez's Mexico trilogy,
18:40 "Once Upon a Time in Mexico,"
18:42 was released with many audience members
18:44 unaware of its connection to the previous films.
18:47 - Who are you guys?
18:48 - Sons of Mexico, sir.
18:51 - Number two, "Army of Darkness."
18:55 - Hail to the king, baby.
18:56 - Horror fans were anxiously awaiting the return of "Ash"
18:59 in one of the most anticipated sequels of the '90s,
19:02 especially with the bizarro ending of "Evil Dead II."
19:05 - No!
19:07 (dramatic music)
19:08 No!
19:09 (dramatic music)
19:12 No!
19:13 - Since "Ash" would be flung to the 14th century
19:16 to fight the undead, a bigger budget was needed.
19:19 Therefore, the third film had major studio backing,
19:22 thanks to the underground success of the "Evil Dead" films.
19:26 - I got a phone to pick with you.
19:28 Come on.
19:29 - Sam Raimi's initial title of "The Medieval Dead"
19:32 was refused, as was "Evil Dead III, Army of Darkness."
19:36 - All right, you primitive screwheads, listen up.
19:39 See this?
19:41 This is my boomstick!
19:47 - At the behest of Universal Pictures,
19:49 the film was released simply as "Army of Darkness"
19:52 in order to allow the film to stand on its own,
19:55 making fanboys scratch their heads,
19:57 though its positive critical reception and cult status
20:00 prove that they still hail to the king, baby.
20:02 - Buckle up, bonehead, 'cause you're going for a ride.
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20:19 Number one, "The Silence of the Lambs."
20:24 - I know that I'm not smart.
20:26 - Then how did you catch me?
20:27 - You had disadvantages.
20:28 - What disadvantages?
20:30 - You're insane.
20:30 - Anthony Hopkins delivered an iconic performance
20:33 as Hannibal Lecter in 1991's Academy Award-winning film,
20:36 "The Silence of the Lambs,"
20:38 but he wasn't the first to tackle the role.
20:40 Lecter was first portrayed by Brian Cox
20:43 in the 1986 film "Manhunter."
20:45 Based on the Thomas Harris novel "Red Dragon,"
20:47 Lecter appears as an incarcerated murderer
20:50 who assists FBI profiler Will Graham
20:53 in tracking down a criminal known as the Tooth Fairy Killer.
20:56 While both films were praised for their impressive acting,
20:59 excellent direction, and compelling scripts,
21:02 "Silence of the Lambs" garnered the bigger critical acclaim
21:05 of the two pictures.
21:07 - Thank you, Clarice.
21:08 (gentle music)
21:11 - What other films were you surprised to learn
21:13 were actually sequels?
21:15 Let us know down in the comments.
21:16 - Well, Clarice, have the lambs stopped screaming?
21:20 - Did you enjoy this video?
21:23 Check out these other clips from WatchMojo
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