The Lack Of Imagination On Display In The Modern Horror Movie

[Psychocandy]

I'll try to make my point in a clear and concise fashion and hopefully some intelligent debate will follow. My point is that modern horror movies when compared to the written form are woefully short on interesting ideas.

Part of this is the mentality of horror fans who have a terribly narrow minded scope when it comes to what they do and do not accept as horror. Too many times i've seen someone decry a movie that obviously fits within the vast boundaries of the horror genre as being something other than horror. I actually remember a short debate forming within a thread about The Others claiming that it wasn't horror. I mean c'mon!!!

I'm not saying that there are no interesting and intelligent horror movies out there. I've just returned from the Dead By Dawn horror film festival in Edinburgh where they screened at least three or four shining examples of the type of movie i'd like to see.

I'm also not suggesting that the more atypicial horror movies shouldn't exist in favour of the type i'd prefer to see. But the genre is heavily weighed in favour of flavourless mainstream fare. Which explains why a series like Masters Of Horror is both a relief and a partial failure at the same time. It definitely had a broader scope than it's cinematic cousin but still fell well short of what I hoped and anticipated. Perhaps the second season will be more interesting.

[ERIN_LoJ]

You've hit on a major pet peeve of mine. Horror doesnt now have to have flying body parts and masked killers to be horror for God's sake. Some of the best horror in the world was subtle, psychologically doused, with minimal kills and big atmosphere.

[EVILxxx]

I concur. Although some horror movies that have been coming out lately have been quite good, most of them are by no means intelligent. Atleast cat jumping scenes have been minimal as of late.:D

[Lazy Boy]

A lot of the horror movies today that are hailed as masterpieces of the genre are just...vanilla. Plain. I'm sure having one's foot toe cut off is horrifying, but it doesn't affect me, and I don't think it can be attributed to my personality, either.

I'm pretty sure there are great horror films that I've yet to discover -- from what I've heard, The Descent sounds like something different and actually terrifying. This is all sight unseen, but I'm willing to wait for the theatrical release or eventual American DVD release to see for myself.

Even though I say I haven't been affected by hype (I hated Hostel and Wolf Creek in spite of Tarantino's name being attached to either one in the form of a producer credit or blurb), I often wonder if a film's hype has burrowed its way into my subconscious, and I automatically reject the film because it hasn't lived up to the mental buildup.

But, then I got back and think that most horror films are at best good, at worst complete dog shit, and not really as good as the classic heyday of horror.

[vertigo1191]

Personally I'm very happy with the turn horror movies have taken, specifically Eli Roth and The Hills Have Eyes.

[syxxpac]

Man, 28 Days Later sure was a great viral thriller...

[cerealkiller182]

I've really liked a number of the horror films made in recent years (Hostel, 28 Days Later, Devils Rejects, Saw 1 and 2), but i think the biggest problem with horror movies is that it is such a large genre. There are so many horror movies coming out to theatres or DVD that they are kind of spoiling the bunch. It has to be the biggest genre (considering amount of movies released per year) out there (besides porn:p ). Its crazy when I'm looking through a rental store and seeing all the straight-to-DVD movies that are all horror cluttering the more mainstream films.

I think the same with popcorn flicks especially after the low sales of last year. But know Hollywood tends to put a little more heart and brains into the run of the mill popcorn flicks. Not all of them are as intelligent as true classics, but they are certainly more intelligent then previous years.

[dellamorte dellamore]

I think that some films , that aspire to be horror , are afraid to go against convention , or they are too obsessed with it , then i guess potential marketing rears it's head and it affects the director's actions and vision .


Another prob i see , is that some filmmakers want to make films for all the wrong reasons , the money and adoration aspect , and that's okay , if it doesnt interfere with a genuinely inpsired motivation to reveal a part of the soul that is crying to be explored . It's as if they make make films , for the ake of making films , not because there is a pure motivation there . I would rather make one amazing film from the soul than make 20 profitable ones that only exist to bulge my bank account and get people to " accept " me . Although the money would be nice , it always is , i feel some horror film directors are being distracted by the promise of a better life , respect of their peers , than actually creating a horror movie . They aren't sure what they want to make , so they fashion something they feel will get the fanboys and a certain percentage of the mainstream public , in additon to the casual horror movie fan .

[XCoRyX]

Its changed alot from the genre that defined trends and made them...to following any other trend outside its own genre. Its not just horror films...its alot of things in society at the moment. Truth be told I think it speaks volumes on society itself.

In order to change the wave of horror films,one must not rush out to support it as easily...

[aerocrystallake]

Money is the problem with horror movies. I say this on two counts. First, the studios are so concerned about marketing horror to a certain audience that they don't really seem to care about the quality of the product. Secondly, the people making the movies have such large budgets. A majority of horror movies that are considered classics were made on very small budgets. I really think this added to the tone of those films. The makeshift effects of Savini made things seem more real than the CGI today. The music themes were also more minimalistic which added to an eerie atmosphere. A big sweeping orchestra, for the most part, seems to kill a lot of suspense. The wideshot camera angles and hollywood lense of these movies also detracts from potential scares. Movies like Malevolence work because the lower budget allows you to feel closer to the characters. I think a lot of big budget appearances in movies seperate the audience from what is going on.

I also think people are trying to hard to make movies gory. Every movie that is billed as "a horror fan's wet dream" and "the return to true horror" are basically exploitation flicks. I'm talking about Devils Rejects, Hostel, High Tension, etc. I liked all of these movies but that's not the only throwback horror I'd like to see. Give me some quality slashers or ghost stories. The exploitation movies can get a little brutal and don't have the fun quality that movies like Elm Street and Dawn of the Dead had.

Finally, PG-13 horror can be great. Take the Ring. What they did was fine and effective. There was no need for an R-rating.

Spoiler WARNING!

But movies like When a Stranger Calls (2006) could have been R and more intense if the studios weren't more concerned about an audience. I'm no gorehound or violence freak but that movie didn't payoff. There were only a few deaths and they were bloodless. Bloodless deaths would have been fine if the movie didn't initially project it's killer as this brutal mangler. The babysitter and the two children manage to evade the killer with little difficulty.

End of Spoilers

There are some PG-13 movies that clearly have the plotline of an R rated movie and leave the viewer expecting more.

[AWP82]

Originally posted by syxxpac
Man, 28 Days Later sure was a great viral thriller...

It's not a "thriller", it's horror damn it! ;) I mean, it is horrific, isn't it?

Speaking of which, I think part of the problem is movie classism (for lack of a better phrase). Intelligent/non-traditional horror is usually regarded as "thriller." That label tends to be the only way horror's stigma is taken away. It's how film snobs allow themselves to like something they wouldn't normally like. Thrillers tend to be successful more often than horror movies (from my observations). Eli Roth has this pet peeve, and I agree with him.

(That wasn't all directed at you, Syxxpac. I'm just speaking in general.)

[X-Nightcrawler]

Originally posted by syxxpac
Man, 28 Days Later sure was a great viral thriller... Nah. It's jus the best zombie movie I'd seen since Evil Dead. ;)

[AWP82]

Originally posted by X-Nightcrawler
Nah. It's jus the best zombie movie I'd seen since Evil Dead. ;)

They weren't zombies. They were live people infected with "rage."

Now I'm just being nitpicky and annoying...don't mind me. :p

[Psychocandy]

Originally posted by AWP82
They weren't zombies. They were live people infected with "rage."

Now I'm just being nitpicky and annoying...don't mind me. :p

He wasn't serious. Neither 28 Days Later nor The Evil Dead were zombie movies. They only had some of the genre trappings.

[X-Nightcrawler]

Originally posted by AWP82
They weren't zombies. They were live people infected with "rage."

Now I'm just being nitpicky and annoying...don't mind me. :p Fine. I'll take my totally brilliant subtle satire somewhere else.

[AWP82]

I'm fucking lame... :(

[syxxpac]

Originally posted by X-Nightcrawler
Fine. I'll take my totally brilliant subtle satire somewhere else.

Psh. My satire was more brillianter than yours.

Plus, I've seen Silent Hill.

[X-Nightcrawler]

Originally posted by syxxpac
Plus, I've seen Silent Hill.
THAT'S IT!

http://abyss.hubbe.net/gfx/covers/jtv/lg/ep/s1/110-shotgun-lg.jpg
Latrell sez:
"You gon' down, bitch!"

*waits for "I'm gon' down, all right. Down to see Silent Hill again. Because I can."*

[syxxpac]

Actually, I can't. But I wish I could, because I'd very much like to see it again.

But that's okay, at least I've seen it ONCE. That's more than some can say...

[AWP82]

Silent Hill was better than I expected, actually. It's too bad I couldn't concentrate much on it while I watched it, thanks to those jackass teenagers making so much noise in the theater.

[solis_snake]

I think when it comes to horror in modern cinema, the result is a mixed bag...

There are several good horror movies lately... let's not kid ourselves... and the bad ones are just left forgotten where they should remain...

What needs to be done by modern film makers I believe is to hit the heart... bien sea with psychological themes or trying to aim at a bigger reflection of our times... it's the only way for it to be remembered as good... y'know... not just some cheap thrills, but for it to have a longer life... pushing themes that are current, or important (now or before)... It needs to go beyond...

If I'm not making myself clear, here are some examples... to me at least:
THE THING by John Carpenter
The DEAD trilogy by George A. Romero
The EXORCIST counts too...
PULSE by Kurosawa (from Arrow's review)
NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET by Wes Craven, as well ase LAST HOUSE AND THE HILLS...
For maniac with a knife, there aren't much examples... most of them are fun, but I don't see them expecting to use my brain (that's the thing!)... I love the Fridays, and recently even VENOM...

I may be even forgetting classics, I can't remember them all (or haven't see them yet...) if you have one, put it...

There are horror movies that make you think (Something so important these times, where everything is just robotic) and horror movies that don't, simply... (the last ones are cool for escapism and shit... but nothin substantial)

TO BE CONTINUED...

[Bud Bundy]

I blame the film makers. Their priorities are all screwed up. Movies, regardless of genre, are about characters and story. Those are the two things most woefully missing from today's stuff. Time after time I go to see a movie - I don't like the "good" characters, I don't dislike the "bad" characters. Their entire personalities can be fully summed up by the vague descriptions of "good", "bad", and that's about it. I don't give a damn about these people. And the story is more often than not a mishmash of elements I've seen 20 times before.

Something started back in the '90s - it was like anybody with a loud mouth qualified as a character. Maybe the characters are so paper thin because the people writing them are so paper thin. Good = politically correct, bad = greedy. That's about the extent of their world view. These are the people who move to Hollywood, hire a life coach, eat quiche, and write screenplays.

[Corpse Candle]

To be honest when you have horror films with wrestlers like Kane in them you know the genre is on the back foot.
Personaly the lack of imagination is from blad hollywood horror and small film houses who make films that try and emulate said shite hollywood stuff.

I think the major film houses are scared of something new so they taylor the films for the teenage auidence.
Many of which just want to see something to accompany thier dope and say "hey man that was freaky" ever ten seconds.