The Disparity Between Our Certification Expectations And Reality...

[Psychocandy]

I've noticed something during the last couple of years. A new horror movie will be due and before it even gets a certificate rumours start circulating that it's going to be a PG-13 instead of the hard R that all us hardcore horror fans so love. Most times when the movie eventually hits the cinema it's an R and not the PG-13 that we expected. My question is this. Do we do this to outselves? Are we so pessimistic that we always expect the worse when it comes to future releases.

Recent classic examples of this odd behaviour are The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003 and the soon to be released Dawn Of The Dead. I can vividly recall schmoes decrying the TCM remake months before it was released for two reasons. One reason was the fact that it was a remake. Having seen the movie now I think that any worries were unjustified. The movie is very entertaining. I think that fans of the original who hate the remake are possibly being a little blinkered in their approach. I don't think it's quite as good as Tobe Hoopers classic but it's a damn fine modern horror flick that succeeded in cranking up the tension and providing some grisly gore scenes. The second reason the movie got abuse prior to certification was the expectation that it would be a toned down mainstream horror movie with no spine. A wretched PG-13 piece of shit. The reality of the situation is that the TCM remake is a pretty fucking nasty piece of work.

Later when news reached schmoe ears that a Dawn Of The Dead remake was on the cards initial expectation suggested that horror fans were expecting a toned down PG-13 zombie flick. Now the movie had been given a hard R certificate and reports suggest that there's plenty of splatter to go around. Having seen the trailer I actually think the movie looks quite cool.

So...are we a bunch of cynics? Do we expect the worse and is this a result of the horror genre being the movie equivalent of the proverbial red-headed stepchild. Do I even have a point here or have I just wasted ten minutes of my Sunday evening typing a load of crap?

[pyscho dude]

Well speaking of Dawn of the dead... the first commercial I saw I was all psyched about but then the next couple of commercials that I saw made it look more like 28 days later and Resident Evil so now I'm worried again. I don't know what to expect.

[Jason13thh]

I bought the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Hooper) and I saw the remake and both are really good movies.
I did not expect a such creepy and unsettling remake but I mean it was a good surprise, it has nothing to do with a Post Scream slasher I mean in term of atmosphere.

[countchocula]

Hollywood has conditioned us to be cynical. Just for reference points, look at some of the horror remakes that have befouled multiplexes and/or video shelves in the past 5-6 years. The Haunting, Psycho, Thir13een Ghosts, Carnival of Souls...it's only natural that horror freaks cringe at the mere thought of yet another remake. At this point, it's an involuntary reaction. It's not so much cynicism as it is an ingrained rejoinder to a concept that has proven faulty time and time again. But if the upcoming slate of remakes has a high success ratio, this contemptuous outlook may change. Having dug The Ring, I'm a bit more tolerant of remakes myself. Not to excuse unoriginality, but Dawn of the Dead, Dark Water, The Grudge, and especially King Kong all seem like fun fright fodder.

[KillaMyers]

It's pretty freaky PsychoCandy i was just gonna post a topic similar to this about the violence & gore in the T.C.M remake.

A few schmoes around here have said that TCM(03) was kinda tame with the gore i'm thinking WTF!? i mean sure it's not as excessive as F vs J, Kill Bill or FD2 but it sure is hell aint tame by a long shot, i think that what TCM has over those other films is disturbing intensity i found most of the brutal violence to be nasty and gut wrenching "especially the hook scene". Sure other films in 2003 HAD amazing gore but it was so damn over the top and cartoonish that it had me chuckling instead of putting me on my ass and freaking me out. Another thing being that people praise the original T.C.M for not having to show that much gore to disgust u leaving it to you're imagination to do the work, but on the flip side the same people were dissapointed with the remake because "it didn't" show enough gore when it has a hell of a lot more than the original and still has the balls for this day & age to leave a little for the imagination, kinda makes me wonder.??????

Anyway sorry for the rant. Psycho i completely agree with u alot of schmoes around here like the hardcore fans just bash and ruin a movie for themselfs without giving it a chance and seeing it just because of rumors or that it's a sequel/remake.

[KillaMyers]

Another thing i wanted to say is...........

a good thread deserves more than a few replies

BUMP!!

[thedarklamb]

Great post. Cynics for sure. Especially when we are talking about Re-makes.

[Fettdog]

An excellent thread Psychocandy!

I think we do do this to ourselves to an extent - I know I'm sometimes pessimistic enough to expect any horror movie to be watered down these days, and then get constantly surprised when we get a decent 'adult' cut.

As for TCM, I love the original and admit that I was concerned as to how they would handle a remake, but my fears turned out to be completely unfounded. Not only did I think it was a very worthy film in its' own right (not a classic, but certainly watchable), but it was tense, bloody, and beautifully shot - in fact I'd say it was the best looking film, LOTR aside, of the year!

Dawn is another of my all time faves, and while initially I felt the same apprehension as with TCM, I'm actually looking forward to this, especially having seen the trailer, as I get the feeling that it's going to be played seriously (i.e. no ironic teens etc..) and satisfy the horror movie fans out there.

With remakes generally, I think that if a director brings something new to the party, which was the case with TCM - Leatherface actually seemed more menacing in the remake to me - then I'm all for it! After all, if they fuck it up you've still got your favourite movie on the shelf! :)

[KillaMyers]

bum... bum... BUMP IT UP!