This movie is based on Richard Bachman's book...Richard Bachman is actually one of STEPHEN KING'S pseudonyms.
I love this classic Schwarzenegger movie, but a re-make that is more like the novel could be pretty great.
It's been a long time since I read the book, but I remember it being a fast read. There is a pretty good plot synopsis on Wikipedia that will give you an idea of some of the changes made in the story for the film.