6 replies to this topic

[Reed Teran]

So I recently saw a trailer for the newest horror movies, As Above, As Below, and Eli Roth's new film. Yes. He made another. WHO FUNDS HIM?!

 

My point is, as far as I've seen, the horror industry is becoming a bit...cheap. Jumpscares are rampant, merely achieving a scare just from a flashed image/sudden change and a THUNDERING DUNNN, and there is little actual horror other than wanton gore and torture, which even then is another big staple of the current state of the industry.

 

What happened to the grand and psychological horror aspects? What happened to the Kubrick-like realizations and subtle scares, the Stephen King-esque atmospheric terror, the startling reveals! The Horror films in this day and age are becoming more jumpy and bloody, and less actually horror! More like clapping in a baby's face, and less like the slow realization that the horrific murderer was your roommate, or the ghostly demon is staring you down from the shadows, instead of jumping in your face like a damn cat and giving you a cheap scare! 

 

The last movie I consider a good horror movie I watched was Shutter Island, and solely for the fact that it scares you SUBTLY, but effectively, and makes you question yourself and the definitions of craziness. I don't know if you walked away from Shutter Island with that in mind, but I sure did.

 

Now, thoughts?

[ILOVEVHS]

BURN THEM.

BURN EVERY HORROR FILM.

WAAAAAAAAAGH!

[doesthings]

Was Horror as a genre really ever that rich in terms of high quality? I see it as mostly saturated with pretenders and imitators, the occasional watershed film refreshing everything.

 

Unless that isn't the case? You splain to me.

[Reed Teran]

I mean..don't you remember the good ones? Exorcist, the Shining, Butterfly Effect, the ones that made you not only scared of the imagery, but scared of what it get you to THINK. Instead of the jumpscare, they use the tried-and-true blurring of reality and fiction, causing you to worry if it were believably real. Such as the infamous "behind you" bit.

[doesthings]

Yeah, I remember, but those are, what, one per year at best? Looking at my list of movies I've seen, I'm finding it extremely rare that two good horror movies come out the same year. If you're saying that horror should follow the example of the best it has to offer, instead of a cynical cash-grab, then I agree. Nostalgia for an ERA of good horror? Ehhhh, I don't think there is one.

[Reed Teran]

Yeah, I remember, but those are, what, one per year at best? Looking at my list of movies I've seen, I'm finding it extremely rare that two good horror movies come out the same year. If you're saying that horror should follow the example of the best it has to offer, instead of a cynical cash-grab, then I agree. Nostalgia for an ERA of good horror? Ehhhh, I don't think there is one.

I am saying they should follow the best's example. It gets tiring to see jumpfests pop out one after the other (pun completely intended) all the time. When i went to go see one to write a review for it(a movie called Insidious), I was the only one in that specific theater. Nobody else came to watch it. All the other theater halls were sufficiently packed, except Insidious.

[RedAuthar]

The thing is there are two types of horror stories, ones that are quick insta scares and ones that keep you in the dark and let fear grow gradually. Most movies have to find the right balance between those two. If the movie takes too long with the fear people lose interest and it ends up feeling like a jump scare when the time to be scary arrives because nobody is paying attention anymore. If it's all jump scares the scares themselves become boring as you start to expect them.

The other issue is horror likes to blend genres now days. It's a action-horror or comedic-horror or a ....romantic-horror? I dunno but you feel like the fear is put aside for something else which just distracts from the ride. Yeah they can be good, but like horror genre in general you get maybe one good for 10 bad.

Lastly the unending sequels. When did you last feel scared of paranormal activity 78? Or Saw 53? How about the 901st remake of Dracula (and son)? Horror shouldn't go on too long or it gets stale and fast. So does comedy, but that's another issue entirely.