I don't care much for the whole genre currently. I loved the original Dracula book by Bram Stoker and the original Dracula movie from the 30's. I also think Christopher Lee was a pretty good Dracula too. Lee especially portrayed him as physically strong, smart, sexy, and creepy. Peter Cushing was a credible Van Helsing.
I agree with some of the comments that the horror genre has faded and most are not worth the time. However, and before you completely give up on horror flicks, go see "Sinister" - probably the most evil movie I can recall and we had to turn on some Chris Rock afterwards, check all the doors, set the security alarm, turn all the lights on, lock the doors to our bedroom, etc...... Watch it in a dark house, but make sure you have someone with you!!
I don't know if it's been killed. Themes have a way of resurrecting themselves after a gap. Westerns came back, spy thrillers came back. Good horror might come back, but I agree most of what passes these days is just "shock" and schlock. Even Guillermo del Toro's latest stuff is far from frightening. The remake of the Wolfman was dreadful, but then the old 1960s Hammer movies and Roger Corman dealt a terrible blow to the genre as did all the various Stephen King schlock fests. The original material is still there but in book form, like the novels of Robt. McCammon, Dan Simmons, Richard Matheson, and the early Necroscope books of Brian Lumley.
If it has been killed it'll just get reincarnated in the sequel Horror Genre II: Back from the Dead
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Why not read some stories instead
NEW! Want a quick read for your coffee break? Why not try this... Flash Erotica: Scrubber I find the term horror movie difficult as there as so many varieties of it. Movies that portray in great detail internal and external body parts don't exactly frighten me more nauseate - as I don't enjoy watching surgical operations on tv the same goes for such movies. I would include those that feature cannabalism or blood drinking from wine glasses etc as in the same mode. I am also baffled and sometimes suspicious as to why people enjoy such sights maybe cathartic or is it some nasty primeval need? For example Cabin Fever in my opinion was only nauseating and not frightening as was Hostel. Some of the more gothic ones are amusing in their over the top terms though like references to Dracula as ''the prince of darkness'' makes me smile (good name for a band). Or I once met an incredibly handsome young man in the Ukraine who was highly amused when I told him that his name was often that of the assistant in Frankenstein movies - Igor (a more unlikely Igor you'd never meet - he looked like a gleaming matinee idol). I feel that as effects have grown more graphic and realistic the genre has become more vomit evoking and less scary accordingly. The old black and white movies for instance with clever lighting and use of shadow could be very atmospheric whereas watching someone's fingers being realistically cut off in a toilet in full glorious colour to me is not frightening just sickening and not really in good taste.
None of the horror films of today have given me a fright, like the ones from 70's 80's. the last time i got a fright, was when i went to picture's to see Batman: Dark Knight. That goes to show, it ain't even a horror.
you want a horror film where you don't expect what comes next.
Has anyone ever heard of the blackout haunted house in newyork? what I didn't gag at sounded fairly interesting. sign a waiver and they abduct you into a dark tunnel system for 45 minutes doing well.. Less than sensible things? Not a movie related question but just curious as it could be considered horror in a disgusting and violating sort of way lol just seeing if anyone knows of it or has gone through it. Personally I'd never let a naked man grope me in a dark tunnel or let him put a plastic bag over my head but some people...
Current horror films have way too much gore. Classics like the Hound of the Baskervilles, or the Raven. Those engage your mind to the point you are far morw terrified than seeing a decapitation.
As per what a couple of others have said, [Rec] is brilliant. Im assuming anyone who has said they havent seen a decent horror in years hasnt seen it. Its "shit your pants" scary.
Human Centipede isnt even remotely scary, its just shit
If anyone likes horror comedy, I couldnt recommend "Tucker and Dale vs Evil" more highly. It really is superb. The first fifteen minutes or so give the impression its going to be the worst movie you've ever seen, but then its just changes and becomes great. An little known classic.
Has anyone seen evil dead yet?
I agree for rec but I wouldn't call it shit your pants scary, but it's definitely one of if not the best found footage movies, I don't usually go by reviews but rotten tomatoes doesn't throw around 96%'s to horror movies to often. The America remake was absolutely atrocious, substituting the original origin for rabies is sad at best. I'd like to think zombies would never happen because the CDC would be all over it like white on rice as they were in rec lol
I watched Evil Dead last night .... It did a good job trying to stay true to the 80s style horror, gore, over the top bloody violence but lacked the bits of humour Bruce Campbell brought to the original. Remaking any cult classic is going to be tough job, I think good originals should stay just that. I also watched the trailer for the remake of Carrie .... which leaves little to be desired.
Foreign horror is really the way to go, High Tension was brilliant! Another great french horror film was Martyrs ... 2 really good korean flicks were The tale of two sisters and I saw the devil ... some parts looked alittle too real. And some might disagree but Let the right one in ( swedish version ) was pretty good for a vampire horror .. if there is such a thing.
I preferred the american remake, it was a bit more horror/scary than the original. The Swedish one seemed to be more about the relationship-emotions of the two. neither were as good as I hoped but a decent pair of movies
Looks like rob zombie has something. Lords of Salem. Oh boy (sarcasm)
there are plenty of good horror films out there. You just have to sift through all the crap. Insidious was a very well done movie. The Descent, 1408, Let Me in(or the original swedish film), REC 1 and 2, 30 days of night, Midnight Meat Train, Sinister. Those are just a few recent films that come to mind.
Perhaps not entirely.
I think a lot of traditional horror themes are being over-exploited, zombies being the obvious craze at the moment but there are loads of lower-budget movies being made to counter-balance the weaker remakes and the teen-marketed "jump-scare" genre.
Some decent movies of the last few years, at least IMO:
- Red, White & Blue
- The Dead
- Grave Encounters
- Chained
- Sinister
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I can't believe I'm gonna do this, but...
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE HORROR GENRE.
Hear me out...true, horror seems to be on a downturn, but that's movies in general - not just horror. I've read through this thread and many people are commenting on how cheaply made movies are now. That's true, but horror has always been cheaply made. You will never find a horror movie with an Iron Man like budget - especially in this economy. I agree pg13 horror should be banned. It fits the "Two things that don't go together make a good band name" rule. There are good movies out there but they are harder to find in this online generation, much like music. If you are waiting for the mainstream to make something worthy then I suggest looking into cryo-chambers cause it's gonna be awhile.
If there is one thing I wish the industry would do, it would be marketing better and more honestly. I know a lot of people were pumped for "Cabin in the Woods" only to be disappointed it was a comedy. If the industry would have marketed it as a fun romp through horror icons (what it really was, an ode to the genre), it would have fared better.
"The Exorcist" is still the scariest, but "In the Mouth of Madness" is an under-rated classic.
