5 ms·

It wasn’t always this way. Films like Rosemary’s Baby, Night of the Living Dead, and pretty much the entire Hitchcock collection were some of the most iconic fi

It wasn’t always this way. Films like Rosemary’s Baby, Night of the Living Dead, and pretty much the entire Hitchcock collection were some of the most iconic films of their times. In my opinion, the popularity of the late 70s to 80s slasher films (Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm St, Texas Chainsaw Massacre to name a few), combined with studios’ ever-shrinking tolerance for risk, resulted in a particularly bland few decades of mainstream horror, with the well-known Saw franchise and, to a lesser extent, the somewhat satirical Final Destination series as typical examples of the era. Personally, I’m partial to the Evil Dead films, Army of Darkness most of all. Groovy. Horror can be excellent when done well, and pathetic when done poorly. It is easy to go for cheap scares and bloody massacre scenes. There is a lot to dislike about modern horror films that can turn off audiences looking for more than jump scares and blood splatter. If I hadn’t dated a girl in college who was super into the horror genre, I would have never gotten into it. Horror is best when it floods you with an emotional high that lasts long after the initial shock. For a most masterful example, try playing Silent Hill 2, if you dare.

baddox 8y ago
I’m a bit skeptical of the author’s claim. It seems like things are still that way. There are lots of recent critically-acclaimed horror movies. The genre seems to be a great way for smaller indie studios and filmmakers to experiment. I suppose it’s true that there aren’t many big horror blockbusters on par with Hitchcock or Rosemary’s Baby, but I’m not convinced there were ever a lot of those.
- 29galoseats 8y ago
  I think there are ups and downs with genres. I think horror is currently in a new golden age (not the only one--there have been others in the past), and actually think the article is part of this trend. It's easy to suggest that the current wave of outstanding horror reflects a kind of "backhanded compliment" when it was preceded by overworn cliche films, for decades. This is recognized within the horror fan community as well. There are lots of people on various forums talking about the cornucopia of great horror at the moment, and my guess is a number of fans will spend years catching up on their expanding lists of films to see and rewatch. It's really remarkable. There's a broader context that I think the author is missing, or at least ignoring: film and visual arts critics don't care about genre, they care about film. Genre tends to create a comparative context that doesn't necessarily exist if your scope is film at large. So, horror films exist to cater to a horror film fan base, romantic comedies exist to cater to that, superhero films cater to that, science fiction, fantasy, and so forth and so on. If it is a backhanded compliment, my guess is the same could be said of any genre to some extent.
davidw 8y ago
I just came here to make sure someone mentioned Bruce Campbell's films. Thanks! I'm bummed there won't be another season of Ash vs Evil Dead.
mr_overalls 8y ago
The excellent literary craftsmanship of Stephen King helped elevate the horror genre in print, too. I think that sometimes a few talented artists can make genre work more. . . respectable.
ajmurmann 8y ago
Let's not forget The Shining! I've heard claims that it's the favorite horror movie of people who don't like horror movies. I think that's because it fits in line with the movies you list in your first paragraph.
zaarn 8y ago
I think a lot of good horror has moved from the big studios to smaller creators where taking risks is necessary to capture audiences. That goes from small fiction novels (fan fiction included) on to youtube videos and even multi-media ARG (alternate reality games). A pretty neat example would be Don't Hug Me I'm Scared, a rather deep exploration of media that I would definitely put into the category of horror. Another one I recently discovered is the Twitter account @thesunvanished. Twitter as a medium means there cannot be a jump scare. The only way to keep people interested is to keep at the core of horror. Even some of the slenderman ARGs, despite what people might think about the story, are pretty damn good despite using cheap effects (or maybe because they're using cheap effects?). (Of course, it's all about taste and even the small creators can fail)

baddox 8y ago

I’m a bit skeptical of the author’s claim. It seems like things are still that way. There are lots of recent critically-acclaimed horror movies. The genre seems to be a great way for smaller indie studios and filmmakers to experiment. I suppose it’s true that there aren’t many big horror blockbusters on par with Hitchcock or Rosemary’s Baby, but I’m not convinced there were ever a lot of those.

29galoseats 8y ago
I think there are ups and downs with genres. I think horror is currently in a new golden age (not the only one--there have been others in the past), and actually think the article is part of this trend. It's easy to suggest that the current wave of outstanding horror reflects a kind of "backhanded compliment" when it was preceded by overworn cliche films, for decades. This is recognized within the horror fan community as well. There are lots of people on various forums talking about the cornucopia of great horror at the moment, and my guess is a number of fans will spend years catching up on their expanding lists of films to see and rewatch. It's really remarkable. There's a broader context that I think the author is missing, or at least ignoring: film and visual arts critics don't care about genre, they care about film. Genre tends to create a comparative context that doesn't necessarily exist if your scope is film at large. So, horror films exist to cater to a horror film fan base, romantic comedies exist to cater to that, superhero films cater to that, science fiction, fantasy, and so forth and so on. If it is a backhanded compliment, my guess is the same could be said of any genre to some extent.

davidw 8y ago

I just came here to make sure someone mentioned Bruce Campbell's films. Thanks! I'm bummed there won't be another season of Ash vs Evil Dead.

mr_overalls 8y ago

The excellent literary craftsmanship of Stephen King helped elevate the horror genre in print, too. I think that sometimes a few talented artists can make genre work more. . . respectable.

ajmurmann 8y ago

Let's not forget The Shining! I've heard claims that it's the favorite horror movie of people who don't like horror movies. I think that's because it fits in line with the movies you list in your first paragraph.

zaarn 8y ago

I think a lot of good horror has moved from the big studios to smaller creators where taking risks is necessary to capture audiences. That goes from small fiction novels (fan fiction included) on to youtube videos and even multi-media ARG (alternate reality games). A pretty neat example would be Don't Hug Me I'm Scared, a rather deep exploration of media that I would definitely put into the category of horror. Another one I recently discovered is the Twitter account @thesunvanished. Twitter as a medium means there cannot be a jump scare. The only way to keep people interested is to keep at the core of horror. Even some of the slenderman ARGs, despite what people might think about the story, are pretty damn good despite using cheap effects (or maybe because they're using cheap effects?). (Of course, it's all about taste and even the small creators can fail)