Are horror films still fun?

[g star]

i think fun horror met it's demise because of three major 90's films. silence of the lambs (very psychological and serious), scream (features a hot young cast and tries to keep you guessing who the killer is), and the sixth sense (spooky with a major twist ending). if you look at any recent mainstream horror movie 19 time out of 20 it'll fall into one of these categories. and we're not far from adding "japanese remake" as a fourth catagory.

[urgeok]

i personally saw the 80s as the death of good horror movies.
(and yes there are always exceptions)


as i mentioned in another thread long ago - the 80s saw the beginings of the widespread home video phenomenon ...

the market was hungry for product - paving the way for these no name studios to crawl out of the woodwork with direct to video shit ... and a large part of that was horror ..

catering to the teen market that was happy with any piece of shit as long as there were a pair of tits on display they could giggle and beat off to in the privacy of their own homes when mom and dad went out to one of their wife swapping parties.

there was no real incentive to make good films ... people were renting anything they could get their hands on... as long as the cover looked cool.

This wasnt happening in the 70's where most films were made to be shown in theatres.

There were exceptions there too - experimental films ... shock and 'art films' ... but for the most part horror films were made by big studios with big directors and big stars. And they were way fucking better than any shit full moon or their contemporaries pumped out.

If you like the stuff - fine ... people do tend to identify more with the films they grew up on ... and i got into them myself for a spell
but in retrospect - looking back now - i find them mostly unwatchble due to the lack of budget, talent, and creativity.

i think horror is starting to creep back now .. in part because of CGI which allows for cheaper better looking effects (not many self professed 'true horror fans' like it though) and in part because of films like Xmen, Spiderman, Harry Potter and LOTR which brought fantasy and creatures back to the mainstream (profitable)

another factor is - ironically - due to home video which threatened to kill the theatre market but instead renewed interest in cinema - so adults are slowly getting back into the theatres - and - thank god - not all of them want to see The Bridges of Madison County and the Horse Whisperer.

[novakru]

I am surprised at how many movies I do like.
I liked Silence of the Lambs,I liked The scream movies-I liked the knock-off scream movies.I like the 80's,the 70's the 60's and the low budget"see the strings holding the monsters" movies. I like just about All the new ones coming out.
I like to laugh at the bad ones and lose myself in the good ones.
If I am going to "waste my time"(lol,that thread was funny) I might as well go all out.

[crippler666]

THe 70's & 80's horror was good because more films came out and they wern't affraid to try something different.

I cannot imagine anyone making movies such as:

The Stuff (mutant yogurt)

Basket Case (deformed half brother with no lower body and lives in a basket)

Evil Dead (with that ending now...)

No one said that they was all good movies, but would anyone direct them now? Probably not outside Asian Cinema.

[Elvis_Christ]

Originally posted by AUSTIN316426808
I also think that today directors are being picked to make horror films and it's just a job to them.

Carpenter,Romero,Argento ect. ect. came up with the ideas and pitched,wrote and directed the film they wanted to make and made them with passion because it was something they believed in. Not saying that the directors picked for recent horror films go in not trying but they don't try as hard as someone who who's passionate about what they're doing, like I said before it's just a job to them.

Two examples- Rob Zombie and Uwe Boll

I wouldn't include Rob Zombie in that category. He's passionate about the genre and I look foward to seeing what he does next. He's in the same sort of vein as Tarrantino..... i.e not really doing anything new but making great films that show a great knowledge and passion for the genre.

[EXTR3MIST]

Agree with crippler, and add that I don't think horror films should be fun - rent comedy/party movies if you want laughs, and action movies for thrills and spills.

The uncompromising work of Jorg Buttgereit, Eric Stanze and the August Underground team is stuff to watch.

[Lamoreux]

Originally posted by EXTR3MIST
... I don't think horror films should be fun ...

I find this to be a genuinly interesting point of view. I'd be fascinated to learn what you think a horror film should be and why? What do audiences bring to them and what do they take away?

[no mulier]

Does this happen to you? You pour your attention into a film and everything else disappears. Occasional interruptions from others who want to talk through the movie are tolerated but more often found irritating.

My point being that with every kind of film I start to watch, this is my general attitude. In the case of the horror genre, a good film hooks me completely. And at the end, it always tends to leave something to ponder about.

Fun being something that is a source of enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure, I would agree with EXT3MIST.

Horror films shouldn't be fun. I get the impression that many of you watch horror films to pass the time. To amuse yourselves with thrills and scares. That's well and good, but what do you think about the film when it's over?

A good horror film transcends beyond mere entertainment. Its creator has an artistic vision that he pours elegantly into the film with his skill and creativity. To a great extent, I suppose it greatly depends on the receiving end.

If you're really just after thrills, then you're not difficult to please. Any average to good horror film will do. But the true essence of a good horror film can only be realized by a recepient who is open to its message. And that is when the enjoyment arises.

No doubt horror films are still fun.

A well-made film like Dawn of the Dead, as Lamoreux mentioned, can hold my attention to the end. It can be enjoyable. Sometimes, there are some that seem to hold some promise...only to disappoint at the end. And the rest? I stop watching at most, halfway.

Most of the time, I only ever watch these once...and keep hoping and hoping for little gems to come out. In time, they do.

[urgeok]

i think horror films can be fun ...
like a rollercoaster ride ... there are ups and downs ... one mood heightens the effectiveness of the other ..


there is a place in my cinematic world for pure horror and the other variations as well ...

[Yellow Jacket]

There are still some fun horrors out there 2day.

Examples:

Land of the Dead
Dead End
May
FvJ
Saw

Then there are some cheesy, stupid horror/sci-fi flicks but are still fun (Centipede [2005] comes to mind.)

I too loved the 80's! I mean, the 80's was all about fun. From NOES to Friday the 13th to the 2nd and fourth Halloween flicks and so on. Great era for fun horror flicks!