Modern horror movies have unfortunately done something to viewers--taken us as far as they can go with desensitizing us. We no longer jump and cringe at ax murders, so then they eviscerated and tortured people. Then, gruesome killing after gruesome killing, each more over the top than the last. The problem is, they no longer hit our horror G-spot.
Like porn and the use of a vibrator, it takes a bit more and more and more to stimulate and eventually, one builds up a tolerance. Horror was never about the killings or the torture so far as the unknown. The real horror is not in witnessing death, but in the not knowing what will happen. You see a dark room and hear creepy music and your mind fills in the appropriate terror that works on you instead of someone spoon-feeding you your fright.
("Hostel" - Modern Horror Movie)
I don't find movies like "Hostel" or "Saw" scary, only uncomfortable and numbing. Think about it, people are killed off one after another until there is no one to care about and nothing to hope for. You simply watch the slaughter. They create an apathy in the viewer. Even a simpleton moviemaker should know that creating apathy in your viewers is the kiss of death.
How do you do a killing movie and create horror? Let's have a look at this one --
("The Changeling" 1980)
There is hope on the horizon! Some moviemakers have gotten savvy at looking towards the classics for cues on how to totally engage the viewer with lush cinematography, gripping soundtracks, great doses of darkness, unexplained and haunted characters. Here's two coming out in early 2012 that I have at the top of my "worthy of going to the theater" ranking.
("The Woman in Black" coming in early 2012)
("The Awakening" coming early 2012)
Like porn and the use of a vibrator, it takes a bit more and more and more to stimulate and eventually, one builds up a tolerance. Horror was never about the killings or the torture so far as the unknown. The real horror is not in witnessing death, but in the not knowing what will happen. You see a dark room and hear creepy music and your mind fills in the appropriate terror that works on you instead of someone spoon-feeding you your fright.
("Hostel" - Modern Horror Movie)
I don't find movies like "Hostel" or "Saw" scary, only uncomfortable and numbing. Think about it, people are killed off one after another until there is no one to care about and nothing to hope for. You simply watch the slaughter. They create an apathy in the viewer. Even a simpleton moviemaker should know that creating apathy in your viewers is the kiss of death.
How do you do a killing movie and create horror? Let's have a look at this one --
("The Changeling" 1980)
There is hope on the horizon! Some moviemakers have gotten savvy at looking towards the classics for cues on how to totally engage the viewer with lush cinematography, gripping soundtracks, great doses of darkness, unexplained and haunted characters. Here's two coming out in early 2012 that I have at the top of my "worthy of going to the theater" ranking.
("The Woman in Black" coming in early 2012)
("The Awakening" coming early 2012)
Comments
Post a Comment