What's wrong with the horror genre?

The teenagers, and modern cinema fans who actually do watch horror movies, have seen everything done. Over and over. When there were original elements, they were milked to death, as OG mentioned when he listed off just how many sequels to any relatively good film there were (and the hundreds of ****ty ones).

If there were any originality left in the genre, then we would not see retreads in the same old crap. Every ounce of originality squeezed out never gets realized to its full potential. And then to try and make up for it, they give us 800 sequels. The genre is being beaten like a dead hore. The more remakes and sequels we get, the more heavily it gets beaten.

If there were any ground left to be tread, then the movies would be hot pressed and promoted like they were millions of times better than any great horror movie ever made. Until that moment comes, I'm going to stick to my claim that the genre is dead or dying.

Of course, it doesn't mean that no one can still attempt and enjoy anything in the genre. It's just that the whole thing is a crap shoot that no one can really win with.

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"Groovy."
- Ash (Bruce Campbell), Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn

I just got back from Silent Hill and I have to say that, while changing the genre any time soon, it was definitly one of the better horror movies to come out in the last decade or so. Some may argue that it's because of the source material, I'd agree with that, but it's still an enoyable experience.

Look at what's come to our cinema in the last couple of years....REMAKES. Whether it's from old school directors (Romero/Craven) or movies from overseas (Grudge/The Ring) you have to admit that the horror genre is grabbing at straws. For ideas anyway, how it's presented will make or break the film. Dawn of the Dead (2004) did a good job at being a remake and being a film on it's own. Let's hope the upcoming evil dead can do the same, though I have my doubts.

Let's hope that one day some new guy can come along and make a film that we've never seen before, instead of trying to get us "shocked" (hostel), because frankly, it doesn't work anymore.


But why attack horror?? Because it follows a formula, well then what about some action movies? Have you seen any good ones lately?

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"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews

You missed my point entirely. It wasn't that sequels kill originality, it was simply that this is always how the studio system has operated. Always. You have to sit through countless crap until you get the gems. It's simple math. It's no sign that the genre is dead or dying. If it was, the genre has been dying for over 26 years. That's one long ass "death"...

There are still very, very original horror films coming out. And even if a film is a sequel or a remake, it doesn't mean it's automatically bad. The Hills Have Eyes is the most vicious and visceral horror film in a decade. The Dawn of the Dead remake is straight horror and has helluva lot more horror credentials than anyone could have predicted. Those are just two fantastic studio films. And if I have to wade through miles of crap just for a gem like Hills, I will.

And then you get into the really refreshing indie/foreign stuff like The Descent (which I personally didn't go ape**** for, but a LOT of people have), May, Dead End, The Last Horror Movie, Creep, The Eye, Audition, The Ordeal, Shutter, Dumplings.

One final time: Horror is not dead. Your patience is. Don't blame the genre because you can't be bothered to appreciate the good stuff and only judge it based on the market driven PG-13 fluff.

And on a sidenote, are you (or anyone) really that offended by the flood of remakes? Are the originals really that holy to you that you think it's so revolting if they're ever touched? Quit jumping on the bandwagon.

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Horror's Not Dead
Latest Movie Review(s): Too lazy to keep this up to date. New reviews every week.

Don't put Dumplings in the list.

To the "An American Haunting" remark....it's PG-13, so I'm skipping it.

I'm not saying remakes get the stake in the heart because the're remakes. I'm interested in seeing Pulse, even though it was a Japanese horror film prior. I give all remakes a chance...unless it Psycho.

Avoid films that have a list actors, from a major studio...so on and so fourth???? I'm sorry, but there is a lot more crap from indie horror films then mainstream. I only have to say one word....CARNIVORE (Worst...Movie...Ever)

I'd like to see a flick take an old and use genre in the horror field and renew it. Much like Ginger Snaps and Dog Soldiers did with the werewolf flicks.

(Ive got to say it) Just because you have been writing for four years doesnt mean your any good at it or judging it! and judging by your inability to use any words in something that resembles english grammer, I'd say your more of a tinker.

Dont even go there....idiot. TIP: Dont be a smartass to people who have provern themselves to be worthy contributors to the site.

I dont even know what that means...and we arent supose to 'abuse' the newbies?????, COME ON!! this is a classic example of a idiot, the worst kind of idiot as well! the kind of moron that feels compelled to speak! My gentle advise is to SHUT UP, but thats just my opinion

All the boofhead above aside...

I feel that horror has been on the decline for the past decade simply because even though the tech. exists to create truely disturbing creatures and thrilling sounds and events. There are still laws against what can and cant be viewed. Even your R18+ movies are still very limited in what can be released (sue to that wonderful censorship). I guess a writer may have a truely gorey and nightmarish situation and may be able to express this idea through a screenplay...but the approval by the law (and director for that matter) is still a problem. Im sure there are some disturbing horror's out there on the "black market" but trying to find the balence of scaring the crap out of the audience and not scarring them for life is still a formula thats to be created...

Horror today really doesnt exist for me, the films rated as horror for me personally have become thriller's at best and boring at worst.

Im Naisy and that was my two cents (please note I didnt read much of what was said before me so if im WAAAYYY off track dont tell me I'd rather like to think I didnt say something stupid and actually contributed something worthy )

-OG, Taxi Driver, Holden, and Sexy, I agree with you all

I will say this much. No horror film, or any film can be truly defined as good or bad. Every hit will always be criticized by people, and every financial flop will still have a fan-base that adores it. Quality is truly just a popularity contest. No film will ever get 100% or 0% of an audience.

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The horror genre is the same as it has always been...that could be good or bad according to your taste. It is just that the audience gets jaded. Once you have seen enough horror films you get kind of immune to their charms/shocks etc. Perhaps it is because production gets slicker in films like Final Destination, further away from the grainy nastiness of TCM or Night of the Living Dead...but then you get stuff like Blair Witch Project (although personally I didn't think it was all that) which is about as low budget as it gets. Horror isn't dead, it's just mutating...

No, I'm not offended. And yes, there are some remakes that are better than others. But then, there are a lot that are not that great either. But yes, they also owe a lot to the source material, which like you said, are not always as good as they are claimed to be. But on the other hand, there are still many original films are superior to their remakes (the Dawn of the Dead remake is nowhere near as good as the original).

I'm just saying that horror seems to repeat more of the ideas then any other genre (other than buddy comedy). It is a bad thing, and yes, I know that's how the system works. But while a lot of other genres are attempting to spice things up, you never see as many other genre films that are the same or very similar, in one year, than you would a horror movie.

I still enjoy watching horror films, and I will watch the likes of the Hills Have Eyes remake, but to me, the horror genre is slowly dying out. It's dripping for good ideas moreso than any other genre.

So it maybe the case that horror films are repeating themselves but that does not necassarily mean they are going to be crap. A well used plot can be tweaked into something special.

Horror is merely experimenting with variations of those previously used themes. Ringu set a new precident and that has not been out long, there are great horror films coming out its just that the money making machines behind the film industry are saturating the market with ideas they know are going to bring in the bucks leaving undiscovered gems lying in the dust.

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so far, in my point of view, nobody has captured the real essence of a horror movie genre since the '70s..George Romero's zombies haven't been better and those japanese horror flicks (some of em) are quite good..the best horror movie for me is The Ring, that darn sadako/samara spooked the hell outta me..the earth needs a good horror movie director for horror's sake..

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"A Movie is a five letter word that starts and ends with ME" - Yours truly..

Oh, God, maybe the horror genre really is dying. Blair Witch was 1999, Texas Chainsaw Remake Massacre was 2003. Noooo... Blair Witch didn't need to end like 03's Chainsaw, 'cause I didn't like it.

A good horror film, at least IMO, must have an element of mystery to make it stand out above the rest. Horror can be mixed with all other kinds of films and it usually is: love/horror, scifi/horror, etc... but a real horror film does not let anything else get in the way. Mystery however should place a good close 2nd. I tend to find movies that overdo the gore are actually gore films and not horror films. To me there is a difference. Not that there is anything wrong with gore films per se, but when I see horror I want to be shocked and scared not disgusted and ill. Gore has its place in horror, but when all it is is gore then it just stops being horror to me. I do not think the genre will ever die and we will see new horror movies come out every year. It is not just horror though, it seems to be the whole industry. Comedy seems to be lacking lately also.

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“The gladdest moment in human life, methinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton

I think that Hollywood has replaced fear and suspense with gore and shock, and that doesn't work entirely.

A little review for this thread... I just watched Wolf Creek last night and I cannot recommend it. I'm not against the sadistic violence it showed, which wasn't that bad compared to what I imagined, but the whole movie was just boring. I almost turned it off/went to bed. Thank God I rented it and didn't purchase it. Beautiful cinematography showing Australia, but that's it. That's the only best thing about it, for me. I don't think I could ever watch it again. Many people hate Hostel, but I think this is worse. I want to see The Devil's Rejects sometime soon, actually. I didn't like House of 1000 Corpses, but this one got better reviews. I should have rented that instead. But anyways, avoid Wolf Creek.

There's good and bad within any genre...you just have to look hard enough.

How many great horrors have people missed seeing? How many people have seen Black Christmas, Stagefright, Lighthouse, Session 9....

You may have to search a bit harder, but I promise there are great horrors to be seen.

Wolf Creek was quite a bit boring I agree. Not too much mystery either. Like S.C, says avoid it. The only thing that was even remotely entertaining was the head on a stick scene, but then it was over and I was bored again.

If anyone thinks that the Blair Witch Project is original, then you better check out some older horror movies.

The Blair Witch Project is a very original movie. Cannibal Holocaust may have dabbled in the idea of blending documentary footage with real footage and questioning whether it is right for the civilized world to crave such extreme imagery, and this blending was certainly an influence on Blair Witch, but they're still two very different films.

Maybe I'm ignorant to some other movies here, but name some other films which have used the internet and word of mouth to alter the psyche of the viewer in such a profound way. Or name some other movies which consist ONLY of "documentary" style footage shot with such chaos and horror. Or any other movie with an all amateur cast that truly delivers performances which are arguably the most believable the genre had seen in years.

If you want to argue chronology, yes Cannibal Holocaust was first with the idea of "recovered" footage, but past that the two have nothing in common.

Well, no.1-horror is cheap to make (sorry but it just is), no.2-the acting isn't that hard (because really how hard is it to live, possible have intercourse, then die)

With these two things in mind, all a horror movie needs is a good script, plot, and a little originality...this is an opinion of course and I am hoping for comments.

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